Fighting subsides in Sudan's capital after ceasefire extended

Clashes subsided in Sudan's capital on Tuesday though fighting could be heard in some areas, residents said, after military factions battling for more than six weeks agreed to extend a ceasefire aimed at allowing aid to reach civilians.
The army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend a week-long ceasefire deal by five days just before it was due to expire late on Monday.
The truce was brokered and is being remotely monitored by Saudi Arabia and the US, which say it has been violated by both sides but has still allowed for the delivery of aid to an estimated two million people.
"We hope this truce succeeds even if only to stop the war a little and that we can return to our normal lives. We have hope in the truce and we don't have other options," said Hind Saber, a 53-year-old resident of Khartoum.
Hours before the ceasefire extension was signed, residents reported intensive fighting in all three of the adjoining cities that make up Sudan's greater capital around the confluence of the Nile - Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri.
Residents reported fighting on Tuesday afternoon near an army base in southern Khartoum.
The war has caused nearly 1.4 million people to flee their homes, including more than 350,000 that have crossed into neighbouring countries.
Areas of the capital have been hit by widespread looting and frequent cuts to power and water supplies. Most hospitals have been put out of service.
The United Nations, some aid agencies, embassies and parts of Sudan's central government have moved operations to Port Sudan, in Sudan's Red Sea state, the main shipping hub which has seen little unrest.
On Tuesday, the state's security committee said it had caught several "rebellious" sleeper cells that it said had sneaked in from outside and warned that they were planning activities.
"We thank the citizens of Red Sea state for their total cooperation and for immediately reporting the presence of these rebellious elements and their agents within their neighbourhoods," it said, without specifying their identity.
The conflict erupted on April 15 over internationally backed plans for a transition to elections under a civilian government.
Leaders of the army and the RSF had held the top positions on Sudan's ruling council since former leader Omar al-Bashir was toppled during a popular uprising in 2019.
They staged a coup in 2021 as they were due to hand leadership of the council to civilians, before falling out over the chain of command and restructuring of the RSF under the planned transition.
Army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan appeared in a video on Tuesday greeting troops. He said that the army had agreed to the ceasefire extension to ease citizens' access to services.
"The army hasn't used its full deadly power, but it will be forced to do so if the enemy does not obey or listen to the voice of reason," he said in a statement.
UN children's agency Unicef said more than 13.6 million children in Sudan, a country of 49 million people, were in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian support.
The UN World Food Programme, which expects up to 2.5 million people in Sudan to slip into hunger in coming months, said that 17,000 metric tonnes of food had been looted since the conflict began.
WFP said on Monday that it had begun to distribute food in parts of the capital for the first time since the outbreak of fighting.


Tough for opposition to unite against BN ahead of GE15

News of a meeting between Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and Pejuang chief Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently turned into a he said, she said affair with both leaders providing conflicting accounts of how it came about.Mahathir, who confirmed the meeting at a press conference on April 1, said Muhyiddin had come to ask for his support.Muhyiddin meanwhile said that the meeting had been arranged by a Pejuang leader as part of a larger initiative towards an alliance ahead of the 15th general election (GE15).The meeting came on the heels of the recent elections in Johor and Melaka where conflict and divisions within the opposition camp were given credit for handing Barisan Nasional (BN) an easy victory.At both elections, BN, helmed by its lynchpin party Umno, was able to win a two-thirds majority despite the low voter turnout.The results underscored the urgency of establishing an understanding among opposition parties, including those which had once worked together under Pakatan Harapan (PH).Analyst Kartini Aboo Talib however said that many major political figures still appeared to be playing tug-of-war.“Everyone knows that political parties in Malaysia cannot go solo,” Kartini of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said.“They need to achieve a consensus and agree to share power due to the many ethnicities and race-based parties that give rise to the need for a coalition.”Citing the major coalitions of BN, PH and PN, alongside others such as Muafakat Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Bersatu Sabah, he said they were all the direct result of the politics of consensus.“Come GE15, many leaders will begin arranging strategies of cooperation with other parties,” he added.For now, Kartini said, it was still unclear which groups would come together to challenge BN.“What is certain at the central level is that PAS, Umno and Bersatu will not work together unless new negotiations take place and they are ready to compromise on the arrangement of seats for candidates,” he said.“But from what I see, Umno and BN want to move only within their coalition.”DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng had also rejected any cooperation with PN for GE15.Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said it would be difficult for the opposition groups to establish an alliance for the election as they were still suspicious of each other.He also spoke of the lingering effects of Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister in 2020 and the Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the PH administration.These events also witnessed the rise of PN and the formation of splinter parties such as Pejuang and Muda, which meant a split in support for PH.“They were severely traumatised,” Awang Azman said. “PH was very much weakened, as was evident at the state elections in Melaka, Sarawak and Johor.”For him, one obvious alliance would be between Pejuang and Sabah-based party Warisan, led by Shafie Apdal.He said PN wanted only Bersatu and PAS as its main players while GPS would likely distance itself from the coalition once Parliament is dissolved.“If this continues, the opposition will remain weak,” he added.BN, which banks on its influential election machinery, had benefited from the low voter turnout in Melaka and Johor.But Kartini cautioned that general elections differ from elections at the state level as the latter are hinged on local issues.“General elections involve issues at the federal level which have a different impact,” he said.“BN might find itself faced with different challenges once the country enters the endemic phase and voters are more confident about heading to the ballot box.”


Poland says Russian rocket hit its territory as Nato weighs response

Nato member Poland said on Wednesday that a Russian-made rocket killed two people in eastern Poland near Ukraine, and it summoned Russia's ambassador to Warsaw for an explanation after Moscow denied it was responsible.
The Polish foreign ministry said the rocket fell on Tuesday afternoon on Przewodow, a village in eastern Poland about 6km from the border with Ukraine, killing two. Media reports said the strike hit a grain-drying facility.
The statement was Poland's most detailed comment thus far on the explosion, which struck at 3.40pm. The US and Western allies had said they were investigating but could not confirm a report that stray Russian missiles hit the village.
Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) are committed to collective defence, so a Russian strike on Poland could risk widening the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began with Moscow's invasion in February.
A Nato official said the alliance was looking into the report and closely coordinating with Poland.
Poland was increasing the readiness of some military units and determining whether to request consultations with allies under Article 4 of the Nato treaty, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck said.
US President Joe Biden told Polish President Andrzej Duda in a call that Washington has an "ironclad commitment to Nato" and will support Poland's investigation, the White House said.
The Associated Press earlier cited a senior US intelligence official as saying the blast was due to Russian missiles having crossed into Poland.
But in Washington, the Pentagon, White House and US State Department said they could not corroborate the report and were working with the Polish government to gather more information. The State Department said the report was "incredibly concerning."
Germany and Canada said they were monitoring the situation, and the European Union, the Netherlands and Norway said they were seeking more details. French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a verification effort, while Britain was "urgently" looking into the report.
Russian denial
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian missiles hit Poland in a "significant escalation" of the conflict. He did not provide evidence.
Russia's defence ministry denied that Russian missiles hit Polish territory, describing reports as "a deliberate provocation aimed at escalating the situation".
It added in a statement: "No strikes on targets near the Ukrainian-Polish state border were made by Russian means of destruction."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had no information on an explosion in Poland.
Russia was pounding cities across Ukraine with missiles on Tuesday, in attacks that Kyiv said were the heaviest wave of missile strikes in nearly nine months of war. Some hit Lviv, which is less than 80km from the border with Poland.
Fabrice Pothier, former head of policy planning in the Nato secretary-general's office, told Sky TV that the events were enough to trigger Nato's Article 4. That would entail Poland calling a Nato meeting "to consult each other, to assess the threat and to take concrete action," Pothier said. Nato ambassadors were due to hold a regular weekly meeting on Wednesday.
Latvian Deputy Prime Minister Artis Pabriks said the situation was "unacceptable" and it could lead to Nato providing more anti-aircraft defences to Poland and Ukraine, a view Pothier endorsed.
"Every inch of #Nato territory must be defended!," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Twitter.
Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said, according to BNS newswire: "We are discussing with our allies how to respond to what happened jointly and decisively."


Vehicles damaged in Serdang as ground beneath cliff gives way

Five vehicles parked at Jalan LP 1A/2 Lestari Perdana, Serdang near Kuala Lumpur were damaged yesterday when the ground beneath the cliff gave way.Serdang fire and rescue station assistant superintendent II Saharudin Abdul Razak said they received a report on the incident of apparent soil subsidence at about 6.38pm but that no victims were involved.He said the vehicles had been parked in front of a car workshop, about seven metres from the cliff.“The rain at the time of the incident caused a drain to burst and the five cars sank to a depth of five to six metres.“Following that, the area was cordoned off to the public before the matter was handed over to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council for further action,” he told Bernama when contacted.Saharudin also said that a landslip had occurred in the area in 2017, about 50m from the site of today’s incident.


Sorry.


Govt says will fight legal action to seize assets by late sultan's heirs

The government today said it will take legal action in the Netherlands to resist and set aside any attempt by the heirs of a former Southeast Asian sultan who are looking to enforce a US$15 billion arbitration award against the country.
"Malaysia will spare no expense in defending its sovereignty and its assets abroad wherever they may be situated," law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said in a statement.
The heirs of the former Sulu sultan yesterday asked a Dutch court for permission to seize Malaysian assets in the Netherlands.
Some of Malaysia's biggest companies have operations in the Netherlands, including state oil firm Petronas which is 100% owned by the government.
"Petronas' assets are not assets belonging to the government of Malaysia and it would be an abuse of the process of any court to seek enforcement against such assets," Wan Junaidi said.
MORE TO COME


AstraZeneca boss tops CEO pay chart in UK, survey shows

Britain’s bluechip firms last year slashed chief executive pay as the pandemic struck but the head of Covid vaccine maker AstraZeneca still pocketed a chart-topping £15.45 million, a survey showed Thursday.With many businesses plunging into sharp losses as the world suffered lockdowns, CEOs of London’s biggest listed companies saw median annual pay drop 17%, the High Pay Centre think tank said.However AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot managed to earn the equivalent of US$21.25 million or 50% more than his nearest challenger – Brian Cassin, the CEO at credit-rating group Experian.The High Pay Centre campaigns for a narrowing of the huge gap between CEO and ordinary workers’ wages in Britain.“Very high CEO pay reflects a wider gap between rich and poor in the UK than in most other European countries,” said High Pay Centre director Luke Hildyard.“The inequalities exposed by the pandemic and the volume of public money used to protect large businesses could strengthen the argument for measures to contain top pay and re-balance extreme income differences.”The survey showed that median CEO pay was 86 times median earnings for a full-time worker in the UK.The High Pay Centre said average CEO pay at nine blue-chip companies that claimed support through the government’s furlough jobs support scheme was £2.39 million.The UK government has spent billions of pounds paying the bulk of wages for private-sector staff during the pandemic in a scheme due to end next month.The highest paid female CEO last year was meanwhile Emma Walmsley, who earned £7.0 million as boss of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.Only six out of 100 companies on the blue-chip index have a female CEO.Median chief executive pay last year was £2.69 million among the 100 companies surveyed.


New infections fall to 1,700 as 2 more deaths logged

Another 1,712 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,867,192.
There were 1,699 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,806,883.
There are now 23,892 active cases, of which 22,854 or 95.7% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,002 (4.2%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 36 are in ICU with 19 in need of respiratory assistance.
Two more deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths stand at 36,417.


Singapore revokes privileges for sole Olympic champion over cannabis use

Singapore's only Olympic gold medal winner, swimmer Joseph Schooling, will not be given further leave from national service to compete because he admitted to using cannabis, the tightly-controlled city-state said on Wednesday.
Schooling, 27, who defeated American Michael Phelps to win the 100m butterfly in the 2016 games, did not test positive for the drug but admitted to using it while overseas earlier this year, the defence ministry said.
Singapore has some of the world's toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, and has shown no sign of softening its stance on cannabis even as many countries including nearby Thailand are moving to decriminalise the drug.
"Schooling will no longer be eligible for leave or disruption to train or compete while in national service," the defence ministry said in a statement, adding that he will be placed on a supervised urine test regime for six months.
Schooling, whose father died last year, said on social media late Tuesday that he "gave in to a moment of weakness after going through a very tough period".
He did not give specific details and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Schooling will likely miss next year's Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, local media reported.
Schooling has previously been allowed to defer Singapore's national service, which is mandatory for males and usually taken immediately after high school, in order to compete.
He used cannabis while he was on short-term leave from national service in May 2022 to train and participate in the Southeast Asian Games held in Vietnam, the defence ministry said.
Schooling failed to qualify from the heats in the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year, and his father died a few months later after being diagnosed with liver cancer.


Amber Heard plans to appeal ruling that she defamed Johnny Depp

“Aquaman” actor Amber Heard will appeal a jury’s decision that she defamed ex-husband Johnny Depp when she claimed she was a survivor of sexual violence, her attorney said on Thursday.A seven-person jury in Virginia ruled on Wednesday that Heard defamed the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star and awarded him US$10.35 million in damages. The jury also determined that Heard was defamed, awarding her US$2 million.Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, one of Heard’s attorneys, said on NBC’s “Today” show that Depp’s team was “able to suppress an enormous amount of evidence” that was allowed in a libel case in Britain, which Depp lost.Depp sued British tabloid the Sun for calling him a “wife beater.” A London High Court judge found Depp abused Heard at least a dozen times, but Heard’s lawyers were not allowed to tell the jury that in the Virginia case, Bredehoft said.“So what did Depp’s team learn from this? Demonise Amber, and suppress the evidence,” Bredehoft said.“She was demonised here,” Bredehoft added. “A number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed, and it caused the jury to be confused.”During the trial, Depp said he never hit or sexually abused Heard and argued that she was one who became violent during their relationship. Heard said she slapped Depp but only in defense of herself or her sister.


Syed Saddiq’s criminal trial to begin tomorrow

The trial of Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who faces four charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), misappropriation of funds and money laundering of RM1 million belonging to the Bersatu Youth wing, will begin at the Kuala Lumpur High Court tomorrow.The trial will be heard before judge Azhar Abdul Hamid at 9am.“Six prosecution witnesses are expected to testify tomorrow,” said deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin when contacted by Bernama today.Wan Shaharuddin said the prosecution would call 40 witnesses at the trial. The court had previously set June 21 and 22, July 4 to 8, and July 18 to 22 to hear the case.Syed Saddiq, 29, was initially charged in the Sessions Court.However, he applied for the case to be transferred to the High Court. His application was allowed on Nov 25 last year.On July 22, 2021, the former youth and sports minister was charged in court with one count of criminal breach of trust and one count of misappropriating funds. On Aug 5 the same year, he was arraigned in a Johor Bahru court on two counts of money laundering.The prosecution then applied to transfer the case in Johor Bahru to the Kuala Lumpur court to be heard together.On the first charge, Syed Saddiq is charged as then Youth chief, entrusted with control of the wing’s funds, with abetting Rafiq Hakim Razali, the Youth wing’s assistant treasurer at the time, with CBT of RM1 million.He was charged with committing the offence at CIMB Bank, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, on March 6, 2020, under Section 406 of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years with whipping, liable to a fine, upon conviction.He was also charged with misusing RM120,000 in contributions raised through a Maybank Islamic account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise at Maybank Islamic, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.He could be jailed for up to five years and whipped, and is also liable be fined if found guilty of the offence, framed under Section 403 of the Penal Code.Syed Saddiq also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities in two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be the proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru on June 16 and June 19, 2018.The charges were framed under Section 4 (1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under Section 4 (1) of the same act, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or the proceeds of illegal activities.


Chinese astronauts board space station in historic mission

Three Chinese astronauts arrived on Wednesday at China's space station for the first in-orbit crew rotation in Chinese space history, launching operation of the second inhabited outpost in low-Earth orbit after the Nasa-led International Space Station.
The spacecraft Shenzhou-15, or "Divine Vessel", and its three passengers lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at 11.08pm (1508 GMT) on Tuesday in sub-freezing temperatures in the Gobi Desert in northwest China, according to state television.
Shenzhou-15 was the last of 11 missions, including three previous crewed missions, needed to assemble the "Celestial Palace", as the multi-module station is known in Chinese. The first mission was launched in April 2021.
The spacecraft docked with the station more than six hours after the launch, and the three Shenzhou-15 astronauts were greeted with warm hugs from the previous Shenzhou crew from whom they were taking over.
The Shenzhou-14 crew, who arrived in early June, will return to Earth after a one-week handover that will establish the station's ability to temporarily sustain six astronauts, another record for China's space programme.
The Shenzhou-15 mission offered the nation a rare moment to celebrate, at a time of widespread unhappiness over China's zero-Covid policies, while its economy cools amid uncertainties at home and abroad.
"Long live the motherland!" many Chinese netizens wrote on social media.
The "Celestial Palace" was the culmination of nearly two decades of Chinese crewed missions to space. China's manned space flights began in 2003 when a former fighter pilot, Yang Liwei, was sent into orbit in a small bronze-coloured capsule, the Shenzhou-5, and became China's first man in space and an instant hero cheered by millions at home.
The space station was also an emblem of China's growing clout and confidence in its space endeavours and a challenger to the US in the domain, after being isolated from the Nasa-led ISS and banned by US law from any collaboration, direct or indirect, with the American space agency.
Future 'Taikonauts'
Leading the Shenzhou-15 mission was Fei Junlong, 57, who hailed from China's first batch of astronaut trainees in the late 1990s. His previous visit to space was 17 years ago as commander of China's second-ever crewed spaceflight.
Fei was flanked by Deng Qingming, 56, who had trained for 24 years as an astronaut but had never been chosen for a mission until Shenzhou-15. They were joined by former air force pilot Zhang Lu, 46, also a space debutant.
The astronauts will live and work on the T-shaped space outpost for six months.
The next batch of "taikonauts", coined from the Chinese word for space, to board the station, in 2023, will be picked from the third generation of astronauts with scientific backgrounds. The first and second batches of astronauts in the 1990s-2000s were all former air force pilots.
China has started the selection process for the fourth batch, seeking candidates with doctoral degrees in disciplines from biology, physics and chemistry to biomedical engineering and astronomy.
The selection process has also been opened to applicants from Hong Kong and Macau for the first time.
During the space station's operation over the next decade, China is expected to launch two crewed missions to the orbiting outpost each year.
Resident astronauts are expected to conduct more than 1,000 scientific experiments - from studying how plants adapt in space to how fluids behave in microgravity.
While still in its infancy compared with Nasa's technologies and experience, China's space programme has come far since the mid-20th century, when the country's late leader Mao Zedong lamented that China could not even launch a potato into orbit.


Bobby Kennedy’s assassin granted parole in California

The man convicted of shooting dead Robert F Kennedy in a 1968 assassination that rocked the US was granted parole Friday.Sirhan Sirhan, now 77, had tried on 15 previous occasions to be released from the life sentence imposed five decades earlier.The vote on Friday by a two-person panel of the California parole board does not mean that Sirhan will automatically be released.The decision is subject to a three-month review, and then ultimately passes to Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who faces a recall vote in September.Kennedy, the younger brother of slain president John F Kennedy, was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination when he was gunned down in a Los Angeles hotel.His murder came just months after the killing of black civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, and as a divided America was deep in an unpopular war in Vietnam.Sirhan was convicted and sentenced to death in 1969 after pleading guilty to the murder.His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment several years later.But doubts soon surfaced that he was actually responsible for Bobby Kennedy’s death, with claims that there could have been a second gunman in the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968.‘Wrong person’Kennedy had given a speech at the hotel after winning California’s Democratic presidential primary.On a walkabout in the kitchen where he met staff, he was shot, along with several other people in his entourage, among them Paul Schrade, who took a bullet to the head.Schrade, along with Kennedy’s then-14-year-old son, have since campaigned for Sirhan’s release, saying the evidence against him does not stack up.“It is a good decision,” Schrade told AFP on Friday.“I’m really grateful to the parole board for giving Sirhan the chance to go home.”During Friday’s hearing, Kennedy’s youngest son, Douglas, spoke in favor of Sirhan’s release, media reports said, adding that Robert F. Kennedy Jr had sent a letter of support to the parole board.Robert F Kennedy Jr told The Washington Post in 2018 that he had visited Sirhan in the California desert prison where he was serving his sentence, and had become convinced that an injustice had been perpetrated.“I went there because I was curious and disturbed by what I had seen in the evidence,” he told the paper.“I was disturbed that the wrong person might have been convicted of killing my father.“My father was the chief law enforcement officer in this country. I think it would have disturbed him if somebody was put in jail for a crime they didn’t commit.”Doubts over Sirhan’s guilt began during his trial, when prosecutors produced an autopsy report that showed Kennedy was shot at point-blank range from behind.Witnesses said Sirhan was standing in front of him.Over the years and in numerous appeals, evidence emerged that as many as 13 shots were fired that night.The weapon Sirhan was found to have fired could hold only eight bullets.Sirhan, a Palestinian Christian, was said at his trial to have hated Kennedy because of his support for Israel.DynastyThe ongoing controversy has echoes of the 1963 killing of John F Kennedy, where some historians insist more than one gunman was involved.After RFK’s death, Hubert Humphrey captured the Democratic nomination. But his closeness to Lyndon Johnson and the unpopular Vietnam War saw the general election go to Richard Nixon.The Kennedy dynasty is often described as the closest thing the US has to royalty.Their wealth and political power has captivated generations of Americans – as have the scandals in which they have become embroiled.John F Kennedy was alleged to have had connections to the mob, and was reported to have had affairs with screen sirens Marilyn Monroe and Marlene Dietrich.Most infamously, senator Ted Kennedy – Bobby and John’s brother – was behind the wheel in 1969 when his car crashed into a pond, trapping 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne inside.He fled the scene and Kopechne died.The so-called Chappaquiddick incident left a stain on the family legacy.


Malaysia calls for trade openness, says curbs during food crisis should be temporary

Malaysia yesterday called for trade openness, saying any curbs on trade to address national food security concerns should be temporary and proportionate.Speaking at the 12th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said members of the body should make “concrete progress” towards a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system.He added that any emergency measures to tackle food security concerns in countries should be “temporary, targeted, proportionate and not trade distorting”.“Disguising protectionism as national security concerns must be avoided at all costs,” he said.Reaffirming Malaysia’s support for a rules-based multilateral trading system, he said such cooperation was key to overcoming global challenges and the rise of protectionism.“With Covid-19 still hovering over the world, a protectionist global trade environment is detrimental to the prosperity of the world economy, especially to developing countries, what more the least developed countries,” he said.Azmin likewise voiced support for the ministerial declaration on the WTO response to the Covid-19 pandemic and preparedness for future pandemics, saying members should come together to lift restrictions and limits in the implementation of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights or TRIPs.He said trade facilitative measures were also needed to ensure the equitable and swift distribution of vaccines and therapeutics.


Over 23 million jabs given, 24.5% of population fully vaccinated

A total of 23,161,255 vaccine doses had been administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of yesterday.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said 15,162,424 doses were administered as first doses, and 7,998,831 doses as second doses.“According to percentage, 46.4% of the country’s population have received a first dose and 24.5% have completed both doses of vaccine,” he said.In terms of daily vaccination rate, 514,674 doses were administered yesterday with 220,839 doses given to first-dose recipients and 293,835 as second doses.


Germany considers more Covid-19 curbs, compulsory jabs as cases soar

Health Minister Jens Spahn called on Tuesday for further restrictions as Germany’s rate of coronavirus infections hit a record high and more politicians backed compulsory vaccinations.The seven-day incidence rate jumped to 399.8 per 100,000 people on Tuesday, data from the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases showed, the 16th straight day it has hit a record level.As the number of Covid-19 deaths in Germany nears 100,000, the US advised on Monday against travel there.Spahn said more public spaces should be restricted to those who were vaccinated or recently recovered from Covid-19 and also had a negative test.“We are having to move patients around as intensive care units are full and that doesn’t just affect Covid-19 patients,” he told Germany’s Deutschlandfunk radio.On Monday, Spahn said that by the end of the winter almost everyone in Germany would be “vaccinated, recovered or dead”.Christmas marketsNeighbouring Austria has reimposed a full lockdown due to surging caseloads. Spahn has not ruled out similar steps in Germany, although he said on Tuesday that would be decided region by region.Many Christmas markets have been cancelled, especially in the hard-hit regions of Bavaria and Saxony. The eastern state of Brandenburg decided that children no longer have to go to school and is starting its Christmas holidays three days early.The force of the pandemic’s fourth wave has prompted more politicians to back compulsory vaccinations, a divisive topic that is likely to face Germany’s new government. Only 68% of the population are fully vaccinated.Some 7.3% of citizens have had a booster and while long queues have formed in many places for a third shot, Spahn has tried to allay concerns about supply.“Compulsory vaccination is not a violation of civil liberties, but the prerequisite for us to regain our freedom,” wrote the premiers of the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily.The ALM association of medical laboratories said capacity for PCR testing was reaching its limits with nationwide utilisation at 86%, up from 75% in the previous week, while the number of positive PCR tests had jumped by 31%.


Two Indonesian match officials jailed over deadly football stampede

An Indonesian court handed prison sentences to two football match officials on Thursday after finding them guilty of negligence over one of the world's deadliest stadium stampedes.
The October 2022 derby match in Malang, East Java, between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya ended in chaos with 135 spectators killed, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd.
One match official, Abdul Haris, was found guilty "due to his negligence causing people to die and get severely injured", judge Abu Achmad Shiddqi Hamsya said at the court in Surabaya. He was sentenced to a year and a half in prison.
The judges also found security officer Suko Sutrisno guilty of negligence and jailed him for one year.
Both men worked for Arema FC, and have been banned from football-related activities for life by the country's football federation.
An investigation by Indonesia's human rights commission found the main cause of the stampede was police firing into the crowd 45 rounds of tear gas, which football world governing body Fifa has banned as a crowd control measure.
Investigators also said the stadium was filled beyond capacity.
Both match officials' representatives said they would study the ruling before attempting next legal steps.
Three police officers are also charged with the same offences and their cases will be decided at a later date.


US Supreme Court blocks Biden student loan forgiveness

The US Supreme Court handed President Joe Biden a painful defeat on Friday, blocking his plan to cancel US$430 billion (RM2 trillion) in student loan debt – a move that had been intended to benefit up to 43 million Americans and fulfill a campaign promise.
The Democratic president denounced the 6-3 decision – powered by the court's conservatives and written by Chief Justice John Roberts – and announced fresh steps to provide relief for student loan borrowers using a different approach.
The court sided with six conservative-leaning states – Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina – that objected to Biden's student loan forgiveness. Its ruling dealt a blow to the 26 million borrowers who applied for relief after Biden announced the plan in August 2022 and represented a political setback for Biden.
"Today's decision has closed one path. Now we're going to pursue another," Biden said at the White House, announcing steps being taken under a law called the Higher Education Act.
"I'm never going to stop fighting for you. We'll use every tool at our disposal to get you the student debt relief you need – and reach your dreams."
Roberts derided the Biden administration's argument that the loan forgiveness programme – a move linked to the national emergency arising from the Covid-19 pandemic – was merely a modification of an existing programme and noted that such broad action would require clear congressional approval.
"The secretary's plan has 'modified' the cited provisions only in the same sense that the French Revolution 'modified' the status of the French nobility – it has abolished them and supplanted them with a new regime entirely," Roberts wrote, referring to US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.
"From a few narrowly delineated situations specified by Congress, the secretary has expanded forgiveness to nearly every borrower in the country," Roberts said.
The court's three liberal justices dissented. The court acted on its final day of rulings in its term that began in October.
The ruling invoked the "major questions" doctrine, a muscular judicial approach that gives judges broad discretion to invalidate executive agency actions of "vast economic and political significance" unless Congress clearly authorised them in legislation. The conservative justices previously used this doctrine to invalidate other Biden policies including pandemic-era eviction protections for residential renters and his Covid-19 vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses.
Campaign promise
Biden's plan fulfilled his 2020 campaign promise to cancel a portion of US$1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt but was criticised by Republicans who called it an overreach of his authority and an unfair benefit to college-educated borrowers while other borrowers received no such relief.
Under the plan, the US government would forgive up to US$10,000 in federal student debt for Americans making under US$125,000 who obtained loans to pay for college and other post-secondary education and US$20,000 for recipients of Pell grants to students from lower-income families.
The administration said the plan was authorized under a 2003 federal law called the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act, or HEROES Act, which lets the education secretary "waive or modify" student financial assistance during war or national emergencies.
Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump both relied upon the HEROES Act to repeatedly pause student loan payments and halt interest from accruing to alleviate financial strain on student loan borrowers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cardona said the Education Department now has finalised an income-driven loan repayment plan that cuts monthly payments to zero for millions of low-income borrowers, saves all other borrowers at least US$1,000 annually and stops runaway interest that leaves borrowers owing more than their initial loan.
The department, Cardona said, also will provide a 12-month transition period to help borrowers successfully return to repayment without falling into delinquency or default. It will help borrowers avoid the harshest consequences of missed, partial or late payments like negative credit reports and having loans referred to collection agencies, Cardona added.
Biden, who is seeking re-election next year, criticised Republican elected officials who opposed his plan.
"They had no problem with billions in pandemic-related loans to businesses – including hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of dollars for their own businesses," Biden said.
Some 53% of respondents supported Biden's debt relief, with 45% opposed, in a March Reuters/Ipsos US poll.
The major questions doctrine arises from an approach favoured by many conservatives and business groups to rein in what they view as excesses of the "administrative state." They object to what they consider accumulated power by the executive branch without proper checks by the courts and Congress.
Justice Elena Kagan, in a dissent joined by her two fellow liberals, derided this doctrine as "made-up."
"Small wonder the majority invokes the doctrine," Kagan wrote. "The majority's 'normal' statutory interpretation cannot sustain its decision. The statute, read as written, gives the secretary broad authority to relieve a national emergency's effect on borrowers' ability to repay their student loans."
Two individual borrowers opposed to the plan's eligibility requirements also sued but the justices dismissed their challenge on Friday due to a lack of legal standing.


Flood evacuee numbers begin to decrease

A total of 28,005 flood evacuees from 8,598 families were still seeking shelter at relief centres (PPS) in five states this morning.According to the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) Info Bencana portal, the evacuees were at 183 PPS in Kelantan, Selangor, Pahang, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan.In Selangor, the total number of victims decreased to 11,864 at 61 PPS this morning compared with 15,354 at 81 PPS last night.Selangor fire and rescue department director Norazam Khamis advised the public not to burn their flood waste.He said yesterday, the department received a call at 5.50pm to put out a fire fuelled by flood waste including damaged furniture, adding tat so far two such cases have been recorded in Kapar, Klang.In Pahang, 16,579 victims were still taking shelter at 119 PPS as of this morning.The districts still affected by the floods are Bentong, Temerloh, Bera, Maran, Kuantan and Pekan.The publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my website reported that Sungai Pahang in Lubuk Paku, Maran and Sungai Bera in Bera have dropped to the warning level and are showing a downward trend.The Meteorological Department has predicted rain in several places in Kuantan and Pekan, while the weather in other districts is expected to be favourable this morning.In Kelantan, the number of evacuees dropped to 378 victims from 127 families as of 7am compared to 470 people from 153 families last night.The Drainage and Irrigation Department’s official Info Banjir portal reported that no major rivers in Kelantan are at the danger level, with only Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas, at the warning level.In Melaka, the number of flood victims remained at 26 people from eight families as of 8am.Melaka Civil Defence Force (APM) director Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said only one PPS is still operating at SK Penghulu Benteng in Jasin.In Negeri Sembilan, state APM director Mohd Syukri Madnor said the number of victims had dropped slightly to 128 people from 37 families, compared to 132 people from 38 last night. They are being housed at three PPS in Jelebu.


Ex-Pakistan PM Khan granted new bail as army vows to 'tighten noose'

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan had his bail renewed in over a dozen cases Thursday, a month after his three-day detention sparked violence, thousands of arrests, and the resignations of much of his party's leadership.
The 70-year-old former international cricket star, facing more than 150 cases registered against him since his ousting in April last year, appeared at two courts in the capital, Islamabad.
"Imran Khan is granted bail till June 19 in eight cases registered against him under the anti-terrorism legislation," one of his lawyers, Sher Afzal Marwat, told AFP.
Gohar Khan, another lawyer, said a different court had extended bail in nine other cases.
His arrest and detention following a court appearance last month sparked nationwide protests – including a mob torching the residence of a senior army commander.
Pakistan has been mired in economic and political crisis for over a year, with little respite expected ahead of an election that must be held by mid-October.
Khan appeared to be riding a wave of popularity towards those polls, holding huge rallies across the country, sweeping a string of by-elections, and vilifying authorities in addresses to the nation broadcast nightly on social media.
But the violence following his arrest – particularly targeting military installations – led to a sweeping crackdown that threatens his political survival and that of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The army holds undue influence over Pakistan politics, having staged at least three successful coups leading to decades of martial law.
Late Wednesday, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) – the military's publicity wing – vowed to tighten "the noose of law" around those involved in violence.
Following a meeting of the army's top commanders, a statement said the "ill design of inimical forces will be dealt with iron hands".
Thousands have already been arrested, with some facing trial by military courts – a process condemned by local and international rights groups.
Khan denies inciting the violence and says attacks against military targets were "black ops" to give authorities an excuse to arrest him and outlaw his party.
"I want to tell my nation that I am ready to face jail... I will never bow down to this unfair and autocratic regime," he said Wednesday in his latest address broadcast on YouTube.
"I also request you not to bow down, as the moment you succumb to this unjust and autocratic rule, the existence of our nation will be jeopardised."
Mass resignations have left Khan increasingly isolated at his home in the eastern city of Lahore, from where he ventures out only for court appearances.
Late Wednesday several senior politicians who quit PTI in recent weeks announced the formation of a new party, Istehkam-e-Pakistan – the Pakistan Stability party.
Khan's latest court appearance comes a day before the government is due to present its 2023-24 budget before the national assembly.
The cash-strapped government is also set to present its economic survey for 2022-23 later Thursday, but details leaked to local media show it missed every key growth target for the year.
GDP growth was just 0.3% against a target of five percent, while industrial output, agriculture and exports all fell well short of targets.
Pakistan's year-on-year inflation hit a record 37.97% in May, official data revealed last week, with the nation on the brink of economic collapse and crucial IMF bailout talks stalled.


Malay rulers recommend no extension to emergency

The Malay rulers have agreed that there is no need to extend the state of emergency beyond its expected deadline of Aug 1, one of several recommendations made in a special meeting with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara today.A statement by the Keeper of the Rulers’ Seal Syed Danial Syed Ahmad said the rulers also agreed with the king that Parliament should be allowed to convene as soon as possible.“Likewise, at the state level, they are of the opinion that state assembly sittings should be held as soon as possible,” it said.“The methods and procedures currently being practised in other countries that have been proven to control the spread of Covid-19 should be introduced and utilised in this country.”Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah earlier said that a Parliament sitting should be held as quickly as possible to allow the emergency ordinances and National Recovery Plan to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat.“His Majesty is very aware of the role of Parliament as an important platform for the people’s representatives to meet to discuss issues particularly related to the Covid-19 pandemic.“Members of the Dewan Rakyat can discuss the allocations for government expenditure to help the people who are in need and to restore the country’s economy,” a statement by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin had said.In their statement, the Malay rulers also recommended that any bureaucracy surrounding the vaccination programme be reduced to ensure that the country achieves its target of 80% herd immunity as soon as possible.“The political temperature which is on the rise should also be decreased.“What is important is a stable government that has the confidence and support of the majority of the people,” the statement said.


No 'persecution' of Syed Saddiq, MACC man tells court

An investigating officer of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that the anti-graft body had never abused its power to persecute Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in connection with the investigation into the disappearance of RM250,000 at the residence of the Muar MP.
Muhamad Khairi Muhamad Rodi, 33, said the investigation was to find the source of the RM250,000 that was reported missing at Syed Saddiq's residence, in addition to discovering if an offence had been committed under the MACC Act 2009.
According to the 23rd prosecution witness, any complaints and information received by the MACC would be investigated first. Due to that, he said, no specific section under the MACC Act was stated at the beginning of the complaint.
"I disagree that this investigation was to persecute Syed Saddiq because whatever complaints and information are received, we will proceed with the investigation. Hence, there was no selective investigation to persecute individuals in this case.
"I went to Syed Saddiq's house to get documents or information that could help my investigation at that time," he said during re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin at the trial of the Muar MP, who faces four charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.
Khairi, who was investigating the loss of RM250,000, said he and several MACC officers had gone to the politician's house on March 31, 2020, at 5.45pm to conduct an investigation. At that time, he said, Syed Saddiq and his parents were at home.
During cross-examination by Syed Saddiq's lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, the witness also denied that he had deliberately "cooked up a case" against Syed Saddiq when no case could be filed against the politician.
When questioned by Gobind, Khairi said the complaint opened against Syed Saddiq under the MACC Act 2009 was general, but that the investigation had led to Section 27 of the MACC Act 2009 relating to false reports.
"A total of three investigation papers were opened involving Syed Saddiq's case, one of which, on the loss of RM250,000, was handled by me," he said.
He added that each investigation was carried out based on the instructions of superior officers and had to be reported to those in authority.
Syed Saddiq, 29, was charged as the then youth chief, entrusted with the control of Armada funds, with abetting then assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali with CBT of RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing.
He was also charged with misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise by causing Rafiq Hakim to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.
He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities through two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be the proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
The trial before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid continues tomorrow.


Dec 7 hearing for Najib’s bid to strike out bankruptcy notice

The application by former prime minister Najib Razak to strike out a bankruptcy notice issued against him for failing to pay additional tax arrears of RM1.69 billion to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) as ordered by the High Court last year will be heard on Dec 7.Najib’s lawyer Wee Yeong Kang said this when contacted by reporters after case management via e-review today, before High Court deputy registrar Ida Rahayu Sharif.Today’s proceedings were also attended by tax counsels Siti Aisyah Yusoff and Athari Faris Ammerry Hussein, who were acting for LHDN.“The same date (Dec 7) is set to hear Najib’s application to stay the bankruptcy proceedings while waiting for the disposal of his appeal in the Court of Appeal against the High Court decision or until the judgment debtor (Najib) appeal at the Special Commissioners of Income Tax is fully completed,” said Wee.Najib filed the application claiming that the notice issued by LHDN on Feb 4 this year was mala fide, onerous and an abuse of the court process.He also claimed that the notice was part of a political conspiracy to destroy his political career.The government, through LHDN, filed the bankruptcy notice at the High Court on Feb 4 this year against Najib as the debtor.Based on the notice, Najib has to pay RM1.69 billion with interest at 5% per annum on the total balance from July 22, 2020 (the date of the High Court’s decision) to Feb 4, 2021, which is RM45.9 million, and RM15,000 in costs. The total payable amount as of the latter date was RM1,738,804,204.16.On July 22 last year, the High Court ruled that Najib had to pay LHDN RM1.69 billion in additional tax arrears for the period 2011 to 2017, after allowing LHDN’s application to enter a summary judgement against him.A summary judgement is when the court decides a particular case summarily, without calling witnesses to testify in a trial.According to Section 103 (2) of the Income Tax Act 1967, a person ordered to pay the assessment has to settle the payment to LHDN even if an appeal has been filed.


Sorry.


Meta, MCMC and police to work together in curbing online crime, says Fahmi

The communications and digital ministry is collaborating with Meta Platforms Inc, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as well as the police to curb online crimes.
Its minister Fahmi Fadzil said the move followed a rise in online fraud and gambling cases, as well as 3R issues relating to religion, royalty and race. 'Losses suffered by Malaysians from January to May 2023 via Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) have almost exceeded RM330 million.
"This is a 25% increase compared to the whole year in 2022," he said in a Facebook post yesterday after chairing a meeting with Meta, MCMC, and the police in Bukit Aman.
As a result of the meeting, he said Meta had expressed a commitment to having close cooperation with MCMC and the police to curb online crime.
"I believe that the cooperation established allows scams, online gambling and 3R issues on the Meta platform to be reduced," he said.


Smoking endgame bill not to 'criminalise children', says Khairy

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today challenged the claim that the Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022 is "criminalising children", calling it misleading.
He said compounds for minors who smoke are provided for in the existing regulations, adding that it cannot be registered as a criminal offence.
Khairy said there was no prison sentence for minors who smoke under the existing regulations or for those born after 2007 in the new bill.
"So please don’t mislead the people by alleging that children will be criminalised (under the bill). That is not true.
"Presently, children who have been found to be buying cigarettes by the authorities will only be fined RM50," he told reporters after launching the KKMNOW portal.
He was commenting on the submission of a memorandum by the Consumer Choice Centre (CCC) in Parliament today protesting the bill.
The memorandum described the bill as containing large enforcement powers, criminalising children and affecting the poor.
The Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022, which among others will prohibit the sale and use of any form of smoking material including electronic cigarettes or vaping for individuals born on Jan 1, 2007 onwards, is intended to reduce smoking among Malaysians.
Dubbed the Generational End Game, it was tabled by Khairy on July 27 for first reading but was referred to the parliamentary special select committee for refinement.
Khairy said the bill has been discussed by the committee members consisting of various politicians, adding that the amendments made were to streamline enforcement to ensure that it does not contain excessive powers.


World’s longest flight soon to take off again and it’s even longer now

The world’s longest flight record-holder Singapore Airlines will resume flying nonstop to the US east coast from Nov 9, but this time flying into New York’s JFK, nudging the distance record up by 4km.The airline’s previous record-breaking flight, Singapore to Newark, New Jersey, was put on hold in March, an early victim of the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Business Traveller.That flight was a world record breaker at 15,343km. The switch to JFK will push that to 15,347km. The flight to JFK will take 18 hours and 5 minutes, while JFK to Singapore will take 35 minutes more, due to headwinds.The flight will run three times a week, using an Airbus A350-900 with economy, premium economy and business class. Crew will wear goggles, gloves and masks, and passengers will be required to wear masks while not eating and drinking. Passengers to Changi will arrive two days after leaving JFK, thanks to the late evening take off, and early morning landing.It is not clear at this stage whether SIA sees this as a long-term switch of airports for the route but Singapore Airlines announced in a statement that the change of airport will allow SIA to “better accommodate a mix of passenger and cargo in the current operating climate”.Passenger numbers will be down due to international restrictions but the airline anticipates “significant cargo demand from a range of industries based in the New York metro area, including pharmaceuticals, e-commerce and technology firms, with the service being the only nonstop air cargo link between Singapore and the Northeast US”.The airline said the route would also be supported “by the growing number of transfer passengers who can now transit via Singapore’s Changi Airport”.Lee Lik Hsin, executive vice-president of Singapore Airlines, said: “Operating these flights between Singapore and New York’s JFK International Airport represents an important step in the rebuilding of our global network.“Despite the challenging times for the airline industry, there are some early signs of optimism about a recovery. Our customers say that they are increasingly confident about air travel, given the health and safety measures in place, as well as testing regimes to protect them and our staff.”Singapore Airlines has continued its nonstop flights from Changi airport to Los Angeles throughout the pandemic.


Making sure that money goes in the right pockets amid flood disaster

The recent floods which hit several states including the Klang Valley on a massive scale witnessed a corresponding deluge of political parties, NGOs and individuals rushing to collect donations, ostensibly on behalf of the victims.Yet questions remain about transparency and how the funds will be used, even as hundreds of thousands of concerned Malaysians search for ways to alleviate the hardships of those who have lost vehicles, homes and even loved ones.Malcolm Chapman, who is the executive director of international relief organisation Mercy Malaysia, agreed that there are concerns about the matter, especially with the rise of social media and the claims made by internet users.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said such worries generally stem from people’s desire to be sure that the money they give is used for the right purposes and not for personal reasons.He said it was therefore crucial for orgainsations which collect public donations to show a clear framework report as proof of how the money is spent.Mercy Malaysia itself issues comprehensive framework reports which are posted on its website, he added.“These reports are also audited by third-party audit firms which provide transparent and fair views on what we do,” he said.Areas in eight states were hit by the floods which began on Dec 18 and left major highways inaccessible and homes submerged to roof-level.The floods which have so far claimed more than 40 lives have been described as one of Malaysia’s worst natural disasters yet, with thousands of victims experiencing losses in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of ringgit.MalaysiaNow recently reported that some who claimed to be collecting donations on behalf of the victims had fuelled suspicion of acts in contravention of the Anti-Money Laundering and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.MalaysiaNow is still awaiting a response from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on whether reports have been received involving the misappropriation of flood relief funds.Chapman said while donations helped facilitate the implementation of diaster relief missions, it was important for organisations to conduct field assessments first, to ascertain how much would be needed for expenses and to carry out the planned programmes.“After conducting the assessment, we will come up with the numbers we need,” he said.For example, Mercy Malaysia targeted a minimum collection of RM5 million for its various relief programmes during its initial assessment of the floods.Some 1,000 volunteers were also despatched to help flood victims nationwide.The organisation also conducted medium and long-term assessments to ensure that the flood victims would continue receiving aid until their problems are resolved.“Short-term assessments concentrate mainly on recovery efforts like clean-up and clean water supply,” Chapman said.“Long-term assessments focus on efforts to ensure that communities are better prepared to face such disasters in the future.“Of course, to realise all these plans requires money,” he added. “So we also have a target for donations for this purpose.”His advice for members of the public looking to donate to flood victims is to understand the different types of assistance needed as well as their costs, to ensure that the money given goes through the right channels.“We need to understand the organisation that is collecting the money, and to always check the framework report that they give while raising the funds in question.”


Malaysia willing to cooperate with US to tackle forced labour issue, says minister

Malaysia is ready to enter into strategic cooperation with the US to address human trafficking issues, especially forced labour, says Human Resources Minister M Saravanan.In a discussion with US ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters today, Saravanan said he had expressed the ministry’s willingness to enter into strategic cooperation with the US in efforts to improve enforcement to increase the number of convictions concerning forced labour cases.He said the discussion also revolved around the 2021 US State Department’s annual report on human trafficking.“The forced labour issue, especially involving foreign workers, is given a priority by the government following the US State Department’s report as well as several other reports and studies conducted by various international institutions,” he said in a statement today.He said the latest study carried out by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (The Modern Slavery PEC) also touched on the issue of forced labour in the rubber glove manufacturing sector entitled “Forced Labour in the Malaysian Medical Gloves Supply Chain during the Covid-19 Pandemic”.Saravanan said he had also briefed McFeeters on the initiatives implemented by the ministry to address the issue including the enforcement of the Employment Act 1955 (Act 265) and the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) where, throughout last year until June this year, a total of 194 investigation papers had been opened.He also said that the ministry is collaborating with the International Labour Organisation to develop a national action plan on forced labour and child labour which is expected to be finalised and launched in the fourth quarter of this year.According to him, the Working for Workers mobile application launched in May to address labour issues had received a total of 5,675 complaints as of July 11, of which 4,105 had been addressed by the ministry.Saravanan said the ministry was in the midst of reviewing the US State Department’s report as well as the Modern Slavery PEC study to improve existing measures and ensure a comprehensive approach to dealing with labour issues.


Mexico Covid-19 deaths far higher than reported, new data shows

Mexico, one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, released new figures Wednesday showing that the death toll was far higher than first reported for much of last year.The Latin American nation registered 108,658 deaths from Covid-19 up to the end of August 2020, national statistics institute Inegi said.The figure is more than 68% higher than the 64,414 deaths from the new coronavirus reported at the time by the health ministry for the same period.“Many people aren’t dying in hospitals, they’re dying at home… That may partly explain this difference,” Inegi statistician Edgar Vielma told a Mexican radio network.The government and Inegi also use different methodologies.Mexico’s Covid-19 death toll officially now stands at 152,016, according to the latest update from the health ministry released on Tuesday.It is the world’s fourth-highest fatality toll after the US, Brazil and India.Including suspected deaths from the virus, the figure stands at 171,378, according to the government.The country of around 126 million has officially registered nearly 1.8 million coronavirus cases.They include President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who announced on Sunday that he had Covid-19.He said his symptoms were mild, and his government has since reported that the 67-year-old is recovering well, despite his history of heart problems and hypertension.Limited testing for the virus in Mexico means that the actual total number of cases is thought to be far higher.According to Inegi, Covid-19 was the second top cause of death in the first eight months of last year, behind only heart disease.It said total deaths, at 673,260, were nearly 38% higher than usual over the period, resulting in nearly 185,000 excess deaths.Mexico City has been in a state of maximum alert and partial lockdown since mid-December, with more than 90% of hospital beds full due to soaring infections.The country began a mass inoculation drive on Dec 24 but progress has been held back by limited vaccine supplies.


Keep it real, economists tell parties on election manifestos

Economists have urged political parties to ensure that their manifestos for the upcoming polls are both realistic and inclusive, as coalitions kick into election gear ahead of the vote, widely expected to be held in a matter of weeks.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said parties would need to take into account the country's current state of finances before announcing their manifestos, so that voters can fairly evaluate the benefits they will receive.
Lee Heng Guie, executive director of the Socio-Economic Research Centre, said it would be inappropriate for parties to make promises about financial assistance such as Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BRIM) or Bantuan Khas Keluarga Malaysia (BKM) simply in order to win the election.
He said such aid was short-term in nature and would not truly solve the people's problems.
Instead, he said, parties should draw up manifestos capable of providing long-term solutions such as efforts to increase the people's income or lower the cost of living.
"Giving financial assistance like the BKM announced in the 2023 budget presentation is good, but efforts to increase the people's income should be the priority," he said.
In any case, he said, Malaysia's fiscal situation does not encourage the provision of aid like BKM as the country cannot afford to continue spending like that.
"Even though the BKM has been improved this time around, the government will need RM7.8 billion – a huge expenditure," he added.
"I would be more supportive if the government spent on efforts to improve skills, which would open up more opportunities for the people to generate a higher income."
Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff of the Putra Business School meanwhile said parties should not concentrate solely on efforts to help the B40 or low-income group.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said they should also come up with ways to improve the quality of life for those in the M40 or middle-income bracket.
He added that terms such as B40, M40 and T20 only refer to individuals' income and tell nothing of their spending, leading to an inaccurate picture of their living situation.
"Because of this, sometimes the M40 are worse off than the B40," he said.
"Many from the M40 group live in cities, and what they earn is only enough for their food and daily expenses."
Razman agreed with Lee that parties elected into government should find a way to solve the rising cost of living.
"The M40 don't need cash aid like the government gives the B40," he said. "They need help from other aspects like incentives.
"The tax rate reduction of two percentage points announced in the recent budget presentation is one of the best examples of how the government can help this group."
Amanda Yeo, a research analyst at think tank Emir Research, said while the government was trying to help every segment of society, this was not enough to meet the needs of the M40 group.
While the budget presentation this time around met expectations, she said, there was still room for improvement.
"The government has widened the scope of benefits for the community by including new issues such as the rising inflation, food security, and flood problems," she said.
"But it remains to be seen whether it has the appropriate mechanisms to ensure that this aid reaches those in need."


Hadi warns Umno’s court cluster against state elections game

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today hit out at the court cluster in Umno over the recent string of state elections, in what appears to be his strongest statement since his party signed the now-redundant Muafakat Nasional treaty with the Barisan Nasional (BN) component.Speaking to reporters ahead of a retreat to be attended by him and Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin this weekend, he slammed the “strategy” of causing state elections, saying it was an attempt to escape criminal charges awaiting some Umno leaders.“We know that the ones responsible for this strategy are the court cluster, those who lost the 14th general election, those who have no positions. Not everyone in Umno.”Adding that those accused of criminal offences were not yet found guilty, he said they should keep their battles in court where they belong.“If you have morals, fight it out in court, don’t burden the people,” he said.“Here, they are causing trouble for the people with elections. They want to save themselves, so they trouble the people. If they are in the right, they should not be afraid to fight their charges in court.”The court cluster refers to a group of Umno leaders including former prime minister Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who are facing multiple corruption charges.They were behind the plan last year to topple the government of Muhyiddin, who resigned after several MPs aligned with Najib revoked their support.Speaking today, Hadi also suggested that Umno had been ungrateful to PAS, which he said had stood by the BN lynchpin in the aftermath of its downfall at the 2018 general election.“We saved this duck with a broken leg,” he said. “But once its leg recovered, it wanted to swim on its own and it abandoned us. That is immoral and inappropriate.”


Rights group warns of ‘climate of fear’ over fake news ordinance

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has expressed concern over a new emergency ordinance allowing fines of up to RM100,000 for those found to be spreading fake news on Covid-19 and the state of emergency, saying it is open to abuse by the authorities and will lead to a “climate of fear”.In a statement, LFL coordinator Zaid Malek said the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No 2) Ordinance 2021 “entirely disregards the right to privacy” by allowing enforcement officers to search any electronic device that they deem necessary to complete their investigation.“When compounded by the fact that not cooperating with such a search will open the risk of a person being fined up to RM100,000 and/or imprisonment, it takes no imagination to see how this provision can easily be abused by the authorities.“It will create a climate of fear,” he said.He also voiced concern over the wording of the ordinance which he said does not define the term “emergency proclamation”.He said such vagueness would likely lead to inconsistent application of the order while likewise increasing the probability of its abuse at the hands of enforcement authorities or “other interested parties”.The ordinance, gazetted yesterday, allows for fines of up to RM100,000, jail time of up to three years or both for those found creating, publishing or spreading fake news on Covid-19 or the proclamation of emergency.According to the gazette, “fake news” includes any news, information, data and reports, which is or are wholly or partly false relating to Covid-19 or the emergency, whether in the form of features, visuals or audio recordings or in any other form capable of suggesting words.It also states that the police or authorised officer may arrest any person whom he reasonably believes has committed or is attempting to commit an offence under this ordinance.Zaid said this was not the first time an attempt had been made to legislate an anti-fake news law in the country.He said the ordinance also attempts to disregard due process by allowing derogations from the application of the Evidence Act 1950.“Considering the enormity of the fines and imprisonment stipulated, these derogations are unjustified and clearly contradict the sacrosanct principles of a fair and impartial trial and may lead to unjust convictions.”Urging the government to repeal the ordinance, he said a state of emergency “is not a licence to arbitrarily legislate laws”.“They are at all times bound by the provision of the Federal Constitution and must specifically be cognisant of Article 150 (2B) that limits the enactment of any ordinance to only when there exist circumstances that necessitates its immediate creation.“With the breadth of laws that already exist such as the Penal Code, the Communications and Multimedia Act and others that sufficiently criminalises offending speech, there is no logical or legitimate reason for the enactment of this ordinance.”


Tensions on France's streets ease, arrests overnight down

Fewer than 160 people were arrested in overnight in connection to riots that have rocked cities across France following the killing of a teenager by a police officer, the interior ministry said on Monday.
The relative calm following five nights of heavy riots offered some relief to the government of Emmanuel Macron in its fight to regain control of the situation, just months after widespread protests over an unpopular pension reform and a year out from hosting the Olympic Summer Games.
The interior ministry said 157 people were arrested overnight, down from over 700 arrests the night before and over 1,300 on Friday night.
Three of the 45,000 police officers deployed overnight were injured, the ministry said, while around 350 buildings and 300 vehicles were damaged, according to provisional figures.
The grandmother of the teenager shot dead by police during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb said on Sunday she wanted the nationwide rioting triggered by his killing to end.
Since the killing last Tuesday, rioters have torched cars, looted stores and targeted town halls and other properties - including the home of the mayor of a Paris suburb, which was attacked while his wife and children were asleep inside on Saturday.


Daily caseload at 4,860 as another 10 deaths logged

Another 4,860 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,672,999.
There were 3,836 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,588,743.
There are now 48,300 active cases, of which 46,334 or 95.9% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 23 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,883 (3.9%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 60 are in ICU with 34 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 64.3%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 16.1%.
Another 10 deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,956.


Remember how we lost, Hishammuddin warns Umno top leaders

Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has warned the Umno leadership against acting emotionally ahead of a meeting tonight to decide on a proposal to quit the Perikatan Nasional bloc.The Sembrong MP said Umno leaders should heed the lessons of the 2018 general action where it lost 54 seats to Pakatan Harapan, ejecting it from the federal government for the first time in six decades.“Furthermore, we are still at war with Covid-19. Daily cases remain high. The country is also faced with floods. The economy is going through recovery. The number of those affected keeps rising.“Umno has been given an opportunity to show the people that our leaders are attentive, and are working hard to manage the crisis while emphasising the people’s interest,” he said in a statement today.The Umno Supreme Council will meet tonight on a proposal by its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several leaders aligned with him to quit the ruling bloc, saying the party had been sidelined by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu in the government.Hishammuddin is among the 39 MPs remaining in Umno.He said several Umno ministers are already holding important posts in the war against Covid-19, such as the defence, health as well as the science and technology ministries tasked with the vaccination programme.He said he would abide by Umno’s decision if instructed to resign from his Cabinet post, but questioned what the party really wants.“If the party decides not to continue its cooperation with Bersatu, then it should decide with whom Umno will work in the 15th general election. Is it with DAP? Is it with PKR? Or to go it alone?” asked Hishammuddin.“Umno’s political cooperation should be carefully planned because the election is not tomorrow,” he said.“To those in the Supreme Council who are meeting tonight, make it clear to party members and the people what Umno really wants.”


Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes northern Philippines

An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck the Philippines' main island on Thursday, authorities said, halting some railway operations in the capital Manila.
No casualties or major damage were reported after the quake, which struck out at sea at a depth of 10km and was felt in nearby provinces, the Philippine seismology agency said.
Operations of the three elevated railway lines in Manila were stopped due to the earthquake, the transport ministry said.
"Railways and airports had suspension in operations. So far, no report of major effect of the quake and we hope it remains this way," civil defence spokesman Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro told GMA news channel.
Ceiling lights were seen shaking at a hotel in one of Manila's business districts where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr was speaking to reporters after attending an international trade forum, according to a Reuters witness.
Peter Oliver Palacio, mayor of Calatagan, a town just 5km from the epicentre, told DZMM radio the quake was dizzying and added the town's engineering department had been instructed to check for damage.
The seismology agency initially recorded a magnitude 6.2 earthquake, but later revised it to 6.3. It said it expects damage and aftershocks.


As Japanese manufacturing fades, a factory town fights to stay alive

The small factories in the western Japanese city of Higashiosaka for decades fuelled the thundering rise of the country's biggest brands - but a weak yen and rising costs have accelerated a slow decline, and are reshaping the industrial heartland.
Home to about 6,000 firms, 87% of which have fewer than 20 employees, the city is emblematic of how such forces are pushing Japan's small manufacturers toward a tipping point.
The workshops in Higashiosaka create metal components for everything from train seats to ballpoint pens, and have long relied on powerhouses such as Sharp, Panasonic, and Sanyo for orders.
Now Sanyo is gone, acquired by Panasonic. Work in general has dried up in recent years in the face of competition with South Korea and China; when Taiwan's Foxconn acquired Sharp in 2016, it moved much of the company's manufacturing out of Japan.
The amalgam of issues that Higashiosaka faces – an ageing population, offshoring, and a sagging currency - mirror the problems that have been chewing at the foundation of the world’s third-largest economy and its global exports, which hit 83.1 trillion yen (US$610.54 billion) last year.
One factory in the city, aircraft component manufacturer Aoki, is pivoting to the food industry after being hit hard by the pandemic. Another, air drill parts maker Katsui Kogyo, raised prices for the first time since it started business in 1967. Lampshade company Seiko SCM scaled back its production and is seeking to revive Higashiosaka's manufacturing industry by converting part of its headquarters to shared working space.
"It's like being the frog being slowly boiled alive," said Hiroko Kusaba, CEO of Seiko SCM. "We all believed that the big brands would always protect us, but that's just not the case anymore."
Human connection
In the past six months, the value of the Japanese yen has plummeted from about 115 yen to the dollar in early March to more than 130 yen in August. And the pain of Covid lingers: 67% of the small firms in Higashiosaka say they are still hurting from the pandemic, according to a survey conducted in April by the local chamber of commerce.
For these companies, weathering the economic storm isn't just about surviving, but preserving the industrial ecosystem.
Small- and medium-sized enterprises account for 99.7% of companies and 68.8% of employment in Japan. But these same companies represent only 52.9% of the economy, according to a 2016 government survey, the most recent data available.
The region around Higashiosaka has a history as a manufacturing hub dating back hundreds of years. The city still has industrial enclaves where tiny factories are wedged between houses, hammering, sawing and shaping metal from early morning to dusk.
That mishmash of production has given rise to human connections and a sense of community, said Hirotomi Kojima, chief executive of Katsui Kogyo, the air drill company. That provides a crucial support network, but also makes it difficult to pass along higher costs.
Kojima raised prices in October. Materials costs have soared since then, but he is hesitant to raise prices again, worried that he may lose longtime customers.
They have asked favours of Kojima, such as splitting costs or "going easy" on price increases.
"The closer I am to the customer, the harder it is to start that conversation," Kojima said.
Torn between protecting those ties or hurting his business, Kojima is seeking new clients for the first time in his 10 years as CEO.
He often visits with Hironobu Yabumoto, a close friend who manages another air drill manufacturer. Although they are in direct competition, they pass each other orders and share clients.
"We want the manufacturing industry and this culture to stay," and that is a bigger priority than being the last one standing, Yabumoto said.
Slow decline
In the past decade or so, both Kusaba and Kojima have seen at least one factory quietly close every year as ageing owners die, fall ill or shut down their heirless businesses.
The surviving companies are close knit. Kusaba, who is not from the city, said the locals - such as the baker and rice seller - anchor her to the community.
"And they come to me saying how business is down, how they had so many customers before when the manufacturing industry was thriving, and how times have changed so much," said Kusaba, who has been CEO of Seiko SCM for 12 years.
That is why she is turning her own business on its head to protect her bottom line and help manufacturers in Higashiosaka.
In June, she reduced the die-cast department of her company to three people from six and decreased the amount of machinery. In its place, she is creating a co-working office space and opening a "shared factory," where users can pay for access to machines and resources that will cut fixed costs and increase production.
"The big brands, the big manufacturers – they've forsaken us," Kusaba said. "Now, we need to communicate with the consumer directly. We only have ourselves to rely on."
Her decision means there will be more die-cast work for her competitors, but Kusaba said she would rather do that than watch the entire industry fall into ruin.
"Competition isn't the way to survival. We have to join forces instead," she said.
Non-essential
Aoki, which was labelled "non-essential" during the pandemic, is trying to avoid being dragged down by an airline industry wrecked by Covid-19. CEO Osamu Aoki has pegged his hopes on a different arena: food manufacturing.
He is designing and building a machine that processes meat. For now, it sits in the Aoki factory as workers fine tune the device.
Although he predicts the food industry will provide more stability, Aoki is expecting his electricity bills to double in August – an 8 million-yen increase that will require a 4% jump in revenue to cover.
Japan's manufacturing has traditionally been dependent on selling value-added products, in which a weak yen boosts profits. But that no longer seems true, Aoki said.
"I think it's a reckoning," said of the sagging currency. "It's now the time to re-evaluate."
Manufacturing tradition
The changes and experiments in Higashiosaka do not guarantee its survival, or that of Japan's small-business culture.
"We won't see a total wipe-out if the factories can pass through the extra costs… but the longer (high prices) drag on, the harder it will be on them," says Naohito Umezaki of the Higashiosaka Chamber of Commerce.
He added that the city's social fabric was already fraying as family-owned companies shut down for good; a top priority is finding people to take over and preserve the manufacturing tradition.
At Aoki, 22-year-old Yuto Miyoshi sought advice from the CEO about whether to succeed his father in running the family welding business in a neighbouring city.
"My father is often warning me of the hardships of running a business," Miyoshi told Aoki.
But he added that on one rare occasion his father had a bit too much to drink, and let slip what a succession plan would mean to him.
"He said: 'I would be so happy if you took over,'" Miyoshi said.


PKR stagnant after 2020 exodus, says ex-Wanita chief Zuraida

Former Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin today said PKR appeared to have become inactive since the exodus of party chiefs including herself and deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali last year, a group which she said had included many from among the top level of leadership.“The media seems to know more about what is going on (in PKR),” she said in an interview with Utusan Malaysia.“But from what I hear, there appears to be no movement, no activities or anything of the sort.”Zuraida, who joined PKR when it was founded in 1999, had left along with 10 other MPs following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government after Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned as prime minister.She said then that PKR had strayed from its values and objectives, and that she had only begun to see “the true face of PKR” after Anwar Ibrahim took over as its president in 2018.In her interview with Utusan Malaysia, she said those who left had been with the party for 20 years and were responsible for its establishment.“We left PKR after winning in the party election,” she said. “Azmin had won the post of deputy president, I won the post of vice-president, and of those who left with us, half of them were members of the Supreme Council.“The Wanita chief and deputy chief were with us and the deputy youth chief also sat with us.“This shows that the leaders who left the party no longer saw the struggle of Anwar to bring justice for the people, to defend them as we wanted to do.”Zuraida, who joined Bersatu together with Azmin after leaving PKR, said they had not formed a new party as they wanted to unite the country under the government without further splits.However, the housing and local government minister said she felt awkward in Bersatu as she no longer had a political platform after having been part of the Supreme Council in PKR.“I had been the Wanita chief, I was vocal,” she added. “I have no capacity in Bersatu but as a leader, I can do anything.“That is why I believe that even though I hold no position, I still know what I want to do.”She said she recently formed the Council of Malaysian Women Political Leaders, or Comwel, which she saw as a platform to cultivate more women leaders.“Many more can be accepted as MPs and as Cabinet members – at least 30%, that is my focus.”


More than 60% of population fully vaccinated

More than 60% of the population had been vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday, with 19,633,681 people or 60.1% having completed their vaccine regimen.Another 22,834,060 or 69.9% have received at least one shot, including of the single-dose CanSino vaccine.In terms of adult population, 83.7% are now fully vaccinated with 93.7% having received at least one dose.A total of 269,465 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, taking the cumulative number of vaccine shots given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 42,375,862.


Sorry.


Baby handed to US soldiers in chaos of Afghanistan airlift still missing

It was a split second decision. Mirza Ali Ahmadi and his wife Suraya found themselves and their five children on Aug 19 in a chaotic crowd outside the gates of the Kabul airport in Afghanistan when a US soldier, from over the tall fence, asked if they needed help.Fearing their two-month old baby Sohail would get crushed in the melee, they handed him to the soldier, thinking they would soon get to the entrance, which was only about 16 feet (5 metres) away.But at that moment, Mirza said, the Taliban – which had swiftly taken over the country as US troops withdrew – began pushing back hundreds of hopeful evacuees. It took the rest of the family more than a half hour to get to the other side of the airport fence.Once they were inside, Sohail was nowhere to be found.Mirza, who said he worked as a security guard at the US embassy for 10 years, began desperately asking every official he encountered about his baby’s whereabouts. He said a military commander told him the airport was too dangerous for a baby and that he might have been taken to a special area for children. But when they got there it was empty.“He walked with me all around the airport to search everywhere,” Mirza said in an interview through a translator. He said he never got the commander’s name, as he didn’t speak English and was relying on Afghan colleagues from the embassy to help communicate. Three days went by.“I spoke to maybe more than 20 people,” he said. “Every officer – military or civilian – I came across I was asking about my baby.”He said one of the civilian officials he spoke to told him Sohail might have been evacuated by himself. “They said ‘we don’t have resources to keep the baby here.'”Mirza, 35, Suraya, 32, and their other children, 17, 9, 6 and 3 years old, were put on an evacuation flight to Qatar and then to Germany and eventually landed in the US. The family is now at Fort Bliss in Texas with other Afghan refugees waiting to be resettled somewhere in the US. They have no relatives here.Mirza said he saw other families handing their babies over the Kabul airport fence to soldiers at the same time. One video clip of a small baby in a diaper being hoisted by her arm over razor wire went viral on social media. She was later reunited with her parents.Ever since his baby went missing dates are a blur, Mirza said. Every person he comes across – aid workers, US officials – he tells them about Sohail. “Everyone promises they will do their best, but they are just promises,” he said.An Afghan refugee support group created a “Missing Baby” sign with Sohail’s picture on it and are circulating it among their networks in the hopes that someone will recognise him.A US government official familiar with the situation said the case had been flagged for all the agencies involved, including the US bases and overseas locations. The child was last seen being handed to a US soldier during the chaos at the Kabul airport but “unfortunately no one can find the child,” the official said.A Department of Defense spokesman and a spokesman for the US Department of Homeland Security, which is overseeing resettlement efforts, referred queries on the matter to the State Department, since the separation took place overseas.A State Department spokesman said the government is working with international partners and the international community “to explore every avenue to locate the child, which includes an international amber alert that was issued through the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children.”Suraya, who also spoke through a translator, said she cries most of the time and that her other children are distraught.“All I am doing is thinking about my child,” Suraya said. “Everyone that is calling me, my mother, my father, my sister, they all comfort me and say ‘don’t worry, God is kind, your son will be found.'”


Ukrainians wake up to sounds of bombings as war hits home

Frightened Ukrainians took to subway stations on Thursday as air raid sirens rang out across the country’s main cities following Russia’s launch of its feared military attack.Ksenya Michenka looked deeply shaken as she took cover with her teenage son – their cat peeking out of a bag – in a metro station off Kyiv’s historic Maidan Square.The expansive square was the focal point off two pro-Western revolutions that Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to reverse in 2004 and 2014.But the former Soviet republic continued pulling away from Russia and building ties with the West.Putin responded on Thursday by doing what many thought unimaginable – launching an all-out air and ground assault on Ukraine.Michenka said she ran to the subway station for cover “because Russia has started a war against Ukraine.”“We need to save our lives,” she said in a tense voice. “We hope the metro can save us because it is underground.”Many in the city of three million people woke up to a series of terrifying booms echoing somewhere in the distance in the deep of night.“I woke up because of the sounds of bombing,” said 29-year-old Maria Kashkoska as she sat on the subway station’s floor.Ukrainian defence officials later said that Kyiv’s main international airport had come under a Russian bombing attack.“I packed a bag and tried to escape. We are sitting here, waiting,” she said after packing her charger and a few essentials.The booms were followed a few hours later by air raid sirens that sounded over Kyiv at the break of dawn.A police car drove down Kyiv’s main Khreshchyatyk Avenue urging everyone to remain calm and take shelter.Queues formed outside currency exchanges as well as petrol stations.AFP reporters saw people carrying suitcases to bus and train stations in an effort to get out of Kyiv and move further west.‘Remain calm’But nowhere seemed completely safe.Air raids sounded over the western city of Lviv – the new diplomatic home of US and European officials who fled Kyiv – and the sounds of exploding bombs echoed across the northern city of Kharkiv.Kharkiv rests just 35km (20 miles) south of the Russian border and once served as the capital of Ukraine when its was still part of the Soviet state.Russian-backed insurgents tried but failed to seize the city of 1.4 million people when they launched their deadly insurgency in 2014.“I once again call on the people of Kharkiv to stay at home and to remain as calm as possible,” mayor Igor Terekhov said.But the most frightening explosions and heaviest fighting was ringing out across the scattering of impoverished towns that hug Ukraine’s frontline with Russian-backed rebels in the east.An AFP team in the eastern town of Chuguiv saw a man crying over a body stretched out on the ground.Firefighters tried to extinguishes the flames of a house burning after an apparent attack.“If they continue to bomb us, I will find weapons and defend my homeland,” said 62-year-old Vladimir Levichov.


Tsunami warnings follow 3 NZ quakes, strongest 8.1

New Zealanders have been told to move away from coastal areas of the east of the North Island after three powerful earthquakes at magnitudes of over seven shook the region during the early hours of Friday.The most powerful, at 8.1 magnitude, struck near the Kermadec Islands, 1,000km north-east of New Zealand.Many residents described the shaking as “severe”. Aftershocks are still being recorded in the area.The national emergency agency warned of a tsunami threat with “unpredictable surges” expected along the east coast. It said “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges are expected and the first wave may not be the largest”.The agency tweeted: “People near the coast in the following areas must move immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible. Do not stay at home.”There were reports of chaos in some towns as hundreds of people tried to reach higher ground. The civil defence department has advised people to walk or cycle to avoid getting caught in traffic as they evacuate to higher ground.Local media reported gridlock as people tried to flee their homes, schools and workplaces. One resident was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying the traffic was “bumper to bumper” with “huge queues of people evacuating”.South Pacific islands have also been warned to prepare themselves for waves as high as 3m.Reuters reports that tsunami warnings have also been also issued for other Pacific islands including Tonga, American Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Hawaii and others.Just last week, New Zealand marked the 10th anniversary of the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that destroyed parts of Christchurch in the South Island, killing 185 people.