Friday, April 28, 2017
Comeback king: James Arthur is Back From The Edge - All it took was one song for James Arthur, 29, to mark his triumphant return to the music scene. His song Say You Won’t Let Go, released in September 2016, spent three weeks at the top of the UK Singles chart.
As of February 2017, the song has sold over two million copies worldwide. His latest album Back From The Edge also made it to No. 1 on the UK Albums chart.
Arthur, who won The X-Factor back in 2012, previously made headlines for a number of controversial incidences, including homophobic comments, bizarre Twitter rants, and a feud with another The X-Factor contestant, Lucy Spraggan. In light of the negative publicity, iTunes even offered refunds to customers who purchased his eponymously-titled debut album.
Subsequently, Simon Cowell’s music label Syco dropped Arthur from in 2014. This happened after the singer’s single Get Down failed to crack the charts.
In a recent interview with The Sun, Arthur talked about how he wanted to change people’s perception of him through his second album Back From The Edge.
He mentioned that for Back From The Edge, he had to be vulnerable and honest. Arthur also added that he wanted to let people know that he is not a bad guy.
So, now that he’s back on top again, Arthur feels like a new man.
“Being back now… it feels like I’ve got my purpose back again. It feels like I’m doing what I should be doing. I’m just really chuffed to be back to doing hard work, you know? (Being) busy all day, every that’s what I like to be doing,” he shared in an interview with MTV.
Check out the video for Say You Won’t Let Go.
Fellaini Sent Off As United Hold On For Goalless Draw At City - MANCHESTER CITY 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 0
Manchester United held on for a goalless draw in a feisty derby with Manchester City after midfielder Marouane Fellaini was sent off for a headbutt in the Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.
The Belgian was dismissed when, moments after being booked for a foul on Sergio Aguero, he tripped the Argentine and then, in clear view of referee Martin Atkinson, confronted him by pushing his forehead towards the City forward who fell.
City, who dominated most of the game, thought they had a late winner when Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus, on as a late substitute for his first appearance since being injured in February, headed home from close range but was offside.
The result leaves City in fourth place, still a point - and a place - ahead of their local rivals in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League qualifying spot, and extends United's unbeaten run to 24 league games.
It was a frantic end to what had been a disappointing derby with injury-ravaged United largely restricted to trying to limit City’s forward movement and Pep Guardiola’s team unable to turn dominance with the ball into clear-cut opportunities.
The best chance for the home side came early. Striker Aguero, a pre-match injury doubt, should have opened the scoring in the ninth minute, missing a great chance when he turned a low Kevin De Bruyne cross against the post from close range.
City were on top in midfield but defensive frailties, which have hampered them this season, were evident in the 25th when Claudio Bravo flapped at a cross, palming the ball into the path of Henrikh Mkhitaryan before keeping out the Armenian’s shot.
HOME PRESSURE
The home pressure increased as the half progressed. De Bruyne's low shot was pushed away by David De Gea at the near post, Aguero forced a fine save from the Spaniard and Raheem Sterling blasted hurriedly over from a promising position.
United should, however, have reached halftime with the lead after City's defence somehow left Ander Herrera unmarked as Marcus Rashford whipped in a free-kick from the left but the Spanish midfielder could not get his header on target.
City remained on top after the break, attacking and shooting on sight, with the effervescent De Bruyne finding the side-netting with a low angled strike in the 58th minute.
Guardiola was forced to change his goalkeeper in the 80th minute when Bravo pulled up with a calf injury and was carried off on a stretcher to be replaced by Willy Caballero.
Then came Fellaini’s minute of madness, as he lost his cool and left the referee with no alternative but to send him off.
Sensing the chance of a late winner against 10-man United, Guardiola brought on Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus, who has not played since breaking a metatarsal in his foot against Bournemouth on Feb. 13.
The move almost paid off when Jesus, who had been roared onto the field, superbly angled a header past De Gea from an Aguero cross and raced off in celebration.
But the effort was rightly ruled out for offside, leaving City frustrated and United a little relieved.
5 Places In Europe To Go Chocolate Crazy - Any chocolate lovers out there? Ok! Ok! We hear you millions out there, shouting out now (or raising their hands while reading this – yup your webcam is on).
On your next trip to Europe do you want to know where to head to for all things chocolate? Apparently British Airways have understood your cravings and they have come out with a list of those places. And if you’re onboard one of British Airways’ flights as a Club World or World Traveller passenger, you can already grab some choice chocolates.
1. Birmingham, Britain
The renowned Cadbury’s World is located in Birmingham. This centre of “sweet brown goodness” can be reached by train from London Euston in a couple of hours. Visitors can learn about Britain’s iconic confectionery brand and the history of chocolate making.
2. London, Britain
For those looking for treats available in London, Paul A. Young has been named as Britain’s best chocolatier serving rich truffles and brownies in his boutique shop located in Soho. For more chocolate-themed fun, book tickets to see the award-winning Charlie and The Chocolate Factory musical at the famous Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Covent Garden. Luxury hotel One Aldwych, offers a special Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired afternoon tea. This includes chocolate caramel milk, homemade candy floss and cocoa bean financier.
For chocoholics, Choccywoccydoodah is the ultimate treat. It is an art and design focused chocolatier based in the trendy coastal city of Brighton and the quirky area of Soho in central London. It specialises in creating bespoke chocolate sculptures and gifts. These include hand-made chocolate eggs with fillings of praline and caramel.
3. Brussels, Belgium
The capital city Brussels, is renowned for its gourmet chocolate shops located along the cobbled streets of this quaint city. For chocolate connoisseurs, the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate offers a great opportunity to see how different chocolates are made and enjoy tasty samples throughout the experience.
4. Paris, France
Paris, is home to many master chocolatiers making this an ideal place for travellers on the hunt for premium chocolates. Saint-Germain-des-Pres is known for its artisanal shops serving a vast selection of chocolate creations including truffles, pralines, chocolate-coated candied fruit or delicate macarons. Visit one of the many cafés and take a moment to experience a luxurious Parisian chaud (hot chocolate to drink).
5. Geneva, Switzerland
Regarded as one of the country’s national treasures, Switzerland’s chocolate is known across the world for its high quality. The city of Geneva is a picturesque place to visit and taste traditional Swiss chocolates. Auer is one of the oldest confectionary shops dating back to 1939, try its signature Amandes Princesses, which are roasted almonds covered in chocolate.
Considered one of the finest Swiss Chocolate brands, family-owned Favarger’s guided factory tour enables visitors to learn about the process of making hand-made chocolates from the cocoa bean through to the finished products. At the end of the tour, each person is given a tasty souvenir to take home.
You Will Eat More Junk Food If You Don’t Sleep Enough - Question: Does being sleep deprived increase your desire for junk food?
The short answer: Yes
The effects of sleep deprivation are well known. Bleary eyes and gaping yawns aside, not getting enough shut-eye at night is associated with decreased focus, alertness and concentration, problems with memory, difficulty making decisions, an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, depression, and emotional instability.
Skimping on sleep also has a well-documented link to weight gain and obesity. And there are few reasons for this.
Firstly, people who are chronically deprived of sleep feel hungry more often and tend to eat more because their brain cannot sense when their hunger is satiated.
According to Ingrid Kan, a Hong Kong-based dietitian, with insufficient sleep, the body produces less leptin, a hormone made by fat cells that basically signals to your brain that you have had enough to eat.
At the same time, sleep deprivation causes an increase in ghrelin, a hormone released by the stomach that increases hunger and appetite. This hormone also stimulates the gastric motility and the secretion of gastric acid..
Even a few days of insufficient sleep can have the same effect on leptin and ghrelin levels. Kan points out that in one study, after six days of bedtime restriction to four hours per night, the plasma concentration of leptin in subjects was markedly decreased, particularly during the night.
The second reason we tend to put on weight when we’re sleep-deprived: Simply put, when we don’t get enough sleep we feel more lethargic. This lack of energy makes us more inclined to skip exercise, which can in turn cause us to conserve calories.
Third, being sleep deprived increases our craving for unhealthy foods. According to Esther Yuet Ying- lau, assistant professor at the Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong Centre for Psychosocial Health, this may be due to poor emotional functioning.
“Mood and emotional regulation can be another mechanism bridging sleep deprivation and weight gain,” she explains.
“Sleep deprivation results in poorer mood states and poorer emotional regulating abilities in general. And poor emotional functioning – for example, being in a bad mood, high perceived stress levels and/or depressive symptoms – in turn is found to lead to more high-calorie food choices.”
Sleep deprivation and food choice
A study published in Nature Communication backs this up, revealing neuroimaging evidence that showed the association between sleep deprivation and the selection of foods most capable of triggering weight gain.
According to Kan, a recent study found that sleep deprivation also boosts a chemical signal that increases the pleasure and satisfaction associated with eating.
She says: “This chemical signal is endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, or 2-AG. Blood levels of 2-AG are typically low overnight. They slowly rise during the day, peaking in the early afternoon.
In the study, the authors found that 2AG levels were very high in those study subjects who lacked sleep. As a result, the subjects were less able to inhibit their intake of highly palatable, rewarding snacks. This chemical signal was therefore found to be the culprit of the subjects’ cravings for unhealthy, carbohydrate-dense foods.”
How do you know if you’re sleep-deprived? The US National Sleep Foundation recommends nine to 11 hours of sleep every night for school-aged children, eight to 10 hours for teenagers, seven to nine hours for young adults and adults, and seven to eight hours for older adults.
“Falling below the recommended sleep duration can be considered some extent of sleep deprivation or partial sleep deprivation,” Lau points out.
“If you always rely on an alarm clock to wake you up, if you feel sleepy or even fall asleep during daytime activities such as meetings or lectures or while watching TV, or if you sleep in on weekends or your off-days, there’s a good chance that you are not getting enough sleep.” – South China Morning Post/Sasha Gonzales
Exclusive - Trump Says He Thought Being President Would Be Easier Than His Old Life- He misses driving, feels as if he is in a cocoon, and is surprised how hard his new job is.
President Donald Trump on Thursday reflected on his first 100 days in office with a wistful look at his life before the White House.
"I loved my previous life. I had so many things going," Trump told Reuters in an interview. "This is more work than in my previous life. I thought it would be easier."
A wealthy businessman from New York, Trump assumed public office for the first time when he entered the White House on Jan. 20 after he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an upset.
More than five months after his victory and two days shy of the 100-day mark of his presidency, the election is still on Trump's mind. Midway through a discussion about Chinese President Xi Jinping, the president paused to hand out copies of what he said were the latest figures from the 2016 electoral map.
"Here, you can take that, that's the final map of the numbers," the Republican president said from his desk in the Oval Office, handing out maps of the United States with areas he won marked in red. "It’s pretty good, right? The red is obviously us."
He had copies for each of the three Reuters reporters in the room.
Trump, who said he was accustomed to not having privacy in his "old life," expressed surprise at how little he had now. And he made clear he was still getting used to having 24-hour Secret Service protection and its accompanying constraints.
"You're really into your own little cocoon, because you have such massive protection that you really can't go anywhere," he said.
When the president leaves the White House, it is usually in a limousine or an SUV.
He said he missed being behind the wheel himself.
"I like to drive," he said. "I can't drive any more."
Many things about Trump have not changed from the wheeler-dealer executive and former celebrity reality show host who ran his empire from the 26th floor of Trump Tower in New York and worked the phones incessantly.
He frequently turns to outside friends and former business colleagues for advice and positive reinforcement. Senior aides say they are resigned to it.
The president has been at loggerheads with many news organizations since his election campaign and decided not to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington on Saturday because he felt he had been treated unfairly by the media.
"I would come next year, absolutely," Trump said when asked whether he would attend in the future.
Another Student Claims Abuse In Religious School - Another case of a beating in a religious school has surfaced with an 11-year-old boy claiming an ustaz (religious teacher) in a private religious boarding school had abused him and threatened him with more punishment if he complained to his parents.
“He also said my brain would not be able to memorise the Quran if I complained about an ustaz,” said Muhammad Resan Abdullah.
The ustaz has since been charged in court but after reading about the fate that had befallen Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gadaffi, his parents engaged a lawyer yesterday to re-examine the case.
“He was the same age as my son. I thought what had happened to my son was an isolated case but it seems not.
“We have spoken with our lawyer to see what we can do,” said the boy’s mother Suraya Fatima Abdullah.
The ustaz was charged under Section 324 of the Penal Code for causing hurt.
Mohamad Thaqif died on Wednesday due to health complications after he was abused by an assistant warden at Tahfiz Al-Jauhar, Kota Tinggi, Johor.
Suraya Fatima said she was saddened by Mohamad Thaqif’s death and realised the same could have happened to her son.
“Such abuse must be stopped. Parents send their children to religious schools to acquire knowledge and become good Muslims, not to be beaten up like this,” she said.
According to Muhammad Resan’s medical report, the boy had multiple bruises on his back and chest wall.
He also had severe constipation due to low fibre and fluid intake.
“My son was admitted at the Klang Hospital (Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital) for two weeks,” said Suraya Fatima.
Muhammad Resan was at the school only for a few weeks when his parents found him weak and covered in bruises during a visit.
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 - Talking raccoon with an attitude problem? Check. Talking baby tree with a vocabulary of three words? Check. Dashing human hero with daddy issues and a penchant for retro music? Check. Green-skinned female warrior who is also the most dangerous woman in the galaxy? Check. Grey-skinned muscle-bound warrior who takes things way too literally? Check.
Put your spaceship seatbelts on again folks, and welcome to the Guardians of the freaking Galaxy.
Marvel Studios’ slate of superheroes movies have always been fun, but none more so than 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. The movie took the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) off-planet and into space, where we were treated to a wild ride of colourful aliens, talking raccoons and trees, and, er, 1970s pop music.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (GOTG2) continues pretty much in that vein, and though the novelty factor is gone, there is still whole lot of fun and laughs to be had with this one, enough to get you hooked on a feeling once more.
Set four months after saving the galaxy with a dance-off in the first movie, GOTG Vol. 2 sees the team – Peter “Star-Lord” Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) a.k.a. The Most Dangerous Woman In The Galaxy, Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bausista), Rocket “Not A” Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Baby Groot (Vin Diesel) who had to re-grow himself from a twig after the first movie, remember? – working as a team of mercenaries for hire.
During a job, they run afoul of The Sovereign, a race of golden-faced aliens, and have to make a run for it. Along the way, they crash-land and meet Ego (Kurt Russell), who claims to be Peter’s father, and the team splits up for a while so Peter can sort out his daddy issues while Rocket repairs their ship.
Meanwhile, Yondu (Michael Rooker) is hired by the Sovereign to bring the Guardians in, but he soon discovers that he has some problems of his own.
To be honest, GOTG2’s story isn’t really much to shout about. The whole thing just seems to sort of lurch from one situation to another, with things just happening without any real purpose to it until the Big Bad Plot is revealed and the team has to save the galaxy (again).
The addition of Yondu, Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) does add an interesting dynamic to proceedings, but other than that, the plot does seem a bit pointless at times.
Then again, the first movie’s story wasn’t that great either, and look how much fun we had with THAT. What GOTG2 lacks in terms of freshness and novelty factor, it makes up for with a movie that is arguably the funniest Marvel Studios have released so far.
The jokes come almost unrelentlessly – ranging from Baby Groot’s cute antics and rad retro references to Marvel in-jokes, and all the way down to toilet turd humour.
Seriously, it’s hard to pick at all the plotholes in the story when you’re too busy laughing to care. And have I mentioned how cute Baby Groot is?
The cameos
Oh, and there are a whole lot of cameos too – watch out for the compulsory Stan Lee one, some ravaging ones by Sylvester Stallone, Ving Rhames, our very own Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, and a certain Zandu Hasselbrau, who will take you on a ride on his magic ship (don’t ask). And don’t forget to stay back for the three, yes THREE, post-credit scenes.
If you like your superheroes dark and moddy, go watch a DC movie. Marvel movies are all about the fun, and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 dials that up all the way to 11. And if you can’t handle that, then I only have one thing to say to you: I. AM. GROOT.
Barcelona In Seventh Heaven Against Osasuna - Real Madrid thrashed Deportivo La Coruna 6-2 to stay level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga on Wednesday after the Catalans crushed Osasuna 7-1, condemning the minnows to relegation.
Lionel Messi, Andre Gomes and Paco Alcacer scored twice each and Javier Mascherano netted his first goal for the club from the penalty spot as Barcelona built on Sunday's Clasico victory.
Real, though, showed they would not be easily toppled.
Zinedine Zidane made nine changes for the trip to the Riazor but Madrid’s reserves still made light work of Depor, with Isco running the show and finding the net along with James Rodriguez, who hit a brace, Alvaro Morata, Lucas Vazquez and substitute Casemiro.
Madrid have 78 points from 33 games, while Barcelona have the same tally from one game more.
Osasuna, rooted in 20th place, were relegated after 17th-placed Leganes beat Las Palmas 3-0 to move 12 points clear of the bottom club, an insurmountable total with four games to go because of their inferior head-to-head record.
“We had to win. We have suffered a lot since January. We’ve lacked both points and luck, and when that’s the case it’s hard to turn things around,” said Osasuna coach Petar Vasiljevic.
Messi opened the scoring with a mazy dribble capped with a neat chip over goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu before Gomes volleyed home Ivan Rakitic’s cross to double the lead.
Roberto Torres whipped in a free kick just after halftime to drag his team back into the match before Barcelona ran riot with a flurry of goals.
“I think it was a complete performance," said Barcelona coach Luis Enrique. "When they got back to 2-1, which was the worst moment because they’re back in the game and you never know, we were able to put our foot on the accelerator and close the game out.
“The way we played, we deserved to win by a large margin.”
Madrid deserved much the same against Depor after dominating from the start.
It took Alvaro Morata just 52 seconds to find the net after being played in by Isco with James Rodriguez slamming home the second from a Lucas Vazquez cross.
Florin Andone scored from close range, stabbing home Gael Kakuta’s cross-shot in the 35th minute, to give his side a glimmer of hope but nine minutes later Vazquez scored Madrid's third.
Rodriguez and Isco struck before Joselu’s header gave Depor fans some late cheer but Casemiro had the last word and restored Madrid's four-goal lead in the 87th minute.
"Isco was phenomenal," said Zidane. "He does things on the pitch that not everybody can. The fans congratulated him, I am happy for him, for the work he does. When he has to play he always does his job."
Storm Destroys Malta’s Famous Rock Window - Gale force winds and huge waves last month destroyed the iconic Azure Window, a coastal rock formation on the Maltese island of Gozo. The Azure Window, believed to have formed naturally in the mid-19th century, has become a landmark of Gozo and the island’s natural beauty.
The massive rock arch landmark, with its flat top over the blue sea at Dwejra, is a staple image for Maltese tourist brochures.
It seemed to have endured the raging seas but the storms that hit Malta and Gozo in recent days finally swept away the whole structure on that fateful morning. No one was injured as the rock formation came crashing down into the sea.
Geologists had long warned that it could give way at any time.
Malta’s Premier Joseph Muscat broke the news on Twitter, saying – “I have just been informed that the beautiful Tieqa tad-Dwejra in has collapsed.”
In another Tweet he said – “Reports commissioned over the years indicated that this landmark would be hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion. That sad day arrived.”
Photos of the iconic Gozitan site were splashed on news sites across Europe.
The Azure Window recently made an appearance on the popular TV series Game of Thrones.
Local resident Roger Chessell was at Dwejra when it happened, having gone to take pictures of the storm. “There was a big raging sea beneath the window,” he told the Times of Malta.
“Suddenly, the arch collapsed into the sea with a loud whoomph, throwing up a huge spray. By the time the spray had faded, the stack had gone too.”
Your Brain Can Trick You To Eat More Junk Food If You Don’t Have Enough Sleep - Question: Does being sleep deprived increase your desire for junk food?
The short answer: Yes
The effects of sleep deprivation are well known. Bleary eyes and gaping yawns aside, not getting enough shut-eye at night is associated with decreased focus, alertness and concentration, problems with memory, difficulty making decisions, an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, depression, and emotional instability.
Skimping on sleep also has a well-documented link to weight gain and obesity. And there are few reasons for this.
Firstly, people who are chronically deprived of sleep feel hungry more often and tend to eat more because their brain cannot sense when their hunger is satiated.
According to Ingrid Kan, a Hong Kong-based dietitian, with insufficient sleep, the body produces less leptin, a hormone made by fat cells that basically signals to your brain that you have had enough to eat.
At the same time, sleep deprivation causes an increase in ghrelin, a hormone released by the stomach that increases hunger and appetite. This hormone also stimulates the gastric motility and the secretion of gastric acid..
Even a few days of insufficient sleep can have the same effect on leptin and ghrelin levels. Kan points out that in one study, after six days of bedtime restriction to four hours per night, the plasma concentration of leptin in subjects was markedly decreased, particularly during the night.
The second reason we tend to put on weight when we’re sleep-deprived: Simply put, when we don’t get enough sleep we feel more lethargic. This lack of energy makes us more inclined to skip exercise, which can in turn cause us to conserve calories.
Third, being sleep deprived increases our craving for unhealthy foods. According to Esther Yuet Ying- lau, assistant professor at the Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong Centre for Psychosocial Health, this may be due to poor emotional functioning.
“Mood and emotional regulation can be another mechanism bridging sleep deprivation and weight gain,” she explains.
“Sleep deprivation results in poorer mood states and poorer emotional regulating abilities in general. And poor emotional functioning – for example, being in a bad mood, high perceived stress levels and/or depressive symptoms – in turn is found to lead to more high-calorie food choices.”
Sleep deprivation and food choice
A study published in Nature Communication backs this up, revealing neuroimaging evidence that showed the association between sleep deprivation and the selection of foods most capable of triggering weight gain.
According to Kan, a recent study found that sleep deprivation also boosts a chemical signal that increases the pleasure and satisfaction associated with eating.
She says: “This chemical signal is endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, or 2-AG. Blood levels of 2-AG are typically low overnight. They slowly rise during the day, peaking in the early afternoon.
In the study, the authors found that 2AG levels were very high in those study subjects who lacked sleep. As a result, the subjects were less able to inhibit their intake of highly palatable, rewarding snacks. This chemical signal was therefore found to be the culprit of the subjects’ cravings for unhealthy, carbohydrate-dense foods.”
How do you know if you’re sleep-deprived? The US National Sleep Foundation recommends nine to 11 hours of sleep every night for school-aged children, eight to 10 hours for teenagers, seven to nine hours for young adults and adults, and seven to eight hours for older adults.
“Falling below the recommended sleep duration can be considered some extent of sleep deprivation or partial sleep deprivation,” Lau points out.
“If you always rely on an alarm clock to wake you up, if you feel sleepy or even fall asleep during daytime activities such as meetings or lectures or while watching TV, or if you sleep in on weekends or your off-days, there’s a good chance that you are not getting enough sleep.”
Brazil Lawmakers Pass Labour Bill In Bittersweet Victory For Temer - Brazil's lower house of Congress on Wednesday approved the main text of a bill to relax the country's restrictive labour laws, a main plank of President Michel Temer's efforts to bolster investment and pull the economy out of its worst recession ever.
The measure passed by 296-177 in an expected victory to Temer who is struggling with low approval ratings amid a sweeping corruption scandal. The lower house still has to vote amendments to the proposal, which scraps some limits to temporary work, before it heads to the Senate.
Despite the victory by a wide margin, Wednesday's vote shows that Temer still faces some resistance from his allies to secure enough support to approve his unpopular proposal to reform a costly pension system.
The pension reform is expected to face a vote in the lower chamber in the next two weeks but, since it amends Brazil's constitution, it will require approval by three-fifths of the lawmakers or 308 votes which the government may not have yet.
The labour reform vote was seen by the Temer administration as a thermometer of support for the pension proposal.
Approval of the labour bill by the lower house came two days before a national strike and demonstrations called by labour unions and leftist parties to protest Temer's reform program that they say undermines workers' rights to the benefit of business interests.
Backers of the labour bill say it will modernize employment rules that date from the 1950s and encourage investment by lowering labour costs for businesses.
If passed by the Senate, the measure would relax restrictions on temporary workers, introduce guarantees for outsourced work and let collective bargaining agreements between unions and employers override some rules of the labour code.
The bill is fiercely opposed by unions because it would abolish mandatory payment of union dues by Brazilian workers.
Public transport, schools and banks in Brazil's largest cities are expected to be affected by Friday's 24-hour strike called by the unions. But the government has a majority in Congress and is confident it will get the reforms approved.
Temer has made concessions to make the pension reform more palatable to lawmakers facing elections next year. The changes have cut fiscal savings by 25 percent, to about 600 billion reais (£148 billion) over 10 years, the Finance Ministry said.
Assistant Warden Had Them Cowering - The mere mention of his name sent shivers down the spine of the students at the religious school.
The man who allegedly beat Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gadaffi, until the 11-year-old boy died, is said to be a very violent man who had all the students cowering in fear.
A student at the school who did not want to be named, said the assistant warden was very fierce.
The boy expressed shock when told that the assistant warden was a former convict who had spent 30 months in jail for theft.
About 30 students from the school came to pay their last respects to their friend Mohamad Thaqif at his grandparents’ house in Felda Bukit Aping Timur where the funeral was held.
The students, all in white robes, visited a local mosque to perform maghrib and isyak prayers before going to the house about a kilometre away.
They were accompanied by their teachers and principal at the funeral.
When approached, another student, who was in a sombre mood, said he stayed in the same dormitory as Thaqif.
“We entered at the same time and lived in the same dormitory. The school has four dorms and we are divided by seniority,” he said.
Asked about the assistant warden who has been arrested, the boy’s face quickly changed and he looked terrified.
“Only God knows what happened in the dormitory,” he said before walking away to join one of the teachers.
All the students seemed fearful to speak up about the assistant warden or the school.
School principal Afdhaluddin Ismail declined to comment on the suspect, saying he had been instructed by police not to impede the investigation.
When contacted, state religious executive committee chairman Abd Mutalip Abd Rahim said the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAIJ) had already completed its investigation on the school and found that the school had not committed any offence.
Asked how the school had hired a former convict as an assistant warden, he said it was up to the school to hire anyone they believed was up to the task.
“However, in light of the recent incident, JAIJ will come up with new guidelines for these schools to hire staff, especially those in charge of the students’ welfare.
“There are at least 86 privately-run registered religious schools in Johor and previously, we found it difficult for them to register with JAIJ,” he said.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Review: You Never Walk Alone By BTS - The sophomore Korean studio album Wings from BTS – also known as Bangtan Boys – pretty much solidified its status as a major contender for the gritty boy band crown (temporarily left vacant by Bigbang).
Not long after the record’s release late last year, this rookie act is back to take another stab at the big boy’s game with You Never Walk Alone, a repackaged version of BTS’ previous full-length album.
The decision behind this whopping 18-track collection can be accredited to commercial purposes, which of course, it is. Nothing says instant money to music labels than throwing in a couple new songs (in this case, four) and release it as a new full-length album.
But You Never Walk Alone does have its merits too. For the uninitiated, the album is a fantastic introduction to the group. The infectious EDM sounds (Blood Sweat & Tears), jazzy swing (Mama) and smashing rap verses (BTS Cypher 4) all prop up the group as K-pop phenoms to look out for.
It helps that each of the seven members of BTS has a solo album, too, which is a relatively unheard of move in K-pop. This allows for each member’s individuality to shine through.
Spring Day, one quarter of the new offerings, sees the boys baring their soul, shedding light on a more sentimental side of the group. It’s the most vulnerable cut on the album – a given, considering how the song deals with losing someone.
Elsewhere, the remaining new numbers don’t really justify the repackaging of an entire album. But in the world of K-pop, hardcore fans might beg to differ.
BTS
You Never Walk Alone
Big Hit Entertainment
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