Malaysia was once one of the top 20 countries that best managed the Covid-19 pandemic. However, after the Sabah election in September 2020, mass gatherings had triggered a third wave of COVID-19 spike. Furthermore, the highly contagious Delta variant landed in Malaysia recently. According to Dr Noor Hisham, this variant is far more contagious whereby an infected person could spread the virus to 5 to 8 people as compared to the original SARS-CoV2 that only spread to 2 to 4 individuals. As screening continues, more asymptomatic carriers are identified which reached 8000 confirmed cases for the first time and cases even exceeded 10,000 since 13th July. This uprise signalled that the war with the virus would not end soon.
In the past few decades, we have seen how the world has changed with the exponential growth of technology and the ways in which we use it. Social media is one contribution of this growth that has become crucial to the typical “21st century life”. Even if you do not have it, chances are, you are not immune to its impact on the world. One of the most important effects social media has had on the world is its contribution to activism. From MySpace to TikTok and everything in between, the use of social media has unequivocally evolved. From a site meant to stay better connected to friends, social media has since turned into a platform of endless possibilities. Take Instagram for example: what started out as a photo-sharing app has today become a platform for so much more; such as business and social change. However, some would argue that it has created a flurry of problems for users, mainly relating to mental health, but its contribution to forming a well-informed and well connected society remains indisputable.
In celebration of Starbucks’ 25th anniversary in Japan, they have released a limited-edition series of 47 Frappuccinos, each representing a prefecture. Frappuccinos are Starbucks’ trademarked name for sweetened, ice-blended drinks topped with whipped cream. This line-up is titled ‘47 JIMOTO Frappuccino’, jimoto meaning local.
I don’t know what time it is, but it’s late at night. The both of us are perched on the rooftop, sharing a cigarette. I watch my younger self inhale and choke on the smoke. She clearly grimaces and hands it back to me. I inhale deeply, biding my time. The edge of the cigarette crackles as I slowly exhale into the cold, night air.
The hours spent in training, the blood, sweat and tears shed, were all for this moment to shine brightly in achieving their dreams in sports. Thus, Echo proudly presents, “Meet the Stars”, encapsulating the journey of Sunway’s Sports Scholars who have rewritten history and made their dreams come true.
Look 214,000 million kilometers away from Earth, and you will find our sister planet, Venus. Named after the eponymous Greek goddess of love, this planet shines as one of the brightest celestial bodies in our night sky. Mankind has always looked towards colonising potential planets such as Mars. Yet, Venus is rarely brought up as a possible candidate. Have you ever wondered why that’s the case? Well, the truth of the matter is that Venus is entirely uninhabitable. Ravaged by the long-lasting effects of climate change, our sister planet has completely metamorphosed from having similar atmospheric conditions to Earth to a fiery sphere of literal doom.
“Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it.”
Elastigirl, The Incredibles.
