GDP suffers sharpest contraction since 1998

The economy last year contracted at its fastest pace in more than two decades, as the coronavirus shuttered businesses and hammered the country’s key exports, data showed today.Full-year gross domestic product shrank 5.6%, the statistics department said, marking the worst performance since a 7.4% drop in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis.In the fourth quarter, GDP slipped 3.4% year-on-year, worse than had been forecast as a virus resurgence forced authorities to reimpose measures to curb its spread.Malaysia initially kept the virus in check by quickly imposing a lockdown last year that closed most businesses for weeks, but it was hit hard by a second wave once restrictions were eased.Net exports fell 12.3% in 2020, official data showed. The economy is underpinned by exports of commodities including oil and gas, and palm oil as well as manufactured goods such as electronics.The manufacturing sector shrank 2.6%, the agricultural sector declined 2.2%, and construction shrank by a fifth.Despite the dismal figures, there was evidence that an upturn “in the manufacturing and commodity sectors has taken root”, Yeah Kim Leng, economics professor at Sunway University Business School, told AFP.But he warned that “the pandemic resurgence and accompanying containment measures will likely dampen the economic recovery in the first half of this year”.The International Monetary Fund has warned global GDP will be about US$22 trillion smaller than previously expected between 2020 and 2025 because of the virus crisis.


We’re behind you, BN MPs tell Muhyiddin in snub to Umno chief

Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs from Umno, MCA and MIC today stated their support for Muhyiddin Yassin, a day after Umno chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi declared his party was revoking its support for the prime minister.“In a situation where the country is facing a health and economic crisis, the survival of the people is far more important than political games.“In this regard, the MPs support Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister to continue the agenda of defending the people.”In their statement which was issued outside of the BN channel, the MPs said their stand was in line with the leeway granted to them by the Umno Supreme Council, allowing them to decide whether or not to revoke their support for Muhyiddin.BN has a total of 41 MPs including Zahid, former leader Najib Razak and a handful of MPs who have been at the forefront of attacks against Muhyiddin.In his announcement last night, Zahid said Muhyiddin had failed to fulfil several conditions as the basis of Umno’s support for the Perikatan Nasional government.“Umno urges Muhyiddin to step down gracefully and to allow a new prime minister for a limited term,” he said.He also said the government had failed to manage the Covid-19 crisis, accusing it of using the virus emergency for its political benefit at the cost of the country’s economy, and of failing to uphold democratic practices and to effectively distribute aid to the people.However, it is understood that the vast majority of Umno MPs are sticking with their decision not to revoke support for Muhyiddin, despite Zahid’s announcement.MalaysiaNow also reported that Zahid had given MPs from the party the choice to remain in the government despite his call for Umno to withdraw its support for Muhyiddin, although this was not mentioned in his statement.


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Publisher behind ex-AG’s book unperturbed by threats of legal suits

Negative publicity for a book is a publisher’s dream, as it has the power to pique public curiosity over the contents of the volume and generate sales.But for the publisher behind former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ autobiography, which has been the subject of police reports and threats of legal action, there is also concern that the book could be banned by the authorities.Chong Ton Sin, who owns GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise, however said the book contains no elements of sedition, often cited as grounds for banning by the home ministry.“In the case of Tommy, it is a bit different because he talks about problems about the laws and misconduct, so anyone could lodge police reports and file suits,” Chong, a former detainee of the Internal Security Act (ISA), told MalaysiaNow.Thomas’ book, “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”, is his account of what transpired behind key events under the 22-month Pakatan Harapan administration.Since its release, the book has attracted criticism from those mentioned in it as well as Thomas’ former officers in the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).Thomas makes several admissions in the book, including his ambition as far back as 2013 to hold the office of AG, and the support he got from top DAP leaders for his eventual appointment.“As long as the home ministry does not ban it, I will not stop its publication.”The 552-page book was written with the help of several politicians including DAP’s Liew Ching Tong and Syahredzan Johan, as well as former Bersih chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan and businessman Kalimullah Hassan of ECM Libra Group.A PDF version of the complete book is already making the rounds on social media platforms including WhatsApp, prompting Chong to warn of legal action against those who distribute the soft copies.Still, he is unperturbed by the threats of lawsuits, saying the book will still be available with reprints on the way.Chong has already been slapped with a legal notice from lawyers to Najib Razak, who is suing Thomas for defamation.Other than the author, the publisher and printer can also be dragged to court over the contents of a publication.“As long as the home ministry does not ban it, I will not stop its publication,” Chong said.Those who have disputed Thomas’ narrative of events in the book include Dr Mahathir Mohamad, senior government and private lawyers as well as current and past AGs and Dewan Rakyat speakers.Thomas had suggested, among others, that he did not believe in the capability of government prosecutors to handle high-profile cases such as those involving the charges against former prime minister Najib.The remarks drew condemnation from several quarters, including current AG Idrus Harun who said Thomas had insulted officers who were professional and diligent in their duties.“I would like to emphasise and give my assurance that I will not be influenced by the contents of the book that clearly show narrow thinking from the brief experience of a man who has no understanding of the public service institution, especially the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the very functions of the AG,” Idrus had said.Yesterday, former AG Mohamed Apandi Ali lodged a police report, saying Thomas had breached the Official Secrets Act by divulging confidential exchanges. An earlier report was lodged by former solicitor-general Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria over comments by Thomas suggesting he was not qualified to lead the prosecution team in Najib’s SRC International trial.For now, the publicity surrounding the book has generated sales for Chong.He told MalaysiaNow that another batch of 5,000 copies has been printed, on top of the first 2,000 copies which have sold out.


WHO grants emergency validation to Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday granted emergency validation to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve its import and distribution.Britain launched its inoculation drive with the US-German vaccine on Dec 8, with the US, Canada and EU countries following suit.WHO said the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first to receive its “emergency validation” since the novel coronavirus first broke out in China a year ago.“This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to Covid-19 vaccines,” said Mariangela Simao, a top WHO official tasked with ensuring access to medicines.“But I want to emphasise the need for an even greater global effort to achieve enough vaccine supply to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere,” she said in a statement.WHO said its emergency use listing opens the way for regulators in different countries to approve the import and distribution of the vaccine.It said it also enables Unicef, which plays a key logistical role in distributing anti-Covid vaccines, and the Pan-American Health Organization to procure the vaccine for countries that need it.WHO convened its own experts and those from around the world to review the data on the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine’s “safety, efficacy and quality”, weighing the benefits against the risks.“The review found that the vaccine met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set out by WHO, and that the benefits of using the vaccine to address Covid-19 offset potential risks,” it said.


Daily cases shoot past 22,200 to new high

Another 22,242 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,466,512.Selangor recorded 6,858 cases, Sabah 2,413, Penang 1,867, Kedah 1,852, Kuala Lumpur 1,587, Johor 1,477, Sarawak 1,403, Kelantan 1,351 and Perak 1,036.Pahang recorded 675 cases, Melaka 579, Negeri Sembilan 577 and Terengganu 487.Perlis recorded 50 cases, Putrajaya 25 and Labuan five.Active cases stand at 254,484 with 1,060 in the ICU and 540 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 19,680 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,198,726.However, 225 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 13,302.


Free Covid jabs for all Indian adults as Modi hails yoga ‘shield’

India opened up free vaccinations to all adults in an attempt to bolster its inoculation drive on Monday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off a muted International Yoga Day hailing the practice’s “protective” properties against the virus.The country’s vaccination drive has significantly slowed in recent months due to a shortage of jabs and hesitancy, even as it battled a vicious surge in cases in April and May that overwhelmed the healthcare system in many places.Case numbers have since fallen sharply and the authorities have again relaxed many restrictions, sparking fears of another wave.The government had expanded the vaccine rollout to include all adults aged below 45 on May 1, but states and private hospitals had to procure and buy the shots themselves for the younger age group, leading to confusion and shortages.But New Delhi later changed tack, announcing it would procure 75% of vaccine supplies and distribute them to states so that they can inoculate people for free.So far it has administered 275 million shots, with barely 4% of people fully vaccinated.The government aims to inoculate all of India’s almost 1.1 billion adults by the end of the year.“The vaccination drive is expected to pick up speed now… the daily vaccination has picked up over the last week and is expected to strengthen further,” community health expert Rajib Dasgupta told AFP.“However, both existing inequities as well as hesitancy merit deeper attention to make this a success.”The free rollout came as Modi marked the annual Yoga Day event with an early-morning address to the nation as it emerges from the surge, saying that the practice had again proved itself to be a source of “inner strength”.“When I speak to frontline warriors, they tell me that they have adopted yoga as a protective shield in their fight against coronavirus. Doctors have strengthened themselves with yoga and also used yoga to treat their patients,” Modi said.Public parks were re-opened in Delhi on Monday just in time, but the number of events for Yoga Day was cut back around the country for the second year running because of the pandemic.Yoga Day – proposed by Modi and adopted by the United Nations in 2014 – is observed mostly in India, but also worldwide on the Northern Hemisphere’s longest day.Throughout the pandemic, India’s government has touted yoga and herbal medicines – sales of which have boomed – to protect and give relief to people infected with the virus.But evidence is scant and the claims have faced pushback from India’s doctors, who wore black armbands last month to protest Baba Ramdev, a guru with ties to the Modi administration who has said yoga can cure Covid-19.


Jakim cannot issue statements on muzakarah council decisions, says Selangor sultan

Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today said that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) cannot issue any statements on decisions made by the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI).Sultan Sharafuddin, who is MKI chairman, said in a statement that the issuance of any statements regarding such matters comes under the jurisdiction of the Muzakarah Committee chairman, MKI and the Conference of Rulers.The sultan also said that Jakim only serves as the secretariat for the Muzakarah Committee and MKI.“In this regard, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs) and his deputy cannot issue any statements on decisions made by the Muzakarah Committee.“It should be noted that the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs) and his deputy are not members of MKI or the Muzakarah Committee. Therefore, they cannot interfere in any decision of the Muzakarah Committee and MKI,” Sultan Sharafuddin said.He also said that only the chairman of the Muzakarah Committee can make presentations to the Conference of Rulers for consent.“After obtaining the consent of the Conference of Rulers, implementation of the decision of the muzakarah is left to the consideration and decision of the Islamic religious authorities of each state,” the sultan said.On the Tarekat Naqsyabandiah al-Aliyyah Sheikh Nazim al-Haqgani, Sultan Sharafuddin said the decision of the muzakarah obtained the consent of the Conference of Rulers on Jan 4 last year.“Full details of the decision of the muzakarah can be referred through a statement issued by the chairman of the Muzakarah Committee yesterday (April 8).”Earlier, chairman of the MKI Muzakarah Committee Wan Zahidi Wan Teh said the Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah al-Aliyyah Syeikh Nazim al-Haqqani was allowed to be practised in the country as decided at the 117th meeting of the MKI Muzakarah Committee in 2020.He said the tarekat is allowed to be practised by its followers as long as it does not go against the beliefs of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah and shariah, or uruf (social tradition).


Think of the children: a call on citizenship

We, G25, support Hartini Zainudin, child activist and co-founder of Yayasan Chow Kit, in her call against the proposed amendments to Article 14 (1) (b) of the Malaysian Federal Constitution (FC), particularly the removal of Section 1(e) of Part II in the Second Schedule, which provides the following: "…persons born on or after Malaysia Day are citizens by operation of law, that is to say: e) every person born within the Federation who is not born a citizen of any country otherwise than by virtue of this paragraph."
The provision grants citizenship to children born in Malaysia who do not have citizenship elsewhere. It provides protection to children, through no fault of their own, who were born in the country but who do not have any proper documentation of their birth, such as foundlings, those who were abandoned, and those born out of wedlock or to stateless parents.
As Malaysians, we cannot allow our country to take away this right from its most vulnerable members. It is an injustice that should not even be considered as it further marginalises children born in our country who are already at a social and economic disadvantage, and who have faced enough trauma and hardships without having this stripped from them.
We call on our prime minister to uphold his concept of Malaysia Madani for our country, where the "I" in Madani stands for Ihsan or care and compassion. We cannot claim to provide care and be compassionate if we deny children, who are our most vulnerable, the rights that they and any child, no matter their circumstance, deserve. Malaysia Madani will not succeed if it fails to protect our children.
As a party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and as a country which has affirmed its commitment towards achieving its targeted Sustainable Development Goals, the removal of any rights accorded to children would be a step backward in Malaysia’s aim to becoming a progressive nation which upholds the rights of its people, especially its children.
We, G25, call on our government and politicians to not support the proposed amendments to Article 14(1)(b), particularly the removal of Section 1(e) of Part II in the Second Schedule of the FC. We fail to see any justification for the removal of this provision.
In addition, we are also concerned about the proposed amendments to the FC regarding the citizenship of children born abroad to Malaysian mothers. Children born abroad to Malaysian fathers are given automatic citizenship, while children born abroad to Malaysian mothers are not. This is unjustified and we urge the government to finally rectify this wrongful discrimination against women and their children without further delay.
Amendments to the Constitution that affect children should always be just and its objectives should always be to provide greater protection and stability for our children, and not take it away.
We call on them to think of the children.
G25 is a group of individuals rich with experience in various fields with diverse views but a common goal and common vision.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Singapore’s first ever parliament live stream viewed over 82,000 times

Singapore’s first-ever live stream of a parliament sitting received over 82,000 total views over two days, with Covid-19 and pandemic response being the main topics.The decision to live-stream Singapore’s parliamentary sittings came after many calls from MPs in order to give Singaporeans a chance to watch proceedings in real time, with the final decision made in September to stream the sessions live on YouTube.Despite the idea being vetoed at first by former leader of the House Grace Fu back in 2020, the House eventually agreed “in principle” to proceed with plans to show parliament sittings live on YouTube, with an English-captioned option also available to viewers.“The government has agreed to this live-streaming in view of the global and technological trends, which have made online streaming more feasible and enabled legislators around the world to livestream their proceedings,” said Singapore’s Communications and Information Minister S Iswaran.Those interested to watch replays of the livestream can find them on the ministry’s YouTube channel, where they’ll remain for six months from the upload date.


Further easing of business SOPs in Phase Two states

All trade and distribution sub-sectors in states under Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) can resume operations even if the number of fully vaccinated individuals in those states has yet to reach 50% of the adult population.The domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry, in a statement, said the states involved are Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Penang and Sabah.“Industry players and owners of premises can operate without having to wait for approval from the ministry. All proof of application through CIMS must be kept to be presented when needed,” it said.It added that owners of premises need to apply for permission to operate through CIMS or the Centralised Information Management System via https://notification.miti.gov.my/login.Muhyiddin Yassin, who is functioning as caretaker prime minister, announced on Sunday that the government would allow 11 types of business activities in the trade and distribution sectors in Phase Two states to resume operations effective Aug 16.These include photography shops and services, shops selling secondhand items, florists and nurseries, handicraft and souvenir shops, antique shops, toy stores, carpet shops and creative content and creative industry equipment stores.The ministry said the companies involved do not need to submit the details of employees who have completed their Covid-19 vaccine shots.It said owners of premises listed as trade companies that can resume operations must ensure that customers show their digital Covid-19 vaccination certificate as proof.It said for Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccine recipients, the individual must have passed the 14th day from the date of the second dose, while recipients of vaccines that require only one dose such as Johnson & Johnson and CanSino are allowed only after the 28th day.


‘No evidence’ of lost or changed votes, say US election officials

Senior US federal and state election officials said Thursday that there was “no evidence” that votes were lost or changed, or voting systems corrupted, in the presidential election.The officials, responsible for election security across the country, rejected claims made by President Donald Trump and Republicans that fraud and lost ballots led to his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in last week’s election.“The Nov 3 election was the most secure in American history,” they said in a statement.“There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,” they said.“While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too.”The statement was issued by the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council, a public-private umbrella group under the primary federal election security body, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Cisa).It was signed by the heads of the National Association of State Election Directors and the National Association of Secretaries of State – the officials who manage elections at the state level – and by the chairman of the US Election Assistance Commission.It came hours after Trump retweeted a claim that an election equipment maker “deleted” 2.7 million votes for him nationwide and switched hundreds of thousand from him to Biden in Pennsylvania and other states.It was the latest in a series of assertions Trump and Republicans have put forth in order to reject Biden’s victory.The company, Dominion Voting Systems, and the Pennsylvania Department of States flatly denied Trump’s claims.The statement from the election security officials also came amid reports that Trump could fire the head of Cisa, Chris Krebs, who has made a strong effort to stifle unsupported allegations of fraud that have surfaced while the votes have been counted around the country.Despite that, rumours and conspiracy theories of a corrupted vote that allegedly “robbed” Trump have flooded the internet, and Republicans and the Trump campaign have filed multiple lawsuits around the country claiming irregularities.So far none have been substantiated in court.The statement said that election officials across the country are currently “reviewing and double-checking” their state and local results prior to certifying the numbers.“When states have close elections, many will recount ballots. All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper records of each vote, allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary,” the officials said.


White House says Musk's condemnation of Fauci 'dangerous,' 'disgusting'

Billionaire Elon Musk's public condemnation of top US health official Anthony Fauci is "dangerous" and "disgusting," and should be called out, White House spokesman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday.
"They are disgusting, and they are divorced from reality, and we will continue to call that out and be very clear about that," Jean-Pierre said on Monday. She praised Fauci's handling of public heath crises, including the coronavirus pandemic.
Musk over the weekend had tweeted: "My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci." As the tweet went viral, the CEO of Twitter and of electric car maker Tesla Inc replied to his own post, adding: "Truth resonates."
Fauci, who said he planned to retire in December as President Joe Biden's top medical adviser and top US infectious disease official, has dealt with the thorny questions around health crises from HIV/AIDS to avian flu and Ebola.
The veteran immunologist has served as an adviser to seven US presidents beginning with Republican Ronald Reagan and has had over 50 years of public service.
But it was his handling of Covid - and his blunt assessments from the White House podium that Americans needed to change their behavior in light of the pandemic - that made him a hero to public health advocates while serving under former President Donald Trump, a villain to some on the right and an unusual celebrity among bureaucratic officials used to toiling in obscurity.
The US leads the world in recorded Covid-19 deaths with more than one million.
Fauci has said he has faced death threats. He endured criticism from Trump and from various conservatives who objected to safeguards such as vaccination, social distancing and masking that he advocated to try to limit the lethality of the pandemic.
Republicans also threatened to probe Fauci if they got control of Congress in the midterm elections, in which they won control of the House of Representatives while the Democrats narrowly retained control of the Senate.


Sue international media over 'full-blown homosexual' claim, opposition leader tells Anwar

Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin today challenged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to take legal action against international media groups which publish reports that could smear the country's image, citing a recent article by an Italian news site calling the Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman a homosexual.
"Firm action should be taken," the Perikatan Nasional (PN) secretary-general said in the Dewan Rakyat, referring to the report titled "First Full-blown Homosexual Elected Prime Minister in an Islamic Country" published by Agenzia Nova on Nov 24.
"The government is responsible for informing the world that Tambun has been pardoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong."
He also urged Anwar not to settle for being a "village hero" who was only brave enough to act against those within the country.
"Tambun was once punished by the court but is now free because he has been pardoned," he said.
"Don't let the whole world believe that Malaysia's prime minister is a staunch homosexual. This is an old story."
Hamzah also said that PN was ready to play the role of the opposition and to take over the government when the time comes.
Given that Anwar was now the prime minister as well as the finance minister, he said it would be inappropriate for the PKR president to make "frivolous" accusations and create a negative perception of previous governments.
He said Anwar could also refer to the former finance minister regarding government spending under Muhyiddin Yassin's administration, since Tengku Zafrul Aziz was now on Anwar's "side" in the government bloc after being appointed as international trade and industry minister.
"Ask the senator about the management of the RM600 billion stimulus and aid announced by the government led by Pagoh," he said when debating the motion for a vote of confidence   in Anwar's leadership.
Hamzah, who is also Larut MP, added that a large portion of the funds had been in non-fiscal form and did not involve government money, including the various EPF withdrawal schemes, the moratoriums on loan repayments, and the initiatives to help those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also questioned the government action over social media content, saying this was considered a restriction on media freedom.
He said such moves were against PH's stand as well as its election manifesto.


It won't be a 'PH govt' if we join forces with BN, Anwar admits

Anwar Ibrahim today said any new government formed under him will not be known as a Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, hours after holding discussions with Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders in his search for the majority support from MPs.
He also played down news that Perikatan Nasional (PN) had achieved enough support from MPs to form the government, saying their stand could be nullified after today's meeting.
He said this was because the MPs who were supporting Muhyiddin was under the impression that it would be a "PH government".
Asked about GPS and GRS declaring their support for PN, Anwar said they would change their minds.
"They rejected PH and DAP, possibly because they thought it would be a DAP government or PH government. This is essentially a coalition government," he said.
Anwar also said he believed Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein would change his strong stand against supporting him.
"There's no DAP or PH government here. It is a unity government. So I believe he has now revised his views," said Anwar, and repeated a reminder by Zahid that BN MPs were bound by an undertaking signed with Zahid giving him the mandate to enter into any political alliance.
The PKR leader also justified PH's about-turn, despite leaders repeatedly making it clear during campaigning that there would be no cooperation with BN.
"We have to proceed to form an inclusive government. We are accepted as the biggest bloc and quite comfortable in terms of the numbers secured. But we still require the support of all parties.
"As we have always said, we have to save the country," he added.


Trashed at GE15, Umno continues to hog the limelight

Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin Umno appears solidly entrenched in the limelight despite notching its worst electoral drubbing in its six-decade history at the 15th general election last November, even as debate continues on the future of the once-dominant Malay party.
The unexpected shift in support away from Umno notwithstanding, its recent general assembly received widespread coverage from the media and political observers – far more than any other party assembly despite its association with corruption and court charges.
It has also been faced with criticism over its decision at the assembly to allow the top two posts – held by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Mohamad Hasan – to go uncontested when the party holds its polls this year.
Political observer Mak Khuin Weng said the general assembly this time around had continued to receive attention due to Umno's move to join forces with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in forming the government.
"Their relevance will be measured again at the state elections to come," he added.
If PH fails to form the government with Umno after these elections, he said, it would show that the Malay vote is firmly behind Perikatan Nasional (PN), cementing the split in voters throughout the peninsula.
This in turn would lead to a straight fight which he said PH would find difficult to win.
Adding that PH still needs Umno, Mak said the Malay party continued to wield strong influence in big businesses and over the mainstream media.
Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani, for instance, is the biggest shareholder in Media Prima which controls television networks and print media in addition to news portals.
Other leaders meanwhile have strong corporate backgrounds, with children and proxies appointed as directors in major companies.
Zahid alone is the director and shareholder of a number of companies and foundations.
Kartini Aboo Talib of Universiti Malaysia said the Umno general assembly had received attention as the people wished to see the extent to which the party remained relevant.
"Many were disappointed because the assembly did not focus on resolutions to reduce the trust deficit of the Malays towards Umno," she said.
"Many also see its failure as a chance for PN to come up with an agenda to challenge the PH-Umno pact."
She agreed that there was no question over political and business relations, describing it as a norm in democratic and capitalist systems.
"BN has MCA together with YTL and Vincent Tan while PH-Amanah has tycoon Koon Yew Yin," she said.
"Pejuang meanwhile has the support of Lee Kim Yew."


32 in Johor fined for playing badminton during lockdown

Thirty-two people were slapped with compounds for flouting the SOPs of the movement control order (MCO) after they were found gathering and playing badminton at a sports centre in Skudai, three days ago.Johor Bahru Utara district police chief ACP Rupiah Abd Wahid, in a statement, said they comprised the owner of the sports centre and badminton players aged between 18 and 44.She said the police raided the premises at Batu 6, Jalan Skudai at about 5.30pm following information from the public.“The owner of the premises was compounded RM2,000 while the rest were compounded RM1,500 each for playing badminton during the MCO period and not observing physical distancing.“The offences were committed under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures in Local Areas of Infection) Regulations 2021,” she said.


Don’t be complacent, Tok Mat warns BN ahead of GE15

Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan today warned the coalition not to get carried away by its recent success at state polls, saying it should instead offer voters a “new deal” to ensure victory at the 15th general election (GE15).He said BN needed to work hard for a convincing win and should not assume that it will do well just because it is part of the government.“All the victories in by-elections and the Sabah, Melaka and Johor state elections do not guarantee that BN will win and easily form the government.“Today, I would like to stress that this is not merely a wrong assumption.“In fact, it is dangerous and risky to BN. There are several critical reasons why we should immediately discard this assumption,” he said in his opening speech at the BN convention in conjunction with the coalition’s 48th anniversary in Kuala Lumpur today.Mohamad, who is Umno deputy president, said members should focus on efforts to strengthen the coalition and reinvent “the BN wave”, understanding why it was important for BN to return to power.He also emphasised the need for BN to be in line with the times, fresh and “future-proof”, and able to present itself “as an idea”.He said BN should not only be a political coalition for facing the next general election, but should instead present a revolutionary image that could inspire confidence among the people.The Rantau assemblyman likewise called on party members to equip themselves with facts to fight the war of perception.“Be confident that the people are capable of evaluating. The people can be objective and fair. The people will no longer be fooled. The problem now is, we simply allow all accusations and perceptions created by the opposition to reach society.“So, it is important for BN to stand on the ground of reality and accept the reality that victory will not come easy. We need to work hard and move strategically,” he said.Mohamad also said BN should come up with new offers and approaches for the people as GE15 would determine BN’s future.He said BN’s brand name and experience in administration would not necessarily convince the people to vote for it.He also reminded party members to stand firm on moral issues and reject political opportunists.“Do not give space to political merchants. Instead, give space to and support candidates who are knowledgeable, of high morals, principled and who dedicate their lives to the country and race. There is no compromise on moral matters.“Previously, BN had more than 10 component parties. After our defeat, we were left with just four. All of them abandoned us because their moral values, struggles and loyalties were interpreted and changed according to their taste and stomach which could never be filled,” he said.He said despite being a coaltion of just four parties, BN would surely win if it adhered to its principles, moral politics and good philosophy.


Hacker dubbed ‘Mr White Hat’ to return entire stolen crypto fortune

A firm specialising in transferring cryptocurrency said Thursday that a hacker they are calling “Mr White Hat” was giving back all US$613 million in digital loot from a record haul.Poly Network had put out word previously that nearly half of the digital assets swiped early this week had been returned.“As our communication with Mr White Hat is going on, the remaining user assets on Ethereum are gradually transferred,” Poly Network said in a tweet.“We look forward to Mr White returning all the remaining user assets, as stated by him.”Polygon had urged the thief to return the stolen fortune.A person claiming to be the hacker told their side of the story in a question-and-answer style post on Twitter.The hacker said the heist was pulled “for fun” to expose a flaw that could have cost Poly Network dearly and undermined faith in cryptocurrencies.“I would say figuring out the blind spot in the architecture of Poly Network would be one of the best moments in my life,” the post read.“To be honest, I did have some selfish motives to do something cool but not harmful… then I realised being the moral leader would be the coolest hack I could ever archive.”The return of the digital loot came as the thief was tracked by “white hat” hackers who use their software skills for good.Their nefarious counterparts are referred to as “black hat” hackers in the cyber security world.The heist had sparked debate about whether it would be fair to let the hacker keep some of the loot as reward for uncovering a Poly Network security weakness.Open source developers alliance BinomialPool in a tweeted exchange proposed a bounty of 5% to 10% for pulling off such crypto-hacks.“This could be a win-win,” tweeted @BinomialPool.“Hackers don’t go into jail. The community faces acceptable losses. Code gets better.”In an exchange on Twitter, Poly Network promised to pay a US$500,000 bug bounty after the stolen assets are returned.Poly Network also assured the hacker they would not be held accountable.“We think this behaviour is white hat behaviour, therefore this US$500,000 will be seen as completely legal bounty reward,” Poly Network said in the exchange.Paying hackers bounties for uncovering and reporting bugs in software is common practice in the tech world.Early on, Poly Network threatened police involvement, but also offered the hacker a chance to “work out a solution”.The purported hacker said in the post that returning the digital haul was always the plan.“I know it hurts when people are attacked, but shouldn’t they learn something from those hacks,” the post maintained.The US Department of Justice and FBI did not respond to requests for comment.


Duo sustain minor injuries in Port Klang helicopter crash

Two men sustained minor injuries after their light helicopter crashed in a vacant plot of land in the Port Klang Free Trade Zone (PKFZ) in Pulau Indah today.Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said pilot Kharudin Dahlan, 73, and his assistant Moithu Kutti Mohamad, 53, suffered injuries to the left hand and minor bruises in the 10am incident.“When our personnel reached the scene, both the victims had been removed from the helicopter by members of the public and were being treated by medical personnel from West Port,” he said in a statement.Norazam said the two-seater helicopter was believed to have crashed while attempting an emergency landing along Jalan PKFZ.“Seven fire and rescue personnel in a fire engine were sent to the scene after receiving an emergency call,” he added.


Stop detaining child refugees, asylum seekers, urges PN

An opposition MP has called on the government to stop detaining child refugees and asylum seekers, urging it to place them under temporary care centres through NGOs, citing a growing concern over child deaths in immigration depots.
As of May 2023, a total of 998 children were held in immigration depots, with an average of four child deaths a year. Seven children are known to have died between 2014 and July 2022.
Perikatan Nasional's Sik MP Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman said Malaysia should immediately end detention of refugee children as it is detrimental to their mental and physical health.
"Any period of detention, including short-term detention, has prolonged effects on children, regardless of whether they are detained with family members or alone," he said while debating the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (Suhakam) annual report in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He said that immigration detention also affects the country's economy as it is 90% more expensive than alternative care programmes that provide community-based care and protection to children and refugees.
He also raised concern over the Alternative to Detention (ATD) pilot programme aimed at protecting children, which has seen no new progress since its launch by Putrajaya.
The project, a joint initiative by the women, family and community development ministry and the home affairs ministry, aims to release unaccompanied and separated children from immigration detention.
They would then be placed under temporary shelter, acknowledging the potential harms immigration detention causes to children.
"However, a year has passed, and the ATD pilot programme has yet to be implemented.
"No children have been released and placed in temporary protection centres." he said.


Perak PAS apologises to sultan over no-show for royal audience

Perak PAS apologised to Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah today for not appearing before the him when summoned on Tuesday.Its commissioner, Razman Zakaria, said the party had always upheld the institution of the Perak sultanate and would remain loyal to Sultan Nazrin.“We humbly express our apologies to the Sultan of Perak for our mistake of not appearing before him when summoned by His Highness on Tuesday, Dec 8, at 3pm,” he told a media conference at the Perak PAS headquarters.Razman, who is also Gunung Semanggol assemblyman, said he and the other two PAS assemblymen in Perak, Mohd Akmal Kamarudin (Selama) and Mohd Khalil Yahaya (Kubu Gajah), would send on official letter of apology to Sultan Nazrin.On Tuesday, Perak Dewan Negara member Mohd Annuar Zaini said Sultan Nazrin had called for a representative from PAS and Bersatu to appear before him over the political crisis in the state.However, PAS which was scheduled to meet Sultan Nazrin at 3pm called off the audience following a directive from the party’s leadership, while Bersatu was not present as the party said it had yet to receive an official invitation from the palace at the time.No PAS assemblyman was appointed as state executive council member during the swearing-in ceremony at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar, yesterday which only involved four Umno assemblymen and one from Bersatu.Razman and Akmal were both state executive councillors under the previous administration.


Kit Siang turns down DAP mentor post, wants clean break from politics

Former DAP leader Lim Kit Siang today rejected a proposal by the party’s central executive committee (CEC) for him to play the role of a mentor following his retirement from politics.In a blog post, the Iskandar Puteri MP thanked DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook and the new CEC line-up for the proposal, adding that he would always be available to offer his views on the party’s direction.“There is however no need for any position, and I am therefore declining the CEC’s proposal to be a DAP mentor,” he said.He also pledged his full support for Loke’s leadership as the sixth secretary-general of DAP.Lim had announced his retirement from politics at the 17th DAP national congress on March 30.He also said he would not be contesting the general election to come, and withdrew from the CEC race.Apart from Iskandar Puteri, he had served as MP for Bandar Melaka (1969-1974); Kota Melaka (1974-1978); Petaling Jaya, Selangor (1978-1982); Kota Melaka (1982-1986); Tanjong, Penang (1986-1999); Ipoh Timur, Perak (2004-2013) and Gelang Patah, Johor (2013-2018).He was also elected as the assemblyman for Kubu, Melaka (1974-1982); Kampong Kolam, Penang (1986-1990) and Padang Kota, Penang (1990-1995).


US Khashoggi murder spy report expected to accuse Saudi crown prince

The Biden administration is expected to release a declassified US intelligence report on Thursday finding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, four officials familiar with the matter have told Reuters.The release is the latest move by President Joe Biden to realign ties with Riyadh after years in which Washington largely gave its key Arab ally a pass on its human rights record, intervention in Yemen’s civil war and other issues.Biden is shifting US policy away from the cosy relationship that former president Donald Trump had with the crown prince, in favour of strengthening ties with the ageing King Salman.White House spokesman Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday that Biden would only have communications with the 85-year-old Saudi king and said the declassified Khashoggi report will come out soon.The 59-year-old Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist, was lured to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on Oct 2, 2018, and killed by a team linked to the crown prince, the kingdom’s de facto ruler. They then dismembered and disposed of his body.A Turkish eavesdropping bug planted in the embassy recorded Khashoggi’s death in grisly detail and has been heard by US, UK and other allied security services.Riyadh eventually admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a “rogue” extradition operation gone wrong, but it denied any involvement by the crown prince.Five men given the death penalty for the murder had their sentences commuted to 20 years in jail after being forgiven by Khashoggi’s family.Four US officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said that the declassified US intelligence report  concluded that the crown prince approved and likely ordered the murder of Khashoggi, who had used his Washington Post column to criticise the crown prince’s policies.The Trump administration rejected demands by lawmakers and human rights groups to release a declassified version, seeking to preserve cooperation amid rising tensions with Riyadh’s regional rival, Iran, and promote US arms sales to the kingdom.


New high in daily Covid deaths brings virus toll perilously close to 3,000 mark

The country recorded a new high in daily deaths today with 126 passing away over the last 24 hours, pushing the total virus toll to 2,993 – just seven short of the 3,000 mark threshold.The deaths, involving 123 citizens and three foreigners, bring Malaysia’s death rate from Covid-19 to 0.51%.The highest number of Covid-19 deaths before this was 98, recorded on May 29.Selangor led the list of states recording Covid deaths today with 29 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (18), Negeri Sembilan (14), Kelantan (12), Johor (11), Kedah (10), Labuan (eight), Melaka and Terengganu (five each), Sarawak (four), Pahang (three), Sabah, Putrajaya and Perak (two each) and Penang (one).The oldest victim was a 98-year-old woman in Perak with a history of stroke who died at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun in Ipoh.This was followed by a 95-year-old woman in Kuala Lumpur with a history of diabetes and high blood pressure who died at Hospital Sungai Buloh.The two youngest victims were 26, both women. One died at Hospital Labuan while the other died at Hospital Tuanku Jaafar in Seremban.


Pfizer says Covid shot 100% effective in teens after 4 months

Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday their Covid-19 vaccine remained 100% effective in children 12 to 15 years old, four months after the second dose.The companies said that the new data, which involved 2,228 trial participants, will help support their applications for full approval in the US and worldwide.No serious safety concerns were observed in individuals with at least six months of follow-up after the second dose.“As the global health community works to increase the number of vaccinated people around the world, these additional data provide further confidence in our vaccine’s safety and effectiveness profile in adolescents,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla in a statement.“This is especially important as we see rates of Covid-19 climbing in this age group in some regions, while vaccine uptake has slowed. We look forward to sharing these data with the FDA and other regulators.”The vaccine was granted “emergency use authorization” for adolescents by the US in May and the companies plan to soon seek full approval. The vaccine is currently only fully approved in people aged 16 and older.Among the 2,228 participants, there were 30 confirmed symptomatic Covid cases without evidence of prior infection, all in the placebo group.This corresponds to a vaccine efficacy of 100%. Efficacy was consistently high across gender, race, obesity levels and comorbidity status.The main safety concern among this age group is vaccine-linked myocarditis (heart inflammation) in males.But such cases are very rare, and the benefits of vaccination continue to strongly outweigh the risks, data has shown. Covid itself can cause myocarditis, both more often and a more severe form.


Malaysia’s pandemic-fuelled digitalisation on the rise, industry bosses say

The rate of digitalisation in the country has been on the rise since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year with the digital economy expected to hit RM125 billion by 2025, a recent panel discussion by industry bosses concurred.The figures were based on a report on the digital economy in Southeast Asia released by Google, Singapore investment giant Temasek, and global consultancy firm Bain & Company, which highlighted the importance of the internet to Malaysia’s overall economy.Marc Woo, managing director of Google Malaysia who moderated the panel discussion titled “Peering into Malaysia’s Digital Future”, said that 2020 had seen more than a third of Malaysians turning to digital services for the first time for e-commerce, food and groceries, education and healthcare.Malaysia also recorded a significant growth of 87% year-on-year in gross merchandise value for the e-commerce sector, the highest in Southeast Asia, he said.“Digital talent will be the key enabler to the success of the digital economy, requiring the collaboration of multiple parties to ensure that the momentum is sustained,” he said.The other panelists were Surina Shukri, CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), Maxis CEO Gokhan Ogut, Grab Malaysia managing director Sean Goh, and Suzanne Ling, who co-founded PichaEats, a unique food catering business which empowers refugees by marketing meals prepared using recipes from their countries.The panellist agree that workers and fresh graduates should equip themselves with the skills needed for digital adoption, saying the digitalisation process is expected to be more rapid than 2020.Surina said MDEC, the main government body tasked with advancing e-commerce and digitilisation in Malaysia, said the agency had been working with the education ministry to begin bridging the digital gap.“In secondary schools, coding is now taught as a subject. We do not want to just teach, we want to create digital maker movements,” she said.She said the next move is to ensure that schools are equipped with labs so that students can learn subjects like robotics.“So far, we have managed to reach 2.17 million students in the country,” she added.Goh meanwhile hailed the equalising effect of digitalisation, giving the example of a deaf person driving a blind passenger.“That can only be done with rapid digitalisation,” he said. “Through AI and 5G, we can even have real-time translation between sign and verbal language, and written and spoken language.”Surina agreed, saying Malaysians appear to be looking at how to begin and advance their digital journeys compared to last year when many were still considering the relevance of such a move.“The onset of Covid-19 has pushed for quicker adoption of digitalisation in their business models, especially among the startups.“Malaysia will realise that we indeed ‘Boleh’ and adopt various facets of digital technologies, not just the front-end portion which is e-commerce, but also digitalising the middle portion of the business process and any innovations that come after,” she said.Maxis’ Ogut said the introduction of 5G would enable future technologies such as AR/VR and the Internet of Things which he added could be leveraged across industries like agriculture and manufacturing.This in turn would contribute significantly to the country’s gross domestic product, he said.Menahile, Ling said digital adoption would move even more quickly this year, citing virtual conferences and the growing realisation among SMEs about the importance of mobile apps or websites for better customer interaction.“Developing digital talents will be more crucial than ever and it is important that Malaysians equip themselves with the latest digital knowledge to stay relevant,” she said.


Johor Umno to assist election campaign in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu

Johor Umno will be mobilising its machinery to Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu to assist in the elections to be held in the three states.
Johor Umno liaison committee chairman Mohamed Khaled Nordin said this was not only to reciprocate the assistance of other states which had helped Johor Umno when the state held its election in March last year, but also to share the struggle to ensure success for the party in these state elections.
"We have discussed assigning the roles of each division for the state polls in the six states. Johor Umno will be involved in the state seats located in 11 parliamentary constituencies in Selangor, six constituencies in Negeri Sembilan and three constituencies in Terengganu," he told reporters in Johor Bahru yesterday.
Khaled, who is the higher education minister, said the Johor Umno machinery deployed to the state elections would also lend a hand to the partners of the coalition government.
On June 30, Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported as saying that BN was expected to contest 45% of the 245 state assembly seats in the six states while the rest would be contested by Pakatan Harapan.
Meanwhile, Khaled said that a race-based party like Umno should not be rejected as in the government, it is more about the cooperation of all races.


US workers enticed with bonuses, time off to get Covid-19 jabs

As Covid-19 vaccination drives get into gear across the US, some businesses are offering transportation, paid time off and bonuses of up to US$500 to encourage workers to get the jab.Labor-intensive industries like slaughterhouses, supermarkets and farms, whose workers are at higher risk of contracting the virus, have taken the lead, with several large grocery chains offering two to four hours paid leave time for employees to get vaccinated.“Providing accommodations so employees can receive this critical vaccine is one more way we can support them and eliminate the need to choose between earning their wages and protecting their well-being,” Jason Hart, CEO of supermarket chain Aldi, said in January.Others have taken advantage of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations that allow them to set up their own vaccination centres.California-based Bolthouse Farms, which sells carrots, smoothies and juices, holds weekly immunisation sessions at its main site and pays US$500 to all full-time employees who accept the shot.Meat giant JBS is offering US$100 to vaccinated employees and has distributed materials in several languages to emphasise the safety and effectiveness of immunisation. By mid-March, about a third of its 60,000 employees had received a first dose.Pay outsRetail chain Target will pay workers up to US$30 in transportation costs related to getting a vaccine.Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the country, offers US$100 to those who are vaccinated, and also to staff who refuse to take the shot for medical or religious reasons, as long as they take a health education class.Companies in the gig economy are making similar offers. Grocery delivery platform Instacart is offering US$25 to its shoppers, who are not employees.Other industries have taken a more forceful approach. United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby in January mentioned possibly making the vaccine required for pilots, crew and other employees.“We are still not at the point where we can make the vaccine mandatory and are still working through the eligibility issues between each state and vaccine supply,” a company spokesman told AFP.‘Soft mandate’Dorit Reiss, a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, said companies can mandate that employees get vaccinated, “with caveats”.“Covid-19 vaccines are authorised under an emergency use authorisation, not approved in the usual way, and there is legal uncertainty,” Reiss said.At the same time, companies could face lawsuits if an outbreak occurs in their workplace.Some workers may however turn down getting vaccinated, while unions may want to negotiate with management over the jabs.Reiss said that it would be appropriate for companies operating in environments particularly vulnerable to outbreaks, like nursing homes or prisons, to mandate the vaccine.Most other companies are probably better off offering “incentives or a soft mandate”, like requiring people who don’t get vaccinated to wear protective equipment like masks or telecommute.“Most of the hesitancy we’re seeing now is not anti-vaccine people but people who are nervous about the new vaccine, and they can be reassured over time,” she said.According to a February survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, only 5% of American bosses intend to impose the vaccine on all or some of their employees.Other firms have turned their vaccination efforts not to their own employees but to the public at large, in a bid to speed up consumption and the economic recovery at large.Krispy Creme is offering a free doughnut until the end of the year with proof of vaccination, while Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio has offered beer costing 10 cents to the first 2,021 people presenting a vaccination certificate.


Daily caseload dips to 5,100

Another 5,139 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,861,069.Another 3,767 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,777,715.Meanwhile 119 are in the ICU, including 102 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 69 are in need of respiratory assistance including 50 confirmed Covid-19 cases.


Not wrong to topple Anwar a la Muhyiddin, says Mahathir

Former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said there would be nothing wrong with MPs wanting to topple Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as had happened to his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin.
Speaking at a press conference in Putrajaya, he said representatives had the right to change the government.
"It's not against any law," he said, adding that any administration that is not well run can be ousted by party members in the government.
Mahathir, who was prime minister himself for more than two decades, was responding to reporters' questions on whether the coalition government led by Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional could remain in office until the end of its term.
He said it was up to party members to help the government succeed or to choose new parties or leaders.
He said this was what happened to Muhyiddin, the Perikatan Nasional chairman, during his tenure in the top office.
"Umno was not satisfied, and it pulled its support and replaced him with an Umno leader," he said.
Muhyiddin resigned as prime minister in August 2021 after losing his majority in Parliament.
He was succeeded by Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who remained in office until the dissolution of Parliament in October last year.


Brisbane lifts virus lockdown after city finds zero cases

Australia’s third-largest city lifted stay-at-home orders Monday, after mass testing and tracing across Brisbane found no new coronavirus cases despite fears over a contagious strain entering the community.More than two million people were ordered into a snap lockdown Friday after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel contracted the UK variant of Covid-19 from a returned traveller.Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the lockdown would be lifted at 6pm local time Monday after tens of thousands of tests detected zero cases of transmission.She defended the measures as “definitely not an over-reaction”.“We wanted to make sure we acted quickly, we acted strongly, we acted decisively and that is exactly what we did,” she said.It will remain compulsory to wear masks indoors and on public transport until Jan 22, while restaurants and pubs will be subject to fresh restrictions on patron numbers.Australia’s first recorded case of the UK strain in the community has also prompted authorities to slash international arrival numbers and tighten quarantine arrangements.Until the lockdown, Brisbane was among several Australian cities enjoying a return to relative normality due to the country’s success in suppressing the virus.The UK strain is among several emerging variants around the world believed to be more infectious than those which have spread previously.Australia has recorded almost 28,600 Covid-19 cases and 909 deaths linked to the virus, in a population of about 25 million.


Less than half of Malays have received booster jab, health ministry says

Fewer than half of the Malays in the country have received a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine, the health ministry revealed today as the government ramps up its vaccination drive with jabs rolled out this month for children aged five to 11.A table revealing booster coverage by race as of Feb 10 shows that 47.9% of Malays in the country have received a third dose – the lowest percentage among the three major races in Malaysia.Meanwhile 81.3% of Chinese have received a booster jab and 56.4% of Indians.A state-by-state breakdown shows that Sarawak has the highest number of Malays vaccinated with a third dose at 80%, while 85.2% of Chinese and 79.1% of Indians have been given a booster jab.In all other states, however, including the Klang Valley which covers Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, the percentage of Malays who have received a booster shot is below 65%.“80% of the Chinese have been boosted,” Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a Twitter post accompanying the table.“Better communication is needed on Facebook as the Malays are below 50%. Sarawak is the best.”The government began administering booster shots for fully vaccinated people on Oct 13 last year.As of yesterday, 12,926,703 individuals or 55.2% of the adult population had received a booster dose.Khairy warned earlier this week that senior citizens and those inoculated with the Sinovac jab would need to receive a booster shot by March 1 or lose their fully vaccinated status.He said then that some 3.5 million individuals inoculated with Sinovac had yet to receive a booster shot, along with 32% or about a million senior citizens.


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Experts sound alarm after ‘tougher’ Covid-19 variant detected in Sarawak

Researchers at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak have confirmed the existence of a Covid-19 variant that could be more resistant to vaccines, prompting warnings by experts for the public to remain vigilant and adhere to SOPs as authorities battle a sharp spike in daily cases nationwide.Experts from the university’s Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) confirmed that the B.1.1.28.3 or P3 variant had been found in eight samples taken from Kuching and Samarahan last week.The P3 variant was first reported in the Philippines in March, and was identified in import cases in the UK.IHCM director Dr David Perera said the variant has greater transmissibility and may escape the neutralising antibody response.“We strongly urge the public to continue adhering to the SOPs and guidelines, particularly mask wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing, and the need to achieve herd immunity through the vaccination programme.“These efforts will help slow virus transmission and reduce the chances of future variants evolving in the community,” said Perera.Sarawak epidemiologist Dr Andrew Kiyu Dawie Usop said the P3 variant could be a pandemic as it can spread faster than the original version.Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time.Kiyu said changes to the spike protein were a crucial point for scientists to observe in virus mutations.“Whether the mutation could pose a greater threat to human lives, one important fact is that the virus is always changing.“It’s like a human giving birth, every time they multiply, the ‘children’ (the virus after mutation) will look different from the mother and father (the virus before mutation).“Every time the virus mutates, a new virus variant will emerge. This means that the change in the spike protein will allow the virus’ spike to latch on to human cells and function more efficiently,” he explained.Kiyu said the P3 variant could be more contagious since it was mutated with two different virus genes.“The viruses are all different – in a way, it could be more powerful. For example, it could evade the antibody. However, some of those changes could result in nothing. Otherwise, the mutation can make the virus be more effective than a vaccine where it can invade human cells easily.”He said the P3 variant is characterised by two key mutations, the N501Y and E484K, which are respectively shared with the deadly UK (B.1.1.7) and the South African (B.1.351) variants.“This strain may not be able to provide full protection against reinfection as it is capable of escaping from the antibody. That is why the current vaccine cannot fight it,” he added.


Crypto founder Do Kwon charged with fraud after Montenegro arrest

Do Kwon, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur behind two digital currencies that lost an estimated US$40 billion (RM176.72 billion) or more last year, has been charged with fraud by US prosecutors.
An eight-count indictment against Kwon was made public in the US District Court in Manhattan, several hours after news of his arrest earlier Thursday in Montenegro.
Lawyers for Kwon in the US did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours.
Thursday's indictment charges Kwon, a South Korean national who co-founded Terraform Labs and developed the TerraUSD and Luna currencies, with two counts each of securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud and conspiracy.
The criminal case follows related US Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges against Kwon and Terraform last month.
Kwon had been a fugitive for several months, and South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for him last September.
Montenegro's interior ministry said local police detained a person thought to be Kwon and a second suspect, who were trying to board a flight to Dubai at Podgorica airport.
Police found forged passports of Costa Rica and Belgium during the encounter, the ministry said.
"The person is suspected of being one of the most wanted fugitives, South Korean national Do Kwon, a co-founder and CEO of the Singapore-based Terraform Labs," Interior Minister Filip Adzic wrote on Twitter.
"The former cryptocurrency king who is behind losses of over US$40 billion, has been apprehended at the Podgorica airport with forged documents," Adzic added.
TerraUSD was a so-called "stablecoin" designed to maintain a constant $1 price, while Luna's value fluctuated.
But authorities have said TerraUSD and Luna were paired, such that a decline in one could take down the other.
They also said Kwon misrepresented the stability of TerraUSD, once among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market value.
Both currencies crashed last May, with TerraUSD's price sinking to less than one penny.
In its civil case, the SEC accused Kwon and Terraform of "orchestrating a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud.
"We also allege that they committed fraud by repeating false and misleading statements to build trust before causing devastating losses for investors," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement at the time.


Traders scramble to keep up with hike in chicken prices

The recent increase in chicken prices has had a ripple effect on traders at Ramadan bazaars who say they have been forced to raise their prices as well in order to turn a profit.Yulia Roslan, whose nasi ayam berempah depends on the use of chicken, said she had had to hike her prices by 50 sen from RM6.50 a pack to RM7.“Chicken prices yesterday were still stable but today I paid nearly RM50 for three chickens,” she recently told MalaysiaNow at her stall in Section 27, Shah Alam in Selangor.“This is without taking into consideration the price of chilli which has also increased,” she added.She said she had been reluctant to raise her prices as not all of her customers would understand.Yulia has been selling about 24 packets of rice each day since the start of the Ramadan fasting month last week.The increase in chicken prices which began at about the same time has stirred up ire online, with many social media users taking to the internet to air their complaints.Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said yesterday that chicken prices had risen due to a hike in cost of imported chicken feed, among other factors.He said his ministry had held engagement sessions with major chicken farm owners in the country and discussed with the agriculture and food industries ministry about the implementation of a fixed price for standard chickens.Through this effort, he said the price of standard chickens had been fixed at RM7.90 for the 2021 Aidilfitri Festive Season Maximum Price Control Scheme which would run from April 21 until May 20, compared to RM7.50 last year.Rizal Mohd, a trader at the Alam Megah Ramadan bazaar in Shah Alam, said he had decided to absorb the increase in cost for his food in order to maintain his current price of RM8 per helping.“I have to maintain my prices as I don’t want to lose my regular customers,” he said. “They will surely ask why my prices suddenly went up.”It’s not just the prices of chicken that have risen. The cucumbers which he uses to garnish his rice dishes have also increased in price – from RM2.50 per kg to RM5, according to his calculations.For traders who buy their poultry in bulk, the situation is better.Siti Zaleha Harun, who operates a stall at Putra Heights in Subang Jaya, said she buys between 50 and 100 chickens a day.“I pay RM7.90 to RM8.90 per bird, depending on the amount I buy that day,” she said.“This way, I can maintain the price of my food because I am not affected by the market fluctuations.”


The success stories of digital learning

Up until 2020, face-to-face learning in the physical classroom was the main medium of education for the majority of schools in the country.The onset of Covid-19 early that year caused chaos in the education system as schools were closed and teachers and students alike scrambled to adjust to home-based teaching and learning (PdPR). Teachers’ workloads doubled overnight, and students began losing interest in their studies.But while the dominant emotion during this time appeared to be stress, here and there, stories of success surfaced alongside the prevailing narrative.Nashimah Banu of the Selangor Matriculation College recalled the early difficulty she experienced in shifting her biology classes to the virtual classroom.“It was hard at first as biology is a very hands-on subject,” she said in an online session with Google Malaysia today.“I was comfortable with conducting physical classes, so I had to train myself – as a teacher, my confidence should be there. But matriculation students are very fast,” she added, referring to their ability to adjust to the situation.She said digital platforms such as Delima which were established for the express purpose of online learning also helped her students keep up with their classes.Teacher S Premalatha agreed that the closure of her school, SJK (T) Ladang Krian in Nibong Tebal, Penang, had caused some problems among those of her students who were unfamiliar with digital devices.In the end, though, they managed to overcome these difficulties, she said.“The challenges in the rural area – the students struggled just to find the letters on the keyboard,” she said.“But they were always excited and always asked how they could use the Chromebooks. This made me realise that as long as we give them the opportunity and space, they will make use of it.”Cladius Upin from SMK Rancha-Rancha in Labuan, Sabah, said the PdPR method allowed his more introverted students to express themselves in class.“It’s harder to get feedback from such students in the physical setting,” he said.“But last year, I got them some online gaming activities and assignments, and this group of Form One students who were introverts – they were the first to complete the assignments.”Nashimah added that online learning had made her students more interested in their lessons, and in making the most of the digital and virtual resources available.“Online learning has become the best platform for science subjects,” she said.“We only have to prompt them to find some information, and they will do the search on Google. They can get the latest information on the subkect, and they had webinar sessions with students from other colleges.”But this does not mean that textbooks are no longer relevant, said Benny Lau of SMK Taman Desa Jaya in Johor.“Digital technology is a bonus and can be used as supporting tools,” he said.“Textbooks do not provide all of the information. They are more of a guide for students.“Textbooks provide the link and QR code, and teachers guide the students to explore the subject outside of the textbooks.”


Umno now third choice for the Malays, says Khairy

While Umno was once synonymous with Malay politics, the party is now in third place after PAS and Bersatu, former Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin said today, days after his sacking grounds of violating party discipline.
"Sadly, the Malays have moved on from Umno. They no longer believe that without Umno, the issues of race and religion will not be championed.
"They are looking for other ways to fight for these issues," he said in an interview with Astro Awani tonight.
Umno chalked up its worst electoral performance ever at the Nov 19 polls last year, winning just 26 seats throughout the country.
Khairy said Umno remained relevant for now as it was part of the coalition government led by Pakatan Harapan.
"But who knows whether Umno will still be needed at the next general election," he said.
"What if it wins only 15 seats at GE16? Who would give us a second glance?"
Khairy, who had held the health, science, technology and innovation, and youth and sports portfolios under various administrations, said this made it all the more crucial for Umno to open all party posts to contest at its elections, so that it could be seen to have changed.
"It's important to have a president who is given the mandate," he said.
"If Zahid wins, it's Zahid," he added, referring to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"Without the mandate of the party members, the Malays will say that we lack the courage to bring about change from within."
Khairy was one of two Umno leaders sacked by the Supreme Council last week in what was seen as a purge of those critical of the top leadership.
The former youth chief was given the boot alongside ex-Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar.
Khairy had, while on the campaign trail, openly stated his ambition to become Umno president and prime minister.
After his sacking, he said he was assessing all of the offers on the table, including from other political parties.
Khairy was transferred out of his Rembau seat at last year's general election to make way for Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan.
He contested in Sungai Buloh, eventually losing to the PKR candidate by a majority of more than 2,000 votes.


Indonesia to drop outdoor mask mandate as Covid-19 infections fall

Indonesia will no longer require people to mask up outdoors, its president said on Tuesday, as Covid-19 infections decline in the Southeast Asian country.As “the pandemic is getting more and more controlled,” President Joko Widodo said in a statement that masks are no longer required outdoors.But masks must still be worn indoors and on public transportation, he said, also recommending that the elderly and those with underlying health conditions or coughs continue to use them as well.The new mask rules are set to take effect on Wednesday.Indonesia will also ease testing requirements for foreign and domestic travellers, the president added, without giving details.The latest easing of pandemic restrictions in Indonesia follows countries like Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia which also dropped their outdoor mask mandates in recent weeks.Indonesia’s daily Covid cases have declined since the last peak in February, although the government has said it is monitoring the possibility of an uptick after the annual mass exodus during the Eid holiday earlier this month.


Over 26 million vaccine jabs given, 30% of population fully vaccinated

A total of 26,388,905 doses of Covid-19 vaccine had been dispensed through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) as of yesterday.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said 16,545,384 doses were administered to first-dose recipients and 9,843,521 as second doses.“According to percentage, 70.7% of the country’s adult population have received a first dose, while 42% have completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.Meanwhile 50.7% of the population have received a first dose while 30.1% are fully vaccinated.In terms of daily vaccination rate, a total of 525,342 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, 197,962 as first doses and 327,380 to second-dose recipients.PICK was launched on Feb 24 to curb the spread of the virus in the country.


Prayer has not defeated Covid-19, Tanzanian president finally confesses

Tanzanian President John Magufuli is finally acknowledging that his country has a coronavirus problem after claiming for months that the disease had been defeated by prayer.The local Catholic church had expressed alarm over his claims.Magufuli on Sunday urged citizens of the East African country to take precautions and even wear face masks – but only locally made ones, the AP is reporting.He has continually expressed doubt about “harmful” or “ineffective” foreign-made goods, including Covid-19 vaccines.The president’s comments came days after the country of around 60 million people mourned the death of one of its highest-profile politicians: the vice-president of the island region of Zanzibar was reported to have died of Covid-19.The president’s chief secretary also died in recent days, though the cause has not yet been revealed.Magufuli, speaking at his chief secretary’s funeral in a nationally televised broadcast on Friday, urged the nation to participate in three days of prayer for unspecified “respiratory” illnesses that had become a challenge in the country.Tanzania’s official number of coronavirus infections remains at just 509, but citizens report that many people have become ill with breathing difficulties and hospitals have seen a rise in patients with “pneumonia”.The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has added his voice to growing calls for Tanzania to acknowledge Covid-19 for the good of its citizens, neighbouring countries, and the world, especially after a number of countries reported that visitors arriving from Tanzania tested positive for the virus.Tedros in a statement on Saturday called Tanzania’s situation “very concerning” and urged Magufuli’s government to take “robust action”.


‘We are going to die’: Sri Lanka warns of food shortages

Sri Lanka’s prime minister has warned of a food shortage as the island nation battles a devastating economic crisis and vowed the government will buy enough fertiliser for the next planting season to boost productivity.A decision in April last year by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to ban all chemical fertilisers drastically cut yields and although the government has reversed the ban, no substantial imports have yet taken place.“While there may not be time to obtain fertiliser for this Yala (May-August) season, steps are being taken to ensure adequate stocks for the Maha (September-March) season,” Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said in a message on Twitter late on Thursday.“I sincerely urge everyone to accept the gravity of the… situation.”Sri Lanka is facing a dire shortage of foreign exchange, fuel and medicines, and economic activity has slowed to a crawl.“There is no point in talking about how hard life is,” said APD Sumanavathi, a 60-year-old woman selling fruit and vegetables in the Pettah market in Colombo, the commercial capital, on Friday. “I can’t predict how things will be in two months, at this rate we might not even be here.Nearby, a long queue had formed in front of a shop selling cooking gas cylinders, the prices of which have soared.“Only about 200 cylinders were delivered, even though there were about 500 people,” said Mohammad Shazly, a part-time chauffeur who said he was standing in the line for the third day to be able to cook food for family of five.“Without gas, without kerosene oil, we can’t do anything,” he said. “Last option what? Without food we are going to die. That will happen hundred percent.”The central bank governor said on Thursday foreign exchange had been secured from a World Bank loan and remittances to pay for fuel and cooking gas shipments, but supplies are still to flow through.Inflation could rise further to a staggering 40% in the next couple of months but it was being driven largely by supply-side pressures and measures by the bank and government were already reining in demand-side inflation, the governor added.Inflation hit 29.8% in April with food prices up 46.6% year-on-year.As anger against the government spread, police fired tear gas and water canon to push back hundreds of student protesters in Colombo on Thursday. The protesters are demanding the ouster of the president as well as the prime minister.Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has come from the confluence of the Covid-19 pandemic battering the tourism-reliant economy, rising oil prices and populist tax cuts by the government of President Rajapaksa and his brother, Mahinda, who resigned as prime minister last week.Wickremesinghe, appointed prime minister in his place, is accused of a being a stooge of the brothers.Other factors have included heavily subsidised domestic prices of fuel and a decision to ban the import of chemical fertilisers, which devastated the agriculture sector.The Group of Seven economic powers supports efforts to provide debt relief for Sri Lanka, G7 finance chiefs said on Thursday in a draft communique from a meeting in Germany after the country defaulted on its sovereign debt.P Nandalal Weerasinghe, the central bank chief, has said plans for a debt restructuring were almost finalised and he would be submitting a proposal to the cabinet soon.“We are in pre-emptive default,” he said. “Our position is very clear, until there is a debt restructure, we cannot repay.”A spokesperson for the International Monetary Fund said the fund was monitoring developments very closely and that a virtual mission to Sri Lanka was expected to conclude technical talks on a potential loan program to country on May 24.


EU backs Pfizer jab for 12 to 15-year-olds

The EU’s drug watchdog on Friday approved the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus jab for 12 to 15-year-olds, the first vaccine to get the green light for children in the bloc.The vaccine was “well tolerated” in adolescents and there were no “major concerns” in terms of side effects, the Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) said.The move will be a further boost for Europe’s vaccination programme, with Germany saying it will start giving the jab to children over the age of 12 from next month.The US and Canada have already authorised Pfizer for adolescents.“As anticipated, the EMA’s Committee for Human Medicines has today approved the use of the vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech in adolescents from 12 to 15 years,” Marco Cavaleri, the EMA’s head of vaccine strategy, told a news conference.Until now the shot made by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German research firm BioNTech had only been authorised by the EU for people aged 16 and older.‘Parents’ decision’EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides hailed it as “one step closer to ending the pandemic”, but said people would still have the choice about whether their children should get the jab.“Beyond the decisions of governments, this is ultimately a decision to be made by parents for their children,” she said on Twitter.With EU countries trying to expand their vaccination coverage, EMA chief Emer Cooke has said the regulator fast-tracked the approval, which was originally expected in June.The watchdog insisted that it had taken the necessary steps to ensure it was safe.Trials showed the Pfizer vaccine was “highly preventative” for Covid-19 in children, the EMA’s Cavaleri said.None of the 1,005 children who received the vaccine in a trial developed Covid-19, compared to 16 children out of the 978 who received a placebo injection.“From a safety perspective, the vaccine was well tolerated and the side effects in this age group were very much similar to what we have seen in young adults and not raising major concerns at this point in time,” Cavaleri said.The EMA confirmed it was looking into “very rare” cases of heart inflammation in people aged under 30 who had been given the Pfizer vaccine.“Currently there is no indication that these cases are due to the vaccine and EMA is closely monitoring this issue,” it said in a statement.‘Critical milestone’US authorities have also reported a small number of reports of heart inflammation among some younger people who Pfizer and Moderna, which uses the same messenger RNA technology.The EMA said it was “working closely” with its US counterparts.BioNTech CEO and co-founder Ugur Sahin hailed Friday’s decision as “another critical milestone in our collective effort to broaden vaccination programmes to as many people as possible”.Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that making vaccines available to adolescents “will help re-open schools and support the return to a normal day-to-day life”.The approval of Pfizer for adolescents fires the starting gun for Germany to begin vaccinating children over 12, as Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Thursday.But Merkel stressed that vaccination would not be compulsory and would have no bearing on whether children can attend school or go on holiday.Austria’s vaccination committee announced late Friday that it would follow suit.Moderna has said it expects to seek authorisation from EU and US authorities in early June, after trials showed it was “highly effective” in adolescents.


Evicted from their home, mother and daughters live among birds instead

In the heart of an oil palm plantation in Sitiawan, Perak, stands a square, grey building used to farm swiftlets for the harvest of their nests.But for the past three years, in addition to the birds, it has been home to three unexpected guests.Hamidah and her two young children took shelter in the building after being evicted from their home in Taman Cempaka.“The landlord asked us to leave because he no longer wanted us as tenants,” she told MalaysiaNow in a recent interview.At that point, the country was in the midst of the first pandemic movement control order, and Hamidah’s options were limited.Hamidah helps her daughter with her school work in one of the rooms partitioned off on the ground floor of the building.“I met with a friend and he told me of a plantation owner who was looking for someone to guard his bird’s nest farm,” she said.“He said he had many problems with people breaking in to steal the nests. That’s how I ended up living here with my children.”Each morning, Hamidah wakes her younger daughter, Norfatin Asyikin, and helps her get ready for school. After she has seen the girl safely to the classroom, she heads off to work at a vegetable farm not far from their unlikely home.At about lunch-time, she returns home to help her other daughter, Norfatin Nabilah, get ready for the afternoon session of school.If she has any spare time, Hamidah roams the area collecting odds and ends of scrap metal or looks for fish at the nearby dam.When she and the children first arrived, the building was dirty and filled with refuse.Bit by bit, she cleaned out a space on the ground floor to make a home for the three of them.Hamidah rinses the dishes in the small kitchen space also used for eating, laundry and studying.Despite her best efforts, the building still looks bleak and deserted from the outside, where Hamidah has constructed a cooking area and a place to eat and wash their few plates.She cooks over a fire made from the bundles of wood provided by the plantation owner. Around the area lie piles of rubbish.Inside, three small rooms have been partitioned off, one for each member of the family. There is also a toilet space which the three of them share.Hamidah does not have to pay rent for the building, only the water and electricity bills.She and her daughters have been alone for years, ever since her husband left them.She used to work as a cleaner at Tenaga Nasional Bhd but had to quit her job in order to take care of the girls.Now Hamidah, who is in her mid-30s, collects vegetables at the farm for RM30 a day. She also does odd jobs like cleaning the bird’s nest area whenever the owner asks her to.Hamidah fries some eggs for her children – a luxury which they will share to break their fast.She owns a rickety old car, but it is now sitting in the repair shop, waiting to be given a new lease of life. For the moment, she is using a motorcycle borrowed from a friend in order to take her children to school and back.She is thankful that the textbooks and other supplies that Asyikin and Nabilah need are provided for free by the school.Internet connection is patchy in the plantation, but she did her best to encourage her daughters to continue learning throughout the various lockdowns, giving the girls her cheap mobile phone to share between them.For the other miscellaneous expenses, Hamidah gets government assistance of RM250 a month which she stretches as far as it can go.Hamidah’s ramshackle old car, parked outside the building that she and her daughters call home.She and her daughters do not expect much in the way of Hari Raya celebrations this year.In previous years, she was able to save enough to buy some rendang and ketupat to eat with her girls. This year, however, times are harder than usual.“It’s all the same, we won’t be going anywhere,” she said.“Our relatives are all far away. At the most, I’ll go to visit my mother in Taman Cempaka.”Her greatest fear is that her children will grow up knowing no home other than the dirty grey building they share with the birds.She is attempting to apply for aid from the religious authorities in order to get another small house.Until then, though, she and her daughters make do with what they have, living one day at a time amid the birds and the oil palm trees.


Israel's judiciary plans on the line with Knesset vote on panel members

Israeli lawmakers will pick two members of a panel that selects judges on Wednesday, giving a clear signal as to how far Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government is prepared to compromise over plans to limit the Supreme Court.
The nine-member committee that appoints judges, including to the Supreme Court, has been the hottest issue in the battle over the nationalist-religious government's judicial overhaul plan, which has sparked nationwide protests.
Netanyahu has suspended the overhaul plan, which gives his coalition almost complete control of appointments to the bench. He has been holding compromise talks with the opposition that aim for broadly agreed legal reforms instead. But if parliament excludes the opposition from the two members it picks on Wednesday, those talks are likely to be scuppered.
The panel is now made up of lawmakers, ministers, judges and lawyers. In the past it has been traditional for the two members named by the Knesset to represent the coalition and opposition, but hardliners want both to represent the government.
The judicial drive, announced in January only a week into Netanyahu's return to office, set off one of Israel's worst political crises in years, with critics at home and abroad dubbing it a threat to the very nature of Israel's democracy.
Advocates of the proposed overhaul say the Supreme Court is elitist, left-leaning and overreaching, and elected officials should have more power in picking the bench. Critics say that would politicize the courts and threaten judicial independence.
Western allies, including Washington, have urged Netanyahu to pursue broad consensus over reforms to the justice system.
Until now, talks with the opposition have yielded little, compounding uncertainty over the overhaul plan's future that has hit the economy and the shekel. The stakes are rising with two Supreme Court judges retiring in the coming months.


Manic Mexico out on goal difference after last-gasp fight for survival

Mexico scored twice in five second-half minutes in a thrilling last-ditch bid to stay in the World Cup on Wednesday, beating Saudi Arabia 2-1 but agonisingly missing out on the last 16 on goal difference.
In the most exciting group finale of the World Cup, goals from Henry Martin and Luis Chavez catapulted Mexico back into contention, but a string of spectacular stops by Saudi keeper Mohamed Al-Owais and two disallowed efforts denied them the elusive third goal they needed to advance.
The Mexican rally took the battle for Group C down to the wire in a breathtaking half, where at one stage it looked like the Central American side would miss out to Poland for having more yellow cards, but Saudi striker Salem Al-Dawsari netted in stoppage time to make goal difference the decider.
Mexico's exit ended a run of seven successive last-16 appearances at the World Cup and defeat for Saudi Arabia killed off what was a realistic chance of them advancing from the group stages for the first time in 28 years.
Having failed to score in their opening two Group C matches, Mexico's chances of progressing had looked slim going into the match, hinging on the outcome of the game between Argentina and Poland which Argentina won 2-0 to top the group.
"It's a hard blow, there are no words," said Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez.
"The team went out looking for it from the start and we had a lot of chances. But we couldn't score and that leaves a bitter taste."
Desperate tactics
Urgently needing to beef up their goal difference, Mexico took the game to Saudi Arabia from the start and never stopped running, peppering the goal with speculative long-range efforts in a desperate bid to wrest control of their own fate.
Orbelin Pineda and Chavez were the engines for Mexico in a high-octane match that the Saudis struggled to get into, defending chaotically and failing to create chances on the break as Mexico pressed for goals to match Poland's tally.
Mexico were aggressive on the attack with a staggering 24 shots on goal, eight on target, demonstrating the pivotal role of goalkeeper Al-Owais in denying them a place in the last 16.
Pineda was the catalyst for the Mexican revival with a low shot saved, a diving header blocked and a long-range strike deflected wide of the post early on.
His team broke the deadlock two minutes after halftime, when Cesar Montes's deft back-heel from a corner found Martin who bundled the ball over the line in a crowded goalmouth.
They doubled the lead on 52 minutes when Chavez's powerful free kick 20 metres out sailed blissfully into the corner of the goal, prompting the Mexican bench to burst onto the field in a frenzy of wild celebration.
It was an emotional rollercoaster in the closing stages. Hirving Lozano found the net but had his effort disallowed and Mexico battled hard for the decisive third but were denied constantly by the reflexes of Al-Owais in the Saudi goal.
Substitute Uriel Antuna had a late effort ruled out for offside four minutes from time before Al-Dawsari shattered Mexican hopes when he grabbed a Saudi consolation goal deep into stoppage time.
Lozano apologised to Mexico fans for not doing enough in the first two matches.
"We could have done more, but that's football," he said.
"I always live the games to the maximum, always giving myself every game, every ball ... but well, the results didn't come."


UK’s Johnson scraps Covid restrictions in England

British Prime Minister Boris on Monday said he would end all coronavirus restrictions in England including mandatory self-isolation for people with Covid-19 and free testing, drawing scepticism from some scientists and political opponents.Johnson’s “living with Covid” plan has sparked alarm that it is premature and will leave the country vulnerable to new viral variants, but the government says it has provided more testing than most other countries, and must now curb the cost.As Hong Kong builds isolation units and Europe retains social distancing and vaccine rules, Johnson is moving to repeal any pandemic requirements that impinge on personal freedoms, saying it is time the public took responsibility.He will lean even more on the rollout of booster vaccines, with the government offering extra booster doses to the most vulnerable, as well as other pharmaceuticals interventions such as antiviral treatments.“Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental well being and on the life chances of our children, and we do not need to pay that cost any longer,” Johnson told parliament.“So let us learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves and others without restricting our freedoms.”Johnson said that the legal requirement to self-isolate for people who test positive for Covid would be removed on Feb 24 while free universal testing would end on April 1.But he said that some surveillance of the coronavirus would remain in place, allowing for a rapid response to new variants, which could be quickly scaled up.The plan to ditch remaining legal restrictions is a priority for many of Johnson’s Conservative Party lawmakers whose discontent over his scandal-ridden leadership has threatened his grip on power.The devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have set their own Covid-19 restrictions, but the amount of money they have to spend on testing will flow from decisions made by the UK government.Leaders in Scotland and Wales had criticised Johnson’s plans to reduce the availability of testing ahead of the announcement, while leader of the opposition Keir Starmer also said that the plan was ill-conceived.“We can’t turn off Britain’s radar before the war is won. ‘Ignorance is bliss’ is not a responsible approach to a deadly virus,” Labour Party leader Starmer said.