Students call out MCAST’s ‘absurd’ pandemic examination rules

Jan 15 2022

A statement issued on behalf of several MCAST students has put into perspective the realities being allegedly faced as exam periods close in during the pandemic.

The statement said that whilst the University of Malta will be carrying out more than two thirds of its first semester exams online, MCAST is still ‘lacking behind’ in such decisions to minimise the disruption due to quarantined students.

‘In less than a week of continuing lectures physically on MCAST campus’, along with upcoming exams still to be scheduled, several students in quarantine ‘are already witnessing the contrary to what MCAST management promised its students.’

MCAST’s promise to support students and be flexible and responsive to the ‘wider situation’ was deemed an illusion by the statement as it went to highlight what is happening.

‘The reality is that if one student is in quarantine during an exam week, one will miss all exams and is forced to sit for the missed exams at the beginning of the second semester therefore, not being flexible to the wider situation at all’ it said.

If students are to abide with current policies, anyone who misses February exams will sit for them at the end of the semester (4 months later).

‘This is impractical as it will be especially difficult for students who are undertaking their final year of their degrees, since they are pressured on having to finalise their Thesis until June.’

The statement went on to say that if more than one student is in quarantine, MCAST is forcing its students to carry out the exam physically on a following date post quarantine. This is still applicable if students have more than one exam on the same day.

The statement highlighted how University of Malta revolved around the issue by shifting first semester exams online. ‘MCAST is taking an absurd approach of not informing its students about positive cases found in classes, risking spreading the virus further, and leaving students fearing for themselves and for their loved ones.’

‘Ultimately, due to the management’s stubbornness and pride, MCAST students are being discriminated from conducting online exams to cope with the quarantine situation as UOM students are benefiting from. If both tertiary schools are supposedly to be equally recognised, then a simultaneous system must be implemented within both tertiary schools for fairness’s sake’ it concluded.

#MaltaDaily

Football players suffer cardiac problem after Coronavirus infection

Jan 15 2022

Famous football players Alphonso Davies and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have both suffered cardiac problems after their recent coronavirus infections. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is currently in Cameroon representing his country Gabon, at the African Cup of Nations whilst Alphonso Davies has stopped training with Bayern until further notice.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sky Sports (@skysports)

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann has recently stated in an interview that the Canadian fullback will be out for a few weeks after finding evidence of heart muscle inflammation after his Covid-19 virus infection. The inflammation, known as myocarditis was found in a follow up exam after he returned to training this week. According to many experts, Myocarditis is not a permanent condition meaning the player will come back. Bayern coach Nagelsmann described the condition as “mild” and “not so dramatic,” but later said “Despite that, it needs to heal and that will definitely take a certain amount of time,”.

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also been diagnosed with a heart condition after being infected with the coronavirus. He is currently suffering from heart lesions and hasn’t been called up to Gabon’s final 2 group games of the African Cup of Nations. In a statement, the Gabon federation said that the “cardiac lesions” were found in a test to see whether he could play or not after suffering from the virus. A lesion is a damage on the tissue. They also confirmed that the diagnosis wasn’t pressing but CAF’s medical commission ruled Aubameyang was not able to play against Ghana.

#MaltaDaily

9 of the 10 hottest years ever all happened in the last decade

Jan 15 2022

The last nine years have been ranked in the top 10 hottest years since records began, with 2021 being the sixth joint hottest year in a tie with 2018.

According to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2021 Annual Global Climate Update, the detailed report shows how the 2021 global land and ocean temperature was 1.04°C above the pre-industrial age.

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep the warming below 2°C (3.6°F), but the aspirational goal is actually 1.5°C. Unfortunately, none of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases are meeting said requirements.

The European Climate Watch counterpart reported earlier this week that 2021 was the fifth hottest on record, which reflects how close this year’s average temperature was to 2018 and 2015.

With different data sets and analyses having slightly different rankings, both analyses still agree that the seven hottest years on record all happened in the last seven years to a decade.

Director of GISS Gavin Schmidt, NASA’s leading centre for climate modelling and climate change research, stated that the complexity of the various analyses doesn’t matter because the signals are so strong. ‘The trends are all the same because the trends are so large.’

This analysis shows 2021 was the 4th warmest year for the US, with several countries recording their warmest temperature as well. Record temperatures were seen across Northern Africa, Southern Asia, southern South America and even Australia.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said that ‘science leaves no room for doubt. Climate change is the existential threat of our time.’ He called for bold action to safeguard the future of the entire world.

#MaltaDaily

Air Malta has lost €258 million in the last 16 years

Jan 15 2022

Accountants and auditors have been refusing to sign off on Air Malta’s accounts since 2019, which is eight years after it entered negative equity territory.

With €258 million in losses racking up over 16 years, the airline attempted to save itself by selling off all its assets except one. It is now hanging on a line which, if broken, could send the company into bankruptcy, with around 900 employees jobless.

David Curmi, the airline’s executive chairman, said on Friday that he had used all his expertise to try and stop the haemorrhage like a doctor on an operating table.

Having taken over in February 2021, Curmi was giving an overview of a four-year strategy presented to the European Commission to try and get Air Malta out of the red zone.

The plan included stopping flights which were making massive losses, cutting 20 of the 40 routes and saving €44 million. The network was contributing to 47% of losses, he said.

Another issue was Air Malta’s oversized workforce, making its commercial department bigger than that of much larger Easyjet. In 2012, the last state aid was allowed by the EU, bringing in €130 million. These were soon gone however as costs kept climbing.

The pandemic too dealt a massive blow, with the airline receiving over 300,000 requests for refunds, totalling €32 million, and 80,000 flight vouchers, equivalent to €12 million.

A turn around moment was projected into 2024 or 2025, but Air Malta could not copy low-cost airline models because such airlines’ costs were so low. Instead, exceptional service on profitable routes and flights to legacy airports would continue.

Apart from no longer handling baggage operations and operating from different bases outside Malta, the cabin crew and pilots will also see changes to flying hours. Pay will be linked to how much time you spend flying said Curmi.

#MaltaDaily