New BioNTech bivalent shot available Dec 1, govt calls for elderly vaccination
The government confirmed the BioNTech bivalent vaccine will be available for eligible people aged 12 or above from December 1, while online reservations will open from 9am tomorrow (Nov 27). "Vaccination venues providing the BioNTech bivalent vaccine include the Community Vaccination Centres, the Community Vaccination Stations, the Hospital Covid Vaccination Stations, designated general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority, and the Private Clinic Covid-19 Vaccination Stations," she said. She added that people who have not been vaccinated or received enough vaccine doses are not allowed to choose to receive the bivalent vaccine. However, Yeung said the vaccination rate of children and the elderly in Hong Kong has yet to meet the expectation. "We urged everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves before it is too late," Yeung emphasized.
Source:The Standard
November 26, 2022 15:03 UTC
‘Human error but no political intention' involved in national anthem blunder: Govt
Government officials claimed that the incident of the national anthem being misplayed at a rugby tournament was out of human error but involved no political motivation, according to the investigation. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said on Saturday that the investigation into the national anthem incident is ongoing, and the authorities believe there is no evidence to suggest that the incident was deliberately conducted or politically motivated. "The incident was due to human error, entirely without any political or malicious intent, by a junior member of the local organizer," said the president. Police commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee said today that the national anthem blunder is still under investigation by the force’s Organised Crime and Triad Bureau, claiming the police have gotten in touch with some employees of Hong Kong Rugby Union. "We may seek communication with international police or South Korea’s police department for further information," he added.
Source:The Standard
November 26, 2022 12:55 UTC
WhatsApp data leak sees 500m user records for sale, including 3m from Hong Kong
A database containing up-to-date mobile phone numbers of nearly 500 million WhatsApp users was leaked and put up for sale, with the dataset allegedly contains WhatsApp user data from 84 countries, Cyber research publication Cybernews revealed on Thursday. Another huge chunk of phone numbers belongs to the citizens of Egypt (45 million), Italy (35 million), Saudi Arabia (29 million), France (20 million), and Turkey (20 million). Some 2.9 million phone numbers from active WhatsApp users in Hong Kong were also included in the dataset, according to the report. Upon request, the seller of WhatsApp's database shared a sample of data with Cybernews researchers. There were 1097 UK and 817 US user numbers in the shared sample.
Source:The Standard
November 26, 2022 02:26 UTC
Ukraine struggles to restore power in nine-month war’s first winter
ADVERTISEMENTSince early October, Russia has launched missiles roughly once a week in a bid to destroy the Ukrainian power grid. Zelenskiy also accused Russia of incessantly shelling Kherson, the southern Ukrainian city that it abandoned earlier this month. We have to be ready for any developments,” he added, according to Kyiv city council. The vast Zaporizhzhia plant in Russian-held territory was reconnected on Thursday, Ukrainian nuclear power company Energoatom said. Ukraine said Russian forces tried again to advance on their main targets, Bakhmut and Avdiivka, with limited success.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 25, 2022 06:04 UTC
Fed minutes lift stocks; dollar weakens
HONG KONG: Asian markets rallied on Thursday and the dollar weakened further after minutes from the Federal Reserve's (Fed) latest policy meeting suggested it could slow the pace of its rate hikes. Bets were growing on officials announcing a 50-basis-point lift at their December gathering, down from four straight 75-point hikes. The latest indicators showed that the manufacturing and services sectors continued to contract last month, while jobless claims picked up. "Equities are reveling in the wake of the... minutes after the Fed telegraphed a downshift from jumbo to extra-large rate hikes," SPI Asset Management's Stephen Innes said. "A commitment to moving toward restrictive monetary policy remains intact, but the [policy board] is ready to slow the path toward that destination."
Source:Manila Times
November 25, 2022 04:47 UTC
Hiring agent arrested by privacy watchdog for doxxing and badmouthing part-timer
Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog on Thursday arrested a hiring agent for allegedly disclosing the personal details of a part-time worker over a monetary dispute and disagreement in job allocation. The personal data disclosed included the victim’s Hong Kong Identity Card showing particulars, including her Chinese name, English name, Hong Kong Identity Card number, gender, and photo. The watchdog noted that its investigation revealed that the arrested person is a sourcing agent of part-time workers for different employers. It said a dispute arose between the victim and the arrested person in relation to her salary payment and job allocation in October 2022. The watchdog said the suspect’s action of disclosing the personal data of the complainant without her consent is in contravention of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
Source:The Standard
November 24, 2022 20:06 UTC
For Anwar, at last: New Malaysian leader went from prisoner to prime minister
KUALA LUMPUR — As Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim prepares on Thursday to take over as prime minister, one of his recent comments serves to sum up the persistence that secured him the job he has eyed for three decades. But the uncertainty ended on Thursday, when Malaysia’s king appointed Anwar, 75, to be prime minister. Time and again, the job of prime minister had eluded Anwar, despite getting within striking distance over the years, first as deputy prime minister in the 1990s and later, as official prime minister-in-waiting, in 2018. His strained relationship with the veteran leader shaped Anwar’s own career, as well as Malaysia’s political landscape, for nearly three decades. Fried and foeAnwar started off as a firebrand Islamic youth leader before joining the prime minister Mahathir’s United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which leads the Barisan Nasional alliance.
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 24, 2022 19:18 UTC
Tragedy hits home for paramedic mom who didn't recognize her girl
A Canadian paramedic who unknowingly treated her own daughter after a fatal vehicle crash brushed away tears as she remembered a beautiful girl who fought until the end. It wasn't until Erickson got home that she was met by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers and told the patient was her 17-year-old daughter. Erickson described her daughter Montana as a success at everything she set her mind to, a swimmer who had aspirations of becoming a lawyer. Richard Reed, a friend and flight paramedic, broke down as he recounted Erickson attending the scene where a car had lost control and was struck by an oncoming truck. Erickson, the first on the scene, knew the girl was in trouble and sat there until she was extricated and transported by air ambulance, still unaware of who she was.
Source:The Standard
November 24, 2022 19:15 UTC
The perils of sweeping generalizations
Either from faulty grammar or faulty thinking, writers can make sweeping or hasty generalizations — statements that assert too much on too little evidence. Consider this opening statement of a recent advice column: "Your greatest weakness is the one that you are unaware of. Being unaware of a weakness doesn't necessarily make it one's greatest weakness; more likely, one's greatest weakness would be the weakness one actually suffers from and is fully aware of. A simple grammar fix can straighten the logic of such sweeping generalizations — by qualifying their premise as a possibility rather than an absolute certainty. See how the modal "could" efficiently eliminates the sweeping generalization from the statement above: "Your greatest weakness could be the one that you are unaware of.
Source:Manila Times
November 24, 2022 04:15 UTC
Fast rising Asian acts converge for 'Head in the Clouds' music fest
As a special treat from Globe, fans can grab the two-day General Admission ticket for only P6,888 from its original price of P12,888. The annual music festival is set to wow the Filipino audience with an impressive range of curated talent from 88rising, the pioneering and internationally-renowned music and media company amplifying Asian talent and culture worldwide. This way, we can expose more people not only to established Asian artists but also to creative young Asian talents who are breaking into the global stage," said Pia Gonzalez-Colby, Globe chief marketing officer. In 2020, Globe and 88rising teamed up to elevate Filipino talent through the local label Paradise Rising, which serves as a platform to establish a presence for Philippine artists in the US. Paradise Rising is now part of the music division of KROMA, Globe's tradigital entertainment company passionate about creators, talent, content, and technology.
Source:Manila Times
November 24, 2022 04:05 UTC
The largest gathering of associations set Nov 23-24
MORE than 200 association leaders and professionals here and abroad are set to gather at the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives' (PCAAE) 10th Associations Summit (AS10) to be held in collaboration with the Tourism Promotions Board from Nov. 23 to 24, 2022. The hybrid (in-person, with an online option) event will be on November 23 at the Philippine International Convention Center while the all-virtual session is on November 24. Themed "Associations and Sustainability: A Collective Commitment," the Summit will feature local and international speakers who will share their sustainability journeys and best practices. Participating PCAAE members will also earn points that could lead to earning the title of Certified Professional Association Executive. Winners of the annual ANG SUSI Awards 2022 (for "Associations nurture National Growth through Social Unity and Sustainability Innovations") will also be announced at the Summit.
Source:Manila Times
November 24, 2022 03:49 UTC
Sixty extra tons of plastic waste from RATs no big deal: Environment chief
Hong Kong’s environment chief said the estimated 60 tons of rapid antigen test kits turned into waste each day would not put significant additional pressure on our landfills and the environment. However, Tse said the estimated 60 tons of additional waste generated by using RATs will not put significant additional pressure on our landfills and the environment compared to the overall quantity of municipal solid waste Hong Kong disposed of each day. The environment chief said the figure, compared to the average 10,809 tons of municipal solid waste disposed of at landfills each day, will not put significant additional pressure on our landfills and the environment. He added that such additional pressure is temporary and will ease off when the pandemic subsides. Meanwhile, Tse was also asked if authorities could introduce measures to facilitate the reuse of RAT kits after special treatment.
Source:The Standard
November 23, 2022 18:48 UTC
Countries agree on ‘loss and damage’ fund, final COP27 deal elusive
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt — Countries agreed early Sunday at the COP27 climate summit to set up a fund to help poor countries being battered by climate disasters, but paused before backing a wider deal outlining global resolve to fight climate change. ADVERTISEMENTThe session approved the text’s provision to set up a “loss and damage” fund to help developing countries bear the immediate costs of climate-fueled events such as storms and floods. But immediately after, Switzerland called for a 30-minute suspension to allow time to study the new text. For daily comprehensive coverage on COP27 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here. RELATED STORIESUN publishes draft COP27 climate dealDespair, elation, confusion: Climate talks go to wireRead Next
Source:Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 20, 2022 03:44 UTC
Wrong thinking and bad conclusions
Wrong conclusions come in the following form. Faulty deductions and faulty conclusions lead to wrong actions and wrong results. Let me give you some examples:ON HAPPINESS:“If you are not happy with your job, quit! We need to equip our people with critical thinking skills and train them to develop their emotional intelligence. Smart and learning organizations need people who have the ability to think and not just jump to conclusions – especially when they are the bad ones.
Source:Philippine Star
November 19, 2022 20:28 UTC
Choosing the right bull
Choosing the right bullLet me tell you a story about the Farmer and The Bulls. The barn door opened, and the biggest, meanest-looking bull he had ever seen ran out. He ran to the fence and let the bull pass through the pasture, out the back gate. As the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at the exact moment. Don’t go for the thin, scrawny bull with no tail; choose the biggest and fiercest one.
Source:Philippine Star
November 19, 2022 05:40 UTC