Spanish Town Bans Black Cat Adoptions During Halloween

The Spanish town of Terrassa in north-eastern Catalonia has temporarily banned the adoption of black cats from animal shelters to prevent potentially sinister "rituals" during Halloween. 

All requests for the fostering or adoption of the felines will be denied from October 06-10 to protect them from being hurt or used as props, said the local animal welfare service. 

Deputy Mayor Noel Duque told broadcaster RTVE that adoption requests for black cats usually increase around Halloween. While black cats are often associated with witchcraft and seen as bad luck in Western culture, many other cultures, including Japan and Egypt, see them as symbols of prosperity and fortune. 

Terassa's city council said there had been no record of cruelty towards black cats in the town, however there have been incidents in other areas and the decision was taken after warnings from animal welfare groups. 

"We try to prevent people from adopting because it's trendy or impulsively. And in cases like these, which we know exist, to prevent any macabre practices", Duque said. 

Terrassa is home to more than 9,800 cats, according to local authorities, and the town's adoption centre houses around 100 felines, 12 of which are black, the Catalan News Agency reported. 

The city council emphasised that the measure is "temporary and exceptional" and represents an extra precaution for animal welfare, but did not rule out repeating the ban in the future. Exceptions during the ban period will be assessed individually by the adoption centre and normal fostering requests will resume after Halloween.

Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam has climbed two places to a career-high world No. 6 in the women's PSA Tour rankings after reaching the final of the Silicon Valley Open in the United States – refer my October 17 post. 

Her previous best was No. 7, achieved after winning the Cincinnati Gaynor Cup title on February 17. 

It is the perfect Deepavali gift for the 26-year-old, who will not be in Malaysia to celebrate with her family as she begins her US Open campaign in Philadelphia on Sunday. 

Based on the all-time rankings of Malaysian women players, Sivasangari now trails only former world No. 1 Nicol David and former world No. 5 Low Wee Wern. 

If she continues her upward trajectory, she could soon break into the top five.

Tourism to the US is Tanking

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the United States stands to lose $12.5 billion due to declining tourism. 

Tourism is a big US export: Foreign visitors spent more than $180 billion here in 2024, more than all agricultural exports combined, said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the US Travel Association. 

However, international visits to the US fell 12% year-over-year in March, according to Oxford Economics.

And nationally, small and mid-sized business profits have already “deteriorated sharply” amid the travel slowdown, said Aaron Terrazas, an economist at Gusto, a payroll and benefits provider. 

The share of “tourism” companies that are profitable fell to 32% in April 2025, down from 41% and 43% in April 2024 and 2023, respectively, according to Gusto. The category includes tour operators, condo or time-share agencies and ticket or reservation agencies. 

The share of profitable “accommodation” businesses fell to 36%, down from 44% and 45%, Gusto found. The category includes small hotels and motels, guesthouses, cottages and cabins, and RV parks and campgrounds.  

Canadian travellers, traditionally the US’s most reliable market, dropped by more than 900,000 or 17% in March, as growing numbers of Canadians opt to boycott US holidays. Air and land arrivals from Canadians fell 14% and 32%, respectively, in March compared to the same time in 2024, according to Tourism Economics. Perhaps threatening to make Canada the 51st state wasn't the brilliant diplomatic strategy someone thought it was.

It’s not just Canada: Visits from Western Europe, Asia and South America – historically the US′ highest-value travel markets – are also down by double-digit percentages, according to the US Travel Association.  

Data suggests the weakness will persist through the summer. Air bookings for overseas summer travel to the US are pacing about 10% behind the same time last year, according to Tourism Economics, which is affiliated with Oxford Economics. (These were bookings made as of March).

The US, long marketed as the land of opportunity and adventure, is increasingly perceived as unwelcoming. Tighter border scrutiny, aggressive immigration enforcement, and a sharp shift in political tone have made travellers wary. 

Reports of tourists being detained, shackled and deported at US airports over minor alleged visa issues or misunderstandings have circulated widely. In some cases, visitors have had their phones and electronic devices searched without clear cause. For many travellers, that is a risk not worth taking. 

Governments have started to respond. Several countries, including New Zealand, Germany, France, Denmark and Finland, have updated their official travel advice for the US, urging citizens to exercise caution when visiting. The message filtering through international media is clear: the US is not as easy, safe or welcoming as it once seemed.

For sure, the tourism pullback appears to be “more a US issue right now” rather than a broad global weakness in travel, since other regions are seeing positive tourism growth, said Lorraine Sileo, senior analyst and founder of Phocuswright Research, a market research firm. 

Domestic tourism isn’t poised to pick up the slack – the market was slowing heading into 2025 and the “revenge travel” trend, which had propelled Americans to travel due to pent-up demand after Covid-19 lockdowns, has largely been played out, she said. 

“I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom for the US travel industry”, Sileo said. “But it’ll be a tough year”. 

Sivasangari Subramaniam came up short in her bid to reach the semi-finals of the World Championships on Thursday. The world No. 9 lost 11-3, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5 to American world No. 4 Olivia Weaver in 41 minutes. 

It was the 25-year-old Malaysian's sixth defeat in seven meetings with the 34-year-old Weaver. Many had tipped Sivasangari to overcome Weaver and become the first Malaysian to reach the semi-finals since Nicol David won the title in 2014 – but it was not to be.

I have this advice for Sivasangari: If you know yourself, you need not fear your competition.

Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan continued their sizzling run by dismantling China's Chen Qing Chen-Wang Ting Ge today to storm into the semi-finals of the Thailand Masters. 

The world No. 4 needed just 34 minutes to wrap up a commanding 21-14, 21-11 win, finally breaking their quarter-final jinx in Bangkok after two previous failed attempts.

The Geneva Wrap-up

EXCLUSIVE! The wrap-up from Nury Vittachi on the US-China trade talks is just funny! As per my post "US and China Roll Back Tariffs for 90 Days" on Tuesday! 😂😂😂

Sivasangari Subramaniam has become the first Malaysian squash player to reach the quarter-finals of the PSA Squash World Championships since Nicol David in 2017. 

The world No. 9 produced a stunning display in Chicago, USA on Tuesday, brushing aside American world No. 8 Amanda Sobhy 11-8, 14-12, 11-6 in just 32 minutes in the third round. It was the Malaysian's third win in five meetings against Sobhy, having also beaten her in five games at the Cincinnati Cup final in February.

WELL DONE!! 💖💖💖

On The Precipice of Defeat

Kiev panic deepens. Ukraine may well be on the precipice of defeat. 

 

Since my last post "Ukraine is Beyond Saving" published May 05, even more settlements have fallen to the Russians, among them are Borysivka, Buhruvatka, Gatische, Hatyshche, Heorhiivka, Hlyboke, Hoptivka, Klishchiivka, Krasnoe, Miasozharivka, Morokhovets, Ohirtseve, Oleynikovo, Pervomaiske, Pletenivka, Pyl'na, Staritsa, Strilecha, Tykhe  and Zhuravlevka.

 

And reports are filtering in that Ukrainians are surrendering in big numbers.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is anyone laughing now about Russian shovels, washing machine chips, turtle tanks and motor bikes? 😂😂😂😂

 

It's still not too late for the Ukrainians to admit defeat!

 

S Sivasangari (left) has become the first Malaysian since Nicol David and Low Wee Wern to crack the top 10 of the women's PSA Tour rankings. 

 

She moved up one rung to her career-best ranking of No. 10 after reaching the third round of the just-concluded World Championships in Cairo, Egypt.

 

The 25-year-old is the third Malaysian to be ranked in the top 10 after David, who was No. 1 for a record 108 months, and former world No. 5 Low. Sivasangari's career-best victory was achieved in April when she won the London Classic.

 

The challenge now is not only to maintain her top-10 status but to do better and climb further up the rankings.

US Can Afford Two Wars

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (right) said on Monday that Washington can “certainly” afford to support wars on two separate fronts, saying that its coffers are in good shape to continue backing US interests overseas in its support for Ukraine and amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. 

 

This war-crazed country is just itching to go to war!

 

Nicol David will be delighted to know that squash is finally coming to the Olympics.

 

The International Olympic Committee confirmed on Monday that five sports, i.e. baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes), besides squash have been officially added to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, USA. 

 

Baseball/softball, cricket and lacrosse will return to the Olympics, while flag football and squash – two medal events, men's and women's singles competitions – will make their Olympic debut at the 2028 Games. The IOC said baseball/softball was last played at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020, but cricket and lacrosse were played in the 1900s.

 

At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, squash contributed three of Malaysia's six gold medals through Ng Eain Yow in the men's singles, S Sivasangari in the women's singles, and Aira Azman, Aifa Azman, Rachel Arnold and Sivasangari in the women's team events. 

 

The newly crowned Asian Games individual champions Ng (above right) and Sivasangari (above left) will be 30 and 29 by 2028 and considered to be at the prime of their squash careers. Both should be leading the qualifying bid to play on the Olympic stage by that time.

True Grit

Low Wee Wern (right) has done what no other squash player, for that matter any other Malaysian athlete, had done in their career – make a comeback after four surgeries and still play in four tournaments in as many weeks. 

 

Once touted as the next Nicol David, Penangite Low followed her idol’s footsteps and reached world No. 5 in 2015 when disaster struck as the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament injury (on her left knee) struck a killer blow. 

 

The injury to her right knee and four surgeries, the last done 14 months ago, were a grim reminder that Low’s professional career may have come to an end. 

 

However, her determination knows no bounds and with the help of the medical team, physiotherapists, her coach Aaron Soyza and her ever supportive fans and friends, the 32-year-old returned to competitions at the Singapore Open three weeks ago. 

 

Playing world No. 21 Nadine Shahin in the first round, the 444th-ranked Low surprised the Egyptian to take the first game before eventually losing in four (12-10, 8-11, 11-13, 7-11). 

 

“No matter how many injuries or years (away from competition), you cannot take away this talent or skills”, Shahin had praised Low. “She has always had those skills and showed great athleticism – you wouldn’t (even) know that she was (actually) injured”. 

 

However, people closely attached to Low know the pain she had gone through and it was practically for those, the Malaysian said she had been fighting for. 

 

She continued to play in the home event, the Malaysian Open where she lost to compatriot Chan Yiwen (4-11, 9-11, 4-11) in the first round before her third exit in the Hong Kong Open on Tuesday to local player Tong Tsz Wing (9-11, 9-11, 7-11) to end a run of three consecutive tournaments without worrying about her battered knees. 

 

“Squash is a tough sport, especially when the body isn’t quite there yet. I’m grateful to be able to step back on court, against all odds. If we don’t try, we wouldn’t know”, said Low after her exit from the Hong Kong Open this week. 

 

“Barely a year ago, I could barely walk and it feels so good to be back on court again", she added.

 

Low’s efforts, despite not being able to win a match on her comeback, has helped her ranking to rise to No. 121. 

 

The most important thing is that her knees have withstood the burden and the Malaysian fans should see her back in action on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) world tour soon.

Nicol David is the World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time

Malaysia's squash queen Nicol David has been voted the World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time!

She received a runaway total of 318,943 votes. David had taken the lead in the online balloting since it began on January 08, 2021 with her nearest contenders Irish tug-of-war legend James Kehoe on 113,120 votes and Ukrainian powerlifter Larysa Soloviova on 80,790 votes. 

The trio had originally been part of a 24-strong list of nominees, before this was trimmed to the top 10 athletes on January 20. 

In total, 1,204,637 votes were cast during the poll. I had voted too! 

"It’s a huge honor to be nominated by The World Games for the Greatest Athlete of All Time and to gain so much support from everyone in Malaysia and the squash community", David said. 

"It came as a surprise to see me amongst these other top athletes and I’m grateful for this... hopefully it can elevate attention for the future of squash, and it’s a proud moment to represent my country and Asia". 

Now retired, David was the women's world number one for a record-breaking 108 consecutive months, starting from August 2006 and ending in September 2015. And David triumphed at the World Games in 2005, 2009 and 2013, and finished with bronze in 2017. 

International World Games Association President José Perurena said: "Nicol David is an inspirational athlete, and a fine role model for younger athletes”. And he added: "Sports really unite people in a special way. This vote was a celebration of that". 

The top three athletes will receive a diploma, a trophy and a branded gift from the sponsor of the vote Protective Life. The vote took place to mark the 40th anniversary of the first edition of the World Games, which was held in Santa Clara in California, USA in 1981.

Make Your Toilet Great Again

Amid the escalating trade war between the US and China, Donald Trump toilet brushes have exploded in popularity. Where else but in China! 

Chinese citizens are understood to be rushing to snap up the 20-yuan (£2) loo scrubbers as a way of showing their support for Beijing. They are popular on Taobao, the Chinese equivalent to eBay. 

One seller on Taobao is even chucking in a free roll of toilet paper with Trump's face on for those who buy the 'Trump' loo brushes. LOL!

Malaysian squash queen Nicol David got off to a good start at the 2019 British Open Tournament (May 20-26) in Hull, UK on Monday when the five-time British Open champion beat HK’s Ho Tze-Lok, 11-7, 11-5 and 13-11 in 32 minutes. 

The following day, world number three, Nour El Tayeb had the upper hand in the second round when she bested David 11-4, 11-7, 11-13 and 11-5 in 41 minutes. 

The 35-year-old showed glimpses of her brilliance and fighting spirit but it wasn’t enough. The British Open is her final outing. 

Likewise, in the first round, former world number five Low Wee Wern did well to dispose Fiona Moverley of England, 11-6, 11-3 and 11-6 – but in the second round, NZ’s Joelle King was simply too good, beating Low 11-6, 11-4 and 11-9. 

Never mind, what’s important is the never-say-die attitude. And both gals have loads of it.

Still, for David (left), her competitive squash-playing days may be over – but for Low (far left), there’s another day and another tournament to look forward to. 

Keep up the good fight!

En Garde

Anyone who grew up on Star Wars is likely to have imagined challenging their nemesis to a duel with a lightsaber.

And now, in France at least, the dream can come true and the force can be with you – after the French Fencing Federation registered lightsaber dueling as an official sport. 

Fencing already has three very different weapons – foil, epee and sabre – which are disciplines up to Olympic level.

But now the lightsaber offers a fourth, which the national fencing authorities hope will win new converts to the sport.

“When the world of fiction transforms into sport, it can only be positive”, said Olivier Hanicotte, head of the lightsaber project at the FFE. 

He said the idea first came from the United States in 2013-2014 before becoming popular in French fencing halls. 

“Then the federation took over to secure and regulate it, because at one point, there were a lot of security concerns, with people not necessarily wearing masks or protection”, he said. 

The FFE has even created its own lightsaber academy to structure training, organise competitions and ensure safety. Hanicotte said the idea was not to find a novel way to attract people to traditional fencing but to develop a specific sport. 

The strategy seems to have paid off – in just two years, the number of participants counted by the FFE has quadrupled, with some 1,200 people now training in 92 clubs. 

Malaysian Fencing Federation should take up the challenge too!

And here’s news on a sport that I’m following – more so if it involves Nicol David and Low Wee Wern.

National squash player Nicol David’s challenge in the Manchester Squash Open (May 09-13, 2019) ended in the second round. The 35-year-old legend (left) went down 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 6-11 to world No. 6 and home favourite Sarah-Jane Perry in 43 minutes on Friday in England, UK. 

Prior to the above, Nicol David also crashed out in the second round of the El Gouna International Squash Open (April 17-26, 2019) in Egypt – going down in straight sets 4-11, 9-11, 8-11 to Egypt’s world No. 1 Raneem El Welily. 

The pair have met 27 times since 2001 with David winning 18 times. 

One more event for Nicol David before her retirement – she plays in the prestigious British Open in Hull from May 20-26.

Meanwhile, Low Wee Wern (right) lost 6-11, 13-11, 11-13, 4-11 to Hong Kong’s Annie Au of Hong Kong at the Asian Squash Championships individual event in Kuala Lumpur (May 01-05, 2019), 

The previous month also saw her coming unstuck at the final hurdle of the Macau Squash Open (April 10-14, 2019). Low’s bid to win her biggest PSA final in seven years ended with a 5-11, 11-13, 8-11 defeat again at the hands of Au, the current world No. 11.

Nicol David Calls It a Day

On Monday, Malaysian squash queen Nicol David (left) has called time on her illustrious squash career. 

The 35-year-old and eight-time world champion has decided to hang up her racket for good at the end of the 2018/2019 Professional Squash Association season in June. 

"After more than 20 years playing squash for Malaysia, competing on the professional tour and achieving the utmost best from my career being the only Malaysian athlete to achieve these accolades and to be recognised as the greatest female squash athlete of all time by my peers, I can proudly say that I am ready and happy to announce my retirement at the end of this seasonal tour", said David. 

"This is a moment that every athlete must go through – to explore fully on what more there is in store for them. I am now at this point in my life, ready to take on more beyond the pro tour. 

She added: "My mind and body have battled it out to stay at the very top of my game for such a long time that I feel that I only have this last big push left for the final season to give it all I have before I enter the next phase of my life". 

Her announcement comes before her participation at the World Championships in Chicago, USA from Feb 23 to March 02, 2019.

The Penangite ends her distinguished career with 81 PSA titles from 102 finals. 

And she has held onto the world No. 1 spot for a record 109 months consecutively from 2006 to 2015. 

Nicol Ann David, you’re the star, shining brightest!

WSD-KL Updates on January 22

WSD-Kuala Lumpur updates for today:

I love this guy who’s featured as New York's real life transformer robot. It’s about passion and creativity, really!

At the Tournament of Champions on Monday, world No. 4 Joelle King had the upper hand when she cast Nicol David aside with a 3-1 win: 11-4, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8 (42 mins).

Still, you can be sure David being the fighter that she is, is not giving up – she’s going to continue to keep at it. That’s Nicol David! 

Those who give up will not taste victory, no matter how much they desire it. It's not victory that is so important but the fighting spirit. Even when you fail, I think just the stubborn attitude of not giving up is already a triumph.

Definitely, we too can learn from her. Hold on tight and fight as hard as you can. That is courage. That is commitment to oneself. That is surely worth fighting for.

Pray It's Not a Temporary Blip

Photo of Trump's head used in photocollage by Gage Skidmore: Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0). Sink by Shutterstock/Christian Delbert

I came across this fact sheet about Donald Trump that informs Americans that just maybe, we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. For Trump haters, it means there is hope. 

According to the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, Trump’s approval rating is down 18 percentage points among suburban men, down 13 points among white evangelicals, down 10 points among Republicans, and down 7 points among the usually intractable cohort of white men without a college degree. 

"For the first time, we saw a fairly consistent pattern of having his base showing evidence of a cracking", said Lee Miringoff, director of MIPO, which conducted the poll. 

Let's pray this is not a temporary blip.

Just like Nicol David, Low Wee Wern is a fighter!

In just four tournaments since her comeback in July 2018, Low (right) moved from 254 to 52 in the latest world rankings, a remarkable achievement considering she was the No. 5 ranked player in the world before an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in her knee that needed multiple surgeries kept her out of the game for 21 months. 

She made four finals on the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Tour and won all of them starting with the Malaysian and Tasmanian Open in July, Australian Open in August then the Queensland Open in October. 

At the Tournament of Champions in New York City, USA on Friday, Low did well to beat Egyptian, world No. 24 Mayar Hany 3-1: 12-10, 11-3, 6-11, 11-6 (42 mins) in the first round. 

But she lost 1-3 to another Egyptian in the second round, world No. 8 Nouran Gouhar: 11-4, 11-5, 5-11, 11-6 (39 mins). 

Still, Low made a good effort nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Nicol David, who received a first round bye, disposed Egypt's Rowan Elaraby 3-0 on Saturday: 11-9, 11-7, 13-11 (33 mins). 

And next, she’s playing New Zealander Joelle King on Monday.

Snoop Dogg's Self-Praise

Image credit: Webpage https://www.rap-up.com/2018/11/19/snoop-dogg-star-hollywood-walk-of-fame/

Rapper Snoop Dogg was honored with the 2651st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, US of A on Monday – this was four days before the 25th anniversary of his debut album Doggystyle. 

Snoop (right) – real name Calvin Broadus – rose to fame in 1992 when he was featured on Dr Dre's solo debut album "The Chronic". He has since sold over 35 million albums worldwide. 

The rap icon thanked his family, friends, and most importantly, himself. 

"I want to thank me for believing in me; I want to thank me for doing all this hard work. I want to thank me for having no days off; I want to thank me for never quitting. I want to thank me for always being a giver, and trying to give more than I receive; I want to thank me for doing more right than wrong; I want to thank me for being me at all times”. 

The 16-time Grammy-nominated rapper has a wry sense of humor – but I also believe he was being honest. 

The Hong Kong Squash Open (November 19-25, 2018) is on and my two favorite players participated.

Nicol David (left) received a first-round bye – and yesterday, she took on English lass Millie Tomlinson in the second round – but she didn’t make the cut, losing 2-3: 10-12, 11-0, 11-8, 7-11, 6-11 (49 mins). 

Low Wee Wern (far left) didn’t make it past first-round – on Monday, she lost to Egypt’s Zeina Mickawy 1-3: 9-11, 14-12, 4-11, 7-11 (44 mins).

CGI Models in Demand

MARGOT, SHUDU and ZHI. Balmain photo

The trio, MARGOT, SHUDU and ZHI are the faces of luxury brand Balmain's advertising campaign for 2018. 

They have the perfect angular cheekbones and ooze glamor most models could never manage. 

But here’s the thing! The threesome isn’t real!  

Balmain calls them the "Virtual Army" – the latest in a line of computer-generated models being developed and deployed. 

According to SEVENTIE TWO, a media site that delivers multilingual global fashion and beauty news every day, SHUDU (right) was the world’s first virtual supermodel created by photographer Cameron-James Wilson. 

And SHUDU has gone from having her Instagram featured by Rihanna's make-up brand Fenty Beauty to being at the center of a major fashion campaign – all without existing in real life.

Instagram@CJW.Photo

Not content with one, Balmain invited Wilson to create two more virtual models, MARGOT and ZHI. 

For real models, this is an intimidating prospect. As one model said “To have to compete with literally unreal girls is just really scary – you can shape anything you want and have the exact perfect look without the casting process”. 

Cameron believes both real and digital models can coexist and work together.

He doesn't think it is a big issue. And it shouldn't be controversial – anyway, to him, it is not any different to controversies around new tech in the past. 

"With any new technology there's always a polarised discussion – some people are staunchly against it, and some people embrace it".

Still the fact remains that real models are now replaceable!

Squash news. Team Malaysia beat Team Hong Kong 3-0 on Wednesday at the WWTC 2018.

Nicol David dug deep before prevailing over Annie Au  6-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-4 and 11-6 in 43 minutes to collect the first point.

This was followed by S Sivasangari who delivered the winning point with her 15-13, 7-11, 11-8 and 11-9 victory over Joey Chan.

And then Low Wee Wern clinched the third point for Malaysia when she downed Lee Ka Yi 6-11, 12-10, 11-8 and 11-9.

So far, so good.

No Make-Up for Lady Gaga

We are all familiar with Lady Gaga when she is fully made-up. 

Methinks, she is more of a chameleon. An audacious one at that.

She can look super glam, or totally rocker, or polished and put together, depending on her mood – and her make-up choices. 

But there has been occasions too when she goes about with no make-up. 

And get this! Gaga is actually just a totally normal-looking human being under the lipstick and eyeliner and eyeshadow and wig and, like, meat headpiece. LOL, who can forget that look. 

For her first starring role in a movie, she, too, had to go natural.

  

Lady Gaga, before make-up wipes. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Gaga plays a girl-next-door character who achieves her dream of becoming a famous singer in "A Star Is Born", directed by co-star Bradley Cooper. 

"I walked down the stairs of my house before we filmed the screen test and he had a make-up wipe in his hand and he put his hand on my face and he went like this", she said, miming Cooper rubbing her face. 

“There was make-up, just a little bit, and he said: ‘I want no make-up on your face’.  And so, this vulnerability was something he brought out of me”. 

In the movie, Gaga’s character Ally is told her nose is too big and will prevent her becoming a success, something the 32-year-old singer said she empathised with. 

“When I was first starting out, you know, I was not the most beautiful girl in the room”, she said, adding that her faith in her own songwriting talent allowed her to forge ahead. 

“There were lots of women that were singers but did not write their own music. Many record executives wanted to take my songs and give them to other women to sing, and I was, like, holding onto my music with my whole ten fingers saying: ‘You’re not going to take my songs from me’”. 

A Star Is Born premieres in a non-competition slot at the Venice Film Festival which runs from August 29 to September 08, 2018.

Lady Gaga with her co-star/director Bradley Cooper at the Venice Film Festival. Reuters pic 

The Malaysian women's squash team failed in their bid to defend their Asian Games gold medal. 

They suffered a shock 2-0 loss to India in the semi-finals yesterday – and will settle for a bronze medal. 

National No.1 Nicol David lost 10-12, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 9-11 to Joshna Chinnapa in the first match. 

And Malaysian Open Champion Low Wee Wern lost 2-11, 9-11, 6-11 to Dipika Pallikal in the second match.

The loss is a big blow as the Malaysian women have never failed to win the team event since it was introduced at the 2010 Guangzhou games.