First vaccine arriving this Sunday, PM Muhyiddin to get vaccination on Feb 26
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will take the lead in getting vaccinated on Feb 26, along with several frontliners, under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme that is scheduled to stretch to February next year. “I am happy to announce that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be delivered to Malaysia on [Sunday,] Feb 21, 2021. That’s the message of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme tag line — 'Protect Oneself, Protect Everyone',” he said. Muhyiddin said the people will be able to feel the positive impact once the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme is implemented successfully and everyone is protected. "Surely, a new chapter will open with the start of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme at the end of this month," he said.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 16, 2021 01:53 UTC
Remote workers flee to RM280,000-a-month resorts while awaiting vaccines
The average cost, he says, is US$70,000 (RM282,485) a month, with most clients booking two- to four-month stays. They wanted out," says Leigh Rowan, founder of Bay Area-based Savanti Travel, whose clients are buying one-way tickets and working remotely from beachfront villas or amenity-laden hotels. Indefinite Checkout, PleaseMelanie Woods, a 39-year-old graphic designer, left San Francisco well before there was word of a winter lockdown. Also requesting an indefinite checkout on their current escape are Los Angeles-based Alan and Bonnie Cartwright, both 71 and retired. They originally booked 10 nights at Auberge Resorts Collection’s Chileno Bay, where rooms average more than US$1,000 (RM4,035) a night.
Source:The Star
February 16, 2021 00:56 UTC
Sg Pinang ‘needs to be flushed to clear sediment’
GEORGE TOWN: A thick sediment of black, broken down organic matter is what’s causing Sungai Pinang’s flow to appear black during the dry season, says state environment committee chairman Phee Boon Poh. “Sediment on Sungai Pinang’s riverbed causes the water to look black. The river needs to be flushed, to clear the layer of sediment, but the current hot spell has led to a low flow rate, ” Phee said. The state of Sungai Pinang’s black flow, highlighted by The Star yesterday, has caught the attention of Malaysians on the Internet. A check with Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB), however, reveals this is a cable-laying vessel and has been authorised to anchor there since 2015.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 23:55 UTC
Remote workers flee to US$70,000-a-month resorts while awaiting vaccines
The average cost, he says, is US$70,000 a month, with most clients booking two- to four-month stays. Indefinite checkout, pleaseMelanie Woods, a 39-year-old graphic designer, left San Francisco well before there was word of a winter lockdown. Also requesting an indefinite checkout on their current escape are Los Angeles-based Alan and Bonnie Cartwright, both 71 and retired. They originally booked 10 nights at Auberge Resorts Collection’s Chileno Bay, where rooms average more than US$1,000 a night. Travel adviser Rowan says many of his clients can actually do their jobs better in a different setting.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 15, 2021 23:37 UTC
Umno benefited from 1MDB, claims former CEO
KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the absence of evidence, a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) chief executive officer told the High Court he still believed Umno benefited from the sovereign wealth fund. Prosecution witness Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman, 47, testified that it was a matter of whether “to follow along or not” when it came to servicing Umno in 1MDB. He pointed out the previous 1MDB CEO who testified, Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, had never said 1MDB was for Umno. Shafee: Throughout your two and a half years as CEO, did you see any evidence of Umno benefiting? Shafee suggested that Hazem was not being honest claiming he was terrified of Najib and tolerated the criminality in 1MDB.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 23:34 UTC
Exclusive: Russia in prisoner swap talks with U.S. over detained American - lawyer
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and the United States are in talks on a possible prisoner swap that could secure the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine jailed for spying, within two to three months, his lawyer told Reuters on Monday. Russia convicted Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, of spying last June and sentenced him to 16 years in jail. Whelan's Russian lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, said that talks on an exchange were now taking place between Russian and U.S. security services. Zherebenkov has said in the past that he believed Moscow wanted an exchange deal that could include Whelan. It has not been previously reported that talks with U.S. President Joe Biden's administration were happening.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 19:07 UTC
Schwarz pips Pinturault to claim men's combined gold
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (Reuters) - Austrian Marco Schwarz won the men's combined event at the alpine skiing world championships to claim his maiden global title on Monday. Swiss Loic Meillard made a big mistake in the slalom as he ended up with the bronze medal, 1:12 off the pace. On a slalom course designed by their coach, the Swiss racers disappointed, with 2017 combined champion Luca Aerni skiing out after a few gates. After an aggressive start, the slalom World Cup leader stayed in control to add to his combined and slalom bronze medals from the 2019 world championships. It was a tight event and a great fight between several athletes," said Pinturault, who returned to his training location in Reiteralm, Austria after clinching the bronze medal last week.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 16:04 UTC
Shafee crosses swords with witness over claim that 1MDB 'benefited' Umno
KUALA LUMPUR: A former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) CEO told the High Court here that he still believes Umno benefited from the sovereign wealth fund despite the absence of evidence. Prosecution witness Mohd Hazem Abd Rahman, 47, testified that it was a matter of whether "to follow along or not" when it came to servicing Umno in 1MDB. Shafee said the previous 1MDB CEO who testified - Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi - had never said 1MDB was for Umno. Shafee: Throughout your two and a half years as CEO, did you see any evidence of benefit being sent to Umno? Shafee suggested that Hazem was not being honest when the witness claimed he was too terrified of Najib and tolerated the goings-on in 1MDB.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 10:41 UTC
Retired HK actress Cherie Chung shows off youthful looks ahead of 61st birthday
Former Hong Kong actress Cherie Chung may have retired from acting for a long time, but to her legion of fans, she is still a goddess. On Feb 9, she posted on Weibo photos of her friend, Catherine Ku, holding an early birthday celebration for her. Chung, who turns 61 on Feb 16, wrote in English: "Thank you for the most yummy chocolate tart." Ku also posted the same photo on social media and wrote: "Lunch with my goddess!" In January last year, Chung appeared in singer Sammi Cheng's photos on social media.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 10:07 UTC
How a Chinese scientist in the US is helping defend AI systems from cyberattacks
This field pits AI systems against each other based on game theory, which helps in the development of groundbreaking methodologies to improve the robustness of AI. As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of our lives, the importance of Li’s research has not gone unnoticed. A number of scholars and engineers in universities and research institutions were investigated and charged for failing to disclose Chinese ties. So I need to wait and see.”Her family has encouraged her to simply focus on her research, Li said. He has read Li’s undergraduate thesis about cryptography, in both Chinese and English, and tried to discuss it with her.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 08:48 UTC
Nadal gathers strength as injuries strike rivals
"The first set without a doubt has been my best level in the tournament," Nadal told reporters after routing 16th seed Fognini on a sun-bathed afternoon at Rod Laver Arena. [L1N2KL0CV]Norwegian Casper Ruud's hopes of a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final were also undone by an abdominal injury as he retired two sets in against Russian Andrey Rublev. Players' fitness at the Grand Slam has been under the microscope after they spent two weeks in mandatory hotel quarantine, with some blaming their exits on limited preparations. Having had his fair share of injuries over the years, Nadal felt there was little point in trying to conceal their true nature. "But when you really, really have an injury, it's impossible to win a tournament like this."
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 07:34 UTC
Saying no to CNY treats
After all, the ubiquity of these treats during this festive season means that they can be hard to resist. — FilepicHaving some protein at every meal and snack helps with appetite control over the course of the day. So, when you’re adding protein while cutting back on empty calories, you’re also getting the benefit of extra nutrients your body needs. Other high-protein snacks you can keep in stock include unsalted nuts (limit yourself to just a handful at a time), protein-rich snack bars or a piece of low-fat string cheese. Or indulge instead in healthier treats like Chinese walnut cookies, tapioca flour cookies or oatmeal cookies.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 04:52 UTC
Singapore sees steady 2021 rebound as more stimulus expected
Those gains could be offset by a bleaker regional outlook with the resurgence of the virus in some countries. "The recovery should gain momentum in the second half of the year, assuming that vaccines will become more readily available and global travel can gradually resume thereafter,” said Irvin Seah, economist at DBS Bank Ltd. in Singapore. "There were upward revisions to all sectors, notably in construction and services,” Khoon Goh, head of Asia research at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group in Singapore, said of the gross domestic product report. "The year-on-year drop in Singapore’s economy in 4Q narrowed much more than initially estimated. "With modern services also likely to do even better this year, I am keeping my fingers crossed that there can be upside surprise” to the government’s growth forecast.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 04:08 UTC
LAPD investigating twisted George Floyd photo circulated by officers
Someone’s sick idea of a Valentine’s Day card has been circulating around the Los Angeles Police Department, officials said late Saturday night. The twisted holiday image includes a photo of George Floyd, who died in May when Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck, and the caption “You take my breath away”, the Los Angeles Times reported. It’s unclear how many officers shared the card or where it originated, LAPD said in a statement. Chief Michael Moore also told the Times that the department is investigating two Instagram accounts, including one called the “Blue Line Mafia”, that may be linked to LAPD employees. It’s unclear if the Instagram accounts are related to the Floyd image.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 03:45 UTC
English football at breaking point over abuse on social media
Racist abuse. And social media accounts allowed to stay active even after spreading bile. This is being enforced almost two years after players in England boycotted social media for 24 hours. The government is also introducing legislation – the online safety bill – that could see social media companies fined for failing to protect their users. Social media can still do more to detect abuse on their services.
Source:The Star
February 15, 2021 03:40 UTC