Lightning strike on Brazil’s ‘Christ the Redeemer’ caught on camera

Feb 12 2023

A photographer based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by the name of Fernando Braga has captured the moment lightning struck the massive and famous statue of ‘Christ the Redeemer’.

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A post shared by Fernando Braga (@fsbragaphotos)

The statue, which is an iconic landmark of the country, was reportedly struck by the bolt on February 10th and reshaped by many on social media, going viral due to its dramatic imagery.

The first image uploaded by Braga on his Instagram account @fsbragaphotos accumulated 54.5K likes, as well as many comments expressing astonishment at the shot.

Braga continued to share images of the moment he managed to capture, sharing them sequentially onto his social media for all his followers to see.

The statue was, late last year, lit up in Brazil’s flag’s iconic colours to mourn the death of footballer legend Pele, once again going viral for its grandiosity.

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A post shared by Fernando Braga (@fsbragaphotos)

What do you think?

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Marco Mengoni wins Sanremo 2023

Feb 12 2023

34 year old Marco Mengoni won the 2023 and 73rd edition of prestigious Italian competition Sanremo in Italy, and is set to represent his country in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest next May in Liverpool.

Last night’s show ended with the fifth night of the competition, crowning the already recognisable face as the winner of Sanremo.

Mengoni had risen to fame in 2009 after winning the third season of X-Factor, going on to sell over 2.8 million records in Italy. In 2020, Mengoni competed with Credimi ancora, placing third.

However, Mengoni made a comeback three years later, winning with L’essenziale and representing his country at the Eurovision Song Contest. This time around, Mengoni won with his song Due Vite.

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Towards the end of the night, co-host Amadeus read out a letter from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, followed by a performance by Antytila, a Ukrainian rock band which grew popular across Europe after the war broke out. The Eurovision was set to take place in the country but, given the advent of the war, was moved to take place in the UK.

This comes just a few hours after Malta announced its winner and representative for the local edition of Eurovision, with this being The Busker.

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What to expect: The Malta Eurovision Song Contest Final

Feb 11 2023

The highly anticipated Malta Eurovision Song Contest final is set to take place tonight.

This prestigious event has been a staple in the Maltese music scene for many years, providing a platform for talented artists to showcase their skills and compete for the coveted title.

The contest has been the starting point for many successful music careers, and this year’s competition is expected to be no different, with a host of talented performers ready to take to the stage and fight for the top spot. The final will feature a range of musical genres, from pop and rock to classical and in in Maltese, making it a diverse and entertaining evening.

Fans can expect a night filled with excitement and spectacular performances as the contestants compete for the chance to represent Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest happening in Liverpool, this May. This means that the winner of the Malta Eurovision Song Contest will have the opportunity to perform on a global stage, and showcasing their talent to millions of people from all over the world.

This year’s final sees familiar faces like Fabrizio Faniello, Maxine Pace, and Brooke battle it out for the win. From his end, Faniello has already won this Eurovision, and represented Malta twice before. So have tonight’s hosts, Glen and Amber, who will probably also perform at some point during the final night.

The final will introduce us to new and upcoming talents and will also include a battle between father and daughter; Ian and Giada.

Eurovision fans across the country will also be eager to see the return of last year’s winner, Emma Muscat who should be keeping up with the tradition and performing during the final night.

A lot of people will also be eager to see whether rumours about popular singer AIDAN performing as guest are true. It was Malta Daily who announced the Aidan, who was disqualified from this Eurovision, may still perform as guest during tonight’s show.

The Malta Eurovision Song Contest final will be broadcasted live on national television from 9pm onwards.

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Amsterdam implements ‘Cannabis Ban’ in the Red Light District

Feb 11 2023

In Amsterdam, the use of cannabis on the streets in the red light district will soon be prohibited by new regulations imposed by the city.

These laws, which take effect in mid-May, aim to improve the quality of life for residents who have been plagued by the disruptions caused by tourists.

In addition to the cannabis ban, sex workers will be required to close their establishments at 3am. The city council stated that nearly all council members supported taking action to minimise the impact on residents.

Restaurants and bars will also be required to close at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays and no new visitors will be allowed into the old city district after 1am.

The sale of alcohol from stores, liquor stores, and cafes in the red light district will be illegal from Thursday to Sunday after 4pm and vendors will be asked to remove alcohol from their shopfronts or hide it from view during this time.

Consuming alcohol in most public spaces in Amsterdam is already illegal. The city is widely known for its cannabis cafes and attracts millions of tourists each year. However, residents have expressed concerns about street dealers and an increase in crime rates due to drug and alcohol abuse.

While it is a criminal offence in the Netherlands to possess, produce, or deal drugs, the country has a “tolerance policy” that allows coffee shops to sell cannabis under strict conditions.

One of these conditions is that coffee shops should not cause any disturbance. In response, the government has ordered them to stop attracting foreign drug users.

Along with the new regulations, the Amsterdam council will launch a “stay away” campaign in the spring to target tourists who visit the capital for drugs, alcohol, or sex.

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