My Say: Biden disappoints, must do more, not less
US President Joe Biden’s earlier support for a vaccine patent waiver raised hopes at the Covid-19 summit late last month. Expectations were high as Biden had supported a patent waiver, albeit only for vaccines. Hence, unless the governments of rich countries stop opposing it, forthcoming WTO meetings will not achieve much. Rich defend mRNA vaccine duopolyCovid-19 vaccine supplies and prices are controlled by a few companies. The duopoly initially sold more than 90% of their vaccines to rich countries, charging up to 24 times actual production costs.
Source:The Edge Markets
October 09, 2021 03:33 UTC
CPO futures to trend lower on profit-taking next week
KUALA LUMPUR: The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives is expected to retreat from this week’s gains, driven by profit-taking due to higher prices, a dealer said. CPO futures accelerated to close at an all-time high yesterday, setting fresh record prices for the third time this week. The benchmark palm oil contract for December 2021 soared RM117 to RM4,966 a tonne. For the week just ended, Malaysian CPO futures finished mostly higher, driven by concerns over weak production and expectation of strong demand in the upcoming weeks. - BernamaArticle type: metered User Type: anonymous web User Status: Campaign ID: 46 Cxense type: free User access status: 3Join our Telegram channel to get our Evening Alerts and breaking news highlights
Source:The Star
October 09, 2021 03:33 UTC
Soccer-Premier League clubs demand emergency meeting over Newcastle takeover
(Reuters) - Premier League clubs have reached out to the league with complaints about Newcastle United's takeover by a Saudi Arabia-led consortium and are pushing for an emergency meeting next week, the Guardian newspaper https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/07/newcastle-confirm-300m-saudi-backed-takeover-to-end-mike-ashley-era reported. The Premier League announced on Thursday that Newcastle had been sold to a group consisting of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media. The Guardian said the 19 Premier League clubs are understood to be united in opposition to a Saudi-led consortium being allowed to buy out former owner Mike Ashley. On Thursday, Amnesty International urged the Premier League to change its owners' and directors' test to address human rights issues. Human rights groups have condemned Saudi Arabia's efforts to "sportswash" its human rights record but the kingdom's government denies allegations of human rights abuses and says it is protecting national security from extremists and external actors.
Source:The Star
October 09, 2021 02:48 UTC
Hong Seng looking to buy 51% stake in Pow Pocket
PETALING JAYA: Hong Seng Consolidated Bhd has entered into a heads of agreement (HoA) to buy a 51% stake in Pow Pocket Sdn Bhd for RM200mil. Hong Seng said the RM200mil for a 51% stake in Pow Pocket will be satisfied via the issuance of new ordinary shares in HS Bio, subject to Pow Pocket achieving a profit after tax of RM400mil within 12 months from the completion of a definitive agreement. Pow Pocket is currently operating Jengu, which is a web-based digital health engine for Covid-19 screening, vaccination, and digital health. Hong Seng said the proposed acquisition would enable HS Bio to be the main digital healthcare platform to revolutionise private healthcare in Malaysia through the combined capabilities of both HS Bio and Pow Pocket. During the signing ceremony at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur hotel, Pow Pocket also unveiled a national private vaccination programme called Immunise.
Source:The Star
October 09, 2021 00:33 UTC
Importance of vaccination for pregnant women – and it's not just against Covid-19
AS an obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) specialist, I am always having conversations with pregnant women who are fairly open to sharing their physical, mental and emotional journeys from the moment they discover that they’re going to have a baby. They may come from different cultural and religious backgrounds, but the one thing they have in common is their innate desire to do everything in their power to protect their unborn baby. Given this scenario, it is now more important than ever for pregnant women to be alert and to not neglect their vaccinations during pregnancy. The Tdap vaccine will safely provide immunity for them and their unborn infants. Risk of death due to pertussis is reduced by 95% in babies three months of age and below.
Source:The Star
October 09, 2021 00:11 UTC
Speaking up for drivers of a certain age
She also referenced her previous article, "Pressing problem of older drivers" (Feb 27, 2019; online at bit.ly/star_press) where she stated that elderly drivers have the lowest crash rates of all age groups in Malaysia. Our elderly folk are still the most cautious and capable drivers on our roads. Please do not compare elderly Malaysian drivers with those in Western developed countries. I want to categorically state that Malaysian senior citizens are the steadiest and safest drivers on the road. But for the average Malaysian, getting a medical check-up is not as simple as one may think.
Source:The Star
October 09, 2021 00:11 UTC
Are biosimilar drugs as good as biologics?
It is a “biosimilar” drug. — TNSMany American medical professionals look to biosimilar drugs as a way to increase competition and give consumers cheaper options – much as generic drugs do – and they point to the more robust use of these products in Europe to cut costs. Yet the US has been slower to adopt biosimilar drugs since the first such medicine was approved in 2015. Other drugmakers can’t exactly reproduce these biologic drugs by following chemical recipes as they do for generic versions of conventional drugs. Instead, biosimilar versions of biologic drugs are generally made from the same types of materials as the original biologics and must be “highly similar” to them to be approved by the US FDA.
Source:The Star
October 09, 2021 00:00 UTC
A SALUTE TO ALL POSTAL WORKERS
“I feel thankful for working with Pos Malaysia.” Ahmad looks forward to the special programme from Pos Malaysia that will involve all the branches nationwide. - source Pos MalaysiaThese formed the foundation for the establishment and rise of the nation’s premier postal firm today: Pos Malaysia. It stands testament to the social and economic developments that postal services bring to many countries. Among APPU’s objectives is to extend, facilitate and improve postal relations between member countries and to promote cooperation in the field of postal services. The Malaysian government is committed to promote greater access to postal services for its population by creating a conducive postal regulatory and development policy framework.
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:48 UTC
Muted festival sans chariot parade
The 58-year-old housewife, who is observing the vegetarian diet until Oct 17, said her family will observe a simple celebration this year. My whole family will observe a purely vegetarian diet for a full nine days and an additional three days. The temple committee vice chairman, S. Devaraj, said the temple will hold evening prayers every day until Oct 16. “We hold morning and evening prayers on the first day of the festival but after that, it will only be evening prayers. It also centres around nine divinities, the observance of a purely vegetarian diet and practice of ethics.
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:48 UTC
Punctuality a sign of respect
One of my pet peeves, and I am sure many can relate to, is when others waste my time. How many times have we all received that dreaded message “on the way” when someone does not show up by the agreed time? I was recently asked to cover an official event in Kuala Lumpur where a VIP was the guest of honour. I am certainly no stranger to VIPs and politicians who are perennially late as they wait to make their entrance to an event. So, what is the right response when someone is wasting your time be it in a personal or professional setting?
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:37 UTC
Less than 1% from the target
As of Thursday, 89.1% of the adult population – or a total of 20,856,337 individuals – have completed their Covid-19 vaccination, just 0.9 percentage points short of the targeted 90%. On Sept 22, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said interstate travel would resume when 90% of the adult population in Malaysia were fully vaccinated. Based on the Health Ministry’s data on the CovidNow portal, 94.6% or 22,153,302 individuals of the adult population have received at least one dose of the vaccine. A total of 196,647 doses of the vaccine were dispensed on Thursday with 108,092 being first dose and 88,555 as second dose. This brings the total number of doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 45,204,479.
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:26 UTC
The hybrid work arrangement option
Low: As we move to recovery phase, organisations should reassess their strategic workforce options on “how they work”, “where they work” and “when they work”. Hybrid work arrangements is an option to consider as not all employees feel safe to return to work. Therefore, a balance between office and remote work is highly encouraged as an option. People will now have the option of engaging with organisations in a different geographical area because of the flexibility to work without travelling. Flexibility in providing options to work from home or from the office will greatly inspire the employees, especially the millennials.
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:26 UTC
Fuming over fumes
“During these times, we usually have our windows open and the fumes get trapped within our homes,” said Adrian Ng, 44, who lives along Jalan 17/46. Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Mary L, said the fumes made her asthma worse. Scott-Nathaniel says her health is affected by the fumes from MBPJ’s fogging activity. “Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) needs to clean up garden waste on time, but this happens only after we lodge a complaint. Housewife Rita Scott-Nathaniel, whose house is also along Jalan 17/46, believes that the fumes entering her house twice a day are affecting her health.
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:26 UTC
Interstate family visits, vacations planned
Eager and excited: (From left) Sara, Soh and Dave say they are looking forward to reconnecting with their friends and family members. JOHOR BARU: With the lifting of the ban on interstate travel seemingly nearer, some Malaysians have already started planning to visit friends and families living far away. Consumer coordinator Adriana Soh, 43, said she and her family members were planning a short break in Kuala Lumpur and to meet other family members. “I plan to bring my mother, sister and two nephews to visit them once the interstate travel restriction is lifted. The government has said that it will allow interstate travel once 90% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:26 UTC
Jin Wei to appear as special guest
PETALING JAYA: Goh Jin Wei (pic) may not be in Aarhus, Denmark, for the Uber Cup Finals but her presence will still be felt. 1 women singles player Jin Wei is one of the few former national players to appear as guests during live shows hosted by Astro Arena during the Thomas -Uber Cup Finals starting today until Oct 17. The others are Goh Liu Ying and Woon Khe Wei, who will be sharing their thoughts on the Uber Cup challenge. As for the Thomas Cup coverage, former shuttlers to grace the show are Roslin Hashim, Chong Wei Feng, Koo Kien Kiat and Rashid Sidek. THE SCHEDULE(Malaysian time, live on Astro Arena)TODAY2.30pm: China vs Canada (Uber Cup)7.30pm: Malaysia vs Denmark (Uber Cup)TOMORROW1am: Denmark vs France (Thomas Cup)7.30pm: Malaysia vs China (Uber Cup)OCT 131am: Malaysia vs Canada (Thomas Cup)OCT 142.30pm: Malaysia vs Japan (Thomas Cup)OCT 152.30pm: Quarter-finals (Thomas Cup)7.30pm: Quarter-finals (Thomas Cup)OCT 167pm: Semi-finals (Thomas Cup)OCT 177pm: Final (Thomas Cup)
Source:The Star
October 08, 2021 23:15 UTC