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4 big questions about the new omicron variant Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 03:41 PM - Forum: Covid-19 Pandemic - No Replies Scientists in Botswana and South Africa first detected the variant, which features significant mutations to the coronavirus’s telltale spike protein, a few weeks ago. The sheer number of mutations was reason enough to worry — “this variant is completely insane,” remarked one infectious disease researcher to another — and, over the holiday weekend, the World Health Organization officially named omicron a variant of concern. That designation means the WHO believes there is good reason to think the omicron variant is more transmissible than the currently dominant delta variant, that it causes more severe disease, or that it can better evade public health measures, including vaccines — or all of the above. But at this point, there is so much scientists don’t know about omicron. It takes time to collect samples of the variant and study them, to observe transmission patterns, and for enough data to come in to be confident about how the vaccines are handling omicron. It will be at least a couple of weeks before we start to get firm and specific answers to the big outstanding questions. Only once science has answered those questions will the world know how serious a threat the omicron variant actually is. Is it a minor setback or a major obstacle to getting to a place where we can live with Covid-19? Researchers are racing to find out. - More -   China to further help Africa’s vaccination drive, shielding continent from Omicron Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 03:30 PM - Forum: Covid-19 Pandemic - No Replies China has vowed to further help African countries boost their vaccination drive, which Chinese observers said could significantly strengthen the continent's immunological barrier against the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle serious global vaccine inequality. The emergence of the new variant Omicron, which was first detected in South Africa, once again highlights the dire consequences of vaccine inequality in developing countries, especially in Africa, where only 6 percent of its population have been fully vaccinated. China is also expected to further step up its efforts to help African countries with vaccine production, meeting the continent's core needs with cost-efficient methods for producing inactivated vaccines that are more suitable for these countries than the West's high-priced and complicated mRNA vaccines, analysts said.  In order to help vaccinate 60 percent of the African population, a goal set by the African Union, China will provide African countries another 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine with 600 million doses offered for free and the rest offered through various means including joint production by Chinese and African enterprises, President Xi Jinping announced in a keynote speech delivered via video link at the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing on Monday. - More -   World's first living robots can now reproduce, scientists say Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 03:16 PM - Forum: Sciences - Replies (1) (CNN)The US scientists who created the first living robots say the life forms, known as xenobots, can now reproduce -- and in a way not seen in plants and animals. Formed from the stem cells of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) from which it takes its name, xenobots are less than a millimeter (0.04 inches) wide. The tiny blobs were first unveiled in 2020 after experiments showed that they could move, work together in groups and self-heal. Now the scientists that developed them at the University of Vermont, Tufts University and Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering said they have discovered an entirely new form of biological reproduction different from any animal or plant known to science. "I was astounded by it," said Michael Levin, a professor of biology and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University who was co-lead author of the new research. "Frogs have a way of reproducing that they normally use but when you ... liberate (the cells) from the rest of the embryo and you give them a chance to figure out how to be in a new environment, not only do they figure out a new way to move, but they also figure out apparently a new way to reproduce." - More -   Govt punishing my voters, says Syed Saddiq over allocation of funds to MPs Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 02:56 PM - Forum: Politics - No Replies KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s move to only provide equal allocation of funds to opposition MPs from parties involved in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Putrajaya has been criticised by an independent MP who says it is akin to punishing his constituents. Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Independent-Muar) told the Dewan Rakyat that he had written a letter to Speaker Azhar Harun regarding deputy special functions minister Mastura Mohd Yazid’s statement in September that all MPs, regardless of political affiliation, will be given equal allocations for the remainder of the year. He said Mastura had also “stressed” that the equal allocation to all MPs will be distributed immediately. “But it’s now December and until today, Muar has not seen a single sen,” he said. - More -   Calls to abolish vernacular schools not about BM, but racism, says Ramasamy Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 02:52 PM - Forum: Stop Racism and Religious Bigotry - No Replies PETALING JAYA: The calls to abolish vernacular schools has nothing to do with language proficiency or the level of education they provide, but are instead driven by racist perceptions towards these institutions. Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy said that the long-running debate, reignited this week by Bersatu’s youth wing and a lawsuit filed by three Malay students groups, is fueled by a lack of acceptance of Malay not being the primary mode of instruction in these schools. “Over the years, vernacular schools have become more integrated with the national system of education,” he said, contrary to some who paint these institutions as outsiders in the system. The DAP leader said there is “no basis whatsoever” to allegations that vernacular school students lack Malay proficiency, as pushed by Bersatu Youth information chief Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir. “This is a wild allegation that is not backed up with facts and figures. Even students in the national schools suffer from the lack of proficiency not only in Malay but also in English. “The major weakness of our education system is the lack of proficiency in English in both the categories of schools,” Ramasamy said. - More -   Don’t question Penang’s sovereignty, Chow tells Kedah MB Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 02:18 PM - Forum: Politics - No Replies GEORGE TOWN: Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow wants an end to questions over the sovereignty of Penang by Kedah. He rallied the Penang assembly today in asking everyone to uphold and defend the state, stating that Penang was an equal member of the Malaysian federation. Chow said the “Kedah owns Penang” argument put forth by the Kedah government had led to confusion among Malaysians and ought to be looked at from a legal perspective. - More -   Muhyiddin promised to preserve vernacular schools, Muda reminds Armada Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 11:38 AM - Forum: Stop Racism and Religious Bigotry - No Replies KUALA LUMPUR – The youth-based Muda has reminded Bersatu’s youth wing Armada that the latter’s own party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had given an assurance when he was education minister that vernacular schools would not be abolished. Muda information chief Zaidel Baharuddin said his counterpart in Armada, Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir, should not just condemn Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim for defending vernacular schools, but also look at the decisions made by Bersatu’s own leadership. Zaidel referred to the assurance made by Muhyiddin when, as education minister and deputy prime minister, he launched the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 eight years ago. “If Ashraf can only make noises towards Sim, but is scared and not brave enough to reprimand the former education minister who promised the moon and stars, then it is confirmed that he (Ashraf) is not a nationalist and is a political apple polisher,” Zaidel said in a statement last night. Earlier yesterday, Ashraf had said Armada stood by its stance to abolish vernacular schools in stages, as the wing believes that the use of the national language has eroded with the existence of these schools. - More -   Will ‘moderate Islamists’ entering PKR impact political scene? Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 11:18 AM - Forum: Politics - No Replies KUALA LUMPUR – In light of Pakatan Harapan (PH) managing to rake in only five of the 28 seats in the Melaka election, Maszlee Malik’s move to join PKR has been received with no small amount of mockery and apprehension.  It has not helped that the component party itself did not win any seats in the recent polls. As such, bringing in Maszlee may be part of a strategy to shore up the party with individuals regarded as “moderate” Islamists. Political observers who perceive the Simpang Renggam MP and former education minister as a cosmopolitan politician with moderate Islamic views are not surprised by his decision.  In fact, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Azmil Tayeb believes that Maszlee should have made the choice from the start. PKR, he said, is a much better fit for him compared to a Malay nationalist party like Bersatu. - More -   Don’t be overconfident about Melaka results, Ku Li warns BN Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 10:57 AM - Forum: Politics - No Replies KUALA LUMPUR: Former Umno advisory council chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has warned Barisan Nasional against being overconfident about its landslide win at the Melaka state polls, in pushing for a general election to be held soon. The Umno veteran said the party must not be “deluded” as many Melakans did not cast their ballots at the state elections, in which a total of 326,068 votes were cast, or 65.8% of registered voters in the state. Tengku Razaleigh, known by many as Ku Li, said these voters would rather “wait and see” for the next general election, which is anticipated to be held next year. “I’m not suggesting that Melaka will have another (state) election to coincide with the general election for Parliament as well. But I’m suggesting that they think that this was a small election compared to the big one that’s going to move things after GE15. “But it’s a clear warning to everybody, including in Umno: Don’t be overconfident,” he said in an interview with FMT. Tengku Razaleigh, the 11-term MP for Gua Musang, is Malaysia’s longest-serving MP. “You may have strong support in parts of Melaka. But, similarly, in the whole of the federation you might have pockets of strong anti-BN, anti-Umno (sentiments) developing and that’s going to really shock and disappoint you when the time comes for GE15.” - More -   PAS on the wane in Kelantan, says Ku Li Posted by: superadmin - 11-30-2021, 10:52 AM - Forum: Politics - No Replies KUALA LUMPUR: Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah believes that the days are numbered for PAS in Kelantan because of the party’s “horrible” track record in governing the state for more than 30 years. He said PAS had been in power since 1990, but failed to do much, with even basic facilities lacking, such as clean water supply. “And there’s no development. If not for the state being a member of the federation (of Malaysia), a lot of the people in Kelantan will be unemployed. Now, people escape from Kelantan and come to work here (in Kuala Lumpur),” he said in an interview with FMT. “So every Hari Raya or school holiday season, you find the highway chock-a-block all the way to Kota Bharu because of people returning from KL and elsewhere. - More - Pages (1346): « Previous 1 … 987 988 989 990 991 … 1346 Next » Jump to page: