Owen Bonnici Meets With UAE Minister For Culture And Youth

Oct 4 2023

In Abu Dhabi, the Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government Owen Bonnici engaged in an official meeting with the Minister of Culture and Youth of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Salem Bin Khalid Al Qassimi, with the aim of strengthening the already flourishing relationship between the two countries in the cultural sphere.

During this encounter, both Ministers emphasized the robust partnership between Malta and UAE within the cultural and artistic domains. They underlined their determination to maintain and enhance their collaboration, aiming for a more robust and expansive platform of mutual cultural cooperation between the two nations. In particular, they articulated their firm commitment to sustaining this partnership, facilitating the exchange of expertise, and expanding their cultural offerings to create a distinctive and enriched cultural ecosystem.

Moreover, pivotal discussions during the meeting revolved around critical aspects of cultural heritage, including UNESCO’s role in safeguarding it in the light of Climate Change and other challenges, the development of international exhibitions and new opportunities for student exchanges in the field of heritage protection. The Ministers acknowledged the role of these vital components in bolstering cultural understanding and cooperation.

Additionally, they made references to various ongoing and potential collaborations facilitated by the diverse cultural entities from both nations, encompassing international exhibitions, lending of invaluable artefacts, and the exchange of interdisciplinary practices in restoration and archaeological projects.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Al Qassami accompanied Minister Bonnici for a visit to the Artisan Museum of Abu Dhabi.

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Barack And Michelle Obama Celebrate 31 Year Anniversary

Oct 4 2023

Taking to social media, the former president of the United States Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama celebrated their 31 year anniversary married together.

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‘Happy anniversary, sweetheart’, said the former president. ‘You’re brilliant, kind, funny and beautiful – and I’m lucky to call you mine.’

On her part, Michelle wrote: ’31 years and a lifetime to go. I love going through life with you by my side. Happy anniversary honey!’

Barack and Michelle met at a Chicago law firm where she was assigned to mentor him. They got married in 1992 and went on to have two children together.

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Spending eight years in the White House, they admitted to being ready for a bit of normalcy after the political period in their life.

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Local Rapper Discusses Lack Of Support From Malta

Oct 4 2023

Local rapper Lydon Borg Bonaci, known better by his stage name Eddie Fresco, took to social media to discuss the lack of support coming from his home country.

‘It took me a while to fully understand and accept this, but I unfortunately believe that it is the truth.’

‘The reason why there isn’t any support on the islands; when it comes to art, music & more is because the majority of people don’t care for it.’

He revealed how, after making music for 5 to 6 years, reaching over 200,000 legit monthly listeners, he only amassed 700 listeners from the land he grew up in.

On the other hand, he racked up 58K listeners from the US. In terms of statistics, Malta registered below South Africa, Belarus, Norway, Romania and many other countries, with the island coming in 29th place.

‘The island simply does not have enough people that CARE ABOUT YOU. with every media outlet on the Island writing about my latest Music Video, which I believe to be some of the highest quality I’ve seen from the Island, we could barely hit 2,000 views from Malta.’

Lydon expressed his hope that the next generation can fix all this, ‘but for now your best bet is to go abroad’.

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Ad Free Facebook & Instagram For Europeans – With A Charge

Oct 4 2023

Meta is considering offering European users a subscription-based version of Instagram and Facebook, allowing them to opt out of ad tracking, according to a source.

This move is in response to the increasing EU regulations aimed at limiting the influence of major US tech companies.

Meta, founded by Mark Zuckerberg, generates its profits by providing advertisers with highly personalised user data.

However, recent EU regulations and court decisions have made this practice more challenging. The proposal has been presented to EU regulators, exemplifying how tech giants are adjusting their longstanding practices to align with forthcoming EU guidelines.

Under this potential subscription model, European users could pay €10 per month for a desktop version of Instagram or Facebook, or €13 per month for Instagram on mobile devices.

This approach represents a significant departure from the advertising-based model that fuelled the social media industry’s rapid growth over the past decade.

The proposal aims to address various regulations, including the Digital Markets Act, which outlines specific requirements for big tech companies in Europe, including restrictions on tracking users across other sites without clear consent.

Additionally, this move aligns with a recommendation from the EU’s highest court, which stated that Meta platform users who choose not to be tracked should have access to an ad-free alternative “for an appropriate fee.”

Meta, while not directly commenting on the Wall Street Journal report, emphasised its belief in the value of free services supported by personalised ads. The company reported second-quarter revenues of $32 billion, with $31.5 billion attributed to advertising, including $7.2 billion from Europe.

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