Her knitted knocker gifts make breast cancer survivors feel whole again
Currently, there are three Malaysian groups that provide free knitted knockers to breast cancer patients who have undergone a mastectomy. Photo: The Star/Low Lay PhonAccording to the 2012-2016 Malaysian National Cancer Registry report, breast cancer is the most common cancer and accounted for 34.1% of all cancers among females in Malaysia. A total of 21,634 cases of female breast cancer were diagnosed for the period of 2012-2016 compared with 18,206 cases in the 2007-2011 report. “Some of my friends have commented that it’s too pricey to knit knitted knockers. “I feel honoured that I can contribute back to society, especially to breast cancer patients.
Source:The Star
February 21, 2020 03:00 UTC
Paramount looks to expedite RM177m in special dividend payout
KUALA LUMPUR: Paramount Corp Bhd wants to expedite the distribution of the RM177 million allocated as special dividend to its investors following the completion of the sale of its controlling equity interest in its pre-tertiary education business to Prestigion Education Sdn Bhd. “An announcement will be made once the board decides on the entitlement basis and the date of distribution,” Paramount group chief executive officer Jeffrey Chew said in a statement yesterday. With the completion of the transaction, Paramount will retain an effective 20% stake in the pre-tertiary education business. The pre-tertiary institutions involved are Sri KDU Schools, REAL Schools, REAL Kids preschools and Cambridge English For Life enrichment centres. The group will embark on its first property development project outside Malaysia in the first quarter of this year.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 21, 2020 03:00 UTC
Ringgit continues downtrend
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit continued its downtrend today, as the US dollar strengthened on the back of positive economic growth data. As of 9.04am, the local unit weakened to 4.1870/1930 against the greenback from yesterday’s close of 4.1800/1840. An analyst said besides the stronger greenback, the ringgit is expected to trade weaker as it is clouded by uncertainties surrounding the prime ministerial power transition issue as well as the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. Compared to other major currencies, the local note also traded mostly lower. Vis-a-vis the euro, the local note retreated to 4.5169/5251 from 4.5140/5191 on Thursday.
Source:New Strait Times
February 21, 2020 02:48 UTC
Covid-19 cases spike in South Korea
DAEGU, South Korea (AFP): South Korea confirmed 52 more cases of novel coronavirus on Friday (Feb 21) as the number of infections linked to a religious sect in Daegu spiked, making it the worst-infected country outside China. Thirty-nine of the new cases were linked to the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in the southern city of Daegu, the Korean Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said, taking the country's overall figure to 156. The mayor of Daegu -- South Korea's fourth-biggest city, with a population of over 2.5 million -- has advised residents to stay indoors, while access to a major US base in the area has been restricted. Daegu's municipal government said 1,001 Shincheonji members believed to have attended services with the infected woman have been asked to self-quarantine. It is investigating whether the original Shincheonji patient was linked to the hospital cluster, as she visited Cheongdo earlier this month.
Source:The Star
February 21, 2020 02:15 UTC
Trump blasts best-picture Oscar for South Korean film 'Parasite'
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Thursday ridiculed the historic best-picture Oscar win for South Korean film "Parasite," telling a campaign rally he wished for the return of Hollywood classics like 1939's "Gone with the Wind." It also won three other Oscars - best director and original screenplay for Bong Joon Ho and best international feature film. asked Trump at the rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado. he said to thousands of supporters, referring to the film about the Civil War-era South that won the best-picture Oscar 80 years ago. Trump also dismissed actor Brad Pitt, who won an Oscar for best supporting actor for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
Source:The Star
February 21, 2020 01:52 UTC
Australian coronavirus victims had tested negative in Japan
SYDNEY (AFP): Two Australians evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for coronavirus on their return home, despite being cleared in Japan, authorities said Friday (Feb 21). Health officials in Canberra told AFP all 164 Australians who returned home earlier this week "were tested for Covid-19 in Japan and returned negative results". A total of six Australian evacuees have now been retested and the two -- described as "an older person" and "a younger person" -- tested positive. The Australian officials stressed that the development of some positive cases among cleared evacuees was "not unexpected", given the continued spread of the disease onboard after testing began. "Both Japan and South Korea have well-developed health systems.
Source:The Star
February 21, 2020 01:18 UTC
Imam stabbed in London mosque
LONDON: An imam (prayer leader) in his 70s was stabbed in a London mosque on Thursday and the assailant was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police and mosque officials said. “The attacker was apprehended by the worshippers until the police arrived and arrested him,” the London Central Mosque Trust said in a statement. “A 29-year-old man, who is believed to have been attending prayers, was arrested inside the mosque on suspicion of attempted murder,” they added in a statement. Pictures posted on Twitter showed police officers restraining a man in the prayer hall of the mosque, near Regents Park, and leading him away. A witness said around 100 worshippers were in the mosque hall at the time of the attack and that roughly 20 people jumped on the assailant.
Source:New Strait Times
February 21, 2020 01:07 UTC
China's Covid-19 toll reaches 2,233 deaths, over 75,000 infections
BEIJING: The death toll in China from the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic rose to 2,233 on Friday after 115 more people died in Hubei province, the hard-hit epicentre of the outbreak. The vast majority of the deaths were in the provincial capital of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December, according to a daily update from the Hubei health commission. Around 75,000 people have been infected by the new coronavirus in China, and hundreds more in over 25 countries. The Hubei health commission said there were 411 new cases of the virus in the province, with 319 in Wuhan and the rest spread out across several other cities. China said on Thursday that it had once again changed the method of counting patients with the Covid-19 coronavirus and will now include only those diagnosed by laboratory tests.
Source:New Strait Times
February 21, 2020 01:02 UTC
Saudi Arabia destroys missiles fired from Yemen towards kingdom
CAIRO: Saudi Arabia said on early Friday it had intercepted and destroyed several ballistic missiles launched by Houthi militia towards Saudi cities, state news agency SPA quoted the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-aligned group as saying. The spokesman for the coalition said the missiles were fired from the Yemeni capital Sanaa and were aimed at cities and civilians, SPA added. Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Source:New Strait Times
February 21, 2020 00:33 UTC
A race to new frontiers
The Desaru Coast Multisport Festival has events to entice beginners into the triathlon world writes Meera MurugesanIRONMAN is set to venture into new frontiers this year with the inaugural Desaru Coast Multisport Festival from Apr 17-19. Participation for this event has sold out, especially since it offered 60 qualifying race slots for the 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championships. For parents who intend to turn the Desaru Coast Multisport Festival into a family affair, registration for Ironkids Desaru Coast opened recently on Jan 15. SCENIC RACEIronman 70.3 Desaru Coast joins the Ironman Asia circuit as the third race in Malaysia, adding to Ironman Malaysia and Ironman 70.3 Langkawi. Desaru Coast offers a scenic race course with a pristine 17km beachfront that faces eastwards over clear ocean waters with white sandy beaches and warm tropical weather.
Source:New Strait Times
February 21, 2020 00:00 UTC
The best of Malaysia under one roof
KUALA LUMPUR: Over 50 travel agents will be offering “special interest” packages on local destinations to promote domestic tourism during the inaugural MATTA Fair Cuti-Cuti Malaysia. This fair is exclusively for domestic travel and tourism allowing Malaysian holidaymakers to enjoy the many attractions within the country and for service providers to focus on domestic tourism to generate more traction on Visit Malaysia Year 2020 (VM2020) campaign initiatives. “The best of Malaysia will be assembled under one roof for their selection. “We trust that the fair will increase domestic visits, which will in turn stimulate the growth of the domestic tourism industry,” he said. Wong said they had also partnered with the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) to boost their promotional efforts.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2020 23:15 UTC
Bumps expected from B20 rollout
KUALA LUMPUR: The impending rollout of the national B20 biodiesel programme in the transportation sector will lead to higher costs, which is coming at a critical time for the logistics industry, transport operators claim. Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Deputy Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail launched the B20 programme here together with Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok. In Malaysia, B20 is a diesel mix consisting of 20% palm methyl ester and 80% petroleum diesel. “The implementation of the B20 Programme in the transportation sector will support demand for palm oil and stabilise its prices,” said Dr Wan Azizah at the launch. B20 will be offered here in collaboration with petroleum companies such as Petronas, Shell, Petron, Chevron, and BHP.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2020 23:03 UTC
Struggle to meet demand for masks
Customers seeking face masks had to be turned away daily, she added. Face masks are controlled items and the price has been set at 80 sen per unit for the three-ply masks and RM6 per unit for the N95, he said. “The government should ask local manufacturers to stockpile masks for local needs if the disease gets worse,” he said. Suppliers said most suppliers here import face masks from China and they could not get supplies now due to shortage in China itself. Amrahi advised Malaysians against panic buying and said that they do not need to wear face masks unless necessary.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2020 22:52 UTC
RM5mil withdrawn meant for ‘RM’
KUALA LUMPUR: The RM5mil in cash, withdrawn by businessman Saidi Abang Samsudin was meant for “RM”, the High Court here heard during Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor’s corruption trial. The eighth prosecution witness said he had accompanied Saidi to a Maybank branch in Jalan Medan Tuanku to withdraw the money. “A month or two later, Saidi told me that the money was meant for ‘RM’. Earlier, the court heard that the Education Ministry issued a letter of award (LOA) to Jepak Holdings without carrying out due diligence. Othman, the seventh prosecution witness, said this after Akberdin questioned what he meant by saying that he included a “cynical statement” in his letter to then education ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad dated June 20, 2017.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2020 22:52 UTC
Man sets car ablaze after boss fires him from job
SIBU: A mentally disturbed man set fire to a car after he was terminated by his employer. The incident took place along the Sarikei-Sibu road near the second Nyelong Bridge at about 9.20am yesterday. Sarikei OCPD Supt Awang Arfian Awang Bujang said the suspect, an Indonesian, was being driven home in a multipurpose vehicle (MPV) by a fellow countryman. Supt Awang said investigations showed that his employer had laid him off due to his condition. “The driver of the Indonesian-registered MPV was sending the suspect home when he took out a match and set the vehicle on fire.
Source:The Star
February 20, 2020 22:52 UTC