Delayed doses of AstraZeneca jab boost immunity, study shows

Delayed second and third doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine boost immunity against Covid-19, a study by Oxford University, which developed the jab with the British-Swedish firm, said on Monday.An interval of up to 45 weeks between the first and second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine led to an enhanced immune response, rather than compromising immunity, the study said.Giving a third dose of the jab more than six months after the second dose also leads to a “substantial increase” in antibodies and induces a “strong boost” to subjects’ immune response, said the pre-print study, meaning that it has yet to be peer-reviewed.“This should come as reassuring news to countries with lower supplies of the vaccine, who may be concerned about delays in providing second doses to their populations,” said lead investigator of the Oxford trial, Andrew Pollard.“There is an excellent response to a second dose, even after a 10-month delay from the first.”The researchers said the results for a delayed AstraZeneca third dose were positive, particularly as nations with advanced vaccination programmes consider whether third booster shots will be required to prolong immunity.“It is not known if booster jabs will be needed due to waning immunity or to augment immunity against variants of concern,” said the study’s lead senior author, Teresa Lambe.She explained the research showed the AstraZeneca jab “is well tolerated and significantly boosts the antibody response.”Lambe added results were encouraging “if we find that a third dose is needed”.The development of the jab, which is being administered in 160 countries, has been hailed as a milestone in efforts against the pandemic because of its relatively low cost and ease of transportation.However, confidence in the jab, as with the vaccine developed by the US firm Johnson & Johnson, has been hampered by concerns over links to very rare but serious blood clots in a handful of cases.A number of nations have suspended the use of the vaccine as a result or restricted its use by younger groups who are less at risk from Covid.The Oxford study indicated that side effects from the vaccine in general were “well tolerated” with “lower incidents of side effects after second and third doses than after first doses”.A separate Oxford-led study released on Monday found that alternating doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with that developed by Pfizer-BioNTech also boosted immune response.It found subjects responded differently depending on the order in which the shots were given, but vaccination schedules involving both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech jabs could potentially be used to give more flexibility in tacking the virus.Matthew Snape, the chief investigator for the trial, said when the mixed vaccines were given at a four-week interval they induced “an immune response that is above the threshold set by the standard schedule of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine”.


Radzi's nomination for speaker behind MoU to ensure MPs kow tow to govt motions?

A move by Perikatan Nasional (PN) to nominate a veteran politician respected within Barisan Nasional (BN) circles as the Dewan Rakyat speaker rattled the supporters of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim within Umno, resulting in the controversial memorandum of understanding (MoU) binding the MPs of the parties that form the current government, MalaysiaNow has learnt.
Sources close to the Perak Umno leadership said PN's choice of Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, 80 – a veteran politician trained in law who served in various importants posts including as the home and law minister – was seen as more qualified than Pakatan Harapan's (PH) nominee, former Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul.
"Radzi is well respected within Umno circles for his knowledge of legal matters, so many of us felt that choosing Johari over him would not only be surrendering everything to Anwar, but also showing disrespect to him," said a former MP from Umno.
The election of a new speaker to replace Azhar Harun is on the agenda for tomorrow, when the Dewan Rakyat convenes for the first time since the Nov 19 general election which resulted in weeks of political drama following a hung parliament.
In the past, MPs were given the freedom to vote in the election of a speaker.
"However, this time, it is critical for Anwar to show that he has solid support from all of the MPs from the various coalitions in his government. So it was felt that the move to nominate Radzi might stop that from happening," said the Perak Umno source.
On Friday, Anwar led leaders from PH, BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Warisan in signing an MoU that includes a controversial clause that any MP who does not support government motions will be deemed as disqualified, and their seat declared vacant for a by-election.
The clause was met with criticism for usurping MPs' right to vote according to their conscience, as well as over concerns that it is in violation of the anti-hopping law which clearly states that an MP will not lose his seat if expelled from his party.
"We wanted MPs to support every motion, including the election of Johari as speaker, not just the confidence vote. This is also why Johari could not risk resigning as a Kedah assemblyman until the MoU was signed," said a Kedah PKR source.
Under the constitution, a state assemblyman cannot be made a speaker of the Dewan Rakyat.
Johari announced his resignation as the Gurun state assemblyman today, just two days after the MoU was signed.
'A kind of confidence vote'
The election of a speaker has traditionally come under keen watch as it can be seen as a form of confidence vote in the government although it does not necessarily affect the prime minister's position.
Just five months after the collapse of the PH administration in 2020, then speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof was removed from his position by a narrow vote of 111 against 109 following a motion by the PN govenment, which was then interpreted as the level of support for the government in the Dewan Rakyat.
This time, the level of support for the government will be determined just after the election of a new speaker, through a motion of confidence in the prime minister to be tabled by Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof.
"But while MPs from parties are expected to support him in order not to disrupt the new government, there are signs that MPs, especially from Umno and GPS, have strong reservations about letting a PKR man also become the speaker.
"So there is fear in the PH camp, as well as in the camp aligned with Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, that the first vote in the Dewan Rakyat will end badly for the government," the Umno source added.
A PKR source said Johari, a close ally of Anwar, had long been considered by the party for the speaker's job, even during PH's earlier tenure in power following the coalition's victory in 2018 under the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"But Anwar and PKR blundered by failing to ensure that Johari resigned from his state seat. As a result, Mahathir was able to overrule the speaker choice originally given to PKR and appoint the vastly more qualified former judge Ariff," the source added.
The source said that giving Johari the post would be seen as a personal gesture from Anwar "to thank him for his loyalty".
This was a reference to Johari's defence of the party president at the height of allegations surrounding a sex video in 2011.
Johari, who said he had been shown the video, had rejected claims that it featured Anwar, accusing Umno of a conspiracy.
Three individuals including former Melaka chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik were later charged and convicted of the offence of screening a pornographic video to the public.


Johor Bahru hit by worst flash floods in 10 years

A heavy downpour caused flash floods described as some of the worst to hit Johor Bahru yesterday.
According to videos shared by members of the public on Facebook, among the major roads flooded were Jalan Ayer Molek, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Jalan Kolam Air and Jalan Yahya Awal.
About 500 vehicles were submerged in the flood waters.
The Jalan Ayer Molek and Hospital Sultanah Aminah parking lots and Kampung Baru Mohd Amin were among the flooded areas although there were no evacuations.
The heavy rain started at 12.30pm. Checks by Bernama showed that the flood waters had fully subsided at about 2.30pm.
Many vehicle owners were seen inspecting the damage to their cars which were submerged in water, with some forced to be towed away.
Private sector worker Aliyas Said, 46, who parked his car in Jalan Ayer Molek, said the flood was the worst in 10 years, with the water reaching his car bonnet level.
"The rain was very heavy and the cars were submerged in water. I had to wait for the rain to subside before asking my friends to help me push the car," said Aliyas.
S Durghs, 28, said she was shocked to learn that the parking lot was flooded.
"I parked my car there in the morning and was outside when I received a message that the parking lot had been flooded almost to the waist level. This is the first time water entered my car," she said.
Johor Bahru mayor Mohd Noorazam Osman said the floods were caused by a heavy rainfall with an intensity of almost 100mm, starting from 1.40pm with a high tide of 3.3m at 1.55pm.
He said a reading exceeding 60mm in rainfall intensity – also known as the red level – was considered very heavy.
He said in anticipation of the high tide yesterday, the Sungai Segget water gate was closed at 10.51am, three hours before the high tide, while the pump and tidal valve systems at the Sungai Chat, Parit Utama Abdul Samad and Sungai Ayer Molek river mouths were functioning well at the time of the incident.
"The Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) has taken immediate action including going to the site during the heavy rain to ensure that the main pumps were functioning well and to monitor the areas hit by flash floods.
"MBJB has issued the Act 33 Land Work Warning Notice to three developers for failing to control land development works in MBJB areas and for causing today’s flash floods," he said in a statement.


No one speaks for us, DAP breaks silence amid Anwar-Zahid alliance

Breaking its long silence in a continuing episode of politicians jostling for power in Putrajaya, DAP today reiterated its “no Umno” rule when it comes to seeking political alliances.The party also warned others against speaking on its behalf in the wake of recent developments signalling closer ties between PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim and several Umno leaders.“I wish to stress that no outside party has the right to do so,” said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, adding that his recent statements in Sabah had already cleared the air about the party’s stand in the wake of recent attempts by Anwar to topple the Muhyiddin Yassin government.This comes after Amanah’s Khalid Samad claimed that Anwar had enough support to do so, including from 42 DAP MPs.Lim said any stand by DAP would only come from him, the chairman or the deputy chairman.He also urged Muhyiddin to state clearly whether there would be changes in his Cabinet as speculated on social media, adding that battling the Covid-19 pandemic should be a priority.“Let us focus on uniting Malaysians regardless of race and religion, instead of divisive racial and religious rhetoric, to support our heroic frontliners to win this battle against Covid-19,” he said.Last week, MalaysiaNow reported that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his predecessor Najib Razak had written to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong expressing support for Anwar in the PKR leader’s plan to topple the Perikatan Nasional government, of which Umno is a part.In their joint letter, the duo also claimed that “a number of Umno MPs” would back them, without providing specific names.


Saudi announces Ramadan to start Thursday

Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest shrines in Islam in Mecca and Medina, has announced that the fasting month of Ramadan will start on Thursday.
The kingdom's supreme court ruled on Tuesday evening that the Islamic calendar month of Shaban, which precedes Ramadan, will end on Wednesday, meaning Ramadan will begin the following day, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Authorities earlier on Tuesday called on residents to try to spot the crescent moon that marks the start of Ramadan, but it was not visible, state media said.
Other Sunni-majority countries including Egypt and Qatar also announced that Ramadan would begin on Thursday, as did officials in the Palestinian territories.
Authorities in Jordan, Algeria and Morocco meanwhile said a decision would be taken on Wednesday as to whether Ramadan would start on Thursday or Friday.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.
Fasting is strictly observed in Saudi Arabia, with restaurants closed until sunset iftar meals.
It is also a time of prayers, with the faithful converging in large numbers at mosques, especially at night.
The starting date of Ramadan, the holiest Muslim month, is set by both lunar calculations and physical sightings to determine the beginning of a new month.


Tech demand drove Asia’s factory revival from pandemic in February

Solid demand for technology products drove extended growth in Asia’s factories in February, but a slowdown in China underscored the challenges facing the region as it seeks a sustainable recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.The global vaccine rollouts and pick-up in demand provided optimism for a vast number of businesses that grappled for months with a cash-flow crunch and falling profits.In Japan, manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace in over two years while South Korea’s exports rose for a fourth straight month in February, suggesting the region’s biggest export-reliant economies were benefiting from robust global trade.However, China’s factory activity grew at its slowest pace in nine months in February, hit by a domestic flare-up of Covid-19 and soft demand from countries under renewed lock-down measures.“The softer pace of activity in today’s Chinese manufacturing is likely to be temporary, and we expect the growth momentum to pick back up on the back of a broadening out of the domestic demand recovery and a pickup in global demand,” said Erin Xin, an economist at HSBC.“However, household consumption, while recovering, has not yet fully reached pre-pandemic levels of growth due to continued labour market pressure.”China was the first major economy to lead the recovery from Covid-19, so any signs of prolonged cooling in Asia’s engine of growth will likely be a cause for concern.With the global rebound still in its early days, however, analysts say the outlook is brightening as companies increase output to restock inventory on hopes vaccine rollouts will normalise economic activity.“The recovery in durable-goods demand is continuing, which is creating a positive cycle for manufacturers in Asia,” said Shigeto Nagai, head of Japan economics as Oxford Economics.“As vaccine rollouts ease uncertainties over the outlook, capital expenditure will gradually pick up. That will benefit Japan, which is strong in exports of capital goods,” he said.Activity in other Asian giants remained brisk, reports Reuters.In South Korea, a regional exports bellwether, shipments jumped 9.5% in February from a year earlier for its fourth straight month of increase on continued growth in memory chip and car sales.India’s factory activity expanded for the seventh straight month in February on strong demand and increased output, though a spike in input costs could weigh on corporate profits ahead.The Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam also saw manufacturing activity expand in February, a sign the region was gradually recovering from the initial hit of the pandemic.


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Ex-AG Thomas' letter the backbone of decision threatening seizure of Malaysia's wealth abroad

Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas' written response to lawyers appointed by a group claiming to be the heirs of the Sulu sultanate appears to be the backbone of an arbitration decision that now threatens the forfeiture of billions in Malaysian assets abroad.
A study of the 297-point arbitration decision shows at least a dozen mentions or citations from Thomas' letter, as Spanish arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa sought to justify the unusual award to the claimants.
The arbitration process ended with Malaysia being told to pay the group US$14.9 billion (RM60 billion) – the world's second biggest award of the kind that eclipses the massive losses suffered by Malaysia in the 1MDB scandal.
Thomas, who served as the top government lawyer during Pakatan Harapan's rule, had in a letter dated Sept 19, 2019 expressed regret that the Malaysian government had stopped an annual payment made to the descendants of the Sulu sultanate, which once ruled parts of the Malay archipelago including present-day Sabah.
The token payment was terminated shortly after the failed invasion of Sabah by hundreds of armed Sulu loyalists in 2013.

Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas, whose letter dated Sept 19, 2019 expressed regret over the Malaysian government's refusal to pay an annual token sum to the descendants of the Sulu sultanate. Photo: AFP

After expressing regret, Thomas in his letter listed the outstanding payments including 10% interest, before arriving at the grand total of RM48,230, a sum he offered to wire "immediately" to the claimants in exchange for an end to any arbitration.
"Malaysia is now ready and willing to pay your clients all arrears from 2013 to 2019," he wrote, adding that the offer should be reciprocated with the claimants ceasing the arbitration move.
At the heart of the arbitration is a claim by eight individuals, who cite a 1878 agreement between then Sulu ruler Sultan Mohamet Jamal Al-Alam and the British North Borneo Company, a colonial outfit formed by Britain to exploit natural resources in the region. In the agreement, the sultan surrendered sovereignty over some territories located in North Borneo, or what is now Sabah.
Following several legal hiccups in Spain, the arbitration decision was announced in a French court in February this year, where the claimants were awarded US$14.92 billion (RM60 billion) plus interest and costs.
The decision was condemned by Putrajaya, which also said that Stampa, the Spanish arbitrator, had no authority to issue the award.
That did not stop lawyers for the claimants from seeking to implement the award earlier this month, serving an asset seizure notice on two subsidiaries of Petronas in Luxembourg.
In an immediate reaction a day later, Malaysia secured a stay order from a Paris court to stop the execution of the arbitration award, only for the lawyers to warn that they could target Malaysia's other assets in the rest of the world.
How Thomas' letter helped Sulu claims
In putting forward their case in the arbitration proceedings, the Sulu claimants several times seized upon the concession offered by Thomas, on which Stampa had relied in justifying the multi-billion dollar award.
Stampa said Malaysia had breached the 1878 agreement when it ceased the RM5,300 annual payments in 2013.
“Mr Thomas took the same position in his correspondence of Sept 19, 2019... when he offered to settle the matter by resuming payments, provided that claimants discontinued the arbitration.
"Clearly (and correctly), Malaysia's attorney-general never perceived this arbitration as in any respect an assault on Malaysia's sovereign prerogatives.”  Later, Stampa repeated Thomas' words again. “Respondent [Malaysia] also admitted that those payments were stopped in 2013 and have not been paid to claimants since. On Sept 19, 2019, Malaysia stated that it '... is now ready and willing to pay your clients all arrears from 2013 to 2019 and agrees to fully comply with the 1878 Grant and the 1903 Confirmation of Cession from henceforth with regards to future payments. As to the arrears, Malaysia is also agreeable to paying simple interest of 10% p.a. on the annual payments for each of the years concerned'..." Stampa then crucially relied on another statement by Thomas in concluding that the Sulu sultan had never divested himself of sovereignty over the territories of North Borneo. He said Malaysia had agreed that the "assessment of the evidence available at the present arbitration sustains that the sultan was never deprived or divested of sovereignty over the territories of North Borneo, mentioned in both the 1878 Agreement and the 1903 Confirmatory Deed".
The Confirmatory Deed was signed by Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, confirming that he had ceded ownership of North Borneo to the British colonial power. Stampa also relied on the fact that no reservation was made by Thomas that the arbitration proceedings would breach Malaysia’s sovereign immunity. "The transcribed terms reveal the absence of any reservation made at that time (i.e., Sept 19, 2019), once the present arbitration was set in motion, that these proceedings would breach its sovereign immunity." Another blow to Malaysia's case was the wording of Thomas' letter, which led to the conclusion that it was a commercial transaction and subject to arbitration.
The stand taken by Thomas was in conflict with that of the current government.

Stampa also relied on the fact that no reservation was made by Thomas that the arbitration proceedings would breach Malaysia’s sovereign immunity.

"The subject matter of the claim is not commercial in nature and thus cannot be subject to arbitration and the 1878 Agreement contains no arbitration agreement," Malaysia's Attorney-General's Chambers said in a joint statement with the foreign ministry, in response to the February arbitration decision.
In summing up his findings, Stampa again relied on Thomas' letter to conclude that Malaysia had continued to perform the 1878 Agreement without reservation.
He cited a line from Thomas on Malaysia's annual payments to Sulu descendants "... from 1963 to 2012, that is, for an unbroken and continuous period of 49 years".
"It is the arbitrator's view that the respondent [Malaysia] continued to perform the 1878 Agreement – freely and without reservations – until the end of 2012," Stampa added.
Stampa then declared that Malaysia had failed to perform its due under the 1878 Agreement, adding that it was "unable to demonstrate the concurrence of any lawful or contractual excuse for its non-performance of these contractual duties".
"On the contrary, the respondent freely admitted that '... regrettably, payments... ceased in 2013'," he said, again quoting Thomas.


Only workers in essential services allowed in office during EMCO, says minister

Only workers in essential services are allowed to leave their homes in enhanced movement control order (EMCO) areas to go to work while the EMCO is in force, says Human Resources Minister M Saravanan.Saravanan issued the reminder today following the announcement that most parts of Selangor and certain localities in Kuala Lumpur will be placed under EMCO from July 3 to 16 due to the high number of Covid-19 cases in these two states.“Therefore, employers are required to abide by this order and allow workers (in non-essential services) to work from home (WFH),” he said in a statement.Saravanan also reminded employers to abide by the EMCO and SOPs, especially on the number of workers allowed in the office or other work places.He said the human resources ministry had received many complaints from workers that their employers had threatened them with work termination if they refused to work from the office.He advised workers to report such employers to the ministry by using the Working for Workers (WFW) application.Apart from WFH-related complaints, the app covers 16 other categories of complaints involving various labour issues.“The ministry gives attention to complaints received and will take the appropriate action,” Saravanan said.He said 1,878 complaints were recorded by the WFW app between May 23 and yesterday regarding the issue of employers forbidding their workers to work from home.Selangor had the most number of WFH-related complaints at 696, followed by Kuala Lumpur (505), Johor (196) and Penang (123).Saravanan said 59 compounds for the violation of worker attendance capacity at the office or workplace were issued by the Labour Department of Peninsular Malaysia and Occupational Safety and Health Department between June 1 and July 1.


India developer says homegrown Covid-19 vaccine is 81% effective

Indian pharmaceutical firm Bharat Biotech said Wednesday its domestically developed vaccine, criticised for being rolled out before final trials, was found in interim late-stage data to have almost 81% efficacy in preventing Covid-19 infection.Questions had been raised by Indian medical experts about the effectiveness of Bharat Biotech’s “Covaxin” after officials authorised it for emergency use in January even though its Phase 3 trials – the last stage before regulatory approval – were not complete.“Covaxin (not only) demonstrates high clinical efficacy trend against Covid-19 but also significant immunogenicity against the rapidly emerging variants,” Bharat Biotech chairman Krishna Ella said in a statement.The company added that “severe, serious, and medically attended adverse events occurred at low levels and were balanced between vaccine and placebo groups”.It said interim phase 3 trial results for Covaxin – co-developed with the scientific agency leading the government’s response, the Indian Council for Medical Research – were based on 43 cases of Covid-19 among 25,800 participants.Of the 43 cases, 36 were recorded in participants who received a placebo and seven in those who were given Covaxin, pointing to an efficacy rate of 80.6% after two doses for those who had not previously been infected by the virus, the company added.The firm said it would share further interim analysis after 87 cases, with a final analysis planned for 130 cases.The data from the second and final studies would also be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, it added.Covaxin, alongside the AstraZeneca/Oxford shot, is one of two vaccines approved for use in India.The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine has been found to be about 62% effective in preventing infection. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were found to be more than 90% effective.Fears about the lack of efficacy data for Covaxin as India’s mass vaccination drive kicked off in mid-January saw some medical workers, including doctors, refuse to get the jab.Activists had also accused the firm of cutting corners and breaching rules in conducting trials in India.Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the Covaxin shot on Monday as the country opened up the process to those over 60 and any over-45s with serious illnesses.Some 15 million shots have been administered so far in the vaccination programme, the health ministry said Wednesday.The country has the world’s second-highest caseload with more than 11.1 million infections.The daily increase in cases has fallen sharply this year after peaking in September, although some regions have seen an uptick in infections in recent weeks.


China Evergrande offers bond and equity swaps in debt restructuring

China Evergrande Group on Wednesday announced plans for the restructuring of its US$22.7 billion (about RM101 billion) in offshore debt, which could set a template for distressed rivals and shape investor sentiment on the country's embattled property sector.
The world's most indebted property developer gave creditors a basket of options to swap their debt into new bonds and equity-linked instruments backed by the group and its two Hong Kong-listed companies, Evergrande Property Services Group and Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group.
With more than US$300 billion in total liabilities including offshore debt, Evergrande has been at the centre of a property debt crisis in which multiple Chinese developers defaulted over the past year, forcing many to enter debt restructuring talks.
While the long-awaited proposals could provide breathing space for the developer that was teetering on the brink of collapse a year ago, few analysts expect its balance sheet to recover fully any time soon.
"The proposed restructuring will alleviate the company's pressure of offshore indebtedness and facilitate the company's efforts to resume operations and resolve issues on shore," Evergrande said in the filing.
The developer expects the proposed restructuring to facilitate an orderly resumption of business operations and gradual generation of cash flow for debt repayment.
Court and arbitration cases involving US$52.83 billion of debt are ongoing in mainland China, Evergrande said. On a standalone basis, these will not materially affect the offshore restructuring, it added.
In the two main options proposed, creditors can either swap all of their holdings into new notes with maturities of 10-12 years, or convert them into different combinations of new notes of five to nine years and equity-linked instruments.
The developer said it expects to agree restructuring support agreements with different groups of bondholders by March 31, with restructuring taking effect on Oct 1.
Evergrande on Monday said that a key bondholder group had agreed to its proposed terms. It also said the company expects its overdue financial reports for 2021 and 2022 to be released in April and May.
Trade in its Hong Kong shares has been suspended since last March, pending release of the financial statements, and Evergrande said in Wednesday's filing that it will remain suspended until further notice.
Evergrande also gave an update on its business on Wednesday, saying that additional financing of ¥250 billion to ¥300 billion will be required as it resumes operations over the next three years.
"As a result, the company’s ability to repay unsecured debt... is relatively weak, it said, adding that free cash flow is expected to increase gradually from the fourth year, assuming the company can resume normal operations.
Regarding its electric vehicle business, which some new notes will be linked to, Evergrande said it may have to be shut down unless it obtains new funding.
Sidley Austin and Houlihan Lokey are Evergrande's advisers, while Moelis & Company and Kirkland & Ellis are advising the group of bondholders.


Govt trying to identify best model for living wage, says minister

The government is studying a Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) proposal on the implementation of a living wage in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar said the BNM 2017 Annual Report had proposed a living wage rate of RM2,700 for unmarried adults in urban areas, RM4,500 for couples without children, and RM6,500 for couples with two children.
"The government needs to carefully study and identify the most suitable model for our country," he said in response to a supplementary question from Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) on whether the government would consider implementing proposals on a progressive wage model.
Sivakumar said the progressive wage model needed a more detailed study that is in line with the current economic and labour conditions in Malaysia.
He said the implementation of a minimum salary and a progressive wage had a common objective of giving protection to workers who are receiving the lowest salaries. He also said that from May to December 2022, the Peninsular Malaysia Manpower Department had conducted 17,565 statutory inspections on employers regarding the implementation of the minimum wage order.
Of these, 2,448 compliance recommendations were issued for violations of the order, he said.
During the same period, the Sabah Manpower Department conducted 5,707 inspections and issued 128 compliance recommendations, while its Sarawak counterpart carried out 5,490 inspections and made 83 compliance proposals, he said.
Sivakumar said this to a supplementary question from Tan Kar Hing (PH-Gopeng), who asked about the extent of field monitoring and enforcement done by the ministry and the action taken against those who violate the order.


From optimism to unwanted record: how the Czech Republic reached a million infections

The Czech Republic has reached one million confirmed coronavirus cases, health authorities in the capital Prague said this week.It is by far the smallest of the 21 countries to surpass that grim milestone, with the US leading the global table with more than 26 million confirmed cases out of an estimated population of 330 million.The health ministry said on Wednesday that the day-to-day increase in new infections reached over 9,000 cases the previous day to rack up a total of just over one million for the pandemic, the Associated Press reports.With a population of under 11 million, the country has registered nearly 17,000 deaths.“I’d like to say our approach has not been successful,” said Jan Trnka, a biochemist from Prague’s Charles University. “We’ll likely have more people infected. We’ll have more people in hospitals and more people will die.”Sources agree that the government has lacked a clear vison about what it wants to achieve and how, and its measures have been met with a growing distrust from citizens.Around 50% of Czechs says they don’t want to get inoculated because of safety fears and disinformation, according to recent polls.“There’s no doubt that the Covid is a killer,” Prime Minister Andrej Babis said. “We have to make more people realise that it’s not a harmless flu, that it’s a very dangerous virus. We have new variants of it. The situation’s not good.”Last week the government abandoned plans to reopen schools and ski resorts and instead brought in further limits on people’s contacts and movement.This was a very different story from August when Babis claimed the Czech Republic was “the best in dealing with Covid”, and told the population there was no need to impose restrictions.Two months later, the country topped the world rankings of daily new cases and had the worst death rate by size of population in early January, a result of a decision to allow stores, bars and restaurants to reopen before Christmas.“We need to state it loud and clear that what happened and is not over yet is the biggest death rate in this country since World War II,” Jan Konvalinka, of Prague’s Charles University told Czech public radio.Virologist Ruth Tachezy said, “We still have a huge number of infected people and if the percentage of more contagious variants grows in the population, we might be facing a very serious problem for a very long time.”


Indian man beheads teenage daughter because he didn’t like her boyfriend

Police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have arrested a man accused of murdering and beheading his daughter in Hardoi district.Sarvesh Kumar was detained as he walked towards a police station carrying the head of his 17-year-old child on Wednesday, Indian media are reporting.Alarmed at the sight of the man walking along carrying a severed head, local people alerted the police.Police recorded a video in which Kumar tells them that he was enraged by his daughter’s alleged affair with a man he did not like. He says that he had recently found out about this daughter’s relationship and that had made him very angry.He is heard saying that he found her alone at home, locked her in a room and beheaded her with a sharp object. He told the police that he had left the body and the murder weapon “in the room”.Police say they are investigating.A police officer has been suspended after a photograph emerged of him carrying the girl’s severed head “inappropriately”.Hundreds of women are killed each year for falling in love or marrying against their families’ wishes in India.Last year, the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Wednesday’s murder took place, topped the list of Indian states with the highest number of crimes against women, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.Murders committed by family members for related women being in an unapproved relationship, or “honour killings”, occur regularly, particularly in rural areas.There are no reliable figures but campaigners say hundreds of honour crimes take place every year in India.In 2011, the Supreme Court said that anyone convicted of honour killings should face the death penalty, but age-old notions of tradition and family honour are still deeply entrenched in many parts of Indian society.Many victims anger their families by marrying outside their caste or religion and often these crimes against them are endorsed, or even encouraged, by village-based caste councils.


Stupid, Dr Mahathir says on Najib’s 1MDB debt remarks

Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad today slammed remarks by Najib Razak in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that the repayment of the 1MDB debt did not involve the people’s money.He said Najib, who has been convicted and sentenced in the SRC International case, had lost all shame in making such a statement.“He said the debt need not be paid – how stupid. Is there such a thing as a debt that doesn’t need to be paid? But that’s how Najib is,” Mahathir said while campaigning for the Johor election at Felda Ayer Hitam in Machap.Mahathir’s comments follow those of Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz who also disputed Najib’s statement today.According to Zafrul, Malaysia has already begun to pay interest on the 1MDB debt.Zafrul also said that 1MDB’s debt was valued at RM38.8 billion, comprising RM32.3 billion in principal debt and RM6.5 billion in interest.Najib yesterday claimed that not a single sen of the people’s money had been used to pay 1MDB’s debt.The former leader, who was found guilty in 2020 of money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust involving RM42 million in SRC International funds, has become the focus of Mahathir’s campaign for the upcoming Johor election.Mahathir had previously urged voters in Johor to reject Najib and his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.In a series of open letters, he said any success in changing the state government could become a stepping stone to changing the federal government as well at the next general election.Mahathir said the government had spent a lot of money paying 1MDB’s debt along with the interest from the debt.“This has caused the country to lack the money for development and for providing services to the people.“This is why people just laugh at his claims,” Mahathir said.He added that Najib was an “unusual” person.“He stole money in front of our eyes, and after that said that he hadn’t.”


Health experts back AstraZeneca jabs for senior citizens amid concerns over possible side effects

Health experts have sought to allay concerns over the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in Malaysia’s immunisation programme, even as Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister in charge of the vaccination rollout, is expected to announce the result of further discussions with health authorities on the issue amid public concern over potential side effects.In a press conference on Monday, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba had said that the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, was both safe and effective and would be used on senior citizens aged 60 and above.He said a thorough assessment of the vaccine, which has been dogged by controversy including over the development of blood clots in a small number of recipients, had found that its benefits outweigh any disadvantages.His announcement was met with expressions of public concern, especially in light of the move by some countries including Denmark to pause or completely drop the use of AstraZeneca jabs in their vaccination programmes.But health experts who spoke to MalaysiaNow voiced their support of the health ministry’s decision.“The NPRA has decided that both the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines are safe for use.”Azrul Mohd Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, said he was confident in the decision by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) to green light use of the jab in Malaysia.He added that senior citizens should be vaccinated, especially if they live with chronic illnesses.“The NPRA has decided that both the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines are safe for use.“This is the agency that has been entrusted with determining whether or not a drug or pharmaceutical product can be safely used in Malaysia,” he said.With public anxiety still high, though, Khairy who is science, technology and innovation minister, said yesterday that he would hold further talks with Adham on the issue.“I have to take into account the opinion of the people who are disturbed by this. We don’t want the vaccine to jeopardise the immunisation programme,” he said.In general, Azrul said, much of the concern and stigma associated with vaccines is based on a lack of information or incomplete understanding of the matter.“It is important for people to know that this is a safe and effective vaccine.“The odds are actually a lot higher of getting blood clots from taking contraceptive pills as opposed to taking this vaccine,” he said.The AstraZeneca vaccine was hailed as a game-changer in January when it was first rolled out due to its affordability and the fact that it does not require very cold temperatures for storage like the ones from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.“We need to emphasise that those most at risk of adverse events are not the elderly or vulnerable groups.”It currently forms the backbone of the Covax scheme, which ensures that poorer countries can access doses, with donors covering the cost.Dr Subramaniam Muniandy, president of the Malaysian Medical Association, acknowledged cases of blood clots reported in the UK and Europe among patients given the AstraZeneca jab.However, he said adverse reactions from the vaccine are more common among young people, especially women.“We need to emphasise that those most at risk of adverse events are not the elderly or vulnerable groups. They are the young,” he told MalaysiaNow, adding that even in such cases, the chances of developing a negative reaction are very small.“This is why some countries are not giving AstraZeneca to those below 55.”In any case, he said, doctors in Malaysia are now aware of the potential conditions that could arise and know how to diagnose and treat such cases quickly and with licensed drugs that are locally available.Subramaniam also pointed out that Malaysia is still short on vaccines, saying it is better to use every available resource in the face of the pandemic.However, he urged the government to explain clearly the minimal risks accompanying the shots and the benefits to the people due to public anxiety over the matter.“The government should use various channels of communication to explain and clarify the very minimal risks compared to the benefits.“Right now, people might not trade real but minuscule risks for theoretical benefits,” he said.Some 91 countries have already approved use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in their immunisation programmes.International health and regulatory agencies including the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency have repeatedly said that the benefits of being vaccinated with AstraZeneca outweigh the risks, including of getting infected with Covid-19.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Azrul reiterated his confidence in the health ministry’s inclusion of AstraZeneca in its portfolio of vaccines.“Personally, if the AstraZeneca vaccine were to be offered to me, I would be willing to take it,” he said.


Myanmar crackdown death toll passes 520

The civilian death toll in the Myanmar military’s crackdown on protesters passed 520 as armed rebel groups on Tuesday threatened the junta with retaliation if the bloodshed does not stop.World powers have ramped up their condemnation of the military’s campaign against the anti-coup movement that is demanding the restoration of the elected government and the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Washington suspended a trade pact with Myanmar and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for a united global front to pressure the junta after more than 100 protesters were killed in a bloody weekend.Adding to that pressure campaign, a trio of ethnic rebel groups on Tuesday condemned the crackdown and threatened to fight alongside protesters unless the military reined in its violence.Daily rallies across Myanmar by unarmed demonstrators have been met with tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds.The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said it had confirmed a total of 521 civilian deaths by late Tuesday night but warned the true toll was probably significantly higher.On Tuesday, protesters in Yangon emptied rubbish bags in the streets as part of the latest action.Eight people were killed Tuesday including a 35-year-old protester in the town of Muse in Shan state, and there were also fatalities at Myitkyina in Kachin state as well as Mandalay and Bago, AAPP said.State media also reported a protester’s death in South Dagon, Yangon, while authorities are investigating a bomb explosion at a police station in the city of Bago which injured a few officers.Air strikes launched by the junta also killed six people in eastern Karen state, according to the Karen National Union (KNU), one of the country’s largest armed groups.Rebel warningThree of the country’s myriad armed ethnic insurgent groups – the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, the Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army (AA) – issued a joint statement threatening retaliation.“If they do not stop, and continue to kill the people, we will cooperate with the protesters and fight back,” the statement said.If such groups take up arms, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) warned that the situation could degenerate into civil war.Two dozen ethnic minority rebellions have flared in Myanmar since independence from British colonial rule in 1948, fighting over autonomy, identity, drugs and natural resources.The military has sought to cut deals with some armed groups and earlier this month took the AA off the list of terrorist organisations.But over the weekend it launched air strikes in Karen state – the first such strikes in 20 years – targeting the KNU after the group seized a military base.Further strikes were launched on Tuesday, but Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the KNU’s head of foreign affairs, said it would continue its position of “strongly supporting people’s movement against (the) military coup”.Close to 3,000 people fled through the jungle to seek safety across the border in Thailand.The Thai foreign ministry said late Tuesday about 2,300 have returned back to Myanmar and about 550 remain in Thailand.“I have never seen it (air strikes) before – I am so afraid,” Naw Eh Tah, 18, told AFP.Hsa Moo, a Karen human rights activist, told AFP that Thai authorities had pushed the people back and accused them of blocking UN refugee officials from the area.Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha insisted that there was “no influx” of refugees and that the kingdom’s authorities had not “scared them off with guns or sticks”.Some Karen people injured in the weekend air strikes sought medical treatment Tuesday on the Thai side of the border – the most serious case was a 15-year-old with a collapsed lung and broken rib.Thai police said they had intercepted 10 parcels containing 112 grenades and 6,000 rounds of ammunition in northern Chiang Rai province that had been destined for Myanmar’s notorious border town Tachileik.Global concernUN Secretary-General Guterres said the crackdown was “absolutely unacceptable” and urged the Myanmar authorities to undertake a “serious democratic transition”.US President Joe Biden’s administration announced Monday that the 2013 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which laid out ways to boost business but was not a fully-fledged deal, would remain suspended until democracy is restored.The UN Security Council will meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation, diplomatic sources said, after Britain called for emergency talks.China added its voice to a chorus of international concern on Monday, calling for restraint from all sides.The US, Britain and the EU have all imposed sanctions in response to the coup and crackdown, but so far diplomatic pressure has not persuaded the generals to ease off.


Daily caseload dips to 25,099, another 43 deaths reported

Another 25,099 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,246,779.Of the total number of cases recorded, 100 (0.40%%) were in Category Three and above.The remaining 24,999 (99.6%) were in Category One and Two.There were 17,749 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 2,955,404.A total of 1,510 cases were admitted to hospital yesterday, with 578 (38.3%) in Category Three and above and 932 (61.7%) in Category One and Two.Of the 100 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 25 (25%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 53 (53%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 22 (22%) had received a booster jab;* 47 (47%) were aged 60 and above;* 52 (52%) had comorbidities; and* 1 (1%) was a pregnant woman.There are now 258,985 active cases, of which 245,875 or 94.9% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 5,055 (2.0%) are at quarantine centres while 7,783 (3.0%) have been hospitalised.A total of 272 are in ICU with 164 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 59.3%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 32.5%.Another 43 deaths were reported, including 13 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 32,390.According to health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the country’s infectivity rate as of Feb 21 was 1.16.


Don’t waste time on ruling MPs, say Mat Sabu, Guan Eng in veiled jibe at Anwar

Two of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) top leaders have warned the coalition against placing its trust in MPs from the ruling bloc to gain power, in what appears to be a veiled jibe at PKR president Anwar Ibrahim’s recent attempts to get Umno MPs to his side.DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said the coalition’s narrow defeat in Tuesday’s vote on the 2021 budget in the Dewan Rakyat should be seen as an opportunity to build its strength with opposition parties outside of PH.“The budget vote… has taught us not to waste our energy seeking the mirage of more than 111 MPs based only on PH’s core of 92 MPs. Should the 108 MPs be the base instead, how much stronger will PH Plus be,” they said in a joint statement.They said while the vote showed that opposition MPs had not budged since the collapse of the PH government this year, it also disproved claims that ruling MPs would defect to back Anwar as prime minister.“Not a single government backbencher voted with PH, including those who allegedly support Anwar. Clearly these government backbenchers are adept at playing political games to gain maximum leverage from the PN government,” they added.On Tuesday, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government scored a narrow victory with 111 votes against 108 for the final reading of the 2021 budget.The vote was keenly followed as it would have shown whether Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin still has the confidence of the majority of MPs to remain in power.It came on the back of several statements by Anwar and his supporters that he had the majority to form the government.In October, MalaysiaNow revealed that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak had written to the palace expressing support for the opposition leader.Najib had also openly called on Barisan Nasional MPs to consider backing Anwar.In their statement, Lim and Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, called for PH to instead work towards “uniting our friends among the opposition MPs who stood by us”, believed to be a reference to MPs from blocs led by leaders who are seen as anti-Anwar, namely Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Warisan president Shafie Apdal.MPs from the Sabah party had stayed out of a series of votes during the budget debate, leaving PH MPs far behind in terms of the numbers needed to scuttle several ministerial allocations.“PH should not be wasting time on opportunistic government backbenchers exploiting PH for their own private benefit to get more and more lucrative deals from the PN government,” Lim and Mat Sabu added.“Instead, that time and resources should be spent on our friends and allies that can seek a common cause for the rakyat based on principles of sound democratic values, good governance, anti-corruption, economic progress and social justice.”


Penang PH, BN agree to avoid clashing at state polls

Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) have come to a consensus to avoid contesting against each other in the upcoming state election.
Penang PH chairman Chow Kon Yeow said negotiations between the two coalitions held yesterday focused solely on the 15 Malay-majority seats and several agreements were achieved.
"Both parties agreed to avoid any clashing of candidates and all would ensure a huge win in the elections,” he told reporters in Georgetown today, adding that as the negotiations were only on Malay-majority seats, BN also agreed to handle internal matters, including other component parties within its coalition.
He also said that although both parties agreed in principle that incumbents would be given the chance to defend their seats, consideration would be given depending on criteria as necessary.
As it was the first time the coalitions have held negotiations, Chow said that there were many other matters to discuss before the elections and that everything agreed upon at the discussion would be taken back to the respective parties for further refinement.
He clarified that all the seats that would be contested by PH-BN have yet to be finalised and discussions would be continued.
Yesterday’s discussions were attended by Chow, Deputy Chief Minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman, state PH deputy chairman Roslan Ahmad, state PH secretary Lim Hui Ying, state PH treasurer Goh Choon Aik and state PH communications and information director Zaidi Zakaria while BN was represented by state Umno chairman Musa Sheikh Fadzir, deputy chairman Shaik Hussein Mydin, secretary Shah Headan Ayoob Hussain Shah, treasurer Jeffri Salim, Penang BN secretary Omar Faudzar and Umno election department chairman Reezal Merican Naina Merican.
On parties’ requests for seats, Chow said it was too early to reveal such information and that negotiations were still ongoing.
Penang has 40 state seats, 37 of which are held by PH, including two seats won by Bersatu candidates when the party was still a part of the coalition, while BN holds two seats and PAS one.
Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu chose not to dissolve their state assemblies in tandem with the 15th general election, and media outlets have reported that all six state leaderships have decided that the best time to dissolve their state assemblies would by the last two weeks of June.


MoU with govt needed to ensure independent judiciary, PH leaders say

Top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders today stressed the importance of a independent judiciary as one of the elements of the coalition’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government, amid accusations levelled at the judge who convicted Najib Razak of corruption over millions found in the former prime minister’s personal accounts.The PH Presidential Council said Article 4.1 of the MoU clearly states that the federal government must “ensure the independence of the judiciary at all times”.“PH fully supports and defends the independence of the judiciary,” it said in a statement issued by PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim, Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu, DAP’s Anthony Loke and Upko’s Madius Tangau.The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) recently opened an investigation into Court of Appeal judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali over allegations of unexplained money in his bank account.Nazlan, who convicted Najib of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and corruption over the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds, meanwhile lodged a police report of his own, saying the claims were malicious, baseless and aimed at tarnishing his credibility as a judge.The PH leaders said MoU with the government should be continued to ensure that enforcement agencies do not violate the Federal Constitution but instead respect the principle of a free and independent judiciary.“It is abundantly clear that an independent judiciary is the backbone of the rule of law and a democratic system that is accepted and trusted by the people,” they said.


14.6% of population now fully vaccinated

A total of 4,769,909 individuals or 14.6% of the country’s population had completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of yesterday.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said 10,301,905 individuals had received a first dose, taking the total number of vaccine jabs administered so far to 15,071,814.“This number includes 299,593 doses administered on Hari Raya Aidiladha yesterday, of which 204,064 were for the first dose and 95,529 the second dose,” he said in a Twitter post today.The five states which recorded the highest number of vaccine doses administered yesterday were Selangor with 107,444, Kuala Lumpur (63,493), Sarawak (46,606), Johor (28,050) and Penang (14,630).Labuan continued to record the highest percentage of adults who had completed the vaccination regime with 64.7%, followed by Sarawak (47.3%), Perlis (36.5%), the Klang Valley (21.6%) and Negeri Sembilan (20.9%).


Change of leadership not the answer, says bosses group

The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) says maintaining political stability in the country is crucial to the fight against Covid-19, warning that volatility will hamper efforts to keep the spread of the virus at bay.In a statement, MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said all parties concerned should prioritise the lives and livelihoods of the people instead of lobbying for political support.“The country needs political stability during this pandemic, and having new leaders taking over the management of Covid-19 may not sit well as they may require more time before they act, whereas we need fast action,” he said.Adding that MEF is an apolitical organisation, he said a government that has the business community and the people at heart is needed in order to promote a good business environment and favourable conditions to grow businesses, attract investments and create employment opportunities.He also said that the present government was doing its best to manage issues throughout the pandemic, but reiterated MEF’s call for the reopening of the economic sector.“It is impossible to do battle on two major fronts at the same time with the Covid-19 crisis and also the rakyat crisis that has been caused by the prolonged lockdown,” he said.“We must urgently open up the economy with a strict focus on the affected sections of the industry so that the rakyat can earn a living.”Noting the recommendation by the World Health Organization that governments avoid implementing lockdowns due to their devastating consequences, he urged the government to focus on “Covid-19 management”.“Trying to do both at the same time is impossible,” he said.


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Russia launches criminal probe after award-winning reporter attacked

Russian investigators on Wednesday said they had launched a criminal investigation after award-winning journalist Elena Milashina was badly beaten in Chechnya.
Milashina, 45, covers rights abuses in Chechnya, the Caucasus republic ruled for years by Ramzan Kadyrov, a former warlord.
Milashina, who reports for Russia's top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, and Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, were badly beaten this week in the restive republic of Chechnya.
She is in a "difficult" condition in a Moscow hospital, her editor told AFP earlier in the day.
The Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said in a statement it opened a criminal inquiry into intentional infliction of "moderate" bodily harm and "light" bodily harm.
The top investigator in Chechnya, Vitaly Volkov, told the head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, that the investigation had been launched following a preliminary probe.
Genuine official investigations into rights abuses are very rare in Chechnya.
International media advocates and rights groups voiced concern after Milashina said she had been battered and held at gunpoint with Nemov during a work trip to the volatile region in southern Russia.
"Milashina is in Moscow in hospital. Her condition is, frankly, difficult: she was really severely beaten," Dmitry Muratov, the editor of Novaya Gazeta, told AFP reporters.
Novaya Gazeta published a video of Milashina in hospital with her head shaven and her hands bandaged. Nemov received a knife wound in the assault.
In a video interview, the journalist said around 10 to 15 attackers had beaten her with plastic pipes.
'It really hurt'
Milashina said that authorities routinely used such pipes to attack detainees in Chechnya. She said she had written about the practice before and now experienced it for the first time.
"It is a powerful weapon," she said in the video, smiling. "It really hurt."
The attackers, who demanded she reveal her phone password, also threatened to break her fingers.
She said the assault was linked to her work with Nemov, adding she heard the attackers telling the lawyer: "You defend too many people here."
She also said they shaved her head and poured a green-coloured dye over her.
The Kremlin and the strongman leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, said those responsible should be identified.
On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin's spokesman said it would take time for a full probe to be conducted, and that investigators were carrying out their work.
"Let's just wait. The reactions have all been voiced and now all actions are being taken," Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Muratov said Milashina's fingers were also injured, adding that "her condition is what you'd expect".
Since 2000, Novaya Gazeta has seen six of its journalists and contributors killed, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, who was shot dead in Moscow on President Vladimir Putin's birthday.


Speed up meeting on Zuraida’s replacement, Muhyiddin tells PM

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin today urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to expedite the meeting to discuss the status of the industry, plantation and commodities portfolio held by Zuraida Kamaruddin in the Cabinet.Noting that it had been more than two weeks since her decision to leave Bersatu, he said he hoped Ismail would prioritise the meeting in question.He said he did not want the party leadership and grassroots to assume that he as president had not taken any action on the matter.“On the part of Bersatu, we have given our views. This matter should be decided on immediately,” he said at a press conference after a dialogue in Kuala Lumpur today.Also present were Education Minister Radzi Jidin and Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu.Muhyiddin said Bersatu’s request was simple: to maintain the quota of ministers from the party following Zuraida’s move on May 26 to quit and join Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) instead.“If they want to appoint Zuraida to whatever position, that’s their right,” he said.“The main thing is, don’t take from Bersatu’s quota. If they want to establish a new ministry, go ahead.”When asked about PBM’s call for the seat to remain Zuraida’s, Muhyiddin refused to comment.He said that her party could hope, but that the decision still lay with the prime minister.Zuraida had said in her announcement in May that she would meet with Ismail as soon as possible to discuss her resignation as plantation industries and commodities minister.In a separate development, Muhyiddin also commented on the application by Bersatu MP Willie Mongin to join Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the party led by Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg.He said Willie had been contacted by Bersatu Supreme Council member Mohamed Azmin Ali to arrange a closed-door meeting with the party leaders.Despite Willie’s statements to the media, Muhyiddin said he would prefer not to comment any further but to instead take a more friendly approach through discussions.“I believe if Willie can meet with Azmin and then with me, we can resolve any issues that arise,” he said.“The important thing is for us to give him support. It is better that we talk and resolve this together.”Willie, the Puncak Borneo MP, said yesterday that he had applied to join PBB several months ago.He contested the Puncak Borneo seat on a Bersatu ticket in the 2018 general election.He joined Bersatu in 2020, in the wake of the Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan administration.


Thai train slams bus off tracks, killing 18

A train collided with a bus in central Thailand on Sunday morning, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 40, AFP reports.Thai police said 60 passengers on the chartered bus were going to a temple 50km from Bangkok. They were planning to offer yellow robes to the temple monks, in a traditional ceremony held at the end of Buddhist Lent.Footage shared by a government department showed the bus edging from the road onto train tracks before a blue cargo train slammed into it, toppling it over and ripping part of its roof off.Early photos taken by rescue workers showed twisted metal and scattered debris all around the bus, with bodies and personal belongings lying by the tracks.Dozens of injured passengers were rushed to nearby medical facilities for treatment.Cranes arrived early in the afternoon to remove the bus from the tracks.Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha gave his condolences and called for a thorough investigation.Such deadly accidents are common in Thailand, which regularly tops lists of the world’s most lethal roads, with speeding, drunk driving and weak law enforcement all contributing factors.Travel throughout the kingdom has been particularly hazardous this weekend after a huge storm blasted the region, leaving roads in poor condition and some provinces deluged in knee-high floods.


Mexico probing possible drug motive for attack on four Americans, document shows

Mexican law enforcement agents are investigating the possibility that members of a drug cartel kidnapped four Americans last Friday thinking that they were encroaching on their turf, according to an internal government document seen by Reuters.
Two of the Americans, identified by Mexican officials as Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown, were found dead on Monday in a wood cabin southeast of Matamoros, the border city in the state of Tamaulipas where the four were abducted on Friday.
Alongside them were their surviving companions, identified as Latavia McGee and Eric James Williams.
Mexican officials, who say they are pursuing various lines of inquiry, drew up a brief document summarising the abduction of the Americans and biographical information on them. The metadata of the digital document suggested it was created on Wednesday.
It included their names, birthdays and addresses, and details of criminal records. Among them were convictions for drug-related offenses against Brown and Woodard.
In view of the prior convictions, "it cannot be ruled out that the attack against (the Americans) could be directly linked to drug trafficking operations," which their assailants believed the Americans could be carrying out, the document said.
Reuters left voicemails and sent messages on social media to people identified by public records as relatives of the four, as well as at a number for Williams, but without response.
A Reuters review of South Carolina state records found that Woodard was convicted five times between 2007 and 2016 of drug crimes. Nearly all were minor offenses, but they included one of manufacturing banned narcotics with the intent to distribute.
Brown was convicted twice in 2015 for possessing small amounts of marijuana or concentrated cannabis, records show.
The records also showed that Williams was in 2017 convicted for the manufacture and distribution of cocaine, though this was not mentioned in the Mexican document seen by Reuters.
Americo Villarreal, governor of Tamaulipas, said during a news conference on Monday that the group had gone to Matamoros because McGee was planning to have some cosmetic surgery done, citing testimony from their relatives and US officials.
Tamaulipas Attorney General Irving Barrios told the same news conference the four were likely mistaken for somebody else, while stressing that other lines of investigation remained open.
Reuters could not ascertain how a drug gang might have known Americans with drug convictions were arriving in Matamoros.
It is also not clear if Mexican authorities have other evidence that might point to a drug-related motive for the abduction, which occurred in broad daylight.
The document seen by Reuters stated that a faction of the Gulf Cartel had an "iron grip" on illegal activities in the area, and pointed to members of the group as likely perpetrators of the kidnapping on the basis of intelligence gathered.
Mexico's security ministry did not reply to requests for comment about the document. The Tamaulipas attorney general's office said it did not have evidence to confirm or reject the information. The FBI declined to comment.
Tamaulipas attorney general Barrios said on Monday that Mexico's Gulf Cartel is known to operate in the area but did not explicitly blame it for the kidnapping.
The four Americans passed through Brownsville, Texas, on their way into Mexico last week. A concerned friend of McGee's told Brownsville police on Saturday that she had not heard from the group since Friday morning, and "would not be surprised if her friends got arrested because they are known to party and use narcotics", according to the police report.
Mexican officials have not yet specified the cause of death of Brown and Woodard. Their bodies are due to be returned to the US from Mexico very soon.


Japan pledges safe Olympics, medical experts aren’t so sure

Japanese infectious disease specialist Atsuo Hamada wants to see the Olympics happen in Tokyo this summer, but admits if they were being held anywhere else, he’d probably support a cancellation.“Even without the coronavirus pandemic, the Olympics as a mass gathering fosters all sorts of infectious diseases,” Hamada, a professor at Tokyo Medical University, told AFP.With less than six months until the pandemic-postponed Games, organisers say they’re confident the event will be safe. But some medical experts aren’t so sure, and think cancellation is safer.“I do understand the athletes’ sentiments,” said Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Britain’s University of Southampton.“But I think from… the global public health point of view, there’s nothing about the Olympics that makes any sense whatsoever right now.”Olympic officials have started outlining virus safety measures, from pre-arrival health monitoring to regular testing in Japan, and limitations on how long athletes will stay at the Olympic Village.“It is the mantra of all of us – the Games have to be safe,” Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said last week.Organisers point to the success of other sports events during the pandemic, but experts note the Games will be on an entirely different scale.The numbers are formidable: 26,000 beds in the Olympic Village alone, around 12,000 accredited media, and participants from around 200 countries.“Even if they’ve been vaccinated, there may be certain variants that have certain resistance to the vaccine,” warned Head.“Mixing of people from so many different countries will simply accelerate the likelihood of new variants emerging.”Foreign fans ‘inconceivable’Hassan Vally, an associate professor of public health at Australia’s La Trobe University, said he was sure “that anything that can be done to reduce the risk is being done.”“But you can’t reduce the risk completely,” said Vally, who has worked on virus policy.“If you have your public health lens on, this is doing everything that we don’t want to be doing right now.”Organisers are waiting until spring to make some key decisions, including whether to limit or bar spectators from events – something health experts consider necessary.“It is inconceivable to let spectators in from all around the world,” Hamada said, adding that having any spectators would involve “significant risks”.Head said organisers should be reducing the number of people involved with the Games to the absolute minimum.“It wouldn’t eliminate the risk, but it would reduce it,” he said.The global rollout of virus vaccines has raised hopes for the Games, with some countries saying they plan to vaccinate athletes before the summer.Japan and the International Olympic Committee have not made vaccination a precondition for Olympic participation.Public health expert Koji Wada warned it was unlikely all the athletes and the Japanese public will be vaccinated before the Games.“Vaccines are a tool to protect yourself, not others,” added Wada, a professor at the International University of Health and Welfare in Otawara who has advised Japan’s government on the pandemic.“You should not look to the vaccines as an answer to this.”‘Concrete plans’He advised organisers to consider whether some contact sports might be too risky in a pandemic.“Maybe surfing and table tennis are okay. But judo seems difficult.”But others see ways the Games can work in its full capacity.“With frequent testing, and athletes and staff limiting their movement and staying in bubbles, and everyone watching it on television, that is a possibility that I can imagine now,” said Hamada.Vally said he too expects the Games to go ahead, but that organisers should assume there will be virus cases.“There’s no way the Games will go by without some drama along the way to do with the virus, it’s a matter of how that is responded to that’s going to be the biggest challenge.”For now, Hamada said, organisers need to “show concrete plans” for a safe Games.“If after all that, it’s better to cancel it, then we must cancel it.”


Daily caseload at 2,600 as 11 more deaths reported

Another 2,636 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,765,188.
There were 3,206 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,694,041.
There are now 34,970 active cases, of which 33,500 or 95.8% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 24 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,379 (3.9%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 67 are in ICU with 36 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 63.9%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 18.0%.
Another 11 deaths were reported, including five who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,177.


CIA director called Kremlin to assure US had no role in aborted mutiny, reports say

CIA director William Burns called Russian spy chief Sergei Naryshkin after last week's aborted mutiny in Russia to assure the Kremlin that the US had no role in it, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Burns' phone call with Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, took place this week and was the highest-level contact between the two governments since the attempted mutiny, the WSJ said.
The boss of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, shocked the world by leading last week's armed revolt, only to abruptly call it off as his fighters approached Moscow.
President Joe Biden said on Monday the brief uprising by Russian mercenaries against the Kremlin was part of a struggle within the Russian system and that the US and its allies were not involved in it.


Work from home sees migration in property purchase trends

Working from home, which gained currency during the Covid-19 pandemic when many companies were forced to shutter their physical offices and adopt a remote approach to business, has seen a shift in property trends with buyers moving from locations in the city to those in rural or suburban areas, a study by PropertyGuru shows.PropertyGuru Malaysia’s country manager Sheldon Fernandez said many of the top 10 housing projects with the highest number of transactions were in areas far from city centres such as Bukit Sentosa and Bandar Bukit Beruntung in Rawang, Selangor, and Bandar Putra in Kulai, Johor.“This is also driven by the practice of working from home which began after the outbreak of Covid-19 and saw a change in buyers’ preference,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Now, locations near urban areas are not necessarily a factor in buying a house,” he said, adding that future developments coupled with greater accessibility would have a huge impact on the value of existing properties.The study conducted by PropertyGuru DataSense, the research arm of PropertyGuru, also found an increase in demand for homes with larger land areas in rural locations, leading to a rise in property purchases in small town areas in the first quarter of 2021.Fernandez said the construction of more facilities and public transport links such as LRT, MRT and train stations could boost the value of property in these areas.“Normally, when many people move to a particular location, we will witness all sorts of development such as the building of shopping malls which will also drive up prices,” he said.For young house buyers, he said, the difficulty in purchasing a home is usually due to a mismatch in supply and demand, especially in urban areas where house prices are seen as out of reach.He also spoke of a lack of interest in what is available in the market.“The priorities of the young have changed,” he said. “They take into consideration location, facilities and price along with several other factors.“There is also a significant difference in terms of income and house prices. The slower average wage growth compared to the sharp increase in house prices makes it very difficult for Malaysians to own their own home.”He said the surge in commodity prices had also caused an increase in the cost of construction and property development, including the cost of compliance with regulations, the purchase of land, a shortage of land in some areas, and the cost of building materials and labour.He said it was not impossible for property value to decline, pointing to the situation when Covid-19 first broke out last year.“The PropertyGuru Malaysia Property Price Demand Index has been on the decline since Q2 2020 with a year-on-year drop of 2.16% since Covid-19 cases were first recorded and the movement control order put in place,” he said.“The Property Market Index report also shows a quarter-on-quarter decline in price demand in Mont Kiara (-3.04%) and KLCC (-6.86%) due to lower buying appetite.”With the budget for 2022 looming around the corner, Fernandez suggested that the government consider implementing the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC) at the residential secondary market level, and extending it until 2022.“If the HOC is extended to the secondary market, it could help boost the market for residential property and encourage first-time buyers to consider subsale homes, especially if stamp duty exemptions can help reduce upfront costs,” he said.“This is in line with PropertyGuru’s Consumer Sentiment Survey which found that 84% of Malaysians believe that the government is still able to help make house prices more affordable, and 54% want the government to extend the HOC to subsale homes.”He said the government could also introduce rental incentives that would benefit tenants and owners as had been done by the New South Wales government in Australia.“The incentive allows homeowners to make financial claims in the event of reduced rental payments to tenants affected by Covid-19,” he said.“We also hope that the government will either extend or revise the property gains tax exemption as the people and the property market alike head towards recovery.”


Trouble recruiting election workers among reasons for scrapping Batu Sapi polls

Difficulty in recruiting election workers is one of five reasons Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said were behind the Cabinet’s recommendation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to declare a state of emergency in Batu Sapi to prevent a by-election there.Muhyiddin said as of Nov 6, the Election Commission had only managed to recruit 143 people to carry out election-related work in Batu Sapi, where a by-election had been scheduled on Dec 5.“The risk of infection among election workers cannot be taken lightly as they deal directly with voters and are exposed to Covid-19,” Muhyiddin said in a special address to explain the reasons behind the emergency declaration in Batu Sapi.Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah today invoked his powers under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution to declare an emergency in Batu Sapi, effectively cancelling the December polls.The federal seat has been vacant since the death of its incumbent Liew Vui Keong early last month.Muhyiddin said public health topped the list of concerns behind the emergency declaration, adding that there was no strict public compliance with SOPs as seen in the recent Sabah election.Other reasons include the difficulty of controlling cross-border travel by election officers and voters, the risk of infection for elderly voters who form 22.3% of the electorate in Batu Sapi, and the socio-economic impact on the residents of Batu Sapi and the Sandakan district in the event that a fresh wave of Covid-19 cases follows the by-election.“This will definitely undermine the efforts of the frontliners, most of whom feel exhausted after having worked very hard for so long to contain the pandemic.“Have mercy on those who are struggling night and day and losing sleep to protect our lives,” the prime minister said.He assured residents in Batu Sapi that the emergency declaration would have no impact on their daily lives.“There will be no curfews or military-like rule in Batu Sapi,” he said, adding that all administrative and economic activities will be allowed subject to health SOPs.“On behalf of the Perikatan Nasional government, I give my word that once the Covid-19 pandemic ends, the Batu Sapi election will be held in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Constitution.“When the by-election is held, voters may exercise their democratic rights in a safe, peaceful and harmonious situation,” he added.


Up to Supreme Council to decide on Umno polls, says Ismail Sabri

It is up to the Umno Supreme Council to decide whether to hold party elections this year or to postpone it for up to 18 months, Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.Ismail, who is also the senior minister for security, said according to the party’s constitution, elections must be held every three years once the term for the party leadership ends.“According to the Umno constitution, the Supreme Council is allowed to postpone (party elections) for up to 18 months.“The term for the current Umno leadership will end on June 30, 2021, but it is up to the council to put party elections on hold,” he said after an event in Petaling Jaya.Umno is supposed to hold party elections this year but no decision has yet been made as there are different views among its leaders who respectively insist that polls be held before the 15th general election or be postponed.In February, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi gave his assurance that party elections would be held this year although no date was fixed.The last time Umno held its internal polls was on June 30, 2018.


Japan planning mass virus jabs ahead of Olympics, reports say

Japan aims to start vaccinating the general public against the coronavirus in May – just two months before the postponed Olympics – after targeted jabs for the most vulnerable, reports said Wednesday.The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said the government is hoping the majority of adults will be vaccinated by July, when the Games are due to open.The country has agreed with pharmaceutical firms to receive enough doses for all 126 million residents and is working to approve the Pfizer jab as the first to be used in Japan from next month.Around 10,000 medical workers will be first in line for free inoculation, top government officials have said, followed by 50 million at-risk people including those with underlying conditions and the over-65s.Ministers hope to start mass vaccination in May at the earliest, the Yomiuri and Sankei Shimbun newspapers reported, citing unnamed government sources.Tokyo 2020’s opening ceremony is in six months, but a surge in Covid-19 infections in Japan and worldwide has cast fresh doubt over the event.Public support for the Olympics has plummeted, with more than 80% of people recently polled in Japan saying they should be cancelled or postponed again.Asked about Wednesday’s reports, top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said it was too early to announce a vaccination schedule.“Vaccination will begin only after the vaccine is approved,” he said.However, experts have warned that vaccine hesitancy in Japan may cloud its rollout.Just 60% of Japanese respondents in an international survey published in December said they want the vaccine, compared with 80% in China, 75% in South Korea and 69% in the US.Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said he will be among the first to be vaccinated, in an apparent attempt to bolster lukewarm confidence about the jab.


Ex-aide says Rosmah never solicited money for herself

Rosmah Mansor’s former special officer today told the High Court that the former prime minister’s wife had never solicited money for herself or directly sought money from then-managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, Saidi Abang Samsudin, regarding the solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.Rizal Mansor also agreed with Rosmah’s counsel Jagjit Singh that she had never directly sought money from Saidi’s business partner Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah relating to the project.Rizal said he arranged the first meeting between Rosmah, Saidi and Rayyan at Rosmah’s house in Langgak Duta between January and February 2016 for the purpose of a political donation.He also agreed that it was his duty to get Rosmah involved in the matter.He told the court that Jepak intended to contribute to Najib as a token of appreciation for the minutes given by the former prime minister to the company, and to ensure Barisan Nasional’s victory in the next general election.When asked if Saidi and Rayyan intended to contribute the money through Rosmah as they did not want to disturb Najib, Rizal said yes.He also agreed with Jagjit that he had used the wrong choice of words in his witness statement, in which he said Saidi and Rayyan had offered the political donation through Rosmah, not to her.He likewise agreed with Jagjit’s suggestion that he needed a lot of money as he had intended to contest for the post of Umno Youth chief in 2017.“You agree that the money ought to assist you in your political ambition as Umno Youth chief was all corrupt money. You received corrupt money for this purpose,” said Jagjit, to which Rizal said yes.Rizal also said he never told Rosmah about his intention to run for Umno Youth chief and agreed with Jagjit that he had done many things without her knowledge.Rosmah was alleged to have received the bribes through Rizal as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel gen-sets for 369 schools, worth RM1.25 billion, through direct negotiation from the education ministry.The offences were allegedly committed at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra; Rosmah’s residence at Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta and at Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017.The hearing continues tomorrow before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.


New infections top 3,400 as 9 more deaths reported

Another 3,457 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,960,179.
There were 3,736 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,895,719.
There are now 27,877 active cases, of which 25,818 or 92.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,970 (7.1%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 89 are in ICU with 46 in need of respiratory assistance.
Nine more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,583.


High-risk teachers may be included in Phase 1 of vaccination programme

The education ministry will give priority to teachers in the high-risk group for the Covid-19 vaccine if the request for them to be included in the first phase of the vaccination programme starting Wednesday is approved.Deputy Education Minister 1 Muslimin Yahaya said the ministry is holding discussions with the science, technology and innovation ministry for teachers to be given the vaccine in the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, seeing that schools will be opening next month.“If the request is approved, the ministry will give priority to high-risk teachers to get the vaccine,” he told reporters after conducting a survey on the first day of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination at SMK Yoke Kuan in Sekinchan today.Earlier, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said they had received many applications from groups including educators who wanted to be among the first-phase recipients of the Covid-19 vaccine.He said the application was reasonable as schools would reopen in March.However Khairy, who is also the coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, said they are also facing constraints as the supply of vaccines for the first phase is only about one million doses of which a partial amount has been earmarked for some 500,000 medical and non-medical frontliners.He requested that the education ministry provide a list of high-risk teachers so that they can receive the vaccine before schools reopen in March.


Meta takes aim at Twitter with Threads app, millions join

Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday launched a direct challenge to Twitter with Threads, garnering millions of users in hours as it sought to take advantage of its rival's much-weakened state after a series of chaotic decisions from owner Elon Musk.
Those quick to join the new Meta platform included celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez as well as prominent politicians such as Democratic US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"Let's do this. Welcome to Threads," Zuckerberg wrote in his first post on the app, along with a fire emoji. He said the app logged 10 million sign-ups in seven hours.
He then took to Twitter, posting a well-known meme of Spiderman facing off against Spiderman - in a humorous jab at the rivalry with Musk and between the two services.
Analysts have said Threads' ties to Instagram might give it a built-in user base and advertising apparatus. That could siphon ad dollars from Twitter at a time when its new CEO is trying to revive its struggling business.
While Threads launched as a standalone app, users can log in using their Instagram credentials and follow the same accounts, potentially making it an easy addition to existing habits for Instagram's more than two billion monthly active users.
"Investors can't help but be a little excited about the prospect that Meta really has a 'Twitter-Killer'," said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at investment firm AJ Bell.
Others saw the launch of Threads as an opportunity to create a less toxic version of Twitter.
"May this platform have good vibes, strong community, excellent humour, and less harassment," Ocasio-Cortez said in her post.
Much like Twitter, the app features short text posts that users can like, re-post and reply to, although it does not include any direct message capabilities. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos and videos up to five minutes long, according to a Meta blog post.
It is available in more than 100 countries on both Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, the blog post said.
Meta stock closed up 3% on Wednesday ahead of the launch, outpacing gains by rival tech firms.
Twitter on the back foot
Threads' arrival comes after Zuckerberg and Musk have traded barbs for months, even threatening to fight each other in a real-life mixed martial arts cage match in Las Vegas.
Meta is taking aim at a time when Twitter is definitely on the defensive.
Musk bought Twitter for US$44 billion (about RM205 billion) last October, but its value has since plummeted amid deep staffing cuts and content moderation controversies that have alienated both users and advertisers. Its latest move involved limiting the number of tweets users can read per day.
Zuckerberg noted the challenges that big public social media forums bring. "I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will," he wrote.
The integration with Instagram included several nods to privacy considerations. Instagram users who sign up for Threads automatically have a badge affixed to their Instagram profile, but can opt to hide it. They also are given options to choose different privacy settings for each app.
Brands like Billboard, HBO, NPR and Netflix had accounts set up within minutes of launch. The app did not appear to show any ads, according to a Reuters review.
To build up Threads, Meta has been making overtures to social media influencers to attract them to the new app and encouraging them to post at least twice a day, said Ryan Detert, CEO of influencer marketing company Influential.
The app also benefits from the failure of other would-be Twitter competitors to take advantage of the service's stumbles. While a number of burgeoning competitors such as Mastodon, Post, Truth Social and T2 have tried to lure Twitter users away, all remain relatively small so far.
Bluesky, a new service backed by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, launched its invite-only beta in February and initially had users clamoring to get access codes. Its website said it had 50,000 users as of April. Dorsey also backed another platform called Nostr.
Meta has, however, suffered multiple failures launching standalone copycat apps in the past, most notably its Lasso app aimed at competing with short video rival TikTok.
The company later incorporated a short video tool, Reels, directly into Instagram and more recently wound down its unit tasked with designing experimental apps.
Zuckerberg, responding to a user who predicted Twitter's demise about an hour after the Threads launch, cautioned patience. "We're only in the opening moments of the first round here," he said.


First war crimes case against Russian soldier to open in Kyiv

The first war crimes trial since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, against a Russian soldier accused of killing an unarmed civilian, gets underway in Kyiv on Wednesday.The trial, expected to be followed by several others, will test the Ukrainian justice system at a time when international institutions are also conducting their own investigations into abuses committed by Russian forces.Vadim Shishimarin, 21, will appear at Kyiv’s Solomyansky district court from 2pm (1100 GMT) over the death of a 62-year-old man in northeastern Ukraine on Feb 28.Charged with war crimes and premeditated murder, the soldier from Irkutsk in Siberia faces a possible life sentence.“He understands what he is being accused of,” his lawyer Viktor Ovsiannikov told AFP, without revealing the case for the defence.Ukrainian authorities say he is cooperating with investigators and admitting the facts of the incident which came just four days after the Russian invasion began.Prosecutors said Shishimarin was commanding a unit in a tank division when his convoy came under attack.He and four other soldiers stole a car, and as they were travelling near the village of Shupakhivka in the Sumy region, they encountered a 62-year-old man on a bicycle.“One of the soldiers ordered the accused to kill the civilian so that he would not denounce them,” the prosecutor’s office said.Shishimarin then fired a Kalashnikov assault rifle from the window of the vehicle and “the man died instantly, a few dozen metres from his home”, they added in a statement.‘Clear signal’In early May, Ukrainian authorities announced his arrest without giving details, while publishing a video in which Shishimarin said he had come to fight in Ukraine to “support his mother financially”.He explained his actions saying: “I was ordered to shoot, I shot him once. He fell and we continued our journey.”The case is proving challenging, according to his lawyer.“This is the first such case in Ukraine with such an indictment. There is no relevant legal practice or verdicts on such cases. We will sort it out,” he said.Ovsiannikov said he had not seen any rights violations by the authorities.Ukraine’s chief prosecutor Iryna Venediktova underlined the importance of the case for her country in a series of tweets.“We have over 11,000 ongoing cases of war crimes and already 40 suspects,” she said.“By this first trial, we are sending a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who ordered or assisted in the commission of crimes in Ukraine shall not avoid responsibility.”Two Russian servicemen are due to go on trial from Thursday for firing rockets at civilian infrastructure in the northeastern Kharkiv region.


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