COVID-19 no longer a world health emergency, WHO says

May 6 2023

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that after 3 years and an estimated 6.9 million deaths around the globe, that it no longer considers COVID-19 as a global emergency.

The end of the #COVID19 global health emergency is a moment for reflection. The painful lessons we have learned, the investments we have made, and the capacity we have built must be transformed into meaningful and lasting change. pic.twitter.com/feGmaRhAa5

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 6, 2023

The decision was taken on May 4, with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus telling press that the pandemic killed “at least 20 million people”, just over triple the officially-recorded number of deaths.

Despite the decision, Tedros warned that this does not mean the danger is over, continuing to appeal for caution and vigilance if the emergency status were to change.

“The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that COVID-19 is nothing to worry about,” the WHO boss stated.

In light of this news, Malta’s health minister Chris Fearne took the opportunity to share his thoughts and sentiments with the 835 persons who lost their lives in Malta “and the thousands of healthcare workers who worked tirelessly to protect our health.”

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Malta reacts to Mosta’s new ‘Red Velvet Roundabout’

May 6 2023

As is expected of our vocal island community, reactions are running rampant on the new red roundabout installed in Mosta’s Triq il-Kbira and while some were tame, others didn’t hold back.

Most of the online comments were targeted towards the roundabout’s bright red colour and candle-like bollards, likening the traffic solution to a red velvet cupcake amongst other analogies.

One online commenter jokingly called the roundabout a ‘training ground for Archery’ for the upcoming Small States of Europe games while another considered it a good solution for the Mosta junction.

The consequences or results of the roundabout remain to be seen as of yet but one thing is for sure, if Maltese people don’t like something, they will surely tell you.

What do you think of the roundabout?

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Brillanti semifinalists recreate cinematic scenes

May 6 2023

For this semifinal round of Brillanti Dance, we saw competitors take on various movie soundtracks and recreate scenes, themes or their personal relationship to the film which brought us the track.

Some went the entertaining route, bringing us everything from the glistening world of Mamma Mia (Elisa) to the roughness of 8 Mile (Chloe and Miguel) and the hectic hustle and bustle of Wolf of WallStreet (Juliana and Mishelle).

Others played on movie intensity and we got to see a recreation of Joker’s bathroom scene (Nicole), a voyage to the dunes of Arrakis (Ben) or the mind-boggling realms of Inception (Cheryl).

And there was not shortage of bedazzlement either as the judges were transported to the worlds of Fame (Rafael), Cabaret (Kim) and Moulin Rogue (Julia).

And last but not least, some semifinalists gave us their personal relationship to the track, with Bond’s ‘No Time to Die’ (Federica) and an Italian classic ‘Cinema Paradiso’ (Rosario).

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And as with every week, the elimination saw Kim Ellul going home after a dance-off against Julia Vella Rosso, with the latter having to battle it out for the second time at the bottom two.

What challenge will judges Attila, Brenda and Patrick give our semifinalists next? And which one was your favourite?

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These are the top 5 most streamed songs on Spotify

May 6 2023

As one of the largest music streaming platforms in the world, Spotify provides a good measure of what songs are popular globally. In this article, we’ll be looking at the top five most streamed songs on Spotify to date.

“Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd – This upbeat and catchy song was released in 2019 as part of The Weeknd’s album “After Hours.” The song’s retro sound and 80s-inspired music video helped it to become a viral hit on TikTok and other social media platforms. The song has been streamed over 3.557 billion times on Spotify, making it the most-streamed song on the platform to date.

“Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran – This song was released in 2017 as part of Sheeran’s album “÷.” The song’s catchy melody and upbeat tempo made it a hit across the world, and it quickly became one of the most-streamed songs on Spotify. The song has been streamed over 3.465 billion times on the platform, making it the second most-streamed song on Spotify.

“Dance Monkey” by Tones & I – This song was released in 2019 by Australian singer-songwriter Tones & I. The song’s catchy melody and upbeat tempo made it a hit across the world, and it quickly became one of the most-streamed songs on Spotify. The song has been streamed over 2.810 billion times on the platform, making it the third most-streamed song on Spotify.

“Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi – This emotional ballad was released in 2018 as part of Capaldi’s debut album “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent.” The song’s powerful lyrics and Capaldi’s soulful voice helped it to become a hit across the world, and it quickly became one of the most-streamed songs on Spotify. The song has been streamed over 2.765 billion times on the platform, making it the fourth most-streamed song on Spotify.

“Rockstar” by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage – This song was released in 2017 as part of Post Malone’s album “Beerbongs & Bentleys.” The song’s catchy melody and 21 Savage’s memorable verse made it a hit across the world, and it quickly became one of the most-streamed songs on Spotify. The song has been streamed over 2.663 billion times on the platform, making it the fifth most-streamed song on Spotify.

Which one’s your favourite?

#MaltaDaily