Dunst slams Apple for nude photo leak |
- Dunst slams Apple for nude photo leak
- What the Pledge should mean today — Calvin Soh
- France, Saudis and the US$3b arms deal
- Creating shared value — Asit K Biswas and Andrea Lucia Biswas-Tortajada
- Serena Williams reaches US Open quarter-finals
- ‘The Conjuring’ doll set to hit toy stores
| Dunst slams Apple for nude photo leak Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:55 PM PDT
The actress was among dozens of celebrities affected when a hacker allegedly stole images from iCloud and made them available via a popular image bulletin board-style website. And the 32-year-old Crazy/Beautiful star took to Twitter yesterday to slam the corporation's storage service with a snarky post. "Thank you iCloud," she tweeted with emoticons of a slice of pizza and a piece of poop. The brief message followed on the heels of a statement from the company, whose executives said they are looking into the leak, which reportedly exposed nude pictures of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and more than 100 more stars. "We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report," company spokesperson Nat Kerris told Bloomberg. Apple also said it had fixed the bug in the "Find My iPhone" app that could have possibly led to the breach. A spokesperson for Jennifer Lawrence said at the weekend authorities had been contacted on the actress's behalf and slammed the person or persons responsible for their "flagrant violation of privacy". Kate Upton's lawyer has meanwhile branded the hack "outrageous", telling MailOnline her representatives "intend to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible". Others allegedly targeted have insisted images they have been linked to are actually fakes, including Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande. The investigation is ongoing. ― Cover Media  |
| What the Pledge should mean today — Calvin Soh Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:50 PM PDT
Imagine a five-year-old girl reciting it as if there were a question mark after every line. It made me think because I have never questioned the Pledge. I bet most of us have not. The Pledge was written in 1966 and it made complete sense for a simpler, less complex time in Singapore. It established who we were, our goals and our vision, all in 38 words. It was written for a young, desperate nation with one concern: Survival. Almost half a century later, do the words still carry the same meaning? Let us assume Singapore is run like a company. That is like working for one where the vision has not changed or evolved for 49 years. Yes, the Pledge enabled us to progress from Third World to First World. But will it take us to where we want to go? The Pledge was written when Singapore had to find its place in the 20th century's manufacturing and controlled economy. Now, we have to find our place in this century's knowledge, ideas and collaboration economy. The new normal since the 2011 General Election has also seen a significant shift in Singaporeans' political values, attitudes and aspirations. Globalisation and ever-evolving technology have transformed the way we live and interact with one another. So, what is the "new-normal" Pledge for the "new-normal" Singapore? WE, THE CITIZENS OF SINGAPORE There were only four races then, but in this globalised world, it is a bit more complex. What values do we believe in? Do we share the same vision? In the 21st century, immigration is even more vital to Singapore. It was vital in the past when my grandfather came here and contributed to Singapore's growth along with other pioneers. Today, we need progressive people who share the same vision and goals. The operative word is talent, not foreign. In the new normal, citizens must be knowledgeable, creative, open, curious and comfortable with constantly-changing technology. Our education system and government policies must constantly evolve with new global realities. PLEDGE OURSELVES AS ONE UNITED PEOPLE In the new normal, what are the beliefs that will unite us? Do we believe it is necessary to embrace failure because it is part of the journey to success? Do we believe experience and achievement outrank paper qualifications? Do we believe the Government needs to trust the people more? Do we need to create our own art, music, food, language, fashion and architecture? I would say yes to all of the above. To be truly united, we have to accept that we all have different points of view. But we will get along despite that. Being united also means while the majority rules, it rules in such a way that it will accept and consider the minority's ideas. All philosophy, religion and ideas always start with the few before it is accepted by the many. REGARDLESS OF RACE, LANGUAGE AND RELIGION These three topics are the most polarising in Singapore society. Just because they are does not mean we tiptoe around them. We must be trusted to have a frank conversation about these issues and be clear on where everyone stands. But one principle stands above all others: If you want to be part of this nation, the country comes first, not your race, language or religion. Is Malay still our national language? If it is, then it deserves more prominence as it is integral to our identity. And where does Singlish fit in? Some are ashamed of it, while others are proud of its uniqueness. And lately, religion is a very touchy subject. Everyone ought to remember that public life and government decisions should remain secular. TO BUILD A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY What kind of democratic society? One ruled by elites? Democratic society in the new normal has to be collaborative and the responsibility shared between the people and the Government. Why? Because the people want to be part of the process. We have the technology for consultative and participatory dialogue to take place. Platforms such as http://crowdhall.com are designed for that. The Greeks had the right idea about democracy, they just did not have the servers. We do now. BASED ON JUSTICE AND EQUALITY Are we consulted on our own laws governing us? Do we have a say in what we can watch, read, write or blog? "New-normal" laws need to be responsive to business and society. What is acceptable to us now is very different from 50 years ago. The Internet needs to be kept free because in some ways, it is a great equaliser. It is part of our lives now, carrying not only news and trolls. It is true that the Net is a double-edged sword, but I would rather have that than a single-edged sword that cuts only one way. We also have to define what equality means if you are married or unmarried, male or female, or lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This is the inevitable conversation we must have as a nation. It is better to have this difficult conversation now than to pretend it does not exist and hope it will go away, the way our fathers used to, because we need to move from toleration to acceptance of whatever the outcome may be. SO AS TO ACHIEVE HAPPINESS, PROSPERITY AND PROGRESS FOR OUR NATION Do happiness, prosperity and progress have equal weight or is one more important than the others? If so, which is the most important? How do we measure prosperity? What do we mean by progress? In the new normal, happiness is one that combines both profit and purpose, one that feeds the stomach and the mind. Prosperity should come with a conscience, compassion and empathy, while preserving our past because we need to know where we came from to know where we are going. So take a little time to reflect on what the Pledge means to you. The context has changed, so we have to make those words mean something to us, like it did to our forefathers. After all, in this day and age of exponential change, it no longer takes a generation, but every half- or quarter-generation, to find their own Pledge and their own "new-normal" Singapore. I know my daughter would. Because I will raise her to question everything, to think for herself and make up her own mind. — TODAY * Calvin Soh, a Singaporean father of two, is the founder of brand agency Ninety Nine Percent and co-founder of history app Time Travellr. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online. |
| France, Saudis and the US$3b arms deal Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:42 PM PDT
"It will not be signed Monday, but it is being finalised," an aide to the president said. The deal is for military equipment and arms to be supplied to Lebanon's army. Hollande told an official dinner at the Elysee presidential palace attended by Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who is also the Saudi deputy prime minister and defence minister, that Lebanon was a "great but vulnerable country" which "needs security". "We have come together, Saudi Arabia and France, to help Lebanon on the condition that it also helps itself, for its own security," Hollande added, without commenting directly on the joint contract. The deal comes as Beirut faces the threat of jihadists on its border with Syria. More than a million refugees have fled the war in Syria by escaping to Lebanon, according to figures from the United Nations. Hollande added that France and Saudi Arabia have a "shared priority of peace and security in the Middle East". Salman is due to hold talks with French Prime Minister Manuel Valls today. He is also due to meet Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Wednesday for talks over the situation in Iraq and Syria, where jihadists have seized swathes of territory and are terrorising Christians and other minorities. Last week Hollande rejected any cooperation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad whom he accused of being a "de-facto ally" of Islamic State militants, after the regime said it was willing to work with the international community to tackle the jihadists. And in comments carried on national TV at the weekend, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah warned the West would be the next target of the jihadists sweeping through Syria and Iraq, unless there is "rapid" action. "If we ignore them, I am sure they will reach Europe in a month and America in another month," he said in remarks quoted on Saturday by the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper and Saudi-backed Al-Arabiya television station. The visit comes just over two weeks after another member of the Saudi royal family, Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd, fell victim to a brazen heist in Paris when a gang of heavily armed bandits hijacked the lead vehicle of his 10-car convoy and stole at least €250,000 (RM1,034,604) and documents. — AFP |
| Creating shared value — Asit K Biswas and Andrea Lucia Biswas-Tortajada Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:37 PM PDT
But critics have said many CSR activities are superficial public relations activities and that a company's primary purpose is to serve the interests of its shareholders. Indeed, Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman once said the only social responsibility of business was to increase profits. Yet, some big firms and business leaders have managed to bridge the divide by developing sector-, company- and location-specific models to contribute to good shareholder returns and concurrently ensure the prosperity of the community in which they operate. This form of CSR has a catchy new name: CSV, or creating shared value. So, how does CSV work? Take Moga, a small municipality in Punjab, where Nestle built its first factory in India in 1958. Then, the government had banned imports of milk powder and milk products to conserve foreign exchange and kick-start domestic production capacity. As part of a national import substitution industrialisation push, the firm was invited to establish a 11,000 sq km milk district in a place of abject poverty, widespread malnutrition, poor living conditions and zero milk culture. It was probably the last place where a foreign investor could succeed. Starting from scratch, Nestle had to overcome massive infrastructural, production and cultural challenges to have a chance of making it. Yet, over the past five decades, the firm has helped revolutionise dairy farming in Moga. Over time, dairy farming went from being a marginal activity for supplementing household nutrition to an organised, profitable economic activity. Reliable milk collection systems were established, strict and transparent quantity and quality standards were set and competitive and profitable rates were paid regularly to supplying farmers. It was clearly no mean feat of local cluster development. On Nov 15, 1961, the factory's opening day, 511kg of milk was collected. After one full year of operation, the factory could purchase only 2,054 tonnes. Ten years later, it was 26,660 tonnes. Creating a milk industry in Moga To achieve this increase, Nestle had to take actions it had never tried before. The company began providing free animal husbandry advice and credit and nominal cost services to farmers, whether they supplied milk to Nestle or not. The firm also convinced farmers to move from low-yielding buffaloes to higher-yielding cows. Gradually, dairy farmers benefited as productivity, yields and income increased and a reliable milk supply system was built. Today, Nestle pays its farmers more than 6 billion rupees (RM313m) each year for 350 million kg of milk, and the diary products it manufactures are exported to other Indian states and abroad. The creation of this new income-generating activity in Moga has reshaped its social, economic, environmental and fiscal landscape. Payments for milk to farmers, which grew from 910,000 rupees in 1962 to 6,120 million rupees in 2011, have had a 3.5 multiplier effect in ancillary and productive activities. Farmers' higher disposable income has increased their spending capacity and the aggregate demand for additional goods and services. The factory today employs 2,400 people and supports another 86,371 jobs indirectly. Taxes levied on imported inputs by the milk factory contribute to 25 to 35 per cent of the total income of Moga. Transforming a society takes time, and so does having a positive, lasting impact. It has taken 50 years of continuous work, commitment, investment and innovation to transform Moga into a thriving milk district. Nestle's engagement there presents a pioneering case of how a company can position itself at the forefront of the food industry, successfully building and expanding markets, developing quality and innovative products and enlarging secure value chains. All these can be achieved while advancing the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of families in an area that used to be one of the most impoverished in Punjab. Building a community of interests, firms, farmers, workers, ancillary companies and local consumers can transform underdeveloped regions such as Moga into an economically, socially and environmentally better place to live in for suppliers and consumers, while bringing profits to the firm. This is what creating shared value is about. Businesses will still be businesses and they will always be preoccupied with increasing profits. Yet, the path they follow to growing profitability has begun to change. As the example of Nestle shows, firms will do good insofar as their host communities also do well. — TODAY * Asit K Biswas is distinguished visiting professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and co-founder of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico, where Andrea Lucia Biswas-Tortajada is a senior research fellow. This article is based on their latest book, Creating Shared Value: Impacts Of Nestle In Moga, India. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online. |
| Serena Williams reaches US Open quarter-finals Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:36 PM PDT
Williams is gunning for her third US Open title in a row but for the moment she saw her 6-3 6-3 victory yesterday over Kaia Kanepi as an important hurdle after failing to get past the fourth round in this year's other grand slams. "I never thought it would be so exciting," the world number one told reporters with a big smile after her 65-minute victory over the Estonian. "Yeah! It feels good." So eager to get back to her accustomed presence late in a slam event, Williams celebrated prematurely in the second set when she jumped up and thrust her arms after 50th-ranked Kanepi netted a backhand on break point that made it 5-3 in her favour. Top seeded Williams failed to serve out the match, but made amends by breaking Kanepi for the fourth time in the set to claim victory and advance to the last eight at Flushing Meadows. "I finally made a quarter-final this year!" she shouted to the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd with arms upraised. "Glad to do it in New York." Williams moved ahead to a battle of 32-year-olds against Italian 11th seed Flavia Pennetta, a semi-finalist last year who advanced with a 7-5 6-2 win against 29th-seeded Australian Casey Dellacqua. Williams has had a disappointing spell, eliminated in the fourth round of the Australian Open, a round earlier at Wimbledon and in the second round at Roland Garros. "I'm a perfectionist, I always want to be the best, do the best. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well, particularly in the slams," explained Williams about her grand slam struggles. "Had a couple nagging injuries that definitely didn't help. But other than that, it was just that," she continued. "Now I'm more relaxed. I feel like I don't have to win any more. I've had a wonderful career. Tennis has given me so much, things I would have never expected in my life." Williams said there was no moment of epiphany. "I just have been trying to see bigger picture kind of thing." Making the quarters would seem like old hat to Williams, who has won 17 career grand slam singles crowns and is bidding to become the first woman to win three US titles in a row since Chris Evert claimed four straight from 1975-1978. But she certainly appreciates it now. "Obviously I don't want this to end," Williams said about her campaign at the season's last grand slam. "But I'm just happy that I'm able to be performing a little better at the end of the year." — Reuters |
| ‘The Conjuring’ doll set to hit toy stores Posted: 01 Sep 2014 05:35 PM PDT
Released in 2013, "The Conjuring" focused on the Warrens, a husband-and-wife paranormal detective team, and their attempt to help a family terrorized by a demon. The prequel "Annabelle," which is due in theaters on October 3, focuses on the origin story of the eponymous doll. Naturally the toy, which Mezco Toys will launch in late 2014, isn't the sort of rosy-cheeked baby doll that might make you nostalgic for playing house. It's more likely to make you want to sleep with the lights on, or else lock the doll in a closet. For anyone considering buying the doll for their kids, the trailer for "Annabelle" might help make up your mind. The toy company, which also markets "Batman" and "Breaking Bad" dolls, has also shown its ability to create more frightening models, including its "Chucky" and "Living Dead" dolls. ― AFP-Relaxnews |
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