The Weeknd changes his stage name back to Abel Tesfaye

May 16 2023

Canadian pop-star The Weeknd has officially reverted back to his birth name Abel Tesfaye on all social media accounts, saying that he has said all had to say under his alias.

Taking to Twitter last April, the artist asked his fans whether he should make the change: ‘Abel formally known as The Weeknd’.

This comes after the artist revealed that he wanted to ‘kill the Weeknd’ and that he is going ‘through a cathartic path right now.’

‘It’s getting to a place and time where I’m getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter.’ He told W Magazine that, ‘As The Weeknd, I’ve said everything I can say’ and that his upcoming album would be his last one under the name.

The artist became one of the world’s biggest stars, winning even title of most popular artist in the world by Guinness World Records in 2023 due to the number of monthly listeners.

He has won four Grammy awards, and boasted 111.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of March of this year.

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Love Island Malta watched by over 160,000 viewers

May 15 2023

Last night’s premiere of Love Island Malta attracted a massive audience, setting a new national record. TVM confirmed that 160,000 viewers watched the debut, surpassing the usual viewership of 65,000. This means that nearly a third of the country tuned in, with an additional 16,000 streaming it on TVMi.

These numbers are close to the all-time viewer record for TVM, previously achieved by shows like X Factor Malta and Malta’s Got Talent, which had around 180,000 viewers. Love Island Malta will continue airing every other day, except Fridays and Saturdays.

The executive producer, Christian Gravina, apologised for streaming issues due to high traffic and assured fans that they are actively working to resolve the problem.

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Around half of 18 to 25 year olds use contraceptives in Malta

May 15 2023

According to new research published by The Sex Clinic Malta, only 55.9% of participants aged below 25 who answered the survey used contraceptives during sexual intercourse.

The use of contraceptives decreased with age, dropping to 39.7% in the ages between 26 and 35, dropping gradually as a person gets older.

Meanwhile, the most used contraceptive was found to be the condom, with an average of 88.1%. It was also observed that less than 20% of the participants use the pill at 14.9%.

The survey noted how less than 30% of participants use contraception during sex, with there being no difference between male and female use.

Contraception was found to be more in use by single participants at 62.3% than by participants in a couple at 37.2%. ‘The lowest averages are represented by divorced or separated participants and married participants with an average of 22.2% and 16.9%.’

It was also found that 75% of participants who use contraception are students or unemployed people, with those who use them less being retirees with an average of 10%.

60% of participants who are not at all satisfied with their sex life are those use the most contraception during sex. This is 33.5 points when compared to the people who are very satisfied with their sex life at 25.5%.

#MaltaDaily

Read full research here.

No eliminations for Brillanti Dance Goes Prop

May 15 2023

Brillanti Goes Prop saw no eliminations, despite very close calls for a few of the competition’s semifinalists.

The judges, comprised of Patrick Odametey, Brenda Lee Grech, Andrea Attila, accompanied by Anna Nowak, Żfin Malta’s Artistic Coordinator, decided to give the bottom runners another chance for the next semifinal following their excellent performances.

The dancers utilised everything from an umbrella (Rafael), to a water drip (Rosario) – all telling stories with their chosen props.

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Benjamin flew across the stage with a bottle, whereas Federica showed off her skills with a ballet bar. Julia Vella Rosso, who won this round despite ending at the bottom in the previous rounds, executed her stunt fighting skills with a staff, whereas Mishelle and Juliana tossed pillows, and each other, across the space with acrobatic skill.

Nicole Chetcuti played around with fabric as Elisa Morguello utilised a suitcase. Chloe and Miguel became chess pieces themselves and, last but not least, Cheryl Lofreda caused a bit of controversy between the judges over her choice – a blindfold.

The judges debated over whether the prop qualified as such or a costume, but the judges voted in favour of Cheryl at the end.

Next week, the dancers will be taking on their last challenge before the final semifinal. However, given the lack of eliminations last week, the dancers will have to fight even harder for their place given that the judges will not be pulling any punches this time around.

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