My Say: China’s outlook: Upside in near term but what of the long term?
Near term: Fair chance of upside surpriseWe see the Chinese economy growing well above 8% this year, powered mainly by robust exports. That will help Chinese exports of electronic gadgets and high-tech components. If true, that means that the demographic headwinds to China’s economic growth have appeared much earlier than expected. If Chinese economic growth surges in the second half to well over 9%, as is possible, our region would benefit strongly. Third, as China’s economy outperforms expectations, its currency would tend to strengthen again.
Source:The Edge Markets
April 30, 2021 18:22 UTC
UK's Truss expects Airbus-Boeing row to be resolved by July
GENEVA/LONDON/WASHINGTON (April 30): British trade minister Liz Truss expects the trade dispute over Airbus and Boeing to be resolved by July, when a freeze on tit-for-tat tariffs expires, she told Reuters on Friday. The tariff battle involving the United States, the European Union and Britain relates to a row over state subsidies for the two planemakers. Truss said she is "hugely hopeful" of progress on reform of the 25-year-old trade body ahead of a major meeting in December, stressing it is very important that its Appellate Body, which rules on trade feuds, be fixed. Truss stressed that a solution should be "binding", in an apparent contrast to a temporary, voluntary work-around backed by the EU and others. Truss also called for a WTO resolution on getting stronger industrial subsidy rules, including for China, a matter she is advocating while Britain holds the presidency of the G7 group of nations this year.
Source:The Edge Markets
April 30, 2021 17:48 UTC
Woman found dead at Melaka oil palm estate leaves final instructions in letter
ALOR GAJAH: Police have discovered a letter left by a 43-year-old woman who was found dead in an oil palm estate at Jalan Kolam, Machap Baru here. Alor Gajah OCPD Supt Arshad Abu said the letter was found on the dashboard of the woman's car. It tells the police to contact a woman who will bring them to meet the daughter of the deceased to arrange her funeral. He said there were food packets and alcoholic beverages inside the car when the body was found. Supt Arshad said based on preliminary findings, the woman could have died about two days ago.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 11:48 UTC
Thai protest leader hospitalised after 46-day hunger strike
BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai anti-government protest leader held in pre-trial detention on charges of insulting the country's monarchy has been hospitalised following 46 days of hunger strike, the corrections department said on Friday. On Thursday the court rejected a bail request, saying its previous reasons still applied. Each perceived insult of Thailand's monarchy can be punishable by up to 15 years in prison under its lese majeste law. The court set a bail hearing for May 6, which his lawyer Krisadang Nutcharat said was a positive sign because the court previously did not set hearing dates. Protest leaders have also called for reform of the monarchy and abolition of the lese majeste law.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 11:28 UTC
In a no-holds-barred last PC, outgoing IGP says ministers must not interfere in the management of police force
The outgoing Inspector-General of Police said a minister should not interfere in the management of the police force. Abdul Hamid lamented his frustrations over the interference of Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin in the SPP. I have no intentions of extending my contract, I will hand over the reigns to Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani on Monday," Abdul Hamid said. The IGP said he had no issue with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was also the Home Minister when Pakatan Harapan was in power. Abdul Hamid said he will leave it to Acryl Sani to remedy the situation.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 11:03 UTC
Covid-19: Five districts in Kedah under MCO from May 1-14
PUTRAJAYA: Five districts in Kedah will be placed under the movement control order following a spike in Covid-19 cases. Kota Star, Kuala Muda, Bandar Baharu, Baling and Kulim will be under the MCO from May 1 to 14. Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that over the period of 14 days, health authorities confirmed a total of 709 active cases in the five districts. "After a joint risk assessment with various agencies, the MCO technical committee with the advice of the Health Ministry has agreed to place these five districts in Kedah under MCO. "This is to prevent further infectivity considering the use of public health capacity, laboratories and hospitals in Kedah has increased," the Defence Minister said.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 10:23 UTC
Cambodians complain of lockdown hunger as outbreak takes toll on poor
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Residents in Cambodia's capital gathered on Friday to demand food from the government, outraged at what they called inadequate aid distribution during a tough COVID-19 lockdown that bars people from leaving their homes. The government has asked residents to apply for food aid. "We registered for food donation a long time ago," said factory worker Net Channy, 31. Amnesty International on Friday called Cambodia's lockdown an emerging humanitarian and human rights crisis, with nearly 294,000 people in Phnom Penh at risk of going hungry. "The Cambodian government's outrageous mishandling of this COVID-19 lockdown is causing untold suffering and sweeping human rights violations," Yamini Mishra, its Asia-Pacific regional director, said in a statement.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 09:29 UTC
Two identical women in China who met on social media platform Douyin shocked to find they are twins separated at birth
Cheng Keke, 29, from Gongyi city, announced on ByteDance’s Douyin social media video platform yesterday that the results of DNA testing confirmed her biological relation to Zhang Li, who lives 50 kilometres away. Cheng reached out to the woman, Zhang Li, mother of an 11-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl, and found out the similarity did not stop at looks. I was more nervous than when I was giving birth,” Cheng recalled. “I was really excited when I finally met Zhang Li and immediately felt close. Where were they in the past 30 years?” Zhang Li said.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 09:16 UTC
TikTok mutes more anti-Putin content as Kremlin targets critics
Mikhail Petrov’s TikTok posts started going viral this year when he tapped into growing discontent in Russia with bite-sized explanations of the country’s budding protest movement. It has even won praise from Russian officials who say it’s more willing than some other companies to remove content. The amount of critical content has declined as TikTok uses bans to weed out undesirable posts, the person said. ‘Extremist’ banThe social media crackdown is part of a broader push to quell dissent in Russia. Access to Twitter was slowed until mid-May for failing to remove content Russia’s Internet watchdog says is illegal, while Google is facing an antitrust investigation over YouTube.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 08:26 UTC
No upper age limit on e-hailing drivers set by Transport Ministry, says Dr Wee
PETALING JAYA: There is no maximum age limit fixed for e-hailing drivers under the Transport Ministry, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. Dr Wee said the maximum age set by Grab as reported was an internal ruling as part of its own condition to register an individual as an e-hailing driver. "Taking into consideration the issue of hardship faced by the public as a result of this Covid-19 pandemic, I hope e-hailing service operators across the country including Grab can from time to time review the internal conditions they set for e-hailing drivers, including the maximum age limit. "This is to help all those who are involved to be able to continue their livelihood working as e-hailing drivers," he added. "At the same time, e-hailing drivers must also be responsible by ensuring that their health is in good condition at all times.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 07:15 UTC
McCullum to overhaul top-order to revive Kolkata's IPL campaign
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum criticised the top-order's slow batting in Thursday's defeat against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and said changes were likely in the team to revive their campaign. Delhi opener Prithvi Shaw smashed 82 off 41 balls to set the tone for his team's seven-wicket victory with 21 balls remaining. "It's very, very disappointing," McCullum said after two-time champions Kolkata slumped to their fifth defeat in seven matches. "What we saw from Prithvi Shaw was the perfect template of how we want to play. "It's very difficult if you don't play shots to score runs, and unfortunately we didn't play enough shots.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 05:03 UTC
The Archbishop and the boiling of frogs
What the Archbishop was actually talking about was a sentiment that minority rights were slowly being eroded in Malaysia. And the slow boiling is meant to represent a slow process of change that is happening, which the Archbishop believes is happening to these minorities. For the benefit of those who don’t eat frogs, I have to tell you, if you throw a frog into boiling water, it will jump out straight away. The first was the title of the video, which was (in Bahasa Malaysia) “The 25-year Christian project in Malaysia: Boil Muslims like boiling frogs”, with the Archbishop’s name and face. Saying the Archbishop’s words were ‘taken out of context’ semantically implies that the Archbishop actually said he wanted to boil Muslims.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 04:18 UTC
EXCLUSIVE: 'That Penang laksa is fantastic' says 'Mortal Kombat' star Chin Han
Just before StarLifestyle is about to be linked virtually with actor Chin Han for an exclusive video interview, the publicist in the United States informs us that his name must be pronounced together and not separately. We nod understanding the request as Chin Han is Singaporean, and that neither Chin nor Han is his surname.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 03:56 UTC
Solskjaer hopes to convince Cavani to extend Man Utd stay
(Reuters) - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he would do everything in his power to try and convince striker Edinson Cavani to stay at the club for another season. Solskjaer hopes the prospect of playing in front of supporters at Old Trafford can convince the 34-year-old to remain in Manchester. "I've promised him Old Trafford and Manchester is a different place with fans in it," Solskjaer said. He's a goalscorer and there's nothing better than celebrating in front of them." United, who are second in the Premier League standings with 67 points from 33 games, host Liverpool on Sunday.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 03:14 UTC
Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri's new novel is very novel
Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri is back with what is sure to be one of the more unique "novels” of the year. Readers can debate in book clubs whether it’s a novel in the traditional sense, but it sure is novel in the original sense. Still, the prose is sparse and lyrical and the journey is enjoyable, wandering through an anonymous life, seeing things through one person’s eyes. At one point the narrator becomes as voyeuristic as her readers, following a stranger on the street and asking herself,"What’s her face like? Some literary critics will love this novel novel even as some readers scratch their heads.
Source:The Star
April 30, 2021 02:02 UTC