Church schools urge government to rethink mask removal measure

Apr 12 2022

Malta’s church schools have urged the government to reconsider the removal of masks in classrooms.

With the mandatory wearing of masks in schools set to stop on Wednesday, the schools highlighted how there is a record number of sick students and staff.

The schools said that the decision is expected to leave an impact on parents who will have to remain at home to take care of their children.

Church schools said that throughout discussion with government in regards to COVID-19 measures, they were in favour of the eventual removal of masks but that they acknowledge how they were an effective measure in controlling the pandemic in schools.

‘Therefore, considering that students often spend up to six hours a day together in the same room, this should be the last measure to be withdrawn’. They went on to appeal to government to reconsider the decision, recommending that masks be worn until the end of May.

If the decision to remove masks as of 13th April is retained, church schools insisted that each school should be allowed to mandate their use independently, according to its own context and decision.

The statement went on to say that if the two options above are not considered, then government should mandate that the removal of masks in schools should only occur for outdoor areas.

The decision to remove masks next Wednesday, the church schools said, will risk damaging the positive progress made in managing the pandemic in Malta, especially in schools.

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DJ Khaled gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; joined by Jay-Z, Diddy & Fat Joe

Apr 12 2022

Khaled Mohammed Khaled, better known as DJ Khaled has added ‘another one’ his long list of honours by being the latest recipient of a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled)

The 46-year-old was joined and introduced by industry legends Jay-Z, Diddy and Fat Joe, who celebrated the momentous occasion with the prolific DJ, record executive and producer.

Upon introducing Khaled, Fat Joe stated “when I think of Khaled, I think of love. That’s the only reason why you see the heavyweights here like you see them.” They were also joined by other collaborators and friends including Jeezy, Teyana Taylor and N.O.R.E, with Khaled himself stating “We the best. It’s not just me, it’s we.”

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A post shared by LOVE (@diddy)

Following the ceremony, Instagram was flooded by a wave of posts commemorating the occasion, with Khaled bulking his feed with a plethora of positive posts, joined by Joe and Diddy who sent their love to their collaborator and brother.

Are you happy to see DJ Khaled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

#MaltaDaily

Gender quota the biggest travesty of democracy says Arnold Cassola

Apr 12 2022

Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has called the gender corrective mechanism the biggest travesty of democracy as it is only benefiting only PL and PN at the expense of third parties.

Releasing a statement on Tuesday, Cassola asked whether the will of the electors is being respected or whether this is even democracy. Cassola argued that ADPD candidate Sandra Gauci got more votes than PL candidate Davina Sammut Hili, despite the latter being elected into parliament.

Cassola went on to criticise the move by PN candidate Janice Chetcuti to drop out of the casual election race on the third district to rely on the mechanism to be elected and make way for a male colleague. Carm Mifsud Bonnici was elected on Tuesday following this.

‘Janice Chetcuti, makes a whole mockery of the supposed corrective mechanism and plays about with the system in order to ensure that her PN male colleague gets elected… at the expense of a woman’ Cassola said.

He concluded that the crux of the issue is that it is not true that the law is giving women representation in parliament according to the will of the voters.

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Not the time for PN to change leader says Mark Anthony Sammut

Apr 12 2022

Newly elected MP Mark Anthony Sammut expressed his thoughts saying that this is not the right time for the PN to change leader and be fragmented.

Sammut said that the party leader, Bernard Grech, should be allowed to continue despite the electoral defeat.

In the year-and-a-half he has been leader, Grech did important changes and this included the regeneration of the parliamentary group, said Sammut.

Sammut, a new face elected to parliament under the PN ticket, was speaking during a debate on TVM News Plus’ Xtra. Sammut went on to say that despite the result, the PN should not throw away all that has been achieved or the vision outlined in the electoral programme.

‘This is not a moment for the party to fragment’ said Sammut. ‘The PN has to be humble enough to see how it can do better and understand better the electorate. There was abuse by the government during the electoral campaign but we cannot justify the result through this… reforms and changes within the PN have to happen but not necessarily in the leadership.’

Referring to the ‘abuse’, Sammut said that apart from releasing cheques during the campaign, he claimed that he knew of people who were informed on Election Day by union representatives that they had negotiated a good pay packet.

‘This is abuse but the PN has to focus on what it can do best and the first priority must be to focus on its internal structures’ he said.

#MaltaDaily