KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) is deferring deduction of its settlers’ income for repayment of crop and socio-economic loans for the month of April to June to help them cope with the situation brought about by the Covid-19 crisis. Its general manager, Datuk Dr Othman Omar, said it would involve their harvest…
WHO’s focus at all times is to ensure that all areas of the globe have the information they need to manage the health of their people. In a recent interview, the WHO official who headed the joint international mission to China, did not answer a question on Taiwan’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The question…
KUALA LUMPUR: Some 1,000 homeless people in the capital will be placed at three National Service Training Programme (PLKN) camps during the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in the country. Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan (pix) said the identified camps are in Kuala Kubu Baru, Semenyih and Sepang. “We are…
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry, through its agency, the Social Security Organisation (Socso), has launched the Employment Retention Programme (ERP) to assist workers who have lost their jobs. Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan (pix) said the programme which was introduced as part of the 2020 Economic Stimulus Package, will be implemented through the Employment…
KOTA TINGGI: Police have set up special lanes at roadblocks in the district so that those with priority can use them during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period. Kota Tinggi district police chief Supt Ahsmon Bajah said this was to ensure that those with priority would not get stuck in traffic congestion during the roadblocks.…
TOKYO: The Tokyo Olympics were postponed today into 2021, the first such delay in the Games’ 124-year modern history, as the coronavirus crisis wrecked the last international sporting showpiece still standing this year. Though a huge blow to Japan, the decision was a relief to thousands of athletes fretting over how to train as the…
A total of 54 human cases of dracunculiasis (guinea-worm disease) were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, with Chad reporting 48 out of the 54 cases. In Chad, Ethiopia, Mali and South Sudan, trained volunteers are supporting surveillance and detection of infections in domestic dogs and cats. Surveillance has been heightened, as…
The rapid spread of COVID-19 is testing the resilience of robust health systems around the world. WHO and its partners are taking measures to mitigate the potential impact of sustained transmission of the coronavirus in malaria-endemic settings – particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, which shoulders more than 90% of the global malaria burden. To date, a…
With over 60 million American adults owning a smart speaker, human-to-machine conversation have largely become a part of a daily ritual. Though these exchanges are seemingly simple to the user, the complex technology that backs the interactions is powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and speech recognition. These modern machines are only continuing to grow…
JOHOR BARU: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will station 1,000 housemen at government hospitals nationwide to help smoothen the day-to-day operations following the Covid-19 pandemic. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba (pix) said all the trainee doctors would undergo a five-day induction training starting from Monday including handling of Covid-19 elements. Their immediate stationing…