Great time for thousands in Spanish tomato fight fest |
- Great time for thousands in Spanish tomato fight fest
- Met Dept: Haze to stay till mid-September, peninsula Malaysia’s west coast to bear brunt of Sumatra open fires
- Cheating Josh Duggar enters rehab
- Growing up — Syamim Hariri
- China stalls spur bargain buying spree
- Van Gaal hails Manchester Utd hattrick hero Rooney
| Great time for thousands in Spanish tomato fight fest Posted: 26 Aug 2015 06:47 PM PDT
Spaniards and tourists from around the world, some wearing goggles to protect their eyes from the flying fruit, crammed the narrow streets to smear each other with seven truckloads of squashed tomatoes. "It's crazy, like a massive orgy of tomatoes and people," said Evaran James, a 30-year-old from Australia. Houses and shops draped covers over their facades to protect them from the red juice and pulp. The 'Tomatina' fight originates from a spontaneous bust-up amongst villagers in 1945. The event, banned for a time during the 1950s at the height of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, has drawn a huge international following in recent years. — Reuters  |
| Posted: 26 Aug 2015 06:43 PM PDT
Met Dept: Haze to stay till mid-September, peninsula Malaysia's west coast to bear brunt of Sumatra open fires
The hazy situation is likely to go on until the end of the southwest monsoon season, Meteorological Department spokesman Dr Hisham Mohd Anip said as quoted by The Star. Hisham added that coastal states from Kedah down to Johor could be the hardest hit. Sarawak may see its haze situation improve over the next few days as the winds were set to change direction, he said. Winds from Indonesia were carrying the smoke from Kalimantan and Sumatra to Malaysia and Singapore at the moment. The Meteorological Department said there could be more rain here next month when the winds change during the inter-monsoon period, which would help clear the haze. However, Hisham warned that the Indonesian weather could also get drier, which would result in increased hot spots and more smoke being blown here unless the fires were put out before then. The chances of hot and dry weather in Indonesia is expected to increase with the global El Nino phenomenon. According to the Air Pollutant Index (API), Seri Manjung in Perak recorded the unhealthiest air in the country yesterday, which spiked to 103 at 11am before declining to 100 at 3pm. An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, while 301 and above is hazardous. |
| Cheating Josh Duggar enters rehab Posted: 26 Aug 2015 06:37 PM PDT
"Yesterday Josh checked himself into a long-term treatment center. For him it will be a long journey toward wholeness and recovery. We pray that in this he comes to complete repentance and sincere change," his parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, said in a statement on the Duggar Family website. Duggar, 27, was one of the stars of TLC reality show "19 Kids and Counting" about the lives of the deeply Conservative Duggar family who live in Arkansas. Last week he admitted he had cheated on his wife of six years, and had become addicted to pornography, describing himself as "the biggest hypocrite ever." His admission followed reports that his name was among data dumped by hackers that detailed millions of members of the Ashley Madison website. It was another second major blow to the image of the Duggar family. Discovery Communications-owned network TLC last month canceled "19 Kids," after disclosures in May that Josh Duggar had sexually abused four of his sisters when he was a teenager, one of whom was under 10 years old at the time. Duggar resigned from his job at Christian lobbying group Family Research Council. In yesterday's statement, Duggar's parents said they were "deeply grieved" by the actions of their eldest son. "His wrong choices have deeply hurt his precious wife and children and have negatively affected so many others. He has also brought great insult to the values and faith we hold dear," they said. Josh Duggar and his wife Anna were married in 2008 and have four children. — Reuters |
| Posted: 26 Aug 2015 06:32 PM PDT
Now these were good friends, but the icing on the cake was that I had also had a few best friends and not just one as many others have. To be exact, I had two Malays, one Chinese and also one Indian as my best friends. For the record, my close friends were made up entirely of Chinese and Indians. The main language to communicate with my non-Malay friends have always been English and this included during primary, secondary, college and right up till now. Seldom did I use Malay to communicate with them. I only used Malay with my Malay friends. I was in fact more comfortable with English and this might be due to the fact that I had spent a portion of my childhood abroad. I consider myself blessed in so many ways. Not only did I have a happy upbringing and a great family, outside of the home I had had so many friends who I can confide in. I grew up with no major problems and I had the best of time. Around 2013, one of my friend, who was an Indian, had called up asking to catch up. We decided on a place and I asked him to bring along another friend who was a Chinese. We later met at the place and had our dinner together. There were some light talk during dinner with the usual catching up and how's it going as old friends do when they meet. After finishing our sumptuous dinner of roti canai garing and fish curry, my Chinese friend had cracked a joke saying what else do the Chinese want? This was in clear reference to a question posed by our Prime Minister after the general election where it seemed like all the Chinese had abandoned him and his cause siding with the opposition. All of us at the table had laughed as that was really a stupid statement or question. Then the conversation had taken a serious turn as my Indian friend after he stopped laughing asked me, how I viewed the non-Malays. He said that he could feel the earth rumbling beneath him and that there were some tensions amongst the races and he could not sensed this during the time we grew up. My Chinese friend, who lauds himself and is so proud of the fact that he could speak perfect Malay mentions that, all jokes aside, he feels that the Malays, compared to when we were growing up and now, were less friendly and sometimes eyed him with suspicion. I chimed in and mentioned that these two guys who were at the table with me were whom I viewed as brothers. I further added that despite what is being said by the politicians, papers that were mouthpiece for political parties and any individuals did not in any way reflect my views and how I view the non-Malays. I further on mentioned that the Malays who had beef with the non-Malays hadn't grown up and had the privilege of knowing whom I had known. It goes without saying that the non-Malays who had had beef with the Malays, hadn't grown up in my friends' shoes and known the great guy that is me. And why is there beef all around us? It is because we failed to assimilate. Everything is based on race. Everything in this country is based on race and it is ripping the thread and seams that are holding this nation together. In hindsight, I feel that I was fortunate that my non-Malay friends had chosen to go to a Sekolah Kebangsaan and a Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan. If they had chosen to go elsewhere, I wouldn't have met them and I wouldn't be the guy that I am today. I do not want to delve into the types of school in Malaysia. There are so many reasons why parents enroll their child into any one type of school and write up is not about addressing those. However I would like to suggest that we allow our schools to become like our colleges and universities. Where there would be a home class at the very beginning and then students are free to roam. I sincerely wish that more would get my opportunity at witnessed the things I saw and have camaraderie like I had climate would not allow that. It makes me feel even luckier that I managed to get what I got as I truly believe that only a select few are lucky enough to get what I got. The situation is where children are separated and groomed without knowing one another. How do we expect to prosper as a nation when majority that are brought up in the system grow up without knowing one another. It is like a factory that is producing one product but the designing team is not on talking terms with the components team. Empathy is best developed during childhood. Malaysia has the entire ingredient to produce world talent but something is holding us back. Knowledge isn't learnt only in school. "Soft knowledge" is something that should be apparent in our people but we have failed. Depending on which race you ask, you will get differing answers and views. So which is right? It doesn't matter. What matters is the future and we know the problem so how should we move about for the future? I think the time is nigh that the different races of Malaysia buck up and come together as one. Forget the misunderstandings, forget what this race has got and what that race has not and close ranks. We can be different but we need to understand each other better and definitely close ranks. Because at the end of the day, if things stay status quo, this nation that we all call home, despite some of our grandparents arriving on boats, tongkangs or whatnots, will falter. If it falters, where are we to go? * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online. |
| China stalls spur bargain buying spree Posted: 26 Aug 2015 06:29 PM PDT
The 10th daily drop in the 12 sessions since China's surprise currency move on August 11 pushed valuations for developing-nation shares to levels that preceded Russia's invasion of Crimea in March 2014 and the slide in oil prices. The lure of cheaper stocks that propped up prices on Tuesday and early yesterday proved short-lived as investors speculated it's too early to start buying. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index dropped 0.4 per cent to 785.33 at 1.18pm in New York, after climbing 2.2 per cent on Tuesday and rising as much as 0.9 per cent earlier yesterday. Stocks fell and currencies slumped to a record as investors interpreted the decision by the People's Bank of China as a signal the world's second-largest economy may slow down, undermining demand for commodities from countries including Brazil, Russia and South Africa. "China has a stock market bubble, an economy that is slowing, they have to manage all this, and it's not going to be a smooth sailing," said Howard Ward, chief investment officer of growth equities at Mario Gabelli's Gamco Investors Inc., which oversees US$45.4 billion (RM191.28 billion) in Rye, New York. "China isn't growing at 7 per cent, maybe it's growing at 3 per cent, and maybe it's not growing at all — nobody knows, and this creates a risk as the broader emerging markets are tight to China." The gauge of emerging-market equities is valued at 10.3 times the projected earnings of its members, near the lowest valuation since March 11, 2014, and below its five-year average. US$5 trillion Chinese equities extended losses since their June 12 peak to US$5 trillion as the Shanghai Composite Index recorded the steepest five-day drop since 1996. Policy makers cut rates for a fifth time since November and lowered the amount of cash banks must set aside. That spurred a rally of as much as 4.3 per cent before gains fizzled out in the last hour. An unprecedented government intervention to support the equity market was halted this week as policy makers debated its merits, according to people familiar with the situation. A gauge of Chinese stocks traded in Hong Kong slumped for a ninth day to the lowest level since March 2014. South Korea's Kospi index capped the biggest two-day increase since June 2013 as tensions with North Korea eased. In New York, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index climbed 1.7 per cent, amid its steepest losing streak in four years. New York Fed Bank President William Dudley said today that the case for raising interest rates in September is less compelling because of international financial and market developments. Budget advice Saudi Arabia's Tadawul All Share Index retreated after this year's biggest gain on Tuesday. The country is seeking advice on how to cut billions of dollars from next year's budget because of the slump in crude prices, according to two people familiar with the matter. Dubai's DFM General Index slid for a fourth time in five days. Russia's Micex Index gained 0.2 per cent and the ruble weakened for the ninth time in 10 days. Israel's shekel slid for a second day. The Bank of Israel may cut its benchmark interest rate below zero if circumstances warrant, Governor Karnit Flug said Tuesday. The ringgit depreciated for a fifth time in six days as concern about the finances of a state investment firm at the heart of a political scandal worsened the outlook for Malaysia's economy. A gauge of 20 developing-nation currencies fell 0.5 per cent, dropping for the ninth time in 10 days. — Bloomberg |
| Van Gaal hails Manchester Utd hattrick hero Rooney Posted: 26 Aug 2015 06:27 PM PDT
United will go into the hat in today's group-stage draw after their victory in Bruges yesterday completed a 7-1 aggregate win in the competition's play-off round. Rooney had previously gone 10 club games without scoring, prompting suggestions he was unsuited to the role of lone striker in Van Gaal's single-striker system, but the Dutchman said he never doubted that the England captain would rediscover the path to goal. "I have given him always the confidence that a player needs, but I think Wayne has a very strong mentality and with his level he always shall come back," Van Gaal said. "And he proved that this evening (Wednesday). But still it's a long way for him and also for Manchester United it's not so easy. Of course I'm very happy for him." All three of Rooney's goals were pleasing on the eye, as he applied assured one-touch finishes to passes from Memphis Depay, Ander Herrera and Juan Mata. Herrera stroked in United's fourth goal in the 63rd minute at Jan Breydel Stadium, having been moved forward into a number 10 role following the half-time introduction of Bastian Schweinsteiger. Herrera had struggled in the game's early stages, misplacing passes and earning a booking for an untidy foul on Victor Vazquez, and Van Gaal admitted afterwards that he had contemplated taking him off. "He started not so good. He had a lot of ball losses and also a yellow card, so at that moment I wanted to change him, but then I saw he was coming back," said Van Gaal, who also saw substitute Javier Hernandez miss a late penalty. "And after that moment he plays a good match on the 'double six' position, but later on (at) 10 he was better. So I'm very pleased also for him." Van Gaal won the Champions League with an exciting young Ajax team in 1995 and took Bayern Munich to the final in 2010, but he has not led a team in the competition since 2011. 'They have everything' Asked how the tournament had changed during his absence, he replied: "I cannot judge because (for) three years I was not a participant. "Of course I've seen the matches on television. I think it is the highest podium, and it was also 10 years ago and 20 years ago. "It is the highest podium that you can show yourself or your team and it's fantastic to be a participant." The 2014-15 season was the first time United had not graced the Champions League in 19 years, the legacy of a disastrous seventh-place finish under Van Gaal's hapless predecessor David Moyes. Holders Barcelona, Bayern, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are among the teams who could be drawn to face United, but Van Gaal said that he would not be watching the draw. "I don't know the teams who are participating, but I think I cannot have any influence on the draw," he said. "There was also a lady who asked me what am I going to do tomorrow (Thursday) during the draw. I said I shall watch the second team against Ajax because that's more important for me. "I cannot influence the draw, so it's better to hear afterwards." Club Brugge coach Michel Preud'homme had said before the game that his side required a "miracle" to qualify and he felt that the outcome of the tie was logical. "This team has everything — technical quality, physical quality in power and endurance, and of course they have the mentality," said the former Belgium goalkeeper, who was missing several key players through injury and suspension. "It's a top team and they are top players. They have everything. We are there to learn something and I hope we can learn a lot from these two confrontations." — AFP |
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