Abela gets more votes than Grech, but short of Joseph Muscat’s numbers

Mar 28 2022

Prime Minister Robert Abela has managed to keep a safe gap between him and Opposition leader Bernard Grech following their competition over the 5th district. According to official results by the Electoral Commission, Abela received 9,996 first count votes compared to Grech’s 5,799.

However, Abela did not manage to reach Joseph Muscat’s 2017 results after the predecessor managed to rack up a whopping 12,866 first count votes on the same district. Despite this, Abela’s performance is still impressive considering the competitive field of candidates on the district, with Miriam Dalli, Owen Bonnici and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi all getting over 1,000 first count votes.

Abela also performed well on the 2nd district with 11,694 first count votes. This was also less than Muscat, who received 14,674 first count votes in 2017. Grech got 9,450 first count votes on the 11th District, which less than the 11,266 first count votes Simon Busuttil receive on the first district in the last general election.

The Labour Party won the general election by around 39,000 votes, with Grech contesting for the PN leadership.

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Billie Eilish wins her first Oscar for No Time To Die alongside brother

Mar 28 2022

Popstar sensation Billie Eilish has just won her first Oscar for No Time to Die in what was one of the most eventful nights for the awards ceremony.

The singer released the track for James Bond’s latest film, despite movies getting postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19. Two years after all that, Eilish bagged that Academy Award.

Eilish and her brother/collaborator Finneas O’Connell managed to beat Beyonce for ‘King Richard’s ‘Be Alive, Lin-Manuel Miranda for Encanto’s ‘Dos Oruguitas’, Van Morrision for Belfast’s ‘Down to Joy’ and Diane Warren for Four Good Days’ ‘Somehow You Do’.

Eilish was a massive favourite, especially after she took home the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media, the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and the Critic’s Choice Movie Award for Best Song.

It is also interesting to note that recent Bond films preceding ‘No Time To Die’, ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Spectre’, both won the Best Original Song Oscars. Eilish and O’Connell are also the first siblings to win since 1964.

Speaking about her nomination, she had told Entertainment Tonight that ‘words cannot describe how honoured and excited we are to have been nominated for an Academy Award for our song ‘No Time To Die.’

‘It’s completely unbelievable that we are here being recognised for this song, and this is a peak life experience for us as songwriters and artists. To be recognised today among these other incredible nominees is something we most certainly do not take for granted.’

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Reactions by Jada and Will Smith after Oscars Chris Rock slap

Mar 28 2022

Last night’s Oscars ceremony took an unexpectedly dramatic turn after Will Smith smacked Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

The comedian made a joke about Jada’s hair loss, whose comments about her condition providing some answers as to why her husband smacked Rock live on stage.

‘Jada, I love you – G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it!’ joked Rock, a nod to Demi Moore’s 1997 film G.I. Jane, which saw the lead actress shave her head for the role.

Will Smith was initially seen laughing at the joke, but then approached the comedian after his wife was seen completely unimpressed by the joke and rolling her eyes.

Following the slap, Will shouted out from his seat ‘Keep my wife’s name out of your f**king mouth’. Jada had spoken out about her struggle with alopecia, saying that while she wants to be ‘friends’ with her hair loss, it hasn’t been easy.

Jada had said that she felt terrified when she started losing her hair, going on to say on Instagram that ‘at this point I can only laugh, but y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia.’

The Academy responded to the incident, saying that it does not condone violence in any form. Smith himself apologised to the nominees and the Academy. ‘But love will make you do crazy things’ he said.

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Adrian Delia elected on two districts in first election in response to PN

Mar 28 2022

Elected on the 7th and 8th districts, former PN leader Adrian Delia contested his first-ever elected election. He performed remarkably well despite some internal conflicts which did not like Delta’s leadership.

Following the election landslide, former PN European Parliament Michael Briguglio gave his opinion as to what is wrong with the party. Writing in a blog post, the EP member said that;

‘When an elitist clique tried to destroy a democratically elected leader who happened to have not been chosen by them, and when they did the same with those who defended democracy, the PN didn’t only lose respect with several of its own activists but sent a message to the people that they believe there are chosen ones and those who aren’t chosen.’

Some MPS within the PN had fought against Delia’s leadership. This resulted n Delia facing an internal leadership election which he lost to present leader Bernard Grech.

‘Instead of trying to understand Maltese society and why the PL kept increasing their majority, they kept on repeating the same narrative that the public had rejected, assuming others must be stupid or sinful. Those who tried to improve things through a good word were sidelined, and sometimes even stabbed in the back’ said Briguglio.

Briguglio was a former Alnternattiva Demokratika chairperson, joining the PN in 2017. During the PN’s 2020 leadership crisis, Briguglio backed up Delia and warned that the rule of the jungle would reign if party rules aren’t followed.

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