Latest news with #USM
The Sun
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
Association raises alarm over online sales of abortion pills
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) has raised the alarm over a surge in illegal sales of unlicensed abortion pills – especially misoprostol – on social media, warning of serious, potentially fatal health risks. MPS general secretary Lim Jack Shen said these pills, often purchased online without prescriptions or guidance, pose grave risks when consumed without medical supervision. 'Medications such as misoprostol are powerful pharmaceuticals intended for use under strict clinical oversight, typically in hospital settings. 'Used incorrectly, they can cause severe uterine bleeding, incomplete abortion, uterine rupture, sepsis and even death,' he told theSun. He stressed these dangers are not minor side effects but life-threatening outcomes, particularly when such drugs are taken without proper diagnosis, monitoring or follow-up care. 'This isn't just a health issue. It's a matter of life and death, especially for young women who may feel they have nowhere else to turn for reproductive healthcare.' Lim added that pharmacy enforcement officers under the Pharmacy Enforcement Division are closely monitoring platforms such as TikTok, where the illegal sale of misoprostol and other prescription-only drugs has been detected. He added that misoprostol has been officially deregistered in Malaysia since 2016, making its sale and purchase illegal regardless of platform. 'Any transaction involving misoprostol – whether on social media or elsewhere – is against the law.' He further warned that the issue extends beyond a lack of awareness, highlighting Malaysia's highly restrictive abortion laws as a contributing factor. 'Abortion is legal only under very limited circumstances, when the mother's life is at risk. With so few legal options, many women are pushed towards unsafe alternatives.' Lim urged social media companies to act more responsibly, suggesting their algorithms could be used more effectively to detect and remove illicit drug sales. Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Drug Research researcher Dr Darshan Singh said the illegal sale of misoprostol highlights a deeper issue, limited access to safe abortion and widespread public misinformation. 'Young women, especially those who are unmarried or facing financial difficulties, often turn to these pills out of sheer desperation.' Darshan highlighted Section 312 of the Penal Code, which stipulates that causing a miscarriage is punishable by up to three years in prison. Women who self-induce an abortion can face up to seven years. He also highlighted Section 315, which deals with acts intended to prevent a child from being born alive or causing its death after birth, that carries penalties of up to 10 years' imprisonment. However, abortion is permitted under Malaysian law if a registered medical practitioner, acting in good faith, believes the pregnancy poses a greater risk to the woman's life or health than terminating it as stated in the Medical Act 1971. Fellow USM researcher Dr Zurina Hassan echoed these concerns, adding that unlicensed pills may contain harmful adulterants such as steroids or incorrect dosages, significantly increasing the risk of overdose and toxic reactions. 'The purity of these black-market drugs is highly questionable. Consumers often have no idea what they're ingesting,' she warned. 'These medications should only be used under proper medical supervision.' On enforcement, Zurina acknowledged the uphill task authorities face, likening the online availability of misoprostol to the trafficking of psychoactive substances on the dark web.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Local businesses benefit as Southern Miss hosts NCAA Regional
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – For the fourth time in program history, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will host a NCAA Regional Tournament this weekend. The impact of the game goes far beyond the baseball field. About 10,000 fans are expected to be in the Hub City this weekend. Tourism officials said nearly every hotel in the city is booked. 'Revenue comes in from out of town. People get to enjoy themselves. They deposit their revenue into our local restaurants, into our local hotels. And that in turn turns into tax dollars, which come back into the city so that we can continue to make improvements and make Hattiesburg the great city that it is,' said Frank James III, chairman of the Hattiesburg Tourism Commission. Restaurants have staffed up for the rush. Expect heavy traffic in Hattiesburg for baseball tournament 'For restaurants coming just out of one of our slowest times of the year, getting over that winter time slum, everybody's starting to get out, kids are finally out of school, families are finally going out to eat again. So really, it's honestly a great boost for us. So, we'll take it when we can get it. If we could have more Regionals, I would love to,' said William Thomas, Front of House supervisor for Ed's Burger Joint. 'We will have a good share of people coming in just because the tickets are hard to come by right now. And we have a good baseball following here at 4th Street. So, I think that will have a lot of Southern Miss faithful in here watching the games,' said Slade White, owner of 4th Street Bar. The weekend could be a grand slam and bring in around $4 million in revenue. Places like Serengeti Springs, the Hattiesburg Zoo and local theaters are also expected to be busy this weekend. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Southern Miss breaks ground on Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Officials broke ground on the Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall at the University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) Gulf Park campus on Friday, May 30. The new facility will expand the life-changing work of DuBard School for Language Disorders and The Children's Center for Communication and Development. Southern Miss, MGCCC unveil Coastal Pathways Scholarship 'For decades, The University of Southern Mississippi has stood committed to serving the needs of the Mississippi Gulf Coast,' said USM President Dr. Joe Paul. 'Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Hall is proof that we have taken seriously our charge to lead, to innovate and to serve. Together, we celebrate a promise—to our children, to their families and to future generations who will receive services that will equip them to navigate life with confidence and hope.' This new facility, named in honor of a gift from the Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Charitable Foundation, was made possible through a combination of federal funding sources, private philanthropy and additional donor support. These investments reflect a shared commitment to supporting children with complex communication and developmental needs across Mississippi's Gulf Coast. The facility will enable both programs to mirror services provided on the Hattiesburg campus to the Gulf Coast community. The space will include specialized classrooms, therapy and observation rooms and a multipurpose area. DuBard School and The Children's Center have collectively served more than 5,000 children since their founding. The programs also provide hands-on training to students in speech-language pathology, audiology, early childhood education and other related disciplines. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Q1 Rundown: U.S. Cellular (NYSE:USM) Vs Other Terrestrial Telecommunication Services Stocks
As the Q1 earnings season wraps, let's dig into this quarter's best and worst performers in the terrestrial telecommunication services industry, including U.S. Cellular (NYSE:USM) and its peers. Terrestrial telecommunication companies face an uphill battle, as they mostly sell into a deflationary market, where the price of moving a bit tends to decrease over time with better technology. Without dependable volume growth, revenue growth could be challenged. Unfortunately, broadband penetration in their core US market is quite high already. On the other hand, data consumption from streaming entertainment and 5G expansion could provide a floor on growth for the next number of years. As if that wasn't enough to worry about, competition is intense, with larger telecom providers and hyperscalers expanding their own networks. The 4 terrestrial telecommunication services stocks we track reported a slower Q1. As a group, revenues missed analysts' consensus estimates by 1.1%. While some terrestrial telecommunication services stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 3.1% since the latest earnings results. Operating as a majority-owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems since its founding in 1983, US Cellular (NYSE:USM) is a regional wireless telecommunications provider serving 4.6 million customers across 21 states with mobile phone, internet, and IoT services. U.S. Cellular reported revenues of $891 million, down 6.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts' expectations by 3.1%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts' EPS estimates. "In the first quarter, we continued to work towards executing on our 2025 priorities which include successfully closing on the previously announced sale of the wireless business, while remaining focused on investing in a strong customer experience and operating our business efficiently," said Laurent Therivel, UScellular President and CEO. U.S. Cellular delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 8.5% since reporting and currently trades at $62.81. Read our full report on U.S. Cellular here, it's free. With approximately 350,000 route miles of fiber optic cable spanning North America and the Asia Pacific, Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN) operates a vast fiber optic network that provides communications, cloud connectivity, security, and IT solutions to businesses and consumers. Lumen reported revenues of $3.18 billion, down 3.3% year on year, outperforming analysts' expectations by 1.9%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts' EPS estimates. Lumen pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 13.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $3.98. Is now the time to buy Lumen? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Operating primarily through its majority-owned subsidiary UScellular and wholly-owned TDS Telecom, Telephone and Data Systems (NYSE:TDS) provides wireless, broadband, video, and voice communications services to 4.6 million wireless and 1.2 million broadband customers across the United States. Telephone and Data Systems reported revenues of $1.15 billion, down 8.6% year on year, falling short of analysts' expectations by 2.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts' EPS estimates. Telephone and Data Systems delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 6.8% since the results and currently trades at $35.04. Read our full analysis of Telephone and Data Systems's results here. Operating a massive network spanning 20,000 miles of fiber optic cable and connecting to over 3,200 buildings worldwide, Cogent Communications (NASDAQ:CCOI) provides high-speed Internet access, private network services, and data center colocation to businesses and bandwidth-intensive organizations across 54 countries. Cogent reported revenues of $247 million, down 7.2% year on year. This result missed analysts' expectations by 1%. All in all, it was a slower quarter for the company. The stock is down 10.1% since reporting and currently trades at $47.75. Read our full, actionable report on Cogent here, it's free. Thanks to the Fed's rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn't send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump's November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there's still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Join Paid Stock Investor Research Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here. Sign in to access your portfolio
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
3,000 community rangers to strengthen forest and wildlife protection
GEORGE TOWN: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) will increase the number of community rangers to 3,000 this year under the Biodiversity Protection and Patrolling Programme (BP3), to curb illegal activities involving wildlife and forests. NRES secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo said the new appointments, comprising mainly members of the Orang Asli community as well as veterans of the armed forces and police, aim to strengthen protection efforts against encroachment in permanent forest reserves nationwide. "With the RM80 million allocation received this year, we plan to appoint up to 3,000 community rangers. "The impact has been positive so far, with reports indicating a clear reduction in illegal activities, especially poaching," he told reporters after launching the Jelajah Kelestarian Alam 2.0 programme at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) yesterday. "BP3 enables us to monitor forests more effectively and combat threats such as encroachment, illegal logging and poaching," he added. The programme, jointly organised by NRES, the Sultan Mizan Antarctic Research Foundation and the Department of Environment (DOE), drew over 250 participants, including USM vice-chancellor Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamed and DOE director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar. Meanwhile, Ching urged residents affected by wildlife disturbances that damage property or crops to apply for the Property and Crop Damage Compensation (BKHT). He said RM10 million was allocated for the programme last year, but only 10 percent was disbursed due to the low number of applications. "BKHT was introduced last year to assist victims facing significant losses due to human-wildlife conflicts. "The initiative will continue this year with an additional RM1.5 million," he said. He said the ministry is reviewing a proposal to increase the BKHT payout rate from 50 percent to 60 percent of the reported damages to better support affected individuals. "Based on records, most of these claims involve elephant-related damages, especially in Johor, Kelantan and Pahang. "There are also reports involving monkeys, though to a lesser extent," he said. – Bernama
