Indian commerce minister: 'Arrogant' U.S. ecommerce giants flout our laws
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has ratcheted up the heat on U.S. ecommerce giants like Amazon and Walmart, accusing them of arrogance and of flouting local laws by indulging in predatory pricing practices. "I've had several engagements with these large companies, particularly the American ones, and I can see a little bit of arrogance," he said. But his comments come at a time of growing clamour from small Indian traders and retailers, who accuse the U.S. giants of circumventing Indian consumer protection laws and competition laws. "To my mind, if they have nothing to hide, if they are doing honest business practices, why don't they respond to the CCI?" Separately, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the Confederation of All India Traders, accused ecommerce companies of treating India like a "banana republic" with weak laws.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 15:33 UTC
Classrooms grapple with racial slurs in classic American novels
The recent dismissal of a white New York professor for reading aloud the "N-word" from a Mark Twain novel has shone a spotlight on the use of racial slurs in American classrooms. The incident came after another professor, also white, this time at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania, was dismissed for using the slur during a course. Vershawn Young, a Black communications professor, takes a different view. Wendy Kaminer, a lawyer and writer who used to be an American Civil Liberties Union board member, said "the distinction between quoting a racial slur and using a racial slur has been completely erased." For Lester, the Arizona State University professor, the answer is to talk about the word and its complex history without uttering it.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 12:22 UTC
HK actress Do Do Cheng posts swimsuit photo in throwback series on Instagram
Hong Kong television host Carol "Do Do" Cheng has been taking fans down memory lane with old photos of herself on social media in recent months. On Friday (June 25), Cheng, 63, shared several old photos from the TV series No One Is Innocent (1981), which also starred late actor Shek Kin and actress Louise Lee; as well as the movie Wonder Women (1987), which Cheng co-starred with actress Cecilia Yip. In it, he praised her for her versatile acting and compared her to American veteran actress Jane Fonda, 83, who has won two Best Actress Oscars for her roles in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). ALSO READ: HK star Charmaine Sheh, 46, reveals she almost got married in the pastCheng has won Best Actress awards at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards. She was the first actress in Hong Kong to be named Best Actress for both television and films.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 09:22 UTC
Covid-19: 224 expectant mothers in Perlis start getting vaccine jabs on Sunday (June 27)
KANGAR (Bernama): A total of 224 expectant mothers out of almost 10,000 in Perlis who have registered through the MySejahtera application began receiving their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine jab at the Dewan 2020 vaccination centre here today. Perlis State Secretary Azman Mohd Yusof said that unlike other vaccine recipients, a special room was provided for the expectant mothers to be vaccinated. "For those who have received their first dose of the vaccine, the second dose will be administered either before or after delivery,” she said. Thirty-three-year-old Norazeyan Abu Hassan, who is one of the expectant mothers to receive her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine jab today, said she decided to get vaccinated for the safety of her unborn child and herself. If I take the vaccine now, the risk is lower,” said Huey Sze, who is expecting her first child.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 08:48 UTC
Dental clinic robbed in Taman Melati, two arrested
KUALA LUMPUR: Two armed robbers were arrested within hours after they allegedly robbed a dental clinic at Taman Melati here. Wangsa Maju OCPD Supt Ashari Abu Samah said the incident occurred at around 6.30pm on Saturday (June 26). "Based on the recordings, we managed to track down the suspects," he said, adding that they arrested two men aged 30 and 32. He said the two were arrested about four hours after the incident within the Wangsa Maju area. Those with information on the case should contact the Wangsa Maju police hotline at 03-9289 9222, the City police hotline at 03-2115 9999 or go to the nearest police station.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 08:26 UTC
Accessibility issues for disabled in KK highlighted at virtual workshop
The online event was aimed at exploring the current status and potential of Kota Kinabalu as a walkable and accessible city. The event was organised by KotaKita, a newly-formed youth advocacy group, and aimed at enhancing inclusiveness in Kota Kinabalu, especially in urban planning. Fariz said many disabled people in Kota Kinabalu were not able to fulfil their potential, especially in securing jobs, due to a lack of accessibility. The hot and humid tropical climate in Malaysia also deters many from walking especially on uncovered routes, she said. However, Sharon added it was crucial that community members and organisations like KotaKita reach out to relevant agencies like Kota Kinabalu City Hall to collaborate on ideas for improvement.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 08:03 UTC
Takeaway orders won’t sustain us in the long run, say eateries
This lockdown has been particularly brutal for restaurants as pandemic-wary consumers have been very careful with their expenditure, resulting in paltry delivery and takeaway sales for many eateries. Even for more established restaurants, sales have been poor at best. Many eateries are getting by on delivery and takeaway sales that are between 10% to 30% of regular revenue. "If you normally break even at RM40,000 for example, you will need to make at least RM55,000 to break even using food delivery platforms, because of the commission taken," explains Chin. This recipe for disaster has resulted in many restaurant owners opting to just call it a day.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 07:41 UTC
As rally in US stocks rolls on, signs of caution grow
The benchmark S&P 500 is up about 14% this year after hitting a fresh record in the past week, as did the tech-heavy Nasdaq. The benchmark S&P index, heavily weighted toward technology stocks, is up 1.8% this month, but the average S&P stock has lagged. The equal-weighted S&P 500 is up just 0.3% in June, which some investors view as a sign of waning confidence in the broader market. S&P 500 earnings are expected to rise by about 37% this year and almost 12% next year, according to Refinitiv IBES. If you are not in the few stocks that are doing well, you may be doing much worse than the benchmark index,” Lerner said.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 05:48 UTC
Warisan veep wants full probe of 'egg' dish on Bung's dining table
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah vice president Datuk Junz Wong wants a thorough investigation into a photograph of suspected turtle eggs on the dining table of Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin. "Let the authorities investigate," Wong said on Sunday (June 27) when asked about Bung's statement that the opposition was playing dirty politics to smear him. Wong was among the first to highlight the purported turtle eggs in the photograph which was circulated on various social media platforms. Bung denied that they were turtle eggs and later hit out at Wong for playing dirty politics. Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the state Wildlife Department was carrying out an investigation.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 05:26 UTC
An oncologist pays tribute to two inspiring grandmothers
I don’t limp, I am fine!”He laughed after saying this and proceeded with a conclusion that sets him apart from other cancer patients. It is amazing that no matter how difficult the situation is, some cancer patients are able to remain focused on living with purpose, and not merely “living with cancer”. After nearly five years with advanced breast cancer, Makengku passed away on August 24, 2019. Despite advanced stage cancers, their positivity had allowed them to live a few more good years with love and style. This is my tribute to these two inspiring ladies I respected very much and whose positive attributes I will never forget.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 04:52 UTC
Expert Q&A: Cybersecurity training needs a kick in the pants
But don't most organisations require their employees to get cybersecurity training? However, their suggestions for cybersecurity training go beyond the theoretical and address real-world psychology and behaviour. What do you think about how organisations tend to handle cybersecurity training? Is there a way organisations can leverage employees as assets for cybersecurity training? When you're training people specifically, you're training them on their job and how practices affect their day to day.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 03:00 UTC
Calming computer jitters: Help for seniors who aren’t tech-savvy
Founded in 1999, the Philadelphia organisation specialises in teaching older adults about digital devices and navigating the Internet. OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) is set to expand the reach of its digital literacy programs significantly after a recent affiliation with AARP. Aging Connected, another new OATS initiative, is focusing on bringing one million older adults online by the end of 2022. For older adults who’ve never used digital devices, retired teachers serve as tech counsellors over the phone. Each state has a National Assistive Technology Act training centre for older adults and people with disabilities.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 02:00 UTC
Heroes with big hearts
Instead of merely preaching about living a meaningful life, Mohammad Hazeem Azemi plans multiple programmes, ranging from the national to the international level, for his differently abled students to take part in. “I’m grateful to receive this award; this is not just for me alone, but also an honour for all my differently abled students. Mohammad Hazeem added that the stigma towards differently abled people is still prevalent. “I wanted to prove that even those of us who are differently abled can achieve anything we set our minds to, just like able-bodied people,” he said. Yuszairi teaches inclusive classes, which have a mix of mainstream and differently abled students.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 01:30 UTC
Twin sister swapped at birth: Truth unfolds after 19 years
For 19 years, Adryani Iwani and Adryana Iwani grow up as non-identical twins, not realising that they are actually not biological twin sisters as the former’s real twin sister is Noratirah, who was then raised by another family. According to Adryani Iwani, the truth started to unfold when she attended a motivational camp while she was in Form Four. She said based on the birth certificates of Noratirah, Adryana Iwani and Adryani Iwani, they were born at 1.14am, 1.27am and 1.34am, respectively, on Aug 19, 2001. Despite the results, Ayu Haryani said the family still regarded Adryana Iwani as their siblings and wanted her to continue to stay with them. With the truth uncovered, Noratirah has moved in to stay with her biological family in Kampung Langgar, Kota Baru, since last January.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 01:18 UTC
Top trio withdraw from Olympics
THIS week marked the confirmed line-ups of those who qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games next month – and the golf competition had three withdrawals. Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, Sergio Garcia of Spain and South African Louis Oosthuizen all pulled out of this year’s Olympics. Of his withdrawal, Hatton wrote on Twitter: “I have decided after much thought and consideration to step down from Team GB. “I was very much looking forward to representing my country at the Olympic Games. “Family has always been my core and this is the best decision for us at this time in our lives.
Source:The Star
June 27, 2021 01:07 UTC