20 thought leaders, industry experts shed light on emerging yet essential trend
AS IT becomes imperative for countries to move towards a circular economy to safeguard sustainability for future generations, businesses must align their operations with environmental, social and governance considerations. Aimed at fostering awareness on the importance and benefits of implementing and incorporating circular economy policies into business practices, the recent Circular Economy Conference (CEC) 2021 brought together 20 thought leaders and industry experts to shed light on the emerging yet essential trend. Compared to the “take, make and waste” nature of the linear economy, circular economy is one that is regenerative and restorative by design, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Among the highlights of the two-day conference was the panel discussion on “Reshaping the Industrial Ecosystem with the Circular Economy”. Seah shared that the business began its dive into circular economy by integrating all the fragmented aspects in the plastics recycling industry.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 23:48 UTC
The Star Story: Life is like a marathon
FOR Dr Pola Singh, the PJ Half Marathon co-organised by The Star in the early years has given him many cherished memories. But participating in the Half Marathon changed all that. It was the beginning of my journey with the PJ Half Marathon.”Eventually, Dr Pola realised that he could not compete as strongly as previously. “I will certainly encourage them to take part in the Half Marathon when they come of age,” he said. Inspired by the Star Media Group’s 50th anniversary, he wrote about his memories of participating in the PJ Half Marathon.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 23:37 UTC
Food banks cleaned out leaving those truly in need with nothing
Sundry store owner Rosidah Mansor started a food bank in March for the needy. “This is because we saw many people taking advantage of the food bank,” she said when met at her store in Sungai Ara. Rosidah said they saw the same faces coming over and over again to take from the food bank. “This is disheartening for people like us, my friends, and those who helped contribute and started this food bank. “Thus, we plead with those using the food bank to be more mindful of what they take.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 23:15 UTC
When you have to have PPE at home
The 36-year-old project executive bought personal protective equipment (PPE) so that she could help care for her grandmother at her home. “As I am close to my grandmother, I would use the PPE to care for her by feeding her, changing her diapers, and cleaning her,” she added. “However, I can only take three to four hours of wearing the PPE suit. “Although I had the air-conditioning switched on, it still feels so hot in the PPE. I don’t know how they can use PPE the whole day long.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 23:03 UTC
Leverdez highly capable of stunning Zii Jia after special training
Leverdez is in Group M with Zii Jia, 23, and Ukrainian Pochtaro, 27. The high altitude training is more commonly used in endurance sports such as running, cycling and swimming, but not so much in badminton. But Leverdez believes he has benefited from this approach, albeit adopting it off court by ‘living high, training normal’. “Actually, only my bedroom is in high altitude, but it is simulating a high altitude. It’s also worth noting that Zii Jia was beaten the last time the duo met in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Thailand Masters.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 23:00 UTC
Frontliners stay strong for patients
They do this as they go about looking after Covid-19 patients and putting behind their sadness of not being able to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha with their families. Engku Mohd Nazri said Covid-19 patients should continue their daily activities because a healthy lifestyle could help them fight the effects of the disease. Asked about the preparations in dealing with rising cases, he said health workers were always reminded it was their responsibility to keep fighting. Checks showed about 50 Covid-19 patients performing the Aidiladha prayers and about 1,300 health workers participated in the takbir raya session. The health workers were also provided with delicacies such as rendang, nasi impit and peanut gravy.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 21:11 UTC
Olympics: Tokyo 2020 chief Muto doesn't rule out cancelling Games
TOKYO (July 20): The chief of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee on Tuesday did not rule out a last-minute cancellation of the Olympics, as more athletes tested positive for Covid-19 and major sponsors ditched plans to attend Friday's opening ceremony. "We can't predict what will happen with the number of coronavirus cases. At this point, the coronavirus cases may rise or fall, so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises." Covid-19 cases are rising in Tokyo and the Games, postponed last year because of the pandemic, will be held without spectators. Organisers, for whom International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said cancelling the event had never been an option, have promised to keep the Games "safe and secure".
Source:The Edge Markets
July 20, 2021 12:22 UTC
Health workers keep own feelings at bay to comfort patients during Aidiladha
As a former Covid-19 patient, Engku Mohd Nazri said he could empathise with the patients who are feeling stressed and confused due to the disease. "Patients sent to the quarantine centre are initially confused before feelings of sadness and worry take over after several days. Engku Mohd Nazri said Covid-19 patients should continue their daily activities because a healthy lifestyle could help them fight the effects brought by the disease. Checks by Bernama found about 50 Covid-19 patients performed the Aidiladha prayers at 8am today and about 1,300 frontline health workers participated in the "takbir raya” session held at the hall. The health workers were also provided with raya delicacies such as “rendang”, “nasi impit” and peanut gravy.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 08:26 UTC
Covid-19: Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac vaccines equally effective, says Dr Noor Hisham
PETALING JAYA: The vaccines produced by Sinovac and Pfizer-BioNTech are equally effective in preventing severe Covid-19 infections, says Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. He cited a report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 7 which detailed the use of the Sinovac vaccine in Chile from February to May. “Sinovac was found to reduce Covid-19 infection by 65.9%, reduce hospitalisation by 87.5%, reduce ICU admissions by 90.3% and reduce deaths by 86.3%,” he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (July 20). “Therefore, there is not much difference between the Sinovac and Pfizer vaccines in actual practical use. Both are very effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation, but less effective against mild or asymptomatic Covid-19,” he said.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 07:31 UTC
My Pet Story: Lessons I learnt from my dog
Do you have an interesting story about your pet that you would like to share with readers? They enquired around the neighbourhood to see if she belonged to anyone but no one knew whom she belonged to. As it was getting late in the day, he decided to bring the puppy home so we could adopt her. She liked playing with her toys even as she became older and was reluctant to share them with the other dogs. Even when she was ill, she did not let it stop her from enjoying what she could during that time.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 06:56 UTC
Olympics-Swimming-Six Polish swimmers sent home from Japan after admin blunder
(Reuters) - The president of Poland's swimming federation (PZP) has apologised after six athletes were sent home from the Tokyo Games due to an administrative error. Poland had sent 23 swimmers to Japan but the PZP was forced to cut the squad down to 17 based on world governing body FINA's qualifying rules. PZP President Pawel Slominski apologised and said he fully understood the anger of the swimmers who returned home over the weekend. "Such a situation should not take place, and the reaction of the swimmers, their emotions, the attack on the Polish Swimming Federation is understandable to me and justified." Swimming news website SwimSwam reported several Polish swimmers had signed an open letter to the PZP seeking the resignation of the organisation's entire board.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 05:56 UTC
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty's husband arrested in porn case
Mumbai police have arrested Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty's husband Raj Kundra for allegedly producing and broadcasting pornographic films online, six years after the businessman was banned from cricket-related activities over match-fixing charges. Police announced Kundra's arrest late Monday (July , calling the 45-year-old "the key conspirator" in a case involving the creation and publication of adult films via internet apps. "We have sufficient evidence regarding this," police said in a press release, adding that investigations were ongoing. The arrest is the latest scandal to hit Kundra, who has two children with Shetty, the 2007 winner of British reality show Celebrity Big Brother. India has stringent laws against publishing and transmitting "obscene material", but watching pornography in private is legal.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 05:48 UTC
Is there really a 'best' Covid-19 vaccine?
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (called Comirnaty) delivers a piece of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) that gives the body instructions on how to make the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. The effectiveness against death was 70-85% after a single dose of either vaccine; and after a second dose, 95-99% with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and 75-99% with the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. The overall vaccine effectiveness was found to be 65.9%, with 87.5% effectiveness against hospitalisation, 90.3% effectiveness against admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and 86.3% effectiveness against Covid-19-related death. PHE reported that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was more than 90% effective against hospitalisation and death from the Alpha and Beta variants. The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine appeared less effective than the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in those with the Delta variant.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 04:52 UTC
'Road to space': billionaire Bezos has successful suborbital jaunt
The 57-year-old American billionaire, donning a blue flight suit and cowboy hat, took a trip to the edge of space lasting 10 minutes and 10 seconds. Bezos, who founded Blue Origin in 2000, said this first crewed space flight was a step toward developing a fleet of reusable spacecraft. Bezos flew higher in what experts called the world's first https://www.blueorigin.com/news-archive/first-human-flight-updates unpiloted space flight with an all-civilian crew. Musk earlier wished https://bit.ly/2TqOL9I Blue Origin's crew "best of luck." Daemen, Blue Origin's first paying customer, is set to study physics and innovation management at college in the Netherlands.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 04:52 UTC
Olympics composer resigns after outrage over past bullying of disabled classmates
With the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympic games days away, composer Keigo Oyamada has stepped down, after quotes in which he acknowledged bullying classmates in his youth resurfaced and stirred controversy. He added: "As for my participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, I acutely feel that my having accepted the request was lacking consideration for various people." One user wrote: "Athletes with disabilities will come to the Paralympic Opening Ceremony with the music of this Keigo Oyamada. Another posted: "The music of Keigo Oyamada, who once abused minorities and people with mental disabilities, should not be eligible for the Olympic and Paralympic Games." Already delayed a year by the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo games are set to begin Friday and run through Aug 8.
Source:The Star
July 20, 2021 04:30 UTC