Paulina Dembska’s parents virtually join Sliema vigil as hundreds pay tribute

Jan 5 2022

Paulina Dembska’s parents remotely joined a vigil yesterday as hundreds turned up to pay tribute to the murdered 29-year-old.

Joining via a WhatsApp call as women’s rights activists read out a message from her Paulina’s mother expressing her daughter’s love for the island, they asked the Maltese to pray for their daughter, sister and friend. She was described as someone who loved not only Malta but also cats and other animals, with even animal rights activists creating a fundraiser to create a memorial in her name.

Prime Minister Robert Abela also attended the vigil accompanied by his wife Lydia and other MPs from both parties in honour of Paulina. The crowd extended from the Sliema front towards the Sliema gardens where she was murdered and later found at around 6:30 am on Sunday.

She was found with head and chest injuries, with an autopsy report confirmed she was raped and strangled. The prime suspect, 20-year-old Abner Aquilina, is currently held at Mt. Carmel Hospital and has not yet been charged.

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Photo Source: Miguela Xuereb

Macron wants to ‘piss off’ France’s unvaccinated as his strategy

Jan 5 2022

Emmanuel Macron revealed on Tuesday that he aims to ‘piss off’ France’s five million unvaccinated as part of his government’s strategy. The president’s comments found in a newspaper interview came on the day the country reported another daily record with over 271,000 COVID-19 infections. With the Omicron variant continuing to lead a fifth wave of the virus, the French government is set to get plans for a new vaccine pass through parliament.

Macron told Le Parisien that he had decided to act against the unvaccinated by limiting as much possible their access to social life activity. ‘The unvaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And so we will continue to do so, to the bitter end. That’s the strategy’ he said. He said that he will however not forcibly vaccinate them or jail them.

The consequence of not getting vaccinated is instead being unable to go to a restaurant or to a bar for a drink, being unable to go to the theatre or the cinema, etc. The comments brought in immediate condemnation from political rivals and the public. Some said that this language was counter-productive and angering people like this would not result in more vaccination.

As the fifth wave of the pandemic continued to impact France, and the world, figures from the French national health agency showed that over 20,000 patients were in hospital with COVID, an increase of 2,881 since Monday. Unvaccinated patients form a large majority of COVID patients in France’s ITUs. Just under 77% of France’s population is fully vaccinated, with the number of people in ITU standing at 3,665.

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Hundreds attend Sliema vigil in honour of Paulina Dembska

Jan 4 2022

Following the horrific murder of 29-year-old Polish youth Paulina Dembska, a vigil was held at Exiles, Sliema organised by the Women’s Rights Foundation.

Several people turned up to honour the memory of the young woman who was tragically murdered by suspect Abner Aquilina. The killing prompted many to raise awareness about femicide and the protection of women.

Several initiatives were organised in memory of Paulina, with one GoGetFunding page raising up to €20,698, which is €698 more than the initial target. The page was designed so her family receives the support they need and focus on the mourning of a loved one.

The costs will be given to transport Paulina’s body to Poland, cover lawsuits and legal costs to get the case to its fair end. Another initiative was also organised by animal rights NGO to set up a memorial for Dembska.

She was well-known for caring for cats living in the vicinity of her home, and thus the Animal Rights Foundation (RAR Malta) started a crowd funding campaign for those willing to sponsor a memorial statue of her.

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6 quick takes from Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’

Jan 4 2022

For those who haven’t watched it yet, Netflix’s ‘Don’t Look Up’ concerns a group of scientists who discover an incoming meteorite which will, in six months, wipe out the earth and, by extension, humanity. Here are six lessons we can take away from ‘Don’t Look Up:’

One – misinformation is very powerful. Listening from experts trained in their field in times of crises is crucial, especially when concerning our health and survival. Fake experts are everywhere, and reality is very tricky to navigate. This is why we need to source our data and not jump to conclusions based on beliefs and bias.

Two – your vote counts. One of the main concerns the characters faced throughout the film was finding people in power who had interests other than that of safeguarding the common good. Your vote can stop this from happening.

Three – What is our religious value? The movie ends (spoiler alert) with characters huddled up at a table and praying. Does this suggest that we only value religion when we need it? Or does religiosity itself trigger something within us we often ignore?

Four – The illusion of commodity usually negates the truth. The idea that our problems can be hidden behind a comfortable narrative often leads to people ignoring the facts and believe something else.

Five – The meteorite is a metaphor for other things. Climate change and COVID-19 are real issues we are facing in our lives which are also leading to divisions. Instead they should strengthen unity, listening to facts and work towards a better future.

Six – How will change occur? Which systemic changes need to happen to consider real issues with the attention they deserve? Criticism of the movie suggests that the satire can go deeper in offering us ways of how to deal with crisis.

What do you think? Do you find it possible to address major issues without turning against each other? Are we capable of showing our humanity through generosity and compassion when we truly need it?

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