Don't choose those who want positions, cannot ensure Muslim political dominance, says Selangor Friday sermon

Muslims in Selangor have been urged to reject leaders who vie for positions as well as those who will not be able to ensure Muslim political power in the country, as Friday sermons at mosques throughout the state declared it a religious obligation to participate in the general election tomorrow.
"The Muslims are the majority in this country, hence upon them lies the power to delegate political power to Muslim individuals or those in society who can be trusted to defend Islam and the Muslims," said an extract of the sermon prepared by the Selangor Islamic Department, distributed to more than 400 mosques.
The sermon said Muslim voters must choose candidates who will safeguard "the sanctity and status of Islam, the rights of Muslims, and the rights of the multiracial population".
"As such, the Muslims must elevate those who are truly qualified, who will act in the interest of the public and avoid harm as demanded by fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence)."
It also reminded Muslims that the most qualified candidate is the one who is the most pious among them.
"They must be knowledgeable and well-versed in the shariah. They must be able to provide good examples to be emulated, and well-respected."
It further said that when faced with the choice of candidates who do not fulfil any of these criteria, voters should choose the "lesser of the two evils".


Trump’s ‘New Dawn’ Middle East deal signed at White House

US President Donald Trump has hailed the “dawn of a new Middle East”, as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed agreements fully normalising their relations with Israel.Trump, whose administration brokered the historic deal, spoke as the two Gulf states and Israel signed the accord at the White House in Washington DC.The Gulf states are just the third and fourth Arab countries to recognise Israel since its founding in 1948.Before the new accord, the only Arab countries to recognise Israel officially were Egypt and Jordan, who signed peace treaties in 1978 and 1994 respectively.For decades, most Arab states have boycotted Israel, insisting they would only establish ties after Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians was settled.However, Trump is now claiming that this is just the start and other Arab countries will soon follow suit.The Palestinians are urging them not to do so while their disputes remain unsolved.“After decades of division and conflict, we’re here this afternoon to change the course of history,” Trump told a crowd of hundreds gathered at the White House on Tuesday.Trump, the Emirati Foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain’s foreign minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayan signed the accords with the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.Netanyahu said, “This day is a pivot of history; it heralds a new dawn of peace.”The Abraham Accords, as they have been named, are framed by the Trump administration as a “pathway to peace” for the region and proof of Trump’s credentials as a deal maker.But Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said only an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories could bring peace to the Middle East.“Peace, security and stability will not be achieved in the region until the Israeli occupation ends,” he said in a statement after the signing of the deals, AFP news agency reports.The Israeli army said two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel while the ceremony was under way.


Australia, Singapore discussing quarantine-free travel bubble

After more than a year of travel disruption caused by the pandemic, Singapore and Australia will work towards establishing a quarantine-free air travel bubble between the two countries, their prime ministers said on Thursday.“We discussed how two-way travel between Singapore and Australia can eventually resume, in a safe and calibrated manner, when both sides are ready,” Singapore leader Lee Hsien Loong told a joint news conference with visiting Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.Both Singapore and Australia have avoided the severe coronavirus outbreaks suffered by many countries, with total cases at just over 62,000 and 30,000 respectively.Lee said infrastructure and processes for resuming travel needed to be put in place, starting with mutual recognition of health and vaccination certificates, Reuters reported.“When all preparations are ready, then we can start small with an air travel bubble to build confidence on both sides,” he said.Morrison, who stopped in Singapore on his way to Britain for the G7 Leaders’ Summit, is the first foreign leader to make an official visit to the city state since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.The leaders’ discussions also included a potential fintech bridge and exploration of a green economy agreement.Morrison said he welcomed the countries working together to put the systems in place to enable a bubble to emerge between them. However, he said: “There is still some time before we reach that milestone.”CNA reported that the two countries are also in discussions on resuming travel with priority for students and business travellers, Singapore’s foreign affairs ministry said in response to media queries.“Australia is a key partner of Singapore in the region. We are in discussions on how to cooperate in opening our economies safely, taking into consideration the Covid-19 situation in both countries,” it said.


Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Singapore warned on Wednesday that economic growth could slow to a trickle next year owing to weakness in key export markets including the US, Europe and China, as rising interest rates and the Ukraine war cause headwinds.
The city-state's economic performance is often seen as a useful barometer of the global environment because of its reliance on trade with the rest of the world.
The trade ministry said it expected growth to come in at 3.5% this year – inside its forecasts for 3-4% – but then drop sharply in 2023 to just 0.5-2.5% as weaker global demand offsets a strong recovery in air travel after the pandemic.
Officials warned that "significant uncertainties and downside risks in the global economy remain" including the war in Ukraine and central bank moves to fight decades-high inflation with multiple interest rate hikes.
"Singapore’s external demand outlook has softened further due to the weaker outlook for the eurozone economy amidst an energy crunch, as well as for China as it continues to grapple with recurring Covid-19 outbreaks and a property market downturn," the ministry said.
China is the only major economy still attempting to stamp out the domestic spread of the virus, and a fresh outbreak has seen authorities impose strict containment measures such as shutting down parts of cities and placing contacts of infected patients into strict quarantine.
A series of new rules announced by Beijing earlier this month appeared to signal a shift away from its controversial zero-Covid strategy but the latest flare-up and the first deaths in months have sparked fears of another harsh clampdown.
Singapore's trade ministry said Wednesday: "Growth rates in most major economies are expected to moderate further from 2022 levels, with sharp slowdowns projected in the US and eurozone.
"Global supply disruptions are likely to continue into 2023 as the war in Ukraine drags on, even though the extent and frequency of disruptions is expected to ease."


Health ministry offering 4,914 permanent posts this year

The health ministry is offering 4,914 permanent posts this year, comprising 4,263 posts for medical officers, 335 for dental officers and 316 for pharmacy officers.
Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said applications for the posts can be submitted from today until Jan 21 through the Public Services Commission’s job registration portal at https://spa9.spa.gov.my.
In her New Year’s message for the ministry, Zaliha said state health directors are advised to align staffing or human resources with work rotation, such as by placing officers from health clinics at hospitals to prevent burnout among the officers.
She also called on the directors to relook the need to extend the operating hours of the health clinics to tackle overcrowding at hospital emergency departments.
"This will enable patients who are categorised as non-critical cases to be treated at the clinics rather than at the emergency departments," she said, citing the Auditor-General’s Report 2019 which revealed that congestion at most hospital emergency departments with waiting periods of over six hours was mainly caused by non-critical cases.
On the allocation for the health ministry in the revised 2023 budget to be tabled on Feb 24, Zaliha said she was optimistic that it would receive a larger allocation this year than the RM32.41 billion received last year.
She said more than 30 health facility projects are expected to be handed over to the ministry and begin operations this year, including the Pendang Hospital project in Kedah and the Kemaman Hospital project in Terengganu.
"With the completion of these projects, it is hoped that better healthcare service can be provided to meet the need of the people in the areas," she said.
Zaliha also said that the ministry would resume the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination that can prevent cervical cancer for Form One students this year.
"In 2021, the HPV vaccination had to be postponed due to global supply disruptions, but the health ministry succeeded in procuring 100,000 doses of the vaccine last December," she said.
On Covid-19, Zaliha said the health ministry would explain all aspects to improve the country’s readiness to face a new wave of infections in an engagement session with the media next Tuesday.
She said the ministry was still in discussions with the home ministry, immigration department, airport operators as well as the tourism, arts and culture ministry to see which aspects can be streamlined.


Fully-vaccinated people can gather without masks, says US health agency

People who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can gather indoors unmasked with others who have been vaccinated, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in new guidance Monday.Those who are fully vaccinated can also visit with unvaccinated people from one other household indoors without masks or distancing so long as the unvaccinated people are not at high risk for severe Covid-19, added CDC director Rochelle Walensky.Fully-vaccinated people who come into contact with someone who has Covid-19 also won’t need to take a test or quarantine unless they show symptoms – unless they live in a congregate setting like a nursing home or correctional facility.The recommendations came as US states were moving to reopen schools and businesses amid a drop in cases.Some 59 million Americans have now received one or more vaccine doses – about 23% of the adult population – and the immunisation rate has been steadily rising after a shaky start.People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine like Johnson & Johnson’s.While the new guidance will come as welcome news, particularly for the elderly who are now free to visit with their healthy children and grandchildren, many restrictions have not changed.The CDC continues to recommend that fully-vaccinated people wear masks and maintain social distancing in public, or in indoor gatherings involving people from more than one household.And the new guidance does not apply to meetings with people who have underlying conditions that place them at higher risk for severe Covid.The health agency also continues to recommend against attending larger gatherings and advises against domestic or foreign travel.Scientists are now very confident that authorised Covid vaccines protect people against severe disease and death.There is also growing evidence that they stop infections – though probably not at the same rate as they stop disease – but more research is needed to get a firmer idea.


Melaka college closed for 2 weeks after 37 students test positive for Covid-19

A vocational college in Alor Gajah, Melaka, was ordered to close for two weeks until May 4 after 37 students tested positive for Covid-19.State Health and Anti-Drugs Committee chairman Rahmad Mariman said the Melaka Health Department had been notified of a positive case following symptomatic screening of a student who returned to Kolej Vokasional Datuk Seri Mohd Zain from a red zone on April 16.“Following that, immediate screening of 196 close contacts of the positive case involving college mates and teachers was conducted, with students found positive isolated and referred for further treatment,” he said in a statement yesterday.Rahmad also said that following the detection of new cases in Melaka yesterday, 430 close contacts were traced, with Covid-19 tests to be conducted on them soon.Enquiries on Covid-19 can be directed to the Melaka Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre at 06-2356999/6851 or [email protected]


Pandemic and lockdowns raise questions over future of housing for the poor

The Covid-19 pandemic which hit Malaysia early last year has raised questions about the country’s social housing sector, with many low-cost flats or People’s Housing Projects (PPR) turning into hotspots for virus transmission.Many such housing blocs were placed under enhanced movement control order (EMCO), the strictest form of lockdown, as part of efforts to curb the spread of infection.The Taman Harmoni PPR in Sandakan, Sabah, was put under EMCO in November last year, while in Kuala Lumpur, EMCO was declared in the Pantai Ria, Seri Semarak and Taman Bukit Angkasa flats in July.Barbed wire fencing and security personnel monitoring the entrance and exit points have become the hallmark of areas locked down under EMCO, while residents are largely prohibited from leaving their homes.The PPR concept was established by the government some 20 years ago as part of efforts to eradicate so-called squatter homes through the zero-squatter programme.But several weaknesses in the programme have become apparent since the arrival of Covid-19.These include the high density of residents and the cramped living space which is often unable to accommodate entire households.This is partly due to the design of PPR units which does not take into consideration the differences in household size.The lack of sufficient facilities is also a problem.For instance, while individual blocs in a PPR might house hundreds of units, only three lifts are provided.Once the pandemic hit, it was no surprise that these flats became virus hotspots.Puteri Marjan Megat Muzaffar, from the Khazanah Research Institute, said the main problem with PPRs is the lack of strict definition on what constitutes quality housing.“When there is no definition of quality housing, it is hard for us to measure the level of housing in the social sector,” she said at a forum hosted by the institute today.What is clear however is that the standard of social housing for housing projects under the government’s purview is not the same as the standard of housing in the free market.This means that PPR residents must endure low housing standards, the threats of a poor environment, and a lack of scheduled maintenance.And in the pandemic era, houses are no longer just a place of shelter.With working and studying from home now the order of the day, units measuring 600 sq feet for households of three to six people, the average PPR population, are no longer relevant.The small size of PPR units also raises the question of mental health.Such differences in standard make it difficult for PPR residents to weather the pandemic.Gregory Ho Wai Son, also from the Khazanah Research Institute, said the layout of homes is also important when taking into consideration the matter of quarantine.“In PPRs, both toilets are located side by side, whereas in homes on the free market, one toilet adjoins the master bedroom.“This makes it easier for occupants to undergo quarantine, compared to households in PPR flats,” he said.Ho added that the construction of PPRs should take into account the local culture.“Is there enough space to eat, and does it give us the appropriate level of freedom?“It’s not a question of how big it needs to be to prevent the spread of Covid, but of what we need to live well.”Puteri Marjan meanwhile called for a rethink of the approach to PPRs.“We should have a variety of gross floor areas in PPRs, for example for big households, for those who are retired, and so on.“It’s easy to improve the quality of PPRs,” she added. “Ensure that they are of the same standard as private housing.”


China hits Alibaba with record US$2.78 billion fine for market abuses

Chinese regulators hit e-commerce giant Alibaba with a record 18.2 billion yuan (US$2.78 billion) fine on Saturday over practices deemed to be an abuse of the company’s dominant market position.Alibaba, the Jack Ma-founded Chinese e-commerce leader and one of the world’s most valuable companies, said it accepted the penalty and pledged to outline plans on Monday for bringing its operations in compliance.The fine appeared to cap a government crackdown on major Chinese tech platforms, and Alibaba in particular, over allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and misuse of consumer data.The State Administration for Market Regulation said it assessed the fine after concluding an investigation into Alibaba that began in December.The probe centred on Alibaba’s practice of forbidding merchants who wish to sell their wares on its popular online marketplaces from simultaneously offering them on rival e-commerce sites.“Since 2015, Alibaba Group has abused its dominant position in the market” with the exclusivity requirement, the regulator said.The requirement harmed competition, innovation, and the interests of merchants and consumers, it added.The fine was a record and nearly three times the almost US$1 billion levied against Qualcomm in 2015, Bloomberg said.The size of the penalty was determined after the market watchdog decided to fine Alibaba 4% of its 2019 sales of 455.7 billion yuan.Shortly after the decision was announced Alibaba issued a contrite statement that used many of the government’s recent talking points on the issue, pledging to make changes to safeguard fair competition.“We accept the penalty with sincerity and will ensure our compliance with determination,” it said.The company added that it would hold a conference call with investors on Monday to share its “thoughts and plans for the long-term healthy development of our business in the future.”“We are committed to ensuring an operating environment for our merchants and partners that is more open, more equitable, more efficient and more inclusive in sharing the fruits of growth,” it said.Big Tech under scrutinyE-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com, along with messaging-and-gaming colossus Tencent, became hugely profitable on the back of growing Chinese digital lifestyles and government restrictions on major US competitors in the domestic market.But as the platforms amassed hundreds of millions of regular users, concern has risen over their influence in China, where tech-savvy consumers use them to communicate, shop, pay bills, book taxis, take out loans and perform a range of other daily tasks.Alibaba has faced special scrutiny after Ma publicly criticised Chinese regulators in October as being stuck in the past after they expressed growing concern over the push into online lending, wealth management and insurance products by Alibaba’s online-payments arm, Ant Group.The government has in recent years sought to rein in runaway personal debt and chaotic lending, and upstart Ant’s growing profile – and Ma’s rare public criticism – have been widely viewed as a challenge to vested interests in the country’s state-dominated financial sphere.The government campaign against its tech giants reflects the growing global unease with the clout wielded by Big Tech and which has Facebook, Google and others also facing scrutiny at home and abroad.Even before Saturday’s announcement, the Chinese crackdown had already cost Alibaba and Ma dearly.A planned record-shattering US$35 billion Hong Kong-Shanghai IPO by Ant Group, which would have added to Ma’s already massive wealth, was abruptly shelved.Ma subsequently disappeared from public view for weeks, and Ant Group was ordered by regulators to return to its roots as an online payment services provider. Shares of major tech players have suffered amid fears of further fines and restrictions.The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Alibaba was also being pushed to shed wide-ranging media assets, including a potential sale of Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post.


West Bank settlers win Israel parliament vote

Israel's settler movement celebrated Tuesday after parliament annulled part of a law banning them from living in areas of the occupied West Bank the government evacuated in 2005.
That year the government of Ariel Sharon oversaw a unilateral withdrawal by Israel from the Gaza Strip, and the removal of Jewish settlers from the Palestinian enclave and four settlements in the northern West Bank.
Legislation passed at the time barred Israelis from staying in those areas, but an amendment approved by lawmakers overnight Monday-Tuesday permits Israelis to return to the West Bank settlement sites near the city of Nablus.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in December at the helm of one of the most right-wing administrations in the country's history.
He vowed to expand settlements across the West Bank.
Israel distinguishes between wildcat outposts, built without its permission, and state-approved settlements which are home to an estimated 475,000 Israelis.
All settlements in occupied territory are deemed illegal under international law.
The parliamentary vote notably paves the way for Israeli authorities to formally allow settlers to return to Homesh, the only one of the four sites whose residents were forcibly removed before their homes were demolished.
Israel's ally Washington said the move was "provocative" and in violation of promises to the US.
"The US is extremely troubled that the Israeli Knesset has passed legislation rescinding important parts of the 2005 disengagement law," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
With violence surging in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the UN Security Council last month called on all parties to "refrain from provocative actions".
The council expressed its "strong opposition to all unilateral measures that impede peace – including Israeli construction and expansion of settlements, confiscation of Palestinians' land and the 'legalisation' of settlement outposts."
Israel's far-right settler lobby has made Homesh, which was home to 70 families in 2005, a symbol of their cause.
A small group of activists returned to the site in 2009 and built a yeshiva, a Jewish seminary, which was evacuated dozens of times by Israeli forces until the military ultimately allowed them to stay.
'Messianic revolution'
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a West Bank settler who has claimed "there isn't a Palestinian people", heralded the parliamentary vote as "historic".
The legislative move "advances the regularisation of our presence at Homesh," he wrote on Twitter, as further steps are needed before the government allows its citizens to return en masse to the site.
Patel, the State Department spokesman, called Smotrich's denial of the Palestinians' existence "inaccurate" and also "dangerous."
France's foreign ministry on Tuesday described the Israeli minister's remarks on the Palestinians as "irresponsible," after Arab condemnations of the minister as "racist."
Limor Son-Har Melech, an extreme-right lawmaker who lived in Homesh in 2005, described the vote as a moment of "boundless joy".
But Israeli anti-settlement movement Peace Now said the parliamentary decision would spark the construction of more West Bank outposts.
"A Messianic revolution is taking place... this government will inevitably destroy our country," Peace Now wrote on Twitter.
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which rules Gaza, described the vote as a "crime" and called on the international community to "stop the settler-colonial occupation violations".
In December 2021, an AFP photographer saw the seminary and a dormitory at the site, which was being guarded by the Israeli military.
Last year, clashes broke out between Israeli security forces and Palestinians from the village of Burqa who claim they own the land on which Homesh was built.
The Palestinian residents were protesting the return of settlers to Homesh. They also appealed to Israel's supreme court, which in January gave the government 90 days to justify why authorities have not evicted Israelis who returned to the site.


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Scottish govt proposes making drug possession legal

Scotland, which has one of the highest drug death rates in Europe, is seeking to decriminalise all drugs for personal use, according to a policy paper published Friday.
The move would "allow people found in possession of drugs to be treated and supported rather than criminalised and excluded", the devolved Scottish government in Edinburgh said in a statement accompanying the release of the paper on drug law reform.
The decriminalisation would also mean people in recovery would have a better chance of employment as they will not have a criminal record.
The proposals also include legislative changes that would allow the government to "fully and properly implement harm reduction measures" such as supervised drug consumption facilities.
"Scotland needs a caring, compassionate and human rights informed drugs policy, with public health and the reduction of harm as its underlying principles.
"We are ready to work with the UK government to put into practice this progressive policy," Scottish drugs minister Elena Whitham said.
But the UK government in London, which is in charge of the whole country's drug laws, poured cold water on the proposals.
"While I haven't seen those reports, I think I'm confident enough to say that there are no plans to alter our tough stance on drugs," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said.
The main opposition Labour party also ruled out a shift in drug policy. "The short answer is no," finance spokesman Rachel Reeves said.
"I don't think this sounds like a good policy," she added.
Scotland had 1,330 drug-related deaths in 2021, according to government figures, which was nine fewer than in 2020.
The slight drop comes following eight consecutive years of increases since 2013.
Scotland's drug misuse death rate in 2020 was 3.7 times higher than for the UK as a whole, and higher than that of any European country.


No link between woman’s death and AstraZeneca jab, Spanish authorities say

There is no causal link between the death of a 43-year-old woman and the AstraZeneca virus vaccine she was given, Spanish health authorities said on Friday.The AstraZeneca jab has been in the spotlight over a possible link to blood clots, but the European Medical agency has given it the all-clear and several EU countries resumed vaccinations with it on Friday“There exists no cause/effect relationship between the administering of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the death of this woman,” said Jess Aguirre, health official for the southern region of Andalusia.The person who died was a 43-year-old maths teacher in the southern city of Marbella with no pre-existing health conditions.She suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and had complained of headaches after having the jab, but doctors had attributed the headaches to the normal side effects associated with the vaccine, Diario Sur newspaper reported.Spain halted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in mid-March, along with several other countries but, following the EMA all-clear, announced on Thursday that it will resume administering the jabs next week.The Andalusian health authority confirmed to AFP that no “causal link” had been found between the vaccine and the woman’s death, according to the preliminary autopsy report.Her case is one of three investigations underway concerning people who suffered from thrombosis after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.Health Minister Carolina Darias told a news conference on Wednesday that she “understood the concerns”, but stressed that Spain has so far recorded just those three cases of thrombosis out of the 975,661 people who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine.Spain has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 3.2 million cases registered and over 72,900 deaths.


Kedah declares flood spots Level 1 disaster areas

The Kedah government has declared the Yan and Kuala Muda districts Level One disaster areas based on the National Security Council (NSC) Directive No. 20.Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said all government agencies and statutory bodies related to disaster operations management were now taking the necessary measures to ensure that the disaster could be dealt with effectively.“The private sector as well as voluntary bodies who want to help will be given adequate training under the coordination of the NSC,” he said in a statement here today.NSC Directive No.20 refers to more a comprehensive policy and mechanism on disaster management covering the stages before, during and after a disaster.The District Level Authority is capable of controlling such incidents through district-level agencies without or with limited assistance from outside.Sanusi said the state government would do its best and whatever was necessary to restore the lives of the people affected by the floods which are believed to have occurred due to the upstream rush of water in the area around Gunung Jerai, yesterday.


Najib withdraws bribery allegations against judge Nazlan

Najib Razak has withdrawn his allegations of bribery against former High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali who convicted and sentenced him to 12 years’ jail and a RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.
Najib, 69, made the withdrawal in his further affidavit-in reply, filed at the Federal Court on Aug 5 via Messrs Zaid Ibrahim Suflan T H Liew & Partners.
"For the record, I categorically withdraw any interpretation of what I said which may be taken to mean that justice Nazlan was investigated for possible bribery," said Najib.
At another point in the affidavit, Najib also said, "As regards to the allegations of bribery, I again state that I withdraw them."
However, Najib maintained that there was additional evidence which would show a serious conflict of interest by the judge, saying this was why he was seeking a retrial of the entire SRC International case.
Najib was responding to the prosecution’s July 21 affidavit, which said that his purported personal knowledge of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigations against Nazlan could not be true as the independent enforcement agency would not disclose confidential information relating to an ongoing investigation.
The prosecution in Najib’s SRC International case also previously claimed that the former prime minister's allegations against the trial judge Nazlan, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, was a desperate attempt to nullify the trial.
On April 21, Nazlan made a police report over an article published by a news portal with the heading "Judge Mohd Nazlan being investigated for unexplained RM1 million in his bank account", which alleged that he was investigated over money transferred into his bank account.
The judge denied the accusation, describing it as a malicious attempt to undermine his credibility as a Court of Appeal judge and to disrupt the justice system as well as the judicial institution.
In July 2020, Nazlan sentenced Najib to 12 years’ prison and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.
The case is at the final appeal stage in the Federal Court after the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of the High Court and rejected Najib's appeal.
The apex court has set 10 days from Aug 15 to hear Najib's final appeal.


Shanghai breaks more than century-old heat record in sweltering May

Shanghai saw its hottest day in May for more than 100 years on Monday with temperatures hitting 36.1 degrees Celsius, continuing a brutal trend of unusually hot weather in the country since March.
Several southern Chinese provinces are expected to swelter under extreme heat over the next few days and weather experts have already predicted another blistering summer, a repeat of last year's record-breaking more than two-month stretch.
The peak recorded by the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau on Monday beat the previous May record of 35.7 degrees Celsius set in 1876, 1903, 1915 and 2018, according to bureau statistics. Temperatures in the region typically climb even higher in June, July and August.
Earlier, many localities in Sichuan province, which is home to more than 80 million people, issued high-temperature warnings, with some areas maxing out at 42 degrees Celsius, local media reported.
In the next three to five days, the maximum temperature in some cities in Sichuan, located in China's southwest, will reach 38 degrees Celsius, and hit 42 degrees Celsius in some areas, according to state media.
The China Meteorological Administration said that in the period to Wednesday most of southern China, including Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, will see temperatures rise above 35 degrees Celsius, with some areas reaching 37 to 39 degrees Celsius.
China, known for extreme weather conditions, has also been experiencing torrential rains for weeks in some regions.
Thousands of people were evacuated in northeast Sichuan province as of Monday, a precaution due to heavy rainfall in the area, local emergency response authorities said.
Meanwhile neighboring Chongqing municipality warned of a flooding risk on Monday, expecting water levels at the Jialing river, a tributary of the Yangtze, to rise about 6 metres on Tuesday due to heavy downpours and reservoir dispatching.


We’re committed to PN, says PAS in blow to Umno hawks

PAS says it is committed to strengthening Perikatan Nasional (PN) despite its cooperation with Umno under the Muafakat Nasional pact, even as a small group of hawks within Umno led by former prime minister Najib Razak urge the Islamist party to leave the ruling coalition.PAS said it is only interested in ensuring that the country is steered correctly at a time of worldwide upheaval.“PAS does not want to get involved in political polemics that will push the country to the abyss of disunity and bring instability and threaten peace as well as the people’s economic well-being,” said PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan in a statement, a day after pro-Najib Umno leader Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s criticism of the PAS leadership.Yesterday, Tajuddin told delegates of his Pasir Salak Umno division that PAS had violated the Muafakat Nasional charter by becoming a component party of PN.“I remind PAS leaders about the importance of fulfilling a promise. They joined PN alongside Bersatu without our agreement,” he said.Muafakat Nasional is a charter of cooperation inked by Umno and PAS in September 2019, when the two parties were in the opposition.Najib meanwhile gave a similar speech at his Pekan Umno division today, urging Umno to leave PN and claiming the party had been shortchanged.He also said PAS should only work with Umno and not with Bersatu, the party co-founded by Muhyiddin in 2016 after he was sacked from the government over his vocal views on the 1MDB scandal.The remarks were dismissed by a member of PAS’ Central Working Committee, Awang Hashim, who said Tajuddin was not part of negotiations between PAS, Umno and Bersatu in seeking an electoral alliance in time for the next general election.“Anyone who is not involved in the negotiations can say whatever they like,” Pendang MP told MalaysiaNow.In its statement today, PAS said it emphasises unity, urging parties to compromise “and heed the lessons of the past in the interest of the people who need a leadership of integrity”.“PAS is committed to strengthening Muafakat Nasional and, at the same time, defending the PN government.“We strongly believe that only true unity and sincerity can bring the country towards harmony, progress and unity where people of all races, faiths and cultures accept and respect each other,” said Takiyuddin in the statement.


Israeli volunteers help Palestinians travel to hospitals

As dawn broke over the occupied West Bank, Mamoun Abu al-Rob and his son crossed into Israel, where a volunteer was waiting to take them to a hospital.
Past the Rehan crossing in the northern West Bank, where Palestinian workers were passing through a dimly lit corridor, Abu al-Rob walked towards Yael Noy's car as his six-year-old son, Adam, dozed in his arms.
Their destination was a hospital near Tel Aviv, where Adam was to receive follow-up treatment after suffering from eye cancer.
He is one of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip crossing annually into Israel for medical treatment unavailable in the impoverished Palestinian territories.
For Palestinians from the West Bank like Abu al-Rob, the Palestinian Authority pays for these treatments, but does not cover the cost of transportation to and from hospitals which can be prohibitive for many families.
Road to Recovery, the Israeli group established in 2010 that Noy now heads, takes Palestinians, mostly children, from West Bank and Gaza crossing points to hospitals inside Israel and back.
Today it boasts some 1,000 active members helping some 2,700 patients annually.
"There's no one like Yael," said 40-year-old Abu al-Rob in Hebrew, which he picked up working on Israeli construction sites. "She's always happy, it fills my heart".
'Our neighbours'
Adam, who lost an eye due to cancer, fell asleep snuggled up to his father in the back of Noy's car.
The volunteer smiled at her passengers through the rearview mirror and exchanged a few words with Abu al-Rob.
"Adam's mother, Sabah, usually accompanies him. She doesn't speak Hebrew, and I don't speak Arabic. So we speak the language of the heart," she said.
"This is an opportunity for all the volunteers to meet Palestinians," added Noy.
"We do not know them, we never meet them. We have an entire population that lives next to us, they are our neighbours."
Israel has occupied the West Bank – now home to some three million Palestinians – since the 1967 Six-Day War, when it also seized the Gaza Strip, the densely populated coastal enclave it has since withdrawn from.
Last year, Israel issued entry permits for more than 110,000 medical visits for West Bank residents, according to COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body overseeing civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories.
More than 17,000 such papers were issued during the same period to Palestinians from Gaza, where 2.3 million people live under an Israeli-led blockade since Islamist movement Hamas rose to power in 2007, which has also obstructed medical supplies.
Numerous Palestinians remain unable to access treatment in Israel, due to permit denials by Israel or Palestinian authorities refusing to pay for treatment.
'Small peace'
Noy's car sped towards the hospital, down a highway that runs alongside a barrier Israel had built to separate the country from the West Bank.
"I couldn't live here without doing something," she said. "We live in such a complex and difficult reality. This is a tiny gesture I do in order to face this reality."
Not all volunteers share Noy's objection to the Israeli occupation, she stressed, noting they include "settlers, religious people and right-wingers".
One of them, 72-year-old retired army officer Noam Ben Zvi, said "the war with the Arabs will continue".
This hasn't prevented him from transporting a girl for years from a checkpoint to a Jerusalem hospital, waiting for hours as she is treated before driving her back nearly 150km to the northern West Bank crossing point.
"I love Marie and her father. I don't want them to wait for hours at the hospital," Ben Zvi explained.
The patient transfers are coordinated on the Palestinian side by Naem Abu Yussef, 57. He lives in a village near Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, an area of frequent clashes with Israeli forces.
"When I heard what (Road to Recovery) was doing, I couldn't believe that (Israeli) Jews could do things like that," he said.
Recalling the months-long detention without charges of two of his sons, Abu Yussef added: "People here often only know Israel by the soldiers raiding homes at night, the occupation, fear, hatred and revenge."
Road to Recovery was born after Palestinians, belonging to an inter-communal group of families bereaved by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, asked for help.
For founder Yuval Roth, "the end of the conflict can only come from a political agreement. But in the current reality, every trip like this is a small peace for an hour."


Big Hollywood names behind TV series on 1MDB scandal

A television series based on 1MDB-linked bestseller “Billion Dollar Whale” is in the works, developed by “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon and the co-financier of “Crazy Rich Asians” SK Global, in association with a line-up of other big names including Michelle Yeoh.According to entertainment news site Deadline.com, Willimon is working on the series with Westward producing partner Jordan Tappis and Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, while SK Global’s John Penotti, Charlie Corwin and Marcy Ross will serve as executive producers.Former Bond girl Yeoh meanwhile will be a producer.Calling the story “a tale of financial greed and deceit, and a darkly comedic social satire”, Penotti and Corwin said it was difficult to overstate its cultural impact “in Asia and around the world”.“we’re thrilled to be able to bring this incredible story to life for a global audience,” Willimon and Tappis were quoted as saying.“Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World”, written by Wall Street Journal reporters Tom Wright and Bradley Hope, centres on Low Taek Jho, the man accused of masterminding the 1MDB scandal which has been called one of the biggest cases of fraud ever.The case is currently under investigation in a number of countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland and the US.Former prime minister Najib Razak who was implicated along with Low, popularly known as Jho Low, was slapped with multiple criminal charges in relation to the troubled state fund.In July last year, he was convicted of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving some RM42 million in funds from former 1MDB unit SRC International.He was sentenced by the Kuala Lumpur High Court to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million.The court allowed his application to stay the execution of the decision pending the disposal of his appeal.A decision is scheduled to be made by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8 although Najib has applied to postpone this to a later date in light of his trip to Singapore.


North Korea's Kim Yo Jong promises more spy satellite launches

North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, leader Kim Jong Un's sister, said her country would soon put a military spy satellite into orbit and promised Pyongyang would increase its military surveillance capabilities, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.
"It is certain that (North Korea's) military reconnaissance satellite will be correctly put on space orbit in the near future and start its mission," Kim, a powerful government official in her own right, said in an English-language statement carried by KCNA.
Her remarks came after the failure of a North Korean satellite launch on Wednesday.
It make take weeks or more to resolve the problems that caused the rocket's failure, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday, citing the South's intelligence agency.
In a rare admission of a North Korean setback, KCNA reported that the Chollima-1 rocket, carrying a military reconnaissance satellite known as "Malligyong-1", crashed into the sea after an accident.
KCNA also published on Thursday images of what it said was the new rocket lifting off from a coastal launch pad. The white-and-gray rocket had a bulbous nose, apparently for carrying a satellite or other cargo.
The photos confirmed that the rocket is a new design, said Ankit Panda of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"The launch used the new coastal launch pad they've built at Tongchang-ri, so we might see a larger space launch vehicle use the traditional gantry that has seen some work recently," he added.
US-based monitors, including 38 North and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reported that commercial satellite imagery showed significant activity at the main pad after Wednesday's launch.
Wednesday's launch was widely criticised, including by South Korea, Japan and the US.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any launch by Pyongyang using ballistic missile technology breaches Security Council resolutions, a spokesperson said.
In her statement, Kim said the criticisms of the launch were "self-contradiction" as the US and other countries have already launched "thousands of satellites."
"The US is a group of gangsters who would claim that even if the DPRK launches a satellite... it is illegal and threatening," she said, using the initials of North Korea's official name.
In a separate statement carried by KCNA, North Korea's vice foreign minister Kim Son Gyong criticised US-led military drills in the region including a multinational anti-proliferation naval drill.


Food premises offering Menu Rahmah to double in March, says minister

The number of premises offering Menu Rahmah meals is expected to double in March from over 700 food stalls and restaurants nationwide at present, says Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub.
"We expect to see a two-fold increase in the figure, including through the participation of fast food chains," he told reporters in Putrajaya today.
Menu Rahmah is a voluntary programme launched by the domestic trade and cost of living ministry through which meals are offered for RM5 and below.
Salahuddin said to date, the ministry had received no reports saying that the food offered through the initiative was of low quality or not nutritious. "From the very beginning, industry players were involved in the engagement sessions regarding the menu preparation. They were not forced but volunteered to help the people by providing quality meals," he said, adding that the number of participating customers was also increasing.
Salahuddin said the next step would be to meet with industry players in the food manufacturing sector in a bid to reduce the burden of food stall operators offering Menu Rahmah.
Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi, who was with him, said some 215 stalls at R&R areas along highways had offered Menu Rahmah meals to date, with an additional 100 stalls expected to join the initiative next month.
He said the first phase of the initiative was introduced to North-South Expressway users on Feb 23 at several R&R areas and lay-bys in the central region.
The second and third phases will be implemented next month involving the southern region of NSE and the East Coast Expressway 2, he said.


PKR woman at centre of sex assault probe breaks silence

The woman at the centre of sexual assault allegations against a senior Amanah leader has called for a “transparent” investigation, amid claims of hidden political hands behind her police report.Yuslaini Azmi, a PKR activist, said she hoped her allegations against Permatang Pasir assemblyman Faiz Fadzil would not be politicised.“I reject all dirty politics that would aggaravate the situation only because we are both in the same opposition bloc,” Yuslaini said in a statement.Faiz, who is the son of the late influential PAS leader Fadzil Noor, has denied Yuslaini’s claim that he sexually assaulted her.Yuslaini had named him in a police report lodged in Subang Jaya last week, accusing the politician of fondling her when they went out for dinner in January.She said a similar incident took place this month.“This is not just a case about me alone, but also about all the women who have experienced or are going through sexual harassment in this country.“I hold on to the principle of speaking the truth, and I am sure many out there are suffering in silence without support and have undergone trauma that is difficult to overcome,” she said.Meanwhile, Yuslaini said she hoped the police would investigate another report she had lodged about a kidnap incident involving her 10 years ago, but gave no further details.


All KTM stations to be equipped with lifts

The transport ministry is the process of installing lifts at KTM stations to facilitate and encourage the use of public transport among the elderly, pregnant women and people with disabilities.
Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry was also looking at stations which need to be upgraded or expanded to accommodate the growing number of passengers.
"If we want more people to use public transport, we need to improve the service.
"As for congestion at the stations, this only happens for a while during peak hours. There are plans for us to upgrade but this will take time and we may seek the help of the Railway Assets Corporation in this matter," he told reporters after checks at the Bukit Mertajam KTM station today.
Loke said the increased train frequency for KTM Komuter Northern Sector trips since Feb 18 saw a rise in the number of passengers using the service from 10,480 people daily to 11,224 – an increase of 7%. He said passengers in the northern sector and the surrounding areas no longer needed to wait for a long time at the stations and were able to arrive at their destinations about one hour earlier.
"The Padang Besar-Butterworth Komuter train timetable has been improved by increasing the frequency from 60 minutes to 20 minutes during the morning peak hour and from 60 minutes to 30 minutes during the evening peak hour.
"The Padang Rengas-Butterworth-Padang route will increase in frequency to 120 minutes during off-peak hours s compared to 180 minutes before," he said.
"This increases the number of trips for the Padang Besar-Butterworth-Padang Besar route from 26 to 36 trips, while the Padang Rengas-Butterworth-Padang Rengas route will increase from 12 to 16 trips a day."
Loke said the North Sector KTM Komuter service improvement had been able to help the increasing number of passengers using the train to go about their daily life.
"Based on my observation today, many who live in Kedah and Perlis work in Penang and the train is their preferred mode of transportation. With the increased frequency and number of trips, more will seek employment opportunities in Penang," he said.


Study ongoing on allowing more students to attend school without rotation, says Radzi

School attendance without rotation for other groups of students will be subject to the study and analysis of the health ministry and National Security Council (NSC), Education Minister Radzi Jidin said today.He said the education ministry had announced that schools with a Covid-19 vaccination rate of more than 90% would be allowed to operate without rotation for students sitting for public and international examinations beginning Nov 8.“In this context, we do not make a careless decision to allow any group (of students) to school until we sit and discuss with the health ministry and NSC by taking into account the current situation.“If the situation allows, then there will be other groups included without rotation. However, this is subject to a study and analysis being carried out by the ministry.“For the ministry, we do not want a rotation but the situation at this time requires it until one day we discuss with the health ministry and feel safer. Insha Allah, we will do away with rotation when the time comes,” he said at a press conference at the Parliament building.Radzi said the reopening of schools was running smoothly, and that student attendance had shown an increase in compliance with SOPs.“If we look at it as a whole, it is a very careful plan. We are reopening (schools) little by little to ensure that we can monitor the situation, so that the guidelines that have been set can be adhered to properly.“If we look until today with the latest admission of more than 1.3 million students, everything is running smoothly and safely,” he said.


Appeals court sends back Bung Moktar, wife's revision bid to High Court for hearing of merits

The Court of Appeal today remitted back the revision applications filed by Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin and his wife, Zizie Izette Abdul Samad to the High Court for the merits of the applications to be heard.
The couple filed the revision applications to challenge the Sessions Court decision ordering them to enter their defence on three corruption charges last year.
The appellate court's three-member bench comprising Justices Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Azman Abdullah and Azmi Ariffin ordered the couple's revision applications to be sent back to the High Court for it (the High Court) to consider the merits of their applications.
Justice Hadhariah, who chaired the bench, said when a revision application is filed, it is the duty of the High Court to consider the merits of the application, irrespective of whatever mode the revision application was filed.
She said in Bung Mokhtar and Zizie Izette's case, the High Court did not do so (hear the merits of the revision applications) when the court dismissed the couple's revision applications based on the grounds that they had used the wrong mode to file the revision.
Justice Hadhariah said there was no specific mode mentioned in the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 on how a revision can be done.
She said the High Court judge, on his own motion, can call up a case for revision after reading the newspaper or calling for the files or at the instance of any party or person interested at any stage of the proceeding.
"In this case, the (revision) applications were made by the counsel of the accused (Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette at the stage of prima facie case," she said.
She then fixed July 14 for case management in the High Court.
On Dec 9, last year, High Court judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid dismissed their revision applications without hearing the merits of the applications.
Azhar rejected the revision applications after accepting the prosecution's preliminary objection that the revision applications were improper before the court as they had used the wrong method to file the applications.
The Sessions Court, on Sept 2, last year, ordered Bung Mokhtar and Zizie Izette to enter their defence on the corruption charges amounting to RM2.8 million involving an RM150 million investment in Public Mutual Berhad unit trust.
This prompted them to file revision applications in the High Court. Following the High Court's dismissal of their revision applications, they filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
In today's proceedings, the court heard a preliminary objection by the prosecution to Bung Moktar and Zizie Izette's appeal, saying that the High Court's decision is not appealable.
On May 3, 2019, Bung Moktar was charged with two charges of accepting bribes of RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as an inducement to obtain Felcra approval to invest RM150 million in Public Mutual unit trusts.
He is alleged to have accepted the bribes from Public Mutual Berhad's investment agent Madhi Abdul Hamid through Zizie Izette at Public Bank Taman Melawati Branch in Putrajaya between 12.30pm and 5pm on June 12, 2015.
Bung Moktar was also charged with receiving RM337,500 in cash from Unit Amanah consultant, Norhaili Ahmad Mokhtar, under the name of Zizie Izette for the same reason and place on June 19, 2015.
Zizie Izette, meanwhile, is facing three charges of abetting her husband over the matter at the same place, date and time.
Bung Moktar was represented by lawyer M M Athimulan while lawyer K Kumaraendran acted for Zizie Izette. Deputy public prosecutor Law Chin How appeared for the prosecution.


Malaysia, Indonesia concerned over nuclear subs plan, says Saifuddin

Malaysia and Indonesia share strong reservations over Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, even though nuclear weapons were not part of the plan, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said today.Referring to Aukus, a trilateral security pact agreed last month between Australia, the US and Britain, Saifuddin said the two Southeast Asian nations were similarly concerned about its ramifications.“We agree on the latest issue in the region regarding a country near our territory that is purchasing new nuclear-powered submarines,” Saifuddin told a joint news conference after a meeting counterpart Retno Marsudi.“Even though that country doesn’t have the capacity for nuclear weapons, we are worried and concerned.”Indonesia last month said it was concerned AUKUS could lead to a regional arms race.The deal comes amid increasing tensions in the East and South China Seas, conduits for trillions of dollars of shipments amounting to about a third of global trade.The Philippines, a US defence treaty ally, has backed it, saying it offers a necessary counterbalance to an increasingly assertive China.Malaysia previously said it would seek views on the issue with China and Asean.The Indonesian and Malaysian ministers also expressed disappointment with the Myanmar junta’s lack of progress in implementing an agreed peace plan with Asean.Asean on Friday decided to exclude junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who led a Feb 1 coup, from an upcoming regional meeting, in an unprecedented snub by the bloc.Asean will continue to offer humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, said Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.The foreign ministers also said they were in discussion about starting a travel corridor between Indonesia and Malaysia, and had agreed to finalise maritime sea borders in southern Melaka and the Sulawesi Sea.


40 production companies get RM13.9 million from Finas

Some 40 production companies have received offer letters for funds totalling RM13.927 million from the National Film Development Corporation’s (Finas) Digital Content Fund (DKD) under the Creative Industry Immediate Economic Action Plan (Pelaksana).Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said DKD aims to help strengthen the creative industry affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.He said its objective is to regenerate the country’s creative industry economy through cooperation with the private sector, involving local television and broadcasting stations, and increase ownership of copyright content among local publishers for future profit generation.“I hope that all DKD recipients can produce quality creative work as well as revitalise this industry in line with our common goal of moving on to the international stage,” he said at an online ceremony of the handover the Pelaksana DKD offer letters today.Also present were Finas chairman Zakaria Abdul Hamid and its CEO Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri.Saifuddin said the communications and multimedia ministry through Finas had always supported and assisted industry players, particularly through the Pelaksana initiative, to ensure that the creative industry continues to grow despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.As such, he said every industry player should make use of the opportunity given to further develop the country’s film industry.Saifuddin also voiced hope that through the 12th Malaysia Plan to be launched next year, the government will allocate RM550 million for DKD to boost the creative industry including film, music and animation.


Protests rock Nigerian city after blasphemy killing

Hundreds of people in Nigeria’s northwestern city of Sokoto demonstrated Saturday over the arrest of two students following the murder of a Christian student accused of blasphemy, residents said.Africa’s most populous country is roughly divided between Muslims and Christians but religious tensions and deadly clashes are not uncommon, particularly in the north.Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education was on Thursday stoned to death and her body burnt by a mob of Muslim students of the college after she made a post on social media they deemed insulted Prophet Muhammad.Police said they made two arrests following the incident and that they had begun a manhunt for other suspects who appeared in footage of the gruesome murder which circulated on social media.In the early morning of Saturday, Muslim youths took to the streets of the city, lighting bonfires and demanding the release of the two detained suspects despite the earlier deployment of policemen to maintain order, residents said.Some of the protesters besieged the palace of the Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and the highest spiritual figure among Muslims in Nigeria who condemned the killing and demanded those involved face justice.“It was more of a riot by a mob of young men and women who were demanding the release of the two people arrested over the killing of the Christian student,” Sokoto resident Ibrahim Arkilla told AFP.“The crowd which made bonfires on the streets were also demanding the police stop the manhunt for those identified to have taken part in the killing,” said Arkilla who witnessed the protests.A large number of protesters besieged the palace of Abubakar chanting “Allahu Akbar” or “God is Great”, said resident Bube Ando who lives near the palace.“Some among the security men deployed to protect the palace tried to ask the protesters to leave but they became unruly,” Ando said.“Policemen and soldiers who stood outside the palace hurled teargas canisters and fired into the air and succeeded in dispersing the crowd,” he said, without giving details about whether anyone was hurt.The irate mob retreated downtown where they attempted to loot shops belonging to Christian residents but were dispersed by security patrol teams, said another resident Faruk Danhili.The protests subsided, Danhili said, but the city remained tense and most streets were deserted.Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has “strongly condemned” the murder of Deborah Samuel.“No person has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country. Violence has and never will solve any problem,” Buhari said in a statement on Friday.


Invest in high-impact areas, don’t compete with private sector, GLCs told

National Recovery Council chairman Muhyiddin Yassin today said that government-linked companies (GLCs) should not compete with the private sector, in order to encourage entrepreneurial values.The former prime minister said the role of GLCs and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) should be reevaluated as the country needs the private sector to drive economic growth.“The role of GLCs and GLICs should be reevaluate so that the existing government assets can be optimised to help strengthen the country’s infrastructure, to boost the process of economic recovery and growth.“They should invest in high-impact areas and explore new markets both locally and abroad,” he said when debating the 12th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat.GLC revenue goes to the government in the form of taxes while dividends are paid to shareholders.Well-known names include Maybank, Petronas, Telekom and CIMB.Muhyiddin said the country’s fiscal position which has seen more than RM500 billion allocated through various stimulus packages means that the government needs to strengthen the role of the private sector through public-private sector cooperation.He said the government should focus on strengthening the economic sectors which contribute significantly to gross domestic product in addition to providing a conducive ecosystem to boost economic recovery.“This is because the private sector has a surplus of financial resources while the government has a deficit,” he added.Nevertheless, Muhyiddin said the government must strengthen its financial management by improving its revenue collection system, and use existing laws to standardise the sales and services tax system.In the meantime, he said Malaysia’s future developments should include major projects that can boost the country’s production, and provide job opportunities as well as short-term income.“I support the government’s plan on the implementation of the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project to Johor Bahru and to the north, to be connected with the HSR from Bangkok to the Malaysia-Thailand border, with private funding involving a domestic financial consortium,” he said.


Sarawak’s tiny Indian community glad to celebrate Thaipusam once more

While Hindus in many parts of the country observed the festival of Thaipusam under strict Covid-19 SOPs yesterday, celebrations were especially muted in Sarawak where the Indian community comprises less than 2% of the population.Prior to Covid-19, celebrations would largely mirror those in the peninsula albeit on a smaller scale.Devotees would carry ceremonial milk pots while others pierced themselves with metal spears and hooks before walking the 3km distance from the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple to Srinivasagar Kaliamman Temple in Kuching.Since the pandemic began two years ago, though, festivities have been even more muted. While authorities gave the green light this year for the holding of ritual prayers on Thaipusam morning, many devotees said the atmosphere remained lacking.A young girl holds her grandmother’s hand as they arrive at the temple on Thaipusam morning.“The only part that makes us eager to celebrate Thaipusam is the procession,” 41-year-old Gangespare Subramaniam told MalaysiaNow.“The celebration this year is very simple as the temples are not allowed to organise chariot processions.”Nevertheless, they are glad to have the opportunity even for this as celebrations were completely prohibited last year.Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia where Thaipusam and Deepavali are not declared public holidays.There are about 4,000 Indians in the state, mostly from the Tamil community. While Sarawak is the largest state in the country, it has only five Hindu temples: three in Kuching and one each in Miri and Sibu.Devotees balance pots of milk on their head as they participate in religious activities at a temple in Kuching.Srinivasagar Kaliamman Temple president V Sahundararaju said most of Sarawak’s Indian community reside in Kuching.“There are some in Sibu, but it is very rare to find Indian people in other parts of the state,” he said.Gangespare meanwhile said it was more difficult to observe Thaipusam in Sarawak as devotees would have to plan ahead and apply for leave from work.“Children have to skip their lessons in school,” he added. “Sarawak should at least declare Deepavali a public holiday to reflect the true Sarawakian spirit.”


Our 4 votes not for Muhyiddin, says Dr M ahead of D-Day

Dr Mahathir Mohamad says his four-member bloc will not support the 2021 budget in a crucial vote by MPs tomorrow.The former prime minister called for the budget, tabled on Nov 6, to be amended or for a new budget to be tabled.Writing in his blog, Mahathir also accused the Perikatan Nasional government of trying to ensure that it remains in power.“What seems to be a priority for the government is to ensure that the budget, which does not take into account the people’s interest but its political continuity, is passed as soon as possible,” he said.If the budget fails to be passed tomorrow, he said, a new government can make amendments or table a new budget through a special parliamentary session.He said any defeat of the budget would mean that the government has lost its legitimacy, adding that the prime minister would resign if he was “someone with dignity”.Mahathir also said the unusual times of the Covid-19 crisis mean that a snap poll is not an option in the event that the government collapses.He proposed that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoint an MP who has the majority support in the Dewan Rakyat to form the government.“This will ensure that the new government has legitimacy which will not be questioned, as is the case with the current backdoor government,” he added.Muhyiddin Yassin was sworn in to power following a series of audiences granted by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to the 222 MPs, to find out who they support as prime minister.But opposition MPs have disputed Muhyiddin’s numbers and have repeatedly attempted to push a motion of no confidence in the Dewan Rakyat.The nearest such vote in the Dewan Rakyat was held over a government motion to replace the Dewan Rakyat speaker, which the ruling bloc won by a two-vote majority.In October, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim announced that he had the majority support, but failed to show details of his claim during an audience with Sultan Abdullah.The Agong subsequently reminded politicians not to indulge in “politicking”, with several other statements from the palace urging MPs to show unity during the time of the pandemic by supporting the 2021 budget.The palace had earlier refused to declare an emergency amid fears that a collapse of the government during the budget vote could lead to pandemic-season elections, which health authorities have warned against.


Forget about it, DAP says on accepting party hoppers

DAP today said it would stick to its stand against accepting party hoppers into its fold, with secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook saying this would apply to both former members and individuals from other parties.He was responding to a report that former Melaka assemblyman Norhizam Hassan Baktee was looking to become an MP in the coming election by contesting as an Umno or DAP member.“The case is very clear, he (Norhizam) hopped out (of DAP) when we were down, but now he is thinking of coming back (to us).“He lost in the (Melaka) state election last November (after hopping out of DAP) and wants a new platform to make a comeback, but he can forget about it. We have many other good candidates,” he said at a virtual press conference today.On the party’s proposal that DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang take on the role of a mentor, Loke said the offer was made in light of the latter’s seniority.“The position is not in the party structure and not in the party constitution. His role would be like an adviser… but we respect his decision not to take up the offer,” Loke said.Yesterday, the DAP veteran who is also the MP for Iskandar Puteri rejected the proposal by the party’s central executive committee but said he would always be available to offer his views on DAP’s new direction.At the press conference today, Loke also announced the party’s representatives in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council.Apart from himself, they include chairman Lim Guan Eng, deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo, and vice-chairmen Nga Kor Ming and M Kulasegaran.Others are Steven Sim Chee Keong, Dr Kelvin Yii and Chong Eng.PH is made up of DAP, PKR and Amanah.


Let businessman redeem himself, Kit Siang says on free vaccines offer to Penang

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang today urged the government to allow a businessman mired in controversy over vaccine donations to Penang a chance to deliver on his claim, just under a week after federal minister Khairy Jamaluddin dismissed the offer as a scam job.Lim, who is MP for Iskandar Puteri, said Yong Chee Kong had explained that the letter to the Penang government pledging two million doses of Sinovac vaccine was written by a staff member from his company, not Penang DAP as he had earlier claimed.Adding that the businessman had apologised for the mistake, he said Yong had assured that his “boss” was still willing to donate the vaccine doses if he could get a letter of approval from the government.“Khairy should approve the two million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Penang to give Yong a chance to redeem himself and deliver on his claim,” he said in a statement.“If Yong can do so, all the police reports against him could be dropped.”Khairy, who is in charge of the national immunisation programme, said at a press conference on May 19 that investigations had shown the company supposedly responsible for the offer, Xintai Development Enterprise Ltd, did not exist.He also said an investigation with Sinovac China revealed no proof or documents received by the company.“This donation or offer is bogus. Look at the offer, there’s not even a letterhead,” he said.“I am responsible for vaccine procurement in Malaysia, so I know where the supplies come from.”He later said that his officer had gotten in touch with a person claiming to be Yong, who said he had no proof of the donation although he had money in an account in Hong Kong.“She then told him he can either show proof of the donation or make an official donation to the government of Malaysia which we will pass to the Penang government. NOT for him to pay to any company. Which he refused,” he said in a Twitter post.Khairy also reiterated his willingness to facilitate the donation if Yong could prove his ability to procure the vaccines, or make an official contribution to the government.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin recently said the government has no objection if certain quarters want to purchase their own Covid-19 vaccines, but that they must first obtain approval from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency.“If for instance, agencies such as Petronas or others (want to purchase vaccines), we cannot stop that. (However), the condition is that they are safe after being tested and they must be licensed… the purchase cannot be done discreetly or smuggled in,” he said.


India reports injuries on both sides in border clash with China

Indian troops prevented Chinese soldiers from entering Indian territory on Dec 9 during a border scuffle, the first such clash since 2020, that led to injuries on both sides, India's defence minister said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Tawang sector of India's northeastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China's south and is also claimed by Beijing. Indian troops suffered no fatality or serious injuries, minister Rajnath Singh said.
"PLA troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo by encroaching on the Line of Actual Control, in the Yangtse area of Tawang sector," Singh said, referring to the People's Liberation Army.
"Our army faced this attempt of China with firmness. A scuffle ensued in this face-off. The Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from encroaching on our territory, and forced them to withdraw to their posts. Some soldiers from both sides were injured in the skirmish."
China's foreign ministry said that according to their knowledge, the situation on the border with India was generally stable.
India's foreign minister had told parliament last week, before the latest clash, that relations with China could not go back to normal without peace on the border.
The scuffle was the first between the two countries since deadly clashes in June 2020 when Indian and Chinese troops were involved in hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, abutting the Chinese-held Tibetan plateau.
The incident led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops.
"Due to timely intervention of Indian commanders, PLA soldiers went back to their locations," Singh told lawmakers on the latest clash, adding that the Indian commander in the area held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Sunday to discuss the issue.
"The Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and maintain peace and tranquillity along the border. The issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels."
The un-demarcated 3,800km (2,360 mile) frontier between the nuclear-armed Asian giants had stayed largely peaceful since a war in 1962, before the clashes two years ago sent relations nose-diving.
For long, troops on both sides have adhered to long-standing protocols to avoid the use of any firearms along the de facto border known as the Line of Actual Control.


Daily cases drop to 4,800

Another 4,854 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,586,601.Another 5,525 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,487,809.Meanwhile 541 are in the ICU, including 420 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 267 are in need of respiratory assistance including 175 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 4,854 cases reported today, 86 (1.8%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 4,768 (98.2%) are in Category One and Two.


Salaries in but with some cuts for Sabak Bernam contract cleaners

A week ago, 53 contract cleaners from Sabak Bernam held a peaceful protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya, demanding their salaries which they said had been withheld for four months.They left with a written statement by the education ministry promising that they would be paid by April 1.Today, NGO Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) which champions workers’ rights says all 53 cleaners have received their overdue salaries.But for some of them, the story doesn’t end there.Cleaner Kak Zahirah acknowledged that she had been paid but said her contractor had also taken a hefty cut from her salary.“They cut 11% off my salary – RM166 – and subtracted seven days that I used for leave,” she told MalaysiaNow. “That was another RM259.”That leaves her with just RM548 of her pay.JPKK said it had received similar complaints from other cleaners as well.The deduction for leave is a frustrating but familiar experience for the contract cleaners, who are not entitled to annual or medical leave.Deductions are also made for not coming to work, even though most of the time this is due to Covid-19 quarantine measures.For these cleaners, the bigger question mark is over the 11% penalty.Kak Yati, another worker, said she had been left with RM466 after the deductions and penalties – not enough to feed her family.MalaysiaNow’s attempts to contact the contractors for a response have not succeeded so far, although a spokesman in charge of all of the companies said the workers had been paid.“Their salaries have all been released,” he said in a brief reply to MalaysiaNow.While the salaries have been paid, though, the cleaners have yet to receive their Employees Provident Fund or Sosco coverage.JPKK has said that it will file complaints at the labour department but the main goal remains to have these contractors terminated and blacklisted from hiring any new cleaners.MalaysiaNow’s efforts to contact the labour department and human resources ministry about the cleaners’ protest have also been unsuccessful.The education ministry however had said that it would investigate the companies and terminate their contracts if the cleaners’ complaints were found to be true.Without government action, cleaners like Yati and Zahirah will likely continue working with irregular salaries.At the moment, their hopes are pinned on the government. Their fingers are also crossed that they will be paid monthly and given the full amount.


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Chinese leaders vow to prop up Covid-battered economy as virus spreads

President Xi Jinping and his senior officials pledged to shore up China's battered economy next year as the deaths of two veteran state journalists highlighted the worsening spread of Covid-19 in the capital Beijing.
Xi and his leaders ended their two-day Central Economic Work Conference with a call, via state media, to step up policy adjustments and strengthen coordination to support an economy that analysts estimate grew just 3% this year - its worst performance in nearly half a century.
The meeting comes days after the leadership jettisoned some of the world's toughest anti-Covid curbs and lockdowns that had been championed by Xi, but impaired the economy and sparked popular protests unprecedented in his 10-year rule.
China will strengthen overall coordination of epidemic policies, ensuring smooth "transition" during the current epidemic and social order, state media reported in its readout of the conference.
"We must insist on stability first next year while we strive for progress amid this stability," the state media readout said.
That "transition" into a "year of stability" has started with virus infection spikes in Beijing and fears growing that Covid could sweep across China's 1.4 billion population as people take advantage of eased restrictions to travel during next month's Lunar New Year.
State media reported on Friday that two veteran Chinese state media journalists have died after contracting Covid-19 in the capital Beijing - among the first reported deaths since the government abandoned its "zero-Covid" policies on Dec 7.
Yang Lianghua, 74, a former People's Daily reporter, died on Thursday, while Zhou Zhichun, 77, a former China Youth Daily editor, died a week earlier, financial magazine Caixin said, citing their families.
China's national health authority has not reported any official Covid deaths since the policy switch. The last official deaths were reported on Dec 3, in Shandong and Sichuan provinces.
Reports of the deaths came as China set out urgent plans on Friday to protect rural communities from the virus as millions of city-dwellers plan their Lunar holidays, starting on Jan 22, for the first time in years.
But the excitement that met the policy U-turn allowing them to travel has cooled amid concerns that China is unprepared for the coming wave of infections, and the blow it could deliver to the world's second-largest economy.
China reported 2,157 new symptomatic Covid-19 infections on Thursday, compared with 2,000 the previous day.
The official figures, however, do not show the whole picture as testing has dropped and are at odds with signs of a wider spread in cities where queues outside fever clinics and empty pharmacy shelves are common.
China's National Health Commission said on Friday it was ramping up vaccinations and building stocks of ventilators, essential drugs and test kits in rural areas. It also advised travellers to reduce contact with elderly relatives.
A day after the White House said the United States was ready to help if China requested it, a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Friday Canberra "stands ready" to continue Covid-19 collaboration that has so far included the supply of medical equipment and joint research work.
Mainland China's international borders remain largely shut, but recent decisions to abandon testing prior to domestic travel and disable apps that track people's journey history have freed up people to move around the country.
One of China's most populous provinces, Henan, cancelled all holidays for healthcare staff until the end of March to ensure "a smooth transition" as Covid restrictions ease, state media reported.
Multiple cities also opened new vaccination sites to encourage the public to take booster shots, the state-run Global Times newspaper reported.
"Go all out" was the message from China's state asset regulator in a statement that urged government-owned drugmakers to ensure supplies of Covid-related medicines to meet "the rapid increase" in demand.
'Everyone will get it'
Thanks to the government's previously uncompromising controls, China got off lightly compared with many other countries during the pandemic over the past three years, but now many Chinese are resigned to catching the virus.
"Everyone will get it, I guess," a 29-year-old Beijing resident who requested to be identified by her surname Du, told Reuters.
Analysts fear China will pay a price for letting the virus rip through a population that lacks "herd immunity", after long periods of enforced isolation under lockdown, and has low vaccination rates among the elderly.
That has dented prospects for near-term growth, even if the opening up should eventually revive China's battered economy.
JPMorgan on Friday cut its forecast for China's 2022 growth to 2.8%, which is well below the country's official target of 5.5% and would mark one of its worst performances in almost half a century.
China is bracing for "a transitional pain period", analysts at the bank said, adding they expected infections to spike after the Lunar New Year before the economy starts to recover in mid-2023.
China's top state planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, said "arduous efforts" are needed to sustain the recovery in growth due to an adverse external environment and the global economy's loss of momentum.
China's yuan firmed on Friday as traders remained optimistic that more measures to support the economy would emerge from the conference.


Labour market rebounds in Q1 2022

Malaysia’s labour market rebounded in the first quarter of 2022, adding 148,520 jobs compared to the same quarter of the preceding year to record 8.57 million jobs, while the quarter-on-quarter basis increased by 41,400 jobs.Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the 8.57 million jobs recorded in the economic sector as businesses continued to operate during the National Recovery Plan phases were also in tandem with further expansion in global and domestic activities, fuelled by broader vaccination coverage and a further improvement in merchandise trade.“The number of filled jobs in this quarter (Q1 2022) recorded an increase of 142,060 jobs to 8.39 million jobs against 8.25 million jobs in the first quarter of 2021,” he said in a statement today following the release of the Employment Statistics First Quarter 2022 report.The report presents the labour demand statistics, encompassing jobs, filled jobs, vacancies and jobs created indicators by skill categories and economic activities.Uzir said the manufacturing and services sectors continued to record positive growth of 3.6% compared with 2.7% in Q1 2021 and 1.9% (Q1 2021: 1.0%) respectively.Filled jobs were largely in the semi-skilled category with 5.24 million jobs or 62.5%, followed by the skilled category with 2.07 million jobs (24.7%) and low-skilled with 1.07 million jobs (12.8%), he added.On job vacancies, he said this had consistently recorded positive year-on-year growth for two consecutive quarters and posted an increase of 6,460 vacancies to 184,320 job vacancies during this quarter (Q1 2021: 177,850).Uzir said the labour market had gradually recovered consequent to the resumption of most economic and social activities, with the number of jobs created surging to 25,840 during this quarter.“This was the highest number recorded during the pandemic period and surpassed the pre-pandemic level where an average of 25,000 jobs were created,” he said.


Analysts see possible PN-PH alliance against BN, return of Najib

It is not outside the realm of possibility for Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) to team up to face Barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of the 15th general election, analysts say after consecutive defeats suffered by both coalitions at the recent state elections in Melaka and Johor.Kamarul Zaman Yusoff of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) said BN, which won 40 out of 56 state seats in Johor, would have lost the election if the votes of PN and PH were combined.He believes that BN would only have won 21 seats in its traditional stronghold which were a given for the coalition and would not have fallen even if PN’s votes were combined with those of PH and Muda to boot.If PN and PH had joined forces in Johor, he said, BN would have lost the other 19 seats.“It is possible for PN and PH to work together,” he told MalaysiaNow.At the Johor election on March 12, BN only succeeded in winning 599,753 votes – 43.11% of the total 1,426,573.This means that 826,820 or 56.89% of voters did not support BN while 1.17 million others were a no-show at the polling booth.PN won three seats with a total of 334,457 votes (24.04%) while PH won 11 seats with 284,969 votes (20.48%).If the two blocs had worked together, they would have received 45.52% of the votes, more than was won by BN.Nevertheless, Kamarul said the figures could not be used to play down BN’s victory as the coalition had won through a legitimate election.“Under the first-past-the-post system, political parties do not need an absolute victory in order to emerge the winner,” he said.“It is enough that they have surpassed the votes of other parties.”If PH was dissatisfied with its loss, he added, it had only itself to blame for not changing the system during its time in power.New coalition?Azizuddin Sani, Kamarul’s colleague at UUM, said the results of the Johor election demonstrated the need for PN to form a new coalition.“But how it goes about this would not be set in stone,” he said.“It would be up to the leaders, for example, whether it would be best to join forces with Pejuang, or if it could consider PH or Warisan – it all depends.”Alternatively, he said, PN could even choose to work with BN.“It’s up to them to decide which party would bring the most benefit to PN.”When asked if PAS, which is presently a component of PN, should consider rejoining BN under the Muafakat Nasional pact, Azizuddin said there were several factors which would complicate such a scenario.For example, he said, while the Islamist party had always wanted to link up with BN, the presence of Bersatu in PN would make this difficult.“That is the dilemma,” he said. “At the moment, PAS has decided to be with PN because it feels that this is the best choice for the party.”Azizuddin added that it would be hard for PAS to leave PN and return to BN as this would make things difficult for Bersatu.In other words, he said, PN would split, and be left with only two components: Bersatu and Gerakan.“I do not think that PAS will leave PN,” he said. “It’s just that there might be some who feel that cooperation with BN would be better than staying with PN.”Going by the results of the Melaka and Johor elections, he said, BN would appear to be more prominent.“But this is not to say that PN is powerless,” he added. “Take Johor for example – it received a lot of support there and managed to split the Malay vote.“It just wasn’t enough for them to win, and in the end they only got three seats.”PN and PH leaders also have a long history which would make working together difficult even though the narrative of their struggles follows many of the same lines – especially in terms of dealing with the court cluster from Umno and BN.PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad have been at odds since the so-called Sheraton Move which saw the latter sacked from Bersatu.Mahathir went on to form Pejuang, which contested an election for the first time in Johor last Saturday.Bersatu meanwhile saw the entrance of former PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.The move is said to have contributed to the collapse of the PH government following an internal crisis between him and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim during the party elections.Nonetheless, Azizuddin said, at the heart of the issue was the question of what compromise PN could offer BN, PH and any other party.“Everyone has their own interest and request,” he said. “If these cannot be met, there will be no cooperation.“Umno might state the dissolution of Bersatu as a condition for joining forces. Umno itself feels that it is on solid ground as it has won elections in two states now.“These requests would benefit BN far more than PN,” he added. “This is the dilemma that they need to think through in order to reach a conclusion that is the best for them.”


Russian soldier gets US$12,000 for destroying German tank in Ukraine

A Russian soldier who destroyed a German-made Leopard tank in a battle in Ukraine has been given a US$11,842 (about RM55,000) reward by a private foundation, Russia's defence ministry said on Tuesday.
It published a video showing the soldier, Andrei Kravtsov, sitting on a hospital bed and receiving a reward certificate from Alexander Karelin, a three-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling.
The ministry did not say when and where Kravtsov had destroyed the tank or what he was being treated for in hospital. In the video, he appeared to be missing his right hand.
Russia says its forces have destroyed a number of German-made Leopards and US-supplied Bradley fighting vehicles since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive earlier this month. Reuters could not independently verify the numbers involved.
The defence ministry last week said it had paid individual bonuses to more than 10,000 Russian servicemen since the start of the Ukraine war - something Moscow calls a "special military operation" - for destroying or capturing Ukrainian or Western-supplied hardware. It said the rate was 100,000 roubles for a tank and 300,000 roubles for a plane.
Handing over the certificate for the private bonus, Karelin told Kravtsov: "These are wonderful additional payments for those who cause significant damage to the enemy, on top of what the state is doing."
The bonus was paid from a fund established by a private group of entrepreneurs, an example of how some Russian businesses are seeking ways to publicly display their loyalty to the Kremlin's military campaign in Ukraine.


Spain opens borders to all vaccinated travellers

Spain opens its borders to vaccinated travellers from all over the world on Monday, hoping an influx of visitors will revitalise its all-important tourism sector which has been battered by the coronavirus pandemic.“Spain is a safe destination,” Health Minister Carolina Darias insisted, adding that the country was “in the process of reclaiming its global leadership in tourism”.Non-vaccinated Europeans – who can currently enter Spain with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours – will from Monday be able to take a cheaper antigen test instead.But in a setback, the UK, a huge tourism market for the country, has not yet removed Spain from its list of at-risk countries, meaning British travellers will have to quarantine on their return home as well as pay for expensive Covid-19 tests.The British normally make up the largest contingent of tourists to Spain – in 2019 over one-fifth of Spain’s 83.5 million arrivals were from the United Kingdom.Regardless, those in the tourism sector are still hoping for a summer surge of visitors.Jose Luis Prieto, president of Spain’s travel agents’ union (Unav) is hoping for a “spectacular recovery” starting from Monday.According to him, over the last few weeks tour operators in Britain, France and Germany – Spain’s three main markets – have been receiving a large number of enquiries.Across the country, from the Costa del Sol to the Canary Islands, hotels and restaurants are reopening after months of closure, and airlines have restarted routes dropped during the height of the pandemic.Malaga airport was expecting around 20 different flights on Monday morning alone, from places around Europe such as Berlin, Lille, Frankfurt and London.Spain will also begin allowing cruise boats into its ports again from Monday.‘Disappointing’ British decisionBritain’s decision to keep Spain on its amber list was, however, “disappointing”, the health minister said.Spain had put several measures in place to lure British tourists to its shores, such as allowing them to enter without having to present a PCR test from late May.The Spanish tourism minister said Friday that she did not understand the British government’s refusal to allow certain areas of Spain where Covid-19 cases are low, like the Canary Islands, on to its green list.Against the backdrop of uncertainty, major travel operator TUI has cancelled all its flights to Spain until June 13.London will not revisit its decision for another three weeks, precious time for those in the hospitality sector hoping to recover some of the losses of 2020, when visitor arrivals dropped by 77 percent compared to the year before.Heavily dependent on its tourism industry, Spain was one of the Western economies worst hit by the pandemic, seeing a 10.8% fall in its GDP in 2020.The Spanish government has set an objective of drawing 45 million travellers by the end of the year.But by the end of April, the country had only seen 1.8 million visitors, according to official statistics.


Iran in bizarre plot to kidnap targets in US, Canada, UK, Feds say

Four Iranian intelligence operatives schemed to kidnap a New York-based journalist and smuggle her to Iran in a bid to silence her criticism of human-rights abuses in the Islamic republic, federal authorities said on Tuesday.In a series of tweets, writer and activist Masih Alinejad acknowledged she was the target, and she did the same in an email to The New York Post, without commenting further.The US Department of Justice says it has charged the four with kidnap. The indictment did not name the target but it was Iranian-born writer Alinejad, The Hill reports.The Manhattan US attorney didn’t identify Alinejad by name but said she would have faced a fate that’s “uncertain at best” if the kidnap plan had not been foiled by the FBI.“This is not some far-fetched movie plot,” FBI assistant director William F Sweeney said. “We allege a group, backed by the Iranian government, conspired to kidnap a US-based journalist here on our soil and forcibly return her to Iran. Not on our watch.”The kidnap ring, led by Iranian intelligence official Alireza Shavaroghi Farahani, allegedly began conspiring to kidnap Alinejad inside the US as early as June 2020.The conspirators also allegedly plotted to lure a person in the UK and three others in Canada to Iran. Details have not yet been released.All of the targets had been critical of the Iranian government, says the Manhattan indictment.Prosecutors said the Iranian government had sought to lure the New York-based journalist to a third country where the abduction was planned. The plotters even offered money to the writer’s relatives in Iran to betray her, which they refused to do, the indictment contends.The plotters allegedly hired private investigators to spy on Alinejad’s New York home and family, and set up a high-definition live video feed of the property. They also researched a service offering military-style speedboats for evacuation from New York City, and maritime routes to Venezuela, an Iranian ally.Alinejad, 44, runs My Stealthy Freedom, which campaigns against mandatory wearing of the veil for Iranian women.She told the New York Times that the plot showed the Iranian authorities were “scared” of her, “Otherwise, they would not send anyone here to kidnap me.”US authorities said the kidnappers were aided by a fifth defendant, California resident Niloufar Bahadorifar, who was arrested on July 1. She is not accused herself of participating directly in the plot, but is charged with providing financial aid to the conspirators and violating sanctions against Iran. She has pleaded not guilty and been released on bail, authorities said.The justice department also said the defendants are charged with fraud, money laundering and sanctions violations.The lucky abduction target tweeted, “I am grateful to FBI for foiling the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Intelligence Ministry’s plot to kidnap me. This plot was orchestrated under Rouhani. This is the regime that kidnapped & executed Ruhollah Zam. They’ve also kidnapped and jailed Jamshid Sharmahd and many others.”All four defendants are based in Iran and remain at large, officials said.