logo
Disabled widow sings to support her two kids

Disabled widow sings to support her two kids

The Star6 days ago
SHE lost both legs but widow N. Megala remains determined to earn an income to support her two children, Utusan Malaysia reported.
Megala, 44, lost her right leg after an accident in 2022. A year later, her other leg was amputated due to complications from diabetes.
These days, she sings at events to pay for medical bills and the school expenses of her daughters aged 12 and 16.
Both girls are also diabetic.
'I would memorise as many songs as possible including those in Malay.
'I try to promote myself on TikTok so that others could see my talent and invite me for performances.'
Megala, whose husband died 12 years ago, used to be a tailor but couldn't continue with the job with her condition.
As her husband's monthly pension of RM1,200 is insufficient, Megala, who lives in Ipoh, must earn additional income to support her family.
> Actor Hariz Hamdan is remorseful for uploading a video clip which showed actress Nelydia Senrose clutching his arm during a cable car ride in Langkawi, Kosmo! reported.
He said he had wanted to share the video among friends and also to promote his new drama.
'I'm sorry if the video caused uneasiness. It wasn't my intention to cause a controversy,' said Hariz, 23.
Netizens pointed out that Nelydia, 30, is a married woman.
Hariz explained that the physical contact was unintentional and a spontaneous act as Nelydia was panicking during the ride. Hariz said he merely tried to calm her down.
> A radio presenter will spend about RM500,000 to build a madrasah on ancestral land in Negri Sembilan to fulfil his ­mother's dream, Harian Metro reported.
Nabil Ahmad, 42, said his 77-year-old mother has been undergoing kidney dialysis for eight years and wanted a ­madrasah to be built for orphans, he said.
'I hope construction of the madrasah will proceed smoothly and that it will be operational by next year,' he added.
The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The claw grip is trending, and it says a lot about women's fashion woes
The claw grip is trending, and it says a lot about women's fashion woes

The Star

time10 hours ago

  • The Star

The claw grip is trending, and it says a lot about women's fashion woes

Everywhere you look, women have their hands full. They are clutching water bottles, phones, cups of matcha and wallets. Now that it's summer, sunglasses dangle off the pinkies of already stuffed hands. Never mind that women's handbags, where these items could theoretically live, make up an entire industry and that bigger bags, in particular, are having a moment. The phenomenon, in which women are gripping their necessities without the aid of pockets or bags, is called the claw grip, and on social media, it has been crowned as a secret superpower. In one video on TikTok, a woman challenged herself to carry as many items as possible in one hand. She managed 15, including a lip balm, a pen, a bottle of hand sanitiser, a Kindle, a notebook, a wallet, a power bank, a comb and three water bottles. Read more: Why toes are taking over: Fashion's growing obsession with feet-first style An Instagram account dedicated to girls carrying things (which uses a profane synonym for 'things' and sometimes goes by GCS) posts images submitted by users of their hands full of various bric-a-brac. 'I have seen my grandma do the claw grip all her life,' comedian Atsuko Okatsuka said in an email. 'Every grandma of every culture and race always has, like, a napkin or a piece of trash that they've been carrying around for a long time, maybe years. 'I have taken on the passed-down tradition of claw hands myself,' she added. 'Whether it's mayonnaise packets, or napkins or my cellphone, I am always holding stuff.' For Halle Robbe, personal experience with this tradition prompted her to create the GCS account on Instagram. In 2021, Robbe had run out to a nearby bodega. 'I just brought my keys, my wallet and my AirPods with me, and then I was going to get a Red Bull,' she said, noting that she did not bring a bag. 'I had it all in my hand so I took a photo and put it on my personal Instagram with some silly caption that was some version of, like, 'After hundreds of years of evolution, this is what I can do.'' Her friends responded to her post almost immediately, saying they do the same thing. Robbe created the GCS account that same day. She initially solicited photos from friends and co-workers, and now she receives more than 100 submissions a day. 'I think we've all been there when we have just, like, an assortment of stuff and we're running out the door,' said Abby Cox, 29, a fashion historian and a YouTube content creator. 'I need to make sure I have my glasses. I need my water bottle. Do I need to bring a snack? 'And so you're going out the door with your purse,' she added, 'And then the stuff that should be in your purse.' A popular theory around the origins of the claw grip is that it is a reaction to the fashion industry's refusal to provide women with the functional pockets that are standard in men's clothing. It was not always this way. As far back as the Regency and Victorian eras, women had pockets in the form of bags that were tied around their waists underneath their big, flouncy skirts, Cox said. Their dresses had slits through which women could access these pockets, which could be as big or small as necessary. Cox added: 'They would have pockets in the hems of skirts or they would have what we call butt pockets, because in the back pleats of gowns, you could hide a deep pocket.' In one of her YouTube videos, in which she is dressed in Victorian clothing, she put an entire bottle of prosecco in such a pocket. In the late 20th century, as female clothing shifted toward narrower silhouettes and lighter textiles, substantial pockets became difficult to incorporate, so they were sized down or erased from garments altogether, she said. In February 2024, Hailey Bieber's brand, Rhode, released a phone case with a built-in lip gloss holder that generated a wait list of more than 200,000 interested customers. Now the case and the lip gloss have become immediately recognisable, partly because of how many times they're seen peeking through women's hands – or particularly, Bieber's hands. This month, Glossier – which from its earliest days had packaged items in pink transparent reusable pouches – released a pair of terry-cloth shorts with a sliver of a pocket that fit only lip balms. There are also side pockets, which could fit a phone, and a single belt loop, potentially for key rings. There are also theories that the claw grip reflects the chaos of the minds of women who are thinking through to-do lists and mentally writing text messages and running errands all at the same time. 'I think holding things in our hands actually is our need to keep something in control,' Okatsuka said. 'I started getting submissions that were like, 'Oh, I'm carrying XYZ and the weight of the world' or something metaphorical like that,' Robbe said. The claw grip, she added, could be seen as 'an extension of or in parallel with the mental and emotional and spiritual burdens that women carry'. Read more: From kopitiam to cool: How the white tank top became a style staple for men It is an idea that artist Maira Kalman started to explore three years ago. 'One day at a farmers market, I saw a woman carrying an absolutely gigantic cabbage,' Kalman said in a 2023 TED Talk. 'It made me think of all the things women hold, literally and metaphorically.' Yes, they hold cabbages, balloons, phones. But also, in her own words, "the home and the family and the children and the food". "The friendships, the work, the work of the world and the work of being human. The memories and the troubles and the sorrows and the triumphs and the love. Men do as well, but not quite in the same way,' she added. She turned her observations into a book of paintings. It is called Women Holding Things. – ©2025 The New York Times Company This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Banquet marks royal birthday in Brunei
Banquet marks royal birthday in Brunei

The Star

time17 hours ago

  • The Star

Banquet marks royal birthday in Brunei

Their Majesties at the banquet on July 26. - BB/ANN BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha graced a banquet at Istana Nurul Iman on July 26 in conjunction with His Majesty's 79th birthday celebration. The royal banquet was preceded by the singing of the national anthem and recitation of Doa Selamat by State Mufti Pehin Datuk Seri Maharaja Datuk Paduka Seri Setia (Dr) Ustaz Awang Abdul Aziz Juned. Guests in traditional Malay costume and formal attire dined on various dishes while bands from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Royal Brunei Police Force, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and Brunei Youth Symphony performed at the venue. The royal banquet concluded with a display of fireworks. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN

Bintang Kecil: Tawau lass to represent Sabah
Bintang Kecil: Tawau lass to represent Sabah

Daily Express

time17 hours ago

  • Daily Express

Bintang Kecil: Tawau lass to represent Sabah

Published on: Sunday, July 27, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jul 27, 2025 Text Size: Nurul Hafizah (left) and Hannah pose with their prizes. KOTA KINABALU: Nurul Hafizah Safri from Tawau will represent Sabah at the national Bintang Kecil 2025 competition, scheduled to be held in Kuching, Sarawak on Sept 20. She was named Best Participant for the Sabah Zone during the recent Debaran Bintang Kecil 2025 round, earning her a spot in the finals. Nurul edged out close competitor Hannah Jean Roney. Both received RM3,000 in cash prizes. Nurul expressed gratitude and promised to give her best in the finals. 'My hope is to do my best in Sarawak and make Tawau and Sabah proud,' she said. Her family, including her aunt Misbaria Maidin, has been supportive and noticed positive changes in Nurul since joining the competition. 'The Bintang Kecil stage has brought many benefits to children like my niece. She is now braver in public, compared to before when she was shy. She gained a lot of experience through this competition,' Misbaria said. A total of 11 participants from Brunei, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak will compete in the final, which this year highlights a Metaverse concept, combining digital creativity and live performance. Meanwhile, Sabah Broadcasting Director Mohd Yusni Mohamed Ali congratulated all participants and expressed hope that Sabah's representative would shine at the national level. 'Congratulations to all participants, especially Nurul from Tawau. She delivered an outstanding performance and rightly earned her place to represent the Sabah Zone. I hope this win leads to greater success in Sarawak,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store