Netflix’s $7 per month ad-plan to launch this November

Oct 14 2022

Netflix revealed on Thursday that a streaming plan with adverts will be introduced by November for around $7 a month in a move to bring in new subscribers.

The $6.99 cost for the ‘Basic with Ads’ plan is $3 less than Netflix’s lowest priced plan without commercials. It will only be available in 12 countries at first and then eventually extending out.

Users subscribing to the plan will see four to five minutes of advertising per hour, with newly released films having limited advertisement to ‘preserve the cinematic experience.’

However, around 5 to 10% of Netflix’s programming will be unavailable on the ad-supported alternative due to licensing restrictions. This comes as shares for the streaming giant went up 5.4% after the company stock had fallen 62% this year.

The ad-plan also comes despite years of avoiding the move by Netflix’s executives. Meanwhile, competitors such as Disney+ and HBO Max already have ad-supported options that cost less.

Netflix reported around 220.7 million paying subscribers as of June, which is a drop of nearly 1.2 million from the start of the same year of 2022. It will remain to be seen how this new service will impact viewership, with Netflix itself remaining conservative about such data as of yet.

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Wildlife populations declined by 70% in just 50 years…thanks to humans

Oct 14 2022

A new scientific assessment has revealed the earth’s wildlife populations declined by an average of 69% in just 50 years due to human interference.

The plunging populations are across the board, from oceans to rainforests, and have seen the populations declining on average by over two-thirds between 1970 and 2018.

According to the WWF and Zoological Society of London’s ‘Living Planet Report’, the figure stood at 68% two years ago. This dropped from 60% from four years prior, leading to scientists suggesting we’re currently living through the sixth mass extinction.

This would make it the largest loss of biodiversity since the dinosaur period – and it is being driven by us humans.

The Living Planet Index brings together a global analysis of 32,000 populations of 5,230 animal species to measure changes in their populations. Latin America and the Amazon region saw the largest decline in average wildlife population size – a 94% drop in 48 years.

Meanwhile, Africa had the second largest drop at 66%, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 55% and North America at 20%. Europe and Central Asia saw an 18% drop. The total loss would be akin to the human population of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania and China disappearing.

The report’s 89 authors are urging world leaders to reach a new agreement at the Cop15 biodiversity summit in Canada this December. This would see carbon emissions being slashed to 1.5C this decade to put an end to the destruction.

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Over €2,200 raised for aspiring plumber whose tools were stolen

Oct 14 2022

After an aspiring plumber was robbed of €3,000 worth of tools just days before he was set to launch his business, the local community came together to help the man and his family get back on their feet.

Earlier this week, Times of Malta reported how Joseph Sant was left devastated after his van, which contained all of the essential and newly purchased tools, was found utterly empty.

The news saw many running to his aid, setting up a fundraiser and, as of time of this writing, raising upwards of €2,200. With a limit set at €3,000, it’s heart-warming to see the power kindness and charity can have in such a situation.

Joseph was a nursing aide, whilst also registering as a part-time self-employed worker as he wanted to improve the quality of life for his family living in Fgura.

The fundraiser was started by Norbert Vella, with a generous donation of €1,500 coming in via 71-year-old businessman Hugh Pace, Times of Malta revealed. As the family continues to receive more donations, you can contribute by donating to ‘Help the Sant family’ here.

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Construction site deaths triple between 2019 and 2021, NSO reveals

Oct 13 2022

The amount of workplace fatalities within the construction industry have tripled between 2019 and 2021. This was revealed in the National Statistics Office’s ‘Fatalities at Work’ news release, which revealed that The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) reported 19 fatalities at work between 2019 and 2021.

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Of the 19 workplace fatalities in the past three years, almost all cases were males with the exception of one fatal accident involving a female in 2020. The majority of cases were between the ages of 35 and 44 or aged 55 and over.

42.1 per cent of all fatalities between 2019 and 2021 involved Maltese nationals while the remaining 57.9 per cent involved EU or non-EU nationals. Almost 75% of deaths were caused by head injuries while others involved extremities of the body and injury to the torso and/or organs. In total, 18 fatalities involved concussions and internal injuries while the remaining case involved drowning and asphyxiation.

Almost 90% of cases occurred within the construction sector, with 73.7% of involved victims being engaged in elementary occupations.

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