AstraZeneca vaccine stays for now, says KJ
GEORGE TOWN: Malaysia will stick with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for now until there is data to prove the vaccine produces a lot of adverse effects. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said rather than react to news reports, the government would rely on sound clinical data to show whether any vaccine was safe or unsafe. He said Malaysia would stand guided by its own ability to make decisions and would request clinical data analysis from AstraZeneca if there were continuous negative media reports on the vaccine. Norway suspended the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 24 after reporting four deaths and 20,000 people suffering serious side effects. “On the coronavirus vaccine, my ministry has given a total grant of RM5mil to Universiti Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia to do research and to develop it.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 23:26 UTC
INTERACTIVE: Young entrepreneurs thriving on aquaponic farming
Organic vegetables can cost double or triple the price of non-organic vegetables, ” he explained. Brendan’s aquaponic farm was set up more than two years ago, and even then they were not the first. Recently, Brendan started his second farm in Petaling Jaya Old Town, where he had built a fully indoor vertical farm. He added that vertical farming also reduced the need to clear land for agricultural use. "Red tilapia are a common breed of fish used in aquaponic farming.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 22:52 UTC
10 e-hailing drivers conned by same man
Both Azahari and Chong were at a press conference by Campaign to Protect the Rights of E-Hailing Drivers spokesman Ng Kian Nam at Wisma MCA here yesterday. Also present were Persatuan Kebajikan Pekerja Industri Ehailing Malaysia chairman Masrizal Mahidin and Koperasi Ehailing Maju Bhd chairman A. Thiruna. Ng said that checks with other e-hailing groups found that the culprit had registered fake accounts on e-hailing apps to approach drivers and lure them with supposed long-distance trips. When contacted, Malaysian E-hailing Drivers Association president Daryl Chong said that he had come across similar cases among drivers in the last few months. “It is likely that the scammer had taken the driver’s phone, turned on the NFC function and immediately cloned the phone’s details into his own phone.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 22:41 UTC
Many buyers have fallen for offers that were ‘too good to be true’
She said she was directed to a link with good reviews and where she had to fill in a questionnaire. I agreed and I put in my credit card details in. A few minutes later, I got a call from my credit card company which flagged the transaction. “I asked my credit card company how much the transaction was and I found out that it was about RM900. She immediately submitted a complaint to the credit card company to cancel her card and lodge a police report.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 22:41 UTC
GLOBAL MARKETS-US$, Treasuries edge higher on strong US. labour report
"We're going to test the 1.77% level (in the 10-year Treasury note), but I'm not sure it's going to break (through) on this number." The 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose 3.5 basis points to yield 1.7143%, but the rise was still below a 14-month high of 1.776 hit on Tuesday. Asian markets overnight rose as optimism over a global economic recovery lifted equity markets in Japan, China and South Korea. Both the CSI300 index and the Shanghai Composite Index closed at an almost four-week highs. The dollar's ascent to multi-month highs is likely to continue as more investors bet on economic recovery.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 17:15 UTC
Russian doctors complete open-heart surgery as tsarist-era hospital burns
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian doctors stayed behind in a burning, tsarist-era hospital in the country's Far East on Friday to complete open-heart surgery after a fire broke out on the roof while they were operating. A group of eight doctors and nurses completed the operation in two hours before removing the patient to another site, the emergencies ministry said. The ministry said 128 people were immediately evacuated from the hospital as the fire broke out on the roof. "The clinic was built more than a century ago, in 1907, and the fire spread like lightning through the wooden ceilings of the roof," the ministry said. (Reporting by Maria Vasilyeva; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 16:36 UTC
IGP: North Koreans still in Malaysia are under MM2H programme
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): All North Koreans who are still in Malaysia are participants of the ‘Malaysia My Second Home’ (MM2H) programme and their movements have been identified, says Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador (pic). He said the police would leave it up to the Immigration Department and the Home Ministry to decide on whether these individuals should return to North Korea following Pyongyang's decision to end diplomatic relations with Kuala Lumpur. On March 21, all diplomatic staff at the North Korean Embassy and their dependents in Malaysia returned to their country following Pyongyang's decision to end diplomatic relations with Kuala Lumpur on March 19. Pyongyang announced it was severing ties with Malaysia after a court here ruled that a North Korean businessman could be extradited to the United States to face money laundering charges there. Malaysia and North Korea established diplomatic relations in 1973, and achieved various diplomatic and trade achievements until 2017, when Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was assassinated in Malaysia.- Bernama
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 16:07 UTC
Ronaldo armband sold for over $75,000 to help toddler surgery
BELGRADE (Reuters) - The captain's armband which Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo threw away angrily during a World Cup qualifier against Serbia was bought by a betting company at a charity auction to help fund life-saving surgery for a six-month-old baby. "We decided to take part in the auction because of its humanitarian nature," Mozzart said. "The objective was to aid toddler Gavrilo Djurdjevic as well as to raise awareness that we need to stand united in taking this kind of action." Six-month-old Gavrilo Djurdjevic is suffering from spinal atrophy and his mother Nevena said the family had received donations of around 500,000 euros ($587,900) so far. Ronaldo stormed off the pitch seconds before the final whistle in Serbia's 2-2 home draw with Portugal on Tuesday and threw the armband away when he was denied a clear stoppage-time winner in the 2-2 draw.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 15:00 UTC
Singapore PM says name, photo were used to sell cryptocurrency
(April 2): Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he discovered that a blockchain platform used data from his Twitter profile without his permission or knowledge to sell its proprietary cryptocurrency. “The site’s creators are anonymous, but I have sent an open tweet out to ask that my name and photo be removed from the site immediately, as I have nothing to do with the platform,” he wrote on Facebook. “I urge everyone to remain vigilant when dealing with cryptocurrency platforms,” Lee wrote. “If you deal with entities not regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, remember: you won’t be protected by the laws administered by MAS.”
Source:The Edge Markets
April 02, 2021 15:00 UTC
Fresh Myanmar conflict keeps Thai village on edge
"I remember when I was little, I came back and forth with my family. "The people who remained (in Mae Sam Laep) became integrated -- they built up a new village, but a lot of trading was reduced as there weren't people (living across the river anymore)," K'nyaw Paw said.Today, several stores along the waterway are shuttered and padlocked. From the village, a Myanmar military outpost can be spotted on the other side of the river.On the river, children play in the water, while women bathe or do their washing -- an idyllic, peaceful sight in contrast to the violence of the air strikes that happened just a couple of kilometres away.Despite the life she has created in the village, Hkara still dreams of returning across the river to a Myanmar that is safe for her people. "I don't want to die here," Hkara told AFP. "I always say I want to go back and die in my town."
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 14:03 UTC
While Asia wants a Baby Boom, Indonesia says enough is enough
JAKARTA, April 2 (Bloomberg): Countries across Asia are trying everything from fertility tours to baby bonuses to spur population growth in an aging world. The difference now, National Population and Family Planning Agency Head Hasto Wardoyo says, is that instead of just slowing population growth, Indonesia is aiming to simultaneously improve other factors such as health, education and employment. "My sister, for example, doesn’t do family planning and doesn’t use contraceptives regularly,” Purnamasari said. Middle ClassBringing down the fertility rate is a long and gradual process, according to Satyawanti Mashudi, a commissioner with the National Commission on Violence Against Women. "I once talked to a person in Kalimantan island about family planning and they said, ‘Why should I have fewer children?
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 13:18 UTC
Fact or fiction: Autism myths debunked
In conjunction with autism awareness month, there will be an online dialogue on “Debunking the Autism Myths” taking place on Facebook Live on Apr 3 (Saturday) at 10am at My Community For Autism’s Facebook page. Dr Daniel Leong, who was diagnosed with high-functioning autism (Asperger’s Syndrome) in 2011, is an autism advocate and facilitates AIM High, a focus group for adults with autism. She has a Degree in Music Education & Pedagogy, and was an autism expert with ASEAN Autism Mapping Project from 2018 to 2020. Leading up to the online dialogue is a public poll featuring questions on what people believe to be true of autism at the My Community For Autism Facebook group. The focus of the campaign, which is a collaboration with several other organisations, is to develop an inclusive community that understands, accepts and supports the autism community.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 10:00 UTC
Starchild: Malaysian children are excited to have an ‘egg-cellent’ Easter
Decorating Easter eggs and going on egg hunts are some of the popular traditions during Easter. Jodie Tan Li Juen, 11Older sibling Jodie Tan Li Juen, 11, writes: “Easter is a time to reflect. Many churches and homes chose to decorate with the white lily for Easter.”Claire Yap Jyn Wei, 5Claire Yap Jyn Wei, five, writes: “Easter eggs are made of chocolates. Zachary Sanjay Joseph, 4“I drew a family of Easter eggs – Papa, Mama, Baby and me. It is a special day to celebrate special heroes and to think of how we can become heroes to others in need.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 08:37 UTC
Man freed after court finds detention order signed by Muhyiddin defective
KUALA LUMPUR: A 34-year-old Sabahan who was detained under the preventive law was freed after a Shah Alam High Court ruled that his detention order, signed by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, was defective and void, as it did not use the premier's real name. Kamil said the decision by the court may affect other orders signed by the Prime Minister under the name "Muhyiddin". Awang filed the habeas corpus application for his immediate release from detention through a notice of motion dated Sept 10, 2020. He named the deputy home minister and the senior enforcer of the Simpang Renggam Behavioural Rehabilitation Centre as the first and second respondents respectively. Lawyers Danial Amir and Zafran Zafri Mohd Zaini appeared for the applicant in Friday's proceedings.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 08:36 UTC
Accepting those from GRS-friendly parties not considered as ‘pinching’ members, says Jeffrey
KOTA KINABALU: A move to accept leaders from politically-friendly parties should not be construed as "pinching" members, says Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. The Deputy Chief Minister said Sabah STAR could not stop members from "friendly" parties from joining as they were coming in on their own free will. "Sabah STAR should not be seen as stealing members from politically-friendly parties. Three senior PBS members from the Sepanggar division, led by its former supreme council member Kapitan Stephen Teo, crossed over to Sabah STAR. Sabah STAR, a member of the four-party Sabah Perikatan Nasional, is part of the GRS coalition.
Source:The Star
April 02, 2021 08:12 UTC