Drake Recreates Messi & Ronaldo Chess Photo With J. Cole

Nov 16 2023

Drake and J. Cole engaged in a friendly competition featuring chess, table tennis, and basketball in the recently released music video for “First Person Shooter.”

The video, unveiled on Wednesday, showcased the biracial hip-hop stars recreating a renowned image of soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing chess, captured by Annie Leibovitz a year ago during their Louis Vuitton collaboration.

This collaboration produced a US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, featured in Drake’s eighth studio album, “For All the Dogs,” released on October 6. J. Cole achieved his first No. 1 hit, while Drake’s 13th matched him with the late Michael Jackson for the most solo number-one songs by a male artist.

In a nod to the King of Pop, Drake wore a silver-sequin glove and socks with black loafers.

The five-minute CG-filled music video, directed by Gibson Hazard, pays homage to Drake’s son Adonis Mahbed Graham through the album cover drawn by the five-year-old.

The video, already nearing half a million views on YouTube, features a cameo by Brian Baumgartner of “The Office.”

Beginning with Baumgartner managing an office of dummies while playing a game on his computer, the video transitions to Drake and J. Cole playing ping pong before a magical transformation into a stadium.

Dressed as Spider-Man, the Grammy-winning artists showcase their ping pong and basketball skills, with Drake’s cosmic basketball shot landing in Scotiabank Arena.

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Malta-led Israel & Gaza Resolution Adopted By UN Security Council

Nov 16 2023

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution on Wednesday, drafted by Malta, urging “extended humanitarian pauses” in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The resolution received 12 votes in favor, three abstentions (USA, UK, and Russia), and no votes against. Notably, it marks the first resolution on the conflict passed by the UNSC after four failed attempts. The resolution calls for the release of hostages, particularly children held by Hamas, and urges an urgent days-long ceasefire for humanitarian aid entry into Gaza.

The UNSC has successfully adopted Malta’s resolution regarding the Middle East conflict. Our commitment for peace remains unwavering. – RA

— Robert Abela (@RobertAbela_MT) November 15, 2023

It emphasises the evacuation of the sick and injured and calls for refraining from depriving Gazans of basic services. Despite Malta’s call for a ceasefire, the resolution uses the term “extended humanitarian pauses and corridors” to allow aid, repairs, and evacuations.

The careful wording reflects the divided UNSC perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, with Russia and China on one side and the United States on the other. The US opposed the term “ceasefire,” opting for terms like “truce” or “pause.”

Malta’s ambassador, Vanessa Frazier, called it an “important first step,” emphasising the shared desire among council members to save lives.

While the US and UK abstained, expressing support for the resolution’s purposes, Russia cited deficiencies and the absence of an immediate ceasefire in its abstention.

The Palestinian representative criticized the resolution for not explicitly calling for a ceasefire, while Israel deemed it “detached from reality.”

Frazier, drawing on her experience aiding refugees from Libya, thanked Malta for trust and acknowledged the UNSC’s delayed response. She expressed disappointment at Israel’s swift dismissal, emphasizing the resolution’s binding nature.

#UNSC just adopted Res2712 tabled by 🇲🇹 Malta. It calls for urgent & extended humanitarian corridors in Gaza Strip + unconditional release of hostages, esp. children. Our efforts were guided by the need to have a humanitarian Res. We are determined to continue working towards… pic.twitter.com/oSMZwr7bEU

— Ian Borg (@MinisterIanBorg) November 15, 2023

The next step involves the UN Secretary-General reporting on resolution implementation. Despite Malta’s constitutional neutrality, its stance has shifted during the conflict.

Minister Borg previously called for a ceasefire, and Prime Minister Abela underscored Israel’s right to defend itself but condemned civilian casualties. The resolution aims to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hospitals like Al Shifa face attacks, with Israel claiming a Hamas headquarters beneath.

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The David Beckham In Malta AI Exercise On Popolin

Nov 16 2023

MaltaDaily’s Keane Cutajar, whilst a guest on local TV show Popolin, explained the exercise carried out by this news platform, along with Popolin and malta.ai, wherein a post was uploaded to social media showing David Beckham in Malta.

The image was entirely AI generated and garnered, as of the time of the programme’s airing, over 1,700 likes.

Keane pointed out that it is difficult to know whether the likes were whether because social media users liked the image or because they actually believed it.

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However, the more important point, Keane said, was that such exercises highlight how news reports can sometimes be consumed just through the image and the title, with some ignoring the caption completely.

‘Whether you are a responsible news platform or not, your responsibility is to give the correct information is the caption. The title could be a bit catchy but it should still be correct.’

‘However, since we got used to double-taps to like content online, there is a tendency to not read the caption and make a story from just a title and a picture. AI will make this more difficult.’

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Last Night’s Protest After Mosta Trees Were Saved

Nov 16 2023

Following the announcement of a U-turn by the Mosta local council to not relocate 12 ficus trees from the Mosta square, Moviment Graffitti’s protest against the directive was turned into a demonstration to not just celebrate the redaction but to call for ‘functioning authorities’.

‘This evening, residents, members of the wider public, and activists gathered in Mosta at the site of the recent standoff to celebrate the successful prevention of the uprooting of 12 mature ficus trees’, said Moviment Graffitti in a statement.

“We do not want a paternalistic political class, where justice is only served by political intervention as though they are doing the public a favour. We demand authorities that prioritise public welfare and environmental protection, resisting the whims of those wielding power.”

‘This victory stands as yet another testament to the power of an organised public in achieving justice. However, the fact that the decision to remove the trees was taken by the mayor and council and rubber-stamped by ERA is deeply concerning. It highlights a troubling scenario where the public must oversee authorities to ensure that common sense prevails. It is also reflective of a political system that enforces the idea that politicians need to intervene to serve justice when they feel their popularity is at stake.’

‘The protest comes after residents and activists, since Tuesday morning, had stood in the way of contractors attempting to remove the heavily pruned trees from the square. This direct action was a response to the Mosta Local Council’s unanimous decision, pushed by mayor Chris Grech, to relocate the trees as part of the “upgrading” of the square, which decision was approved by ERA. The ficus trees in question are protected by law in view of being within an urban public open space, and are one of a handful of roosting sites for white wagtails (MT zakak abjad, Motacilla alba) spending the winter on the Maltese Islands.’

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