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‘Quite frightening': Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad turns 100 without slowing down

‘Quite frightening': Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad turns 100 without slowing down

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad marked a historic milestone as he turned 100 on Thursday, calling the moment 'quite frightening' without showing signs of slowing down.
A towering figure in Malaysian politics, Mahathir is known for his transformative and at times controversial leadership. First serving as the nation's fourth prime minister from 1981 to 2003, and then returning as its seventh from 2018 to 2020, Mahathir has been the country's longest-serving and oldest-serving prime minister.
Despite the weight of the century mark, Mahathir remains remarkably active. After birthday wishes from his family, he turned up early for work at his Putrajaya office in his signature safari suit.
'I'd like to thank all those who sent cakes, flowers, letters and for turning up to wish me a happy 100th birthday. To be 100 is quite frightening,' he said in a special live podcast to mark the occasion.
During the podcast, Mahathir also reflected on key moments in Malaysia's history, voiced solidarity with the Palestinian people and spoke about the rise of China.
Mahathir, who previously attributed his longevity to neither smoking nor overeating and exercising his brain, also offered personal insights on aging. Although he has a history of heart disease, including two bypass surgeries, Mahathir said staying mentally and physically active has kept him going.
'I have always been active. I cannot understand people wanting to rest. I mean, you take a holiday, you do something, you go on a holiday that is doing something. But some people retire, and they want to rest. What is the meaning of rest? You do nothing?' he said.
'So long as I can function, I want to function. I want to behave almost as if I am not getting old. I try to live the same life that I lived when I was younger. I work, I come to the office, I attend functions and all that. And I think being active is what keeps me alive,' he added.
Mahathir acknowledged he was fortunate not to have been struck by any fatal diseases.
'I didnt make an effort to live this long but I look after my health,' he said, describing his milestone birthday as just a 'normal day.'
During his first 22-year term, Malaysia transformed into a modern economy, but Mahathir used stifling political control to hold power and silence dissent. He came out of retirement to challenge his former party over a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal, forming an alliance with old foes that produced a 2018 election victory hailed as a triumph for democracy.
When he returned to power at age 92, he was hailed as a hero who ousted a corrupt government and led Malaysia's first opposition victory since independence from Britain in 1957. But that aura wore off.
His government collapsed during infighting after just 22 months and in opposition Mahathir became a divisive voice advocating Malay supremacy, working with an Islamist party he had long denounced.
After his birthday podcast, Mahathir met more well-wishers at his office. While there was no grand celebration, staff brought out a small cake and sang a birthday song, his aide Sufi Yusoff said.
True to form, Mahathir ended the moment with his trademark discipline: 'Ok, back to work!'
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The Founders Of Apparel Brand Cherie Are Winning The Attention Economy
The Founders Of Apparel Brand Cherie Are Winning The Attention Economy

Forbes

time2 days ago

  • Forbes

The Founders Of Apparel Brand Cherie Are Winning The Attention Economy

Two looks from Cherie's latest collection, Dulce Vida. Courtesy of Cherie Helena Busch and Nutrada Sottivoranan, founders of Cherie, live and work in Bangkok, Thailand. Busch, a model with a natural eye for social media content, grew up in Sweden and Sottivoranan, who graduated from University of Arts London, was raised in Thailand. 'I think our first ever piece that went viral was Tia corset,' Busch told me. 'We started with corsets. Obviously we maintained that throughout the years. I love pieces that make an hourglass fit. We started with corsets and we also had denim, but we soon realized that a lot of our customers really appreciate our corsets.' 'To be honest, when we started,' Busch said, 'it was a lot of learning. We made a lot of mistakes. It wasn't really Cherie back in the beginning.' 'We refined the branding to be just more like feminine pieces,' Sottivoranan added. A model wears the V-neck "Tia" corset by Cherie in black Mesh. Courtesy of Cherie Cherie, as a brand, takes inspiration from the classic, mid-century silhouette. 'We like the feeling of light fabrics,' Busch told me. 'But obviously you can't wear lingerie out. We wanted to turn that feeling into something that was more wearable, but still with a touch of lingerie. It's very vintage inspired. Because we love the aesthetic. We love the feeling and felt like it was very feminine. And we love other types of fashion too, obviously. Like we wear all kinds of different types, but for Cherie, we really wanted to enhance femininity and make it timeless. Sweet but still sexy and romantic as well.' Busch moved to Thailand from Sweden when she was 19 and signed with a modeling and acting agency. At the same time, Sottivoranan was interning with a Thai fashion brand. Both ladies, independently and before they knew each other, started their own small brands, and eventually met when Sottivoranan was hired to model for a company Busch was working for. 'We had our own separate brands,' Sottivoranan explained, 'and wanted to do a collab together, but from the first time we met, we were just like, instead of doing a collab together, why don't we just work together? It was very early and when we met, we just complimented each other, we have different strengths that really enhanced each other. We just decided to do this together.' From corsets to the dreamiest of dresses, the founders of Cherie have perfected their aesthetic with their latest collection, Dulce Vida. Courtesy of Cherie 'We just realized,' Bosch said,' we felt like we would do so much better if we become partners. Like she's very good with the business side. She studied fashion and for me, I have such a big creative eye. When it comes to taking photos, I just know when something looks good in a picture. It's really hard to explain it because I didn't go to school to learn it, but it's just something I've always had since a very young age. My mom used to say that I love beautiful things, that it's just a part of who I am.' The founders started their business in 2020, they're currently five years in, and though both of them are young, they have learned a lot as their brand, and its impressive online presence, have grown from a regional brand to one that serves an international clientele. 'We naturally just learned as the brand grew,' Sottivoranan told me. 'Both of us, Lena's so great with content and creative direction. For me it's more of the business side. We just learn as we do with manufacturing, with the production garment process. We just wanted to make something that could last every season.' 'We have gone through so many ups and downs,' Busch said. 'So many times we were just like, I want to give up now. And then the other one is like, no, we can't give up now. And then vice versa. But I think for us, when we reach something that we never thought we would, and just accomplish things with our company, we know this can be something much bigger if we just continue going. I think pushing each other when the other person is down has really helped us get through it.' 'We are both Aries,' Busch continued, 'and Aries are very fierce people. I think when we went into it, we went into it 200%.' A romantic setting for an exquisite gown. Courtesy of Cherie 'Covid was a difficult time around the world,' Sottivoranan said, 'But I think that we took advantage of the time when a lot of people were at home. That's when we got a lot of exposure from influencers because during that time, it was quite popular to be making content at home. We would send product out to a lot of influencers back then. And they would make a lot of content and post for us as well. We got a lot of exposure during that time.' 'Influencers are connections,' Busch said, and I liked that wording a lot. I sat with it for a few minutes while working on this piece. There's a lot of content out there, all of it hungry for eyes and attention. Ezra Klein and Kyla Scanlon have been encouraging their audiences to rethink our economic ideas to include the attention economy. I'd like to propose that Cherie, through Helena Busch and Nutrada Sottivoranan, is an excellent example of instinctive understanding of the nuances of catching, and keeping, the eyes of their audience. It is this innate skill that has allowed them to so quickly outgrow their regional market. Any young person, or brand, needs mentors and peers as a support system. Community is a lot more important to success than our culture seems willing to accept at this moment in time. Though there are many examples of wonderful mentoring relationships in fashion, they are not exactly common, and when there are no mentors available peers end up pulling double duty. This is not something which has escaped Busch and Sottivoranan's attention. 'We have friends and mentors that have fashion brands,' Busch told me. 'They are also models or influencers, and we have all been helping each other, building each other's brands. We will help them with photoshoots or they will help us. I feel like that community, and just like wanting the best for each other, helps us all grow. When you're surrounded by like-minded people that want the same things, that really helps you and motivates you to want the best and you get to learn from each other. And for example, if we made a mistake, we would tell our friends don't make this mistake. And if they figure something out, they tell us. I think that's really helped us grow faster than we actually would if we would have done everything by ourselves.' Sexy can be sweet, and Sottivoranan and Busch are creating work that is both playful and beautifully made. Courtesy of Cherie 'We've had a lot of help behind the scenes,' Sottivoranan told me. 'Like the backend part, how we operate, how to make it smoother. Stolen Stores is a Thai brand and they've mentored us from the beginning as well. Child Collective is another brand that has helped us.' 'I feel like every time we face a struggle or we face a problem, we always have people we can reach out to to ask for advice,' Busch told me. 'And the people around us have always been very supportive.' Covid aside, one of the biggest challenges the young brand faced was taking payments from international customers. As they garnered more attention online, as their audience grew, so did the complications of processing funds from different countries. 'We had to manually write every payment and send the link,' Busch told me. 'Stripe is the payment that Shopify usually uses. And that was not available in Thailand. We were struggling so much with payments, for almost a year. And when Stripe finally came to Thailand, it changed everything. It changed the way we were accepting payments and we were getting a lot more orders. And that was this start.' 'I think we were like one of their first customers,' said Sottivoranan, ' as soon as it was available in Bangkok, we got on to Stripe.' Cherie is a brand that focuses on the romantic details that make a garment special. Courtesy of Cherie 'To be honest,' Busch said, 'when we started a brand, we didn't really think we would have international customers. We were thinking that we wanted a European feel to the brand that wasn't available in Thailand. And I, as a customer, because I thought about myself as a customer when I was ordering from abroad, the custom fees in Thailand, it was just really insane. It was 50%, I think. We were like, let's start a brand that we would buy from if we were abroad, that people in Thailand could also buy from and they wouldn't have to pay custom fees.' 'In Bangkok and Thailand,' Sottivoranan explained, 'it's quite difficult to reach the international target audience, which I feel like we've been able to do. Like 95% of our customers are abroad. And we don't over produce. Our team is not big at all. And we produce everything in house.' 'We make very small batches,' Bush said. 'We produce very small batches and then we do pre-orders, because we don't want to produce things that people won't buy. That is a waste of fabrics and it is not good for the environment. We try to be very hands-on with the sewing team and with orders.' The ladies work in the same building where their garments are manufactured. Quality control is built into their model and they work closely with their 14 employees, a 10-person sewing team and four members of staff. This set up allows for constant communication, and should an issue arise, there is always a founder on hand to work with a patternmaker or trouble shoot a production challenge. Helena Busch and Nutrada Sottivoranan, founders of Cherie. Courtesy of Cherie 'We really just like having everyone in one office,' Busch explained. 'We have tried not having in-house sewers and it's very hard to control the pieces. And as our pieces got more complicated, it felt necessary to make that change. We're always making sure that we're producing the amount of a piece that is actually going to be worn,' Sottivoranan said. 'We like it to be very timeless, pieces that we know are always going to be in fashion. Pieces you can mix and match very easily. We want, because if you're going to spend something on a piece, you want it to last. We want to create pieces that are long lasting and of good quality.' Surely all this attention to detail, combined with their beautiful designs and dedicated community, will mean that Cherie is destined to continue its global ascent. Personally, this writer cannot wait to see what accomplishments are next. There are few things as inspiring as young people ready to work for the world they want to live in, and I left my conversation feeling better about the future of our world and the industry I love most. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes Exploring Class And Character In Costumes For Prime's 'We Were Liars' By Rachel Elspeth Gross Forbes Hello, My Name Is Sprayground: Celebrating 15 Years Of Artistry By Rachel Elspeth Gross Forbes 'Dressed To Kill': PBS' 'Human Footprint' Examines Apparel And Evolution By Rachel Elspeth Gross

YAHOO POLL: Is the key to a good life in Singapore emotional and mental well-being?
YAHOO POLL: Is the key to a good life in Singapore emotional and mental well-being?

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

YAHOO POLL: Is the key to a good life in Singapore emotional and mental well-being?

Career and material success used to be the key indicators of a good life in Singapore. However, it seems that times are changing, and while they are still indicators of a good life here, the definition of quality of life has shifted to non-material goods, with people prioritising well-being, mental health and work-life balance to cope better in a complex and fast-paced city. These are the results of a study by property consultancy Knight Frank Singapore and global market research firm Ipsos, which surveyed 1,000 Singapore residents earlier in 2025 to find out how expectations of the city-state's built environment are evolving. Other polls YAHOO POLL: Should Astronomer CEO Andy Byron have resigned? YAHOO POLL: Does cutting public holidays help boost the economy? YAHOO POLL: Do you neglect your health for your career? Respondents who were spread across all age groups from 18 and up, ranked emotional and mental well-being as the most important factor in quality of life, ahead of economic stability and job security. This was followed by financial stability, and then physical health and well-being. Though job security, inflation and the high cost of raising a child were listed as top concerns among respondents, they defined quality of life primarily through mental well-being and financial stability. The authors said, "These results call attention to a significant shift in how Singapore residents define quality of life (and) reflects a growing recognition that psychological resilience and emotional balance are central to daily life satisfaction, more important than the popular perception that Singapore residents are only absorbed in one-dimensional material gain." So, we want to hear from you – Do you think emotional and mental well-being is the key to a good life in Singapore? Related: Singapore youths suffering from depression, anxiety missed 24 days of school on average: Study More than half of workers in Singapore do not have trusted workplace relationships, one in ten don't feel respected or valued by colleagues: Report Singaporeans prioritising mental health concern over cancer, stress: Ipsos survey

Promises Take Center Stage in Canara HSBC Life Insurance's New Campaign Featuring Jasprit Bumrah and Sanjana Ganesan
Promises Take Center Stage in Canara HSBC Life Insurance's New Campaign Featuring Jasprit Bumrah and Sanjana Ganesan

Yahoo

time4 days ago

  • Yahoo

Promises Take Center Stage in Canara HSBC Life Insurance's New Campaign Featuring Jasprit Bumrah and Sanjana Ganesan

New Campaign Celebrates the Power of Promises in Life and Legacy NEW DELHI, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited ("Canara HSBC Life Insurance") today announced the launch of its new brand campaign featuring the real-life couple, cricket legend Jasprit Bumrah and media personality Sanjana Ganesan. The campaign reinforces the company's aim to feature as a trusted partner in fulfilling life's long-term promises and marks the next chapter in this partnership through a high-impact 360° marketing rollout. Rooted in the brand's philosophy of being a 'Promises ka Partner', the campaign features two engaging films that highlight deeply personal reflections between Jasprit and Sanjana. The campaign films portray promises not just as words, but as enduring commitments that shape families, futures, and legacies. In the TVC, Jasprit contemplates the fleeting nature of fame and how the value of personal commitments, particularly those made to a life partner, stay strong. Sanjana's presence in the narrative offers emotional balance and connection, underscoring the power of mutual support in long-term planning. Both narratives are anchored in authenticity, trust, and emotional foresight- values that align closely with Canara HSBC Life Insurance's aim in helping individuals plan and protect their futures. Speaking about the campaign, Mr. Rishi Mathur, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Distribution Officer- Alternate Channels, Canara HSBC Life Insurance, said: "At Canara HSBC Life Insurance our aim is to engage audiences with stories that reflect real-life aspirations and move beyond transactional conversations around insurance. Jasprit and Sanjana bring this to life beautifully, not just as public figures, but as a couple navigating life's promises together. Through this campaign, we continue to strengthen our commitment to being a dependable partner in those promises." Jasprit Bumrah, while commenting on the campaign launch, said, "Canara HSBC Life Insurance's philosophy of being a 'Promises ka Partner' resonates with me on a personal level. In both cricket and life, it's the long-term commitments, ones made quietly and upheld consistently, that truly define you. The films reflect this idea, showing how promises made to loved ones are not just emotional in nature, but foundational to a future that is secure. It's a message I believe in deeply." Shoojit Sircar, Director of the brand films, said, "It was really great to work with Jasprit and Sanjana, it was lovely to bring out a side of their relationship, their partnership which hasn't been seen before. I think with these films we were able to showcase the brand promise in a very simple and charming way. What made this possible was the brand's clarity and their trust in the process. Working with Canara HSBC Life Insurance & Pravis felt less like a usual campaign and more like a lovely partnership." Targeted at young couples, modern families, and financially aware individuals, the campaign is built around insurance as a tool for empowerment rather than fear. It will be rolled out across TV, digital, social media, and other platforms as part of a multi-touchpoint strategy. The creative team behind the campaign is Gurgaon based, PRAVIS consulting. Click here to watch the film: YouTube: Instagram: LinkedIn: About Canara HSBC Life Insurance: Incorporated in 2007, Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited is promoted by Canara Bank and HSBC Insurance (Asia Pacific) Holdings Limited. Punjab National Bank is also a shareholder of the Company. As a bancassurance led insurance company with its corporate office at Gurugram, Haryana and more than 100 branch offices as of March 2025, pan India, Canara HSBC Life brings together the trust and market knowledge of public and private banks. For more than 17 years now, the Company sells and services customers through multiple channels and well diversified network of Canara Bank and the Indian branch of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in multiple cities across the country. The Company has a vast portfolio of life insurance solutions and offers various products across individual and group space comprising of life, health, term plans, retirement solutions, credit life and employee benefit segments through partner banks, digital, and direct field force. With an aim to provide simpler insurance and faster claim process, the Company intends to keep the promises of their customers alive with their 'Promises Ka Partner' philosophy. Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited is proposing, subject to receipt of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, to make an initial public offering of its equity shares and has filed a draft red herring prospectus dated April 28, 2025 ("DRHP") with the Securities and Exchange Board of India ("SEBI"). The DRHP is available on the website of the Company at the SEBI at the website of National Stock Exchange of India Limited at and the website of BSE Limited at and the respective websites of the Lead Managers at and Investors should note that investment in equity shares involves a high degree of risk. For details, potential investors should refer to the RHP which may be filed with the Registrar of Companies, Delhi and Haryana at New Delhi, in the future, including the section titled "Risk Factors". Potential investors should not rely on the DRHP filed with the SEBI, but should instead rely only on the RHP, in making any investment decision. The equity shares proposed to be offered in the initial public offering may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in transactions not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States. Photo: View original content to download multimedia:

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