Muslim-convert mum fails in bid for leave to appeal over restoration of kids’ conversion to Islam

A Muslim-convert mother and the Federal Territory Registrar of Muallaf are unable to proceed with their appeals to the Federal Court to reinstate her unilateral conversion of her two children to Islam.This follows a unanimous decision by a three-man Federal Court panel today, dismissing their applications for leave to pursue their appeal to the Federal Court.In civil cases, litigants must obtain leave from the Federal Court before they can proceed with their appeals.Given the Federal Court’s refusal to grant leave to the children’s mother and the Registrar of Muallaf, the decision of the High Court on Oct 16, 2018, quashing the unilateral conversion to Islam of the two children who were born in a civil marriage, stands.Court of Appeal president Rohana Yusuf who presided with Federal Court judges Mohd Zawawi Salleh and Nallini Pathmanathan held that the issue in the case concerning administrative law on whether the children’s conversion registered by the Registrar of Muallaf was in accordance with the law, was identical to the case of Indira Gandhi as decided by the Federal Court.Rohana also said the issue of the interpretation of Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution had also been settled in the decision of Indira’s case.In the Indira Gandhi case, a five-man Federal Court panel decided in January 2018 that the consent of both parents is required before a child born in a civil marriage can be converted to Islam.Indira, a Hindu mother, had challenged the conversion of her three children, done unilaterally by her Muslim-convert ex-husband.“We reiterate that it is our stand that the courts should adhere to the doctrine (stare decisis doctrine) strictly to maintain certainty in the law, and we say this is not a proper case to depart from our prior decision,” Rohana said in the court proceedings conducted online today.The stare decisis doctrine is a legal doctrine that binds courts to the legal precedent set by the previous court on similar cases.Rohana said it was not the court’s function to ascertain the competence of a person wishing to convert one religion to another, adding that it was a non-justiciable matter.“The function of the court is confined to the administrative aspect of the public function of the Registrar of Muallaf which has to be exercised in accordance with the law,” Rohana said.She said the mother and the Federal Territory Registrar of Muallaf could not be given leave to pursue their appeal as they had failed to fulfil the requirements under Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964.The father of the children, a Buddhist, filed a judicial review in the High Court to quash the conversion of his two children who were converted to Islam in May 2016 by their mother without his knowledge or consent.The children were born in a civil marriage to the couple who were then Buddhist but were converted to Islam unilaterally by their mother who converted to Islam in 2015.The identities of the family cannot be disclosed due to a High Court order issued on May 21, 2018.The children’s father succeeded in his judicial review bid to quash the unilateral conversion to Islam of his children. Their mother and the Registrar of Muallaf lost their appeals in the Court of Appeal on Oct 27 last year.On the custody of the children, the appellate court’s decision in September 2018 granting full custody of the children to the father was upheld following the mother’s failure to obtain leave to pursue her appeal in the Federal Court.In today’s proceedings, the court heard submissions from lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah representing the Registrar of Muallaf, Arham Rahimy Hariri for the mother, K Shanmuga for the father and senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan representing the education ministry director-general and the government.Sulaiman had urged the court to grant leave, saying there were 12 legal questions for the Federal Court to determine, including on issues pertaining to the welfare and best interest of the child.Shanmuga, representing the father of the children, said the proposed legal questions involved matters that had been decided in the Indira Gandhi case.Shamsul meanwhile supported the application for leave to be granted, saying the legal questions were related to the children’s rights.


PH goes to court to challenge dissolution of Melaka state assembly

Pakatan Harapan (PH) today voiced dissatisfaction with the Election Commission’s (EC) announcement on the impending polls in Melaka, saying its division there would file for a court injunction regarding the dissolution of the state legislative assembly this week.In a statement, it said a certificate of urgency had already been filed as part of efforts to expedite the matter, and that the Presidential Council fully supported the move by the state division.“PH is of the view that the dissolution of the state legislative assembly was done based on the wrong advice,” said the statement, signed by PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim, DAP’s Lim Guan Eng, Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu and Upko’s Wilfred Madius Tangau.“The Melaka governor should have followed the lead at the federal level, where the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has called an audience with the bloc believed to possess the support of the majority.”PH also maintained its stand that Sulaiman Md Ali should not have been named as caretaker chief minister since he had lost his majority support before the dissolution of the state assembly.It likewise hit out at reports that EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh had said only those who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to vote, saying this might be in violation of Article 119 of the Federal Constitution.“While PH fully supports the efforts to vaccinate everyone, this cannot be made into an excuse to discriminate against those who have yet to complete two doses,” it said.The EC has denied the claim.PH also said it was not the most appropriate time to hold a state election, given that Covid-19 infections had begun showing a downward trend and economic sectors were beginning to reopen.“There are fears of a fourth wave of cases,” it said.“We are also concerned that if an election is held, the SOPs for campaigns may give rise to a situation that is unfair or biased towards certain quarters.”


Sept 28 decision on Shafee's bid to stay LHDN suit

The Kuala Lumpur High Court will decide on Sept 28 an application by lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to stay the proceeding of a suit filed against him by the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) for failing to pay income tax arrears amounting to RM9.41 million.
Shafee applied to stay the proceeding pending the disposal of his appeal to the Special Commissioners of Income Tax of Malaysia.
Lawyer Wee Yeong Kang, representing Shafee, said judicial commissioner Roz Mawar Rozain set the date after hearing submissions by both parties during an online proceeding today.
"The decision on the application will be delivered online at 11am," he said when contacted by reporters.
However, Wee said the date for the hearing of his client’s appeal at the Special Commissioner of Income Tax Malaysia had not yet been set. Shafee, 70, filed the application on Nov 3 last year, seeking among others an order for the proceedings to be temporarily suspended pending the outcome of an application filed by former prime minister Najib Razak and his son, Mohd Nazifuddin, regarding the payment of income tax amounting to RM1.69 billion and RM37.6 million respectively, to LHDN, before the Federal Court.
Shafee said among others that he had filed a notice of appeal against the notices on additional assessment for the assessment years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, to LHDN on June 27, 2019. He also cited the existence of special circumstances warranting the stay.
On Sept 27 last year, LHDN applied for its suit against Shafee, which was filed on May 6, to be decided through summary judgment, on grounds that the defendant had failed to pay the income tax arrears amounting to RM9,414,708.32 within the stipulated time.
Shafee also faces two charges of receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities from Najib, and two charges of making false declarations to LHDN.


UK's hot labour market cools and inflation eats pay

Britain's super-hot labour market showed signs of cooling in official data published on Tuesday, as businesses became more cautious about hiring and workers suffered a record fall in their basic wages when adjusted for soaring inflation.
The unemployment rate of 3.8% in the three months to June was unchanged from last month's report, close to a half-century low despite Bank of England warnings that the economy is likely to slip into recession later this year.
The number of people in work grew by 160,000 in the April-June period compared with the quarter before, but this was a lot less than expected in a Reuters poll of economists, which had pointed to an increase of 256,000.
The number of unemployed people rose slightly, pushed up by people returning to the labour market to look for jobs.
Job vacancies in the three months to July fell for the first time since mid-2020 but stayed close to a record high at 1.274 million.
Jake Finney, an economist at accountancy firm PwC, said he expected the continued shortage of workers available to fill vacancies would keep a lid on the jobless rate.
"Though hiring efforts are slowing, we expect the unemployment rate to remain relatively stable for the rest of this year," he said. "In the face of labour shortages, UK firms are more likely to hoard than shed labour."
The BoE expects the jobless rate will only start to rise from mid-2023 before increasing to 6.3% in three years' time.
The central bank raised borrowing costs by the most since 1995 earlier this month and said it remained ready to act forcefully if that pressure became more persistent.
Britain's labour market emerged from the coronavirus pandemic with unemployment at its lowest levels since 1974 due in large part to a shortage of domestic and foreign workers.
In response, employers have increased their pay to attract and retain staff.
The ONS data showed wages excluding bonuses in the second quarter were 4.7% higher than a year earlier, picking up pace from the three months to May and potentially adding to concerns at the BoE.
But despite the acceleration in core pay, workers are increasingly feeling the hit from the surge in inflation.
Earnings adjusted for the consumer prices index fell by 4.1%, the biggest drop since records began in 2001.
"The scale of this pay pain is even deeper than official figures suggest too, as pay growth estimates are still artificially boosted by the effects of the furlough scheme last year," Nye Cominetti, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation think tank, said.
Figures due to published on Wednesday are expected to show consumer prices rose by 9.8% in the 12 months to July, according to economists polled by Reuters, and the BoE expects it to hit 13.3% in October, its highest since 1980.


Portugal coach Santos leaves job after World Cup exit

Fernando Santos has left his job as Portugal coach after his team lost to Morocco in the World Cup quarter-finals, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said on Thursday.
The Portuguese suffered a shock 1-0 defeat by Morocco in Qatar on Saturday, after Santos started the match by leaving the country's all-time record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo on the substitutes' bench.
In an emotional video message, Santos said that being Portugal's coach was a "dream come true" and a "life goal" he fulfilled.
"When you lead groups, you have to make some difficult decisions," he added. "It's normal that not everyone was happy with the choices I made but the decisions I took were always thinking about what would be best for our team."
In a statement, the FPF said both parties agreed to terminate the contract as it was the "right moment to start a new cycle".
Santos, who has been widely criticised for his tactics, became Portugal coach in 2014 and led the country in 109 matches. They won the European Championship in 2016 and UEFA's inaugural Nations League in 2018-19.
"In addition to the titles won, Fernando Santos became the coach with the most games and most victories," FPF said. "It was an honour to have a coach and a person like Fernando Santos as the head of the national team."
FPF said its board would now start the process of selecting a new manager.
Various Portuguese media outlets have reported that names such as AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho, the national under-21 coach Rui Jorge and Lille boss Paulo Fonseca were being considered as possible replacements.
Mourinho arrived earlier on Thursday in Portugal's southern region, where AS Roma will play three friendlies, but remained silent when questioned by reporters about Santos' succession.


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France says it uncovered mass Russian-linked misinformation campaign

France said on Tuesday a Russia-linked misinformation campaign had faked its foreign ministry website, targeted other government websites and usurped several French media as part of broader efforts to smear Ukraine and its Western allies.
Western nations have repeatedly accused Russian operatives of using social media and the internet to spread false or misleading information to undermine them, promote Russia or attempt to sway public opinion in their countries against backing Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.
France has in particular called out Russian activities in Africa, saying that Moscow-linked actors have tried to discredit Paris in West Africa, saturating regular media and social media.
That has prompted France to launch multi-faceted action to reverse an anti-French narrative that has damaged its influence and interests, including with a unit partly dedicated to spotting and dealing with malicious content.
"This campaign is notably based on creating fake internet pages to hack into the identity of national media and government websites, as well as by creating fake accounts on social media networks," Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in a statement - in what was the first time Paris has publicly called out Russian-linked activities on French soil.
A domain name close to the foreign ministry's name, a practice known as typosquatting, was used and detected on May 29. While the majority of the content was the same, one article was posted suggesting the French government was preparing to impose a tax to raise funds for military aid to Ukraine against Russia's invasion, French officials said.
French media websites usurped
Given the times-consuming procedures to remove such domain names, the website remained online for 15 days before it was taken down, the officials said.
They said the misinformation campaign, known as RNN, has been running for more than a year. It originally stemmed from War on Fakes, a multilingual factchecking platform used by Russia to change the narrative in Ukraine, the officials said.
The campaign managed to also usurp four mainstream French media websites, including leading national newspapers Le Figaro and Le Monde, publishing 49 fake articles linked to Ukraine's war and its impact, according to the officials.
Media in other countries had also been targeted.
The campaign had four objectives, they said: creation of websites producing content denigrating Ukrainian officials; usurping the identity of national media and European government websites by typosquatting their domain names; creation of francophone websites with disputed content related to French news; creation of bogus accounts, primarily on Facebook and Twitter, to spread content from the websites created by RNN.
Moscow has consistently denied carrying out hacking operations.
France's foreign ministry said it could not directly attribute the attacks to Russian authorities, but Colonna said Russian embassies and Russian cultural institutes were involved in the campaign by spreading information from the RNN network.
Earlier this week, Swiss authorities said several government websites had been targeted in a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that was claimed by pro-Russian hackers.
In May, US authorities said the FBI had sabotaged a suite of malicious software used by elite Russian spies.


Puncak Niaga boss eyes foray into politics

Corporate figure Rozali Ismail has expressed his intention to venture into politics by setting up a new party to represent today’s generation of settlers, especially from Felda.The Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd executive chairman said the intention cropped up after the Felda Generation Vision Alliance (GWGF) annual general meeting yesterday tabled a motion for the alliance to study the possibility of setting up an “All Malaysian Felda Family” party which would become the voice of the settlers’ community.“This motion will be tabled to the GWGF top management council next week because we have 17 associations under GWGF to discuss carefully whether it can be implemented for the benefit of the Felda community and the labour group in Malaysia,” he told reporters.He said the proposed party would be based on the labour party because the majority of Felda residents were in this group, adding that the setting up of the party was aimed at ensuring the welfare of the labourers who generally have low and moderate incomes.“I feel the problems faced by today’s generation of Felda are due to the implementation of many programmes which failed to achieve their objectives, such as the listing of Felda and the introduction of Felda as a food bank, as well as its multi-million investments abroad,” he said.Rozali said the unfair terms and conditions of the replanting agreement and unsettled labour issues that burdened the Felda community should be a starting point for GWGF to set up a new party to represent the voice of the settlers.“There are 54 parliamentary constituencies where the majority of the voters are Felda settlers.“As the GWGF president, I have been asked to contest, especially in the constituency that I helped develop, namely Felda Bukit Cerakah in Kuala Selangor which is now known as Bandar Baru Puncak Alam,” he added.


Hadi wins bid to quash suit on allegedly seditious remark

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today succeeded in his bid to strike out an originating summons filed against him by two Sabahans over an allegedly seditious remark against Christians published in the Harakah newspaper five years ago.High Court judge Akhtar Tahir, in his decision, allowed the application by Hadi to quash the suit filed by Maklin Masiau and Lawrence Jomiji Kinsil @ Maximilhian as the first and second plaintiffs, saying the suit has no locus standi and was frivolous and an abuse of court process.“When I look at the originating summons, if anybody is to be blamed for seditious tendencies, they are the plaintiffs themselves. They (plaintiffs) have resurrected the matter which occurred in 2016 and made it a new issue.“Therefore I’m allowing the defendant’s application to strike out the originating summons because it is frivolous and an abuse of the court process,” he said.The judge also ordered each of the plaintiffs to pay Hadi punitive costs of RM50,000.Akhtar said this was not public interest litigation so the plaintiffs could not hide behind the allegation that it was.“It is a frivolous case which can choke the justice system with unnecessary litigation.“(The phrase) ‘see you in court’ has now become a fashion statement. We shouldn’t allow it to bring frivolous action. For that, I’m going to impose RM50,000 costs against each of the plaintiffs to be paid to the defendant,” he said.Akhtar further added that in this case, the copy of the Harakah article was not produced before the court.“The court was led with a reproduction of the article in another publication which was fraught with danger because we don’t know what was actually said in the actual article.“This reproduction is in English, it is not clear whether the original Harakah article was in English or another language,” he said.The judge also said there was nothing in the purported remark allegedly given by the defendant that referred to the plaintiffs.“Rather, it was referring to Christian missionaries. The plaintiffs did not represent themselves as Christian missionaries in this suit,” he said.He said the plaintiffs also failed to show that the suit was filed because it involved public interest.“A suit does not automatically become a matter of public interest just because it involves a public figure. The purported remark was made four years ago, it cannot be proven why and how it can become a matter of public interest now,” he said.The plaintiffs were represented by lawyers R Kengadharan and Marcus Lee Min Lun while counsel Yusfarizal Yussoff and Adam Luqman Amdan acted for Hadi.The plaintiffs filed the suit against Hadi on Dec 9, 2020, seeking a declaration that he is unfit to hold any position in the government, including that of a position equivalent to a ministerial post, given his statement in Harakah against Christians and Christian missionaries on Jan 18, 2016.


Twitter not safer under Elon Musk, says former head of trust and safety

Twitter's former head of trust and safety Yoel Roth on Tuesday said the social media company was not safer under new owner Elon Musk, warning in his first interview since resigning this month that the company no longer had enough staff for safety work.
Roth had tweeted after Musk's takeover that by some measures, Twitter safety had improved under the billionaire's ownership.
Asked in an interview at the Knight Foundation conference on Tuesday whether he still felt that way, Roth said: "No."
Roth was a Twitter veteran who helped steer the social media platform through several watershed decisions, including the move to permanently suspend its most famous user, former US President Donald Trump, last year.
His departure further rattled advertisers, many of whom backed away from Twitter after Musk laid off half of the staff, including many involved with content moderation.
Before Musk assumed the helm at Twitter, about 2,200 people globally were focused on content moderation work, said Roth. He said he did not know the number after the acquisition because the corporate directory had been turned off.
Twitter under Musk began to stray from its adherence to written and publicly available policies toward content decisions made unilaterally by Musk, which Roth cited as a reason for his resignation.
"One of my limits was if Twitter starts being ruled by dictatorial edict rather than by policy... there's no longer a need for me in my role, doing what I do," he said.
The revamp of the Twitter Blue premium subscription, which would allow users to pay for a verified checkmark on their account, launched despite warnings and advice from the trust and safety team, Roth said.
The launch was quickly beset by spammers impersonating major public companies such as Eli Lilly, Nestle and Lockheed Martin.
Roth also said Tuesday that Twitter erred in restricting the dissemination of a New York Post article that made claims about then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son shortly before the 2020 presidential election.
But he defended Twitter's decision to permanently suspend Trump for risk of further incitement of violence after the riot at the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021.
"We saw the clearest possible example of what it looked like for things to move from online to off," Roth said. "We saw people dead in the Capitol."
Musk tweeted on Nov 19 that Trump's account would be reinstated after a slim majority voted in favor of the move in a surprise Twitter poll.


Revealed: How SC stopped Bursa Malaysia from investigating AirAsia over Airbus scandal

A probe launched by Bursa Malaysia into AirAsia in the wake of allegations that the top bosses of the budget airline were part of a massive bribery case involving Airbus came to an abrupt end following the intervention of the Securities Commission (SC), MalaysiaNow can reveal.As a result of the intervention, Bursa Malaysia, the Malaysian stock exchange, was unable to proceed with the investigation it had announced in early February 2020, into allegations that AirAsia had received US$50 million in bribes from Airbus to secure the sponsorship of a sports team in exchange for the purchase of its planes.After further investigation, MalaysiaNow can categorically confirm that some time between Feb 11 and 12, 2020, the SC had asked Bursa to stand down from its investigation and to cease all communication with AirAsia Group Bhd and AirAsia X Bhd relating to the Airbus matter.It is understood that at the time, Bursa was investigating possible breaches of Section 132 of the Companies Act, Section 317A of the Capital Market and Services Act 2007, and Chapter 10 of the Main Market Listings Requirements, in addition to other violations.It is also learnt that the SC had then told Bursa that it would be taking over the case from that point onwards.The Bursa Malaysia headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Bursa Malaysia, the country’s stock exchange, had been investigating claims that the top bosses of AirAsia were part of a huge bribery case involving Airbus.On Monday, MalaysiaNow reported that there had been no word on the outcome of the probe by the SC, more than two years after the capital market regulator announced it had begun an investigation into AirAsia.The case against AirAsia first came to public knowledge on Jan 31, 2020, based on court documents filed by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Britain’s anti-corruption authority.The SFO said Airbus had paid a bribe of US$50 million to secure plane orders from AirAsia, in what investigators believed was part of a pattern of corruption by the aircraft manufacturer spreading over about a dozen countries including Malaysia.The revelations rocked the aviation world, with authorities in several countries launching their own investigations into those responsible. In the process, at least two airline bosses in Indonesia and Sri Lanka were charged or jailed.The Securities Commission headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. There has been no word on the outcome of a probe launched by the capital market regulator into AirAsia more than two years ago.The SFO alleged that Airbus had bribed AirAsia for US$50 million in the form of sponsorships of a sports team owned by two persons it named as “Executive 1” and “Executive 2” in AirAsia.“AirAsia Executive 1 and AirAsia Executive 2 were key decision makers in AirAsia and AirAsia X, and were rewarded in respect of the order of 180 aircraft from Airbus. The payments to the sports team were intended to secure or reward improper favour by them in respect of that business,” the SFO said in court documents sighted by MalaysiaNow.AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and executive chairman Kamarudin Meranun subsequently announced that they were stepping down pending an internal probe by the company, which eventually cleared them and reinstated them in their positions.There has been no public response or explanation from the SC since MalaysiaNow highlighted its pending investigation on AirAsia.


Over 4 billion Covid vaccine jabs injected worldwide

More than four billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines have been administered around the world, eight months after the vaccination drives started, according to an AFP count Thursday.Global injections have slowed slightly: this fourth billion was reached in 30 days, while it took only 26 days to reach the previous one. The first and second billion were reached after about 140 and 40 days respectively.Forty percent of the four billion shots have been administered in China (1.6 billion). India (451 million) and the US (343 million) make up the trio of countries that have administered the most jabs.In terms of population among countries with more than one million people, the United Arab Emirates is the leader: 168 first and second doses administered per 100 inhabitants. Uruguay follows (137), then Bahrain (134).The UAE is close to having 70% of its population fully vaccinated while Uruguay and Bahrain have both reached more than 60%.After this the leading countries are Qatar, Chile and Canada (129 shots per 100 inhabitants), Israel (128), Singapore (125), the UK, Mongolia and Denmark (124) and Belgium (121).These countries have all fully vaccinated more than half their populations.Not far off this are China (111), the US (104) and the European Union (103). The US and EU have fully vaccinated nearly half their population while China does not communicate this information.Most poor countries have now started to vaccinate, mainly thanks to the Covax scheme and donations of unused doses by rich countries, but the vaccination coverage remains very unequal: high-income countries (as defined by the World Bank) administered an average of 97 doses per 100 inhabitants compared with just 1.6 doses in low-income countries.On average 52 shots have been injected per 100 inhabitants worldwide.Three countries are not yet vaccinating: Burundi, Eritrea and North Korea.


More than 7.8 million vaccine jabs given

A total of 7,824,912 doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been administered nationwide as of yesterday, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.He said the number comprised 5,610,911 first-dose recipients and 2,214,001 individuals who had received a second vaccine shot.“A total of 231,733 Covid-19 vaccine shots were administered yesterday,” he said in a post on Twitter today.He said the five states with the most fully vaccinated people were Selangor with 287,127 recipients followed by Sarawak (246,259), Johor (233,239), Perak (201,040) and Sabah (188,690).


Conspiracy theorist wanted in France over abduction deported from Malaysia

The government on Sunday deported a leading figure in conspiracy circles who is wanted in France over the kidnapping of an eight-year-old girl, sources told AFP.Remy Daillet, his pregnant partner and three children were arrested late last month in Langkawi over their residency status.The Frenchman and his family were deported from KLIA and are expected to arrive in France early Monday.The girl, identified as Mia, was taken in mid-April from her grandmother’s home in France by several men employed by their mother.Six men and the mother were indicted over the abduction following an intense five-day search that ended in Switzerland.According to some of the men, the mother’s associates were activists who believe that children in care are unfairly taken from their parents.Mia’s mother had lost custody of her daughter and was no longer allowed to see her alone or speak with her on the telephone.Investigators believe Daillet, known to police as a proponent of extremist conspiracy theories and a populist takeover of the state, may have helped organise the abduction.On Sunday, Daillet, his partner and the children were taken under tight security to KLIA and put on a flight to Singapore, a source familiar with the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.Once they arrive in Singapore, they will board an Air France flight later in the day for Paris, the source said.“All of them are in good health,” the source added.A legal source, who declined to be identified, also confirmed that the group “have been deported by immigration”.French prosecutors in April issued an international arrest warrant for Daillet, who had been living in Malaysia for several years.But he was detained over his residency status, making the process of deportation quicker.Daillet is a former regional leader of France’s centrist MoDem party before he was excluded in 2010.After the abduction, Daillet posted a video in which he said that his organisation “returns children kidnapped by the state to parents, at their request. There was absolutely no kidnapping.”In earlier videos he has supported the idea of a coup d’etat and voiced opposition to taxes, vaccines and masks.Mia was returned to her grandmother’s care.


Europe health official warns monkeypox cases could ‘accelerate’

A top European health official warned Friday that cases of the rare monkeypox virus could accelerate in the coming months, as the virus spread across Europe.WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said that “as we enter the summer season… with mass gatherings, festivals and parties, I am concerned that transmission could accelerate”.The virus, which causes distinctive pustules but is rarely fatal, has previously been seen in central and west Africa.But over recent weeks cases have been detected in European countries including Portugal and Sweden as well as the US, Canada and Australia, Kluge said, calling the spread “atypical”.“All but one of the recent cases have no relevant travel history to areas where monkeypox is endemic,” he added.The health official warned that transmission could be boosted by the fact that “the cases currently being detected are among those engaging in sexual activity”, and many do not recognise the symptoms.Most initial cases of the disease have been among men who have sex with men and sought treatment at sexual health clinics, Kluge said, adding “this suggests that transmission may have been ongoing for some time”.The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is investigating the fact that many cases reported were people identifying as gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men.The official’s statement came as France, Belgium and Germany reported their first cases of monkeypox and Italy confirmed it now had three linked cases of the disease.Belgium’s three confirmed cases of monkeypox were on Friday linked a large-scale fetish festival in the port city of Antwerp, organisers of the Darklands Festival said.French authorities said the virus had infected 29-year-old man living in the area that includes Paris.In Spain, the health ministry has reported seven confirmed cases, and has said it is awaiting confirmation on 23 more.But a regional health official said the authorities had recorded 21 confirmed cases in the Madrid region, most linked to a gay-friendly sauna in the heart of the capital.It was likely these figures had not yet been included in the nationwide tally.Portugal has recorded 23 confirmed cases.UK health officials on Friday reported 11 more confirmed cases in England, taking its total to 20.‘Increase in coming days’The UK Health Security Agency’s chief medical adviser, Susan Hopkins, said she expected “this increase to continue in the coming days and for more cases to be identified in the wider community”.She particularly urged gay and bisexual men to look out for symptoms, saying a “notable proportion” of cases in the UK and Europe came from this group.Monkeypox had not previously been described as a sexually transmitted infection, the UKHSA said.It can be transmitted through contact with skin lesions and droplets of a contaminated person, as well as shared items such as bedding and towels.UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid sought to reassure the public, tweeting: “Most cases are mild and I can confirm we have procured further doses of vaccines that are effective against monkeypox.”Symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face.The first UK case was announced on May 7, in a patient who had recently travelled to Nigeria.Two more cases were reported a week later, in people in the same household. They had no link to the first case.The UKHSA said that four further cases announced May 16 all identified as gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men and appeared to have been infected in London.It said two new cases reported on May 18 also had no history of travel to countries where the virus is endemic and “it is possible they acquired the infection through community transmission”.It did not give any details of the latest cases reported Friday.On Thursday, health authorities in Italy announced the country’s first case of monkeypox, in a young man recently returned from the Canary Islands.On Friday they said two further cases, linked to “patient zero”, had been confirmed.Monkeypox usually clears up after two to four weeks, according to WHO.


London police reopen probe into lockdown breaches at Conservative Party HQ

British police will reopen an investigation into Covid-19 lockdown breaches at a December 2020 event held in the headquarters of the governing Conservative Party following an assessment of new evidence.
However police said other referrals, made to them by the government following an examination of former prime minister Boris Johnson's diary, did not meet the criteria for further investigation.
The reopened investigation concerns a Christmas party organised by staff working on a mayoral election campaign.
No fines were issued when it was initially investigated, but a video recently aired by British media, which showed people dancing and partying at the event, has prompted officers to look again.
Police said their approach was only to retrospectively launch investigations when there was evidence of a serious and flagrant breach and other conditions were met.
The Conservative Party did not issue a fresh comment following the police announcement, and referred to a previous statement in which it said the gathering was unauthorised and that four staff had been disciplined as a result.
An additional investigation was opened into a Dec 8 2020 gathering in parliament, but police did not provide details about those in attendance.
Police also said they had assessed information provided by the Cabinet Office regarding potential breaches of the regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Johnson's then-Downing Street residence and office, and the prime ministerial country home, Chequers.
They had "concluded that they do not meet the retrospective criteria for opening an investigation", police said.


Perak MB rubbishes talk of move to topple state govt

Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad today dismissed speculation of a movement to topple the state government.
He said Perak opposition leader Razman Zakaria's statement that some assemblymen had come to see him was made to create the perception of friction and instability in the state government.
"The state government is not only strong and stable, but getting stronger, driven by the spirit of togetherness, responsibility and determination, including to succeed in every agenda outlined in the 2030 Perak Sejahtera plan," he told a press conference at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan in Ipoh.
All of the assemblymen under the Perak government, except for Kepayang assemblyman Nga Kor Ming who is currently in Japan and Keranji assemblyman Koo Haai Yen who arrived late, were present during the press conference.
Yesterday, the media reported that Razman, who is also Perak PAS commissioner, claimed that a number of assemblymen had met him, leading to rumours of a movement to topple the state government. Meanwhile, Saarani advised all parties, especially Razman, to embrace responsible politics and stop political polemics that will not benefit the state.
He also said there was a possibility that a police report would be lodged against Razman.
"It is not impossible that we will eventually make a police report because the statement is seditious," he said.


Malaysia secures RM9.3 billion investments from Japan

Malaysia has secured investments worth RM9.3 billion through the latest trade and investment mission (TIM) to Japan led by International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali.
In a statement, the international trade and industry ministry said the investments involved strategic and high potential sectors such as electrical and electronics (E&E), research and development (R&D), biomass, information technology and communications, chemical industry and food.
They include new investment projects by Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd and Euglena Co Ltd as well as investment expansion and diversification projects by Tosoh Corporation, NTT Corporation and KOA Corporation.
“These investments are expected to generate employment opportunities, skills training opportunities for local workers as well as contribute to the development of local vendors.
“Additionally, RM300 million worth of potential trade was garnered from this TIM specifically for palm oil and palm oil related products, halal and food and beverages products from Sumitomo Corporation and Adeka Corporation,” it said.
Japan is one of Malaysia’s top sources of foreign direct investment in terms of implemented manufacturing projects, with a total investment value of US$688 million (RM3.03 billion) from January to June this year.
The ministry said Azmin had had an engaging bilateral meeting with his counterpart, Nishimura Yasutoshi, the newly appointed minister of economy, trade and industry Japan where they discussed a wide spectrum of areas.
“In this vein, both ministers exchanged views on the spin-offs and strategic multiplier effects to be derived from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.
“Regarding the memorandum of understanding on aircraft industry cooperation inked between Malaysia and Japan, both sides have outlined cooperation for information exchange for the aerospace supply chain, business networking as well as forming a dedicated technical working group,” it added.
Azmin also outlined Malaysia’s sustainable development goals and expressed its commitment to working together with Japanese companies and industries to ensure a stable energy supply and renewable energy by working closely with major Japanese companies for R&D and hydrogen energy.
“In line with the National Investment Aspiration, this mission marked a greater emphasis accorded to the environmental, social and governance agenda while intensifying Malaysia’s focus towards the digital economy, E&E, pharmaceutical, chemical and aerospace sectors.
“In this regard, the minister met with the representatives of prominent Japanese companies which have expressed interest to invest or expand their businesses in Malaysia in these priority sectors as well as with potential importers,” the ministry added.
Malaysia and Japan will participate in greater engagement for cooperation for the presentation showcase at the Engine Forum Kobe 2022 on Oct 25 and 26.


German auto giant Volkswagen sets up massive parts hub in Johor

German automotive giant Volkswagen Group has set up a new regional parts distribution centre in Johor, in a move seen as a boost to the economy which took the brunt of the year-old Covid-19 pandemic.The new centre in the Port of Tanjung Pelepas occupies a 50,000 sq m facility, and can store some 65,000 genuine parts for Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda brands.The centre will serve 21 markets in the Asia-Pacific region.“Malaysia offers a central and well-connected location which perfectly suits our plans to expand our foothold in the region,” Christian Dahlheim, head of sales at Volkswagen Group, said in a joint statement with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority announcing the massive facility.The statement said the centre’s location in the free trade zone is well linked to air hubs and roads which will enable better logistics flow.Volkswagen Group’s after-sales head Roman Havlasek described the new centre as a milestone in providing improved genuine parts delivery to the carmaker’s Asia Pacific market.“The Malaysian government, through Mida, greatly supported our relocation to Malaysia. We were pleased by the ease of implementing our project here and the assistance given by the team at Mida,” he added.Meanwhile, International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said the latest facility followed the trend of automotive, life sciences, medical and electronics companies in choosing Malaysia as their international distribution hubs.“These companies seek to tap Malaysia’s strategic location as well as our efficient and reliable infrastructure such as ports, airports and financial institutions, allowing them to improve operational efficiency and optimise product and service quality and speed for their customers,” he added.The Volkswagen group sells an average of 11 million vehicles every year, and has close to 13% of the global market share for passenger cars. The group’s revenue in 2019 totalled €252.6 billion.


China sends record wave of bombers into Taiwan defence zone

China sent a record 18 nuclear-capable bombers into Taiwan's air defence zone, Taipei said Tuesday, just days after Beijing banned more Taiwanese imports in the latest sign of deteriorating ties.
Democratic Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by China, which sees the self-ruled island as part of its territory to be seized one day.
Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure since the 2016 election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects its stance that the island is part of China.
In a daily update on Tuesday morning Taiwan's defence ministry said 21 aircraft entered the island’s southwest air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the last 24 hours, including 18 nuclear-capable H-6 bombers.
That represents by far the largest daily sortie by H-6 bombers since Taipei first began releasing daily incursion data in September 2020, according to a database maintained by AFP.
The wave came after China slapped fresh import bans on Taiwanese food, beverages, alcohol and fishery products last week, prompting Premier Su Tseng-chang to accuse Beijing of violating international trade rules and "discriminating" against the island.
The H-6 is China's main long distance bomber and is able to carry nuclear payloads.
It is rare for China to send more than five H-6 bombers in one day. But sorties have increased dramatically in recent weeks.
Until recently October 2021 was the month with the largest number of H-6 flights on record at 16.
But last month China sent 21 of the bombers into Taiwan's ADIZ. And the current tally for December stands at 23.
Many nations maintain air defence identification zones (ADIZ), including the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan and China.
They are not the same as a country's airspace.
Instead, they encompass a much wider area, in which any foreign aircraft is expected to announce itself to local aviation authorities.
Taiwan's ADIZ is much larger than its airspace. It overlaps with part of China's ADIZ and even includes some of the mainland.


India vaccinates 10 million in one day

India has given more than 10 million Covid-19 jabs in a single day for the first time, authorities said Saturday, as the South Asian giant bolsters its defences for a predicted new surge.The health ministry said the 10 million landmark was passed on Friday, beating the country’s previous daily record of 9.2 million. The government has been stung by criticism after a brutal coronavirus wave in April and May killed more than 200,000 people.Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the milestone as a “momentous feat” for the nation of 1.3 billion people.“Kudos to those getting vaccinated and those making the vaccination drive a success,” he said on Twitter.The government had aimed to vaccinate about 1.1 billion adults by the end of the year but shortages, administrative confusion and hesitancy have held back numbers. Only around 15% have had two doses since the drive began in January.India’s daily infection count has dropped dramatically since the devastating surge in April-May which overwhelmed its creaking health infrastructure.Almost all restrictions on movement and activity have been lifted even though experts have warned of a new wave hitting as early as next month as the festival season starts.Daily case numbers have started rising again above 40,000 and more than 500 deaths were reported on Saturday. The 46,000 new cases reported Saturday was the highest figure in two months. Much of the spike has been blamed on a surge in the southern state of Kerala.India is currently administering three vaccines – the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, known locally as Covishield, Covaxin by Indian firm Bharat Biotech and the Russian-made Sputnik V.The country has so far recorded 437,370 deaths and more than 32 million infections, the second-highest in the world after the US. Experts say that because of under-reporting, India’s true toll could be more than four times higher.


US rejects Ukraine demand of blanket visa ban on Russians

The US on Monday rebuffed Ukraine's demand for a blanket visa ban on Russians, saying Washington would not want to close off pathways to refuge for Russia's dissidents and others who are vulnerable to human rights abuses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had first urged the visa ban in an interview earlier this month with the Washington Post, saying Russians should "live in their own world until they change their philosophy."
Zelensky then issued another call a few weeks ago for European Union states to ban visas for Russian nationals to keep the bloc from becoming a "supermarket" open to anyone with the means to enter.
A State Department spokesperson said the Biden administration has already imposed visa restrictions for Kremlin officials but it made it clear that its focus would be on identifying those involved in Russia's invasion of Ukraine and holding them accountable.
"The US wouldn’t want to close off pathways to refuge and safety for Russia’s dissidents or others who are vulnerable to human rights abuses," a State Department spokesperson said.
"We’ve also been clear that it is important to draw a line between the actions of the Russian government and its policies in Ukraine, and the people of Russia," the spokesperson added.
Some EU leaders such as Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her Estonian counterpart, Kaja Kallas, have called for an EU-wide visa ban. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opposed this on Monday, saying Russians should be able to flee their home country if they disagree with the regime.


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PH to discuss Penang DAP request to dissolve state assembly

The request by Penang DAP for a review of the decision not to dissolve the state legislative assembly to make way for the 15th general election (GE15) will be discussed at the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Presidential Council meeting today, says DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
Loke said there were several reasons for the legislative assembly to be dissolved, including the view of the Penang public who want the state election to be held simultaneously with GE15.
He said the issue had been discussed in depth last night, and that it would be brought to PH Presidential Council meeting for discussion.
"They (the people of Penang) refuse to go out to vote twice, which is a view that is widely broadcast through the media in the state... that's a factor we need to take into account," he said at a press conference after the party’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting last night.
The state DAP committee would be given until Oct 17 to submit the names of candidates to be fielded in GE15, he said, adding that the meeting had also decided that all state DAP conventions would be postponed and held after GE15 except for Pahang which will take place this Sunday. "This Sunday (Oct 16), the Pahang DAP convention will still be held and I will represent the CEC to open the convention and launch the state-level election machinery," he said.
When asked if DAP would cooperate with Pejuang in GE15, Loke said they had not received any application for cooperation.
He said DAP's focus now was on strengthening the party, and that it was still considering collaboration with the Malaysian Democratic Alliance Party (Muda) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).


Adidas launches probe into misconduct allegations against Kanye West

Adidas on Thursday said it has launched an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior by Kanye West, after the German sporting goods maker last month ended its partnership with the rapper and fashion designer.
Adidas said it initiated the probe after receiving an anonymous letter making several allegations against the musician, who now goes by Ye.
The investigation follows a report by Rolling Stone magazine that detailed alleged incidents of inappropriate behavior by Ye toward staff and prospective employees. Rolling Stone cited interviews with more than two dozen former Yeezy and Adidas staff.
According to the magazine, former members of the team sent an anonymous letter to Adidas in which they said senior leaders at the company were aware of Ye's behavior, but had turned a "blind eye" and "turned their moral compass off."
"It is currently not clear whether the accusations made in an anonymous letter are true," an Adidas spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.
"However, we take these allegations very seriously and have taken the decision to launch an independent investigation of the matter immediately to address the allegations."
Ye could not be immediately be reached for comment. News of the probe was first reported by the Financial Times on Thursday.
Union Investment, which owns a 0.76% stake in Adidas, wrote to the company asking for more information about the claims.
"Adidas needs to disclose when the management and the supervisory board was first informed about the internal allegations," Janne Werning, who heads ESG Capital Markets & Stewardship at Union Investment, said in a statement to Reuters.
Ye has courted controversy in recent months by publicly ending major corporate tie-ups and making outbursts on social media against other celebrities. His Twitter and Instagram accounts were restricted, with the social media platforms removing some of his posts that users condemned as antisemitic.


Facebook plans undersea cables to speed Southeast Asia internet to US

Facebook and Google are planning two new undersea internet cables to connect Southeast Asia to North America.The project with regional Asian telecoms companies aims primarily to supply faster internet to Singapore and Indonesia, says the BBC.This comes after Facebook withdrew three projects to connect the US to Hong Kong with similar cables, following government concerns over Chinese spying.“Named Echo and Bifrost, those will be the first two cables to go through a new diverse route crossing the Java Sea, and they will increase overall subsea capacity in the trans-Pacific by about 70%,” Kevin Salvadori, Facebook vice-president of network investments, told Reuters news agency.The cables will be the first to directly connect North America to Indonesia, Facebook added.Echo is due to be completed by 2023, in partnership with Google and Indonesian telecoms company XL Axiata. Bifrost is planned to be completed a year later.Although more than 73% of Indonesians use the internet, the majority access it through mobile data. Less than 10% use fixed-line broadband, a 2020 survey by the Indonesian Internet Providers Association found.Facebook said last year it would build 3,000km of fibre optic cable in Indonesia across 20 cities, in addition to a previous deal to develop public WiFi hot spots.The tech giant would also continue efforts on the Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN), Salvadori said.“We are working with partners and regulators to meet all of the concerns that people have, and we look forward to that cable being a valuable, productive trans-Pacific cable,” he added.The PLCN – funded by Facebook and Alphabet, Google’s parent company – was originally intended to link the US, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.These plans were withdrawn last year following US national security concerns raised by the Trump administration over Hong Kong and Taiwan, but Facebook confirmed it was still working on them.A separate proposal with Amazon to connect San Francisco with Hong Kong through undersea cables was also abandoned last year.Earlier this month, a further scheme known as the Hong Kong-Americas project was also dropped by Facebook because of “ongoing concerns from the US government about direct communication links between the US and Hong Kong”.


1,141 new cases, 320 each in Sabah, Selangor

Another 1,141 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 70,236.Of these, 320 were recorded in Selangor, 320 in Sabah and 256 in Kuala Lumpur.Johor recorded 69 cases, Penang 48, Perak 47, Kedah 24, Kelantan 20, Negeri Sembilan 15, Pahang 15, Labuan three, Putrajaya two, and Sarawak and Perlis one each.No new cases were recorded in Melaka or Terengganu.Active cases stand at 10,799 with 129 in the ICU and 53 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 1,144 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 59,061.Eight new clusters were detected while four ended.The death toll remained unchanged at 376.


Kit Siang's 'green wave' meant to scare non-Malays, says Azmin

The "green wave" term is a tactic and trap by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang to create negative perceptions towards PAS, Selangor Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Mohamed Azmin Ali said today.
He likened it to a political game aimed at painting a picture of PAS taking over on the back of an image that painted the party as extremist.
"We are aware of Lim Kit Siang's tactic and trap to scare non-Malay voters by promoting the 'green wave' as an uprising of PAS, a party that has been accused of being racial and playing racist extremist politics," he said during a press conference at the Selangor PN Election Convention in Shah Alam.
Azmin, who is also Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, said this perception created by Lim emerged after realising increased support from non-Malays for PN.
He added that the presence of non-Malays at today's convention and the recent event held at Senawang in Negeri Sembilan clearly demonstrated strong support for PN.
Combined with the growing support from the Malays since the 15th general election, Azmin said this indicates that PN has a bright opportunity in the upcoming state polls in six states.
"This proves they have confidence in PN's ability to bring about change in the upcoming state elections," he added.
Meanwhile, Azmin said that PN will introduce several new faces consisting of young professionals in Selangor.
"That's what the people want, so we will fulfil it.
"PN will also field candidates from the Indian and Chinese communities," he added.


Iran issues new death sentence as protests enter third month

Iran issued a second death sentence in three days and clashes killed at least six people as women-led protests over Mahsa Amini's death in custody entered a third month Wednesday.
Street violence raged across Iran overnight as protests sparked by the Sept 16 death of Amini intensified on the anniversary of a lethal 2019 crackdown.
Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman of Kurdish origin, died in the custody of the notorious morality police after her arrest for an alleged breach of Iran's strict dress code for women.
"We'll fight! We'll die! We'll take back Iran!" dozens of protesters could be heard chanting around a bonfire on a Tehran street overnight, in a video published by the 1500tasvir social media monitor.
In widely shared video verified by AFP, security forces appear to open fire on dozens of commuters at a Tehran metro station, causing them to scramble and fall over each other on the platform.
Organisers of the protests have called for three days of actions to commemorate hundreds killed in the "Bloody Aban" – or Bloody November – demonstrations that erupted on November 15, 2019 after a shock decision to hike fuel prices.
Bazaar shops were shuttered and students boycotted class before people hit the streets after dark, chanting anti-government slogans and braving tear gas, according to videos posted online.
But the 1500tasvir monitor said families of those killed in the 2019 crackdown "were forced to cancel the ceremonies" as a result of "the Islamic republic's threats and pressure".
'Guards killed'
The Iranian authorities have struggled to contain the protests, which have seen women remove and burn their headscarves and face off with the security forces on the street.
State media said "rioters" – a term used by officials to describe protesters – killed two members of the Revolutionary Guards and a member of its Basij paramilitary force on Tuesday.
Guards Colonel Reza Almasi was shot dead in Bukan, a city in Amini's home province of Kurdistan, and another Guards member, Reza Azabar, was gunned down in Kamyaran, a Kurish majority city in West Azerbaijan province, the official Irna news agency reported.
The Basij member died after being hit by a Molotov cocktail in the southern city of Shiraz, it added.
Three protesters have been killed, two in Sanandaj and one in Kamyaran by direct fire from government forces, Oslo-based rights group Hengaw said.
The unrest was fanned by fury over the dress rules for women, but has grown into a broad movement against the theocracy that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
It has shown no sign of abating despite the authorities' use of lethal force and a campaign of mass arrests that has snared activists, journalists and lawyers.
Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said on Saturday that security forces had killed at least 326 people, including 43 children and 25 women, in the crackdown on the Amini protests.
IHR said at least 15,000 people have been arrested – a figure the Iranian authorities deny.
Fear of mass executions
The judiciary said a revolutionary court on Tuesday handed down the second death sentence over the "riots" that have rocked the country since Amini's death.
The unnamed defendant was accused of "terrorising people in the street using a bladed weapon, setting fire to the motorcycle of a citizen, and attacking a person with a knife", its Mizan Online website reported.
It came three days after a court issued the first death sentence in connection with the protest movement that has shaken the Islamic republic's clerical leadership.
Five others have been sentenced to prison terms of between five and 10 years for "gathering and conspiring to commit crimes against national security and disturbing public order", Mizan said.
IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said the second death sentence was expected and that more are likely to be announced "one by one to minimise the reactions".
"We strongly condemn the death sentences issued by the Islamic republic judiciary, which is part of the oppressive regime and not an independent judicial system," he told AFP.
"Protesters don't have access to lawyers in the interrogation phase, they are subjected to physical and mental torture to give false confessions and sentenced based on the confessions by the revolutionary courts.
"The international community must send a strong warning to the Islamic republic that execution of protesters will have severe consequences," said Amiry-Moghaddam.
"We fear mass executions, unless the political cost of executions increases significantly," he told AFP.


Woman abandoned by Indonesian mother receives Malaysian citizenship

Rohana Abdullah, the 22-year-old woman who was left by her Indonesian birth mother to be cared for by a Malaysian Chinese woman, shed tears of joy today while accepting the letter granting her Malaysian citizenship from Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin.After receiving the letter, she returned to her seat and gave her adoptive mother Chee Hoi Lan, 83, a tight embrace before both mother and daughter left the ceremony.According to Hamzah, while on stage to receive the letter, Rohana said she was touched by the gesture.“On stage, she (Rohana) cried as she said she had been waiting for a long time for the decision regarding her citizenship application.“She expressed her thanks to the government and I informed her that we grant citizenship to eligible individuals,” Hamzah said about Rohana’s reaction after receiving the letter.Rohana was one of 34 recipients aged five to 24 who received Malaysian citizenship at the ceremony held at the home ministry.Article 15A of the Federal Constitution provides a special power for the federal government to register a person under the age of 21 as a citizen.Rohana’s citizenship issue attracted the attention of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who had contacted her to assist with her documentation.Rohana was reportedly abandoned when she was two months old by her biological mother, an Indonesian citizen. She was then cared for by Chee, who was a teacher at a kindergarten where her mother had worked as a cleaner.


‘Let’s Tea and end dictatorship!’ – Twitter launches ‘Milk Tea Alliance’ emoji

Twitter on Thursday launched a dedicated emoji for the Milk Tea Alliance, the global online pro-democracy movement that has united anti-Beijing campaigners.In the movement, young people are clashing with increasingly authoritarian regimes and taking their struggles online around the unifying and popular regional drink.Activists welcomed the announcement of the emoji – a white cup set against a background of three colours representing different shades of milk tea in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan – for the first anniversary of the movement, reports Reuters.The campaign gained steam at a time when Hong Kong was emerging from months of pro-democracy protests and urban youth in Bangkok and other Thai cities were beginning their own street confrontations with authorities, demanding reform to the country’s military-drafted constitution.The movement spread to Myanmar, where tea with condensed milk is a staple breakfast drink, after the February coup sparked a mass uprising.Served iced, sweet or with tapioca balls, the beverage has become a symbol for a virtual solidarity movement, said Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Nathan Law.“One of the characteristics of the Milk Tea Alliance is that we are kind of glued by common values – the values of pursuing democracy, the values of pursuing freedom,” Law said.He tweeted late on Wednesday that he has just been granted political asylum in Britain, where he arrived last July.He said, “The fact that I am wanted under the national security law shows that I am exposed to severe political persecution and am unlikely to return to Hong Kong without risk.”Although the Milk Tea Alliance is not a “concrete network”, the online campaign has become an amplifier of support, Law added, diminishing the distance between people championing democracy across borders.The network was born out of a Twitter war that flared after Chinese nationalists accused a young Thai actor and his girlfriend of supporting democracy in Hong Kong and Taiwanese independence.Use of the hashtag peaked again in February after the military coup in Myanmar, where protesters using the hashtag rallied regional support.“We have seen more than 11 million Tweets featuring the #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag over the past year,” Twitter said in an announcement that pushed the hashtag to among the top trending in Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan on Thursday.The Twitter emoji showed global recognition and lent greater credibility to the youth movement, said prominent Thai activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, one of the alliance’s leading voices.“It’s important as it shows the young people fighting for democracy that the world is with them and they’re making an impact,” Netiwit told Reuters. “It’s a sign that online activism can go much further.”Previously, Twitter launched emojis for #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements.Twitter is blocked in China and its apparent endorsement of a movement with a strong current of opposition to Beijing is unlikely to hurt its business, said James Buchanan, a lecturer at Bangkok’s Mahidol University International College.He said, “Twitter has plenty to gain by appealing to young people in the Asian markets that are open to them.”


Measuring corruption through evidence vs perception

There has been some misunderstanding over what is an evidence-based index versus a perception-based index. The UNODC develops methodologies that measure social phenomenon such as corruption using evidence or experience-based surveys and help countries, including Malaysia, to develop their own evidence-based surveys for the purpose of understanding the phenomenon in the country and formulating effective intervention plan and action.
Whenever we measure social phenomenon such as corruption, we have to be aware that there is no neutral system or approach. We have to be aware of the objective of the measurement. Is it to raise awareness? Is it to advocate for something? If the objective is just to raise awareness and draw attention, it is fine to design a survey that is not so vigorous.
But if the objective is to really understand the deeper issue in society and to find ways to activate and develop policies and measures, then it is necessary to find the appropriate way to measure corruption.
What we are developing in UNODC is to understand what is the real problem, for example, what is the type of corruption or bribery that is affecting the population, the public sector or the business sector. The objective of the choice of measurement method then is to intervene, to act and be proactive on this issue.
Limitations of perception-based indicators
If we want to know what is the real situation in a country or sector, we need to have a reliable instrument. For example, these days it is very hot in Europe, but if we ask an older person or a younger person what the temperature is, we may get very different answers.
The older person will probably suffer more than the young person in the same weather. It is important to know what is the perception of an older person or a younger person with regards to the temperature, so we can make a decision to do something for the older person.
However, this is different from knowing what is the real temperature in a given city, a country or time. Similarly in corruption, if you ask the questions only to a certain group of people, for example, a certain population, or only to businesses, or so-called experts, what their perception of corruption is, you will get different answers.
There is a lot of research and literature on this. It is a fact that perceptions are influenced by different factors, for example, social expectations, public debates and the media. While it is interesting to know the perceptions, it is different to measure the real extent and scope of corruption in the country.
Experience and evidence-based indicators
When measuring corruption through experience or evidence-based indicators, first of all, it is necessary to develop a matrix that is based on solid methodologies. This is especially so when we measure social phenomenon, which admittedly is very difficult to measure. This is simply because it is a hidden phenomenon and those who commit corruption usually do not have incentives to divulge or report to the authorities.
However, it is possible by using certain methodologies, we can develop measures that are accurate and results that can be compared across countries. We can also obtain results that can be compared across time and understand when there is an increase or decrease in corruption. We can understand which sectors are more affected by bribery, if those affected are men or women, as bribe payers or takers, and if they are officials, and what are their different behaviours when they are involved in corruption. There are many things we can derive from the data and many more things we can understand. These are consolidated and transparent methods, and everybody can replicate the methodology. Therefore, these methods become a common good.
In contrast with perception-based indexes, evidence-based surveys and indicators are not produced by a certain group of individuals or organisations through methods that are highly subjective and very often are not as transparent, where only a number or ranking is released. The information on how they are developed is often not known or cannnot be replicated.
Therefore, it is important to produce high quality, transparent matrix that is based on large scale surveys on populations, or the business sector or the public sector. This is why we at UNODC supports and promotes experience and evidence-based methods to measure corruption based on transparent and direct methods.
Enrico Bisogno is chief of the Data and Statistics Section of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


1,208 new cases, 475 in KL

Another 1,208 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 47,417.Of these, 475 were recorded in Kuala Lumpur, with 460 detected at the Tapak Bina Damanlela cluster.Sabah meanwhile recorded 381 new cases, followed by Selangor (185).Negeri Sembilan recorded 48 new cases, Penang 42, Labuan 30, Perak 21, Johor nine, Kedah eight, Sarawak four, Melaka two, and Kelantan, Perlis and Putrajaya one each.Active cases stand at 12,323 with 104 in the ICU and 42 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 1,013 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 34,785 or 73.4%.However, three more deaths were reported, including an eight-year-old girl in Sabah, pushing the virus toll to 309.


AGC objects to Zuraida's bid for judicial review over PBM presidency

The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has objected to Zuraida Kamaruddin’s application for leave to initiate a judicial review against the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to seek a declaration that she is the rightful president of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM). Federal counsel M Kogilambigai, in her submission, told the High Court that the dispute in PBM was an internal matter for the parties to resolve.
"The court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter due to the ouster clause under Section 18C in the Societies Act 1966," she said.
Zuraida’s counsel, Mohamed Ashmeer Ashrof, argued that the dispute had been settled and a notice sent to RoS in October last year.
"However, the RoS did not recognise her as the party president," he said.
After hearing submissions from both parties, judge Amarjeet Singh fixed May 11 for further clarification and to deliver his decision on the AGC’s objection.
Zuraida filed the application on March 24, naming the RoS as the sole respondent. She sought a declaration that the RoS’ action to retain Larry Sng Wei Shen as the PBM president was unlawful, and a mandamus order to compel the RoS to recognise her as the rightful president effective Oct 7, 2022.
The former Ampang MP, in her supporting affidavit, said she received a letter from PBM on Oct 27, 2022, informing her about her appointment as PBM president.
However, Zuraida said she received a letter from the party dated Dec 19 of the same year, in which Sng declared himself as the PBM president and suspended her membership.
The former plantation industries and commodities minister said she learnt of her sacking from PBM through The Star news portal on Dec 27, 2022, but never received any notice, letter or information from the party about it.


Great white shark attack survivor lost leg, finally gains tooth

An Australian surfer who was almost killed in a great white shark attack has won the right to keep the tooth the 5.5m-long beast left wedged in his surfboard.The shark ripped Chris Blowes’ leg off and after being rescued, he was in a coma for 10 days.Investigating police found one of the shark’s teeth embedded in his board, but South Australia state rules ban anyone from possessing parts of protected species.Now, after six years, the state has granted him an exemption, and he says he’s keeping the tooth as a souvenir.Blowes, now 32, was surfing at Fishery Bay off Adelaide in April 2015 when he was struck from behind.“It shook me about and played with me for a bit,” he told the BBC. “And it ended up pulling my leg off”.After being brought to shore by two friends, Blowes was taken to hospital in Adelaide.“My heart had completely stopped and they had to administer CPR until I showed any signs of life,” he said.When police went to recover his surfboard, they found a shark’s tooth lodged in it. Following South Australia law, they handed it in to the authorities.“And then from that day on I wasn’t allowed to see the tooth,” he said.Under the state’s Fisheries Management Act, it is illegal to possess, sell or purchase any part of white sharks – and those who breach the law can face a fine of up to A$100,000 (US$77,000) or two years in prison.Blowes told the BBC he asked officials several times if he could have the tooth, but it was only after a local politician heard about his case that an exemption was granted.“It was stuck in my board,” he says. “I would never kill a shark for its tooth but it took my leg so I can’t see any reason why I can’t have that.“The shark isn’t getting its tooth back and I’m not getting my leg back.” “It’s not really a fair trade – a leg for a tooth,” he told ABC News. “You can see the damage on the end of the tooth from it going into my board – it’s definitely a bottom jaw tooth – its top jaw got my left flank and the bottom jaw got the underside of my board.”David Basham, South Australia’s minister for primary industries and regional development, said returning the tooth was the least his department could do.“Chris has obviously been through a hugely traumatic experience and I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help,” Basham told ABC.The intrepid, or some might say foolhardy, surfer has taught himself how to surf with his prosthetic leg.He told ABC, he keeps the tooth in a case and takes it along to motivational talks he gives about his near-death experience.“It’ll be a good souvenir to show my grandchildren,” he said.


UK PM Johnson targets civil service to cut government costs

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tasked his ministers with cutting the number of civil service jobs to levels seen before Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in 2016, part of what the government said was a plan to deliver for taxpayers.Johnson is trying to find ways to cut costs at a time when millions of people in Britain are struggling with increasing food and fuel bills, targeting a workforce that has increased to help navigate Brexit and the Covid-19 outbreak.“The PM and ministers are clear that the civil service does an outstanding job delivering for the public and driving progress on the government’s priorities,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.“But when people and businesses across the country are facing rising costs, the public rightly expect their government to lead by example and run as efficiently as possible.”British newspaper the Daily Mail reported that the government planned to cut 91,000 jobs, or almost one in five public sector workers.The Institute for Government, a think tank, estimated the savings to the public finances could be around 3.6 billion pounds (US$4.38 billion) a year.In the current financial year, the government is expected to borrow around 99 billion pounds.With the risk of Britain slipping into a recession rising, the government is under pressure to provide more support to households, who are facing rising costs for energy supplies and food. But the public finances are already stretched after a pandemic response that cost hundreds of billions of pounds.Asked if the job cuts were a return to “austerity” measures, Britain’s minister for Brexit opportunities, Jacob Rees-Mogg, told Sky News: “I don’t think it is, because what is being done is getting back to the efficiency levels we had in 2016. That’s a perfectly reasonable and sensible ambition.”“The administration, the negotiations, most of the work in relation to Brexit has been completed,” he said.


Man fatally shot on New York City subway in latest random attack

A 48-year-old man was fatally shot in the chest while riding on a New York City subway car on Sunday in the latest in a series of random attacks in the city’s transit system.The unidentified gunman fled when the train pulled into the next station, in Manhattan, and remained at large on Sunday night, Kenneth Corey, NYPD’s chief of department, said at a news briefing.“Preliminary investigation reveals the suspect was walking back and forth in the same train car and, without provocation, pulled out a gun and fired it at the victim at close range as the train was crossing the Manhattan Bridge,” Corey said.The gunman, described only as a heavy-set, “dark-skinned” man with a beard who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, grey sweat pants and white sneakers, fled when the train pulled into the Canal Street station.The suspect and the victim were not acquainted and had not interacted prior to the gunfire, police said. The victim, who was not identified by police, was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital shortly after the 11.40am shooting.“My heart breaks for the victim’s family. Everyone deserves to feel safe on our subways. I’ll keep fighting to make that a reality,” New York governor Kathy Hochul said on Twitter.New York City has seen a sharp rise in violence and a series of random attacks on subway riders.The transit violence has included passengers pushed onto the tracks from platforms, including a Manhattan woman whose murder was seen as part of a surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans.On April 12, a gunman set off smoke bombs and opened fire in a subway car, wounding more than 20 people. A suspect was taken into custody the following day.“It’s pretty harrowing stuff,” rider Arsenault Rivera told the New York Times. “If I’d gotten on at a different point, I would have been right there.”


Canada plans post-pandemic spending splurge to kick-start economy

Canada’s federal government says it will spend C$100 billion (US$77 billion, RM300 billion) to kick-start the country’s economy as soon as Covid-19 is in retreat.“It will be the largest economic relief package for our country since the Second World War,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Monday.The plan includes relief for hard-hit businesses, loans for devastated industries like tourism, travel and the arts, and investment in long-term care homes.The announcement comes as the enormous country battles a surging second wave of Covid-19 infections, says the BBC.The number of active cases has more than doubled in November alone, bringing total infections to more than 376,000. So far, more than 12,000 Canadians have died, according to Johns Hopkins UniversityAs infections climb, coronavirus shutdowns have battered the country’s economy. Last month, Statistics Canada reported an unemployment rate of 8.9%, meaning there are 1.8 million Canadians unable to find a job.“When the virus is under control and our economy is ready for new growth, we will employ an ambitious stimulus package, to be spent over the next three years,” Freeland told the House of Commons. The spending will amount to up to 4% of Canada’s GDP.Additional millions will go to vaccine agreements. “Canada has secured the most diverse vaccine portfolio in the world,” Freeland said. “We have secured seven different vaccine purchase contracts, enough for each Canadian to receive 10 doses free of charge.”To pay for the wide-ranging plan, Ottawa is prepared for its largest budget shortfall since World War Two.Freeland defended the record deficit as affordable thanks to low interest rates, and necessary for Canada’s economy.“As we have learned from previous recessions, the risk of providing too little support outweighs that of providing too much,” she said. “We will not repeat the mistakes of the years following the Great Recession of 2008.”


Renewed calls for PM to back waiver on Covid-19 patents following US move

NGOs and advocacy groups today urged the government to support the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights for vaccines and products needed in the fight against Covid-19, citing rising numbers of infections and the strain on healthcare facilities across the country.In a letter submitted to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the heads of related ministries, they said a waiver of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) agreement on IP rights, known as a TRIPS waiver, would allow more manufacturers including those in developing countries to ramp up production of vaccines and the medication needed to treat Covid-19, as well as medical products such as ventilators and diagnostics equipment.“While the government has secured vaccines for Malaysia, the actual delivery is totally dependent on a small number of suppliers, and there is no guarantee that we will get all we need,” they said, giving the example of India where exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been suspended due to rising domestic demand.The WTO has for months been facing calls to temporarily remove the IP protections on Covid-19 vaccines.This has been met with resistance from pharmaceutical giants and their host countries, which say the patents are not the main roadblocks to scaling up production, and warn that the move could hamper innovation.The groups, which include the Consumers Association of Penang, Amnesty International, Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Malaysian AIDS Council, said WTO discussions had stalled since October last year as “blocking countries and the pharmaceutical industry behind them have put profits and self-interest above lives of the rest of the world”.“The result is vaccine production that is a monopoly of a few companies holding patents and trade secrets over technology know-how, and vaccine hoarding by wealthy nations, ending up with more than they need while many poor countries can barely vaccinate their health frontliners.”They welcomed the US’ recent move to support the global waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines, adding that they had been urging the government to do so since November last year.“The waiver that the WTO members have to adopt is not just about vaccines. It is also about medicines for treating Covid-19, diagnostics, ventilator valves, and a range of needed medical products that have patents, trade secrets and other IP protection,” they said.“The US supports waiver of patent and other intellectual property for vaccines which is a first step, but it is not enough.”Adding that Malaysia is on a “worrying upward trend” in terms of infections and virus variants, they said every country including Malaysia must be prepared for the pandemic to continue for several years.“Some existing medicines that are under clinical trials with potential for Covid-19 treatment are locked up in patents in Malaysia,” they said.“Our local pharmaceutical industry can be part of the national health and security preparedness but they need the freedom to operate that a WTO waiver can help to speed up.”


Thousands of Rohingya refugees homeless after Bangladesh camp fire, UN says

More than 12,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees have been left homeless due to a fire that swept through a camp at Cox's Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh, the United Nations said.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said more than 2,000 shelters and over 90 facilities including hospitals and learning centres were destroyed in Sunday's blaze. More than one million Rohingya refugees live in camps in Cox's Bazar, most having fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.
Bangladesh is investigating the cause of the fire, Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said. "Once we get the report, it will be clear whether it was an act of sabotage or not," he added.
Fires often break out in the crowded camp with its makeshift structures. A massive blaze in March 2021 killed at least 15 refugees and destroyed over 10,000 homes.
Resident Shafiur Rahman, 24, urged the authorities to provide better facilities. "Our homes were torched in Myanmar. Now we are going through the same here," he said.
Amnesty International also called on the Bangladesh government to provide safer accommodation for the refugees.
"The government should recognise the danger of keeping large communities in unsafe, over-crowded conditions and take steps to provide adequate and safe housing to the Rohingya community,” Yasasmin Kaviratne, the organisation's South Asia regional campaigner said.
Rising crime, difficult living conditions and bleak prospects for returning to Myanmar are driving more Rohingya refugees to leave Bangladesh for countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia by boat, putting their lives at risk. UN data shows 348 Rohingya are thought to have died at sea last year.


Court sets June 28 for further case management on Sam Ke Ting’s appeal

The Court of Appeal has fixed June 28 for another case management on clerk Sam Ke Ting’s appeal against her conviction and jail sentence for reckless driving leading to the death of eight teenagers on modified bicycles commonly known as basikal lajak.The date was fixed after case management before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron today.Lawyers Harvinderjit Singh and Faizal Mokhtar who represented Sam attended the case management proceedings while deputy public prosecutor Ng Siew Wee appeared for the prosecution.When contacted, Harvinderjit said the deputy registrar had set June 28 for further case management to obtain the appeal records and for the appeal records to be served to the parties in the case.He said he also informed the deputy registrar that former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram had been appointed as lead counsel and he (Harvinderjit) as co-counsel to represent Sam in her appeal.Harvinderjit said the prosecution meanwhile confirmed receiving the notice of appeal filed by Sam.He said the defence informed the deputy registrar that they wanted the appeal records, notes of proceedings and submissions of an earlier appeal in 2019 by the prosecution to be included for the hearing in the Court of Appeal.He said this was because the issue of the prima facie case would also be determined by the Court of Appeal.“The court has directed for a letter to be written to the Johor Bahru High Court to request the same accordingly,” he said.The Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court had on Oct 28, 2019 freed Sam without ordering her to enter her defence for the charge of driving recklessly and causing the death of eight teenagers at Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, Johor Bahru, Johor at 3.20am on Feb 18, 2017.The eight teenagers killed in the incident were Mohamad Azrie Danish Zulkefli, 14; Muhamad Shahrul Izzwan Azzuraimie, 14; Muhammad Firdauz Danish Mohd Azhar, 16; Fauzan Halmijan, 13; Mohamad Azhar Amir, 16; Muhammad Harith Iskandar Abdullah, 14; Muhammad Shahrul Nizam Marudin, 14 and Haizad Kasrin, 16.In 2019, High Court judge Shahnaz Sulaiman allowed the prosecution’s appeal and ordered Sam to enter her defence on the reckless driving charge.Magistrate Siti Hajar Ali, who heard the case in 2019 again discharged and acquitted Sam at the end of the defence case, prompting the prosecution to file a second appeal at the High Court.On April 13 this year, High Court judge Abu Bakar Katar allowed the prosecution’s appeal and convicted Sam of driving recklessly, sentencing her to six years in jail and fining her RM6,000.Sam obtained leave from the Court of Appeal on April 18 to appeal against her conviction and jail sentence.The Court of Appeal also allowed Sam’s application to stay the execution of the jail sentence and released her on bail of RM10,000 with one surety pending the hearing of her appeal.


Entire Juventus board of directors resigns

The entire board of directors at Juventus has resigned, including president Andrea Agnelli and vice-president Pavel Nedved, the Italian Serie A club said in a statement Monday.
The board had sought independent legal advice over an ongoing investigation by prosecutors in Turin into allegations of false accounting and irregularities in the transfer and loans of players.
It resigned over "new legal and accounting opinions" from experts, and given "the centrality and the relevance of the pending legal and technical/accounting matters", the club said.
The exodus marks the end of a chapter for Agnelli, who as chairman saw Juventus win nine-straight Serie A titles as well as reach the 2015 and 2017 Champions League finals.
He was also a fervent support of the European Super League. Two of the clubs that also hoped to join – Manchester United and Liverpool – are now up for sale.
But he risks legal woes along with over a dozen other people in the commissions case.
Juve are being probed over €282 million (US$319 million, RM1.3 billion) of capital gains – the positive difference between purchase and sale values net of amortisation and write-downs – from a series of player transfers booked in their financial results for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Parallel investigation
Prosecutors in Turin are investigating the possibility that Juve, who are listed on the Italian stock exchange, presented false accounting information to investors and produced invoices for non-existent transactions over that period.
The outgoing board "considered (it) to be in the best social interest to recommend that Juventus equip itself with a new Board of Directors to address these issues," the club said.
Managing director Maurizio Arrivabene was asked to stay on for an interim period while a new board could be brought together for the Turin giants, the club said.
The next shareholders' meeting is set for Dec 27 and will examine new consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2022.
Shareholders are then set to meet again on Jan 18 to appoint the new board, it said.
A raft of transfers involving Juve and other clubs are also the subject of a parallel investigation which was launched by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in October.
What is discovered by prosecutors will then be passed on to the FIGC, which has powers to sanction clubs with a range of punishments from fines to being kicked out of the league.
The club will "continue to cooperate with the supervisory and industry authorities", it said.


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Putrajaya introduces affordable internet packages for students, low-income families

Putrajaya today announced two new packages to help students and those in the lower-income bracket gain affordable access to the internet and smart devices.Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa said the first of these, Pakej Remaja Keluarga Malaysia, would provide pre-paid packages for as low as RM10 per month for adolescents and students, including those pursuing their postgraduate studies.“At RM10 per month, they will get 20GB of data for three months,” he said, adding that another 1GB of free data, capped at 90GB, would be given for daily activities as well as limitless basic internet access.Meanwhile the second package, Pakej Peranti Keluarga Malaysia, is aimed at allowing Malaysians to own or upgrade mobile devices and VoLTE for free.Subscriptions under this package will be available for as low as RM40 per month through contracts ranging from 12 to 24 months, depending on the device and service.Annuar said all eligible users would be able to register for both packages with registration to run for six months from Oct 15 to April 15 next year.Annuar said the first package was aimed at helping teenagers and students who would no longer have to top up their credit each month.“Teenagers and students under 21 only need to register with their MyKads while those over 21 need to register with their student cards,” he said.The second package meanwhile is aimed at helping families benefit from the ownership of 4G mobile devices and VoLTE.“The government is responsible for ensuring that every person can access the internet at appropriate cost,” Annuar said.


6,658 new cases as Selangor tops 3,000

Another 6,658 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 772,607.Selangor recorded 3,047 cases, Negeri Sembilan 699, Kuala Lumpur 616, Johor 414, Sarawak 361, Melaka 345, Sabah 322, Pahang 200, Kedah 145, Penang 142, Labuan 108 and Perak 101.Kelantan recorded 89 cases, Terengganu 51, Putrajaya 16 and Perlis two.Active cases stand at 66,958 with 892 in the ICU and 443 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 5,677 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 700,215.However, 107 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 5,434.


At least 5 killed as explosion, gunfire rocks Somali capital

At least five people died and 23 others were injured after a huge explosion rocked Somalia’s capital Mogadishu early on Thursday, triggering a plume of smoke which rose from the blast site amid gunfire, according to officials and a Reuters witness.“So far we know five people died and 23 others (were) injured,” Abdikadir Abdirahman, the director of Aamin Ambulance services, told Reuters.Somalia Islamist group al Shabaab carried out the attack which was targeting a passing United Nations convoy, Abdiasis Abu Musab, the group’s military operations spokesman told Reuters.The blast near the K4 junction in the heart of Mogadishu was so large it collapsed the walls of the nearby Mucassar primary and secondary school and also left cars mangled.“We were shaken by the blast pressure, then deafened by the gunfire that followed,” said Mohamed Hussein, a nurse at the nearby Osman Hospital.He added he had been pulled from the rubble of a collapsed ceiling.“Our hospital walls collapsed. Opposite us is a school that also collapsed. I do not know how many died,” he said.Security officials could not be immediately reached for comment.Al Shabaab has been fighting Somalia’s central government for years to establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islam’s shariah law.The group frequently carries out bombings and gun assaults in Somalia and elsewhere in its war against the Somalia military and the African Union-mandated Amisom force that helps defend the central government.