Muguruza relieved to end trophy drought with Dubai win
(Reuters) - Former world number one Garbine Muguruza was relieved to finally avoid tripping at the last hurdle and end her trophy drought on Saturday in Dubai, the Spaniard's first WTA singles title in almost two years. The 27-year-old Muguruza had last won a tournament at Monterrey, Mexico, in April, 2019. "It means a lot, it's never easy to win titles," Muguruza told reporters after her 7-6(6) 6-3 win over Czech Barbora Krejcikova. A nice relief to be able to hold a champion's trophy and not the finalist's trophy." "Definitely it helps the confidence having a trophy under your belt," Muguruza said.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 06:45 UTC
No, the Covid-19 vaccines do not cause infertility
One concern about the Covid-19 vaccines is that it can cause women to become infertile. This video, presented by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) medical graduate Dr Ilia Jauharis, addresses that concern. It is part of the campaign against Covid-19 vaccine misinformation organised by Docere, a group of young doctors and professionals who aim to empower the public with health information. Due to the fluid nature of the Covid-19 pandemic, scientific understanding, along with guidelines and recommendations, may have changed since the original recording date. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this video.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 04:52 UTC
Katz Tales: Coming face to face with a snake in the house
Tic Tac saw me coming and meowed in welcome. Tic Tac is cool and brave. But when Tic Tac screamed, and I screamed, he sat up. At which point my heart stopped trying to beat its way out through my ribs and Tic Tac stopped screaming her warning. Tic Tac took a look, licked me in sympathy but was too shaken to deal with the mess I was making of her coat.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 03:00 UTC
Covid-19 chronicles: With love, from quarantine
It is now day eight of quarantine in Sydney with my two boys. This is travel in times of Covid-19. Sydney had been Covid-19 free for over 50 days, with a few cases only diagnosed in quarantine. Perhaps a fourth lesson, beyond Covid-19, is that there are always blessings to be thankful for and love to hold on to, even in tougher times. Planning travels under times of Covid-19 has been complicated, challenging, and frustrating.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 02:15 UTC
Does size really matter?
Finally, I am not really keen on operations to enlarge the penis, can you outline the known procedures to enlarge the penis? One systemic review of three decades of measurements recorded mean flaccid penis at 9.16cm, mean stretched non-erect penis at 9.31cm and mean erect penis at 13.24cm. The general consensus is that mean erect penis when erect ranges from 13cm to 15cm, which is about 5 inches. Therefore, an individual who has normal size penis may experience persistent anxiety about the size of their penis, causing them to worry that their penis is too small or that others will judge them for its size. Penile stretching is an extender device to the penis as a mechanical traction that stretches the penis size in the flaccid state to make it longer.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 01:52 UTC
The most expensive dinner in history
“I bet I can throw the most expensive dinner the world has ever seen,” a waiter overheard Cleopatra telling Mark Antony. “No way this is going to be the most expensive dinner in history,” he exclaimed, thinking he had won the bet for sure. As he ate his dinner, Cleopatra calmly removed her pearl earrings. A present from Mark Antony, they were made from rare black pearls estimated to be worth $10 million. An official for the Guinness Book of World Records, whom Cleopatra had made sure was there to witness the event, certified the dinner as the most expensive ever.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 01:07 UTC
Would you take a million ringgit if no one knows?
One day, you find a million ringgit in a sack while on a jungle walk. A moral question which requires an ethical resolution because of its urgency is the access to vaccines for Covid-19. What then are values, moral code and ethical practices?Simply put, personal values mean strong beliefs we each have. It is indisputable that ethics education is relevant as it helps us become better people in many ways. Ideally, the best way to conduct our lives is when our values, moral codes and ethical practices coincide.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 01:07 UTC
When racism is not simply black and white
A new report published this week found that while hate crimes fell overall by 7% in 2020, Asian Americans experienced a 150% surge in attacks. In July 2020, there were more than 2,100 anti-Asian American hate incidents that were directly related to the pandemic. In New York, where the number of anti-Asian hate crimes jumped from three to 28, all but four were related to the coronavirus. But all indications suggest it will prove to be a record year for hate crimes targeting Asians. Cobb later shared her story on Instagram, and eventually it was featured on standagainsthatred.org, a testimonials site launched recently by the advocacy group Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 01:07 UTC
Zombies and UFOs? No problem
That explains why the Zombie Preparedness guide developed by the Centers for Disease Control is making the rounds again online. It turns out there’s been a Zombie Preparedness page on the CDC site since at least 2011. We’ve been through big things, and we now know we can roll with a lot more than we ever thought possible. We’ve collectively become more resilient over the past year, even in the face of death, adapting to survive and occasionally even thrive. Take the Kenyan start-up (aptly named The Bug Picture) that began harvesting the swarming locusts as protein rich farm feed.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 00:56 UTC
Young Syrians pay heavy toll in decade-long conflict
Syrian refugees in Turkey, these children have inherited a yearning for a country they know little to nothing about. More than 3.6 million Syrians have found shelter from the decade-long conflict in neighbouring Turkey, including around 1.5 million children under the age of 15, according to official figures. Released on Wednesday, the report also says nearly half of young Syrians lost their income because of the conflict and almost eight in 10 are struggling to afford food and other necessities. The survey is a sombre snapshot of a generation who lost their adolescence and young adulthood to the conflict, ” says Robert Mardini, the ICRC’s Geneva-based director-general. This wound will live with me for a lifetime.” According to the United Nations, about 5.6 million Syrians are registered as refugees outside the country.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 00:56 UTC
Our job prospects...
“I don’t think I have to worry about getting a job after I graduate. But until I graduate, I must remain active in co-curricular activities because employers do not look at our academic results. Securing a job immediately after graduation means that we can launch our career fast and plan for our future. If they try hard, they will surely get the job they want but those who delay the search will have it tough. Those who cannot get their ideal job can always go into entrepreneurship.”Nur Ayuni Mohd Norudin, 24, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 00:45 UTC
STPM Visual Arts students get first virtual showcase
The Virtual Walkthrough Art Exhibition was organised under the initiative of Visual Arts teacher Janatul Shalida Haji Abdul Aziz. Themed “Cakerawala” or “Celestial”, the artworks were the students’ coursework for their STPM Visual Arts subject. Visual Arts student Siti Nurmasitah Khairudin expressed delight at having the opportunity to take part in her first online art showcase. Her fellow STPM candidates Puteri Khalilah Afiqah and Siti Nur Kamariah Mohd Salleh said they hoped their efforts would produce the desired results for their STPM Visual Arts subject. MBS is one of the five schools in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur offering the STPM Visual Arts subject.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 00:33 UTC
Retired principal gives back to society
Now 76, the former principal of four secondary schools teaches the English language at a learning and training institute in Ipoh, where he had served as principal until last June, since retiring from SMK Methodist ACS, Ipoh, in 2000. His retirement years have also seen him produce seven English language resources, the latest of which is Newspaper Articles for English Practice Book 7 published last year. However, he conceded that his English language learning journey had been made easier back then with the use of the language as the medium of instruction, as well as that of co-curricular activities. Kok sees his post-retirement contribution as a part-time English language teacher and as the author of the resources as a way of giving back to society. Apart from devoting his time to teaching, Kok keeps himself busy with sports.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 00:32 UTC
Sunway scientists in Stanford top 2% list
Prolific professors: (from left) Prof Tiekink, Prof Saidur, Prof Kheireddine, Prof Poppema, Adarsh and Prof Yau. SIX scientists from Sunway University are among the top 2% of the most cited scientists in various disciplines from around the world. Prof Sibrandes Poppema, Prof Edward Tiekink, Prof Saidur Rahman, Prof Mohamed Kheireddine, Prof Yau Kok Lim, and Assoc Prof Dr Adarsh Kumar Pandey were on the list recently published by Stanford University in the United States, Sunway said in a press release on March 9. Sunway University president Prof Poppema was listed in the subject category of immunology under the sub-field of oncology and carcinogenesis in clinical medicine. Adarsh, who serves at the Research Centre for Nanomaterials and Energy Technology, believes innovation in research is the main driver of society’s advancement.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 00:22 UTC
Synergised solution
THE announcement that private hospitals in Kuala Lumpur and Penang are set to become Covid-19 vaccination centres is a step in the right direction. But let’s not get entangled in unproductive debates on the merits or demerits of getting private hospitals to be involved in supporting the government’s vaccination plan. All over the world, it’s common to involve private hospitals in such exercises. Last week, Indonesia authorised its private vaccination scheme to run alongside its national vaccination programme. But we should seriously consider allowing private hospitals to also conduct their own vaccination programmes because it will shorten the deadline.
Source:The Star
March 14, 2021 00:11 UTC