Contradictheory: The politics of social media
Donald Trump is persona non grata on social media now, along with many of his followers that parrot his brand of “greatness”. We all know that office politics can negatively impact office work. The same social media that this column has long lamented for being a megaphone for the wrong type of outrage. This means the more effective social media is in shaping civil society, the more likely those who are skewered by it will push back. But I think for now, there is value in being more active, not less, on social media.
Source:The Star
January 18, 2021 01:52 UTC
The flora kingdom of China
YUNNAN is well known as the kingdom of flowers, home to 1,500 species including roses, lilies, chrysanthemums, camellias, carnations and orchids. About 70% of the fresh flowers sold nationwide come from this southwestern province of China, one of the eight main industries in the province. In the early millennium, the Dounan Flower Market was set up at the provincial capital of Kunming to facilitate the growing trade. Today, it has developed into the biggest flora market in Asia, with thousands of local and overseas merchants flocking to the place daily. Kifa is the world’s second largest flower auction place after the Aalsmeer Flower Auction in the Netherlands.
Source:The Star
January 18, 2021 00:15 UTC
Lessons from Trump’s America
The United States went to war, occupied sovereign states and attacked other nations all in the name of democracy. But on Jan 6, the world watched in horror as the mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol. He “gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institution of government, threatened the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government”. “Is this America?” People are asking in disbelief in the United States and elsewhere. Whatever the outcome of the proceedings will certainly enrage his supporters and further divide America.
Source:The Star
January 18, 2021 00:11 UTC
Saravanan in self-quarantine after aide tests positive
PETALING JAYA: Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has been ordered to undergo self-quarantine at home after being in close contact with an individual who had tested positive for Covid-19. “As such, he is urged to undergo self-quarantine beginning Jan 16 to 22 to curb the spread of Covid-19. Earlier, mStar – The Star’s Malay language portal – reported that cosmetics entrepreneur Datin Rita Sosilawati was saddened after finding out that her husband, Khamarulazlan had tested positive for Covid-19. The portal reported that he received the positive test results at 7.26pm on Saturday. “At that time, I had just finished grocery shopping when my husband informed me that he had tested positive for Covid-19, ” she told mStar.
Source:The Star
January 18, 2021 00:00 UTC
MOH guidelines on homecare
PETALING JAYA: The Health director-general’s office has issued a circular on the management of Covid-19 cases and close contacts during the pandemic for 2021. The circular is aimed to inform Malaysians on the procedures in handling both asymptomatic and symptomatic Covid-19 cases that occur at home or place of residence. For states with sufficient capacity to manage Covid-19 cases, they can do so according to the Covid-19 Management Guideline in Malaysia No. 5 that can be found at http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/garis-panduan/garis-panduan-kkm. For more information on the management guidelines, visit www.moh.gov.my.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 23:15 UTC
Ushering in A Joyful Year
This echoes the belief Eu Yan Sang has in the value of overcoming hindrances to welcome greater things with hard work and positivity. In line with this, Eu Yan Sang presents Ushering in A Joyful Year as its theme for the Lunar New Year 2021. Gratitude is a value Eu Yan Sang has always strongly advocated. In addition, it has also introduced a CNY goods purchase service via its mobile application https://bit.ly/EYS_APP and WhatsApp http://wa.link/euyansang to enhance customers’ shopping experience. Eu Yan Sang has also prepared Sincerity Reaches Home First offers to encourage customers to purchase CNY goods in advance.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 22:52 UTC
Guatemalan forces clash with migrant caravan, Biden team seeks to halt exodus
VADO HONDO, Guatemala (Reuters) - Guatemalan security forces on Sunday used sticks and tear gas to beat back a large migrant caravan bound for the United States, just days before the advent of a new U.S. administration, which urged travelers to abandon the journey. He said they were tear gassed by the Guatemalan security forces. Guatemalan authorities said that after they administered coronavirus tests, one Honduran migrant tested positive for COVID-19. Video footage shared by the Guatemalan government showed hundreds of migrants, bounded by a hillside, pressing into a wall of security forces, which used sticks to repel the surge. During the chaotic melee, security forces fired off a tear gas canister and used a stun grenade to disperse the crowd, a Reuters photographer said.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 18:55 UTC
Tennis-Cornet apologises for 'tactless' remarks on Australian quarantine protocols
(Reuters) - Alize Cornet apologised on Monday after many social media users hit out at the Frenchwoman for criticising the country's strict COVID-19 quarantine protocols ahead of next month's Australian Open. "After my last (deleted) tweet I feel like I need to apologise to you Australian people," she wrote on Twitter https://twitter.com/alizecornet/status/1350827468215648263. "Your reaction to this tactless comment made me realise what you've been through last year and how much you suffered. I guess I feel a bit anxious about all this and I better have shut my mouth. "But sometimes we make mistakes and the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt your feelings.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 16:52 UTC
Muhyiddin agrees to form Covid-19 advisory group
PETALING JAYA: The Prime Minister has agreed to form a Health and Scientific Covid-19 advisory group, which will advise the government on matters related to the pandemic management. Muhyiddin assured them that his administration’s primary focus is on managing the nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and on mitigating “the stark social and economic consequences”. He added that MOH has also set up five RTK-Ag testing centres in Sabah to ramp up the RTK-Ag testing capacity. Furthermore, MOH has set up five (5) RTK-Ag testing centres in Sabah to increase the capacity of the RTK-Ag testing. I agree to form a Health and Scientific COVID-19 Advisory Group which will advise the government on matters related to Covid-19 pandemic management, and I urge you to nominate suitable candidates to be members of this advisory group.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 14:48 UTC
Paint manufacturing plant in Rawang suspected of releasing prohibited effluent
PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): A paint manufacturing and sales factory at the Nautical Industrial Park in Rawang, Selangor, is suspected of releasing prohibited effluent into a sewage treatment plant owned by Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK). According to the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), they received a complaint from IWK regarding the release of the prohibited effluent on Sunday (Jan 17) and then made a surprise inspection of the plant. The factory was suspected of illegal discharge of effluent, namely red paint manufacturing wastewater into the public sewerage system which then flowed into the Sewage Treatment Plant/ Pump Station (GBK 281) owned by IWK at Rawang Nautical Industrial Park, Selangor. "This irresponsible act can be detected early and does not involve any contamination of water resources which will lead to stop work at the water treatment plant, ” SPAN said in a statement today. SPAN will take firm action without any compromise on any party suspected of releasing any prohibited effluent into the public sewerage which will have an impact on the public sewage treatment system, as well as the environment.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 13:56 UTC
Cosmetics entrepreneur Rita Sosilawati's hubby tests positive for Covid-19
PETALING JAYA: Cosmetics entrepreneur Datin Rita Sosilawati is in despair after finding out that her husband, Datuk Khamarulazlan Mohammad Hanafiah, tested positive for Covid-19. When my husband had a sore throat, I told him to do the Covid-19 test. So, I urged him to do the Covid-19 test as a precaution," she said. As close contacts of Khamarulazlan, Rita said she and her children were now self-quarantining at home and will be getting the Covid-19 test soon. Rita and Khamarulazlan have been married for nine years and are blessed with four children.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 10:07 UTC
Supplements to help reduce the symptoms of flu
None of these treatments are curative as they do not kill the flu virus. Just as there is currently no cure for the flu, there are also no supplements that can guarantee to prevent it. One reason for this is that the flu virus mutates very rapidly, with many different strains circulating each season. Instead, vaccination and supplements work to increase our immunity and reduce the risk of getting very sick from being infected with a flu virus. This, in turn, will help reduce the severity of flu symptoms.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 05:01 UTC
German opera star urges authorities to reopen concert halls, be inventive to revive the arts
"What we miss is this connection and it doesn't matter if they wear masks or whatever," said the 51-year-old on Thursday after performing at Madrid's Teatro Real opera house. This is what really matters," added the tenor, whose last performance before an audience was in November in Denmark. Audience we need you and we need you now more than ever," he added. "I know about a quite high rate of suicides in our family of musicians because they don't see any future and it is really, really terrible," he said. Kaufmann urged the authorities to reopen concert halls and other cultural institutions and be inventive to revive the arts.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 02:37 UTC
Extremists exploit a loophole in social moderation: Podcasts
But Apple and Google, among others, have left open a major loophole for this material: Podcasts. Accounts that have been banned on social media for election misinformation, threatening or bullying, and breaking other rules also still live on as podcasts available on the tech giants’ platforms. Elsewhere on social media, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have been cracking down on accounts amplifying unfounded QAnon claims that Trump is fighting deep state enemies and cannibals operating a child-sex trafficking ring. “Podcasts filled with hatred and incitement to violence should not be treated any differently than any other content,” Segal said. She currently has Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts; her podcast is available on Apple and Google.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 01:52 UTC
The use and misuse of ‘colonial mentality’
As expected, politicians are frequent users of “colonial mentality” in their rhetoric, mobilising it to suit their purposes. However, using “colonial mentality” as a shorthand explanation for social phenomena is problematic, because it is misleading, incomplete, and often inaccurate. Moreover, “colonial mentality” glosses over the economic imperatives (e.g., having a “pleasing personality”) that inform people’s desires to try to enhance their bodies. For their part, the political uses of “colonial mentality” are largely self-serving ways of justifying politicians’ actions: Human rights violators tend to dismiss the idea of human rights as “Western values” when it comes to their victims – but they are quick to invoke those same rights for themselves. In like manner, it is richly ironic that the administration is crying “colonial mentality” over Pfizer while seemingly showing deference to China over Sinovac.
Source:The Star
January 17, 2021 00:33 UTC