After 60 years of Indian rule, Goa’s disappearing Portuguese legacy
As Lorraine Alberto begins her Portuguese class at Goa University, students from the former colony are in short supply. Only a handful of traditional homes have been earmarked for protection from development or destruction, Pandit added. At a recent outdoor concert in a coastal village, dozens of people gathered to listen to Goan singer Sonia Shirsat, an accomplished performer of traditional Portuguese fado music. Sonia Shirsat, a traditional Portuguese fado music singer, performs at a concert in Anjuna in Goa. She decided to move to Lisbon for training, becoming the first Indian to stage a solo fado concert there in 2008.
Source:The Star
August 15, 2021 06:00 UTC
Japan's Suga pledges not to wage war again as ministers visit controversial shrine
"Since the end of the war, Japan has consistently walked the path of a country that values peace," Suga said in a speech at a memorial ceremony in Tokyo. Earlier on Sunday members of Suga's cabinet, as well as Abe, visited Yasukuni, gestures likely to anger China and both Koreas. Yasukuni honours Japan's war dead, including 14 World War Two leaders convicted as "Class A" war criminals, making it a flashpoint for tension. Abe visited Yasukuni as prime minister in 2013, leading to anger from Beijing and Seoul and an expression of "disappointment" from the United States. He did not go again as prime minister, sending ritual offerings instead.
Source:The Edge Markets
August 15, 2021 03:32 UTC
Earthquake kills hundreds in Haiti, worsening Caribbean nation's plight
PORT-AU-PRINCE/HAVANA (Aug 15): At least 304 people died and hundreds were injured after a major earthquake struck south-western Haiti on Saturday, authorities said, reducing churches, hotels, schools, and homes to rubble in the latest tragedy to hit the impoverished Caribbean nation. In Port-au-Prince, it was strongly felt but did not appear to have caused major damage, according to Reuters witnesses. A further 723 homes, one prison, three health centres, and seven schools had been damaged although there was no major damage to port, airport or telecoms infrastructure. The nearest big town was Les Cayes, where many buildings collapsed or suffered major damage, according to authorities. That region had only recently recovered from Hurricane Matthew, which struck in 2016, killing hundreds and causing widespread devastation.
Source:The Edge Markets
August 15, 2021 03:11 UTC
The world told Afghan women it had their backs. It doesn’t
In December 2001, the United States under George W. Bush pledged funds to support the women and children of Afghan-istan. His wife Laura said, “The fight... is also the fight for the rights and dignity of women”. In the areas collapsing under the Taliban, women make up the most vulnerable group. A generation of Afghan women who have taken their place in society are now watching that space shrink before their eyes. Women are again being told they cannot leave the house without a male escort, they cannot work, study or dress as they please.
Source:The Star
August 15, 2021 00:21 UTC
‘Hello, we can’ do it
IMMEDIATE intervention must be introduced to help young adults cope with their declining mental health amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “Employers and the government have put many initiatives in place to support working adults, and help improve their mental health and productivity during this trying period. “All these challenges affect a young person’s mental health yet there is very little talk on the topic, and even less targeted activities being carried out. The donations will help fund each of these organisations’ mental health initiatives including the operation of crisis helplines, psychosocial therapy and capital building activities. From inspirational postcards to videos on how to manage one’s mental health, the campaign encourages Malaysians to share positive, motivational content on social media platforms.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 23:37 UTC
Caring for children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic
Many are not so lucky as they find themselves as the sole parent and main breadwinner for their family after their spouses succumb to Covid-19. Most worrying are children who are suddenly orphaned by the demise of both parents. Before the pandemic, there were an estimated 140 million orphaned children worldwide. The researchers call for urgent action to address the impact of caregiver deaths on children into Covid-19 response plans. According to Malaysia’s Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, 33 children nationwide have been identified as having lost their parents or guardians to Covid-19.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 23:37 UTC
Never too young to help
After brainstorming with her parents, they began the charity drive in July. Their mission, now over, saw them raise RM6,930 within their targeted two weeks to buy 10 laptops for underprivileged students. “We are never too young to help people in need,” she affirmed, adding that volunteering is fun. They also plan to start a new project that aims to help families living in poverty eat more healthily. “Let’s be change agents and drive change for a better tomorrow.”
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 23:35 UTC
MM2H participants essential for growth
GEORGE TOWN: More Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) participants are needed to boost the nation’s fragile economy which has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) Penang chairman Tan Hun Beng said the recently announced requirements could have a negative effect on the economy. He said those who find it difficult to fulfil the new criteria may sell their property if they can’t renew their permit. “There are over 50,000 MM2H participants in the country contributing about RM12bil to the Malaysian economy,” said Tan during a press conference by state local government, housing, town and country planning committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo in Komtar here on Friday. This requirement for new applicants – and current participants – does not make sense as it would push them to leave the country.”The government, said Jagdeep, should enter into dialogue with the participants rather than make a hasty decision about the requirements.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 23:15 UTC
Fashion retailers turn to online sales
“We have been relying heavily on online sales since our stores are unable to open. “We are slashing prices just to let go of our old stock as we cannot keep them for too long. Chuah said they needed to continue pushing their online sales as they still have rentals and staff salaries to pay. At another store, an assistant who wanted to be known as Peter, 30, said they were relying on online sales to sustain the business. So, we rely on online sales,” she said.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 22:52 UTC
Hawkers hesitant about dine-ins
GEORGE TOWN: Hawkers and small food businesses in Penang are in no hurry to open for dine-in services as they feel there are no clear directions for those fully-vaccinated individuals to enter their eateries. While the latest standard operating procedure (SOP) provides that those who are fully vaccinated can dine in, eateries and hawkers say there are too many unanswered questions. “To hire more people just to sit at the entrance to properly check whether incoming customers are considered ‘vaccinated’ is additional cost for us. Tan said besides concerns over costs, hawkers are also not familiar with determining how a person is considered fully vaccinated. “We would not know how to look at their vaccination cards or determine the exact number of days after vaccination for the individual to be considered ‘vaccinated’.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 21:45 UTC
New tricks up their sleeves
PETALING JAYA: National para badminton ace Cheah Liek Hou has been widely tipped to win gold for Malaysia in the Tokyo Paralympics from Aug 24-Sept 5. It was a marvellous streak which saw him claim a sixth title in a row – with the last being at the Spanish Para-Badminton International in May. 2 Liek Hou a little restless and anxious. As for Suryo, Liek Hou has won all their last four meetings as he holds a 5-2 advantage in the head-to-head record between them. “They will be fired up for revenge, so I have to be prepare myself for the backlash,” said Liek Hou.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 21:45 UTC
Here's how to 'unsalt’ your diet without sacrificing taste
Plus, various sauces such as soya sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chilli sauce, tomato ketchup and other condiments, are also high in salt and sodium. Enhancing the umami flavour in food can help to boost the taste of dishes without adding much salt. It is a pure umami seasoning that helps to enrich the taste of umami in foods without sacrificing the overall flavour. MSG can be used to replace a certain amount of salt to produce dishes with good taste, while reducing overall sodium intake. We can do this by reducing foods that are high in salt and using less salt in our cooking.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 21:33 UTC
Tech savvy guys step up
Henry developed the vaccination tracker @MYVaccineCount on Twitter as his way of contributing back to the nation. As such, Henry said since he had coding skills, he decided to build the vaccination tracker. “I got the inspiration from the US Vaccine Tracker Twitter account to build something similar for Malaysia. As the government has made the Covid-19 data accessible through the GitHub repository, he said he now picked the vaccination data directly from there. “Since I also show the daily vaccination rate, it’s really easy for everyone to check if it meets the daily dose promise,” he said.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 21:22 UTC
Time to show his stripes
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Little Tiger is no longer little anymore. Feirish Nor Feizal Nor, who aspires to be like Tiger Woods, has left for the United States to pursue his dream to be a successful professional golfer for the country one day. The transition from a junior to the next level is the hardest but I’ve seen how others have improved. I’m no longer small and I’m still growing and it does have some effect in your game,” he said. I focused more on physical training, which was good.”“I just want to thank every one who has been part of my journey as a junior golfer.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 21:22 UTC
PM’s plan a chance for all to work together, says Ongkili
KOTA KINABALU: The Prime Minister’s offer to the opposition to work together is a “rare opportunity” for everyone to set aside their political differences for the rakyat and the country, says Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili. “Given the uncertain political scenario, whichever side one takes, this is a rare opportunity to work together and set aside political differences, living up to the ‘rakyat first’ slogan,” said Ongkili whose party is part of the Perikatan Nasional government at the federal level. He said the more urgent task was to win the battle against Covid-19, which is to save lives and achieve economic recovery. He said the Prime Minister’s seven proposals for stability and cooperation should be considered positively by all parties. “It is an opportunity to work hand in hand to put this country back on a firm footing on the road to health and economic recovery.
Source:The Star
August 14, 2021 21:22 UTC