King and Queen visit Malaysian High Commission in UK
Their Majesties were greeted upon arrival at 4.30 pm local time by the Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Zakri Jaafar and his wife, Nor Aini Abd Rahman as well as the staff of the Malaysian High Commission. During the two-hour visit, Their Majesties, who are on a 10-day special visit to the United Kingdom, were given a briefing by Zakri. During the special visit, Al-Sultan Abdullah is also scheduled to attend the Sandhurst Reunion Dinner at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where His Majesty studied between 1978 and 1979. After the special visit, Their Majesties will stay back in London and are scheduled to return home on Oct 23. The special visit is His Majesty’s second to the United Kingdom since he became the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, with the first being a seven-day trip starting from Dec 9, 2019.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 03:11 UTC
How the architecture of tomorrow must do better with less
There is no shortage of adjectives when it comes to approaching architecture through the prism of ecology. This is a vast undertaking that covers the entire sector, from the materials used to the surfaces exploited, to the location of buildings. If I had to summarise the concept in one sentence, I would say that it's architecture that does better with less. The definition of ecological architecture also varies according to the territory. It is very important that architects work hand-in-hand with the inhabitants to come up with solutions together.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 03:00 UTC
Soccer-Barcelona coach Koeman given two-match touchline ban
(Reuters) - Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has been handed a two-game touchline ban by the Spanish soccer federation's competition committee after he was shown a red card in Thursday's goalless LaLiga draw with Cadiz, the Catalan club said. The Dutchman will be absent from the touchline for Sunday's home game with Levante and next week's trip to champions Atletico Madrid. Barcelona, who are seventh in the standings with nine points from five games, said they would appeal to reduce Koeman's ban to one game. Barcelona's poor results have heaped pressure on Koeman, whose future at the club has come under doubt. Club President Joan Laporta had backed Koeman as manager before Thursday's match but also said he had to start producing better football and the board would not shirk tough decisions if needed.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 03:00 UTC
US previously-owned home sales ease as prices stay elevated
SALES of previously-owned homes in the United States fell in August, suggesting that demand is moderating as lean inventory and high prices squeezed out some buyers. The decline suggests that a limited number of for-sale properties and surging prices are constraining demand even as financing costs remain historically low. The share of first-time buyers declined last month to 29%, the lowest since 2019 as high asking prices limited affordability. There were 1.29 million homes for sale last month, down 13.4% from a year ago. Sales of previously-owned single-family homes decreased 1.9% last month to a 5.19 million pace.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 02:38 UTC
MM2H: No longer home sweet home?
KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 25): The government has made its decision on the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. The goal of the earlier version of the MM2H programme was to boost the economy by increasing consumption and investments. And what about the existing MM2H residents? The minister had recently said in Parliament that the status of existing MM2H visa holders will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In the meantime, existing MM2H holders have not been sitting idle.
Source:The Edge Markets
September 25, 2021 01:30 UTC
China funds counting on Beijing to contain Evergrande contagion
(Sept 25): The closer investors are to Beijing, the less they fear that China Evergrande Group’s debt crisis will cascade into a wider financial meltdown. That’s not to say that Chinese investors don’t see significant fallout coming from Evergrande, just that they expect it to be largely contained to companies with close links to the developer. That includes banks that extended credit, investors in its bonds, suppliers that depend on its projects and some of Evergrande’s peers. Financial watchdogs encouraged Evergrande to take all measures to avoid a near-term default on dollar bonds, Bloomberg reported this week. “Domestic investors are not very concerned about Evergrande triggering systematic risks, as they have much higher confidence in the government’s ability to coordinate an orderly debt restructuring.”
Source:The Edge Markets
September 25, 2021 01:07 UTC
Respect gender diversity and human rights
The authorities are becoming paranoid that Nur Sajat may be an inspiration for other transgenders to assert their human rights to be what they were born into. The authorities are not respecting the fundamental rights of Nur Sajat and other transgenders guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. Respecting gender diversity and human rights are key factors within the principles of ESG. In the case of Nur Sajat, being a transgender, the act of cross-dressing is not for an immoral purpose. Therefore, with respect to the religious authority, in light of Section 30, it was inappropriate for Nur Sajat to have been charged under Section 10(a) of the Enactment.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 00:56 UTC
Rosmah’s bid dismissed
“It defies belief that Sri Ram would do so without the knowledge and sanction of Thomas, being the former AG then, and also of the current AG. As such, Justice Mohamed Zaini said he did not see the necessity of addressing the validity of the first written fiat challenged by Rosmah. “They have ceased to become a moot point as I have found Sri Ram’s appointment under Section 376(3) to be valid. “In my view, there is no necessity for the first nor the second written fiat to be issued,” he said. The judge also refused to grant a stay of the trial pending Rosmah’s appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 00:43 UTC
Developing Asia’s Growth
CLICK TO ENLARGETHE Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised its 2022 economic growth estimates for developing Asia but trimmed them for this year on lingering concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. This year it expects economic growth to be lower at 7.1% from its April projection of 7.3%. It says while growth forecasts are raised for East Asia and Central Asia, downward revisions for the rest of the region weigh on the outlook. The recovery in global demand for exports from developing Asia, supported by robust growth in advanced economies, will continue to benefit the region’s export-oriented economies. However, sustainable food production and agricultural systems that are resilient to climate change will be crucial for developing Asia.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 00:22 UTC
Opinion: Media literacy the antidote to this infodemic
Instead of believing and spreading misinformation, people would not only be aware of its existence, they would stop spreading it. Media literacy could affect every part of our lives – we know, because the lack of it is staggering. More Americans – 48% now compared with 38% in 2018 – surveyed by the Pew Research Centre said they believe the federal government should do more to restrict false information online. On July 15, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared health misinformation an urgent medical public health crisis. We can't continue to live in silos, consuming online information fed to us by powerful algorithms that take us down rabbit holes of falsehoods.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 00:00 UTC
Bioalpha’s China move laudable
BIOALPHA Holdings Bhd’s big move into the China market amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is noteworthy. Indeed the health supplement market in China has huge potential and continues to expand rapidly, bolstered by an ageing population, economic growth and an expanding basic health insurance. “There is an increasing number of leading global corporate organisations which have found significant long-term prospects in the healthcare market in China. No doubt China, the world’s second-largest healthcare market lured the local healthcare supplement company to pump in money in the country. Moving forward, Hon anticipates the group to gradually report better results in the coming quarters given its expansion in China’s healthcare market.
Source:The Star
September 25, 2021 00:00 UTC
Sapura Energy in race against time
Earlier this year, Sapura Energy saw the departure of its long standing CEO Tan Sri Shahril Shamsudin, who retired after leading Sapura Energy since July 2003. In February, Sapura Energy had obtained a loan facility of up to RM700mil from Maybank. That resulted in a series of impairments by Sapura Energy that took place from 2017 to 2020. Earlier this year, Sapura Energy saw the departure of its long standing CEO Tan Sri Shahril Shamsudin, who retired after leading Sapura Energy since July 2003. “We believe Sapura Energy will be in the black from FY22 after being in the red for four consecutive years,” it said.
Source:The Star
September 24, 2021 23:48 UTC
Cracker in store at the Bridge
But with a calm disposition, it is easy to see why Chelsea and City are being touted as the favourites. The Blues barely got through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, seeing off Villa in a penalty shoot-out, albeit with a team made up of “fringe” players. Tuchel will surely field a changed line-up from the one he used in the midweek Cup game. It is highly unlikely they will be called upon to face Chelsea — but it would be interesting if they were. All the same, it could turn out to be a rather feisty affair at the Bridge today.
Source:The Star
September 24, 2021 23:48 UTC
Keeping fit while staying safe at gyms
“Although our premises is air-conditioned, we still open all our windows to ensure sufficient flow of air throughout the gym. Lim said the turnout in the early days was good with about 80% of his customers returning. “Our cleaners work around the clock to ensure the equipment and interior areas of the gym are cleaned and sanitised constantly. Personal trainer and fitness educator Sebastian Tan said that although gyms had reopened, several of his clients still preferred to train at home. Gym-goer Zarol Alfiyan said he intentionally selected gym times with a lower turnout to minimise contact with others.
Source:The Star
September 24, 2021 23:47 UTC
Going for growth
“CIMB is still very much a work-in-progress,” Abdul Rahman says matter-of-factly. There are a number of themes but the main theme is really to deliver what we call sustainable financial returns,” Abdul Rahman says. “For example, the commercial banking business in Indonesia. These are the areas that we really want to grow,” Abdul Rahman says. That said, Abdul Rahman says that the focus for now is to help the lender’s struggling customers.
Source:The Star
September 24, 2021 23:37 UTC