The man behind the disastrous Fyre Festival of 2017, announces Fyre Festival II

Apr 11 2023

Billy McFarland, the man behind the disastrous Fyre Festival of 2017, has announced that he will be throwing another festival called Fyre Festival II.

This news comes just a few years after the scandalous event that promised attendees a luxurious festival in the Bahamas, only to turn out to be a complete nightmare.

Marketed as an exclusive event, festival-goers paid thousands of dollars for a ticket and accommodation, expecting the event of the decade. However, Fyre Fest made headlines for all the wrong reasons, with no music, bad food, and inadequate beds for guests to sleep on.

Despite the disastrous previous event, McFarland seems to be attempting to make a comeback. He took to Twitter to share the news about the upcoming festival and instructed his followers to plead their case as to why they should receive an invitation.

The announcement has gone viral and has racked up a staggering two million views in just a matter of hours after it was posted. However, it seems like people haven’t forgotten about the controversy surrounding the previous Fyre Festival, with many expressing their concerns and criticisms towards McFarland.

The majority of Twitter users were not about to let McFarland get off scot-free for the major mishap of the previous festival. Some users suggested that they should instead beg not to attend, while others questioned why McFarland should not be in jail.

In March 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud to defraud investors and ticket holders and a second count to defraud a ticket vendor that occurred while out on bail. In October 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit $26 million.

Two documentaries about the events of the festival were released in 2019, Hulu’s Fyre Fraud and Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. The festival was also featured on an episode of the CNBC series American Greed in 2019.

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One million free vape starter kits to be offered in anti-smoking drive

Apr 11 2023

The UK government is launching a new initiative to combat smoking and help people quit. Called “swap to stop”, the program will offer free vape starter kits to one million smokers, along with behavioural support to help them quit. Pregnant women will be eligible for up to £400 in support. The program is part of the UK government’s efforts to reduce the number of smokers in the country to 5% or less by 2030. The initiative is set to roll out in local authorities later this year.

In addition to the “swap to stop” program, the government is also introducing measures to combat the rising use of vapes by young people. A new enforcement squad, backed by £3 million in funding, will be created to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illegal vapes and underage sales. The squad will be led by Trading Standards and work across the country. The government is also launching a “Call for Evidence” to identify opportunities to reduce youth vaping while keeping vapes available as a quit aid for adult smokers.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said that the priority is to prevent people from smoking and support them to quit. While vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, the government is concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the use of disposable vaping products. The illicit vapes enforcement squad will focus on clamping down on businesses that sell vapes to children, which is illegal, and get them hooked on nicotine. The “Call for Evidence” will allow the government to understand the steps it can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes.

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15 patients at risk of serious complications or death as they wait several days for surgery

Apr 11 2023

According to a senior hospital source, around 15 elderly patients with hip fractures are at risk of serious illnesses or death because they have to wait several days for an operation. Nurses are taking industrial action, causing operations to be postponed, which is leading to a backlog. The Association of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeons said that the number of patients awaiting surgery has reached a “record number” due to union directives. Patients have been waiting up to a week for surgery, increasing their risk of morbidity and mortality, especially for elderly patients with hip fractures.

While acknowledging the right of workers and unions to take industrial action, the association called on the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) to allow the theatre staff to perform surgeries on all available theatres on acute fractures and trauma patients irrespective of their life-threatening condition. A hospital source described the situation as “inhumane” since patients remain bed-bound, in pain, and disoriented while waiting for surgery.

The MUMN ordered its members not to perform several functions, including washing patients and clerical work, in an industrial dispute over the pay and working conditions of nurses and midwives. The government and the MUMN have been in negotiations for a new sectoral agreement since August. The directives affect all public hospitals, except the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, with separate directives targeting each hospital.

Paul Pace, the MUMN chief, said the union had no choice but to order industrial action since the pay and conditions of nurses were discriminatory and were causing people to leave the profession. When asked about the impact of the union’s measures on patients, Pace said that the government should address issues such as two-year waiting lists, consultants leaving the hospital at midday, people waiting for an operation being skipped by others, and a lack of transparency in scheduling operations. The health ministry said it had presented new proposals to the union for a new sectoral agreement, but an agreement was still far away, according to Pace.

Source: Times of Malta

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PwC Malta releases fourth edition of Property Barometer revealing shift towards property rentals

Apr 11 2023

PwC Malta has released the fourth edition of its Property Barometer, which analyses the current local sentiment towards local real estate demand preferences and key trends. The survey was carried out between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 by means of an online survey, targeting the total population residing on the Maltese Islands, garnering 405 responses. This edition focused on topics relating to purchasing and rental preferences, sources of financing, regulatory developments, sustainability considerations, sentiments towards real estate agents, and available information on the market.

One of the key trends observed during the fourth run is a shift in demand for property sales to rentals. The survey found that demand for property rentals increased to 31% in Q1 2023, up from 12% in Q1 2022, while it fell for property sales, dropping to 42% in Q1 2023, from 51% in Q1 2022. The results of this edition registered the highest demand for property rentals and the lowest for property purchases out of all the barometer editions carried out to date.

These public sentiments seem to echo secondary market data. Data published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) indicated that, during 2022, the number of promise of sale agreements relating to individual buyers of residential property amounted to 11,083, a 22% decrease when compared to those registered in the previous year. Based on data reported in the Housing Authority’s latest Annual Malta Residential Rental Study, by the end of 2021, the rental register comprised almost 38,000 active contracts, representing an increase over the prior year.

A movement between different brackets of property values was also observed in this survey, as respondents shifted towards the lower end of the price spectrum, namely from properties valued above €400,000 to those between €200,000 and €400,000.

The Property Barometer also analysed sources of financing and regulatory developments in the local real estate market, as well as sustainability considerations, sentiments towards real estate agents and available information on the market.

According to the report, the shift in demand for property rentals may be attributed to several factors, including uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, increased flexibility in remote work arrangements, and the desire for more affordable housing options.

PwC Malta cautions that it is yet to assess whether this shift from residential property sales to property rentals is a long-term trend. The report urges stakeholders to continue monitoring the market and adapting to changing consumer preferences.

The Property Barometer provides valuable insights into the current state of the Maltese real estate market, allowing stakeholders to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies for the future.

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