Guan Eng’s adviser was arrogant, Mahathir maintains after Pua’s denial

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today defended his remarks about an aide to former finance minister Lim Guan Eng whom he accused in his latest memoir of interfering in government business and threatening a developer involved in a troubled project, saying the aide had behaved “as if he was the minister” instead of a political secretary.“He was very arrogant,” the former prime minister said when asked about the issue during a virtual media session.“He behaved as if he was the minister. As a political secretary, you are supposed to report on the politics of the country, not go around implementing government policies.”Mahathir also said he had heard from many others that the aide whom he said was the adviser to the finance minister, was “very arrogant”.“Maybe a lot of things were said about him and his background and all that,” he said. “But lots of people complained to me. If I were to cite them, I would fill a book, pages of cases.”In his book “Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia”, Mahathir said he had “put a stop” to a DAP leader whom he discovered had been participating in meetings in which he had no authority.“There were also occasions when this adviser spoke publicly on behalf of the government despite having no standing to do so.“It’s not the way a government works, and I put a stop to all instances of it that I was aware of, but it was this kind of behaviour that allowed the Umno cybertroopers to play up ethnic insecurities,” he wrote in the 304-page volume which will be available in bookstores this month.His claims drew a response this morning from Damansara MP Tony Pua who identified himself as the person referred to.Pua said the project in question was Exchange106, a skyscraper which forms part of the Tun Razak Exchange in Kuala Lumpur, developed by Mulia Property Development Sdn Bhd, a company linked to controversial Indonesian tycoon Djoko Tjandra.But he said he was never involved in any negotiations with the company, adding that Lim had asked him to “monitor the progress and resolution” of issues surrounding the project.Pua said Djoko, angered by a due diligence requested by the finance ministry, had met with Mahathir in a meeting arranged by “one of Mahathir’s trusted advisers”.“Mahathir was furious when he was told by Pak Joe that Tony Pua had ‘threatened’ to take over Mulia’s 49% stake for only RM1 after the latter had invested more than RM1.1 billion in the project already.“It is unfortunate that he (Mahathir) prefers to believe the words of an extremely crooked foreign tycoon, previously convicted of cheating hundreds of billions of rupiah from Bank Bali in 2009, and subsequently convicted again for forgery in 2020 and bribery in 2021,” said Pua, referring to Djoko.The RM3 billion Exchange106 faced problems after the developer failed to obtain a loan for about half of the cost.Pua said the company had been offered funding by the Najib administration, in exchange for the government being given “temporary” ownership of 51% of the project.Mahathir today said it was true that Djoko had “put in money” and then found that he had no access to banking support.“He had to go to the government to ask for help so he could raise money from the bank, but there was a condition attached that if he failed to complete the project, the government would acquire the project for RM1. This is true,” he said.“But the government must not threaten investors. They have to be friendly with them, they have to bring investors, money and expertise into the country.”Because of the aide, Mahathir said, many businesspeople had been “against the government”.“When we have somebody who is not even a minister, just a political secretary, going around telling people to do this, or threatening them, and the way you speak shows you are very arrogant, then of course people decide.”


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Citing attack threat, France bans Iranian opposition rally, document shows

France has banned an upcoming Iranian opposition rally over the risk of an attack, according to a letter sent to the organisers and seen by Reuters, after the release of an Iranian diplomat convicted of masterminding a plot to bomb the group in 2018.
The ban comes as Western powers seek to defuse tensions with Iran and a few weeks after Tehran released several Europeans from prison, including two French nationals. French President Emmanuel Macron held a 90-minute call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on June 10.
The Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), political arm of the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI), has held frequent rallies in the French capital over the years, often attended by high profile former US, European and Arab officials critical of the Islamic Republic.
In February, the NCRI attracted several thousand people to an event in central Paris, and plans its annual rally on July 1.
However, given a recent spate of mass anti-government protests in Iran over the death of a 22-year-old woman while in morality police custody, a "tense context" had developed posing "very significant security risks" to NCRI gatherings, said the document, a letter from Paris police chief Laurent Nunez.
Therefore, "this meeting, organised every year since 2008, cannot be held..." read the letter, sent to the NCRI rally's organising committee.
In response to an inquiry, Paris police issued a statement to Reuters confirming that they had informed the committee of the decision to ban the rally as it could "generate disturbances to public order due to the geopolitical context".
"Moreover, given the terrorist risk cannot be neglected, the holding of such an event would make its security but also the security of sensitive guests extremely complex," said the statement.
A senior NCRI official condemned the decision when asked about it by Reuters, before the police confirmation.
"If French authorities take such a stance, it will represent a brazen disregard for democratic principles, caving in to the ruling religious tyranny’s blackmail and hostage-taking," Shahin Gobadi, a member of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee, said.
Foreign support for Iran unrest
Mahsa Amini's death in custody sparked months of nationwide protests, prompting Tehran to accuse the US, its Western allies and Israel of exploiting the unrest to try to destabilise the Islamic Republic.
Thousands of supportive rallies have been held around the world since her death September, although the nationwide unrest has subsided after Iranian security police clamped down on it.
To dampen rising tensions, the US has been holding talks with Iran to sketch out steps that could limit the disputed Iranian nuclear programme, release some detained US citizens and unfreeze some Iranian assets abroad, according to Iranian and Western officials.
Abortive plot
Nunez's letter put the July 1 NCRI rally in the context of the abortive plot led by Vienna-based Iranian diplomat Assadolah Assadi in October 2018 and three others.
Assadi, who French officials said was running an Iranian state intelligence network and was acting on orders from Tehran, was sentenced in Belgium to a 20-year prison term in 2021. He was exchanged in May for four Europeans held in Iran.
"This attempted attack, which underlines the operational capacities for attacking the PMOI, falls into a series of violent and lethal operations in France and Europe, in the form of assassinations and kidnappings of Iranian opposition figures," the letter said, without providing details.
"Partner countries have in this regard recently mentioned many planned violent attacks, potentially targeting Iranian opposition figures."
Nunez also said in his letter to the NCRI that given the group's rally would attract several hundred important foreign dignitaries and PMOI members coming from overseas, "securing the event would be particularly complicated".
There have been three attacks on an NCRI building in a Paris suburb since the end of May, the letter said, and these were under investigation. Two sources close to the investigation said gunshots, petrol bombs and other incendiary devices had been used to target the building. It was unclear who was responsible.
The letter said there was also an elevated risk of conflict between the NCRI and rival Iranian opposition groups at the rally, although there had been no incidents at past rallies.
Tehran has long called for a crackdown on NCRI activities in Paris, Washington and the Saudi capital Riyadh. The group, whose sources of funding and support are unclear, is regularly lambasted by Iranian state media.


Less contact, short trips: virus-hit Olympics bosses set out rules

Athletes at the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics will face regular testing, restrictions on mingling and potential punishment for non-compliance with health rules, organisers said Wednesday as they outlined plans for holding the Games.After months of talks, officials issued a 54-page report outlining how they believe the Games can go ahead, even if the pandemic is not under control by the new start date of July 2021.Quarantine requirements will be waived for overseas spectators, who will also be able to use public transport, but they will have to observe rules ranging from mask-wearing and a ban on cheering to keeping their ticket stubs to help contact-tracing.Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto acknowledged strict safety measures will make the games “different”, but expressed hope they can still be held in a celebratory atmosphere.“It will be simple rather than festive, but I hope it will be something moving that encourages people through the power of sport,” he said.Athletes will be screened on arrival in Japan and then undergo regular tests every four to five days during their stay at the Olympic Village.An infection control centre will also be set up to deal with positive cases, which organisers say they presume will occur.However officials have not yet announced how competition rules would be affected if an athlete contracted coronavirus during the Games.All athletes must sign up to a code of conduct that includes avoiding speaking loudly, avoiding physical contact with others and wearing masks when not training or competing.They will also be asked to leave Japan as soon as their events are over, rather than stay on in the country for sightseeing.Fan quarantine ‘impractical’Penalties for non-compliance have yet to be determined and will be drawn up in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee.“This is not a law, but we need to be careful and ask people to lay out precautions,” said Muto.“We will create a system that allows team leaders or athlete representatives to provide cautions.”Concrete measures to determine how many fans will be able to attend will be decided in the spring, with infection rates around the world at the time taken into account.Organisers have decided that imposing a two-week quarantine on visiting fans is “impractical” given the time constraints, and will instead ask them to download tracking apps and abide by rigorous safety guidelines.Muto said organisers were working on the assumption that a vaccine will not be available by the time the Games begin, despite positive results in tests in recent weeks.He added that the cost of the virus countermeasures had not yet been calculated, although reports last week estimated them at US$1 billion.The same report calculated that postponing the Games from their original date this year will add another US$2 billion to the price tag.Enthusiasm for the Games has been waning in Japan, with a poll in July showing just one in four people wanted to see them held in 2021. Most backed either a further delay or a cancellation.


Palestinians to get a million Covid vaccine doses in swap with Israel

Israel is to provide around one million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to the Palestinian Authority in a swap as their expiry date looms, Israeli officials said Friday.The Palestinian Authority, based in the occupied West Bank, confirmed the delivery “in the coming days” of a million doses, without mentioning an agreement with the Jewish state.The Palestinian health ministry said in a statement that Pfizer was behind an initiative to “accelerate the vaccination campaign”.“Israel has signed an agreement with the Palestinian Authority, and will supply approximately one million doses of Pfizer vaccine that are about to expire,” Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office said, in a joint statement with the defence and health ministries.Israel “will receive in return the doses that Pfizer is to send to the Palestinian Authority,” the statement added.“Israel will receive the same amount of doses of Pfizer in September/October 2021, on behalf of what is destined for the Palestinian Authority,” the Israeli statement read.The statement did not specify a use-by date for the vaccines now destined for the Palestinians.“This agreement was made possible after noting that the stock of vaccines that Israel has in its possession meets its current needs.”Cogat, the Israeli military body that administers civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, said Friday it had already “transferred 100,000 vaccine doses”.Virus ‘knows no borders’Israel launched a sweeping vaccination campaign after obtaining millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.More than 55% of Israel’s population – some 5.1 million people – have received both doses of the vaccine.On the Palestinian side, just over 270,000 people have received two doses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian health ministry.From Thursday to Friday, 165 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in the West Bank and Gaza, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to more than 312,000, including around 3,540 deaths, according to health officials.In Israel, 25 new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to nearly 840,000, including more than 6,420 deaths.“Coronavirus knows no borders and does not differentiate between people,” Nitzan Horowitz, Israel’s health minister, said on Twitter.“This important exchange of vaccines is in the interest of each party,” he said, adding he hoped for “cooperation between Israel and its Palestinian neighbours in other areas”.The deal comes amid high tensions between the Jewish state and the Palestinians, with violations of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Gaza’s rulers Hamas.The truce went into effect on May 21, ending 11 days of heavy fighting.Late Thursday, Israeli fighter jets carried out air strikes on Gaza for a second time since the ceasefire.The military said they were in retaliation for three days of incendiary balloons launched from the Palestinian enclave.In Gaza, the coronavirus response has been crippled by last month’s fighting, which devastated infrastructure and reduced entire tower blocks to piles of smoking rubble.


Snow leopard tests positive for Covid-19, now in quarantine with 3 other leopards

A rare snow leopard at the San Diego Zoo in California which hadn’t been vaccinated has tested positive for Covid-19 – forcing the zoo to temporarily shut down its leopard habitat to visitors.Wildlife care specialists at the zoo noticed that Ramil, a nine-year-old male, had a cough and a runny nose on Thursday, officials said.Fecal samples from him tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes Covid-19 – and were confirmed by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System.The zoo said that it is closely monitoring Ramil’s health. He appears to be doing well and is not showing other symptoms.But as he shares his habitat with a female snow leopard and two Amur leopards, veterinarians assume the other leopards have been exposed, so they are also being quarantined.“While we await the results of tests to determine if Ramil is positive for the virus, we can assure you the snow leopards and the Amur leopards are receiving excellent care,” Dwight Scott, executive director of the San Diego Zoo, said in a statement.It’s not known how Ramil acquired the infection. The zoo says it provides N95 masks to all employees, and those who are not vaccinated are required to wear masks and practice health and safety protocols at all times. There is no vaccine mandate for employees.In January, a troop of gorillas at the neighbouring Safari Park contracted SARS-CoV-2 from an asymptomatic wildlife care specialist. The troop, which has since recovered, became the first known example of the virus infecting apes, according to the AP.The case prompted the zoo to request an experimental Covid-19 vaccine for animals which has since been supplied by Zoetis, an animal health company that was once part of Pfizer.Zoo vets are currently administering doses as quickly and safely as possible to the animals most at risk of contracting the virus, mostly big cats including leopards, lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, mountain lions, and apes.According to the World Health Organization, wild animals highly susceptible to coronavirus are tigers, lions, snow leopards, pumas, fruit bats, gorillas, white-tailed deer, marmosets, and macaques.The Amur leopard is a leopard subspecies native to the Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China. It is listed as critically endangered and in 2007, fewer than 30 wild Amur leopards were estimated to survive.


Lahad Datu MP Mohamaddin Ketapi joins Bersatu

Lahad Datu MP and Segama assemblyman Mohamaddin Ketapi has become an official member of Bersatu.Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said the membership application of Mohamaddin was approved and accepted at the special Bersatu Supreme Council meeting last night, chaired by its president, Muhyiddin Yassin.“Bersatu welcomes his membership because it will not only strengthen the party’s position in the Sabah government under the leadership of Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, but also provide a huge benefit to the development and welfare of the people in the parliamentary and state assembly constituencies that he (Mohamaddin) represents,” Hamzah said in a statement.On Oct 30, Mohamaddin announced that he was quitting Warisan as he wanted to focus on developing both Lahad Datu and Segama.Hamzah said that at the meeting, Bersatu also agreed to hold its 5th annual general meeting on Dec 18 and 19 at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre with the physical attendance of more than 1,600 delegates.“As such, we wish all the best to delegates attending the divisional general meetings nationwide that will be held from Nov 26 to Nov 28,” he said.On the Sarawak state election, Hamzah said Bersatu would hold further talks with the component parties of Perikatan Nasional and Gabungan Parti Sarawak to determine the strategy and preparations for the Dec 18 polls.On the Melaka polls held on Nov 20, Hamzah said Bersatu felt that the results of the state election showed that PN was a party that was influential as well as had solid support among voters in the state.


To ease SOPs or not depends on risk metric, says health minister

The government today said any decision to ease the SOPs of the total lockdown under the movement control order (MCO) if the daily number of Covid-19 infections drops below 4,000 will be based on the health ministry’s risk metric.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the metric would take into consideration many factors before the MCO conditions are eased.These include the daily infectivity rate, the number of deaths, the positivity rate and the capacity of frontline workers and hospitals.“Based on the risk metric, we agreed that a total lockdown would be implemented if we reached 8,000 cases and above.“We would implement MCO for 4,000 to 8,000 daily cases,” he said at a press conference today. “These are the metrics used to help us plan the public health actions that need to be taken, including increasing our vaccination capacity.”Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob previously said the government would look into whether to continue or relax the lockdown SOPs if the daily number of new cases drops to below 4,000.“It does not mean we will end the MCO but we may review the SOPs to determine which ones can be relaxed a bit,” he had said, adding that the ministry would advise the National Security Council at its upcoming meeting.“We do not promise to end it or anything else, but are just getting advice,” he had said.The lockdown declared on June 1 was originally scheduled to end on June 14. However, it was recently extended until the end of the month given the continued trend of around or above 5,000 new cases reported each day.


Health ministry to investigate video on vaccine jab for Khairy’s son

The health ministry will investigate allegations as well as a video which went viral on social media, claiming that the vaccine solution was taken out from the syringe just before the injection was given to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s youngest son.Deputy Health Minister I Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali also confirmed that Khairy’s youngest child had received the Covid-19 vaccine injection.“Looking at what he (Khairy) showed me, his son has been vaccinated… he has received the vaccine. However, we will investigate. Tomorrow I will inform him if the video has been edited, then we will take action.“In fact, so far we have investigated quite a number of cases and taken action. People are always finding fault even though the vaccine is one of the government’s efforts to protect children,” he said to reporters in Kota Bharu yesterday.This follows speculation and allegation that the nurse who administered the vaccine to Khairy’syoungest child had removed the liquid before performing the injection.Noor Azmi also asked the public not to believe false news involving the Covid-19 vaccine, as the ministry was always sensitive to adverse events following immunisation and only wanted to give the best for the health of the community.As part of these efforts, he said, the ministry would mobilise a strategic communication unit to provide information and clarification on facts and data about the Covid-19 vaccine.


Zahid was just following Najib’s orders, court told in VLN graft trial

The High Court today was told that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was just following the orders of former prime minister Najib Razak to extend the contract of Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) as the sole operator of the foreign visa system (VLN) to Malaysia in China.Former home ministry deputy secretary-general (policy and control) Suriani Ahmad said this was based on the minutes jotted down by Najib, dated May 23, 2013, sent to Zahid, stating “projek ini perlu diteruskan” (the project needs to be continued).When asked by Zahid’s lawyer Hamidi Mohd Noh on whose order this was made, Suriani replied: “Order from the prime minister.”When referred to another set of minutes dated Jan 20, 2014, Suriani said: “The minutes state ‘YB Datuk Sri Zahid, please help in this matter. This contract needs to be continued.'”Hamidi: Those were the words from the prime minister to the deputy prime minister?Suriani: Correct.Suriani also agreed with Hamidi that she would carry out the instructions if asked by her superior, Alwi Ibrahim, who was the home ministry secretary-general at the time.In the previous proceedings, the second prosecution witness, former principal assistant secretary at the Immigration Affairs Division of the home ministry, Azman Azra Abdul Rahman @ Md Salleh, told the court that UKSB had sent several letters to Najib requesting his consideration to retain the company as the sole operator of visa management to Malaysia in China.Meanwhile, Suriani, when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Gan Peng Kun during cross-examination about the minutes received by the home ministry from Zahid regarding the extension of the VLN contract, explained that it was done in a hurry.“The ministry’s stance was that if it agreed to grant the extension, it would be made in a hurry because the contract was still running and there was still plenty of time before it expired. That’s why I think there should be time and space to make an assessment first.“The contract had yet to expire. There were still three years (until it expired). Three more years to make an assessment (for contract extension). That was the position of the ministry,” he said.Meanwhile, the fifth prosecution witness, the former assistant secretary at the Prime Minister’s Department’s Cabinet, Constitution and Inter-Government Relation Division, Sheeba Kunhmon, 48, told the court that Zahid received a salary and allowance amounting to RM44,383.15 per month from 2015 to 2018 while serving as deputy prime minister.“While holding the post from 2015 to 2018, Zahid received RM18,168.15 a month and an allowance of RM26,215.“As a federal minister (minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, defence minister and home minister) between 2008 and 2015, he received RM14,907.20 in salary, with RM24,320 as an allowance,” she said when reading her witness statement during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong.When asked by Lim about the source of salary received by Zahid, Sheeba replied: “From the Malaysian government.”Zahid, 68, is charged with 33 counts of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB, as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant, as then home minister, to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the one-stop centre service in China, and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract to supply the VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the home ministry.On seven other charges, Zahid was charged, in his capacity as home minister then, with accepting S$1,150,000, RM3,000,000, €15,000, and US$15,000 without consideration from the same company, which he knew had a connection with his function.The trial before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on Dec 20.


Messi carries Argentina into World Cup final

Lionel Messi will have the chance to crown his remarkable career by winning the World Cup after he inspired Argentina to a comfortable 3-0 win against Croatia in the semi-final on Tuesday.
Messi scored a penalty before Julian Alvarez doubled the lead shortly before half-time. The little Argentine genius reserved the best for last when he twisted and turned away from his Croatian marker to set up Alvarez for his second goal.
For Croatia, it proved one match too many as their uncharacteristically poor defending put paid to any hopes they had of returning to the final for the second successive World Cup.
Luka Modric, still Croatia's creative spark at the age of 37, was powerless to stop the defeat.
Either holders France or surprise package Morocco, who face each other in Wednesday's second semi-final, stand in the way of 35-year-old Messi's last chance to win football's biggest prize after the bitter disappointment of defeat to Germany in the 2014 final.
For Argentina, a campaign in Qatar that began with a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in their opening game has led to the final again.
Tuesday's match at Lusail Stadium was a tight affair for half an hour before a simple lofted pass from Enzo Fernandez was latched onto by Alvarez, who touched the ball past advancing Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who collided with the striker.
The referee gave a penalty, which Messi stroked past Livakovic in the 34th minute – the goalkeeper was unable to recreate his spot-kick heroics from earlier in the tournament.
Alvarez doubled Argentina's lead five minutes later when he latched onto Messi's header just inside the Croatian half and, assisted by fortunate bounces off Josip Juranovic and Borna Sosa, then poked the ball past Livakovic.
Messi crowned a dominant performance by befuddling 20-year-old Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol with a sublime dribble before pulling the ball back for Alvarez to score his second in the 69th minute.
"Argentina are, once again, in the World Cup final. Enjoy it!" Messi said.
"We've been through tough situations, other very good ones. Today we're experiencing something spectacular," he added.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic bemoaned his team's lack of a genuine goalscorer.
"We have prepared everything but we missed a real, genuine attacker," he said.
"We lost the match. I have nothing to complain about regarding the boys. They gave their best during this whole tournament... It is a deserved defeat."
Caught the imagination
Attention now turns to Wednesday, when France are strong favourites to beat Morocco and take a step closer to defending their title.
The odds are stacked against Morocco but the African team's history-making run has caught the imagination of a continent and they have been backed by legions of fans in Qatar.
The game will have added spice – France was Morocco's colonial power and hundreds of thousands of people with Moroccan roots live and work in the country.
France captain Hugo Lloris said the champions were guarding against complacency and were braced for a pro-Morocco crowd.
"We can only have respect and admiration for what they have done, but nothing happens by chance at this level," he said.
"They will be formidable opponents, and on top of that there will be a hostile atmosphere in the stadium," he added.
France coach Didier Deschamps said: "There is a popular fervour behind them. It will be very noisy and my players have been warned about that. They know what to expect."
Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, said his side, also the first Arab side to reach the last four of a World Cup, were desperate to progress.
"If you get to the semi-finals and you are not hungry then there is a problem," he said.
"The best team in the tournament, Brazil, is already out. We are an ambitious team and we are hungry but I don't know if that will be enough."
Away from Qatar, the German Football Association announced a think tank of former internationals including Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Matthias Sammer to help restore the nation's fortunes after another dismal World Cup.


Najib attended London meeting with 1MDB board and PetroSaudi, court told

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur was told that the presence of Najib Razak at the meeting with the 1MDB board of directors members and representatives from PetroSaudi International (PSI) in London in May 2011 showed that the 1MDB-PSI joint venture was right.Former 1MDB non-executive director Ismee Ismail, 57, said the meeting was held at the suite that Najib stayed in at the Dorchester Hotel in London during a visit by the 1MDB board to the PSI office in May 2011.“During the visit, we (members of the board of directors) were taken to the PSI office and we had lunch together. Subsequently, we attended a meeting with Najib and two former PSI directors, Patrick Mahoney and Tarek Obaid, in the suite.“As I recall, I also saw fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low in the suite,” he said, adding that Jho Low did not join in the meeting.The 13th prosecution witness said this when reading his witness statement in the former prime minister’s corruption and money laundering trial involving RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds.Earlier, Ismee said the visit to the PSI office in London was arranged by the 1MDB management at the request of 1MDB chairman Che Lodin Wok Kamarudin because 1MDB had no information on PSI and wanted to meet the company’s representative face to face.“The meeting was held when Najib was in London but I am not sure why it had to be held when he (Najib) was there.“The presence of Najib at the Dorchester Hotel showed that the joint venture between 1MDB and PSI was right. The board of directors were also satisfied when they saw the PSI office and felt that the company was a legitimate one,” he said.However, Ismee said no specific agendas were discussed and the meeting was generally about the investments between PSI and 1MDB.The court was also told that on Sept 28, 2009, 1MDB had signed a joint venture with PSI, with 1MDB having to pay US$1 billion for its 40% shareholding in the company while PetroSaudi Holdings Cayman (a company said to be the subsidiary of PSI) only pumped in assets worth US$108 million for 60% of the equity.Meanwhile, Ismee said he and former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi agreed to sign a resolution to discontinue the issuance of the RM5 billion Islamic medium term notes (IMTN) on May 22, 2009 because the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, wanted it to be discontinued.“After we signed the resolution, we met Najib at his residence in Jalan Langgat Duta to explain what had transpired during our meeting with Sultan Mizan at Istana Terengganu.“After listening to our explanation, Najib’s first response at that time was ‘Why did you sign it?’ and why we (Ismee and Shahrol Azral) did not seek an extension from His Highness to give us time to think.“I could only tell Najib that it was a directive from His Highness, so there was nothing we could do. I could see from Najib’s reaction and the tone of his voice that he wanted the issuance of the bonds to proceed,” he said.Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial before justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today.


Sindumin rep quits Warisan, declares support for state govt

Sindumin assemblyman Yusof Yacob has quit Warisan and announced his support as an independent for the state government led by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Bernama reported today.Yusof, who had been Warisan information chief, said he decided to quit as he wanted to help the people in his constituency and the Sipitang district resolve their problems.He said he also wanted to bring development to the area.“My action is a personal decision without any pressure and influence from anyone. I want to focus on working for the people I represent and not just talking around in coffee shops without doing anything for them,” Bernama reported him saying at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu.Yusof also said he had discussed his intention to quit with Warisan president Shafie Apdal, who offered no objection.He said he had no issues with Warisan and was ready to face any action.Yusof won the Sindumin state seat in the 14th general election, in a three-cornered fight with a majority of 760 votes.He retained the seat at the Sabah election last year, winning a six-cornered fight with a majority of 424 votes.His exit leaves Warisan with 20 state seats.Bugaya assemblyman Manis Muka Mohd Darah died in November last year and Sebatik assemblyman Hassan A Gani Pg Amir quit the party in February.Warisan won 23 seats in the state election last year.


Depp lawyers wrap up cross-examination of Amber Heard

Lawyers for Johnny Depp wrapped up their grilling of his ex-wife Amber Heard on Tuesday after seeking to portray her as the aggressor in their volatile relationship.Under cross-examination, the 36-year-old Heard rejected the accusations that she was the one who instigated violence between the couple, who were married from 2015 to 2017.“I never assaulted Mr. Depp or anyone else that I had been romantically linked to,” Heard told the jury on Day 17 of the defamation case filed against her by her former husband.The 58-year-old “Pirates of the Caribbean” star filed suit against Heard over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”Heard, who had a starring role in “Aquaman,” did not name Depp in the op-ed, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking US$50 million in damages.The Texas-born Heard countersued, asking for US$100 million and claiming she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.Depp, during his four days on the witness stand, denied ever striking Heard and claimed that she was the one who was frequently violent.“Is it your testimony under oath that you never struck Mr. Depp as the initial aggressor?” Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez asked Heard during cross-examination.“I tried to defend myself when I could,” Heard said. “But it was after years of not defending myself.“There are many times I had to use my body to defend myself, and that included swinging wherever I could if it meant I could get away, absolutely,” Heard said. “If it meant the difference between a sore face and a broken nose.”In one audio recording played for the jury, Heard acknowledged starting a physical fight with Depp on one occasion but insisted that she did not “punch” him.“You’re fine. I did not hurt you,” she said in the recording. “You are such a baby.”‘He knows he’s lying’Heard was also asked by Depp’s lawyers about a report that she allegedly assaulted her then-girlfriend, Tasya van Ree, at a Seattle airport in 2009.Heard denied ever doing so and said the accusation was part of a “smear” campaign by Depp’s side.Heard was also asked why she thought Depp, during the entire time she was on the witness stand, refused to look at her directly.“Because he’s guilty,” she said. “He knows he’s lying.”During her testimony, Heard said Depp would become a physically and sexually abusive “monster” when he was drinking.She said filing for divorce against Depp in May 2016 was “the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”“It was hard because I loved Johnny so much,” she said. “I loved him so much.”Heard said the same week she filed for divorce she sought a temporary restraining order following an argument during which Depp threw a mobile phone at her, hitting her in the face.Judge Penney Azcarate has scheduled closing arguments in the case for May 27, after which it will go to the jury.Depp’s lawyers have put experts on the stand who testified that he has lost millions because of the abuse accusations, including a US$22.5-million payday for a sixth installment of “Pirates.”Depp filed the defamation complaint in the US after losing a separate libel case in London in November 2020 that he brought against The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater.”Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard met in 2009 on the set of “The Rum Diary” and were married in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized two years later.


Govt files bid to annul final award on claims by Sulu sultan’s heirs

The government has filed an application at the Court of Arbitration in Paris to cancel the final award in relation to claims by the purported descendants of the Sulu sultan, to protect the sovereignty and interests of Malaysia, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.He said the application in the French court was filed on March 3 to ensure that the award could not be enforced and that Malaysia need not pay the sum of US$14.9 billion (RM62.59 billion) being claimed.He added that the claims made by the so-called heirs of the Sulu sultan against the government of Malaysia in the international arbitration proceedings were invalid and against the law.“This is because the appointment of arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa was annulled by the Madrid High Court on June 29, 2021, rendering invalid all decisions made by him, including the final award issued on Feb 28, 2022,” he said in a statement today.He said Stampa however ignored the Madrid High Court decision by moving the venue for arbitration to Paris and continuing with the arbitration proceedings until he issued the final award.Ismail said the government remained firm in its stand that Sabah has been recognised by the United Nations and the international community as part of the Federation of Malaysia since Sept 16, 1963, and would not entertain any claims over Sabah from any quarters.“In this regard, the government of Malaysia remains committed to resolving this issue in a comprehensive and conclusive manner.“It should be stressed that the government of Malaysia will not budge even an inch in upholding and defending the country’s sovereignty and that Sabah’s position in Malaysia will be protected forever,” he said.


Hong Kong firefighters battle warehouse blaze in densely packed Kowloon

Hong Kong firefighters battled to control a blaze at a warehouse in the city's bustling Kowloon district on Friday, with smoke billowing out from windows and engulfing the white square building.
Authorities said no casualties have been reported so far as they upgraded the fire to Number 3 from Number 1 at 2pm (0600 GMT). Number 5 is the highest rating, followed by a Disaster Alert.
Cable Television said two nearby schools needed to be evacuated.


260 new cases, highest since lockdown eased

Two hundred and sixty new cases were reported today, the biggest spike in numbers since the lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 was eased under the recovery movement control order.This brings total confirmed cases in the country to 11,484, of which 1,334 remain active.According to a health ministry infographic, 47 patients were discharged, taking total recoveries to 10,014.No new deaths were reported, leaving the virus toll unchanged at 136.


Rafizi told to file defence in defamation suit by PAS deputy president

The High Court today ordered Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli to file his defence against a defamation suit brought by former environment and water minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man by Dec 28 at the latest.
Tuan Ibrahim filed the suit against Rafizi on Nov 17 for allegedly defaming him regarding the approval of several projects to a company, including on flood mitigation.
Lawyer Yusfarizal Yussoff, representing Tuan Ibrahim, said the court also ordered his client to file his reply to the defence statement by Jan 11.
"If there’s an interlocutory application, both parties are required to file the application before case management on Jan 25, 2023," he said when contacted after today’s case management conducted online before deputy registrar Idamasliza Maarof. In his statement of claim, Tuan Ibrahim accused Rafizi of making defamatory statements against him at two press conferences at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya, which were streamed live on the defendant’s YouTube account, on Nov 7 and 9, 2022.
The PAS deputy president claimed the statements implied that during the time of the caretaker government, discussions and efforts involving the plaintiff were actively conducted to approve projects worth RM2 billion to Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd through direct negotiations for the Sungai Langat flood mitigation project.
Tuan Ibrahim is seeking an injunction to restrain the defendant, his agents or assistants from broadcasting and publishing any similar statements and videos, whether directly or indirectly.
He is also claiming general, exemplary and aggravated damages.


Russian airborne troops land in Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv

Russian airborne troops landed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, the Ukrainian army said, adding that there were immediate clashes.“Russian airborne troops landed in Kharkiv… and attacked a local hospital,” the army said in a statement on messaging app Telegram. “There is an ongoing fight between the invaders and the Ukrainians.”Kharkiv, a largely Russian-speaking city near the Russian border, has a population of around 1.4 million.It has been a target for Russian forces since President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine last Thursday.In Kherson on the Black Sea, where officials had on Tuesday reported Russian checkpoints encircling the city, Russian forces took control of the railway station and the port overnight, city mayor Igor Kolykhayev was quoted by local media.In Mariupol, a port on the Sea of Azov, more than a hundred people were injured on Tuesday in Russian fire, the mayor of the city, Vadym Boychenko was quoted as saying by Ukrainian media.In Borodyanka, 50km from Kyiv, Russian airstrikes destroyed two residential buildings on Tuesday, according to Ukraine’s deputy minister of foreign affairs Emine Dzhaparova, who shared a video of the grey buildings partially in ruins, with apartments in flames.The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence also said overnight that it feared an attack from Belarus.“Belarusian troops have been put on high alert and are concentrated in areas closest to the border with Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement on Facebook.During the day on Tuesday, Ukrainian intelligence noted “significant activity” of aircraft in the border area, and convoys of vehicles carrying food and ammunition were observed there, the statement said.In view of these movements, Belarus “could probably support the Russian invaders in the Russian-Ukrainian war in the future”, warned the ministry.“Missile attacks against military and civilian targets” in Ukraine have been “systematically” launched from Belarusian territory since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb 24, the ministry added.


China passenger trips plummet over CNY due to Covid-19 fears

Tens of millions of people in China stayed put during this year’s Lunar New Year holiday – the world’s largest annual migration – as passenger traffic more than halved under the shadow of the coronavirus.The festive period typically starts with hundreds of millions of workers heading home from industrial zones and big cities, but this year Chinese authorities urged people to avoid the annual pilgrimage to avoid local flare-ups of Covid-19.Strict restrictions aimed at curbing fresh outbreaks included repeated negative Covid-19 tests in order to travel and the risk of home quarantine, while migrants were also offered free phone data and online movies as incentives not to return home.Passenger traffic over the Lunar New Year break plunged 58% from last year to 97.7 million trips, according to preliminary estimates from the transport ministry, including journeys made via railways, roads, waterways and air.The tabloid Global Times said in an editorial Thursday that China had used its “orderly control” and “kept the festival alive”.Last year’s figures were already impacted by the coronavirus outbreak as the city of Wuhan, where Covid-19 was first detected, was put under lockdown ahead of the 2020 national holiday – and this year’s decrease was more than 71% down on the 2019 figure, before the coronavirus outbreak hit.But while many people put off their travel plans this year, they did not stop spending.Retail and catering revenue among key companies leapt 29% on-year over the week, the commerce ministry said, as consumers decided to splash out instead of travel.This also exceeded spending in the 2019 Lunar New Year period, with the ministry noting a boost to household products sales such as that of appliances, while the overlap with Valentines’ Day supported sales of jewellery.During the festive period, box office revenue exceeded seven billion yuan as cinema earnings this year soar – despite a rule of 50% occupancy in theatres.


Ex-Goldman partner to testify against former colleague in 1MDB graft trial

Two former Goldman Sachs colleagues will face off in a Brooklyn courtroom on Wednesday in a trial over the looting of hundreds of millions of dollars from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, one of the biggest scandals in Wall Street history.Roger Ng, Goldman’s former head of investment banking in Malaysia, is charged with conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law. Prosecutors said in opening statements at his trial on Monday in Brooklyn federal court that Ng, 49, received millions in kickbacks for helping embezzle funds from 1MDB.On Wednesday, prosecutors will call their star witness: Tim Leissner, a former Goldman partner and Ng’s former boss at the bank’s Southeast Asia operation. Leissner, 52, in 2018 pleaded guilty to money laundering and bribery charges and agreed to cooperate with the government’s investigation.Ng has pleaded not guilty and his defence lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said in his opening statement that Ng had no role in the scheme allegedly perpetrated by Leissner and businessman Jho Low, who served as an intermediary for deals in which Goldman helped 1MDB sell US$6.5 billion in bonds.Low, the accused mastermind behind the scheme, was indicted in the US alongside Ng in 2018. He has not been arrested by US or Malaysian authorities. Low’s US lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.US prosecutors say Goldman earned US$600 million in fees from the deals, and that around US$4.5 billion of the funds raised was embezzled. Goldman paid a nearly US$3 billion fine and arranged for its Malaysian subsidiary to plead guilty in US court.Leissner will likely be questioned by the government about Ng’s alleged involvement in a scheme to embezzle some of those funds, use some of them to bribe officials to win business for Goldman, and keep some for themselves. Prosecutors have said Leissner’s testimony will be backed up by other evidence.“He’ll give you an inside view of this bribery and money laundering scheme,” prosecutor Brent Wible said in court on Monday.Agnifilo has countered that Leissner, who has not yet been sentenced, has lied to prosecutors about Ng’s involvement in a bid to lighten his punishment. He spent much of his opening statement attacking Leissner’s credibility, portraying him as a socialite who stole to finance a lavish lifestyle.Leissner’s testimony was expected to start at 9.30 EST (1430 GMT). A lawyer for Leissner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


At least 16 killed in fire at Indonesia fuel storage depot

At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured in Indonesia's capital Friday, after a massive blaze broke out at a state-run fuel storage depot before firefighters brought it under control, officials said.
The raging inferno burned several houses, caused people to flee in panic and forced the evacuation of residential areas nearby the depot run by state energy firm Pertamina in north Jakarta.
The Jakarta fire and rescue department said 16 people including two children were killed in the fire, which injured at least 50 more.
Many of those killed and injured suffered severe burns after the fire broke out, department chief Satriadi Gunawan told AFP.
The cause of the fire, which started after 8pm local time (1300 GMT), was not clear.
The blaze was put out several hours after it started, army chief of staff Dudung Abdurachman told reporters.
"The fire is already extinguished," he said.
Gunawan said firefighters were working on "cooling" the fire area after bringing it under control.
The military chief Abdurachman and Pertamina said they were investigating the cause.
"Pertamina is focused on handling the fire and evacuating workers and residents nearby to a safer location," the company said in a statement.
The oil and gas firm's chief executive Nicke Widyawati said it would "conduct a full internal evaluation... to prevent the reoccurrence of a similar event."
She said the country's fuel supply had not been disrupted, remaining secure through backup supplies from the nearest available terminals.
Second blaze in years
Heru said the Indonesian government would contribute to the treatment of the injured.
Erick Thohir, the country's minister of state-owned enterprises, expressed his condolences for those killed and injured.
"We are all saddened by his tragedy," he said in a statement, calling on Pertamina to fully investigate the incident.
Footage broadcast on TV showed people screaming and fleeing through narrow roads with a raging inferno in the sky behind them.
Firefighters were also shown rushing to the scene to control the blaze as ambulance workers transported body bags to hospitals.
Gunawan said firefighters initially received reports a pipe had burst at the depot and officers quickly worked to contain the blaze from reaching nearby residential areas.
Jakarta's main fire station said it had deployed 51 units and more than 250 firefighters to the Plumpang depot in north Jakarta.
A fire broke out at the same depot in 2009 and fires hit 40 houses near the depot in 2014 but no casualties were reported in either case.
In 2021 a massive blaze broke out at the Balongan refinery in West Java, also owned by state oil company Pertamina and one of Indonesia's biggest oil refineries.
The fire raged for two days and caused thousands to be evacuated after a huge explosion.


Apec host Thailand's budding marijuana industry faces backlash

Near the grand conference halls in central Bangkok where Asian leaders will meet this week, a plethora of marijuana shops - the Thai capital's newest tourist draw - were bustling despite a controversy that threatens the growing sector.
Since Thailand decriminalised cannabis this year shops selling homegrown and imported strains, pre-rolled joints and gummies sprang up rapidly.
New cafes with names such as MagicLeaf and High Society are located just minutes from the meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.
But the proliferation of such businesses has sparked a backlash from some politicians and doctors who say the change was pushed through without regulation and are now calling for tougher rules, or even a new ban.
A cannabis regulation bill to govern cultivation, sale, and consumption has been delayed in parliament, causing confusion over just aspects will be legal.
"We’re in a vacuum," one senator, Somchai Sawangkarn, told a domestic broadcaster on Wednesday, adding that announcements by the health ministry had not curbed recreational use.
Southeast Asia has strict laws prohibiting the sale and use of most drugs, but Thailand became a major exception in June, when it dropped cannabis from its list of narcotics.
The move was spearheaded by health minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who framed marijuana as a cash crop for farmers and championed its medical use, but recreational use exploded.
Authorities later rushed through piecemeal updates to the regulation clarifying that cannabis could not be sold to children or near schools and temples.
‘Super high' profits
Netnapa Singathit had a smoking room for a short while after opening her RG420 cannabis store in central Bangkok, but she switched to serving drinks after authorities banned such rooms.
She called for regulation that standardises quality, adding, "We are concerned about operators who are not compliant, and customers end up with bad products."
Recent weeks have brought a wave of news reports about hospitalisations and use by children.
The president of Thailand's association of forensic physicians, Smith Srisont, petitioned a court last week to re-list it as a narcotic.
"It was wrong to not have governing laws before unlocking cannabis... it is not being used medically, but recreationally," he told reporters.
Yet with major profits to be had, many business owners are relaxed about coming changes. Anutin has ruled out recriminalisation, but supports greater regulation.
Akira Wongwan, the chief executive of a medical cannabis business, Adam Group, said profit margins for recreational cannabis were "super high".
The sector could be worth US$1.2 billion (about RM5.4 billion) by 2025, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce has estimated.
"Most people still think at least they can get the profits now, even if regulations change," said Akira.


Ex-Perlis MB charged again with RM1.06 million money laundering

Former Perlis menteri besar Azlan Man pleaded not guilty in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today to five charges of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM1.06 million.
Azlan, 64, made the plea after the charges were read out to him before judge Azura Alwi.
"I plead not guilty and claim trial," said Azlan.
Azlan is alleged to have received proceeds from unlawful activities totalling RM1,059,675.25 from Sri Kedawang Travel & Tours (W) Sdn Bhd, Aidil Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd and Abdul Rahim Halim, on behalf of Aidil Travel.
He was alleged to have received the money through three Maybank cheques and one CIMB cheque deposited into his Maybank and CIMB accounts, and in cash from Rahim.
He was charged with committing the offence at the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman Maybank branch, CIMB Bank branch in Putrajaya and Sheraton Imperial Hotel, between Feb 19, 2014, and December 2017.
The charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under Section 4(1) of the same act.
The section provides for a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or value of the proceeds of the illegal activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Azlan was Pauh assemblyman from 2013 to 2018, before winning the Bintong state seat in 2018. He failed to defend the seat at the last general election in 2022.
Azlan served as Perlis menteri besar from 2013 to 2022.
Azura allowed Azman bail of RM50,000 with one surety and fixed June 9 for mention, as requested by the deputy public prosecutor from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Ahmad Akram Gharib.
Earlier, Akram told the court that the prosecution would not request additional conditions for the accused to surrender his passport to the court as it had been handed over to the Kangar Sessions Court on Monday.
He also informed the court that the prosecution would request for Azman’s case at the Kangar Sessions Court to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, to be tried together.
Azlan was represented by lawyer Burhanudeen Abdul Wahid.
On April 10, Azlan pleaded not guilty at the Kangar Sessions Court to five counts of submitting false overseas travel claims amounting to more than RM1.18 million between 2013 and 2017.


44,300 children fully jabbed, 67.5% of adults boosted

A total of 44,376 children aged five to 11 had completed two doses of Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme For Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 1,353,370 children or 38.1% have received at least one dose of vaccine.For adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,855,208 or 91.8% have completed their vaccination while 2,953,452 or 95% have received a first dose of vaccine.As for the adult population, a total of 15,888,368 individuals or 67.5% have received a booster dose while 22,955,102 or 97.6% have completed both doses of vaccine.A total of 23,232,340 or 98.8% have received one dose of vaccine.A total of 25,487 vaccine doses were given yesterday, with 2,631 as first doses, 11,755 as second shots and 11,101 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 69,069,817.


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Prosecution objects to Rosmah's bid to recuse judge in solar case

The prosecution today objected to Rosmah Mansor’s application to recuse judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan from hearing her corruption case on the RM1.25 billion hybrid solar project.
Rosmah, 70, filed the last-minute application on grounds of a purportedly leaked judgment of her case, prepared by another party, that had gone viral on social media.
Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram said the leaked "judgment" referred to by the applicant was not a written judgment at all.
"It was clear from the document itself that it was a research and opinion write-up prepared by the Research Unit of the Kuala Lumpur High Court," he said.
Sri Ram also said the application was based entirely on hearsay evidence and bad faith, and that the applicant had not produced any credible or cogent evidence to support her accusation of bias and judicial impropriety against Zaini.
"We are ready to argue, and we oppose any application for adjournment and delivery of judgment. If they are not ready, we ask for it (application) to be dismissed," he told the court.
He was responding to the application by Rosmah's counsel Jagjit Singh to adjourn the hearing of the bid as they needed more time to gather facts.
The lawyer raised the matter when the proceedings began at 9.28am.
Jagjit also said the defence needed time to reply on an affidavit affirmed by deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn objecting to Rosmah's application.
Zaini said the fact that the defence had filed a certificate of urgency would usually mean the matter should be heard as quickly as possible.
"If not the same day, it should be heard the next day. When you filed the certificate of urgency on the eve of Merdeka Day, I instructed my officers to prepare the hearing today," he said.
Zaini asked the defence whose idea it was to file the application, to which Jagjit replied, "We act on instructions."
"You want (the hearing of) the application to be adjourned to another day? This application will become academic after I have delivered my decision," the judge said.
He also noted that the allegations in the recusal application pertained to an alleged judgment written by a third party on his behalf.
However, he said he would be the only one to answer the matter and asked the defence to argue on the application and stood down the proceedings.
"I will wait for you. Let me know when you are ready," he said.
The judge is scheduled to deliver the case verdict today.


India denies millions have died from Covid-19

The Indian government rejected on Thursday recent studies suggesting that millions of people have died in the country from Covid-19, several times the official toll of almost 420,000.It said in a statement however that several Indian states were now “reconciling” their data after dealing with a spike in cases in April and May.On Tuesday a study by US research group the Center for Global Development suggested anywhere from 3.4 million to 4.7 million people had died in India, between eight and 11 times the official number.That would give the country the world’s highest number of fatalities. Currently its official toll of 419,000 trails the United States on 610,000 and Brazil with 545,000.The study is the latest to cast doubt on India’s official numbers, pointing to poor record-keeping and the death rate per million being around half the global average.Researchers have looked in particular at “excess mortality”, the number of additional fatalities compared with normal times, and at death rates in other countries.But the Indian government said Thursday it was an “audacious assumption that the likelihood of any given infected person dying is the same across countries”.The studies, it said, ignored “factors such as race, ethnicity, genomic constitution of a population, previous exposure levels to other diseases and the associated immunity developed in that population”.Assuming that all excess deaths were from coronavirus was “not based on facts and totally fallacious”, the government said.It added that India has a “thorough contact tracing strategy”, a “vast availability” of testing labs and that while some cases may go undetected, “missing out on deaths is unlikely”.The statement however left some room for blame against local authorities, saying the health ministry “only compiles and publishes data sent by the state governments” and that it had been “repeatedly advising” states on properly recording deaths.States overwhelmed by the surge in April and May have now been “advised to conduct thorough audits that could have been missed”, and several have in recent weeks updated their figures, it said.Maharashtra, India’s worst-hit state, has upped its death toll by around 15,000 while Bihar added about 4,000 and Madhya Pradesh 1,500.


Resilient Croatia advance as Japan crumble in shootout

Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three spot-kicks as Croatia beat Japan 3-1 in a penalty shootout to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the third time after an enthralling 120-minute contest finished deadlocked at 1-1 on Monday.
Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and Maya Yoshida were all denied by Livakovic before Mario Pasalic coolly sent Japan keeper Shuichi Gonda the wrong way to set up a last-eight date for the Croatians with Brazil or South Korea on Friday.
Three times in the knockout rounds in Russia four years ago the Croatians came from behind to advance after extra time before losing to France in the final.
They once again showed their resilience and patience by coming from a goal down to tame a lively Japan team who had beaten Germany and Spain in the group stage.
Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for Japan in the 43rd minute and Ivan Perisic headed the equaliser 10 minutes after the break but the teams could not be separated over the remainder of the game.
More heartache
For Japan, this was last-16 heartache for the fourth time after a loss to Turkey in 2002, exiting on penalties against Paraguay in 2010 and giving up a 2-0 lead to lose to a stoppage- time goal against Belgium four years ago.
The game was more open than anyone had reason to expect, with Croatia ratcheting up the physicality to gradually take control of midfield and Japan trying to hit them on the break.
Perisic was put through on goal in the eighth minute but Gonda pushed away his shot and Bruno Petkovic also had a one-on-one, only to tap an attempted pass tamely through the Japanese goalkeeper's legs.
Japan showed far more adventure than they had in the first half of their group matches and Shogo Taniguchi, Daichi Kamada and Maeda all had chances to open the scoring before the latter broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute.
Ritsu Doan took the ball from a short corner and curled it into the box where Bruno Petkovic deflected it back across the six-yard area under close attention from Yoshida and Maeda pounced to tuck it into the net.
The equaliser came 12 minutes later with a cross from the same flank, Dejan Lovren lofting a beauty into the box and Perisic getting in front of his marker to head the ball powerfully into the bottom right corner of Gonda's goal.
That brought Japan out of their shells and Wataru Endo was soon firing in a long-range effort which Livakovic tipped over the bar.
Luka Modric had a sweetly struck shot from range turned over by Gonda in the 63rd minute and substitute Ante Budimir steered header wide of the post.
Gonda again had to be at his best to keep out a rocket of a shot from Perisic in the 77th minute, while at the other end Japan continued their raids but without carving out any clear-cut chances.
Extra time was a little more ragged although a thrilling run and piledriver of a shot from Japan substitute Kaoru Mitoma brought a fine save out of Livakovic just before the break.
Japan kept their nerve throughout the match but they crumbled in the penalty shootout as Nikola Vlasic and Marcelo Brozovic put Croatia 2-1 ahead before Pasalic sealed the deal for Croatia.


Anwar resorting to 'optics' to seek Malay support, says Khairy

Former Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin says the image put forth by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is part of the PKR chief's efforts to increase Malay support for his government.
Speaking in a podcast with former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, Khairy said much of what Anwar was doing was his response to the Malay voters after learning that their support for Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the 15th general election was less than satisfactory.
He cited the programmes organised with religious scholars, Anwar's interaction with Malay intellectuals, and even the wardrobe choices of the Tambun MP.
"Not only has he forgone wearing neckties, he even wears a songkok with his suit when he is on trips abroad," Khairy said.
"There is an image of Pan Malay nationalism from what we saw in the 1950s during the era of Sukarno," he added, referring to the first president of Indonesia.
"I see all of these optics as geared towards one political objective: to get the support of the Malays."
Khairy, a former health minister, said he would give the coalition government led by Barisan Nasional (BN) and PH a "B-" for its first 100 days in federal administration.
He said this was considered a good grade as it was far above the pass level although the long-term policies for the country were still vague.
"There are many gaps in terms of the policies and performance of the Cabinet which are inconsistent," he said.
"There are good ministers and there are those who do not stand out in helping the prime minister determine the country's direction.
"So a B- is good enough with (Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi) as deputy prime minister," he added.
Khairy said the next six months would be a crucial period for the government and prime minister to prove their ability to administer and manage the country.
He said the focus, among others, would be on whether Anwar played the role of an "executive chairman" or "non-executive chairman" who sets the government's direction and philosophy and passes details to the Cabinet and chief secretary, or if he would be a "philosopher" and "manager".
"When you want to drive reforms, you need a prime minister who is involved (in the implementation process) but does not interfere with the work of civil servants," Khairy said.
"The first 100 days of this government have not been bad, but we want to look ahead to the next six months, to see if it has what it takes."


AirAsia told to respond to flight delay complaints

AirAsia will provide feedback on consumer issues, including those related to flight delays and rescheduling, to the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry (KPDNHEP) within 24 hours.Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said after compiling consumers’ grievances and complaints on the issue of AirAsia flight delays, KPDNHEP had made a preliminary study in terms of consumer interests under the ministry’s purview and contacted the AirAsia management for feedback.He said among the issues revolving around the interests of consumers highlighted in the initial engagement with AirAsia were flight delays, the review of flight schedules of up to more than six hours, as well as consumers’ eligibility for compensation in the event of flight delays.“For the convenience of consumers, I ask AirAsia to provide a flow chart on the process of filing a formal complaint for compensation, subject to the guidelines set by Mavcom (Malaysian Aviation Commission) as the regulatory agency on the issue,” Nanta said in a Twitter post today.He said although the aviation industry was under the purview of the transport ministry, he, as the minister dealing with consumer issues, would intervene if the matter was related to consumer rights.“There is no ‘sembang kari’ (empty talk), conducting investigation upon investigation, or just doing nothing in this issue. The interest of consumers is my responsibility as the KPDNHEP minister,” he said.Nanta in a Twitter post yesterday said KPDNHEP would conduct an investigation in the interest of consumers on the issue of delays and the rescheduling of domestic flights involving AirAsia.This followed grievances and complaints from consumers regarding the issue of AirAsia flight delays to various destinations in the country which had been detected since the end of last month and which were still ongoing.


Daily caseload tops 1,300 as 3 more deaths reported

Another 1,372 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,456,736.There were 3,610 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,397,881.There are now 23,276 active cases, of which 22,146 or 95.1% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 19 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,025 (4.4%) have been hospitalised.A total of 86 are in ICU with 46 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 56.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 11.6%.Another three deaths were reported. Total deaths now stand at 35,579.


UK, others agree to fast-track adapted Covid-19 vaccines

Modified vaccines designed to protect against emerging coronavirus variants will get fast-track approval under a pact announced on Thursday by medicines regulators in Britain and four other countries.The agreement will avert the need for lengthy clinical studies if authorised vaccines are adapted in future, as long as the manufacturers offer “robust evidence” of their potency and safety, according to the agreement by the ACCESS Consortium.The consortium comprises Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and counterparts from Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland.“Our priority is to get effective vaccines to the public in as short a time as possible, without compromising on safety,” MHRA chief scientific officer Christian Schneider said in a statement.“Should any modifications to authorised Covid-19 vaccines be necessary, this regulatory approach should help to do just that.“The public should be confident that no vaccine would be approved unless the expected high standards of safety, quality and effectiveness are met.”The approach  is based on the “tried and tested” regulatory process used for seasonal influenza vaccines, which need to be adapted every year to combat new strains, the MHRA said.‘Remain vigilant’Britain began rolling out the world’s first mass vaccination programme for the coronavirus in December. But health experts are concerned that new variants of the disease, including one from Brazil, could prove more resistant to the vaccines.That would undermine plans by Britain and others to start unwinding lockdowns in the coming weeks, which hinge on the vaccines giving enough people protection and bringing down a winter surge in infections and deaths.In England, the latest wide-scale survey of more than 165,000 volunteers tested for Covid-19 showed that prevalence fell by two-thirds last month from January, with one in every 204 people infected.The survey overseen by London’s Imperial College showed the “R” number in England came to 0.86. Anything under 1.0 signals the virus is no longer growing exponentially in the population.But it also found that the rate of decrease was slowing, prompting Health Secretary Matt Hancock to urge continued caution as England prepares to reopen schools to in-class teaching next Monday in the first phase of ending its lockdown.“There is some cause for concern that our hard-won progress may be slowing down, and even reversing in some regions so it is important we remain vigilant – this is on all of us,” Hancock said.More than 123,000 people have died of Covid-19 across the UK, in one of the world’s worst outbreaks.


This is a court, not a coffee shop or Supreme Council meeting, Zahid told at graft trial

The prosecution today reprimanded Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for providing unnecessary explanations to specific questions during his trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.Deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran told the former deputy prime minister that he should not consider the court a coffee shop or an Umno Supreme Council meeting while answering the questions.The question posed by Raja Rozela was whether Zahid agreed to the suggestion that his former executive secretary Maj Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly could not touch the money in the fixed deposit account at Messrs Lewis & Co.After Raja Rozela asked the question several times and asked him to answer it specifically, Zahid finally answered, “Agree.”Raja Rozela then said: “Thank you, thank you Datuk Seri, thank you very much,” while Zahid replied: “Thank you to you, too.”Raja Rozela then replied: “Please be careful, Datuk Seri. You’re currently in court and not at a coffee shop or a Supreme Council meeting. I am reminding you as an officer of the court.”Earlier, Raja Rozela also reprimanded Zahid for not providing specific answers to questions regarding the funds from the Akalbudi Foundation transferred to the Lewis & Co fixed deposit account.“Datuk Seri, you must learn to respect the court. When I ask a question and the question is specific, please answer the question specifically unless I ask you to provide an explanation.“I am a court officer. I and my learned colleagues, Datuk Seri’s lawyers, are court officials. We are tasked with conducting the proceedings for this court. I urge Datuk Seri to please focus, otherwise, we will be here (at court) all day,” said Raja Rozela.Lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, representing Zahid, then stood to say that his client should be given an opportunity to give an explanation.High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah replied that the prosecution was of that view as Zahid had not answered the questions specifically, but instead provided explanations.“Sometimes witnesses are given the opportunity to give an explanation, but when asked whether the witness agrees or not, the witness only has to answer whether he does so or not. That is why the prosecution thinks so,” said Sequerah.On Jan 24, the court ordered Zahid to enter his defence for 12 charges of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi after finding that the prosecution had successfully established a prima facie case against him.The trial before justice Sequerah continues.


UK study suggests Delta subvariant less likely to cause symptoms

A subvariant of Delta that is growing in Britain is less likely to lead to symptomatic Covid-19 infection, a coronavirus prevalence survey found, adding that overall cases had dropped from a peak in October.The Imperial College London React-1 study, released on Thursday, found that the subvariant, known as AY.4.2, had grown to be nearly 12% of samples sequenced, but only a third had “classic” Covid symptoms, compared with nearly a half of those with the currently dominant Delta lineage AY.4.Two-thirds of people with AY.4.2 had “any” symptom, compared with more than three-quarters with AY.4.AY.4.2 is thought to be slightly more transmissible, but it has not been shown to cause more severe disease or evade vaccines more easily than Delta.The researchers said that asymptomatic people might self-isolate less, but also that people with fewer symptoms might spread it less easily through coughing and also may be unlikely to get severely ill.“It is preferentially appearing to be more transmissible,” Imperial epidemiologist Paul Elliott told reporters. “It does seem to be less symptomatic, which is a good thing.”Imperial had previously released interim results that showed Covid-19 prevalence was at its highest on record in October, with infections highest among children.The full results of the latest round of the study, conducted between Oct 19 and Nov 5, confirmed what daily recorded cases and other prevalence surveys have shown – that infection levels dropped from that peak, corresponding with a half-term school holiday in late October.Elliott said that there was uncertainty over whether that drop had continued, and the next few weeks would establish whether cases were rising again with the return of schools.The React-1 study also found that booster doses reduced the risk of infection in adults by two-thirds compared with people who had two doses.


Govt to present proposal to Malay rulers on 'Allah' dispute

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says the Cabinet will present a proposal to the Malay rulers on the dispute over the government's decision to withdraw its appeal against the court's verdict in the "Allah" case.
In a statement, he said the Cabinet had received the consent of the king for this.
"This is to strengthen the enforcement of policies regarding the use of the word 'Allah' to the Council of Rulers, and at the same time to strengthen unity and harmony among the races and religions in Malaysia," he said.
Putrajaya announced earlier this week that it was dropping its appeal to challenge a High Court decision in 2021 allowing Christians to use the word "Allah" in their religious publications.
The High Court had then ruled in favour of an application filed by a Sarawakian Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill.
She had sought a court declaration that her constitutional rights were violated when the home ministry in 2008 seized Christian religious CDs and books using the term "Allah" under Section 9(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The government under then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin subsequently filed an appeal against the ruling.
Anwar said the matter had been discussed at the Cabinet meeting today.
"The Cabinet notes that the decision only concerned administrative matters and did not change the ruling of the Federal Court in 2014," he added.
"It affirmed that the government respects, certifies and adopts the state enactments and the decree of the Agong on Feb 7, in which he decreed that the existing policies related to the use of the word 'Allah' should be maintained.
"The government will always uphold the Federal Constitution, especially Article 3 regarding Islam as the religion of the federation, with other religions allowed to be practised in peace."
Putrajaya's move to drop the appeal sparked criticism from Muslim groups, while Muhyiddin said earlier today that the government should have allowed the court to solve the dispute.
Anwar had yesterday defended the decision, saying the prohibition on non-Muslims using the term "Allah" in their religious materials remained.
Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari meanwhile said that the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims in the state would remain off limits, in line with the decree of Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah in March 2021.
He said this was in line with the Federal Court decision in the 2014 case involving the Roman Catholic archbishop of Kuala Lumpur and the home ministry, as well as the fatwa gazetted in Selangor on Feb 18, 2010.
"The Selangor government takes note of the home ministry's explanation regarding the related state enactments, and expresses its committment that the state's rights and enactments, especially those involving this issue, which are provided for under the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation among Muslims) 1988, will continue to be defended.
"This means that this development will not affect or threaten the state government's position regarding the use of the word 'Allah'.
"The state government firmly protects the interests and sensitivity that religious beliefs should be respected without undermining the harmony and unity that has been built and is the foundation of Selangor."


8-year-old girl in Sarawak dies of Covid-19

An eight-year-old girl from Serian died after being hospitalised for severe complications from Covid-19, Sarawak authorities said today.The girl, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Aug 21, was one of two people in the state who died of the virus today. The other was a 59-year-old man from Sibu who tested positive for Covid-19 on Aug 23.The Institute of Health and Community Medicine at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak said the presence of the ultra contagious Delta variant was as high as 99% in the Kuching division and had been detected in 10 parts of the state.“A total of 178 cases of the new Delta variant have been detected, a detection rate of as high as 83%,” Sarawak health department director Mohamed Sapian Mohamed said in a statement today.“The presence of this variant which has a high rate of infectivity – five to eight times more than other SARS-CoV variants – makes it a major factor in the high prevalence of cases in Sarawak, especially in the southern zone.”He added that children account for 30% of positive cases in the state.Of the new cases detected in August, he said, 99% were asymptomatic or showed mild symptoms.He also noted that the bed utilisation rate for critical care cases in Sarawak had gone up this month although it was still “under control”.“If this situation persists, the health system in these areas will be paralysed and in turn, a similar situation for the whole country is likely to occur,” he said.Sarawak recorded 2,522 positive cases today, taking the state’s cumulative caseload to 112,245 with 513 deaths.


Cabinet reshuffle on the cards?

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is set to announce his first Cabinet reshuffle since assuming top office in August, in what could be a test of his ability to hold his coalition government together despite the growing bad blood between Bersatu and the Umno faction led by former leader Najib Razak, MalaysiaNow has learnt.It is reliably learnt that the reshuffle could happen as early as next month although one Umno source said it would see no major changes in line-up.Attention, however, will be on Bersatu and other Perikatan Nasional (PN) ministers and deputy ministers.Any changes to the current equilibrium of parties in the Cabinet will have to ensure the coalition government can remain united despite the constant bickering and attacks, especially between Umno and Bersatu.In that aspect, a source close to Ismail’s inner circle told MalaysiaNow that his balancing act to maintain the Cabinet’s unity was more difficult than that of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.“In Mahathir’s case, there was constant bickering especially between Bersatu and PKR, but everything was hushed although the show of unity proved to be short-lived.“Ismail also has to deal with his own party bosses who are constantly attacking his ministers. And Umno’s recent victory in Melaka has led to growing pressure on Ismail to sideline PN ministers to junior posts,” said the source.Najib recently launched an open attack against Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, as the former prime minister stepped up his calls for the government to allow withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).“Don’t listen to the advice of the outdated PN finance minister,” Najib had said.But sidelining parties other than Umno would be suicidal for Ismail, as it was the support of some 50 MPs from PN which had brought him to the top office.A source said Ismail, despite being an “accidental prime minister”, was not unaware of the political repercussions should he be seen as allied with Najib.“So far, he has shown that he doesn’t have to listen to Bossku,” the source said, referring to Najib’s self-styled title.“He has given Najib a nominal role as economic adviser, and he has given Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib’s arch enemy, the very powerful position of leading the post-pandemic recovery plans.“And the fact that Najib’s political destiny, as is Zahid’s, looks set to be doomed owing to their corruption trials, Ismail knows how to handle voices from outside,” the source added.Whether or not the reshuffle will cost PN key Cabinet positions is just part of the issue.Ismail also has to manage the anti-Najib faction in Umno, the source added.“They include Hishammuddin Hussein, Khairy Jamaluddin, Shahidan Kassim and Annuar Musa, not to mention leaders from component parties who have shown they are not in the mood to have Najib and Zahid running the show.”Most Umno, MCA and MIC Cabinet members had rejected a proposal by Najib and Zahid to quit Muhyiddin’s government, at the peak of the duo’s campaign to bring down the PN government in July.With Najib’s conviction, and Zahid likely to share his fate, Ismail has a chance to survive until the next general election which must be called in 17 months.Until then, whether he will be the shortest reigning prime minister remains to be seen.


Oil leads mad rush to resources, stagflation a risk

Oil prices sped higher on Thursday as the war in Ukraine drove a mad dash for resources in an ominous sign for global inflation, while Asian shares eked out gains after reassuring comments from the Federal Reserve helped Wall Street bounce.Brent crude topped US$117 per barrel and is now up almost 20% on the week, while everything from coal to natural gas and aluminium are on fire as Western nations tighten sanctions on Russia.“Russia supplies around 30% of Europe’s gas and oil imports and accounts for around 11% of world oil production,” said Shane Oliver, head of investment strategy at fund manager AMP. “In short, investors are worried about a stagflationary shock.”The rush to commodities lifted resource-rich Australian stocks 0.9%, while Indonesia was just off a record high.Japan’s Nikkei managed a 0.8% gain, while MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan nudged up 0.6%.MSCI added to Russia’s financial isolation by deciding to exile the country from its emerging markets index, while FTSE Russell said Russia would be removed from all its indices.Fitch slashed Russia’s sovereign credit rating six notches to “junk” status, saying it was uncertain the country could service its debt, and Moody’s soon followed.After bouncing overnight, S&P 500 stock futures ESc1 were flat, while Nasdaq futures eased 0.1%.Eurostoxx 50 futures slipped 0.2%, and analysts at JPMorgan had a stark warning for clients.“We believe investors should underweight the Euro area in both the currency and the equity space given its vulnerability to any further escalation,” they wrote in a note.“We revised our commodity price forecasts 10-20% higher across the board given the unfolding geopolitical crisis,” they added. “One silver lining is that the crisis forced a dovish reassessment of the Fed by the market, and we continue to assume a ‘moderate’ hiking path.”Euro under pressureFed chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday said rates would likely be raised by only 25 basis points this month, and the war in Ukraine has made the outlook “highly uncertain”.Futures reacted by pricing out any chance of a half-point hike later in March.However, Powell did warn the Fed might have to hike more aggressively if inflation kept rising. That took some of the safe-haven steam out of treasuries and 10-year yields were back at 1.85%, from Tuesday’s two-month trough of 1.682%.European bonds also surrendered some of their recent hefty gains after data showed euro zone inflation hit a record high of 5.8% in January, making it harder for the ECB to keep policy super loose.Inflation was also on the mind of the Bank of Canada when it kicked of a tightening cycle on Wednesday with a quarter-point rate hike to 0.5%.The move combined with the strength of oil prices to lift the Canadian dollar to a five-week high at US$1.2625. Other commodity-linked currencies also benefited with the Australian dollar at a four-year peak on the euro.The euro was likewise on the defensive at US$1.1098, having carved out a 22-month trough overnight at US$1.1056.The dollar edged up to 115.68 yen as Japan’s trade position is set to worsen given it is a major importer of energy and resources.Dealers stayed well away from the Russian rouble, though it did trade once at 101.00 per dollar.The US dollar index stood at 97.502, after reaching its highest since June 2020 at 97.834.Gold was holding at US$1,927 an ounce and still up 2% on the week so far thanks to safe-haven demand.Oil flew further past US$110 a barrel on talk the market will remain short of supply for months to come following sanctions on Moscow and a flood of divestment from Russian oil assets by major companies.Brent put on another US$4.34 to reach US$117.27 a barrel, while US crude rose US$3.32 to US$113.92.


PM, Cabinet to forgo salary for 3 months

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that he, his ministers and deputy ministers will go without a salary for three months in a show of solidarity with Malaysians.He said their salaries would be channelled to the National Disaster Relief Trust Fund in light of the difficult situation brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.“The government will continue to prioritise a holistic approach in fighting the pandemic,” he said in a live address today.“This includes efforts to optimise the healthcare system and the people on the ground to help break the chain of infection.”Adding that the days ahead would not be easy as the situation is difficult to predict, he urged everyone to stay at home and to adhere to the health SOPs set by the government at all times.A total lockdown will be implemented across the country from tomorrow until June 14 in a bid to curb the recent spike in Covid-19 cases which reached an all-time high of over 9,000 earlier this week.Only essential services and sectors given permission by the government will be allowed to continue operating during this period.


China to speed up vaccinations, build more designated Covid hospitals

China plans to speed up Covid-19 vaccinations and will release information to the public in due course, the head of China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
Shen Hongbing made the comments at a regular National Health Commission (NHC) news conference when asked if foreign vaccines would become available. He did not elaborate on exactly how vaccinations would be sped up.
China, which has pursued a strict zero-Covid policy that results in frequent snap lockdowns, has recently seen a surge in cases with more than 23,000 new infections reported on Thursday - the most since April.
The country has begun to loosen some curbs related to mass-testing and quarantine for overseas arrivals, boosting optimism that China is moving towards a re-opening and economic activity could pick up again.
Authorities highlighted the need to build more designated Covid hospitals and increase the number of beds in intensive care units.
"ICU beds need to account for 10% of total beds," NHC official Guo Yanhong said.
Several cities where cases are rising like Guangzhou and Beijing are conducting mass-testing but other cities have pulled back on testing.
The NHC said it was not expanding the scope of who should be tested but was rather "increasing the number of people conducting tests and the number of testing sites in busy areas."


Pandemic stress could stick around for a long time, psychologists warn

Psychologists have warned that the effects of Covid-19 on mental and emotional health could continue not only throughout the pandemic but even after the crisis is resolved, as Malaysians reach the halfway point of yet another lockdown imposed throughout the country amid a fierce spike in infections and deaths.Siti Inarah Hasim, a clinical psychologist at the International Islamic University Malaysia, said it was possible for people to develop mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in addition to the regular anxiety and stress triggered by pandemic-induced changes.“We see the pattern of PTSD as a chronic stress response from past trauma,” she told MalaysiaNow.“However, a recent study suggests that people may also develop symptoms of PTSD by merely imagining a future stressful event.“They imagine themselves or their loved ones being infected, getting sick or even dying due to the virus, a fitting description of what we have in our current predicament.”The two-week lockdown from June 1 to 14, enforced under the third instalment of movement control order since the beginning of the pandemic, followed a wave of infections which reached a daily peak of 9,020 on May 29 with a record 126 deaths recorded on June 2.Siti Inarah said when the pandemic first began last year, people had faced anxiety and depression as they struggled to deal with the changes in their daily routines.“They imagine themselves or their loved ones being infected, getting sick or even dying due to the virus.”While many had since accepted the change, she said, others are still struggling to cope.“A lot of Malaysians are still struggling emotionally. It’s just a matter of whether they are more accepting of the changes or if it is becoming worse.“Definitely, we are still struggling to maintain our sanity as we enter another year of the pandemic.”She also warned of “Covid-19 fatigue”, where people become emotionally drained and no longer bother adhering to SOPs.She said this can be triggered by feelings of stress and lack of motivation as well as uncertainty over the rising case numbers and announcements of lockdown.“The pandemic’s toll on Malaysians has ripple effects in many areas of their lives.”“This is even felt by the more fortunate groups who still have their jobs and who work from home without depending on the government’s help to survive,” she said.Serena In, a clinical psychologist at International Medical University, agreed that recurring uncertainties play a big role in affecting mental health.She said anxiety and depression could develop out of constant stress due to the fear of losing jobs, health or loved ones – matters which are out of people’s control.“Sometimes, prolonged periods of feeling out of control can lead to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.“The pandemic’s toll on Malaysians has ripple effects in many areas of their lives,” she told MalaysiaNow.Such stress could also affect people’s moods and sleeping patterns, she added.She urged those experiencing emotional distress to seek help from family members and friends or professionals, should the situation call for it, and to find ways to adjust to the changes brought about by the pandemic.“It is a process of adjustment,” she said. “Instead of having fixed expectations that life should go back to how it was pre-pandemic for it to be good, be open to the idea that life post-pandemic really is different.”


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Rising waters expose Covid graves in India’s Ganges river

Seasonal flooding of the Ganges is flushing out shallow graves and exposing some of the hundreds of bodies that were buried by the river during India’s recent Covid-19 surge.Neeraj Kumar Singh, an official in the northern city of Allahabad, said that almost 150 bodies have had to be cremated in the past three weeks.“We are not exhuming any bodies but only those which are floating up due to rising water levels are being cremated,” he said.“The area is spread over a kilometre and our guess is there are around 500-600 bodies buried,” Singh told AFP.“Every precaution is taken in dealing with the bodies while performing their final rites.”Most are believed to have died from coronavirus in April and May when India was hit by a spike in infections that overwhelmed hospitals in many areas.Some families were unable to afford firewood for traditional Hindu cremations so bodies were immersed in the Ganges or buried in sandbanks adjacent to the river.These are now becoming flooded because of annual monsoon rains swelling the river, washing away the sand and revealing the corpses.The number of such graves has stoked suspicions that India’s total deaths from the pandemic may be over a million, several times the official toll of almost 400,000.