Inflation in Malta rose to 5.4% in April; still lowest in Europe

May 18 2022

Malta’s annual rate of inflation in April was 5.4%, up from 4.5% a month earlier. The National Statistics Office revealed the statistics as measured by the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP).

The NSO said that the 12 month moving average rate for April stood at 2.1%. According to Eurostat, this was the lowest national annual rate registered.

France registered the same as Malta, followed by Finland at 5.8%. The annual inflation rate of the euro area was 7.4%, which was stable compared to March. A year earlier, the rate was 1.6%.

The European Union annual inflation was 8.1% in April of 2022, which is up from 7.8%. A year earlier, the rate registered at 2%. The highest annual rates were recorded Estonia, Lithuania and Czechia at 19.1%, 16.6% and 13.2% respectively.

The NSO revealed that the largest upward impact on annual inflation in Malta was measured in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index at +1.56% points. The downward impact was recorded in the communication index at -0.07% points.

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This new South American restaurant in St. Paul’s Bay is the stuff of voodoo dreams!

May 18 2022

Every now and then, a new restaurant comes along which pushes the boundaries of the culinary experiences and changes the island’s outlook on international dishes. This time, that place is LOA in St. Paul’s Bay.

This new South American hotspot is said to be inspired by the mystifying tribal culture of Latin America and is actually named after the longest river in Chile and voodoo goddess Loa which makes an appearance in the restaurant’s logo. The imagery alone is enough to take you on a spiritual journey, but the restaurant’s culinary chops and enchanting atmosphere are what really unlock your voodoo dreams.

With a jaw-dropping menu which takes inspiration from distant lands, LOA’s menu may seem unusual at first, but rest assured that from the very moment you try it, you will fall in love with the intense flavours of South America. From their signature Ceviche Experience to a selection of Fried Oysters, bao buns, crudi and everything in between, your taste buds are in for the ride of their lives.

The restaurant is equipped with one of the most unique kitchens in Malta, with equipment from large grills, rotisseries, pineapple rotisseries, open fire ‘ruedo‘ fish spikes and so much more in their arsenal to provide the tantalising South American delicacies they have already become known for.

To top it all off, the restaurant’s dedicated mixologists aspire to push the boundaries of what can and cannot be done with their drinks. LOA’s gorgeous cocktail selection is a true testament to the restaurant’s class and a simple look at one of their drinks, such as the Caribe Italiano, will definitely leave you desiring more. Made with Parmesan fat-washed rum, fresh raspberries and rocket leaves, this cocktail is only one of the many gorgeous selections at LOA.

If that wasn’t enough, the St. Paul’s Bay spot offers a shuttle service which picks you up anywhere within the St. Paul’s Bay and Bugibba and even drops you off after your meal, meaning that you do not have to worry about parking and can focus on the immersive experience. For those of you who want to park close, LOA also has a dedicated private parking area; just ask them for the secret location.

LOA is the latest project by Lifestyle Group, the minds behind sister restaurant AKI, the contemporary Japanese restaurant in Valletta which became an immediate local favourite amongst foodies and socialites across Malta and Gozo. When you take the groups’s culinary passion and attention to detail and give it a bold, South American twist, you’re definitely in for a good time.

Send this to someone who needs to take you to LOA ASAP.

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Two €15,000 fines for men who illegally launched fireworks in field

May 18 2022

Two men have received fines of €15,000 each for illegally launching fireworks from a scaffold in a field in Xewkija.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech imposed the fines in her decision in a case relating to an incident which happened on June 21st 2018 in Xewkija, Gozo.

7 men were charged with letting off fireworks which were larger than one centimetre in diameter, and with having grievously injured another man. One of the man held a fireworks license, but it had not been proven that he had supplied the fireworks. He had not been shown to have been present at the time.

The magistrate said that the evidence only showed that two of the men had been letting off fireworks and remarked that there was no doubt they had the necessary license and experience with fireworks to know that the ones they were letting off were larger than permitted.

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Photo source: By Malta Easy

Netflix cuts 150 jobs as subscribers continue to leave

May 18 2022

Netflix will be cutting 150 jobs as the streaming giant seeks to reduce its costs and address the forecast that it will lose millions of subscribers in the first half of the year.

The expected cuts are mostly focused on its US operations, letting go several employees in the film and TV divisions.

This comes as Netflix’s market value experiences a slash of almost $60bn as investors forecast that the boom Netflix experienced for a decade is coming to an end. As of December, Netflix had around 11,300 full time employees.

This means that the cutting off of 150 jobs represents 1.3% of its global workforce. Last month, 25 employees from the marketing sectors were laid off. These included contractors who were there less than a year.

This also comes as Netflix tries to focus on a ‘less is more’ strategy. This means fewer but higher quality commissions of series and films. It is estimated to be spending $17bn on making and licensing content this year.

It intends to start cracking down on widespread password-sharing among its 221 million global subscribers. It also plans on introducing adverts for those who would opt for lower payments.

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