Tributes pour in for late trade unionist Tony Zarb

May 30 2022

One of Malta’s top trade unionists, Tony Zarb, was announced to have passed away on Sunday at the age of 68. After his son announced the news, tributes poured in commemorating his hard work to give a voice to the underdog.

Zarb was awarded ‘Gieħ ir-Repubblika’ in 2015, and served as a general secretary of the General Worker’s Union between 1998 and 2015. Zarb was one of the Nationalist Party’s biggest critics, opposing even Malta’s joining of the EU.

His son Elton posted to social media to announce the passing, saying that he had no word for this truly difficult moment. The tributes were continued by Prime Minister Robert Abela himself, who said that Zarb’s values placed the underdog and the worker first.

The General Worker’s Union also posted its own tribute to Zarb, describing him as a person who will never be forgotten due to his work. Secretary General of the organisation Josef Bugeja also said that, on a personal note, he is dumbfounded at the loss and has no words to say about Zarb.

‘I personally learned a lot from Zarb. I lost a friend who I was raised alongside with’ said Bugeja. The Labour Party also issued its own condolences, followed by Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech. ‘A person who, agree or disagree with him, always worked for the betterment of worker conditions on the island’ said Grech.

Rest in Peace Tony. Condolences to all your family.

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Eurovision winners sell trophy to raise money to help in Ukraine war

May 30 2022

After emerging victorious in the 2022 edition of the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, the Kalush Orchestra sold the trophy to raise money to help in the defence of their home country Ukraine.

The microphone shaped trophy was sold off at $900,000, with the aim of buying military drones for Ukraine’s army and thus aid in pushing back the Russian invaders.

Funds raised will go towards a PD-2 drone system which features a ground control station and three aircrafts. The winning bidder of the crystal trophy was WhiteBit, a European cryptocurrency exchange.

Kalush Orchestra won the competition with their song Stefania, which has since been adopted as a rallying cry for Ukraine. The sale also coincided with a charity concert which the band appeared at in Berlin.

There, member Oleh Psiuk told everyone watching that people should not get used to the war in Ukraine and that aid is needed to finally free the country from the ‘special military operation’ kicked off by Vladimir Putin.

It is still unknown if the 2023 edition of the competition will take place in Ukraine, as the winning country normally hosts the event the following year. President Zelenskyy confirmed that Eurovision 2023 will take place in Ukraine, but there are still massive logistical hurdles to overcome to hold the competition in the war-torn country.

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€170,000 investment into Malta’s fireworks factories by Arts Minister

May 30 2022

Taking to social media, Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici revealed that another investment has just been crafted to support Malta’s fireworks factories.

This time €170,000 were allocated to continue improving the strength and the security in the factories’ operations. After a call for applications was issued, funds were spread out between 29 factories, all working on a voluntary basis.

The Minister thanked all the pyrotechnic volunteers for their work and dedication which keep the traditional Maltese practice alive into modern times.

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Man disguised as old woman smears cake on Mona Lisa  

May 30 2022

A man disguised as an old woman smeared cake over the iconic and historic Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum in Paris, with images and videos of the act going viral on Sunday.

This despite the fact that the cake simply collided with the glass that protects the painting dated to 1503 and crated by Leonardo da Vinci.

According to eye witness testimonies, the man was in a wheelchair wearing a wig. However, to the surprise of other guests, the man stood up and approached La Gioconda, tossing the cake at her.

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Security charged the man to move him out of the Louvre, as guests at the museum went wild with photographs and videos. The painting was thankfully unaffected as it was protected by the safety glass.

However, the man did try to destroy the display case, resorting to smearing the baked good over the glass and sprinkling roses on the floor before being knocked to the ground.

According to initial reports, the motives of the man seemed to be related to activism as he went on to shout; ‘some people are trying to destroy the Earth! Think of the Earth!.’ This is not the first time the painting was attacked, as it was doused with acid back in 1956.

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