KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 16): All fully vaccinated highway customers can now dine in at seven rest and service areas (R&Rs) and lay-bys starting today, after several states moved into Phase 2 of the government’s National Recovery Plan. She said more than 80% of its business partners at the R&Rs have been fully vaccinated, in compliance with the National Security Council’s (MKN) vaccination standard operating procedures (SOPs). “In the coming weeks, we will be announcing even more R&Rs' food courts ready for dine-in as our business partners attain their full vaccinated status within the next 14 days. “Customers who are fully vaccinated will receive a green sticker tag from the business partners, allowing them to enjoy dining in at the food court,” she said in a statement today. Highway customers who have yet to be fully vaccinated can opt for takeaways at the R&Rs or by using the free PLUS App’s Pre-Order function or via https://orderdisini.plus.com.my/ from participating business partners and stall operators.

The Royal Klang Town Heritage Trail highlights some historical sites, including clusters of colonial structures, a fire station, a school, royal gallery, and warehouse built by a local Malay chieftain. 1 Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery The Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery was established in 1988 and is housed in the Sultan Suleiman Building along Jalan Stesen in Klang. The gallery is dedicated in honour of his late father, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, according to selangor.travel. The Japanese made it their war headquarters during the Second World War, and subsequently, several local authorities then occupied it until it was turned into the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery. 4 Alam Shah PalaceAccording to the tour guides, Alam Shah Palace was erected on the site of Astana Mahkota Puri, which was built for the installation of the fifth Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sir Alaeddin Suleiman Shah.

(Reuters) - Chat platform Discord has raised $500 million in a new funding round led by investment firm Dragoneer Investment Group, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday. The deal values the company at about $15 billion, Bloomberg News https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-15/chat-app-discord-is-worth-15-billion-after-new-funding?sref=C6LRZopg had reported earlier. Baillie Gifford & Co, Coatue Management, Fidelity Management & Research Co and Franklin Templeton also participated in the financing, alongside existing investors, the Discord spokesperson said. Discord grew at a lightning pace during the COVID-19 pandemic and was first used by videogamers, though the app has now expanded across communities and for events ranging from comedy clubs to karaoke parties. Reuters reported earlier this year that Microsoft was in talks to buy Discord for more than $10 billion, with the talks ending in April.

While researching online, my wife discovered the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. We initially chose Malaysia because of its high use of English, central location for easy travel throughout Asia and the promise of a renewable 10-year MM2H visa. However, beginning Oct 1, the rules of the MM2H programme (and the lives of all MM2H visa holders) will change. Whereas the original rules required us to deposit RM150,000 in a fixed deposit in Malaysia, we will now be required to place RM1mil. We hope and pray that Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin will reconsider the recently announced requirements as they apply to the current visa holders.

This can be done by contacting the nearest District Health Office. My daughter is due to return from the United Kingdom soon, and as we live in Petaling Jaya, I made numerous calls to the nearest District Health Office. I was subsequently informed that for Kuala Lumpur, those who got vaccinated overseas are not required to be physically present at the District Health Office to submit the required documents. In Selangor, however, the individuals concerned must be physically present after completing their quarantine period, and online submissions will not be entertained. I hope the relevant authorities will look into this matter and streamline the process for the safety and convenience of all parties.

I REFER to the letter “Industries must self-regulate safety in the workplace” (The Star, Sept 14). Every person in the workplace must also know exactly where to get a first-aid box when the need arises. Very often, a first-aid box is the most forgotten item in the workplace until an accident occurs. Similarly, first-aid training is often not considered until audits for safety or certain standards, for example ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certifications, are required. First aid is a practical skill that requires regular training and a certificate of competency, which is renewable every three years.

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc, is taking more office space in San Francisco. While Google has maintained its space in San Francisco, many other tech companies have sought to offload millions of square feet they previously leased. In August, the company began opening taxi services to select passengers in San Francisco, but those rides will include a safety driver at the wheel. But in 2017, Waymo sued Uber and accused the company of using trade secrets for its self-driving program taken from a Waymo engineer, Anthony Levandowski, who had moved to the ride-hailing company. The companies settled the following year, with Uber agreeing to pay Waymo US$245mil (RM1.01bil).

Md Rozi Darus was only seven years old when he lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. Md Rozi, now 51, recalled the screeching of the motorcycle tyres and his screams of pain that fateful day. The foundation recently gave out 16 wheelchairs, through the NGO, to those in need of mobility support. “So I’m glad Star Foundation is donating this essential equipment to improve their quality of life,” said Md Amin. Star Foundation is the charitable arm of Star Media Group aimed at delivering meaningful initiatives with lasting outcomes to a diverse group of beneficiaries.

KUALA PILAH: The Negri Sembilan branch of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) has issued 24 notices to chicken producers, wholesalers and retailers following price hikes of the item in the market. “Price hikes were also recorded at hypermarkets and supermarkets. “The initial investigation found that the higher standard dressed chicken price was due to the increase in the cost of chicken feed at the producer and breeder levels,” she told reporters after monitoring the chicken prices here yesterday. To prevent price hikes, she said KPDNHEP will continue to conduct checks at every level in the poultry distribution chain until Sept 22. The public can also channel complaints on price hikes through the e-aduan.kpdnhep portal at https://eaduan.kpdnhep.gov.my or WhatsApp 019-279 4317.

THERE has been an increase in calls to the Health Ministry’s Psychosocial Support Helpline from January to September this year, says Deputy Health Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang. Aaron said 82.2% of calls received were from people reaching out for emotional support and counselling. From March 2020 to September this year, about 956 cases or 0.4% of the calls received were suspected mental health illnesses. She said that when these people called the Health Ministry’s psychosocial helpline or Talian Kasih, the ministry officers would only forward the calls to the relevant NGOs and agencies. In response, Aaron said any calls received by the ministry’s psychosocial hotline would be analysed and it will be forwarded to the relevant NGOs, according to the nature of the issue.

LONDON: Britain’s inflation surged more than expected to the strongest pace in more than nine years, prompting investors to anticipate a sharper increase in interest rates next year. More enduring signs of inflation both in the cost of transport and those shouldered by manufacturers point to higher prices for raw materials and labour. The increase in inflation between July and August was the biggest since the current series of data started in 1997. There were more enduring signs of inflation that may not slip away so quickly. There was further evidence of cost pressures building beyond the consumer level, with the fastest increases since 2011 for producer output and input prices.

PETALING JAYA: As the Delta variant of Covid-19 continues to spread across the United States, Malaysians residing there are taking precautions to safeguard themselves. Malaysian engineer Toby Wong, 25, who is based in California, said that restrictions there continued being upheld in light of the Delta variant. “The most drastic change was that the local authorities here mandated the resumption of wearing masks while indoors. Wong added that prior to the Delta variant sweeping across the state, people were able to go everywhere without having to wear masks. Film producer Aaron Thaddeus, 33, who works in North Carolina, said local authorities were handling the Delta variant more seriously.

KUALA LUMPUR: Social activist and philanthropist Kuan Chee Heng, better known as “Uncle Kentang”, has received a prestigious award from the Queen of England as recognition of his exemplary voluntarism and service to the community. Getting this award is an honour – not just for me but for my great team of volunteers who share my passion. Besides community service, Kuan also provides transport and ambulance services, free hearse and funeral services, for the poor and the Orang Asli. Kuan became known as Uncle Kentang from the days when he started distributing potatoes to the poor. The Commonwealth Points of Light award is given by the Queen, as Head of the Commonwealth, to outstanding volunteers across the 54 Commonwealth nations.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Yulimar Rojas, the Olympic triple jump champion and world record holder, has set her sights on breaching the 16-metre mark. Venezuelan Rojas jumped 15.67 meters at the Tokyo Olympics and smashed the world record for the women's triple jump on her last attempt in the final, after she had already secured the gold medal. The previous record of 15.50 meters had been set by the Ukrainian Inessa Kravets in 1995. "My work plan for next year is to try to jump above 15 meters, to remain established in these marks," Rojas, who was born in Caracas, said in an interview with Reuters. While the triple jump will always be important to her, she said she would turn some of her attention towards the long jump.

PETALING JAYA: Unity is the main pillar in a diverse country such as Malaysia, said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. The Transport Minister as well as MCA president said the diverse religions, races and cultures make Malaysia a unique country. “This uniqueness has also been our strength for a long time. He said that the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the lives of the people and inhibited the economic growth of the country. He also highlighted the memorandum of bipartisan cooperation that was inked between the government and the Pakatan Harapan coalition on Monday.