Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) conducted the third series of Academic Service programme via Zoom from 8.30am to 10am on Sunday.
Faculty of Usuluddin lecturer Dr Haji Ahmad Baha bin Haji Mokhtar, who also attained a PhD in the field of Rasm Al-Mushaf, facilitated the programme organised by the Centre for Leadership and Lifelong Learning.
Dr Haji Ahmad Baha continued from his previous lecturer and delivered a topic on understanding Ta’awudz and Basmalah. The discussion shared understanding the meaning of Ta’awudz and Basmalah as well as Hikmah on Istiazah and Basmalah.
It is hoped that the programme serves as a medium for UNISSA to be known as an Islamic university offering programmes that could be participated by the public.
Faculty of Usuluddin lecturer Dr Haji Ahmad Baha bin Haji Mokhtar during the programme. PHOTO: UNISSA
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (AP) – The Philippines yesterday reported a record high number of new COVID-19 cases for the third day, logging 33,169 infections.
The positivity rate, or percentage of tested people whose results came out positive, also soared to 46 per cent, another record high since the pandemic started two years ago.
Yesterday’s tally brings the Philippines’ total infection count nearer to the three million mark at 2,998,530. The death toll stood at 52,293 with 145 new deaths recorded.
Officials said they are assuming that local transmission of the highly contagious Omicron variant is driving the current spike in cases.
Some experts have called for increased restrictions as cases surge and hospital operations are being hobbled by the number of infected health workers. But officials said yesterday there is still no need to raise the alert to the fourth level of the five-step alert system.
The capital region Metro Manila and several provinces and cities are under under Alert Level 3 until January 15. Prohibited activities include in-person classes, live voice and wind instrument events, contact sport, and fairs. Operations of gatherings in residences of people who do not belong to the same household are also not allowed.
Restaurants, gyms, barbershops, and other establishments can operate only at 30 per cent capacity indoors for fully vaccinated customers and 50 per cent outdoors.
A police officer checks documents in Manila. PHOTO: AP
RIBNOVO, BULGARIA (AFP) – The marriage of Nefie Eminkova, 21, and her fiancé Schaban Kiselov, 24, is an extravaganza of bright colours, flowers, feasting and dancing.
But the bride, who comes from Bulgaria’s Pomak minority, can see none of it.
Her eyes must remain tightly closed until a priest blesses the couple.
The pair is following an age-old traditional winter wedding rite that their tiny community nestled in the southern Rhodope mountains was forced to abandon during communism but revived since the fall of the regime in 1989.
The ritual spans two whole days, starting with a lavish display of the bride’s dowry.
It comprises “everything you can think of” that a new family might need, Nefie explained.
Handmade socks, crocheted baby blankets and bedding are hung out on wooden scaffolding in the street, next to a fully-made marriage bed and a television set.
Bulgarian Pomak bride Nefie Eminkova poses during her wedding ceremony. PHOTOS: AFPNefie and her fiancé Schaban Kiselov receive greetings from relatives during their wedding ceremony
The culmination of the wedding comes at the end of the second day with the gelina – the painting of the bride’s face.
In private and away from prying male eyes, two older women relatives cover Nefie’s face with a thick layer of white face paint and then decorate it with multicoloured sequins.
They cover her hair with a red headscarf and frame her painted doll-like face with silk flower garlands and streaks of shiny tinsel, making her unrecognisable.
She is then presented to her husband-to-be clad in traditional attire of dark crimson baggy pants, multicoloured apron and bodice and henna-painted fingertips contrasting with his simple blue jeans and black blazer.
Nefie holds up a hand mirror and secretly takes a peek at her face. She will be allowed to open her eyes wide only after the imam blesses the new couple and her husband washes her face with milk in their new home.
Plenty of food and dancing to music from zurnas and drums ensures the success of the
marriage festivities.
“That’s the way people here get married and we also like to have it this way,” Nefie told AFP before the gelina face painting.
Nefie and Schaban will leave Ribnovo, a mountainous village of some 3,000 inhabitants, in the spring for Germany, where the young man has a small flooring business. Like many other Bulgarians, he was forced abroad in search of work and a better income and has only returned briefly for the wedding.
“My parents did not have a chance to have such a wedding and I decided to do it the old way in order to make them happy, they look even happier than we are,” Schaban said.
Bulgaria’s communist regime from after World War II until 1989 was especially hostile to the country’s sizeable Muslim minority.
The Pomaks – Slavs converted to Islam during Ottoman rule – were particularly oppressed and forced to abandon their colourful attire as well as their wedding rites during the 1970s.
There are some 200,000 Pomaks living in Bulgaria today but only Ribnovo and one other southern village maintain the old wedding rites.
This is thanks to Ribnovo’s geographical isolation and the “capsulation” of its community, Ethnology Professor Evgenia Ivanova explained.
And while only a handful of weddings are held every winter in Ribnovo, the same Muslim ritual is also observed in Bulgaria’s southeastern neighbour Turkey.
Firefighters extinguished a house fire in 10 minutes after receiving a distress call about a fire at RPN Kampong Mentiri on Sunday.
SO Pengiran Haji Ali Abdul Rahman bin Pengiran Haji Halus led nine firefighters from Mentiri Fire Station of Operation ‘A’ branch in response to the call.
When the team arrived at the scene, the fire had already consumed a room on the upper section of the house made from concrete and spandex roof.
The firefighters doused the fire in 10 minutes.
No injuries or loss of life were reported.
The cause of fire and estimation of losses are under investigation.
The Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) reminded the public to equip their home with dry powder type fire extinguisher and fire blanket, ensure that electrical appliances are switched off before leaving the house and not to leave cooking unattended and check the gas regulator and pipes for leakage.
ABOVE & BELOW: Smoke billows from the house; and a firefighter extinguishes the fire. PHOTOS: FRD
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The Power of the Dog and West Side Story on Sunday won the top film prizes at an untelevised Golden Globes that was largely ignored by Hollywood, with awards unveiled via a live blog without any of the usual A-list glamour.
Jane Campion’s dark Western The Power of the Dog became only the second film directed by a woman to win the Best Drama prize.
The film also won for Best Director and Best Supporting actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee.
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake claimed top honours for Best Comedy or Musical, as well as lead and supporting actress prizes for stars Rachel Zegler and Ariana DeBose.
Will Smith and Nicole Kidman won the prizes for Best Actor and Actress in film dramas for their turns in King Richard and Being the Ricardos.
But none of the stars were present as usual at the Beverly Hilton, with the ceremony held behind closed doors.
The awards, which are usually closely followed for the immediate boost to box office tallies and Oscar hopes that a Globes win can provide, were hugely overshadowed by a long-brewing row over ethical lapses by the organisers.
A scene from the movie ‘Power of the Dog’. PHOTO: AP
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), a group of 100-odd entertainment writers with links to foreign publications, has been accused of a litany of failings from corruption to racism.
The Globes are traditionally billed as Tinseltown’s biggest party – in past years, the event was watched by TV audiences of millions, and spawned frenzied debate and memes on social media. This year, NBC scrapped its broadcast, the HFPA did not offer a livestream, and the event failed to take off on Twitter, where pop culture fans were more preoccupied with the death of United States (US) comedian Bob Saget.
The young stars of West Side Story took to Twitter to mark their wins, with Zegler noting that she had been awarded her Globe exactly three years after being cast as an unknown by Spielberg from among 30,000 hopefuls.
“Life is very strange,” she wrote.
DeBose thanked the HFPA while cautioning that further reform is needed. “There is still work to be done, but when you’ve worked so hard on a project – infused with blood, sweat, tears and love – having the work seen and acknowledged is always going to be special,”
she tweeted.
A Los Angeles Times expose last year found the HFPA had no Black members, opening the floodgates for criticism from across Hollywood including from A-list stars such as Tom Cruise.
Since the scandal broke, the HFPA has rushed through reforms, admitting its biggest ever annual intake, including several Black and other minority members.
It has banned members from accepting lavish gifts and hotel stays from studios courting their votes, and highlighted its philanthropic work.
During the behind-closed-doors ceremony on Sunday, the HFPA tweeted pre-recorded videos from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis praising the group’s community work.
“I’m proud to be associated with them in this venture,” said Curtis, referring to funding by the HFPA for community programmes.
But celebrities were otherwise conspicuously absent from the proceedings, leaving the Golden Globes website’s live blog to inform readers, “No other awards community shows as much love and generosity to others quite like the HFPA!”
Despite the subdued atmosphere surrounding the Globes, three wins apiece for The Power of the Dog and West Side Story confirm their credentials as contenders for an award season that culminates in March with the Oscars.
Campion’s Power of the Dog, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which tackles toxic masculinity in 1920s Montana and was released by Netflix with a limited theatrical run, has received rave reviews.
Spielberg’s West Side Story remake flopped at the box office but was also adored by critics.
Kenneth Branagh, whose black-and-white account of the outbreak of sectarian violence during the late 1960s in Belfast is considered a strong award season contender and had jointly topped the nominations, won only for Best Screenplay.
Andrew Garfield won Best Actor in a comedy of musical for tick, tick… Boom!, which is based on the semi-autobiographical musical of the same name written by Rent composer Jonathan Larson. Succession, HBO’s tale of about a media tycoon’s warring family, topped the television side with three prizes including Best Drama.
ANN/THE DAILY STAR – Biting into the perfect fries, you should first hear a crunch and then be greeted with soft potatoes inside. Unfortunately, homemade fries fail to live up to the expectation and often, we are left with limp and soggy fries, which nobody wants!
To avoid this kitchen failure, here are some important tips to nail the classic French fries at home, followed by a delicious seasoning mix and dips that complement them really well.
SELECTING THE RIGHT POTATO
To make the perfect fries, you have to start by selecting the right potatoes for the job, and old harvest will yield the best results in this case. Choose large potatoes with skins peeling off, as this is a symbol of low moisture and starch content – two things that you want to avoid.
PREPPING THE POTATOES
Once you select the right kind of potatoes, peel and square them off for an even cut and cooking. Cut them into thin batons, keeping them as uniform as possible. Then, soak them in cold water for 10-15 minutes to draw out excess starch.
THE TRIPLE-COOK METHOD
The triple-cook method is the ultimate fool-proof manner to make perfectly crispy fries. It takes a little bit more time and patience, but the results are unlike any other method. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and drop in the potato batons and let them boil for a couple
of minutes.
After that, strain them out and pat them completely dry with a kitchen towel.
FRY, AND FRY AGAIN
Even if you skip the previous step, do not skip this one, as it is crucial to fry the potatoes twice. To deep fry the potatoes, bring sufficient amount of oil up to temperature on medium-high heat. Drop them into the pan and par-cook them for only a minute or so.
Take them off the heat and drain them on a kitchen towel. Lay the half-cooked potatoes into one single sheet and freeze them for 30 minutes. You can freeze the potatoes for up to six months in this state.
MODERATE THE TEMPERATURE
After that, before frying the potatoes again, lightly coat them with corn flour for an extra crisp exterior. Heat oil on high this time and fry the potatoes in batches to avoid overcrowding, as this will drop the temperature.
To ensure the oil is hot enough, drop one strip of potato and you should hear a sizzle instantly. Move them around in the pan for even cooking, and fry them until they are golden brown, which should take about two-three minutes.
Drain the potatoes on a sieve, which will enable them to retain crispiness and season them while they are still hot. For well-seasoned French fries, you can make a quick chilli salt using salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle this seasoning mix over the fried potatoes and toss them to coat well.
DIBS ON DIPS
What are fries without delicious dips to accompany them? Level up your game with these two game-changing dips.
HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE
Ingredients
– Quarter cup mayonnaise
– One tbsp mustard
– One tbsp honey
– One tsp apple cider vinegar
– Half tsp hot sauce
– Pinch of salt
– Drizzle of oil (optional)
Method
Mix mayonnaise, mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce together with a sprinkle of salt to balance all the flavours.
Finally, finish it off with a drizzle of oil for a glossy texture.
GARLIC MAYO
Ingredients
– Half cup oil
– Quarter cup milk
– One tsp salt
– One tsp pepper
– One tbsp garlic powder
– One tbsp chopped garlic
– Two tsp lemon juice
– One tsp white vinegar
Method
Mix all the ingredients together using a whisk or blender on high speed, until it becomes a thick and creamy homogenous mixture. For thicker consistency, you may squeeze in more lemon juice.
LONDON (AFP) – Edinson Cavani has told Ralf Rangnick that he wants to stay at Manchester United and help improve the misfiring team’s fortunes after speculation that he would leave during the January transfer window.
The 34-year-old moved to Old Trafford in October 2020 and was strongly tipped to depart after just one season, only to agree to stay for a further campaign.
Rangnick said last week he would not let Cavani go and he has now confirmed that the veteran striker is keen to stay.
“I told him that if it was up to me I would want him to stay and I had a conversation with him,” said Rangnick.
“He came to my office and we spoke for almost half an hour and he told me that he will definitely stay, he will want to stay until the end of the season.
Manchester United’s striker Edinson Cavani celebrates. PHOTO: AP
“Not only because I told him that he should stay or has to stay, but he did it on his own behalf.”
Rangnick said Cavani was happy to play matches from the start but would also be the “best possible role model” for other players even if not playing.
“This is, for me, good news because Edi is one of those players with his vast amount of experience, his mentality, his work ethic, who could really be a perfect role model for all the other players,” he said.
United are seeking to end a trophy drought that now stretches to nearly five years.
The team have failed to produce consistently the pressing football that Rangnick is renowned for but he believes the players have the capacity to embrace it.
“This is the only way we can compete in this league on that level,” said the German.
QUETTA, PAKISTAN (AFP) – A band of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants is on the run in Pakistan after escaping a police raid that killed six other members of the group, officials said yesterday.
Counterterrorism police said in a statement they had stormed a hideout in the southwestern city of Quetta on Saturday and killed six militants, but “around four to five managed to escape”.
A senior police official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that “teams are now raiding different areas to arrest those who escaped”.
Among the dead was junior commander in the regional chapter of Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) Asghar Sumalani. He had a INR2 million (USD11,400) bounty on his head.
Pakistani officials have long played down the presence of IS-K in their country.
But the group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks, including the slaying of 11 miners from the minority Hazara community last year.
SEOUL (XINHUA) – Foreign direct investment (FDI) in South Korea hit a record high last year due to rapid growth of investment in the services industry, a government report showed yesterday.
The reported FDI jumped 42.3 per cent over the year to USD29.51 billion in 2021, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It was the highest since relevant data began to be compiled in 1962, marking the first rebound in three years.
The reported FDI in the services sector advanced 64.2 to USD23.57 billion last year, but the investment in the local manufacturing industry declined 16.2 per cent to USD5 billion.
The direct investment from China, the European Union (EU) and Japan increased to USD7.54 billion, USD12.8 billion and USD1.21 billion each, but investment from the United States fell to USD5.26 billion.
The greenfield investment, which includes the construction of factories and employment, soared 83.2 per cent over the year to USD11.42 billion last year, while the merger and acquisition (M&A) investment gained 24.7 per cent to USD18.09 billion.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA (AP) – Indonesian authorities yesterday granted emergency authorisation for the use of five different COVID-19 vaccines as booster shots that will prioritise vulnerable groups.
Head of Indonesia’s Food and Drug Monitoring Agency Penny Lukito said Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Zifivax vaccines would be distributed as a third vaccine shot in the country. Lukito added there are several additional vaccines that are currently in the process of clinical trials to obtain emergency use permits.
“We need to give the booster vaccine to maintain vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 infection,” Lukito said at a news conference yesterday.
The Health Ministry-run booster programme will begin tomorrow and put at the front of the line high-risk populations aged 18 and above, namely the elderly and groups of immunocompromised individuals, according to a ministry statement. The government distributed booster shots to medical workers since July of last year.
The government is also distributing free booster vaccines for the elderly and other
vulnerable groups.
Indonesia, as of Sunday, had recorded over 4.2 million COVID-19 cases and more than 144,000 deaths. During the peak of the last surge in July, it hit 56,757 cases per day as hospitals became overwhelmed by sick patients and ran out of beds and oxygen supplies.
A total of 116 millions people in the country have received the complete two doses of vaccines out of a government-set target of 208 million people.
