Former TVB actress Fala Chen announces surprise baby on Valentine's Day
Former TVB actress Fala Chen, who has been pursuing a career in the United States, has given birth to a baby girl. In a surprise Valentine's Day announcement, she posted a photo on Instagram of three hands, presumably belonging to her, her newborn and her husband, Frenchman Emmanuel Straschnov. She also posted another photo of herself during her pregnancy, which she did not make public before this announcement. "The past 10 months have been a wondrous journey, filled with unknowns, amazement, love, and lots of joy," she wrote. The 38-year-old actress, who married Straschnov in 2019, added: "Our hearts are full as new parents, and we look forward to every day with this little lady."
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 12:58 UTC
Andrew Lloyd Webber says lockdowns push London theater to abyss
(Feb 14): Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer behind hit musicals including “Phantom of the Opera” and “Evita,” says the U.K. government needs to open up London theaters to prevent the industry from collapsing. Work for actors and musicians along with investment in future productions is at risk because ministers have kept quiet on how and when they might reopen public spaces after the pandemic, Lloyd Webber said. “I’ve never come across anybody in my 50-plus years working professionally in the theater who realizes exactly what a big hit musical or a big hit play brings back,” Lloyd Webber said. Even with some state support flowing to the industry, Lloyd Webber said he had to mortgage a home to help cover costs at theaters he owns. West End musicals must fill about 80% of their seats to be financially viable, according to Lloyd Webber.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 14, 2021 09:45 UTC
Valentine's Day: Love binds them together
One thing that binds Calvin Goh and Lim YiLing, both 33, together is food. So it isn't surprising at all that Valentine's Day for the couple will probably centre around food, although for them, love is something that happens 365 days in a year, and not just on Feb 14. Goh and Lim, who met in college and started dating in 2007, say making their relationship work is "all about teamwork”. “On weekends, when we have to spend the whole day at online classes, we’ll send our kids to my parents’ place, ” says Goh. Keeping the romance aliveOne thing that binds Goh and Lim together is their love for food.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 07:01 UTC
Serbian artist turns guns, helmets and missiles into music instruments
Every week, Serbian sculptor Nikola Macura wanders through a messy military junkyard in search of sounds. Picking through discarded rifles, helmets and missiles, he taps, blows and raps his knuckles on the decommissioned weapons to find pieces he can bring back to his studio and turn into musical instruments. Srdjan Sarovic, visual artist and a war veteran, plays on a guitar made out of M70 rifle and a helmet, made by Serbian sculptor Nikola Macura at his studio, in Novi Sad. He has already recruited veteran and visual artist Srdjan Sarovic, who likes to jam on the guitar made from a rifle and helmet. Macura's next project is turning an army tank into a percussion instrument for five musicians, which he plans to paint pink.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 06:22 UTC
Qualifier Karatsev rallies to book last eight spot on Slam debut
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev continued his fairytale run at the Australian Open on Sunday, reaching the quarter-finals on his Grand Slam debut with a 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-3 6-4 win over 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. 114 Patrick McEnroe in 1991 and the first qualifier since Bernard Tomic at 2011 Wimbledon to reach the last eight at a major. "So I just got to be a better player overall to overcome these situations. Karatsev will next play 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov, who ousted third seed Dominic Thiem of Austria 6-4 6-4 6-0, for a place in the semi-finals. "I'll be ready for everyone," said Karatsev, one of three Russians who reached the last 16 this year.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 05:57 UTC
Be sexually safe this Valentine’s
But this lovely memory soon gets shattered when you or your partner discover unusual symptoms in the genital region. > Herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1HSV-1 results in an incurable viral disease commonly known as herpes, which usually causes cold sores and oral ulcers in and around the lips and gums. The tricky part comes if you’ve engaged in oral sex with your partner. It is a misconception that genital ulcers are exclusively caused by HSV-2 as HSV-1 can also cause such ulcers. Apart from the 14 cancer-causing high-risk strains, there are also numerous low-risk strains that cause warts.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 04:52 UTC
Valentine's Day: Celebrating their love for each other in a foreign land
For Japan-based Malaysian couple, Dr Azalia Zaharuddin and Ooi Kok Hin, both 29, love is in the small, everyday gestures and simple surprises that people often take for granted. Both of us love planning surprises and it doesn’t have to be complicated, the simplest ones are the best. The couple have been married for two years and will be celebrating their anniversary next month. The couple balance their work, studies and family life by scheduling their activities into “work/study time”, “me-time” and “we-time”. “If one of us has a class or meeting on a particular day, the other will fix lunch or dinner.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 04:03 UTC
The preacher and the pornographer
Have there ever been two more different human beings than Flynt, the hard-core porn peddler who died last Wednesday, and Falwell, the moralising preacher who for years denounced Flynt as a "sleaze merchant"? Just think for a second about how Flynt and Falwell first came into contact. For years after that, Flynt and Falwell would meet when Falwell was in LA. But in the end, I knew what he was selling, and he knew what I was selling, and we found a way to communicate." Each time he smiled and shook his head and reiterated that he never would have expected to have an actual, honest-to-god friendship with the likes of Jerry Falwell.— Los Angeles Times/TNS
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 03:56 UTC
Malaysian authors recommend their favourite Valentine's Day reads and poems
We asked some Malaysian writers to recommend their favourite works of love, and many were happy to oblige. And there are a lot of love poems out there; cringe-worthy, over-the-top, surreal, film-like, mundane – the list goes on. My favourite love poems are like any other poems and poets: there are no favourites. However, Matthew Olzmann's poem titled, Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised As A Love Poem is a whole different thing. The poem will resonate not just on Valentine’s Day but on any 'special' day we are separated from those we love.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 01:52 UTC
Embracing sex during pregnancy without worry
Although I am over the moon with our first child, I am also consciously cautious about the risk of sex during pregnancy. The doctors tend to advise pregnant mothers that engaging in “cautious” sexual activities during pregnancy throughout the gravidity is safe. I, myself, find it difficult to define how “cautious” is “cautious sex” during intercourse. The fluctuating hormones, fatigue, nausea, weight gain and back pain can certainly dampen the mood for sex as the pregnancy progresses. Preconceived ideas and the cultural taboo of sex and pregnancy is often the first obstacle to enjoying sex during pregnancy.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 01:20 UTC
Another year of online learning
Perhaps this synergy was most profoundly tested in the past few months, as teaching was predominantly conducted online. Educators lament that effective teaching and learning can only occur if content delivery is proficient, and online teaching may regress this process. Before this becomes a reality, teaching and learning via online platforms may very well still be the new norm this year. Students are getting used to receiving information via Zoom or Google Hangout sessions, and the online learning management systems adopted by universities are fully utilised by the academic ecosystem. My students applauded my decision of sharing recorded lectures online, as they are able to digest the information at their own pace and time.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 01:02 UTC
SC adds Red Fort Capital, Sykt Future Pelaburan, SAMKoin to alert list
KUALA LUMPUR: The Securities Commission has added more unauthorised websites, investment products and companies to its alert list among which are Red Fort Capital, Syarikat Future Pelaburan, SAMKoin and Xeraya-Capital. In its recently updated list, it said Red Fort Capital has been carrying on unregulated activities while Syarikat Future Pelaburan has been holding out as dealing in derivatives. SAMKoin has been offering digital currencies and operating a recognised market without authorisation from the SC. Meanwhile, www.xeraya-capital.com has been carrying on unregulated activities and it is a possible clone offering high returns for a minimum investment of RM550 within 24 hours. However, Xeraya Capital (www.xeraya.com) is registered with SC as a venture capital management corporation (VCMC).
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 00:56 UTC
Biden aide resigns over 'abhorrent' comments to reporter
White House Deputy Spokesman TJ Ducklo was originally suspended for one week without pay, but now the administration of President Joe Biden has accepted his resignation, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. Psaki said the White House accepted Ducklo's resignation after speaking with him Saturday evening and is acting with the support of the White House chief of staff. Ducklo added that he was "devastated to have embarrassed and disappointed my White House colleagues and President Biden." A day after being sworn in as president, Biden warned his White House staff against mistreating others. - AFPArticle type: metered User Type: anonymous web User Status: Campaign ID: 18 Cxense type: free User access status: 3
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 00:45 UTC
Love will shine through
The relationship started off platonic, and the first few times Aida and Yusran met up, it was in a group with Aida’s other friends. For Yusran, the most treasured aspect of the past year has been meeting the love of his life. Must love pets: Yusran and Aida with their cat Aboo. Going the distanceAnother couple who found love in the year of Covid-19 is Leah and Omar (not their real names), who are both in their 30s. So when I finally met Omar in real life, it was like I’d known him forever, ” says Leah.
Source:The Star
February 14, 2021 00:22 UTC
Couple stay home and cook their maiden Prosperity Pot
The often busy working couple took to the kitchen to prepare poon choi for the first time. “When discussing our new year plans, my wife mentioned that she had not tried poon choi. “We tried to keep it close to the significance of each layer and ingredient as it is called the ‘Prosperity Pot’, with each layer symbolising something. “Luckily my wife has not eaten poon choi before, so she is not able to compare the taste, ” he joked. “Poon choi usually has oysters for good fortune, but we did not include oysters, so we used oyster sauce as substitute, ” he said.
Source:The Star
February 13, 2021 23:48 UTC