Bed Bath & Beyond CFO plunges to death from New York skyscraper

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc's chief financial officer fell to his death from New York's Tribeca skyscraper known as the "Jenga" tower on Friday afternoon, police said on Sunday, days after the struggling retailer announced it was closing stores and laying off workers.
Gustavo Arnal, 52, joined Bed Bath & Beyond in 2020. He previously worked as CFO for cosmetics brand Avon in London and had a 20-year stint with Procter & Gamble, according to his LinkedIn profile.
On Friday at 12.30pm ET (1630 GMT), police responded to a 911 call and found a 52-year-old man dead near the building who suffered injuries from a fall. Police identified the man as Gustavo Arnal.
The police statement did not provide further details on the circumstances leading to Arnal's death and said the New York City Medical Examiner's Office would determine the cause of death. Bed Bath & Beyond confirmed his death in a press statement on Sunday but gave no details.
The big-box chain - once considered a so-called "category killer" in home and bath goods - has seen its fortunes falter after an attempt to sell more of its own brand, or private-label goods.
Last week, Bed Bath & Beyond said it would close 150 stores, cut jobs and overhaul its merchandising strategy in an attempt to turn around its money-losing business.
It forecast a bigger-than-expected 26% slump in same-store sales for the second quarter and said it would retain its buybuy Baby business, which it had put up for sale.
Arnal sold 55,013 shares in Bed Bath & Beyond in multiple transactions on Aug 16-17, Reuters' calculations showed based on SEC filings. The sales amounted to about US$1.4 million, and Arnal still had almost 255,400 shares remaining.
On Aug 23, the company, Arnal and major shareholder Ryan Cohen were sued over accusations of artificially inflating the firm's stock price in a "pump and dump" scheme, with the lawsuit alleging Arnal sold off his shares at a higher price after the scheme.
The class action lawsuit listed Arnal as one of the defendants and was brought by a group of shareholders who claimed they lost around US$1.2 billion.
The filing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia alleged that Arnal "agreed to regulate all insider sales by BBBY's officers and directors to ensure that the market would not be inundated with a large number of BBBY shares at a given time."
The lawsuit also alleged that he issued materially misleading statements to investors.
The company said it was "in the early stages of evaluating the complaint, but based on current knowledge the company believes the claims are without merit."
Shares in Bed Bath & Beyond have been highly volatile in recent months, being viewed as a so-called "meme" stock, which trade more on social media sentiment than economic fundamentals.
Cohen, a billionaire investor, disclosed a stake of nearly 10% in early March. Cohen's RC Ventures disclosed plans to sell its stake on Aug 17.


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UK health minister gets Covid ahead of ‘freedom day’

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Saturday he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was self-isolating – just as his government prepared to jettison most pandemic restrictions in England.Under his government’s rules, Javid is now required to self-isolate for 10 days, after he tweeted that a PCR test had confirmed his initial lateral flow test.Any of his “close contacts” – potentially including others in the government – would have to self-isolate too if they receive instructions from the state-run National Health Service (NHS).Javid had a “lengthy” meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday, according to the Sunday Times.Johnson nearly died of Covid last year. Downing Street declined to comment on whether the prime minister or other members of the Cabinet now also face isolation.Javid appeared alongside ministers in parliament last week, and one government source told The Telegraph newspaper: “I don’t see how half the cabinet doesn’t end up in isolation by the end of the week.”Javid has only been in the job since June 26, when former health secretary Matt Hancock resigned following revelations he had broken coronavirus restrictions during an affair with a close aide.Javid stressed he has received both doses of a Covid vaccine and his symptoms were “very mild”. He said any member of the public feeling symptoms should get a test too.“If everyone plays their part, you’re not only protecting yourself and your loved ones, but you’re also safeguarding the NHS and helping to preserve our way of life,” the minister said.However, with coronavirus cases again surging, many scientists say the government is endangering the NHS with its plan on Monday to scrap most legal pandemic requirements in England.For the first time since January, Britain’s daily Covid caseload now exceeds 50,000, and Javid has warned the figure could double from that in the coming weeks.But the government insists that with two-thirds of the adult population now fully vaccinated, the risk can be managed, and Monday has been dubbed “freedom day” by many UK media.Munira Wilson, health spokeswoman for the opposition Liberal Democrats, said Javid’s test result “shows no one is safe from this deadly virus”.Urging the government “to rethink its reckless plans for Monday”, she said: “By easing all restrictions with cases surging, they are experimenting with people’s lives.”The surge in infections sweeping Britain led to more than 530,000 people being instructed to self-isolate by a government-run app in the week to July 7, according to latest data.Some companies such as carmaker Nissan have been losing staff en masse after they were pinged by the app – in a brewing crisis described by UK newspapers as a “pingdemic”.Staff shortages caused by the isolation rules disrupted the London Underground network on Saturday, with one line suspended entirely.


Does Ismail want to see govt split, asks Loke

Transport Minister Anthony Loke today questioned recent remarks by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, saying it appeared as though the former prime minister wanted to see divisions in the government.
Loke, the DAP secretary-general, also said that the cooperation between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) was on the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, following the inconclusive results of the recent general election.
"Don't, as a former prime minister, wish for divisions in the government of the day," he told reporters.
"I don't know what his intentions are. It's as if he wants to see conflict in today's unity government."
Ismail, the Bera MP and former Umno vice-president, previously criticised the government led by Anwar Ibrahim, questioning the viability of the cooperation between Umno and PH.
He said cracks in the cooperation could already be seen after at least two senior Johor Umno leaders rebuked several DAP and PKR leaders for comments seen as an insult to the Malay party.
"Right now, this is just the beginning. We'll see. I don't want to comment any further. But it's happening already – DAP making comments against Umno, Umno making comments against DAP," he told reporters yesterday, comparing the situation to a forced marriage.
Loke however said that Umno's ties with PH were not a "marriage", merely a form of cooperation.
"I would like to advise Ismail that the cooperation between PH and BN in order to form the government was the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," he added.
He also denied conflict between Umno and DAP leaders, saying all statements issued were more of individual views than those of the party.
He said everyone had the right to express their views, adding that he was powerless to stop them from doing so.
"As is the case with many parties, some of the views aired are personal views," he said.
"But when the party makes a decision, that is the party's stand."


More than 125,000 Myanmar teachers suspended for opposing military coup

Over 125,000 schoolteachers in Myanmar have been suspended by the military authorities for joining a civil disobedience movement to oppose the military coup in February, an official of the Myanmar Teachers’ Federation said.The suspensions take effect from Saturday, the official said. He declined to give his name for fear of reprisals as he is already on the junta’s wanted list on charges of inciting disaffection. He has been told that the charges he faces will be dropped if he returns.“These are just statements to threaten people to come back to work. If they actually fire this many teachers, the whole system will stop,” he said.The suspensions come just days before the start of the new school year, which some teachers and parents are boycotting as part of the campaign that has paralysed the country since the coup cut short a decade of democratic reforms.Reuters was unable to reach a junta spokesman or the education ministry for comment. The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper has called on teachers and students to return to schools to get the education system started again.The disruption at schools echoes that in the health sector and across government and private business since the country was plunged into chaos by the coup and the arrest of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Around 19,500 university staff have also been suspended, according to the teachers’ group.Registrations begin next week for the school term that starts in June, but some parents are saying they plan to keep their children out of school.“I am not going to enrol my daughter because I don’t want to give her education from military dictatorship. I also worry about her safety,” said 42-year-old Myint, whose daughter is 14.Students, who have been at the forefront of daily protests at which hundreds of people have been killed by security forces, also said they planned to boycott classes.“I will only go back to school if we get back democracy,” said Lwin, 18.Myanmar’s education system was already one of the poorest in the region: ranked 92 of 93 countries in a global survey last year.A National Unity Government, set up underground by opponents of the junta, said it would do all it could to support the teachers and students. They are calling on foreign donors to stop funding the junta-controlled education ministry.“We will work with Myanmar’s educators who are refusing to support the cruel military,” Sasa, who goes by one name and is a spokesman for the national unity government, said in an email to Reuters. “These great teachers and brave teachers will never be left behind.”


New cases top 4,900

Another 4,965 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,667,999.Another 4,817 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,576,870.Meanwhile 437 are in the ICU, including 375 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 240 are in need of respiratory assistance including 167 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 4,965 cases reported today, 96 (1.9%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 4,869 (98.1%) are in Category One and Two.


‘Difficult’ Austria lockdown on unjabbed already effective, says PM

Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told AFP that the “difficult” lockdown imposed on Monday on unvaccinated people had led to increased coronavirus vaccination rates.“The developments in recent days, the huge increases at the vaccination centres, have shown that this threat scenario that we created with the… restrictions is having an effect,” Schallenberg said in a phone interview.On Monday Austria became the first EU country to lockdown the unvaccinated in a bid to halt spiralling virus infection rates of around 12,000 per day in the country of 8.9 million.The measure has been criticised as unenforceable and unlikely to bring contacts down to the necessary level, with vaccination sceptics also calling it discriminatory.Official figures show a rise in the numbers of people in Austria coming forward for their first vaccination in recent days as the government announced progressively harsher restrictions for the unvaccinated.Over the past seven days 128,813 people have received their first vaccine dose.“As a government, we have not taken this step lightly to deprive a section of the population of its freedoms,” Schallenberg said.But he rejected criticism that the lockdown for the unvaccinated was unfair.“When one part of the population is taking the necessary steps to protect itself and others, and another part of the population isn’t… taking measures to separate those two parts and reduce contacts is not discrimination,” Schallenberg said.He has thus far opposed any suggestion of tougher restrictions for vaccinated people.“I want to persuade the unvaccinated to get vaccinated, not shut away the vaccinated,” he said.With regard to vaccinating under-12s, Schallenberg said he expected a decision on the matter in “around two weeks” from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).“Then of course I will also issue an appeal for children to get vaccinated,” he said.Vienna city authorities have pre-empted the EMA’s approval and on Monday became the first EU region to start vaccinating children aged between five and 11.


Nearly 500 Japanese firms gone bust due to Covid-19, reports say

Almost 500 businesses have gone bankrupt in Japan since February due to the economic hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to media reports quoted by the Sputnik news agencyAs of Friday, the number of companies that had filed for bankruptcy or launched legal liquidation procedures in Japan reached 489, the NHK broadcaster reported, citing the Teikoku Databank research firm.Businesses operating in the food, accommodation and clothing industries were the most affected, according to Teikoku Databank.Meanwhile, 8.5% of small and medium businesses might cease operations if the pandemic does not end soon, according to a survey conducted by Tokyo Shoko Research in July and August. The results of the survey suggest that over 300,000 Japanese companies may face bankruptcy.


Court rejects Singapore AG’s ‘rushed’ bid to quash Malaysian’s stay of execution

The Singapore Court of Appeal today dismissed an attempt by the attorney-general to quash the stay of execution granted to Malaysian Datchinamurthy Kataiah on the eve of his appointment with the gallows.The appeal was heard at 2.30pm, hours after the High Court granted Datchinamurthy a stay of execution in a hearing which saw the 36-year-old arguing before the judge himself via a video link.It is learnt that the speed at which the appeal was made, within a matter of hours, caught many in the legal community by surprise.“Singapore attorney-general rushed an appeal to the Court of Appeal which was heard with astonishing speed at 2.30pm today,” lawyer N Surendran said on Twitter.“However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the AG’s appeal – stay order maintained.”Datchinamurthy was convicted of trafficking 45g of diamorphine into the city-state, which has attracted international criticism over claims that it fails to discriminate between drug couriers from poor families and the drug barons who hire them.He was due to be executed tomorrow despite his legal challenge which was still pending in court.The High Court granted him the stay of execution this morning pending the outcome of the hearing on May 20.Datchinamurthy’s case had sparked comparison with that of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, another death row inmate who was executed early yesterday morning.Nagaenthran’s mother Panchalai Supermaniam had appeared in court during her final attempt to save her son, as she could not find a lawyer willing to represent him.Nagaenthran’s execution had caused international outrage due to his mental disability. He had an IQ of 69, a level recognised as a disability, and was reportedly coerced into trafficking a small amount of heroin into the island republic.The Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers later said it would not hesitate to cite critics who repeated what it described as “false allegations” contained in Panchalai’s affidavit for contempt.“The AGC takes a serious view of any act that may constitute contempt, and will not hesitate to take appropriate action to protect the administration of justice,” it said.


Prosecution yet to establish prima facie case in death of Cradle Fund CEO, defence says

The prosecution in the murder case of Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan has not been able to establish a prima facie case against the accused – his widow Samirah Muzaffar and two teenagers – the Shah Alam High Court was told today.Counsel Rahmat Hazlan said the arguments and evidence adduced by the prosecution had in fact been thrown into disarray by the defence.“We have exposed the lack of credibility of the prosecution’s witnesses, their inconsistent statements and biased testimonies.“After 57 witnesses and more than three years of trial, the defence submits that a prima facie case has not been made out against the accused persons, individually or jointly,” he said in his submission at the end of the prosecution’s case before judge Ab Karim Ab Rahman.Samirah, 47, and two teenagers, now aged 19 and 16, as well as an Indonesian woman still at large, Eka Wahyu Lestari, are charged with murdering Nazrin at his house in Mutiara Damansara, between 11.30pm on June 13, 2018 and 4am the following day.Rahmat also submitted that the defence had been able to show indisputable evidence that the accused persons and the deceased had maintained a good relationship right to the end as evident at the family’s breaking-of-fast event on the day before the murder.“Samirah and the deceased also went for Hari Raya shopping on June 11 and 13, like a normal loving couple,” he said.Rahmat said when the tragedy took place on June 14, the authorities had cleared the incident of any foul play as did the K-9 unit, and the house and room were returned to Samirah on the same day.“A senior pathologist Dr Siew Sheue Feng who is the 46th prosecution witness (PW46) and his team of doctors found that the injuries bore the pattern of blast injuries and a fire and rescue department (FRD) officer confirmed that there was in fact a handphone blast. Devoid of any suspicion, police classified the tragedy as sudden death.“However, the FRD science officer, Aznor Sheda Shamsuddin (PW14), made a single-handed decision in her unaccredited lab by using her own selective and misguided methods, without complying with any standards or SOPs, to find petrol in three samples that were allegedly taken from the room,” he said.Rahmat said the alleged petrol findings by PW14, without counter check with any other chemist from the chemistry department, was the turning point for the reclassification of the case as murder, adding that it was done wrongly and carelessly.“Had there been petrol, the two K-9 unit dogs would have sniffed the slightest trace of petrol, the chemistry department would have also found petrol in some of the samples, and the five doctors at Hospital Kuala Lumpur would have smelt the petrol during the post-mortem done on the day itself.“PW46 repeatedly testified that only a blast could explain all of the injuries. The second pathologist, Dr Prashant Naresh Samberkar (PW50), could only explain a few injuries on a heavily decomposed body, and his testimony in court was riddled with illogical findings and bias,” he added.Rahmat said that taken as a whole, the prosecution’s theory did not make sense.“They say the accused persons wanted to dispose of the evidence, but the body was not found on the burnt bed. It does not make sense to leave the body on the floor if your intention is to destroy evidence, they should have burnt the body on the bed.“The prosecution also said there was lots of blood on the bed and that was why the bed was burnt. However there was no evidence at all that there was blood on the bed,” he said.Meanwhile, lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah submitted that Eka, the fugitive maid who was charged together with the accused persons, was never brought in despite the police having multiple opportunities to do so.“ASP Mohd Nizam Daud (PW57), who is the investigating officer, agreed that the police had not thoroughly pursued their investigation into the Indonesian woman during cross-examination.“What was evident and undisputed is that Eka was in fact in Kuching, Sarawak, working at a kopitiam. In spite of this, the police never made any attempt to arrest her. PW57 finally admitted that the police were never serious about pursuing a case against her,” he said.The prosecution will start its submission tomorrow.


Villagers baffled after 11 dead cows dumped in Kuala Nerus

Residents at a village in Kuala Nerus are baffled by the recent discovery of 11 dead cows dumped in an abandoned clearing nearby.
Wan Zaidi Wan Jaafar, a resident of Kampung Sungai Lekar, said they found the carcasses which had begun to decay while heading to Sungai Lekar some 5m away last Saturday evening.
"The carcasses may have been dumped on Saturday as some villagers saw two lorries entering the junction to this area.
"According to them, the two lorries were seen loaded with dead cattle," he said today when met at the area about 15m off Jalan Kota Bharu-Kuala Terengganu, where the bodies of the cows remained.
Wan Zaidi said the stench was unbearable, adding that the road was the main route for commuters.
"Although the dumping is far from the settlement area, it is along a daily route for residents going to the river and to plantations. So we worry about the unbearable stench of the carcasses and whether it will pollute the river," he said.
Meanwhile, Terengganu state veterinary services department director Anun Man, when contacted, said they had not received any reports on the matter.
However, he said the department would go immediately to the location to obtain samples to identify the cause of death of the cattle and carry out disposal work and further investigation.
"We have no inkling why the cows were dumped there. It is possible the animals were smuggled from afar and transported in a closed truck over a long journey which could have caused the cows to suffocate.
"If they died due to an outbreak such as foot and mouth disease and so on, the cattle owners can be prosecuted under Section 31 of the Animals Act 1953 for failing to report their livestock disease to the veterinary department," he said.
He said action could also be taken under Section 34 of the Animals Act 1953 for disposing of diseased livestock without the permission of the veterinary authorities.
The department will also investigate if there are elements of animal cruelty involved under Section 29 of the Animal Welfare Act 2015.


Fight against Covid-19 will fail if political crisis continues, says analyst

A political analyst warns that the public health crisis which has seen a spike in number of Covid-19 cases of late may become worse if the political crisis continues.Azmi Hassan said efforts to contain the pandemic which has so far claimed 376 lives have been disrupted by the political situation.“The Sabah state election is one example of how political factors outweighed public health interests,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Because politicians had a crisis, the public health situation could not be handled well.”He also said the notion that the political crisis deserves more attention than the problem of Covid-19 was beginning to upset the people, whom he said were becoming increasingly fed up with the endless drama.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a nationwide address on Oct 6 had voiced concern about the spike in Covid-19 cases following the Sabah election on Sept 26.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah meanwhile had warned that reducing the R-naught or infectivity rate of the virus would fail without the cooperation of everyone in playing their roles.“The problem the government faces right now is how to focus on economic issues and on the fight against Covid-19 when its legitimacy is being questioned every day.”There had been concerns that the 2021 budget would be sabotaged by a group of MPs facing corruption charges in court, in order to cause the collapse of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government and forcing pandemic-season snap polls.The budget bill was however passed at the policy stage last Thursday through voice vote following a failed attempt by the opposition to force a bloc vote.As of yesterday, the Dewan Rakyat had passed the budget bills for 11 ministries at the committee level with 16 left to go.Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla said there would be no end to the political crisis as long as the legitimacy of the PN government remains in question.“The problem the government faces right now is how to focus on economic issues and on the fight against Covid-19 when its legitimacy is being questioned every day – is this government legitimate or not?” he told MalaysiaNow.“I hope the debate on the 2021 budget this time will resolve things. If, for example, the budget is passed, the opposition and other parties will lose the moral ground to say that the government is illegitimate.”If the budget is shot down, Muhyiddin as prime minister would have to present himself to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and resign honourably, he said.“Let the King who has the authority to do so decide what should be done. Then hopefully, the political crisis will be resolved.”


New cases dip again to 22,300 as another 85 deaths reported

Another 22,341 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,974,019.There were 33,347 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,656,415.There are now 283,275 active cases, of which 273,974 or 96.7% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 1,747 (0.6%) are at quarantine centres while 7,164 (2.5%) have been hospitalised.A total of 390 are in ICU with 219 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 44.0%.Another 85 deaths were reported, including 23 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 34,329.


How will EU ‘ban’ on exports of 2 Covid vaccines affect Malaysia?

Malaysia may have escaped any serious delay to its Covid-19 vaccination plan caused by the European Union’s (EU) decision to slap export controls on vaccines produced within the bloc, as it has sourced the much needed protection against the deadly virus from several companies outside of the EU, MalaysiaNow has learnt.The EU recently introduced measures that would see its 27 member states prioritised for the vaccines, on the back of criticism over its slow pace of vaccination.The EU blamed it on delivery shortfalls from UK-Swedish drug-maker AstraZeneca which, in turn, blamed it on production glitches at plants in the Netherlands and Belgium.On Friday, the European Commission, the EU’s top body, claimed there was a lack of transparency around the ways some companies are operating, and used its powers to restrict the export of vaccines outside of the territory.“This is not an export ban. This measure would specifically target exports of Covid-19 vaccines covered by an Advance Purchase Agreement with the EU,” the commission said.The move essentially means the EU can stop vaccine exports if the company making them fails to honour existing contracts to supply to member states.Malaysia ‘not poor enough’ for exemption?While the EU said not all non-EU countries would be affected by the measures, it is understood that Malaysia does not fit in a list of countries given exemption.The EU has assured that 92 low and middle-income nations will be exempted from the restrictions.These countries are set to benefit from Covax, a global agreement to enable poorer countries to have access to Covid-19 vaccines.Malaysia is among 190 economies which have signed the Covax agreement, which is supported among others by The Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the World Health Organization (WHO).However, with its gross national income per capita of US$10,590, it is not considered a low and middle-income economy as defined by the World Bank.‘Safety nets’ from China, RussiaThe latest EU move will affect the export of vaccines produced by AstraZeneca and Pfizer – two companies which will give Malaysia its earliest doses against the deadly virus.Malaysia has ordered a total 19.2 million doses from the two companies, to cover 30% of the population.Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca have claimed success rates of between 60% and 90%.They are among five vaccine producers from which Malaysia has sourced at a total price of over RM2 billion, enough to inoculate more than 80% of the population and achieve herd immunity.The Pfizer vaccines will be the first to arrive in Malaysia next month.This will be followed by vaccines under the Covax facility (March) and from AstraZeneca (April).The EU has said its export restrictions will run until March 31.“So there is a likelihood the new EU measures would mean further delays in getting Pfizer, as well as Astrazenaca, if the EU extends the export restrictions,” a government source told MalaysiaNow, adding however that details are still scarce on the impact of the EU move on Malaysia.“In the worst scenario we will not receive the two vaccines, there is a safety net in the form of vaccines from China and Russia,” it said.Three other vaccines have been ordered from Sinovac and CanSino (China) and Gamaleya (Russia), totalling 23.9 million doses under various regiments.Together, they will provide inoculation for about 43% of the population. Another 10%, meanwhile, will be vaccinated under the Covax facility.“These vaccines will not be affected by the EU ruling,” the source said.Apart from Malaysia, the EU’s measures will also affect some 100 countries including the US, Canada and Australia.


Water restored to 17% of affected areas

Water supply has been restored to 17% of affected areas in Selangor, with 46 out of 274 receiving full supply as of 6am today.Air Selangor said it was still working to restore supply to the remaining 228 areas.“The Kuala Langat region recorded 55% recovery while Petaling recorded 37%, but Hulu Langat and Sepang/Putrajaya have yet to be restored.“Consumers are advised to use water prudently to ensure that the recovery process for areas which are still affected proceeds smoothly and in line with Air Selangor’s recovery plan schedule,” its corporate communication chief Elina Baseri said in a statement today.She added that Air Selangor was actively working to stabilise the water supply distribution system in the affected areas.A total of 309,687 account holders in Petaling, Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat and Sepang/Putrajaya experienced an unscheduled disruption in water supply beginning Sunday after the closure of the Sungai Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi water treatment plants due to raw water pollution.Consumers in the affected areas can refer to Air Selangor’s official communication channels such as its app, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts and its website www.airselangor.com for further information.


2017 SEA Games achievement was not realistic, says Hannah Yeoh

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh today said it was unrealistic to consider Malaysia's achievements at the 2017 SEA Games its best as it had played the role of host that year, days after the end of the 2023 edition of the sporting event which saw the national contingent recording its worst ever performance.
"The SEA Games in 2017 were not realistic because we were the host country.
"So we cannot say 2017 was our glorious time, no. We were host," she said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
At the 2017 SEA Games, Malaysia won 145 gold medals, 91 silver and 85 bronze, emerging as the overall champion.
This year's Games, held in Cambodia, saw Malaysia winning just 34 gold medals, short of its goal of 40.
It also won 45 silver medals and 97 bronze, finishing in seventh place.
Yeoh, the Segambut MP, also attributed Malaysia's lacklustre performance to political instability.
"I have to say this," she said. "Political uncertainty in the last five years.
"Apart from the economy, we see this now. Sports is one of the most glaring outcome of instability that has caused this.
"Previously, there were ministers who were gone in less than a year. They wanted to follow through with the budget and implement strategies, but they couldn't."
Yeoh also said that Malaysia's goal in the SEA Games was not just to win gold, but to train the athletes and prepare them for competition at a higher level.
If winning gold was the main target, she said, the best athletes would have been sent.
"But that is not our goal. If I send Lee Zi Ji to the SEA Games, if he won it would have no meaning because we don't want him to be the best only in Southeast Asia.
"Our goal is to develop the ranks. So the ones that we send, they get the experience and we work from there."


Govt okays booster jabs for high-risk groups

Putrajaya has agreed to roll out booster shots of Covid-19 vaccine once 80% of adults in the country have been fully vaccinated.Priority will be given to those in high-risk groups such as frontliners, the immunocompromised, senior citizens with comorbidities and those who live or work at long-term care facilities.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the third dose would increase the immunity level for those at high-risk of Covid-19 infection which might decline some time after the second dose.“A panel of health and medical experts is working to lay out the guidelines for the implementation of these third shots,” he said in a statement today.He also announced an allocation of more than RM471.6 million for a new initiative to ensure that those in the B40 group can protect themselves from infection.Under the Covid-19 Care Package, families in the low-income bracket will be given reusable face masks, self-test kits, pulse oximeters and thermometers to help them monitor their health.As of yesterday, 78.2% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated with 93.1% given at least one dose including of the single-dose CanSino vaccine.Just over 40 million doses of vaccine have been administered so far under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.The country is expected to have 80% of its adult population fully vaccinated by Sept 21.


PN offers new deal for Malaysia, says Muhyiddin

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says his Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc offers a new deal to Malaysians, and that it is a coalition which will carry the country’s aspirations for generations to come.He said PN wants to administer Malaysia more efficiently, effectively and competently, adding that it also has aspirations to preserve unity among peoples of all races and religions.“PN is offering a new deal to all Malaysians and we are here to stay for a long time. We wish to continue feeling the pulse of the people and fulfil their needs in a very caring way.“We are committed to administering this country with integrity for the sake of safeguarding the well-being and welfare of all the people,” he said in a virtual address at the 49th Gerakan national delegates’ conference.Gerakan adviser Mah Siew Keong, its president Dominic Lau and deputy president Oh Tong Keong were among those present at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, while others attended virtually.Muhyiddin said PN’s determination to fulfil the aspiration for a better Malaysia, coupled with the solidarity and unity of the coalition’s component parties would make PN the people’s main choice.He said PN, which comprises Bersatu, PAS, STAR, SAPP and Gerakan, could further increase its support among the people by delivering on all its promises and commitments.Muhyiddin meanwhile said PN is ready to face the general election.“Apart from getting our party machinery ready at all levels, we must also strengthen our preparations by learning from our past experiences. We must gain the trust of the rakyat, that we are the government that cares, night and day,” he said.On Gerakan which joined PN on Feb 11, Muhyiddin said its entry would strengthen PN as a coalition representing various races, religions and regions in the country.“With the commitment, resoluteness and spirit of camaraderie existing among component parties, I am confident that all the noble efforts of PN will be realised through the mandate of the rakyat in an election. We will prevail together as one strong coalition,” he added.“I believe that Gerakan, with its history and vast experience in politics since its establishment in 1968, can be a significant component of PN.”“These are the basic principles for the establishment of PN. Therefore, let’s close ranks and strengthen our work until the grassroots level to draw up the best formula to ensure political stability for the country and prosperity for the rakyat.“We have to stay united across all fronts in order to succeed as one. When we are united and have achieved solid political stability, all initiatives to revive and develop the country’s economy can be implemented more easily,” he added.


Shafee probed over cheques from Najib after 2018 report, MACC man tells court

An investigating officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that a complaint was lodged on Sept 4, 2018 against lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah over suspicions that he had received two cheques, amounting to RM9.5 million, from Najib Razak.Mohamad Farid Jabar, 37, said following the report, the lawyer was investigated under the MACC Act 2009, the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Illegal Activities Act 2001.Farid, the eighth prosecution witness, said the investigation revealed that Najib had issued two cheques, for RM4.3 million and RM5.2 million respectively, under Shafee’s name on Sept 13, 2013 and Feb 17, 2014 at a meeting at the former prime minister’s office in Putrajaya.“Both cheques were not paid in the name of the law firm Shafee & Co. The payment was not credited into any of the law firm’s accounts.“The RM9.5 million was payment for legal advice provided by the accused to Najib, the party and the prime minister previously because the lawyer had provided legal service to clients from Barisan Nasional or Umno for 46 election petition files from 2004 and 2006.“The legal fees of RM9.5 million were taxable accrued income, but Shafee did not report the income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN),” Farid, who is the last prosecution witness, said when reading out his witness statement at Shafee’s trial over allegations of money laundering and making false statements to LHDN.He also told the court that the lawyer did not report the RM9.5 million income as income from previous years that was not declared in Part E of Form B of the year of assessment for 2013 and 2014.On Sept 13, 2018, Shafee pleaded not guilty to two charges of receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities through two cheques issued by Najib which were deposited into his CIMB Bank account.He was also charged with two counts of engaging in transactions resulting from illegal activities, namely submitting incorrect tax returns, which is in violation of Paragraph 113 (1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2013, and Dec 31, 2014.The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, while Shafee was represented by lawyer Harvinderjit Singh.The trial before judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin continues on April 27.


New infections top 2,100 as one more death logged

Another 2,130 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,536,795.There were 1,080 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,475,438.There are now 25,626 active cases, of which 24,585 or 95.9% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 13 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while XX (XX%) have been hospitalised.A total of 35 are in ICU with 19 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 8.0%.One more death was reported, taking total deaths to 35,731.


Australia sets 80% vaccine target to open borders

Australia will reopen its borders and end lockdowns when 80% of the population is fully vaccinated, Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed Friday, sketching a long road out of “Fortress Australia” virus restrictions.A year-and-a-half after Australia cocooned itself off from the rest of the pandemic-ravaged world, Morrison unveiled a series of targets he said could begin to be reached by the end of the year.In March 2020, Australia took the unprecedented step of almost entirely closing its borders to foreign visitors and banning its globetrotting citizens from leaving.Sixteen months and several lockdowns on, there are currently around six million Australians under stay-at-home orders – most residing in Covid-hit Sydney – as authorities battle to get back to “Covid zero.”Scarcely 14% of the population has been fully vaccinated, prompting growing anger.Hoping to give restriction-weary Australians some prospect of a return to normality, Morrison set out a series of targets for the gradual easing of restrictions.The conservative prime minister indicated that when 70% of eligible adults have received two doses, vaccinated residents will have more freedom from domestic restrictions and a limited number of international students and economic visa holders will be allowed to enter the country.“I believe we can get there by the end of the year,” Morrison said, without setting a firm target date.When 80% of eligible adults have been fully jabbed, vaccinated Australians will again be allowed to travel to safe countries overseas.Borders will also be reopened to citizens from safe countries who have received one of the vaccines approved by Australian regulators, and mandatory two-week hotel quarantine requirements will be eased.Morrison – who faces reelection within the year – avoided setting a timeframe for the targets, insisting it would depend on when Australians choose to get vaccinated.“The timelines are now in the hands of all Australians,” Morrison said.The country’s glacial vaccine rollout has been beset by government missteps, an acute shortage of Pfizer vaccines and scepticism about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine – which Australia has in large amounts and produces domestically.“Every single vaccine will take us closer to achieving each of these steps,” Morrison said. “As Australians, we have to take each step together. And that starts with walking in the door of that vaccine clinic.”Border closures have prompted the first population decline since World War I and tens of thousands of Australian citizens have been stranded overseas.While hundreds of thousands of Australian residents remain separated from family overseas.As the pandemic drags on, there are growing concerns about the impact of prolonged restrictions that have kept the country largely Covid-free, with Australia recording just under 34,000 cases.There are also growing fears that Sydney’s prolonged lockdown – now in its fifth week and expected to last until the end of August – could send Australia into a second recession in as many years.In early 2020, the global Covid slowdown helped tip Australia’s already teetering economy into its first recession in three decades.Before the latest Sydney outbreak, the recovery had been quicker than expected, with GDP passing pre-pandemic levels.


Not just survival of the fittest for orangutans in Sarawak reserve

When breakfast is served in the morning, Anuar usually goes for the bananas first. After that, he zooms in on the coconuts, breaking them open and digging eagerly into the juicy meat inside.Anuar is one of 25 semi-wild orangutans living at the Semenggoh Wildlife Reserve in Sarawak. Now 23, he was rehabilitated at the centre when he was a baby and learned his survival skills from the park rangers.While he normally turns up for feeding sessions, he also knows how to forage for his own food, rumbling as he goes in a warning to other males to stay out of his way.But he has a good relationship with the reserve staff, and can recognise those who habitually spend time with him, even when they are wearing face masks.Ranger Murtadza Othman is one of them. Every day, he starts the morning by feeding the hungry apes. He goes out in search of them, calling each by name.A park ranger throws a bunch of bananas for Anuar, a 23-year-old orangutan at the Semenggoh Wildlife Reserve in Sarawak.The orangutans get two meals a day, one in the morning and the other in the late afternoon. Such sessions once thrilled crowds of tourists who would flock to the reserve to visit the great apes.But as with most other ecotourism businesses, the reserve has suffered greatly from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. While it once attracted 70,000 visitors each year, now only the wildlife rangers are left walking its paths.Together with the other reserve personnel, Murtadza and fellow ranger Asraff Julaihi Khan do their best to protect their wards from the more immediate effects of the virus, especially infection.“Even before the pandemic, visitors were not allowed to feed or take photos with the orangutans,” Asraff told MalaysiaNow.“They must keep their distance to avoid the possibility of transmission as we don’t conduct Covid-19 tests on the orangutans here because we treat them as wildlife.”Other safety measures like the wearing of face masks and gloves have also been put in place.This is necessary as humans are capable of spreading the virus to other species.Park ranger Murtadza Othman looks up at an orangutan sitting in the branches of a tree at the wildlife reserve.Zoologist Dr Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak pointed to an incident in which a number of gorillas living in captivity had tested positive for Covid-19.“This has made people realise the importance of animal safety, for example the need to keep their distance from them,” Faisal told MalaysiaNow.“If zoos do not normalise this measure, it will put us at higher risk of infection.”‘They know us’But the preventive measures do not appear to have alienated the orangutans from the rangers despite the extra efforts to keep the virus at bay.“The orangutans know us and recognise us, even when they first saw us wearing face masks,” Asraff said.“Last year during the lockdown, they spent more time in the forest. But there were also several times when they came over, just to greet us.”Two of the orangutans at the Semenggoh Wildlife Reserve, which has seen few tourists since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.The tree-top dwelling mammals are one of several dozen jungle species whose numbers have plummeted over the years, to the point that the Bornean orangutan is considered critically endangered.It is difficult to estimate how many are left in the wild. A recent study said the number of orangutans remaining in Borneo was less than 100,000 in 2015, and predicted that another 45,000 would disappear within the next 30 years.With such dangers in mind, the rangers are constantly on high alert to ensure the safety of those on the reserve. Every month, they venture into the forest, spending entire nights there to ward off poachers. Sometimes, they also use drones to help them patrol the area.“We are also planning to instal camera trap technology in the forest,” Asraff said.“This is a must because we have to submit a report on whether poachers are trying to enter our land. This forest is a protected area. No one is allowed to enter without a permit.”In this regard, the Covid-19 lockdowns have proven a blessing in disguise, allowing them to spend more time in the forest in the absence of tourists and visitors.They have also seen a significant increase in donations and volunteer efforts since the start of the pandemic.“We receive a lot of requests to volunteer,” Asraff said. “People are also actively participating in our adoption programme for the orangutans.”This, along with the growth in funds, means the reserve can afford to continue running throughout the pandemic.A development project near the reserve, where trees have been cleared and a wide path made.Yet dangers still abound, most of them posed by human activity.At the villages near the Semenggoh forest, clearing works are underway with lorries moving to and fro carrying loads of cement. Google Earth satellite images show that a small pocket of trees near the reserve has already disappeared.A villager from Kampung Paya Mubit said the land in the area had been earmarked for housing developments.Back at the reserve, the orangutans are safe – for now. Under the vigilant watch of the rangers, they continue their routine of playing, sleeping and eating, blissfully unaware of the threats that continue to linger just outside their doorstep.


Warning of billions in losses, employers repeat call to allow migrants to work

The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) today repeated its call for migrants to be allowed to work, warning of billions in losses due to a general shortage of labour even as opportunities abound across economic sectors in the country.MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said Malaysia stood to benefit greatly from the high commodity prices and increasing demand for manufactured goods, in addition to areas in the services sector such as travel and tourism.“But MEF is very concerned that our industries may not be able to fully capitalise on the current high demand for our commodities, manufactured goods and services due to the difficult business environment arising from the shortage of workers, especially foreign workers,” he said.“Opportunities such as this do not very come our way very often.”The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, which represents over 3,500 companies, recently said that despite the “greater optimism in outlook and increase in sales, some companies are gravely hampered in their ability to fulfil orders”.Players in the palm oil sector meanwhile described their situation as being “at breaking point”.Citing industry and government data, Reuters reported that Malaysia lacks at least 1.2 million workers across the manufacturing, plantation and construction sectors.MEF had suggested in April that the government allow the recruitment of foreign workers from among refugees and undocumented migrants already in the country to help tackle the shortage of labour.“These people with the special approval of the government can be deployed immediately to fill up the acute shortage until the new foreign workers finally arrive,” it said, citing losses of more than RM30 billion in the plantations industry alone due to a shortage of harvesters.Speaking today, Syed Hussain voiced concern over the continuing shortage of labour and its impact on industries across the board.“Companies are losing billions of ringgit because of the delays and as businesses, we cannot udnerstand the reason for this situation,” he said.In a statement, he said employers needed “quick solutions”.“MEF had on many previous occasions proposed short-term measures through the utilisation of UNHCR cardholders, simplifying the procedures for the recalibration of illegal immigrants and other sources of available labour to address these issues. But no proper response was obtained.”


ABS system to be made compulsory for new motorcycles 150cc and above

A detailed study towards making the installation of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) compulsory for all new motorcycles will be implemented soon, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said today.He said the installation would be compulsory for all new motorcycles with engine capacities of 150cc and above.He added that the study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) is expected to be finalised within six months, with the implementation of the ABS system installation expected within two years from when the study is completed.“The same period will also be used to amend the existing laws for the purpose of making the installation of ABS compulsory.“But I stress that this is not made hastily or in a rush. We won’t just announce today expecting it to be implemented tomorrow. We gave Miros six months to conduct a study, discuss with consumer representatives, stakeholders and the motorcycle manufacturers and another two years for implemenetation,” he said at a media conference after attending Miros’ 10th anniversary celebrations in Ayer Molek, Melaka.Miros board of directors chairman Wong Shaw Voon, director-general Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim and Melaka works, transport, public facilities, infrastructure and flood management committee chairman Rahmad Mariman were also present.Wee said the implementation would be conducted in phases and, if effective, would be extended to motorcycles with engine capacities of under 150cc.He said this was an important matter as the ABS system was capable of reducing crashes and fatalities involving motorcyclists by 30%.“As we all know, the main factor of motorcycle crashes in Malaysia is skidding or being unable to avoid a crash while riding, the majority of them due to ineffective brake systems,” he said.“Therefore, ABS systems using anti-skid technology will help prevent motorcycles from skidding, crashing and losing control, and improve the safety of motorcycles in Malaysia.”


Walmart supervisor opens fire on Virginia co-workers, killing 6 and himself

A Walmart supervisor armed with a handgun and several magazines of ammunition opened fire on fellow employees in a Virginia store, killing six people before turning the gun on himself in a break room, witnesses and police said on Wednesday.
The country's latest mass shooting on Tuesday night shook the town of Chesapeake, about 200 miles (320km) south of Washington, and comes on the heels of last weekend's massacre in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where a gunman killed five at an LBGTQ nightclub.
The Virginia gunman, identified as Andre Bing, 31, of Chesapeake, said nothing as he began firing on workers gathered before their overnight shift, according to two employees who were in the break room, where the rampage ended and Bing shot himself.
"I just watched 3 of my coworkers/friends be killed in front of me," Donya Prioleau wrote in a Facebook post. "Andre killed them in cold blood... I cannot unsee what happened in that break room."
Police said at least three people were wounded in the attack, which took place while about 50 people were in the store, a cavernous Walmart Supercenter just off Battlefield Boulevard in Chesapeake, a city of about 250,000 people.
The dead included a 16-year-old boy who police did not identify and 70-year-old Randy Blevins, who was planning to retire within the year, a cousin wrote on Facebook.
The others were Kellie Pyle, 52, Lorenzo Gamble, 43, and Randy Blevins, 70, all from Chesapeake, and Tyneka Johnson, 22, of neighboring Portsmouth.
Authorities say they were investigating what may have motivated Bing, an hourly employee who supervised an overnight shift and had worked for the company since 2010. The city said its Swat team had executed a search warrant at his house.
"I looked up and my manager just opened the door and he just opened fire," another Walmart employee, Briana Tyler, told ABC's "Good Morning America."
Several co-workers of Bing told CNN he had exhibited strange and sometimes threatening behavior in the past. He also made paranoid comments, expressing concerns the government was monitoring him, according to CNN's interviews.
Jessie Wilczewski told WAVY-TV she hid under a table and the shooter pointed the gun at her and told her to go home.
"It didn't even look real until you could feel the pow-pow-pow. You can feel it," the store employee said. "I couldn't hear it at first because I guess it was so loud. I could feel it."
'Yet another...'
The latest massacre prompted a renewed round of condemnations by public officials and activist calls for tighter gun control.
President Joe Biden called the shooting "yet another horrific and senseless act of violence," noting a shooting this month that killed three University of Virginia students.
"There are now even more tables across the country that will have empty seats this Thanksgiving," Biden said in a statement.
The United States averages two mass shootings per day, when defined as an incident killing or injuring four or more people, according to GunViolenceArchive.org.
Jessica Burgess, a surgeon who treated victims at a Norfolk hospital, said she had contacted a colleague in Colorado Springs just two days earlier to offer support.
"So it's very disheartening that I'm now in the same position with my colleagues from across the country checking in on me and my team," Burgess said. "Sometimes there is only so much we can do when the injuries have already been done."
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who was already facing stepped-up calls for policies to address gun violence after the University of Virginia killings, ordered flags at local, state and federal buildings to be flown at half-staff.
Walmart, which has thousands of stores across the country, has been hit by gun violence before.
In August 2019, 23 people were killed at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, near the US-Mexico border in an act described as domestic terrorism by law enforcement. It was also the deadliest attack on the Hispanic community in the US in modern times.
Walmart enacted new restrictions on gun and ammunition sales following that 2019 shooting, as it had after other shootings at its stores.
"The devastating news of last night's shooting at our Chesapeake, VA store at the hands of one of our associates has hit our Walmart family hard," Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon wrote in a LinkedIn post.


Death toll passes 500 mark

Another 1,741 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 120,818.Selangor recorded 687 cases, of which 541 were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Sabah (303), Johor (295) and Kuala Lumpur (150).Negeri Sembilan meanwhile recorded 56 cases, followed by Penang (55), Kelantan (50), Kedah (45), Perak and Melaka (34 each), Pahang (12), Sarawak (eight), Putrajaya (six), Terengganu (four), and Labuan and Perlis (one each).Active cases stand at 22,089 with 122 in the ICU and 53 in need of respiratory assistance.Another five clusters were detected: Jalan Duyong (Klang in Selangor; 110 cases), Pasar Jalan Sentosa (Kuala Langat in Selangor; 61 cases), Jalan Nakhoda (Titiwangsa and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur; 14 cases), Ehsan Ibol (Hulu Perak, Larut, Matang and Selama in Perak and Gombak in Selangor; 22 cases) and Telok Mas (Melaka Tengah in Melaka; 13 cases).Another six ended, leaving 231 active clusters throughout the country.Another 1,010 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 98,228.However, seven more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 501.


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US report concludes Covid-19 may have leaked from Wuhan lab

A report on the origins of Covid-19 by a US government national laboratory has concluded that claims the virus leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan are plausible and deserve further investigation, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.The study drew on genomic analysis of the Covid-19 virus and was prepared in May 2020 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.It was referred to by the State Department when it conducted an inquiry into the pandemic’s origins during the final months of the Trump administration, the report said.Lawrence Livermore declined to comment on the Wall Street Journal report.President Joe Biden last month ordered senior aides to find answers to the origin of the virus. In response, US intelligence agencies are considering two likely scenarios: that the virus resulted from a laboratory accident, or that it emerged from human contact with an infected animal.A still-classified US intelligence report circulated during former president Donald Trump’s administration alleged that three researchers at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology became so ill in November 2019 that they sought hospital care, US government sources said.US officials have accused China of a lack of transparency on the virus’ origin, a charge Beijing has denied.Meanwhile, Sky News recently reported that top US infection disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has admitted that he funded “bat-human interface” research in China to avoid an outbreak in the US.“The US funded highly dangerous coronavirus research that was once banned at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” Sky reported. “That research involved creating new deadly viruses that never existed before.“Back in 2012, when the US was considering banning gain of function research, which it later did, Fauci argued that it was important work and was even worth the risk of sparking a pandemic.”Gain of function research (GoFR) is a term used to describe medical research which alters an organism or disease in a way that increases pathogenesis, transmissibility, or the types of hosts that a microorganism can infect.Sky claims that, “When the pandemic exploded and the White House was sitting there wondering how it all started, Fauci did not once mention gain of function research or the other activities at the Wuhan laboratory.”Sky alleged that Fauci is the man solely responsible for lifting the US ban on this risky research in 2017, and that it was “unthinkable” for the US to want “risky coronavirus research” conducted in China.


Canada first to authorise Pfizer jab for kids aged 12 and up

Canada on Wednesday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in children aged 12 years and up, becoming the first nation to do so.“This is the first vaccine authorised in Canada for the prevention of Covid-19 in children and marks a significant milestone in Canada’s fight against the pandemic,” Health Canada chief medical adviser Supriya Sharma told a news conference.“We are (also) the first in the world to authorise Pfizer for ages 12 to 15,” she said, adding that Britain and the European Union are expected to soon follow after reviewing the same testing results submitted by the manufacturer.The US will also reportedly authorise the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in 12-15 year olds as early as next week.Data from a clinical trial in the US involving more than 2,000 youths who were given two doses of the vaccine showed it is as safe for adolescents as it is for adults, Sharma said.There were no cases of Covid-19 recorded among the vaccinated children, according to a Health Canada statement. In adults the Pfizer shot has been shown to be at least 90% effective in preventing infection.The most common reported side effects such as a sore arm, chills or fever were also found to be similar to those in older ages.The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorised in December for use in Canadians 16 and older.Other manufacturers of the four vaccines authorised in Canada – the others are AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna – are conducting or planning their own studies in children as young as six months old.Sharma said Health Canada will expedite reviews of those results.Since the start of the pandemic, about 20% of all Covid-19 cases in Canada were recorded in people under the age of 19.As of Wednesday, nearly 1.25 million people in this country have been diagnosed with Covid-19. More than 24,000 died.About 13 million Canadians or 35% of the population has so far received at least one vaccine dose.While younger people are less likely to experience serious illness from Covid, Sharma said, “having access to a safe and effective vaccine will help control the disease’s spread to their families and friends, some of whom may be at higher risk complications”.“It’ll also support the return to a more normal life for our children who’ve had such a hard time over the past year,” she said.Sharma also further clarified health authorities’ recommendation that Canadians should take whichever Covid vaccine is offered to them first, after a government advisory panel sparked confusion this week by ranking jabs according to safety.“Each vaccine will have its advantages and disadvantages. The goal,” she said, “is to get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible.”Very rare but serious blood clots occurred in a handful of cases among millions who received the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Two new deaths were reported in Alberta and New Brunswick provinces this week, bringing Canada’s total clotting deaths linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine to three.Canadian officials have said the risk of dying from Covid-19 is significantly higher than the likelihood of experiencing fatal vaccine complications.


Last handful of fish: Crisis pushes more Sri Lankans into poverty

In her outstretched palms, 49-year-old Nilanthi Gunasekera holds her family’s last remaining handful of dried fish – a reminder of Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis in decades.
She is just one of the millions of Sri Lankans battling a calamitous decline in living standards, as they find themselves forced to skip meals, ration out medicines and turn to firewood in place of cooking gas.
"Now fish is out of the reach of our family, and so is meat," Gunasekera said, grasping the shards of fish. "For two weeks we couldn’t afford any meat or fish. This is our last protein."
Hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, rising oil prices and economic mismanagement under previous governments, the island nation is in the throes of its starkest crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.
Rampant inflation, snaking fuel queues and shortages of essentials such as food and medicine have driven many Sri Lankans into poverty, while months of street protests ousted the previous president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in July.
More than a quarter of the population of 22 million is now struggling to secure adequate, nutritious food, the United Nations says.
"We really can’t afford to buy a gas cylinder or a cooker," Gunasekera said, after thieves broke into her home and stole the family’s cooker and gas cylinder a few months ago. "So now we are forced to cook with firewood."
As desperation grows, the government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe is seeking a multi-billion-dollar bailout in talks with the International Monetary Fund and is tapping major allies, from India and Japan to the US.
But major financial assistance is still months away, making tough austerity measures likely, so that few Sri Lankans will see conditions improve soon.
"Now I bathe at a public well more often in order to save money," said auto rickshaw driver Sivaraja Sanjeewan, 31, adding that rising costs of food made it very tough for him to pay water and electricity bills.
Shortages persist
As depleted reserves have dried up supplies of petrol, diesel and gas, lengthy fuel queues, sometimes persisting for days, have become a daily feature this year.
The shortages have brought a boom in demand for firewood.
Krishan Darshana said he had joined his father in breaking up logs to sell as kindling after getting laid off from a job in construction during the crisis.
"It’s very hard work," said the 25-year-old, who now makes do with a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits as the day's only meal. "But what else can I do when there are no jobs for us?"
Times are also tough for those with health problems.
"Government hospitals have run out of medicine so they ask us to buy from pharmacies - but we don’t have any money," said Krishan’s mother, 60-year-old Gamage Rupawathi.
She suffers from asthma, cholesterol and arthritis, but now finds she has just three days of drugs left.
"After this is over, what do I do?" she asked tearfully, gesturing to an inhaler she uses twice a day to help her breathe.
Children suffer
With education already disrupted by the pandemic, children were among the worst hit by the economic crisis that followed, as parents scrambled for supplies and authorities worried about growing risks of malnutrition.
"Our main concern is the education of our children," said Gunasekera. "But we are unable to buy even exercise books."
Her husband has to beg his employers for the money to buy them, she added.
Some parents find it hard to scrape together the fares for children's trips to school, while others cannot afford to buy them even simple treats, such as ice-cream or sweets.
Oshada Fernando played with a home-made kite his uncle fashioned from bamboo scraps and shopping bags. His parents were unable to afford a gift for his birthday last month.
"I was wishing for a racing car," said the 11-year-old. "I hope at least for my next birthday I get this as a present."


Investigation paper on judge Nazlan complete, says MACC

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday confirmed that its investigation paper on the case of Court of Appeal judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali has been completed.
MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the commission was awaiting further instructions from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
"As I have mentioned before, I am so far unable to announce any instructions from the AGC. For the time being, I reserve my comments in the investigation and decline to comment further," he said during a dialogue session in George Town.
On Aug 21, Attorney-General Idrus Harun was reported as saying that the investigation paper on Nazlan was not with the AGC. MACC was reported to have opened an investigation paper on Nazlan following a police report denying the allegation made by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin concerning a sum of money from an undetermined source in his account.
Meanwhile, Azam said six more individuals including company directors, an organisation chairman, and a secretary were expected to be charged in court over the misappropriation of funds belonging to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra).
He said the investigations into the case were complete and that, to date, 33 investigation papers had been opened with eight individuals charged in court.
Azam also said MACC was prepared to help political parties screen candidates contesting in the 15th general election.
He said although there was no law or policy forcing the agency to screen candidates for GE15, they would try to help political parties in this regard.
"I believe other departments are also conducting the screening required by political parties. So, in the MACC case, we are ready to conduct an investigation in terms of corruption, if necessary," he said.


Interstate travel allowed for those bringing parents, dependants for vaccination appointments

The National Security Council (NSC) has agreed to allow interstate travel for those returning to their home towns to bring their dependants or parents for their vaccination appointments under the second phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme which begins on April 19.The coordinating minister for the programme, Khairy Jamaluddin, said the matter was decided at an NSC meeting yesterday.He said individuals would only need to show the police the appointment slips of their dependants or parents.“Individuals who want to return to their home towns to bring their dependants or parents, ailing family members or even grandparents for their vaccination appointments are allowed to do so,” he said after visiting the Negeri Sembilan vaccination centre (PPV) at the Seremban City Council Hall today.He also said 170,970 people in the state had registered to be vaccinated in the second phase of the programme, of whom 68,032 were senior citizens, 6,425 were persons with disabilities, and 96,513 were from the high-risk group.“The high-risk group comprises those with severe allergies, those who are immunocompromised and those who are on blood-thinning medication. These three groups of people will be taken to hospital for screening and vaccination,” he said.In order to solve the issue of vaccination registration through the MySejahtera app among the Orang Asli in rural areas, he said face-to-face registration would be carried out with the involvement of all relevant government agencies.


UN tries to save Black Sea grain deal with 'mutually beneficial' proposal, source says

The UN has proposed that Kyiv, Moscow and Ankara start preparatory work for the transit of Russian ammonia through Ukraine as it tries to salvage a deal allowing safe Black Sea grain exports, a source close to the talks said on Wednesday.
As the preparatory work starts, the UN wants parallel talks to be held on widening the Black Sea deal that was agreed last July to include more Ukrainian ports and other cargoes, said the source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Russia agreed this month to a two-month extension of the deal but has said the initiative will cease unless an agreement aimed at overcoming obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports is fulfilled.
Ukraine and Turkey have agreed to the new proposal, intended to improve operations in the Black Sea grain export corridor, but Russia has not yet responded, the source said.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, asked about the Reuters report at a daily press briefing, said conversations were continuing.
"As you recall, the Secretary General had put forward some ideas to the parties to improve the facilitation of the work of the Joint Coordination Centre, to also work on the issue of ammonia export, which is part of the deal that was signed. Those conversations and contacts are continuing. But that's as much as I'll say right now," Dujarric said.
The UN and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a leading global grain exporter.
The UN has handed "an official appeal to the leaders of Ukraine, Turkey and Russia with a proposal for a specific mutually beneficial algorithm to radically improve" the work of the grain corridor, the source told Reuters.
"Ukraine and Turkey have confirmed their readiness to work on the algorithm proposed by the Secretary General. At the same time, as of May 30, Russia has not given its consent, despite the presence of favourable positions in the algorithm."
Ukrainian officials have said that since mid-April, Russia has "unreasonably restricted" the work of the Black Sea grain deal.
Russia has denied this and urged all parties to unblock the transit of ammonia via the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi, near the Black Sea port of Odesa, which was halted after Russia's invasion in February last year.
Ukrainian authorities have said workers would need about 30 days to prepare the pipeline to pump ammonia again.
Ukraine's deputy renovation minister said on Tuesday that Kyiv was seeking guarantees from Moscow and the UN that the grain deal will work normally if Ukraine allows Russia to export ammonia via the pipeline.
A senior government source told Reuters this month that Kyiv would consider allowing Russian ammonia to transit its territory for export on condition that the Black Sea grain deal is expanded to include more Ukrainian ports and a wider range of commodities.


Oil prices fall despite output cuts, equities wobble

Oil prices reversed into the red Monday on global growth concerns, despite fresh output cuts by key producers Saudi Arabia and Russia aimed at propping up prices.
Although Asian stock markets advanced as easing inflation data fuelled hopes that central banks could be nearing the end of their interest rate hiking cycle, European stocks ended mostly lower.
Meanwhile, Wall Street stocks edged up to end a shortened trading session, with investor sentiment subdued on the eve of the Independence Day holiday in the US.
Data showing that the slump in US manufacturing continued for an eighth straight month in June, on the back of weak demand and slowing production, also dampened sentiment.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, and US counterpart WTI initially jumped after Riyadh extended a voluntary oil production cut of one million barrels per day (bpd), while Moscow – whose invasion of Ukraine last year sparked oil market turmoil – said it was slashing exports by 500,000 bpd.
But the gains evaporated as traders continued to digest the news from the two biggest members of the Opec+ producers' alliance.
Both Brent and WTI lost at least one percent at day-end.
"It's the usual knee-jerk reaction to reports of production cuts," IG analyst Chris Beauchamp told AFP.
"But given... it's not a coordinated move from all (Opec+) members it seems hard to imagine there's much more upside in this."
He also warned that "the outlook for oil demand remains firmly under pressure" with many analysts forecasting recession next year.
Recent efforts by Opec+ members to bolster prices by reducing output have not succeeded.
In April, several Opec+ members opted to slash production voluntarily by more than one million bpd – a surprise move that briefly raised prices but failed to bring about lasting price recovery.
City Index analyst Fawad Razaqzada said this was primarily due to Russia producing and selling more oil than agreed and "judging by the somewhat muted response" on the oil market "traders clearly want to see evidence that Russia will be complying."
Brent and the WTI are both down since the start of 2023, as a sluggish recovery in China and worries about a possible economic downturn cloud the outlook.
Recession concerns in the Western world continue to weigh on oil market sentiment, added UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
"We continue to expect the oil market to tighten, and this should lift oil prices," he said. "But financial investors will likely stay cautious in the short term."
'Stubborn' inflation
Stock markets had jumped Friday as data showed inflation cooling in both the US and Europe, while Apple ended a session above US$3 trillion (RM14 trillion) in market value for the first time.
The personal consumption expenditures price index – a US inflation measure closely watched by the Federal Reserve – dropped in May to 3.8% year-on-year from 4.3% in April.
In Europe, figures showed eurozone consumer prices rose 5.5% in June, slowing from 6.1% in May thanks to a drop in energy costs.
The Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank have warned that more interest rate hikes are likely, though the latest data raised hopes they could soon wind down their monetary tightening.
"Inflation is proving to be more stubborn than many had thought. Now, monetary policy must prove more persistent and consistent than many would have expected," German central bank chief Joachim Nagel warned on Monday.


Tell your daughter to resign, Muhyiddin says to Anwar

Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has joined the chorus of condemnation on the appointment of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's daughter as a senior economic adviser to her father, saying it is just the latest in a series of missteps that started with the inclusion of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the Cabinet despite the criminal charges against him.
Muhyiddin also listed three things Anwar could do to redeem his image: instruct Zahid to take leave pending the conclusion of his corruption trials, step down as finance minister, and tell his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar to resign from the position she was appointed to earlier this month.
In a statement, he described Nurul as a woman of talent with a bright future.
"Don't let this minor appointment become a black spot on what could could possibly be a political journey that promises a brighter future," the former prime minister and Bersatu president added.
He also said that the appointment of Nurul was unprecedented.
"Never in Malaysian history has a prime minister appointed his child as an adviser. This appointment renders as empty talk all the slogans of reformasi that Anwar has been chanting for more than 20 years," he said.
Muhyiddin said Anwar had shown that he was more interested in "political transactions based on the practice of 'you scratch my back, I scratch your back'."
He said following Zahid's appointment "to reward" the Umno leader's efforts to ensure the support of Barisan Nasional MPs for Anwar as prime minister last year, Anwar had made another wrong move in appointing himself to head the finance ministry.
"It is hardly 100 days into his administration, yet Anwar has already turned his back on the reformasi struggle embraced by his followers," he said.
Muhyiddin said as the leader of the opposition party, he could easily exploit the situation, adding that he would not want to see the "nation's dignity being sullied by the excesses of the prime minister".
"It is not too late for Anwar to rectify the situation. Resign as finance minister. Focus on the job as prime minister, especially when the people and the country are facing difficult times.
"After all, the 1MDB scandal broke out when the prime minister at the time, Najib, also assumed the role of the finance minister. Anwar should not repeat the same mistake," he added.
Nurul, who lost her Permatang Pauh seat in the recent polls, revealed her appointment in an interview with The Star, saying it took effect on Jan 3.
She said her experience as an MP would come in handy when engaging with "experts in navigating economic governance, accountability and evidence-based policies".
She also said she had been busy meeting with business groups and stakeholders as part of the preparations for the upcoming budget to be tabled by her father.
Anwar later defended the appointment, saying Nurul was qualified for the role despite not having a suitable economics background.
"Even I don't have a finance-related degree or certificate, but I was the minister of finance for eight years (in the 1990s)," he said.


Focus on next finance minister and ‘sensitive’ 1MDB-linked role as Ismail prepares to announce his Cabinet today

Focus has shifted to who will be the finance minister in Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government, as the prime minister prepares to announce his Cabinet line-up today after a series of private discussions with close associates including his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin, MalaysiaNow understands.A source privy to recent discussions said Ismail’s “biggest headache” seemed to be the powerful position of the finance minister, adding that there was strong pressure from Umno for the portfolio which had been significant in the party’s fall from power in 2018.“It was the same position that got the last finance minister from Umno into trouble,” said the source who is close to top leaders in Umno and Bersatu, referring to former prime minister Najib Razak.Najib, who was also the finance minister in charge of 1MDB, is currently facing multiple charges involving billions of ringgit in stolen funds related to the troubled state company.Under Muhyiddin, the post of finance minister was held by a non-politician, former banker Tengku Zafrul Aziz, said to be a compromise to balance anxiety among Umno leaders close to Najib when the latter was still supportive of the Perikatan Nasional government.“But as the finance ministry is also in charge of the recovery of hundreds of millions of stolen 1MDB funds, Zafrul inevitably became a target of attacks from Najib’s loyalists in Umno,” the source said.Zafrul was also in charge of 1MDB’s debt repayments as well as the Assets Recovery Trust Account, formed by the previous Pakatan Harapan government to channel stolen monies from 1MDB returned to the government.With the return of the first tranche of US$57.04 million by the US, the recovered fund has grown to over RM18 billion, the last payment being RM1.8 billion from AmBank, part of the commercial bank’s agreement in settling funds embezzled from 1MDB.Being in charge of the fund inevitably led Zafrul to a public spat with Najib, who for months had targeted the former top banker over various efforts to help the public cushion the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.In May, Zafrul who had resisted taking on politicians, shot back at Najib’s claims about the state of the government’s debt, and reminded the former leader of the losses related to the 1MDB scandal, saying the country was still burdened by it.“Imagine, if this amount of nearly RM58 billion could have been used, how many of our people could we have helped during this pandemic?” Zafrul asked.“This is not to leverage the situation, but the issue is very relevant to that of the country’s debts and the government’s fiscal ability to help the people.”Sensitive positionThe finance minister’s newfound role in matters related to the 1MDB scandal makes the portfolio a sensitive one for Umno.As such, there were concerns when Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, the Umno Youth leader who is also a staunch Najib loyalist, proposed the party’s deputy president Mohamad Hasan for the finance portfolio.In public statements, Mohamad, the former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar better known as Tok Mat, has declined any federal role since Umno’s historic defeat in the general election.He is seen as among a group of Umno leaders who were not keen on the party’s return to power in 2020.In the past, he had said he preferred to work to strengthen the party in order to win elections, and also claimed that he had declined positions offered to him to helm government-linked companies.Tok Mat has so far refused to comment on his name being mentioned as the next finance minister.“It is up to the PM’s wisdom how to form his Cabinet,” he told MalaysiaNow.When asked whether such a role could pose a conflict of interest for him as an Umno leader since the finance ministry in the post-1MDB era is tied to the role of managing funds related to a company in which Najib was involved, Tok Mat replied: “The 1MDB case is in court. So the question of conflict of interest does not arise.”


Car drives into crowd in Berlin, at least one dead

A car drove into a crowd of people in Berlin on Wednesday, killing one person as it veered onto a pavement twice in a district of the German capital popular with tourists and shoppers, police said.Police identified the driver as a 29-year-old German-Armenian, who eventually crashed the car into a shop window and was detained by bystanders and handed over to the authorities.Germany’s Bild newspaper identified the victim as a teacher who was in the street with a group of her schoolchildren.More than a dozen people were injured, a police spokesman at the scene in western Berlin said, next to the war-ravaged Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, one of the German capital’s best-known landmarks.Five of the injured were in a life-threatening condition, a fire service spokesman said.“A man is believed to have driven into a group of people. It is not yet known whether it was an accident or a deliberate act,” police said.“We are currently on the scene with about 130 emergency personnel,” the police added. “The vehicle, a small car, was secured on site.”Investigators were looking into whether the incident was a deliberate attack or possibly an accident with a medical cause, a police spokesperson said, adding that the driver had received some medical treatment.“It is too early to speculate about the background (of the incident),” an interior ministry spokesman told a regular federal government news conference in Berlin.Bild newspaper released a picture of the driver being detained, wearing a yellow pullover, jogging trousers and red trainers.Blankets covered what appeared to be a body in a cordoned-off area guarded by police, Reuters images showed. A small, silver coloured Renault car was lodged inside a shop after smashing through a plate glass window.Rescue workers moved apparently conscious people on stretchers towards an ambulance, including one woman sitting up, and another who covered her face with her hand.John Barrowman, an actor who was at the scene, told Sky News in the UK: “I saw a woman being put into an ambulance… it looked like they were resuscitating somebody.”The site, on a shopping street near a McDonald’s restaurant, was cordoned off. Bystanders looked up at a helicopter circling above.The incident took place near the scene of a fatal attack on Dec 19, 2016, when Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, hijacked a truck, killed the driver and then plowed it into a crowded western Berlin Christmas market, killing 11 more people and injuring dozens of others.Amri then fled to Italy, where Italian police shot him dead.A police spokesman said that police had learned from the experience in 2016 in dealing with Wednesday’s incident.


Apex court to deliver verdict on Najib's SRC review bid

The Federal Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict tomorrow on the review application by Najib Razak over its decision to uphold his conviction, 12-year jail sentence and fine for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.
A five-member bench of the Federal Court, comprising Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli, Federal Court judges Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Rhodzariah Bujang and Nordin Hassan, and Court of Appeal judge Abu Bakar Jais, will deliver its judgment at 9am.
Najib, who is currently serving a 12-year jail term at Kajang Prison, is seeking to overturn the decision by a five-member bench of the Federal Court led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Aug 23 last year.
Criminal lawyer N Sivananthan, when asked what would happen if the decision favoured Najib, said the decision of the previous panel would be set aside and the matter would be fixed for an appeal hearing.
"If the application is allowed, it means that his final appeal has not been disposed of, so he is put in the situation of someone who is still waiting for his final appeal.
"If the application is dismissed, that will be the end of the matter. The sentence passed by the previous panel will remain, and he will have to serve it," said Sivananthan.
During the six-day proceeding which started on Jan 19, Najib's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah argued that the earlier bench hearing Najib’s main appeal made a fundamental error in law by not allowing the adjournment of the trial and then not allowing Najib’s ex-counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik to discharge himself.
He also said that a Facebook post by Tengku Maimun’s husband on May 11, 2018, before the 14th general election, amounted to a public declaration of hatred against Najib.
He said the top judge should have known about the post and asked the involved parties whether she should recuse herself from the panel.
Ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram contended that there was no breach of natural justice, miscarriage of justice or abuse of the court process as the defence was given all opportunity to submit during the final appeal.
He said Hisyam chose not to seize the opportunities given on the pretext that he was not prepared, and that Najib had taken on new lawyers in the hope of postponing the hearing of the appeal. On July 28, 2020, then High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, sentenced Najib to 10 years' jail for each of the three counts of criminal breach of trust and each of the three counts of money laundering, and 12 years' jail and an RM210 million fine in default of five years' jail, in the case of abuse of power.
On Dec 8, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision and dismissed Najib’s appeal to set aside his conviction and jail sentence as well as the fine.


Lower testing rates likely reason for falling Covid-19 case reports, says WHO

A drop in Covid-19 testing rates is likely contributing to a decline in reported cases even as deaths are rising, the World Health Organization’s technical lead on Covid-19 Maria Van Kerkhove said on Wednesday.“The bigger concern right now, I think, is the still increasing number of deaths,” Van Kerkhove said during a virtual panel discussion livestreamed on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.“In the last week alone, almost 75,000 people died reported to us and we know that that is an underestimate,” she said.The countries claiming that their transmission has dropped from two to six weeks ago have likely seen a drop in testing rates, said WHO’s emergencies chief Mike Ryan.The WHO earlier this week urged governments to improve vaccination rates and rapid testing as infections have risen from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, especially in east Europe.Several countries have announced plans to relax Covid-19 restrictions in coming weeks if daily infection numbers kept falling.Now is not the time for countries to change isolation requirements for people who test positive in rapid antigen or PCR tests, Ryan added.


New Year brings new hope for hard-up family in Ampang

Less than a week ago, Chin Kim Choy was worried that the roof of his tumbledown house in Kampung Baru Ampang would collapse on him and his family if the wind happened to blow too hard.Today, though, they are ushering in the New Year secure in the knowledge that their home will be rebuilt and made whole within the next few months.MalaysiaNow had reported on the plight of Chin, his wife Koo Yok Kian and their son Kok Ming who all depend on the small salary Koo earns from her job as a kitchen worker.Their story was met with an outpouring of help from all quarters.Ampang Chinese community representative Fong Teck Keong said the family had agreed to temporarily relocate to another house at the end of the month to allow their home to be torn down and rebuilt.Work is expected to begin on March 1.“Koo’s employer has agreed to provide them with a house where they can stay while waiting for their home to be rebuilt,” Fong told MalaysiaNow.“That house is close to Koo’s place of work, near the yong tau fu restaurant.”Koo earns RM40 a day, enough to keep the family afloat but not enough to pay for the cost of overhauling their home.Chin used to work as a carpenter until he suffered a stroke three years ago.At the moment, the family is living in the only room in the house that is habitable.But Fong said the rebuilt house would be furnished with two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and dining area as well as a bathroom.The entire process will take about two months.


New cases dip to 23,100 as another 75 deaths logged

Another 23,100 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,442,736.There were 30,624 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,116,564.There are now 293,423 active cases, of which 281,714 or 96.0% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 3,467 (1.2%) are at quarantine centres while 7,881 (2.7%) have been hospitalised.A total of 361 are in ICU with 193 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 61.1%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 41.4%.Another 75 deaths were reported, including 20 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 32,749.


New infections pass 5,600 as death toll up by 8

Another 5,685 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,635,648.
There were 3,337 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,554,286.
There are now 45,484 active cases, of which 43,858 or 96.4% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 39 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,531 (3.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 56 are in ICU with 35 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 63.1%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 13.9%.
Another eight deaths were reported, including five who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,878.


South Korea to end pre-departure Covid test requirement for international arrivals

South Korea will end the pre-departure Covid-19 test rule for travellers to the country starting on Saturday, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.
South Korea lifted most of its pandemic-related restrictions in May, but has maintained some of the strictest border measures among major economies, requiring inbound travellers to present a negative coronavirus test result taken before departure.
Daily Covid infections in the country have been hovering around 100,000 in recent weeks after reaching more than 180,000 in mid-August.


Mexico's heatwave strains energy grid with record demand

Soaring temperatures in Mexico are driving record electricity consumption that has prompted the country's energy authority to issue a rare alert over grid capacity, as the government played down reports of blackouts.
With temperatures reaching above 45 Celsius in parts of the country, the grid briefly entered a state of emergency, the National Center for Energy Control (Cenace) said late Tuesday, reaching an operating reserve margin of under 6%.
The last time it entered a state of emergency was during a cold spell in February 2021, Cenace said.
Daily demand reached a historical level last week of nearly 51,000 megawatts per hour, an executive at the national electricity federation (CFE) Jorge Musalem said on Twitter. On Wednesday, daily demand was projected to peak even higher at 51,782 megawatts per hour, according to Cenace data.
Electricity usage tends to surge amid high temperatures as the use of air conditioning increases.
Local media reported incidents of blackouts in 12 states over the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, neighboring Texas urged power conservation after the grid operator on Tuesday evening issued a warning for "projected reserve capacity shortage".
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador however dismissed energy concerns during a regular news conference on Wednesday, insisting that the alert from Cenace had been "routine."
"There's more consumption, but we don't have any difficulties. There's no problem," he said. "It's our responsibility that there aren't blackouts."
In Michoacan state, one town had been without electricity for several days, after an energy transmitter exploded.
The president said that this town was an exception and stressed that just eight people had died nationwide so far this year from the heat.
A spokesman for the government added that energy supplies were normal across the country and said reports over blackout threats were simply fear mongering.
The CFE did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The heatwave in Mexico is forecast to continue for several more days.


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'How's the zoo?': Deputy speaker tells MPs to behave

Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Ramli Mohd Nor today urged MPs to maintain good conduct to prevent negative perceptions among the public.
Sharing his experience at a restaurant yesterday, Ramli said he was approached by customers who equated the Parliament sitting to a zoo.
"I would like to remind you of the code of ethics when you are in the Dewan Rakyat as the session is being aired live.
"Yesterday I went to a mamak restaurant, the customers recognised me (and asked) YB, how is the zoo (Parliament)... I was surprised.
"That’s the impression of the people out there. So I would like to remind you to hold on to your ethics and virtue," he said after the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Ramli also reprimanded MPs who have "small meetings" during Dewan Rakyat sessions.
He said Dewan Rakyat Standing Order 41 (e) stipulates that when one MP speaks, all other members shall remain silent and not interfere in a discourteous manner.