Peppi Azzopardi proposes statue for late 4-year-old migrant who died of thirst

Sep 13 2022

Xarabank host Peppi Azzopardi has called upon the relevant authorities to build a monument for Loujin, a four-yer-old migrant who died of thirst out at sea after being stranded for four days in a Maltese rescue zone.

Peppi revealed that he asked a friend of his, the artist Ġorġ Mallia, to create a depiction of the monument to be proposed. ‘This will be a monument which will continue to sting the Maltese nation’s conscience’ said Peppi.

Loujin sadly died after being stranded off the coast of Malta. Her last reported words were: ‘Mum, I’m thirsty.’

The tragic loss prompted many, including president Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, to speak out about the disregard for human life that occurs when it comes to immigrants crossing the Mediterranean in search for refuge.

The former president said that she is immensely troubled that Malta’s name is on the list of countries who let such a young girl die so brutally. ‘Why has life lost its value in such a way? Why’ she asked.

This proposal by Peppi Azzopardi also comes at a moment when a petition was started to erect a statue for the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Xarabank host spoke about the issue in a video, depicting the irony of the situation wherein a monarch of a foreign country is grieved for whilst a four-year-old migrant right off our shores is left to die.

#MaltaDaily

Kanye West officially ends his Adidas and Gap partnership

Sep 13 2022

Kanye West, also legally known as Ye, appears to have found an answer to his creative roadblocks after publicly denouncing his two largest partners Adidas and GAP.

And he’s working around this by seemingly going solo, telling Bloomberg that his current contracts with the companies have run dry.

He now expects to take his creative endeavours into his own hands, saying that this is ‘fine.’ ‘I made the companies money. The companies made me money.’

‘We created ideas that will change apparel forever. Like the round jacket, the foam runner, the slides that changed the shoe industry. Now it’s time for Ye to make the new industry. No more companies standing in between me and the audience.’

Ye is still technically under contract with Adidas through to 2026 and GAP until 2030. You will definitely see a plethora of YEEZY sneakers and GAP apparel rolling out to the public.

This also comes as Ye expresses his wish to build Donda campuses across the US, hosting everything from farms, shopping malls and schools, all centred around creating more of his apparel.

#MaltaDaily

Free gender reassignment surgery is the next step reveals Prime Minister

Sep 13 2022

After attending this year’s Pride March in Valletta, Prime Minister Robert Abela revealed that the next step on the to-do list is free gender reassignment surgery for trans people.

Speaking on ONE Radio, Abela said that he wanted to convey the message that the government is carrying out further reforms to aid the LGBTIQ+ community.

He said that his, and other ministers and MPs’, presences at the rally symbolise what the government under the Labour Party did to support the community. And yet, more needs to be done, he said.

Referring the recent lifting off of the ban on gay men from donating blood, Abela said that the next step will be free gender reassignment surgeries as promised in the PL’s manifesto.

‘They will be placed on the national health service, which means the state will finance the procedure’ he said.

He also highlighted that another item on the government’s to-do list is the adoption of a five year strategy for the LGBTIQ+ community and the establishment of a one-stop shop to centralise public and social services for members of the community.

#MaltaDaily

Paul Walker would have turned 49: Here are 7 facts about him

Sep 13 2022

Paul Walker would have turned 49 on the 12th of September 2022. To honour the memory of the massively popular Fast & the Furious actor, here are some fun facts about him that you might not have known.

He performed all his stunts himself in the first F&F film.

Paul was not afraid to perform his own stunts, and actually preferred to take on the challenges himself. Being a jiu-jitsu brown belt, he went on to swim with sharks and took on as much stunt work as possible.

Paul and his sister were game show contestants.

Following an early start in the acting business at the age of 2 in a Pampers commercial, he and his sister Ashlie appeared as contestants on an episode of the game show ‘I’m Telling’. They actually finished in second place in the show, which was a children’s version of ‘The Newlywed Game’, featuring siblings instead of married couples.

His grandfather was a famous boxer: Paul Williams II.

The Paul Walker we know is actually named Paul William Walker the IV and his grandfather, Paul Williams II, was a professional boxer who went by the name “Irish” Billy Walker. A heavyweight champion with the nickname ‘Golden Boy’, he had a professional record of 21 wins (16 by knockout).

Paul wanted to focus on marine biology before acting.

Walker actually had an affinity for the ocean, and he almost followed that career path through marine biology before finding Hollywood fame. Paul studied the subject at several community colleges in Southern and attended various charity events in relation to it.

He owned high-end performance car shop ‘Always Evolving’.

Paul was not just a car fanatic on the screen, but one in real life as well. In fact, he owned a high-end performance car shop called ‘Always Evolving’. The shop was located in Valencia, California and often held car meets to promote their exotic tune-ups.

He made Vin Diesel the Godfather to his daughter Meadow.

Paul’s daughter Meadow isn’t really one for the Hollywood fame and paparazzi, but her father’s close ties to Vin Diesel, the other big Fast and the Furious co-star, meant they became rather close. Diesel went on to walk her down the aisle when she got married.

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A post shared by Meadow Walker Thornton-Allan (@meadowwalker)

He hated watching himself on the big screen.

Some actors are known for not wanting to see themselves act on the big screen, and it seems as though Walker was one of them. He would turn out for the premiers to show his respects, but he would not watch his films again after that. He also described his acting as cringe-worthy.

#MaltaDaily