Four van passengers hospitals after traffic accident injuries

Jun 1 2022

Police were informed yesterday at around 1430hrs that an accident had taken place in Triq ir-Repubblika, Rabat Ghawdex.

From preliminary investigations, police found that a crash occurred between a bowser driven by a 34-year-old man resident of San Lawrenz, and a Toyota van driven by a 23-year-old Wied il-Ghajn resident.

Consequently, the Toyota van had an impact with another car and two other motorcycles which were parked in the vicinity. In the van were four Englishwomen with ages varying between 53 and 60.

Civil Protection officers and a medical team were called onto the site of the crash, with the ambulance carrying those in need of aid to Gozo General Hospital. One of the women was certified as having suffered grievous injuries whereas the others were found to have suffered light injuries.

The two drivers did not suffer any injuries. Investigations are still ongoing.

#MaltaDaily

Texas artist creates 19 free custom caskets for victims of school shooting

Jun 1 2022

The services for some of the 19 students and two teachers killed in last week’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas took place last Monday.

And 19 of the victims were buried in custom made coffins made by casket-maker Trey Ganem. The owner of custom casket company SoulShine Industries, Ganem is based in Edna, Texas, and donated his services free of charge.

He told CNN that he didn’t even think twice when he was asked to do it. BuzzFeed News reported that Ganem was contacted by the Texas Funeral Directors Association to make the caskets on the day of the shooting.

Meet the TX man who’s making customized caskets for each of the 19 young victims and two teachers from the school shooting in #Uvalde. Trey Ganem visited with the families last week so each casket is personalized to include each child’s interests.

📷: SoulShine Industries pic.twitter.com/eeoOZHcrfF

— John-Carlos Estrada (@Mr_JCE) May 31, 2022

He has since made coffins for 19 of the victims. SoulShine’s Industries’ caskets usually cost between $3,400 and $3,800 to make. But Ganem has no plans of charging the families as ‘this is something no family should ever have to deal with.’

Ganem’s son, Billy, expressed SoulShine’s desire to help make the victims’ family’s current situation “a little easier.”

25-year-old Billy said that ‘There’s nothing we can really ever do to make it easier, but that’s our goal: to help the families … start their grieving and their healing and just try to make something special for them.’

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Maltese DJs Debrii & Koroma to perform in Croatia

Jun 1 2022

On Thursday, two Maltese DJs will travel to the Croatian island of Pag to perform at Zrce Spring Break between June 3 and 6, an event which is considered to be one of Europe’s hottest Spring Break festivals.

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A post shared by 𝗗𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗜 (@iamdebrii)

24-year-old Daniel Briffa (Debrii) and 21-year-old Isaak Koroma (Koroma) will join the likes of Fedde Le Grand, DJs From Mars, MANDY and Yves V at a number of venues within the popular Croatian entertainment hub.

Locally, the two young DJs are residents at G7 Events, Malta’s leading event and club night organisers and have performed at popular venues such as Gianpula Village, Café Del Mar, Sky Club, Aria Complex and a selected number of clubs in Paceville, amongst others.

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A post shared by Isaak Koroma (@koroma_mlt)

This will be Koroma’s first DJ gig beyond Maltese shores whilst Debrii had previously represented Malta at World Club Dome in Düsseldorf before the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020.

Notably, Debrii’s recent viral remix of Maltese TV theme ‘Simpatiċi’ has garnered close to 94,000 views on TikTok whilst Koroma & his team have developed a beloved nightlife brand in Paceville residency ‘ICON’.

#MaltaDaily

Canada to decriminalise cocaine and MDMA for three years as trial run

Jun 1 2022

Canada has just announced that it will temporarily decriminalise the possession of cocaine and MDMA in the province of British Columbia.

The province asked for the criminal code exemption after overdoses saw the deaths of over two thousand lives last year. This is the first time-limited three-year trial in Canada.

Adults will be allowed to possess a combined total of 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA. While the substances will remain illegal, adults found in their possession for personal use will not be arrested or charged.

They will instead be offered information on available health and social services. The province said that it asked for the exemption in order to remove the shame that prevents people from reaching out for life-saving help.

Federal minister of mental health and addiction Carolyn Bennett said that ‘for too many years, the ideological opposition to harm reduction has cost lives. We are doing this to save lives, but also to give people using drugs their dignity and choices.’

The programme will run from the 31st of January 2023 to the 31st of January 2026. BC declared the overdose crisis a public health emergency five years ago. Overdose deaths reached historic heights in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 9000 people died of drug overdose in the province since 2016. However, Minister Bennett is hoping the scheme could become a template for other jurisdictions across Canada, and possibly the rest of the world.

#MaltaDaily