University lecturers sign objection to easing of Junior College entry requirements

Jul 14 2022

Lecturers from the University of Malta’s Departments of Mathematics, English and Maltese expressed their objection at the entry requirement lowering for Junior College which was announced earlier this year.

A meeting was held by the University Senate on January 20th, 2022, and it was decreed that students in possession of six passes at SEC level, with at least one pass in one of the core subjects will be allowed to enrol at JC on a probationary basis.

Such students will need to achieve a pass mark in the remaining core subject/s in order for them to be able to move on to University.

This would mean that, as from this academic year, only one pass is needed as opposed to a pass mark in all three subjects.

The delegate said in a public statement that ‘basic knowledge of and proficiency in the two official languages and in mathematics is essential for students to pursue their post-secondary and tertiary education with profit.’

“For the sake of students themselves, we believe that any changes made should not lessen the importance of these competencies.”

“While we acknowledge that the Junior College and the University of Malta should assist all the students who have difficulties in learning languages, Mathematics, and any other subject, we believe that such a crucial decision, which is bound to have serious effects on the students’ knowledge of Maltese, English, and Mathematics, should be taken after wide and serious consultation with experts in the various subjects.”

Read public statement here.

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PN’s broadcasting rights breached by national broadcaster says judge

Jul 14 2022

A judge has stated that Malta’s public broadcaster PBS breached the Constitution by failing to report impartially in regards to a matter of political controversy.

The judge slammed the ‘winner takes all’ mentality which was allegedly displayed by both parties during the election. Her found that the Broadcasting Authority failed to act in a timely manner in a constitutional case filed by the PN before the general election.

The case had been filed by the Nationalist Party against the Broadcasting Authority, Public Broadcasting Services Ltd, Minister Carmelo Abela and State Advocate earlier in 2022.

The Opposition had complained of a bias favouring the government in the programming, which, it said, translated into little to no coverage of statements made by Bernard Grech, the PN leader.

It was also found that the PBS also defied an order by the BA, in breach of the Constitution and the law regulating broadcast media. PBS was found guilty by the BA three months later after a second complaint was filed by the political party, leading to a fine being imposed.

Mr Justice Grazio Mercieca said early on Thursday morning that pluralism is an important aspect in the right to freedom to expression. The judge pointed to the State Broadcaster, PBS, having the largest audience of all media outlets in Malta.

The defendant’s argument which insisted that the issue of balance in broadcasting was ‘separate and distinct from the fundamental rights of the plaintiff, which remained unaffected by balance or imbalance in broadcasting’ was not supported by the judge.

The court pointed out to this ‘game of cat and mouse’ that, Maltese politics, the winner takes all. The winner uses the incumbency to its limits and the loser calls it shameful. Then, when the page is turned, government commits the same abuses. ‘This game of cat and mouse must be eradicated once and for all’ said the statement.

The court concluded that both the authority and PBS failed to ensure impartiality and discriminated against the PN. Both were ordered to pay €1,500 by way of non-pecuniary damages. It also ordered that an adequate and faithful summary of the judgment be given prominence during the 8pm TVM news bulletin, being the slot which attracts the largest audience.

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Beer made with sewage and urine makes a hit in Singapore

Jul 14 2022

Award winning Singaporean brewery Brewerkz has collaborated with Singapore’s national water agency PUB to launch NEWBrew, a beer made out of recycled sewage water. The unusual product was first introduced at a water conference in 2018, however the beverage finally went on sale in supermarkets and Brewerkz outlets in April of 2022.

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The NEWBrew is made of NEWater, the country’s brand of “ultra-clean, high-grade reclaimed water.” The water is made out of disinfected sewage water with ultraviolet light which was later on passed through advanced membranes to remove contaminated particles.

It was first introduced to sustain Singapore’s water supply against dry weather but now also plays a part in educating the population on the importance of sustainable water use and recycling.

Feedback has also been good, with one customer telling Bloomberg “I seriously couldn’t tell this was made of toilet water,”. The customer Chew Wei Lian, continued by saying “I don’t mind having it if it was in the fridge. I mean, it tastes just like beer, and I like beer.”

Brewerks describe the drink as “highly quaffable beer” and “with a smooth, toasted honey-like aftertaste.” Mitch Gribov, Brewerkz’s head brewer said that “NEWater perfectly suits brewing because it tastes neutral,” .

It was such a commercial success that Brewerks is expecting stocks at supermarkets to run out by the end of July. It has also already sold out on tap in all Brewerks restaurants. Would you try this out?

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16-year-old teen grievously injured after being hit by car in Qormi

Jul 14 2022

A 16-year-old boy resident of Ħal Qormi had to be taken to Mater Dei Hospital yesterday at around 2230hrs due to suffering grievous injuries in a traffic accident.

The accident occurred in Triq Manwel Dimech, with police convening immediately on site. Preliminary investigations found that the teen had been hit by a Toyota Vitz driven by a 71-year-old resident of Ħal Qormi.

The victim was given preliminary assistance by a medical team and later taken to Mater Dei Hospital. He was later certified as having suffered grievous injuries.

Investigations are still ongoing.

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