Music, dancing, Christmas trees & MORE announced for Valletta’s ‘Christmas in the Capital’

Nov 21 2022

Just in time for the holiday season, Valletta is set to receive a major Christmas glow-up with ‘Christmas in the Capital’, 25 days of Christmas activities in Malta’s capital city.

Valletta Cultural Agency Chairman Jason Micallef and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici announced that the activities will start on November 25th, with a plethora of Christmas lights to illuminate the capital’s main streets.

Activities will include music and performances from established artists, performing artists, street theatre, children’s choirs, Tikka Banda, Big Friends Guggen Brass band, dance, cinema and large projections on the facades and across St. George’s Square.

Valletta’s main Christmas Tree will also be erected in Freedom Square opposite Parliament, with activities also taking place during the public holidays on December 8th and 13th.

Are you looking forward to visit Valletta during the Christmas holidays?

#MaltaDaily

‘One Love’ armbands will NOT be worn by team captains due to FIFA sanctions

Nov 21 2022

England, Germany and five other European teams will not be donning the One Love armbands at this year’s World Cup in Qatar after FIFA threatened to introduce sanctions.

The football captains were expected to wear the bands to show solidarity with the LGBTIQ+ community, especially given how homosexuality is still illegal in Qatar.

However, a statement shared on the 21st of November said that: ‘FIFA has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play.’

A yellow card can be shown to any players wearing kit that is not authorised by football’s world governing body.

The armbands were expected to be worn by the likes of England captain Harry Kane, German captain Manuel Neuer and Welsh counterpart Gareth Bale to promote inclusivity.

The federations in question said that they can’t put players ‘in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games.’

#MaltaDaily

“There’s no us without without them”; activists & immigrants protest racism & violence in Malta

Nov 21 2022

A number of migrants and activists took to the streets of Valletta this weekend to protest against racism, discrimination and violence against minorities in Malta.

A number of locals NGOs came together to support the protest organised by Black Lives Matter, with Moviment Graffitti, aditus, Integra and MGRM in attendance amongst others.

Migrants make up 26.5% of Malta’s labour force, with refugees and asylum-seekers in Malta contributing to a considerable chunk of the local economy. Despite this, immigrants face abuse on a daily basis, with stories of racial violence and discourse becoming a mainstay in local media.

Taking to social media after the event, activist group Moviment Graffitti called for respect towards migrants in Malta, stating “there’s no us without them.”

The group stated that despite the Government’s commitment to build a ‘cosmopolitan Malta’, all the public has received is “half-baked political statements, insulting platitudes, ongoing dehumanisation of black and brown people in discourse, policy, and practice, and an apparent total disregard for their wellbeing.”

What lies ahead for Malta?

Tate, Trump, Ye and more back on Twitter after CEO Elon Musk unbans accounts

Nov 21 2022

It looks like Twitter CEO Elon Musk has started reinstating previously-banned accounts after controversial figures like Andrew Tate, Ye, Donald Trump, Jordan Peterson, Kathy Griffin and more are back on the social media platform.

Mastery is a funny thing.

It’s almost as if, on a long enough time scale, losing simply isn’t an option.

Such is the way of Wudan. pic.twitter.com/rJkK92hzCd

— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) November 18, 2022

Tate returned on November 18th with a tweet stating “Mastery is a funny thing. It’s almost as if, on a long enough time scale, losing simply isn’t an option.” Meanwhile, the artist formerly known as Kanye West returned with a tweet stating “Shalom” and a number of others after being banned due to a series of anti-semitic remarks.

Shalom : )

— ye (@kanyewest) November 20, 2022

Former President of the United States and prospective 2024 candidate Donald Trump was also reportedly unbanned. Despite Musk never being in favour of banning the polarising politician and issued a poll on whether he should be reinstated , Trump showed no interest in returning to the platform.

These moves are the latest in Musk’s series of questionable decisions in his alleged pursuit towards free speech on the platform.

What do you make of these accounts being reinstated?

#MaltaDaily