Blog

He resists being boxed in as merely a photographer or fine artist, though he moves fluidly between both worlds.

Francois Bancon’s art – shaped through the lens of a camera and the precision of a computer, rather than on paper, canvas, or any traditional medium – is not a bid for modernity, nor a play for relevance in this age of algorithms, doom-scrolling, and AI.

Now based in Malaysia, the Frenchman is far more interested in engaging your mind. He wants you to think – really think – about what you’re seeing, just as he does when creating it and questioning what that process means.

The essence of Bancon’s work lies in nature – not in vast landscapes, but in the delicate details of flora and the subtle life forces we often overlook.

It reflects Bancon’s ongoing contemplation of nature’s place in a rapidly changing world – how it endures, adapts, and sometimes retreats under the weight of human progress.

https://lernix.com.my

Prince William will not allow his uncle Andrew anywhere near his coronation or even royal life once he is king, according to a recent report.

William was consulted and favoured his father’s decision to force Andrew to renounce use of his Duke of York and other royal titles amid damning disclosures about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, The Sunday Times reported.

At the same time, the Prince of Wales thinks his dad, Charles III, is cutting his brother too much slack and remains unsatisfied, the newspaper said.

Andrew said he was stepping back because the “continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” compelling him to “put my duty to my family and country first.”

William, however, is said to be more concerned with the welfare of sexual abuse victims, The Sunday Times reported.

He is conscious of the potential message that seeing Andrew at events alongside his royal relatives could telegraph to survivors, the newspaper said.

The 65-year-old Andrew’s banishment under William’s reign will encompass every single facet of royal life, including public and private royal events and most state occasions, The Sunday Times reported.

King Charles has simply asked his brother to remain “invisible” at such functions and told Andrew and ex-wife Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson not to come to Sandringham for family Christmas. Ferguson also can no longer use the Duchess of York title.

The tipping point for King Charles may have been the revelation that Andrew lied about cutting off his friendship with disgraced globetrotting financier Epstein, who allegedly trafficked teens and young women to prominent men around the world, including Andrew.

Both Andrew and Ferguson continued contact with Epstein even after publicly disavowing him as he became mired in victim allegations starting around 2010, newly leaked emails have revealed. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

One of Epstein’s most prominent accusers was Virginia Giuffre, who was 16-year-old Virginia Roberts when Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell lured her from Mar-a-Lago with a job offer that quickly turned into exploitation.

Giuffre, who committed suicide in April at age 41, had consistently maintained she was forced into sex with Andrew three times, two of them when she was 17. She sued him, and Andrew settled in 2022 for an undisclosed sum.

In 2019 Andrew told BBC journalist Emily Maitlis in a Newsnight interview that he had cut off all contact with Epstein in 2010.

But last week email correspondence emerged between the two in 2011, right around the time a now-famous photo of him with Giuffre was published. London authorities are now looking into whether Andrew asked his taxpayer-funded bodyguard to dig up dirt on Giuffre.

Fergie in 2011 publicly disavowed her Epstein association and said taking money from him was a “terrible, terrible error of judgment,” only to turn around and praise him as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend” in an apology email, The Sunday Times reported.

Andrew has denied knowing Giuffre or committing any of the acts attributed to him.

As snippets and excerpts trickle out from Giuffre’s posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice on the eve of the book’s Tuesday (Oct 21) publication, pressure is building for Andrew to be officially stripped of his royal titles, which would require an act of parliament.

https://lernix.com.my/986-2

As the nursery rhyme goes: “Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.” That will soon be the general opinion among Malaysians in affected areas when the northeast monsoon hits.

The season typically brings heavy rainfall to Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, from November to March.

But don’t let the rain, well … rain on your parade. As long as you don’t do recreational activities outdoors, like island hopping or picnics at waterfalls, you can still have fun on rainy days.

That said, not all outdoor water activities are strictly prohibited either. Some activities are actually best done during the monsoon season (as unbelievable as this sounds).

Relax at resorts

Beach resorts tend to have lower occupancy during rainy seasons, making them perfect for staycations if avoiding throngs of tourists is top on your priority list.

Fewer crowds, less waiting time, more relaxing overall – staff too will be more attentive as they have less to juggle.

https://lernix.com.my/lean-six-sigma-certification-training-courses-malaysia

Learning to speak several languages is a rewarding journey, but it takes strategy and consistency. Here are some tips to help you stay on track:

1. Start with a strong reason

Whether it’s connecting with family, advancing your career or exploring new cultures, knowing why you’re learning keeps your motivation high.

2. Immerse daily, in small doses

Listen to songs, podcasts or watch short videos in your target language. A focused session of 10 minutes a day is better than an occasional “marathon”.

3. Practise out loud

Speaking activates memory and builds confidence. Read signs aloud, talk to yourself or use voice notes to hear your progress.

Practise out loud because speaking activates memory and builds confidence. Photo: Freepik

4. Use it in real life

Text a friend, order food or label household items in your new language. Real-world use locks in vocabulary and makes learning feel natural.

5. Balance is key

Schedule different days or times for each language to avoid mixing them up. Rotate to keep all of them active.

6. Embrace mistakes

Fluency grows from trial and error. Celebrate small wins and treat slip-ups as valuable feedback, not failure.

7. Find a community

Language exchanges, online groups and conversation meet-ups provide support and authentic interaction, with more space to practise and get better at the language.

https://lernix.com.my/agile-and-scrum-training-courses-malaysia-2

There’s a poignant adage that while one mother can care for ten children, ten children often struggle to care for one mother.

Personally, I feel we can no longer bring this up each time there is a discussion about elderly neglect, abuse or abandonment. In the first place, it is becoming a rarity these days to find a family with more than five children. The demographics show a steady decline in the fertility rate. It currently stands at 1.9, down from a high of 2.9 in 2000. The average of one or two children is becoming the norm now for young couples.

Furthermore, children will eventually leave the family home to further their studies or seek employment elsewhere either locally or abroad. The end outcome is the rise in the number of empty nesters. An estimated 10% of our senior citizens live alone. This trend is continuing. Smaller family size means fewer siblings to share the financial, physical and filial responsibility of taking care of their elderly parents.

Not all children will support their parents in their old age. Some can afford to, but choose not to because of long-standing family friction. Many have their own financial commitments to grapple with and a young family to raise. Whatever the case or circumstances, the fact is elderly parents have to fend for themselves.

If they have sufficient savings to see them through the retirement years, well and good. But with advancing age comes a host of health issues, especially non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, stroke that require long term care. The situation is further compounded by soaring medical costs and insufficient or no medical insurance coverage.

https://lernix.com.my/adroid-training-courses-malaysia

By the end of the month it can be easy to think, ‘Where did all my money go?’ If this sounds familiar, and if you feel as though you often have little to show for the cash you’ve spent, the ‘no spend’ trend could be for you.

It’s been around as a concept since the early 2010s, but is now all over social media – check out #nospendchallenge or #nospendmonth. “It’s basically talking about a set period of time where you make a concerted commitment to not spend money on things that aren’t essential,” explains Matthew Sheeran, from UK-based credit counseling service Money Wellness and a trained debt adviser.

It could be for a day a week, just on weekends or for a whole month. “You can still do your food shopping and pay your bills,” says Sheeran, but all those little luxuries, like takeaways, coffees or new clothes, are off limits.

https://lernix.com.my/agile-and-scrum-training-courses-malaysia

Although a wedding celebrates love and commitment between two people, it is also a moment when fashion takes the spotlight.

The bride’s gown will somehow always become a focus.

Is she wearing a strapless design? Does it trail into a mermaid train? Is it a traditional ensemble or a Western-style gown?

When Selena Gomez shared her wedding photos on Instagram early this month, it instantly made headlines.

The pop star tied the knot with songwriter Benny Blanco in not one, not two, but three spectacular looks. All of them were custom-made by Ralph Lauren.

Gomez began the day in a halter-neck gown trimmed with a macrame collar, before changing into a silk lace number adorned with floral appliques and a crystal-embellished, hand-painted corset.

As the evening unfolded, she reappeared in a tulle dress, its bodice draped in hand-pleated panels of cotton, silk and linen voile.

https://lernix.com.my/ai-artificial-intelligence-training-courses-malaysia

Addicts, be they hooked on narcotics or alcohol, could be helped by a wearable patch that appears to not only reduce cravings, but also lead to diminished intake of the substances.

Known as a “wearable heart rate variability biofeedback tool”, the device “can help people with substance use disorders (SUD) manage stress, reduce cravings and lower their risk of relapse in real time”, said doctors at Mass Brigham General – a combination of Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the United States.

The treatment “appears to confer benefit in part by disrupting the association between craving and subsequent AOD [alcohol and other drugs] use”, the team said in a paper published in the medical journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Pointing out that stress and craving “tend to be associated with lower heart rate variability (HRV) – the natural variations in time between heartbeats, which reflects underlying health, as well as how the body adapts to stress”, the team said that the patch detects heartbeat changes, prompting it to cue the wearer to adjust their breathing, which, in turn, reduces cravings.

“Special breathing exercises can raise HRV and help regulate mood and improve cognitive control,” the researchers said.

Study participants who were given one of the devices to wear were found to have “less negative emotions, reported fewer cravings for alcohol or drugs, and were 64% less likely to use substances on any given day”, the researchers said.

However, as the tests only involved people in the often-difficult first year of abstinence, the team warned that more work is needed to determine if the patches have “sustained benefits” beyond initial abstinence. 

https://lernix.com.my/cloud-computing-training-courses-malaysia

Singer-actor Hsieh Kun-da, who was among the Taiwanese celebrities suspected of evading military service, has been detained on his return to Taiwan.

The 43-year-old member of boy band Energy was on the latest list of men sought by the authorities for the suspected offence on Oct 21.

Hsieh had just flown to Canada to begin 10 days of filming for variety show Mr Player (2014 to present) when the police went to his residence on the morning of Oct 21. Only his wife, Taiwanese actress Alice Ko, was at home.

Upon learning the news, Hsieh contacted the Taiwanese police to arrange for an early return.

He reached Taiwan at about 6.30am on Oct 22 and was detained by the police, who were waiting at Taoyuan International Airport.

Taiwanese media said that Hsieh had admitted to evading military service in 2010 by using a forged medical report claiming he had high blood pressure. He was believed to have paid between NT$200,000 and NT$300,000 to a syndicate headed by a man named Chen Chih-ming.

https://lernix.com.my/kubernetes-containarization-training-courses-malaysia

The National Department of Culture and Arts (JKKN) is planning to revive the National Theatre Festival next year to reinvigorate the development of local theatre, which has been on the decline in recent years.

Its deputy director-general (Culture and Arts) Mohd Radzi Omar, said the festival was last held in 2019, and its absence since then has caused a slowdown in the development of theatre in Malaysia.

“While there have been events organised by private organisations and certain groups, the government’s role is crucial in ensuring the continuity of theatre,” he told the media after the recent children’s theatre performance Di Mana Putra? in Kota Baru, Kelantan.

He added that agencies  like Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) are active in organising performances in Kuala Lumpur every week, and cultural complexes at the state level also offer facilities that can be utilised.

Mohd Radzi said JKKN is currently working on securing the necessary budget to organise the festival again, following the successful staging of the National Dance Festival earlier this year.

“We will alternate the events, one year we hold the Dance Festival, and the next year, the Theatre Festival,” he said.

He emphasised that the festivals should not only be a competition platform but also lead to follow-up performances, helping winning theatre groups remain active.

Mohd Radzi noted that these groups often disband after the festival due to the lack of ongoing activities and suggested they be given opportunities to perform at other venues and lead theatre workshops in schools.

On the current state of theatre groups, he noted that most are now operating independently and do not focus on Bahasa Malaysia theatre.

“Most of the active theatre groups today are focused on English-language productions, such as those at KLPac. Bahasa Malaysia theatre, on the other hand, heavily depends on government and NGO support,” he said.

Mohd Radzi also highlighted that the government provides the Cultural Sector Support Grant (GSSK), which is available for NGOs and cultural arts companies, with an annual allocation of approximately RM30mil to support arts activities, including theatre, dance, and music.

“We hope that this support will continue next year to ensure the ongoing development and expansion of our nation’s arts and culture,” he added. 

https://lernix.com.my/database-training-courses-malaysia