Calls To Ban Hot Chip Challenge Due To Reported Hospitalisation

Jan 10 2024

The Hot Chip Challenge, a viral sensation in Berlin, involves consuming a €10 tortilla chip coated in the “hottest chilli in the world.”

Videos on TikTok depict participants, including police officers, attempting the challenge, prompting a surge in popularity.

However, the response has raised concerns, with several teenagers reportedly hospitalized, leading to calls for a ban.

Some German regions, including Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Lower Saxony, have already forbidden the product. The manufacturer, based in the Czech Republic, plans to halt exports temporarily and relaunch with a slightly milder version.

Meanwhile, a similar spicy tortilla chip, the “One Chip Challenge” by Texas-based Paqui, has been withdrawn from stores following the death of a teenager in Massachusetts.

The chip, spiced with Naga viper and Carolina Reaper peppers, is packaged in a coffin-shaped box. The challenge involves posting results on social media, but a teen’s death has led to its removal “out of an abundance of caution.”

Paqui emphasizes adherence to food-safety standards and warns against consumption by individuals with allergies, health conditions, or pregnancies. The “One Chip Challenge” gained social media popularity, with the hashtag #onechipchallenge viewed over two billion times on TikTok.

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26% Of Maltese Uncomfortable If PM Had Different Skin Colour

Jan 10 2024

According to a new Eurobarometer survey regarding Discrimination in the European Union, 26% of Maltese would feel uncomfortable having a person with a different skin colour or even a different religion than the majority in the highest elected political position.

32% of the Maltese population would feel uncomfortable having a person from a different ethnic origin than the majority of the population.

29% said they would feel uncomfortable having a Roma person in the same position, whereas 13% said they would feel uncomfortable if the person was transgender or intersex.

The percentage decreased when it came to a lesbian, gay or bisexual person (9%), a person perceived as old (5%), a person perceived as young (7%), a person with a disability (3%) and a woman (2%).

To the contrary, 46% felt comfortable with having a person from a different ethnic origin than the majority. Meanwhile, 59% felt comfortable having a person with a different skin colour than the majority of the population.

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New Sicily-Malta Express Catamaran Service To Trial

Jan 10 2024

A new maritime travel option connecting Sicily and Malta through the company Porto Turistico Holding Ltd. is gearing up for launch.

The Ragusa Xpress ferry, flagged with Malta’s insignia, has initiated technical trials at Marina di Ragusa, marking a crucial step toward launching the service.

Paul Gauci, the founder of the PG Group, aims to revitalize the 750-berth marina, having secured its ownership last year in a multimillion-euro deal.

The new catamaran is set to accommodate 430 passengers, 21 cars, or 65 motorcycles, offering a daily one hour and 45-minute commute between Sicily and Malta.

Gauci plans to officially launch the service by summer, providing a convenient alternative to the traditional route operated by Virtù Ferries.

Despite changing weather conditions, the technical trials are progressing as scheduled, showcasing the potential for a promising addition to the maritime landscape between the two islands.

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Students’ Marks Withheld Due To No Agreement Between MCAST & Union

Jan 10 2024

Reports have emerged that students studying at MCAST will have their exam and assignment results withheld as the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) is yet to reach a collective agreement with the government.

Speaking to MaltaDaily, a spokesperson for the MUT confirmed that, currently, there are directives at MCAST involving the submitting of results.

This is due to the delay in reaching an agreement with MCAST over the collective agreement which has been negotiated for two years.

Meanwhile, MaltaDaily reached out to MCAST and were told via a spokesperson that MUT and MCAST have been meeting regularly about the new collective agreement.

“MCAST will continue to speak to the union to work towards finalising the agreement at the earliest and in the best interests of staff and students.”

It is unclear how long this dispute as well as the ongoing negotiations will take, with students still awaiting their marks as the scholastic year progresses.

#MaltaDaily