Austrian Fan Snaps Baguette to Taunt French Supporters

Jun 18 2024

In a playful but bold move, an Austrian fan hilariously taunted French supporters by snapping a baguette in front of them ahead of the highly anticipated Euro 2024 clash between Austria and France. This act of provocation took place just outside the stadium in Germany, where both teams were set to kick off their campaigns in Group D on Monday evening.

The Austrian supporter’s move quickly became the talk of the fan zones around the world. Mirroring the infamous Albanian fan’s snapping of pasta in front of Italian supporters, breaking the quintessential symbol of French culture right in front of their rivals was a clever and humorous attempt to ruffle some feathers.

Despite the light-hearted banter and the spirit of competition, the match that followed saw Austria narrowly defeated by France with a 1-0 loss. The French side, known for their formidable prowess on the field, managed to secure the win, leaving Austrian fans to savour their pre-match antics rather than a victory.

The incident added a touch of humor to the evening and followed what seems to have become a trend amongst Euro 2024 followers in the damaging or breaking of quintessential national dishes ahead of heated games.

#MaltaDaily

Why Ukraine Players Wear Flags Around Their Shoulders

Jun 18 2024

In a poignant display of solidarity during this year’s UEFA Euro, the Ukrainian national football team has made a powerful tradition of draping their national flag over their shoulders before international matches.This symbolic gesture, initiated in response to the ongoing conflict in their homeland, first took root following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The tradition began in earnest on 1st June 2022, when the Ukrainian players donned their national flags for the World Cup qualification play-off against Scotland at Hampden Park. This marked the first collective act of this kind for the national team. Prior to this, gestures of support had been seen at club level, such as when Everton players showed solidarity with their Ukrainian teammate Vitaliy Mykolenko by emerging with flags after the invasion started.

The significance of this act is profound. Wearing the flag serves as a public declaration of national pride and defiance against aggression, especially as Ukraine continues to endure the impacts of the war.

Yesterday, Ukraine suffered a 3-0 loss to Romania in Matchday 1 of 3 of the group stages.

#MaltaDaily

Tunisian Influencer Farah El Kadhi Passed Away In Malta

Jun 17 2024

Farah El Kadhi, a prominent Tunisian social media influencer, died in Malta on Monday morning from a suspected heart attack. The 36-year-old influencer architect was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital around 6:30am after experiencing cardiac arrest.

Farah, in Malta on holiday, was also promoting various companies and services through her Instagram posts. Her profile included images of her in St Julian’s and on a boat at the Vittoriosa marina.

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Though she showed no visible injuries, an autopsy will be conducted, and a magisterial inquiry has been initiated to determine the exact cause of her death.

Soulayma Hneynia, who lives in Malta and participated in the first season of Love Island Malta, described Farah as a “truly wonderful person” known for her kindness and positivity. Hneynia mentioned that Farah passed away peacefully in her sleep.

Farah El Kadhi was an architect with Key Concept company and had over one million followers on Instagram. She was recognized as one of Tunisia’s most popular influencers and used her platform to promote her fashion brand bazarbyfaf and other paid promotions.

#MaltaDaily

40% of Malta’s Population With Low Education

Jun 17 2024

A Euronews Next survey of Eurostat data of education levels across European countries shows that 40.8% of Maltese have a low education level.

‘Educational levels are defined as low (less than high school), middle (high school), or high (university studies).’

This makes low education pre-primary, primary and lower secondary education (ISCED levels 0–2), which Eurostat bases off the International standard classification of education (ISCED).

Turkey had the highest share of the population with low education by far, having 61.8% of people with less than upper secondary education attainment.

Malta joined countries like Portugal, Italy and Spain in having education levels below 40%.

Meanwhile, 28.1% of respondents from Malta had a high education level, with 13.8 having medium (vocational) levels of education, followed by 17.3% having medium (general) levels.

#MaltaDaily