UK PM Johnson faces new call to resign over ‘partygate’

A Conservative lawmaker submitted a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson on Friday and another quit a role as an assistant to Britain’s interior minister, putting new pressure on the prime minister over illegal parties at his Downing Street residence during Covid-19 lockdowns.Bob Neill, the chair of parliament’s justice committee, said an official report on the parties issued on Wednesday showed a pattern of “unacceptable behaviour” over months during Britain’s coronavirus crisis, and said he did not find Johnson’s explanations to be credible.“Trust is the most important commodity in politics, but these events have undermined trust in not just the office of the prime minister, but in the political process itself,” Neill said in a statement. “To rebuild that trust and move on, a change in leadership is required.”Johnson said after the report was issued that he took responsibility for the events but refused to quit.Another Conservative lawmaker, Paul Holmes, said earlier on Friday he was resigning from his government role as parliamentary private secretary at the Home Office to focus on representing his constituents.“It is clear to me that a deep mistrust in both the government and the Conservative party has been created by these events… It is distressing to me that this work on your behalf has been tarnished by the toxic culture that seemed to have permeated Number 10,” Holmes said in a statement.Other Conservative lawmakers this week have said they had submitted letters calling for a confidence vote in Johnson to the chairman of the party’s 1922 Committee – which would be triggered if 54 such letters are written.The letters are confidential, so only the chairman of the 1922 Committee knows how many have actually been submitted.However, Holmes confirmed to Reuters he had not written a letter to call for Johnson to resign.


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Trump says he will leave office if Biden victory confirmed

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would leave the White House if Joe Biden is officially confirmed the winner of the US election, but he repeated that he may never concede defeat.Trump has made an unprecedented attempt to defy the results of the Nov 3 vote, spreading wild theories about stolen ballots and launching baseless legal challenges that have been thrown out by courts across the country.Answering his first questions from reporters since the election, the president moved closer to accepting that he would serve only one term in office before Biden is inaugurated on Jan 20.When asked if he would leave the White House if the Electoral College confirmed Biden’s victory, Trump said, “Certainly I will. And you know that.”But “if they do, they made a mistake”, he said, adding, “It’s going to be a very hard thing to concede.”“This was a massive fraud,” Trump said about the election result, again without providing any evidence.During the press call on Thursday, the Thanksgiving holiday, he described the US voting infrastructure as “like a third-world country”.President-elect Biden said Wednesday that Americans “won’t stand” for attempts to derail the election outcome.


UK health secretary Hancock resigns after Covid breach

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock resigned on Saturday following revelations he broke government coronavirus restrictions during an affair with a close aide, with former finance minister Sajid Javid taking up the role.The frontman for Britain’s response to the pandemic, particularly the nationwide vaccine roll-out, quit in a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.“We owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down as I have done by breaching the guidance,” he wrote.“The last thing I would want is for my private life to distract attention from the single-minded focus that is leading us out of this crisis.”Johnson said he was sorry to receive Hancock’s resignation, and that he should be “immensely proud” of his service.His Downing Street office later said that Queen Elizabeth II had approved the appointment of Sajid Javid MP as his replacement.Johnson had initially stood by his health secretary after Hancock admitted breaking Covid social distancing rules, when at the same time he was urging the public to stick by the measures.Opposition parties have accused the government of hypocrisy over breaches of lockdown rules which have seen many members of the public slapped with fines.Hancock conceded he had let the public down after The Sun newspaper published a security camera still obtained apparently from a whistleblower showing him kissing the aide in his office on May 6.The main opposition Labour party said the government needed to answer questions about the undisclosed appointment of the aide, former lobbyist Gina Coladangelo, to Hancock’s top advisory team.Both she and Hancock are married, and first met at university.‘Hopeless’Last week, Hancock rejected criticism of his handling of the Covid pandemic after private WhatsApp exchanges emerged in which Johnson appeared to describe him as “hopeless”.He has also previously faced allegations that he lied to Johnson and awarded a contract to an unqualified friend.And he has faced further questions about his ownership of shares in a family company that won a Covid-related contract from his ministry last year.But Johnson praised Hancock for his role in Britain’s successful vaccine rollout, which he called “one of the greatest successes of the modern state”.“It has been your task to deal with a challenge greater than faced by any of your predecessors and in fighting Covid you have risen to that challenge – with abundant energy, intelligence and determination that are your hallmark,” he added.Hancock’s replacement Javid has already held two of the top jobs in government, serving as finance minister from 2019 to 2020 and interior minister in 2018.One of five sons of Pakistani immigrant parents, he is a former managing director at Deutsche Bank and previously worked as an aide to former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.Labour leader Keir Starmer said Hancock was right to resign, but tweeted that Johnson “should have sacked him”.Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings had recently turned his guns on Hancock, releasing internal documents related to his early handling of the pandemic.Even before Saturday’s announcement, Johnson was already under pressure to replace him.Britain was due to fully ease restrictions on June 21, but the emergence of the Delta variant, first found in India, has led to an extension of social distancing rules.


UK's pandemic inquiry set to open as victims' relatives lash out

An inquiry probing the UK government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic kicks off Tuesday with the investigation mired in controversy even before the first witness is called.
The inquiry chair, retired senior judge Heather Hallett, has called for ex-prime minister Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks to be handed over, prompting a legal challenge from the government of his successor Rishi Sunak.
Sunak, who was finance minister during the pandemic, has denied trying to block the material while Johnson is said to be in favour of it being shared.
Relatives of Covid-19 victims have also taken aim at the investigation saying it will be a "farce" if bereaved families are not able to testify.
The UK suffered one of the worst Covid-19 death tolls in Europe with more than 128,500 fatalities recorded by mid-July 2021.
The first phase of the inquiry will focus on the UK's resilience and preparedness in the face of the global health emergency.
Established by Johnson in 2021 it will be split up into six sections and begin with an opening statement by Hallett, who previously oversaw the coroner's inquests into the 52 people killed in the July 7, 2005 London bombings.
It will be followed by a short film showing the impact of the pandemic.
The first witnesses to give evidence in person to the inquiry will be leading epidemiologists Jimmy Whitworth and Charlotte Hammer on Wednesday.
But relatives of people who died from Covid-19 have condemned the decision not to include any of them in the inquiry's first six-week phase.
'Just a farce'
The Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group had put forward 20 people to be considered as witnesses for the first module, but said none had been called to give evidence.
"Without learning from the experiences of our members, how can the inquiry properly evaluate the decisions made by those in charge?" said group member Barbara Herbert, who lost her husband Paul to Covid.
"We are people that will be able to put reality to the theory that Hallett is testing, that has got to happen, otherwise it's just a farce," added Saleyha Ahsan, a doctor whose father Ahsan-ul-Haq Chaudry also died.
A spokeswoman for the inquiry said the chair had not ruled out calling testimony from bereaved people in later phases of the probe.
Public inquiries in the UK are government-funded but have an independent chair.
Hallett has refused to back down over her request for Johnson's unredacted communications, likely to include exchanges at the heart of government relating to the ordering of three lockdowns in 2020 when Sunak was in charge of the country's purse strings.
The government's Cabinet Office, the department that supports the prime minister and oversees the running of government, has questioned the relevance of the material.
But Hallett has insisted it is for her to rule what is relevant to the investigation.
A judge is due to rule on the request at the end of June, with the material expected to be central to the inquiry's second phase later in 2023 on government decision-making.
Later phases will focus on how the UK health service coped with the pandemic, vaccines and therapeutics, government procurement and the impact on the care sector.
The public hearings are scheduled to conclude by summer 2026.


Covid cases in Europe up again after 10 weeks of decline

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said Covid cases were on the rise again in Europe after two months of decline and warned a new wave would come “unless we remain disciplined”.“Last week, the number of cases rose by 10%, driven by increased mixing, travel, gatherings and easing of social restrictions,” WHO’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge told a press conference.“There will be a new wave in the WHO European region unless we remain disciplined,” Kluge added.Kluge cautioned this reversal came in the context of rising cases of the Delta variant, first spotted in India, which the regional director said “overtakes Alpha very quickly”, referring to the variant that first emerged in Britain.A report by the EU’s disease control agency ECDC estimated the more contagious Delta variant could account for 90 percent of new cases in the EU by the end of August.Kluge also said that the Delta variant could become the dominant strain in WHO’s European region, which is made up by 53 countries and territories – including several in Central Asia – by August.The regional director said that the vaccine rollout was nowhere near where it needed to be to offer the necessary protection.Vaccines have been shown to also protect against the Delta variant, but a high level of protection requires two doses.Kluge said that the average vaccine coverage in WHO’s European region was 24%, and half of elderly people and 40% of healthcare workers were still unprotected.“That is unacceptable, and that is far from the recommended 80% coverage of the adult population,” Kluge said.


NZ police say anti-vaxxers hurled human waste

New Zealand police accused anti-vaccine demonstrators of throwing human waste at them Monday, during a pre-dawn operation to place roadblocks around a protest camp outside Wellington’s parliament building.The protesters took control of the parliamentary grounds and surrounding streets almost two weeks ago, setting up a camp that continues to grow despite police appeals to move on.The number of vehicles clogging downtown roads almost doubled to 800 over the weekend as more protesters joined the action, inspired by Canada’s “Freedom Convoy” trucker protest.In a bid to prevent further expansion, about 300 police deployed at 3.30am escorting forklifts which were used to place concrete barricades on key roads.Police said “a large number of vocal protesters were present” and eight arrests were made.“Seven officers sustained injuries during the operation, ranging from scratches to an ankle injury,” they said in statement.“Some officers also had human waste thrown over them by protesters.”Police said they would “hold to account” those responsible, pointing out that attempting to deliberately infect someone with a disease can attract a 14-year jail term.Police have largely taken a hands-off approach to the protest, saying attempts to forcibly clear the camp from parliament would result in violence.“Police would have to move in using batons, probably using tear gas, to clear that crowd off the grounds – it’s likely to lead to extended confrontation,” Commissioner Andrew Coster told TVNZ Sunday.Coster also said he had been in contact with authorities in Ottawa, where police in riot gear dislodged the trucker protest over the weekend after more than three weeks.The Wellington protest began as a movement against vaccine mandates but has grown to encompass a range of grievances, with some far-right messaging among the anti-government and anti-media slogans on display.Wellington residents have complained about being abused for wearing masks, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemning “bullying and harassment” of residents.“The protesters have made their point, it is time for them to leave,” she told reporters.Ardern said she would only consider lifting coronavirus restriction when the current outbreak of the Omicron variant had peaked, not in response to pressure from protesters.New Zealand reported 2,377 new cases Monday and has reported 53 deaths in a population of five million during the pandemic.


Indonesia frees cleric linked to Bali bombing

A radical cleric linked to the Bali nightclub bombings was freed from prison Friday, stirring grief and anger among victims nearly two decades after more than 200 people, mostly foreign tourists, were killed in Indonesia’s worst terror attack.Abu Bakar Bashir, 82, is seen as the spiritual leader of Islamist terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which was responsible for the massive blasts that ripped through a pair of packed bars in October 2002.The firebrand preacher was released after completing an unrelated jail term for helping fund militant training. But he has long been suspected of involvement in the horrific holiday island bombings, which came just a year after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.A van with Bashir inside left Gunung Sindur prison near the capital Jakarta at around 5.30am Friday local time, accompanied by members of Indonesia’s elite counter-terror squad.Bashir was expected to return to his hometown, Solo city.Sentenced to 15 years in 2011, his term was later cut due to sentencing reductions handed to most prisoners in Indonesia.Bashir had been previously jailed over the Bali bombings, but that conviction was quashed on appeal. He has repeatedly denied involvement and his exact role remains unclear.‘Warmly welcomed’The Bali bombings prompted Jakarta to strengthen cooperation with the US and Australia on counter-terrorism.Al-Qaeda-linked JI – founded by exiled Indonesian militants in neighbouring Malaysia in the 1980s – was largely dismantled by security forces after the 2002 attacks, and a 2005 bombing on the holiday island.It was also blamed for a 2003 car bomb at the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta and another the following year outside the Australian embassy.There have been signs of the network’s resurgence in recent years, although Bashir’s influence has waned, said Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones.“But his release will be warmly welcomed by… former JI followers as he is still seen as a senior figure in the radical movement in Indonesia,” she added.Bashir’s lawyers had appealed for his release citing his age and risk of contracting Covid-19 in the Southeast Asian nation’s notoriously overcrowded prison system.The cleric refused to renounce his extremist views in exchange for leniency when the government considered releasing him early two years ago.The plan was shelved after a backlash at home and in Australia, which lost 88 of its citizens in the Bali attacks.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described Bashir’s release as “gut-wrenching”.“I still remember that day, very vividly like I’m sure many Australians do,” he said Friday, adding that Bashir had served his time for another crime.“(But) that doesn’t make it any easier for any Australian to accept, ultimately that those who are responsible for the murder of Australians would now be free.”‘It hurts me a lot’News of Bashir’s release brought back the “horror of the memories” for Jan Laczynski, 51.He was drinking with friends at the Sari Club before flying back to Australia. Hours later, five of his friends were among the hundreds killed as a string of huge bombs ripped through the district.“It hurts me a lot. I wanted to see justice done,” Laczynski told AFP earlier from Melbourne.“There are still people even next week having operations for their burns, people are still suffering.”Thiolina Ferawati Marpaung suffered permanent eye injuries after she was hit by glass from the massive explosions, that also killed scores of Indonesians and holidaymakers from more than 20 countries.“His release makes me feel uneasy,” the Bali resident said. “I hope authorities will watch him carefully.”Bashir’s son, Abdul Rohim, described his father as a “victim” of extremist ideology, but said the family would try to soften his hardline views.Laczynski urged authorities to make sure Bashir is not afforded any platform to spread his violent message.“He hasn’t changed in jail, if anything he’s got worse,” the Australian said.“He will always be preaching his evil and this evil has to stop.”


WHO says no reports yet of Omicron Covid deaths

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday it had not seen any reports of deaths relating to the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.WHO said it was collecting evidence about the variant of concern, as countries around the world scramble to stop it spreading.But despite a growing number of countries reporting infections with the new variant, no deaths have yet been reported to the UN health agency.“I have not seen reports of Omicron-related deaths yet,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva.“We’re collecting all the evidence and we will find much more evidence as we go along.“The more countries… keep testing people, and looking specifically into the Omicron variant, we will also find more cases, more information, and, hopefully not, but also possibly deaths.”


Eyebrows raised as Israeli ‘intelligence’ plane lands at Singapore army base

An airliner belonging to an Israeli defence firm hovered for four hours over Singapore airspace yesterday before finally landing at the military base in Paya Lebar, in what could trigger tension between the city-state and neighbouring Muslim countries amid renewed anti-Israeli sentiments worldwide.Defence news journal Defence Security Asia reported that the Boeing 737-400 aircraft bearing the registration number 4X-AOO belonged to Israel Aerospace Industries-Elta (IAI-Elta), a major defence contractor for Tel Aviv specialising in intelligence as well as electronic systems for security applications.The journal said it was possible that the aircraft carried sensitive radar and reconnaissance equipment.“Maybe it is testing a new system,” it said, adding that the aircraft is known as a test-bed aircraft.It also quoted sources as saying that the aircraft was used for “maritime patrol signal intelligence, image intelligence using synthetic aperture radar, Aircraft Early Warning and Flight Guard”, in addition to missile defence systems for commercial planes.A quick check with flight tracking website Flighradar24 confirmed the presence of the aircraft at the Paya Lebar airport, a former US military air base.The report comes more than a week after Putrajaya said it was on the alert for any possible attacks launched by Israeli agents targeting officials of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas residing in Malaysia.“The police, along with other security agencies, have stepped up security control in all aspects to defend public order and the safety of Malaysians, including Palestinians in this country,” Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin had said.Singapore established diplomatic ties with Israel after secceding from Malaysia, with its armed forces and defence response systems modelled after the Jewish state.Tensions have been triggered in the past over Singapore’s warm ties with Israel.In 1986, a visit by Israeli President Chaim Herzog to the city-state sparked widescale protests in Malaysia and Indonesia, both of which are strong supporters of the Palestinian cause.A similar official visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Singapore four years ago, however, was not met with strong protest.Singapore’s support for Israel was reflected when it abstained at the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 from a resolution to grant Palestine the status as an observer state to the world body.


SUPP’s Sim, DAP’s Yii in 4-way fight for Batu Kawah

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Dr Sim Kui Hian will face a four-cornered fight in his bid to defend the Batu Kawah seat in the 12th Sarawak state election.His main challenger will be DAP’s Dr Kelvin Yii, who is also the Bandar Kuching MP.Batu Kawah returning officer Ita Ling announced that the other two candidates are Chai Kueh Khun of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and Fong Pau Teck of Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak.“I have checked the nomination papers and am satisfied. No nomination papers were rejected,” she said.Sim submitted his nomination form at the Padawan Municipal Council Hall at 9am sharp, followed by Yii at 9.02am, Chai at 9.03am and Fong at 9.12am.At the 11th state election, Sim obtained 6,414 votes to defeat Christina Chiew Wang See of DAP with a 2,085-majority and independent candidate Liu Thian Leong.Sim said he hoped that campaigning would be held peacefully.“I want to see a clean campaign because these days I am very sad to see a lot of abuse on social media and fake news. That is not our culture,” he told reporters.He added that he would focus his campaign strategy through social media, as he has been doing as the area’s elected representative for the past five years.


Toshiba to split business into three, says report

Toshiba plans to split into three companies as early as 2023, a report said Tuesday, after a series of crises at the firm including the ouster of the board’s chairman and a contentious buyout offer.The Nikkei business daily said the three units would focus on infrastructure, devices and semiconductor memory and are expected to be listed, possibly within two years.Toshiba told AFP the option of splitting its business up was under consideration but said nothing had been decided.The Nikkei, which did not cite sources, said the move could be announced Friday when Toshiba reports earnings.“We are drafting a mid-term business plan to enhance our corporate value, and dividing our businesses is one of the options, but there is nothing officially decided at this point,” Toshiba spokesman Tatsuro Oishi told AFP.“We will swiftly announce if we decide anything that should be disclosed,” he said.The decision, if confirmed, would cap a period of enormous upheaval for the firm, once a symbol of Japan’s advanced technology and economic power.In June, shareholders voted to oust the board’s chairman after a series of scandals and losses, in a rare victory for activist investors in corporate Japan.The move followed the damaging revelations of an independent probe that concluded Toshiba attempted to block shareholders from exercising their proposal and voting rights.The investigation’s report detailed how the firm had pursued an intervention from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to help sway a board vote.The revelations came after an unexpected buyout offer in April from a private equity fund associated with then-CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani.The offer sparked uproar, with allegations it was intended to blunt the influence of activist investors.Other offers emerged subsequently, and Kurumatani resigned in April, though he insisted it was not related to the buyout controversy.‘Damp squib’The decision to split Toshiba’s businesses “is a consequence of listening to activist shareholders”, said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst with Ace Research Institute.The move would be seen by proponents as maximising the combined market value of Toshiba’s operations.But he warned there could be downsides.“You can’t cover losses in one business with profits in other businesses,” making individual segments of Toshiba’s operation potentially more vulnerable, he said.The Nikkei noted that splitting up conglomerates had been a successful strategy for some firms in the US, including Hewlett-Packard.But for others such as chemical giant DuPont, which separated into three firms under shareholder pressure, overall market capitalisation is now lower, the daily pointed out.The move is relatively rare in Japan, and Toshiba would be the first major conglomerate to split into completely independent listed companies, the Nikkei said.Yasuda said Toshiba faces unique pressure from its shareholders, putting it in a different position to other major Japanese companies.But, he added, “if (the split) proves to be successful, others would follow suit”.LightStream Research analyst Mio Kato said a move to split Toshiba’s business suggested a lack of management, dubbing it a “bit of a damp squib.”“Given the intense pressure they have been under, we read this announcement as a signal that there just isn’t massive demand for Toshiba’s assets,” Kato wrote on independent investment research network site Smartkarma.“The real worry here is if this is the best management can come up with there is a very big disconnect between what management can deliver and what activists expect,” he added.Toshiba’s shares ended down 2.61% in Tokyo, much more than the broader market.


With UK health service in crisis, Tesco gives staff virtual doctors appointments

Supermarket group Tesco, Britain's largest private-sector employer, is to offer its staff virtual appointments with a private family doctor, in another indication of the pressures engulfing the country's National Health Service (NHS).
The country's biggest retailer told Reuters on Thursday the benefits package for its 310,000 UK workers would provide them and their families with access to unlimited appointments with a general practitioner (GP), seven days a week.
Britain's labour market remains tight, forcing companies to raise hourly wages, offer one-off bonuses, provide free food and give other benefits to attract and retain staff.
Tesco has already raised staff wages by more than 15% over the last year and its latest effort to retain people could encourage other big employers to introduce similar initiatives.
The NHS, which celebrated its 75th anniversary on Wednesday, was launched after World War Two to provide health care free at the point of use, and remains a much-loved institution.
But ongoing pressures from the Covid-19 pandemic and an ageing population mean it is struggling to cope with demand, with many people unable to get appointments with their local GP when they need them, and facing long waiting lists for hospital treatment.
Research carried out by Health Hero, which is working with Tesco’s health partner YuLife to deliver the new service, showed 84% of GP patients needed an appointment last year, but only 53% who wanted an appointment on the same day were able to get one.
According to NHS data, nearly five million patients each month in England wait more than two weeks for a GP appointment.
Tesco said the YuLife GPs would be able to issue private prescriptions, which can be collected at pharmacies on the same day or delivered to the worker's home. Workers will be offered online video appointments or a phone call.
The suite of benefits will be available to Tesco front-line staff and managers, plus their immediate families living in the same household, across the UK, including Tesco Bank and the group's wholesale business Booker.
Other services available to staff include access to sleep therapists, nutritionists, counsellors, exercise coaches and physiotherapists.
"This is a direct investment in the health of our colleagues," Tesco's UK people director, James Goodman, said.
Tesco, like other big employers and retailers, has previously provided more traditional benefits to staff, such as share schemes and staff discounts, and last year started offering advances on pay.


‘Wobbly’ moon may lead to record flooding on Earth, says Nasa

Coastal regions around the world are facing rapidly increasing high tide floods thanks to a “wobble” in the moon’s orbit working together with climate change-fuelled rising sea levels.A new study from Nasa and the University of Hawaii, published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change, warns that upcoming changes in the moon’s orbit could lead to record flooding on Earth in the next decade.Through mapping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) sea-level rise scenarios, flooding thresholds and astronomical cycles, researchers found flooding in coastal cities could be disastrous in the 2030s, when the next moon “wobble” is expected to begin.They expect the flooding to significantly damage infrastructure and displace communities, CBS News is reporting.While the study highlights the dire situation facing coastal cities, the lunar wobble is actually a natural occurrence, first reported in 1728.The moon’s orbit is responsible for periods of both higher and lower tides about every 18.6 years, and they aren’t dangerous in their own right.“In half of the moon’s 18.6-year cycle, Earth’s regular daily tides are suppressed: High tides are lower than normal, and low tides are higher than normal,” Nasa explained.“In the other half of the cycle, tides are amplified: High tides get higher, and low tides get lower. Global sea-level rise pushes high tides in only one direction – higher. So half of the 18.6-year lunar cycle counteracts the effect of sea-level rise on high tides, and the other half increases the effect.”But this time around, scientists are more concerned. With sea-level rise due to climate change, the next high tide floods are expected to be more intense and more frequent than ever before, exacerbating already grim predictions.In 2019, NOAA reported more than 600 such floods. Scientists expect three to four times that amount in the mid-2030s, after sea-level rise has another decade to progress.According to the study, these floods will exceed thresholds more often, and will also occur in clusters lasting more than a month, depending on the relative positions of the moon, Earth and sun. During certain alignments, floods could happen as frequently as every day or every other day.“Low-lying areas near sea level are increasingly at risk due to the increased flooding, and it will only get worse,” said Nasa administrator Bill Nelson. “The combination of the moon’s gravitational pull, rising sea levels, and climate change will continue to exacerbate coastal flooding around the world.”Sea-level rise is already expected to make hundreds of thousands of square miles of coastline uninhabitable and potentially displace over 100 million people worldwide by the end of the century.Researchers are hoping their findings will lead to more dedicated efforts to prevent as much damage as possible, both to the environment and people’s livelihoods, before it’s too late.While high tide floods don’t involve as large an amount of water as hurricanes, the real danger lies in their frequency.“It’s the accumulated effect over time that will have an impact,” said lead author Phil Thompson. “If it floods 10 or 15 times a month, a business can’t keep operating with its parking lot under water. People lose their jobs because they can’t get to work. Seeping cesspools become a public health issue. These are just some of the devastating effects coastal communities can expect.”


Let them call me a traitor, says Mas Ermieyati

Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin says she is unperturbed by those who label her a traitor, and that she will continue to serve her constituents.She also said she is determined to repay the trust placed in her by her party Bersatu to contribute a seat for Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the upcoming state election in Melaka despite having to deal with the negative label for three years now.“The ‘traitor’ label is not just now but has been from before. Whatever label or title that has been given to me from three years ago, I am determined to render my services to Masjid Tanah, to always meet my constituents. I have not left them.“I still continue to provide help even though there may be just one letter of support… I still try to do my best,” she told Bernama.Confident that she has done her best for the people, Mas Ermieyati is now leaving her fate in the hands of Tanjung Bidara voters.She has never been bothered with labels thrown at her and refrains from answering these accusations, saying she is committed to the tasks entrusted to her.“If there is any leader who labels me a traitor, I will leave it to the public to assess me as they are mature and wise,” she said.Mas Ermieyati is representing Bersatu in Tanjung Bidara in the Melaka state election on Nov 20.The former shariah lawyer, who is also vice-chief of Bersatu’s women’s wing, will be contesting against heavyweights from Barisan Nasional (Ab Rauf Yusoh) and Pakatan Harapan (Zainal Hassan).When asked if she would quit her post as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department if she wins the seat, Mas Ermieyati said she is capable of dividing her time to fulfil both responsibilities.“There is no rule to say I should resign as deputy minister as each of us is given 24 hours a day, and it is all about how one manages one’s time and responsibilities.“If you are given the responsibility but you are nowhere to be seen, then it is useless. If I am elected as the Tanjung Bidara assemblyman, I will know how to divide my tasks as even now, I still have time to be in the area three or four times a week,” she said.Mas Ermieyati, who is also the Masjid Tanah Bersatu division chief, was the Puteri Umno chief before leaving the party in July 2018, two months after the 14th general election.She applied to join Bersatu in mid-December 2018 and was confirmed as a party member later that month.


Govt lifts travel ban on African countries, citing Omicron spread

The government has lifted the travel ban on eight southern African countries that had first reported the Omicron variant of the coronvirus, citing the greater spread of the variant worldwide, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.The eight countries, which include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, will remain on a list of nations deemed as high-risk, with travellers from those nations subject to additional restrictions upon arrival, Khairy told reporters.Khairy said given the rapid spread of the variant globally, there was no reason to continue with a travel ban against countries in Africa.Authorities have detected 306 suspected Omicron cases out of 366 samples from travellers who had tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival between Dec 21 and 25, he said.“We are still waiting for results from the whole genome sequencing to confirm,” he said, adding that Malaysia has reported only one confirmed case of local transmission so far.


India probes bribery claim in toxic syrup tests

Indian authorities have launched an inquiry into an allegation that a local pharmaceutical regulator, in return for a bribe, helped switch samples of cough syrups that the World Health Organization (WHO) had linked to the deaths of children in Gambia before the samples were tested at an Indian laboratory, according to two government officials and documents reviewed by Reuters.
In an April 29 letter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Haryana state reviewed by Reuters, a lawyer named Yashpal accused the state's drug controller, Manmohan Taneja, of taking a bribe of US$605,419 (about RM2.8 million) from local manufacturer Maiden Pharmaceuticals to help it switch the samples before an Indian government laboratory tested them. Maiden's factory is based in Haryana state.
Reuters was unable to independently establish that any bribes were paid.
Taneja did not respond to phone calls, messages or emails seeking comment. Maiden did not respond to requests for comment. The WHO said it had no knowledge of the allegation.
Yashpal – who like some Indians uses only one name – did not say in the letter where he got the information, or provide evidence for his claim about the syrups made by Maiden.
Contacted by Reuters, the lawyer said he had learned about the alleged bribe in the Maiden case from at least two individuals in India's pharmaceutical industry, including one within Maiden, but declined to identify any of them for fear of retribution.
"I just want the matter formally investigated," said the 38-year-old, adding that he was waiting to be asked to submit an affidavit that would trigger such a probe.
He said he has never represented any pharmaceutical companies or worked on cases involving compensation claims in his five-year career, but had started looking into Taneja last year after a pharma industry friend alerted him to another case of alleged corruption. After the Gambia deaths became public, Yashpal said he started investigating more closely and spoke with about 40 sources across Haryana, during which he learned of the alleged Maiden bribe.
The director general of the Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau, Shatrujeet Kapur, told Reuters that Yashpal's complaint would be taken forward by the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) for health in Haryana, the state's top health bureaucrat. Kapur did not specify what further steps that would involve.
The Additional Chief Secretary, G Anupama, said in a text message, "Enquiry is underway" and directed Reuters to the health minister for Haryana state, Anil Vij, for further details. Vij did not respond to requests for comment.
Yashpal's complaint was first reported by Hindi daily Haribhoomi on May 17. The inquiry by local officials into his allegations has not been previously reported.
Haryana, located near New Delhi, has major industrial clusters and its administration said in 2019 it wanted to "transform Haryana into a hub" within India's US$41 billion pharmaceutical industry. Haryana has been ruled by the same party since 2014. Its chief minister and health minister, to whom Yashpal also sent his complaint, did not respond to requests for comment.
Naresh Kumar Goyal, the founder of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, told Reuters in December his company did nothing wrong in the production of the cough syrup. In February, an Indian court sentenced Goyal and another Maiden executive to two-and-half years in jail for quality violations in drugs sold to Vietnam a decade ago. It gave them a month to appeal. Reuters could not determine the status of that case.
Indian authorities carried out tests on the Maiden syrups late last year after the WHO linked them to the deaths of at least 70 children in the African country, most under 5 years old, from acute kidney injury between June and October.
Tests of samples of the syrup carried out earlier with help from the WHO had confirmed the presence of lethal toxins - ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), used in car brake fluid - sparking a global hunt for contaminated medicines. The agency has said it has full confidence in the test results from two independent laboratories.
However, India's federal drugs regulator said in December its own tests found no toxins in the syrups. Its factory inspectors did earlier find that batches of medicine may have been incorrectly labelled, according to a notice it sent to Maiden seen by Reuters. It has not made clear how, in light of that, it can be sure it tested the correct batch. It did not respond to a request for comment.
Yashpal also sent his complaint to the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said and documents seen by Reuters show. The prime minister's office did not respond to requests for comment.
The bribery allegation was one of about half a dozen claims of corruption by Yashpal against Taneja in the letter. Yashpal alleged Taneja had taken bribes to approve products and issue drug licences since 2021. He did not provide any evidence.
"I want an investigation done by someone outside the health department because Taneja himself is a senior health official," the lawyer said. "It is a question of India's reputation."
On May 10, Taneja's deputy Lalit Kumar Goel asked Yashpal to come to the regulator's office "with all relevant documents" to discuss the inquiry, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters.
Yashpal told Reuters he did not comply, because he did not feel comfortable bringing such details to the deputy of someone he had accused of corruption. Goel did not respond to a request for comment.
Gambia said earlier this month it had hired a US law firm to explore legal action after its own government-backed investigation found contaminated medicines from India were "very likely" to have caused the deaths of children last year, the justice minister told Reuters.
Unscrupulous actors can use EG and DEG as a substitute for propylene glycol (PG), which is a key base of syrupy medicines – because they can cost less than half the price, according to several pharmaceutical manufacturing experts.


Petronas Carigali exec among 9 nabbed over RM2.3 billion graft

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today confirmed the detainment of nine individuals since April 8 to assist in its investigation into claims of corruption related to a project at Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB).In a statement, it said that one of the nine was a junior executive at PCSB while the eight others were the owners and senior officials of contractor companies and vendors which had carried out projects linked to the alleged corrupion.“The commission would like to clarify that one of the nine individuals detained to assist in the investigation is a junior executive at PCSB and not the CEO as claimed by some parties.“This investigation is the result of the cooperation and information sharing between MACC and Petronas to help strengthen the integrity of the government-linked company,” it added.On April 8, eight suspects were remanded by MACC over a project owned by a government-linked company worth more than RM2.3 billion.Six of them were remanded at the Magistrate’s Court in Putrajaya while the remaining two were remanded at the court in Kuching.A source said then that the suspects included the CEO, chief operating officer, executive officer, director and owner of the company who were believed to have been involved in acts of bribery from 2017 to 2021.A number of items were also seized including 10 luxury vehicles, cash in various currencies amounting to over RM27,000, more than 50 pieces of jewellery and gold bars, 15 luxury watches and 13 luxury handbags.Twelve company and individual accounts were also frozen.Petronas meanwhile said in a statement on April 9 that a junior executive had been arrested by MACC over suspicions of corruption.It also said that it was committed to cooperating fully with the anti-graft agency and that it strongly opposed any form of misconduct involving its staff.


As Singapore targets another man for execution, debate reignites on ethnic bias, unfair drug laws

Singapore has scheduled the execution of yet another local ethnic Malay man convicted of a drug offence, in a move expected to renew debate on the disproportionate number of ethnic minorities being sent to the gallows, as well as criticism of its draconian drug laws seen as victimising the poor and vulnerable.
Nazeri Lajim, 64, will be executed on July 22 despite appeals for clemency by his family which had included a desperate bid for a presidential pardon.
Nazeri was one of 17 death row inmates who had filed a historic suit against the government, accusing it of discrimination and bias in their prosecution due to their Malay ethnicity.
The suit was dismissed late last year with the court calling it an abuse of process. The Singapore attorney-general later took two lawyers who had represented the inmates to court, where he was awarded costs over their filing of the suit "without consent".
News of Nazeri's execution comes a little over a week after Malaysian citizen Kalwant Singh and Singaporean Norasharee Gous were hanged despite similar pleas against their killing from activists and rights lawyers.
The PAP-led Singapore government has defended its spree of executions in recent months even as neighbouring Malaysia announced a major step to abolish the mandatory death penalty, including for drug offenders.
Born to a Malay mother and English father who served with the colonial British army, Nazeri came from a background of poverty from which he tried to escape, only to become addicted to drugs.
"We were very, very poor, extremely poor, at that time. We struggled, my family worked very hard," his younger sister Nazira said in recent interview published by anti-death penalty NGO Transformative Justice Collective.
"We were like strays, you know? My mother didn’t [have time to] bother [with us] because my mother worked very hard. Then the family became disintegrated," Nazira said on her family's situation following the death of her father.
Nazeri was sentenced to death in 2017, five years after his arrest during an anti-narcotics operation which saw him nabbed shortly after taking delivery of two bundles containing heroin from one Dominic Fernandez, according to court documents seen by MalaysiaNow.
Nazeri said that the amount of drugs delivered to him was a mistake.
"I had intended to return the second bundle in my possession as I firmly believe that it was a mistake on the drug supplier’s part. I am aware of the strict penalties that Singapore imposes for diamorphine and would not try to possess large quantities of it for fear of hanging," he said in an affidavit filed for the re-opening of his case.
Prominent lawyer M Ravi, who attempted to re-open his case in 2020 backed by medical explanations, has maintained that the drugs found in Nazeri's possession were for personal consumption.
"Nazeri suffered from drug addiction which was an illness. In fact, the trial judge was prepared to accept that Nazeri used five packets of heroin for his personal use daily," Ravi said in an immediate reaction to Nazeri's scheduled execution.
"It does not make sense to kill someone who is ill and suffers from a serious drug addiction problem.
"Treat the sick, don't kill them. Once again, another vulnerable person who comes from a minority background is being hanged."


Sorry.


Buck up, Saifuddin tells Asean on enforcing Myanmar peace plan

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah today called on Asean to act more urgently in its efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and spur a peace process in junta-ruled Myanmar.
The 10-nation bloc has been pushing Myanmar's military rulers to follow a peace "consensus" they agreed to last year, with some member countries expressing disappointment over a lack of progress on the plan.
Myanmar has been trapped in a cycle of violence since the military overthrew an elected government last year and launched a bloody crackdown on protests and dissent.
Saifuddin said he had written to the Asean secretary-general on Saturday to ask for updates on the situation in Myanmar, as he had yet to receive any reports from the bloc's leadership since the grouping met in Cambodia last month.
"The Asean secretariat must have a sense of urgency to look into what is actually happening in Myanmar," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, adding that the bloc could not afford to wait until its next major summit in November.
"They (the Asean secretariat) must have a full-time team working on the conflict, otherwise people get killed in between all of our meetings... We must buck up."
The Asean secretariat in Jakarta did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Saifuddin also called on Asean countries to decide on whether they would continue to work with the junta in providing humanitarian assistance, as he said many aid agencies in Myanmar were unwilling to work with the military or organisations linked to it.
"Asean must decide – where do we stand?" Saifuddin said.
"Do we continue with the junta? Or do we work without the junta and support the people who we know are doing good work? These are big questions and we have to decide urgently."


EU warns Musk that Twitter faces ban over content moderation, reports say

The European Union has threatened Elon Musk's Twitter with a ban unless the billionaire abides by its strict rules on content moderation, setting up a regulatory battle over the future of the social media platform, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
EU industry chief Thierry Breton made the threat during a video meeting with Musk on Wednesday, the FT reported, citing people with knowledge of the conversation.
Breton told Musk he must adhere to a checklist of rules, including ditching an "arbitrary" approach to reinstating banned users and agreeing to an "extensive independent audit" of the platform by next year, according to the report.
Twitter and the EU did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
Breton had previously urged Musk to comply with landmark EU rules against online hate speech and disinformation. The European Commission's justice chief Didier Reynders had also voiced similar comments.


Anwar calls for civil servants' support

Anwar Ibrahim today called for support and cooperation from the civil servants, as he becomes the first prime minister in more than two decades to come to power in Putrajaya where the predominantly civil service electorate did not vote for the ruling party.
"Leaders come and go, but civil servants remain in upholding the system and rules of the country," he told the staff of the Prime Minister's Department today.
Recalling his last position in the government where he was the finance minister before his sacking in 1998, he said things depended much on the help of the civil service.
Anwar also urged his future ministers to forge good working relations with civil servants.
"Listen to their views... our intelligence, our tenacity, our interest will not be the same as their (civil servants) experience," he added.
The Putrajaya constituency where civil servants dominate the electorate was won by Perikatan Nasional, after more than two decades under Umno's Tengku Adnan Mansor who had held it since the seat was created.
Former education minister Radzi Jidin beat the Umno treasurer-general by 2,310 votes, winning a six-way fight with 43.67% of the ballots cast.
Radzi won 16,002 votes while Tengku Adnan won 13,692.


Over a million fully vaccinated so far

A total of 1,104,873 individuals had completed the two-dose Covid-19 vaccination as of June 1, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.In a Twitter post today, he said 2,002,345 individuals had received a first dose, bringing the the number of doses administered to 3,107,218 as of yesterday.He said the five states with the highest number of two-dose vaccinations are Selangor with 143,797 doses followed by Sarawak (111,176), Perak (105,014), Kuala Lumpur (99,538) and Johor (97,798).As of yesterday, 51.20% or 12,414,513 individuals had registered for vaccination with Selangor leading the sign-up for jabs at 3,299,145 people.The first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, from February to April this year, involved 500,000 frontliners including healthcare personnel.The second phase from April to August will cover 9.4 million people comprising senior citizens, vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, while Phase Three from May this year to February next year will involve those aged 18 and above, both citizens and non-citizens, totalling some 13.7 million.


Najib, Anwar share idealism, good for nation, says Zahid

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has welcomed a combination of ideas put forth by former prime minister Najib Razak and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim in a debate last night to be turned into national policy.He said such a combination, if implemented, could eliminate “stubborn spots” and put the people’s minds at rest.“They are old friends but now on different stages,” he told reporters after the Perdana Debate at Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Tourism Centre in Kuala Lumpur last night.“They share much in terms of idealism. The question is, how to interpret and implement this.”The debate between Najib and Anwar was sparked by a social media clash over troubled oil and gas services company Sapura Energy Bhd.Analysts said that the event would only give “unnecessary attention” to Najib, who has been convicted and sentenced over the misappropriation of RM42 million related to SRC International channelled into his private accounts.Zahid however said that such forums should be held more frequently in order to solve other problems.He also described the debate as part of the country’s political maturing.“We don’t want to solve only the problems of one group,” he said. “It is more important that the people understand the matter even though the interpretations and views might differ.”Zahid is among the Umno leaders who have been promoting a new political alignment between their party and PKR.He and Anwar had been allies during the former’s time in Umno, before his sacking in 1998 and when Zahid was the Umno Youth chief.MalaysiaNow previously revealed that Zahid and Najib had written to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, voicing support for Anwar as prime minister.


Don’t turn Jasa into a political straw man

I refer to Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang’s statement on Nov 9 regarding the government’s plans to revive the Special Affairs Department, better known by its Malay acronym, Jasa.Lim’s attempt to contrast US president-elect Joe Biden’s plans to “end an era of grim demonisation” with PM Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to revive Jasa as doing the opposite of that is clearly off the mark.The communications and multimedia ministry, under which Jasa falls, has clearly stated that the department has nothing at all to do with political “demonisation”. On the contrary, the rebranded Jasa would uphold the Rukun Negara and foster unity through accurate and timely information to the community.Considering that we are going through unprecedented public health and economic crises, the need for proper dissemination of information is all the more pressing. As a nation, we need to stay the course. And central to this is the need for national narratives to be properly articulated – whether news favourable to the government or otherwise.I just cannot fathom why anyone would want to denigrate an agency set up not just with noble aims, but which has yet to get off the starting block as it has not even received budgetary approval to do so. Isn’t Lim and his party, DAP, all for unity and national cohesion? Or is that just political theatrics? Why would Lim and his cheerleaders want to rob Jasa of its role in promoting national unity?Lim has unfairly compared the Jasa under the Muhyiddin administration with its previous incarnation under Barisan Nasional (BN) rule. Perhaps the 79-year-old DAP stalwart has forgotten that society has matured by leaps and bounds since.Today, Malaysians are more discerning. They are better educated and more exposed to the outside world, thanks to the easy and affordable access to internet connectivity. Gone are the days where sizeable numbers of voters would fall for propaganda, hook, line and sinker.There is no better testament to this than how the voters toppled the BN government during the 2018 general election, after 61 years of uninterrupted rule. In today’s connected world, no government propaganda machinery can stand up to the immense power afforded by digital platforms such as social media to bypass censorship and provide alternative viewpoints.In other words, to accuse Jasa of being a government propaganda tool is to insult the intelligence of Malaysians and to turn the agency into a straw man purely for scoring political brownie points.With the country facing unprecedented challenges, Lim and his ilk should stop inciting hatred and sowing confusion for short-term political mileage. Budget 2021 is RM322.5 billion. The proposed allocation for Jasa is RM81 million, or 0.025% of the entire budget. Stop playing politics with the budget and help put the nation first!The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


112 food delivery riders in fatal road accidents, says transport minister

Transport Minister Anthony Loke today said that 112 p-hailing riders had died between 2018 and May last year.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, he said this was from a total of 1,242 accidents involving the group.
"One hundred and twelve riders died on the road, a very big number," he said.
"A total of 82 serious injuries and 1,048 minor injuries were recorded.
"Of course, we would like to regulate to guarantee the safety of these riders."
P-hailing refers to food delivery services.
Loke today tabled three bills aimed at regulating the p-hailing industry: the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2023, the Land Public Transport Bill, and the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board Bill.
The issues debated included the welfare of p-hailing riders in relation to wages and protection, in addition to applications for vocational licences.
Loke said the government would fight for the welfare of gig economy workers, adding however that regulations should not be too strict, to allow the sector to grow.
"The relationship of riders with their company is not that of employers and employees," he said.
"They are partners. Throughout the world, the gig economy is still being improved, with protection given to the riders."


Let the show go on at Zoo Negara

During the past few months, Malaysia was struck with a third wave of Covid-19 infections which once again disabled all activities across society, including those of Zoo Negara. This brought a serious financial crisis upon the zoo, which was ordered to close. The poor animals have had to struggle to live amid a lack of food and medication.Forcing Zoo Negara to close is like forcing the animals to die a slow death. Living in captivity is hell for humans, what more for animals. The difference is that humans can do something – farming, for example, to get alternative sources of food. But for animals, even their food is controlled by humans. Humans also decide when they sleep and rest, but animals cannot do anything while under human control.Zoo Negara should not be closed, even under the movement control order (MCO). The lives of animals are at stake because the zoo needs about RM1 million a month to survive during this pandemic. The government’s funds definitely will not be enough for the long term. Relying on other initiatives such as live-video or using e-commerce platforms to raise funds is also insufficient.There’s no point keeping the animals in the zoo if it is not allowed to open. And if these animals are released into the wild, I’m afraid they might not be able to fend for themselves. In this matter, Zoo Negara should be allowed to open daily.It was good news when Zoo Negara announced that it would reopen. But we don’t know what the future will bring us. There might be another wave of Covid-19, or something even worse. The government should let Zoo Negara continue operating to help the animals there. Of course this would be hard, but as long as everyone obeys the SOPs, it wouldn’t be a big problem.I would suggest that the government limit the zoo’s operating hours and number of visitors each day. The number may seem small but it would still have an impact on the zoo. Selling tickets online to avoid contact with people would reduce the possibility of the virus spreading. Wearing a mask and observing social distancing should also be compulsory.They would have to make sure that every visitor follows the SOPs before entering. I would also suggest that the zoo allow visitors to bring their own food for the animals, if at all. But since the animals are being treated well, perhaps Zoo Negara could put up a list of food that visitors could bring. This would help lessen the animals’ food expenses.Zoo Negara is one of Malaysia’s many attraction sites. Visitors come not only from Malaysia but from other countries as well. We should agree to keep it open because otherwise the possibility of these animals dying is strong.We don’t want the once-glorious Zoo Negara to lose its throne. This would at least help Zoo Negara to stand tall again, and help ensure that the animals are taken care of as well.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Purchase of own vaccines is fine but get NPRA approval first, says Muhyiddin

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says the government has no objection if certain quarters want to purchase their own Covid-19 vaccines, but they must first obtain approval from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).“If for instance, agencies such as Petronas or others (want to purchase vaccines), we cannot stop that. (However), the condition is that they are safe after being tested and they must be licensed… the purchase cannot be done discreetly or smuggled in,” he said in a special discussion on the challenges of Covid-19 with the prime minister last night.Muhyiddin said the government was working towards allowing the private sector including hospitals to administer vaccines to expedite the vaccination process to the masses.“There will be no charges for the process (vaccinations carried out by private facilities) as it is borne by the government. Maybe we will ask the hospitals involved to charge, say RM14 per shot, (although) the vaccine is free of charge,” he said.He also expressed confidence that Malaysia’s herd immunity target would be achieved by the end of the year, following schedule guarantees given for the arrival of booked vaccines.“I was informed by the (relevant) minister that (vaccine) supplies have started coming in, and in fact, I was told they are arriving ahead of schedule. Prior to this, if the (arrival) schedule was for next year, (herd immunity) was targeted only for 2022, but now I’ve been given assurance that all vaccine supplies will arrive by year-end.“This means we can achieve herd immunity or 80% vaccination completion by the end of this year,” Muhyiddin said.The prime minister said more than 600 vaccination centres (PPVs) have been opened to facilitate the vaccination exercise, including one mega vaccination centre at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur that can accommodate 8,000 people.With this many PPVs now available, he said the government was targeting 150,000 people to be vaccinated daily.Muhyiddin also said that Malaysia would follow the guidelines set by vaccine manufacturers in relation to the interval between the vaccine’s first and second doses.“I was advised by the health ministry that we follow the methods given by the vaccine manufacturers. For example, Pfizer set the second dose to be administered after 21 days, and we will follow as they have experts who have studied why it has to be done only after 21 days, (and) we have no issues with that.“For me, whatever the situation, every single individual has the right to receive the vaccine, if Johnson & Johnson’s (vaccine) is a single dose, then we will follow. If it (vaccine) is double-dose, then we will give the two doses. We will comply with what is set,” Muhyiddin said.Singapore, effective May 19, was reported to have extended its vaccine dose interval, previously three to four weeks, to six to eight weeks.This strategy prioritises the first dose, similarly implemented by countries such as the UK and Germany, thereby protecting more people by allowing more first doses to be administered in a shorter time.Muhyiddin also advised those who are fully vaccinated to continue adhering to SOPs, saying infection could still occur.“Do not violate the SOPs. I myself have completed the two doses, so far I have tested negative for all my (Covid-19) tests, but I can’t be smug about it as infections are still happening out there. We won’t feel safe in Malaysia if the situation globally is still unsafe,” he added.


TikTok videos get longer in challenge to YouTube

TikTok on Monday began letting users upload videos as long as 10 minutes, ramping up the young platform’s challenge to veteran titan YouTube.TikTok, owned by ByteDance in China, launched with a one-minute limit on uploaded videos, but bumped the cap to three minutes last year.“Today we are happy to start rolling out the ability to upload videos up to 10 minutes long,” TikTok said in response to an AFP inquiry.“We hope this will further stimulate the creativity of our creators around the world.”TikTok more than tripling the length of videos comes as YouTube and Facebook-parent Meta strive to counter the rival with short-form content options and incentives to creators whose posts draw audiences.“YouTube is still ahead of TikTok in terms of time spent, but its not immune to the ‘TikTok effect’,” Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg told AFP.“The gap in time spent between the two platforms is narrow, and longer videos could help TikTok catch up in terms of both eyeballs and engagement.”Longer videos could also enable TikTok creators make more money and boost the platforms advertising business, the analyst added.YouTube recently laid out goals for this year that included making the lives of creators easier and boosting a popular format that rivals TikTok.The video-sharing platform is investing in short-form and live video, along with tools to help creators make money and produce fresh content, according to chief product officer Neal Mohan.“YouTube creators are the heart and soul of the platform,” Mohan said in a blog post.“To give them every opportunity possible, we’ll continue to invest across our multiple formats.”Short-form content like the video snippets that are a winning ingredient at TikTok are incredibly popular. YouTube’s take on the concept, called “Shorts,” has logged more than five trillion all-time views, according to Mohan.Short videos, typically made using smartphones, can be as long as 60 seconds, with music and comedy as popular themes.Facebook and Instagram parent Meta has its own spin on the offering called Reels, which chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has said is a priority for the tech firm and growing fast.


Russia reports fierce fighting as African peace mission leaves empty-handed

Russia reported fierce fighting on Sunday on three sections of the front line in Ukraine, a day after hosting an African peace mission that failed to spark enthusiasm from either Moscow or Kyiv.
A Russian-installed official said Ukraine had recaptured Piatykhatky, a village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, and were entrenching themselves there while coming under fire from Russian artillery.
"The enemy's 'wave-like' offensives yielded results, despite enormous losses," the official, Vladimir Rogov, said on the Telegram messaging app.
Russia's defence ministry made no mention of Piatykhatky in its daily update, in which it said its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks in three sections of the 1,000km front line. A separate statement from Russia's Vostok group of forces said Ukraine had failed to take the settlement.
Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
There was no comment from Ukraine, which last week said it had recaptured another nearby settlement, Lobkove, and a string of villages further east, in Donetsk region, at the start of its long-awaited counteroffensive.
Ukrainian officials have imposed an information blackout to help operational security, but say that Russia has suffered much greater losses than Ukraine has during its new assault.
A regional official said Ukrainian forces had destroyed a major Russian ammunition dump in occupied Kherson region, part of a weeks-long effort by Kyiv to wreak havoc with Russian supply lines.
British defence intelligence said heavy fighting in recent days had been focused on Zaporizhzhia, western Donetsk and around Bakhmut, which Russian mercenaries captured last month after the longest battle of the war.
"In all these areas, Ukraine continues to pursue offensive operations and has made small advances," it said on Twitter.
Russian defence operations had been "relatively effective in the south", with both sides suffering heavy casualties, the assessment said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who rarely comments on the course of the war, made two unusually detailed interventions last week in which he derided the Ukrainian push and said Kyiv's forces had "no chance" despite being newly equipped with Western tanks.
His comments appeared intended to reassure Russians at a crucial juncture, nearly 16 months into the conflict, as Ukraine seeks to break months of virtual stalemate and take back the 18% of its territory that remains under Russian control.
Peace mission
At talks in St Petersburg on Saturday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa presented Putin with a 10-point peace initiative from seven African countries and told him the time had come for Russia and Ukraine to start negotiations to end the war.
Putin responded by rattling off a string of familiar accusations denied by Ukraine and the West and saying it was Kyiv, not Moscow, that was refusing to talk. He thanked Ramaphosa for his "noble mission".
Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Putin had shown interest in the plan but it would be "difficult to realise".
In Kyiv the previous day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had told the African delegation - the first since the start of the war to hold separate face-to-face talks with both leaders on their peace initiative - that allowing negotiations now would just "freeze the war" and the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
The vast gulf between the two sides was further underlined when Putin used a flagship economic forum on Friday to slur Zelensky personally and to restate the objectives of "demilitarising" and "denazifying" Ukraine that he set out on day one of the war, and which Kyiv and the West reject as a false pretext for invasion.
However, Ramaphosa sought to cast the trip to Ukraine and Russia in a positive light, tweeting on Sunday that the "Africa Peace Initiative has been impactful and its ultimate success will be measured on the objective, which is stopping the war".
He said the Africans would keep talking to both Putin and Zelensky and would brief UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on their efforts so far.
Months of destruction
The war has destroyed Ukrainian towns and cities, forced millions of people to flee their homes and taken heavy but undisclosed casualties among both armies, as well as killing thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
Each side accused the other of blowing up a huge Ukrainian dam on June 6 and flooding large tracts of the war zone.
In the Russian-controlled town of Hola Prystan, Reuters filmed volunteers pumping out water from flooded homes on Saturday and distributing bread and drinking water.
"Not one person in the world will be punished for this torture we're going through, for this terrible catastrophe," said Tamara, a 78-year-old retired nurse.
"That's what frustrates me. That no one will be punished for that. And I'd like it if at least one person was put (on trial) and punished for everything. So the whole world could see."


Education ministry looking at students’ suggestions to improve teaching and learning methods

The education ministry says it will study and fine-tune students’ suggestions to improve the existing teaching and learning approaches (PdP) to ensure safe face-to-face interaction.Education Minister Radzi Jidin said the suggestions were provided by 100 2021 SPM students throughout the country in an online engagement session today.The engagement session was divided into two sessions, one involving secondary school students and the other, special needs students.He said students involved in the discussion were excited to share their experiences and challenges during this difficult period, including their preparations for the SPM examination scheduled for March next year.“Quite a number of them provided various views and suggestions on how to improve the existing PdP.“I’m very touched by how students with special needs are doing their best to learn although they have to face various challenges.“They really hope to be able to go back to school and have face-to-face learning in a safe environment,” he said in a Facebook post today.Radzi also said that the ministry was committed to doing its best and valued all the suggestions and feedback given.“May all the students who will be sitting for their SPM in 2021 continue to prepare well and perform excellently,” he added.


Sarawak industry players warn of project delays as Indonesia's worker freeze adds to labour woes

Industry players in Sarawak have called on the government to urgently address the shortage of foreign labour, warning that it will cause further delays to the completion of projects at the cost of billions of ringgit, even as Indonesia freezes the entry of workers into the country over what it calls a breach in its recruitment deal with Malaysia.
Sim Kiang Chiok of the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) said adequate human resources was fundamental to the growth of development projects.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he cited a need for a quick and strategic solution.
"Many foreign workers who left during the lockdowns are slowly returning, but this freeze will affect our efforts to restore our human resources to pre-pandemic levels," Sim, the chairman of Sheda's Kuching branch, said.
In announcing the move, Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, said  immigration authorities had continued using an online recruitment system for domestic workers linked to allegations of trafficking and forced labour.
He said this was in violation of the agreement signed between Malaysia and Indonesia in April to improve the protection of domestic workers employed in Malaysian households.
Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm oil producer after Indonesia, is struggling with a labour crunch in sectors heavily dependent on foreign workers such as the plantations industry.
It is estimated to be short of some 1.2 million workers.
Without a boost in labour, Sim said, Malaysia's economic recovery from the last two years of Covid-related measures would be at risk.
"Human resources is an important component of any economy and necessary for industries, factories, construction and businesses to keep moving forward," he said.
The Sarawak Building and Civil Engineering Contractors Association agreed that the labour shortage would continue to hamper the progress of projects.
"It is very sad and negative news for the construction industry," association chairman James Ha Tung In said, referring to Indonesia's freeze on workers.
"More projects will come under further delay and will be classified as sick projects whose contracts can be terminated by the agencies involved."
Panning what he called the poor performance of government agencies so far, Ha said desperate contractors might resort to "stealing" workers from each other by raising wages.
"This would be an added financial burden for contractors," he added.
"The government needs to act urgently to resolve the issue with its Indonesian counterparts."
He also urged authorities to cease their raids of construction sites, saying this would compound the negative effects on the industry.
"For now, stop the frequent raids on project sites to round up illegal workers who are contributing positively to the construction industry as well as economic recovery as a whole," he said.
Allow more workers from other countries
The human resources ministry has said that urgent discussions will be held with the home ministry regarding Indonesia's freeze on workers.
Traditionally, Malaysia's foreign workers have also come from countries such as Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal.
But despite the reopening of international borders and assurances from Putrajaya on the intake of foreign labour, the return of workers has been slow.
Given Malaysia's heavy reliance on migrant workers, especially in the construction industry, Sim suggested an expansion of the foreign labour intake from countries other than Indonesia.
"We should allow entry to more foreign workers from countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and China," he said.
Giving the example of Singapore, he said Malaysia should emulate the republic's foreign labour intake policy.
"Before the pandemic, Sarawak's percentage of foreign workers was only about 6% of the total population compared to Singapore where the numbers are closer to 60%," he said.
"We need more foreign workers to help us power forward in our post-Covid recovery plan."
Ha meanwhile urged the government to relook its bureaucratic processes.
He, too, said the government should expand its sources of migrant workers to prevent an overdependence on Indonesia.
"Government agencies like the immigration department and labour department need to speed up the intake process to help boost Malaysia's economic recovery," he said.
Adding that a number of companies are already on the brink of collapse, Ha said they might require government assistance to cope with the rise in commodity prices.
"This could be the last straw that sends contractors down the path of financial ruin," he said.


PAS to use new PN logo in GE15

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today said his party had agreed to use Perikatan Nasional's (PN) new logo in the 15th general election (GE15).
He said the matter would be discussed at a meeting with Bersatu leaders.
PN previously said it would introduce a new logo as part of its efforts to prepare for GE15.
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said this would see improvements made to the coalition's existing logo.
Meanwhile, when asked if the use of PN's logo would mean an end to PAS' cooperation with Umno under the Muafakat Nasional charter, Hadi said his party would continue to work with the Barisan Nasional lynchpin.
He said Muafakat Nasional was the manifestation of unity among the ummah, and that any issues that arose on the matter of logos would be discussed later.
"We are all together – Muafakat Nasional and PN," he told reporters.


China says WHO plan to audit labs in Covid origins probe ‘arrogant’

China on Thursday said a World Health Organization (WHO) proposal to audit Chinese labs as part of further investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic showed “disrespect” and “arrogance towards science”.WHO on Friday said a second stage of the international probe should include audits of Chinese labs, amid increasing pressure from the US for an investigation of the Wuhan Institute of Virology and ahead of a weekend visit to China by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.The proposal outlined by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus included “audits of relevant laboratories and research institutions operating in the area of the initial human cases identified in December 2019” – referring to the Chinese city of Wuhan.China’s vice health minister Zeng Yixin on Thursday said at a press conference that he was “extremely surprised” by the proposal, which he said showed “disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards science”.Long derided as a right-wing conspiracy theory, and vehemently rejected by Beijing, the idea that Covid-19 may have emerged from a lab leak has been gaining momentum.Beijing has repeatedly insisted that a leak would have been “extremely unlikely”, citing the conclusion reached by a joint WHO-Chinese mission to Wuhan in January.Yuan Zhiming, director of the National Biosafety Laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, told Thursday’s press conference “no pathogen leakage or staff infection accidents have occurred” since the lab opened in 2018.


Former Felda boss Shahrir freed of money laundering charge

Former Felda chairman Shahrir Samad was today acquitted of failing to declare RM1 million received from Najib Razak to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
The decision was made by the Kuala Lumpur High Court, where justice Muhammad Jamil Hussin acquitted and discharged Shahrir after deputy public prosecutor Rasyidah Murni Azmi told the court that the prosecution did not wish to continue with the case.
"The deputy public prosecutor confirms that the prosecution process will not be continued any time soon. In such a situation it is appropriate for the accused to be acquitted and discharged.
"The court is using Section 254 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, apart from being bound by the Federal Court decision referred to by the defence. I order for the accused to be acquitted and discharged. The trial dates of Feb 27 and 28 this year have been vacated, and bail and passport will be returned to the accused," said Jamil.
Shahrir was charged with money laundering by failing to state his real income in the income tax return form, a violation of Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, on the RM1 million, believed to be from unlawful activities, which he received from Najib.
The cheque was deposited into Shahrir’s Public Islamic Bank account on Nov 28, 2013. He was charged with committing the offence at LHDN, Duta Branch, Government Office Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim on April 25, 2014.
The charge, framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, provides for a maximum fine of RM5 million, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.


North Korea test-fires strategic cruise missiles from submarine

North Korea test-fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine in a show of force hours before the US and South Korea were to stage major joint military exercises, state media reported early Monday.
A submarine fired the weapons from waters off the eastern coastal city of Sinpo on Sunday morning, the KCNA news agency said.
The South Korean military said it detected the launch of a single unspecified missile, without giving details, the Yonhap news agency said.
KCNA said the drill was successful, as the missiles hit their designated and unspecified targets in waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The launch came hours before South Korea and the US were set to kick off their largest joint exercises in five years on Monday. Nuclear-armed Pyongyang has warned such drills could be seen as a "declaration of war".
The KCNA report announcing Sunday's missile launch said the test firing expressed "the invariable stand" of North Korea to confront a situation in which "the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces are getting ever more undisguised in their anti-DPRK military maneuvers."
DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's official name.
KCNA said the drill also "verified the current operation posture of the nuclear war deterrence means in different spaces."
In a separate statement, North Korea's foreign ministry said the US was "scheming" to call a UN Security Council meeting on human rights in the reclusive communist state, to coincide with the joint maneuvers.
"The DPRK bitterly denounces the US vicious 'human rights' racket as the most intensive expression of its hostile policy toward the DPRK and categorically rejects it," the ministry said, according to KCNA.
Washington and Seoul have ramped up defence cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from the North, which has conducted ever more provocative banned weapons tests in recent months.
The US-South Korea exercises, called Freedom Shield, are scheduled to run for at least 10 days from Monday and will focus on the "changing security environment" due to North Korea's redoubled aggression, the allies said.
'Real war'
In a rare move, the Seoul military this month revealed that it and Washington special forces were staging "Teak Knife" military exercises – which involve simulating precision strikes on key facilities in North Korea – ahead of Freedom Shield.
All such exercises infuriate North Korea, which views them as rehearsals for an invasion.
It has said its nuclear weapons and missile programmes are for self-defence.
"Pyongyang has military capabilities under development it wants to test anyway and likes to use Washington and Seoul's cooperation as an excuse," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
Last year, the North declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear power and fired a record-breaking number of missiles, with leader Kim Jong Un last week ordering his military to intensify their own drills to prepare for a "real war".
Washington has repeatedly restated its "ironclad" commitment to defending South Korea, including using the "full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear".
South Korea, for its part, is eager to reassure its increasingly nervous public about the US commitment to so-called extended deterrence, in which US military assets, including nuclear weapons, serve to prevent attacks on allies.


New York, Singapore top 'world's costliest city' survey

New York and Singapore are jointly the world's most expensive cities after inflation soared this year, an annual survey showed Thursday.
The pair displaced last year's number one Tel Aviv, which fell to third place this time round in the Worldwide Cost of Living index from London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The survey revealed "the soaring cost of living in the world's biggest cities as the war in Ukraine and continuing pandemic restrictions disrupt supply chains, particularly for energy and food".
New York hit the top spot for the first time, while Damascus and Tripoli remained the cheapest cities.
Prices rocketed by an average 8.1% in the 172 major cities covered by the EIU survey, conducted between August and September.
The survey "also shows the impact of the strong US dollar on our city rankings", it noted.
A total of 50,000 worldwide prices were converted into dollars.
The US currency has jumped this year as the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates by large amounts to try and tame decades-high inflation.
In addition to New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco moved into the top ten.
The biggest upward movers were Moscow and St Petersburg, "which shot up by 88 and 70 places respectively as prices soared amid Western sanctions and buoyant energy markets supported the rouble".
Upasana Dutt, who headed the research, said "the war in Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russia and China's zero-covid policies have caused supply-chain problems that, combined with rising interest rates and exchange-rate shifts, have resulted in a cost-of-living crisis across the world."
"We can clearly see the impact in this year's index, with the average price rise across the 172 cities in our survey being the strongest we've seen in the 20 years for which we have digital data," she added.


Yet again, Rafizi to predict polls outcome with 'data'

Rafizi Ramli today said he has "data" to show increasing public support for Pakatan Harapan (PH) ahead of the six state elections.
The PKR deputy president, who famously predicted PAS being wiped out in the 2018 elections, said the findings of a survey would be released this month in what is seen as a response to opposition leaders' confidence in taking control of several states in the coming polls.
He said besides revealing that support for Perikatan Nasional (PN) is waning, with "stiff competition" in the PAS strongholds of Kedah and Kelantan, the survey also showed that PH would win in three of the six states.
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin on June 26 said the PN wave, which began in the 15th general election, will continue in the upcoming elections for the state assemblies of Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
Days before voting for the 2018 general election, Rafizi's  big data outfit Invoke Malaysia predicted that PAS, which was not part of the PH coalition led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would not win a single seat nationwide, both at the federal and state level.
The prediction, which Rafizi said was based on survey data, proved wrong when PAS won 18 parliamentary seats despite facing Barisan Nasional and PH in three-cornered seats, in addition to capturing Terengganu.
Following bigger gains by PAS in the general election last year, Rafizi attributed it to the Islamist party's racial rhetoric and money politics.
In the November polls, PAS won 49 parliamentary seats, the highest number of seats won by any single party.


Daughter of Afghan ambassador kidnapped and tortured in Pakistan

The daughter of Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan was briefly kidnapped and tortured by unknown assailants, officials say.Silsila Alikhil was abducted on her way home in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Friday and held for several hours.Pakistani officials said she was assaulted by assailants who got into a car she was travelling in and beat her up.Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said she was “severely tortured”.The ambassador, Najib Alikhil, condemned the “inhuman attack”, and on Saturday the Afghan foreign ministry expressed its “deep concern” and said it was lodging a complaint over the incident.“After being released from the kidnappers’ captivity, Alikhil is under medical care at the hospital,” the statement added, urging an investigation and protection for Afghan diplomats.A medical examination report, shared on social media and confirmed by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences state hospital where Alikhil was treated, said she was admitted with swellings and rope marks on her wrists and ankles.The report gave her age as 26, and said she was held for more than five hours and also noted she had some swelling in the brain’s rear occipital region.Amid widespread consternation over the case in both nations, Afghan authorities summoned Pakistan’s ambassador to Kabul to lodge a formal complaint.In another statement on Sunday it said it was recalling the ambassador and other senior diplomats “until all the security threats are removed”.Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted the culprits caught rapidly.Relations between the two neighbours have long been strained and in recent weeks ties between the two countries have been deteriorating further amid rising violence in Afghanistan.The Afghan government accuses Pakistan of providing safe haven for Taliban militants waging an insurgency across the country.Taliban militants have made advances and seized a series of posts on the Pakistani border from Afghan forces.The Taliban have moved swiftly as the US steps up the withdrawal of its forces from the country ahead of the Sept 11 deadline set by President Joe Biden.Other allied countries have withdrawn nearly all military forces ahead of Biden’s deadline.Pakistan, for its part, accuses Afghanistan of allowing militants to launch attacks from its soil.


UK to trial virus certificates at mass events

Britain is to trial a system of “Covid status certification” at events including football matches in the coming weeks as a possible way out of virus restrictions, the government said late Saturday.The Downing Street statement confirmed that Britain plans to issue identification showing whether people are vaccinated, have antibodies or have tested negative, despite opposition from lawmakers in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s own party.The government is to announce Monday that the system will be tested at events from mid-April including the FA Cup Semi-Final and Final at Wembley Stadium, the statement said.It quoted Johnson as saying the government was doing all it could “so people can return to the events, travel and other things they love as safely as possible”.The test events “will play an important role in allowing this to happen”, he said.The system will show whether someone has a negative test, vaccination or immunity due to a recent Covid infection.This comes as MPs from the ruling Conservative party as well as the opposition Labour party have publicly opposed a domestic “vaccine passport” as discriminatory.Labour leader Keir Starmer argued that such ID goes against British instincts, while a cross-party group of MPs has said it could deprive people of jobs and services.Downing Street said the pilot system “could allow higher-risk settings to be opened up more safely and with more participants”.The UK has given 31 million people a first vaccine dose and a second dose to more than five million.The status certification system is intended for events where large numbers of people are close to each other, such as nightclubs, festivals and sports matches, the government said.It added that it should not be used for public transport or entry to essential shops.Pubs and restaurants, which are set to reopen indoor service from May 17, will not need to ask people’s virus status.The state-funded health service is developing digital and non-digital ID, the government said.The test scheme was welcomed by football clubs as it means some fans will be able to attend fixtures.Manchester City club wrote on its website that it “welcomes the news” that 8,000 spectators will be able to attend the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley on April 25.The government also confirmed it will grade countries according to a “red, green, amber” traffic-light scheme when outbound international travel reopens on May 17 at the earliest.People will be able to visit “green” countries for leisure, taking virus test before and after.They will have to quarantine or self-isolate after visiting other countries.


Nurul Izzah here to help, not take projects, says Anwar

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says he is open to all comments and will clarify his daughter Nurul Izzah’s appointment as his senior economics and finance adviser.
Reiterating that the appointment would not involve any payment, Anwar said he wanted Nurul to help the government, including by ensuring a transparent administration and the proper award of government tenders.
"I take comments positively. I explain that it is different from previous experiences where appointments would usually involve the question of salary and reward.
"She (Nurul) came to help. That’s all, not to take projects," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Anwar also questioned his critics who, according to him, had not conducted a transparent administration and in fact awarded contracts and tenders worth millions of ringgit to their family members. "That’s why I’m willing to receive comments. If (they are) sincere, I have no problems because I’m committed to ensuring that there are no unhealthy practices in government administration," he added.
On criticism that Nurul's appointment reeked of nepotism, Anwar said nepotism only happened if one was given a post to abuse power, enrich oneself, accumulate contracts and get a high salary.
Meanwhile, on Malaysia’s drop for a third year in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Anwar said he was confident Malaysia would recover and do better next year.
Anwar said his government had sent a clear message that it would not tolerate corruption and power abuse and would take firm action to combat these.
"This government is still new… we are sincere and focused on actions to fight corruption, and in this matter I give full support to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to discharge its duties," he said.
According to a Transparency International report, Malaysia placed 61st out of 180 countries with a score of 47 points on the CPI 2022, compared to 62nd with 48 points in 2021.


Parliament sitting should be held as soon as possible, says Agong

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong today said that a Parliament sitting should be held as quickly as possible, hours after a special meeting with the Malay rulers at Istana Negara.“After refining all views from political leaders, the Independent Special Committee and the presentations by experts from government agencies, His Majesty is of the view that a Parliament sitting should be held as soon as possible.“This is to allow the emergency ordinances and National Recovery Plan to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat,” said a statement by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin.It said Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had also underscored the need for a strong and stable government that can function effectively in addressing the spread of Covid-19 and restoring the economy.“His Majesty is very aware of the role of Parliament as an important platform for the people’s representatives to meet to discuss issues particularly related to the Covid-19 pandemic.“Members of the Dewan Rakyat can discuss the allocations for government expenditure to help the people who are in need and to restore the country’s economy,” it said.Parliament sessions have been suspended since January under the state of emergency declared to help curb the spread of Covid-19.Putrajaya said on June 4 that it was considering a hybrid system for Parliament proceedings involving a combination of physical and virtual attendance by lawmakers.Law minister Takiyuddin Hassan said more detailed studies would be done and a report presented as soon as possible for the deliberation and approval of the Cabinet.The possibility of a virtual parliament sitting had been raised by Azalina Othman Said, the deputy speaker of the Dewan Rakyat.On May 27, she had questioned the prolonged suspension of parliamentary sittings and made several recommendations to facilitate the virtual convening of Dewan Rakyat, saying the pandemic was for the long run.Opposition politicians from Pakatan Harapan meanwhile have initiated legal proceedings against the government, seeking declarations that the emergency is unconstitutional.In April, several opposition MPs joined hands with six NGOs to seek a court declaration on the roles of Parliament and the judiciary, including to state whether the cancellation of parliamentary meetings could be challenged in court.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in announcing the four-phase National Recovery Plan yesterday, had said that Parliament might reconvene in the third phase, in September or October, subject to compliance with strict SOPs.“This has always been my stance that the parliamentary democratic system functions again at a suitable time, that is once Covid-19 cases are well controlled and when we are close to achieving herd immunity,” he said.