No evidence of Philippine involvement in Sulu claims, says Anwar

There is no evidence to link the Philippine government with the claims filed by the Sulu group against Malaysia, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
"Based on our checks so far, there is no proof of the Philippine government’s involvement with the claims. I have held two rounds of talks with Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr, and we are definitely concerned about this matter. But they (the claims) do not involve the Philippine government.
"The Malaysian government is firm in its stance, and they (the Philippines) know that. Bilateral relations remain good despite the claims but they have not affected the interests of Sabah as an independent and sovereign region with Malaysia," he said in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He also said that the Philippine government’s reluctance to establish a consular office in Sabah did not affect the decision that Sabah is an inalienable part of Malaysia.
Anwar also assured that the government would defend the rights and sovereignty of the country and oppose every "attack" by the group.
The prime minister said this when explaining the claims by the so-called heirs of the Sulu sultan, in response to the views of several MPs.
Earlier, Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) and Khlir Mohd Nor (PN-Ketereh) had asked whether there was any involvement of the Philippine government with the claims and regarding the republic’s refusal to set up a consular office in Sabah.
During the explanation session, the prime minister also stressed that the government would not hesitate to take legal action based on the country’s criminal laws against any parties, including Malaysians, who give any form of support to or collaborate with the Sulu claimants.
Anwar said the government would continue to go all out to fight these claims, to safeguard the interests and sovereignty of Malaysia.


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'Real danger' of trial judge's impartiality in SRC case, Najib's lawyer tells apex court

The Federal Court was today told that there was a real danger regarding the impartiality of Mohd Nazlan Ghazali, the High Court trial judge who convicted Najib Razak in the SRC International case.
Najib’s lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik submitted that as a former long-term employee of Maybank, Nazlan’s previous conduct might also give grounds for a reasonable person to believe that he could not act with an objective mind.
Hisyam said this in his submission in the former prime minister’s motion to adduce new evidence in the SRC International case, in his bid to ultimately seek a retrial before a five-member panel chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
The additional evidence Najib is seeking to adduce relates to the recent discovery that Nazlan was in 2006 the general counsel and company secretary for Maybank Group, and had the ultimate overall responsibility for the management and administration of all legal departments within the group.
Citing a serious conflict of interest, the defence contended that the investigating authorities had suppressed or failed to disclose the materials which would have enabled Najib to raise the objection based on the trial judge's conflict of interest at an earlier stage of the proceedings. Hisyam also argued that the hearing of the appeal proper should be deferred until such a time that the investigation into Nazlan's role is complete.
The court was also told that the prosecution did not supply the evidence relating to Nazlan’s purported conflict of interest to the defence during the trial which was started in April 2019.
The lawyer said if not for the anonymous envelopes sent to Najib between May 9 and July 7, allegedly containing the fresh evidence, the defence team would not have been aware of its existence.
He further said that his client was at the time unaware of Nazlan’s alleged knowledge and involvement in the establishment of SRC International through his then position as general counsel of Maybank Investment.
Earlier, Tengku Maimun allowed the defence's application to amend Najib's notice of motion to adduce new evidence before proceeding to hear the motion. The other judges on the bench are Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judges Nallini Pathmanathan, Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.
The court today heard Najib’s application to adduce new evidence.
If Najib fails in this application, the Federal Court is expected to proceed with the hearing of his appeal against his conviction and the sentence imposed on him by Nazlan on July 28, 2020.
Lead prosecutor V Sithambaram will reply to the defence's submission after lunch break. The court session resumed at 2pm.


US expels 12 Russian UN diplomats over security concerns

The US has expelled 12 Russian diplomats at the UN over national security concerns, US and Russian diplomats said on Monday.The US mission to the UN described the Russian diplomats as “intelligence operatives” who had been “engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security.”“This action has been in development for several months,” said US mission spokesperson Olivia Dalton.Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters the diplomats had been asked to leave by March 7. He said Russia would respond to the move “because it’s diplomatic practice.”Nebenzia then raised the issue at the start of a UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, describing the US move as “hostile” and a violation of its commitments as host of the UN headquarters in New York.US Deputy UN Ambassador Richard Mills responded: “Those diplomats that have been asked to leave the US were engaged in activities that were not in accordance with their responsibilities and obligations as diplomats.”He said they had been asked to leave “so they do not harm the national security of the host country,” adding that the decision was taken in full accordance with the UN headquarters agreement.The US and its allies have already slapped sweeping economic sanctions on Moscow for its attack on Ukraine – the biggest assault on a European state since World War Two – and moved to ramp up military and other assistance.


New Chinese carrier battle group passes through Taiwan Strait for sea drills in South China Sea

A Chinese aircraft carrier task force led by Beijing’s newest carrier, the Shandong, has sailed through the narrow Taiwan Strait on its way to exercises in the South China Sea, China’s navy said on Monday.Taiwan has mobilised its military to monitor the force, reports Reuters.This is not the first time China’s carriers have passed close to Taiwan, but it comes at a time of heightened tension between Taipei and Beijing, which claims the democratically ruled island as its territory.The Shandong force steamed through the Taiwan Strait a day after a US warship went through the same waterway. China’s military said it had tailed the ship.China’s navy said the drills are part of “normal arrangements made in accordance with annual plans. We will continue to organise similar operations based on training needs.”Taiwan’s defence ministry said the Shandong was accompanied by four warships and had set out from the northern Chinese port of Dalian on Thursday.Taipei said it sent six warships and eight aircraft to “stand guard” and monitor the Chinese task force’s movements.The Shandong is China’s second carrier and took to sea almost a year ago.Since then, it has successfully completed tasks such as aircraft take-off and landing training and use of weapons, the Chinese navy said.China has been working to hone its carrier operations, but has little experience in comparison with the US navy, which has operated integrated carrier battle groups with multiple warships for decades.


Daily cases surge past 24,500 as 393 deaths push toll over 15,000

Another 24,599 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,640,843.Selangor recorded 6,936 cases, Sabah 3,487, Johor 2,785, Penang 2,078, Sarawak 2,024, Kedah 1,538, Kelantan 1,312 and Perak 1,170.Kuala Lumpur recorded 881 cases, Pahang 690, Terengganu 567, Negeri Sembilan 526 and Melaka 515.Perlis recorded 67 cases, Putrajaya 20 and Labuan three.Active cases stand at 265,841 with 990 in the ICU and 487 in need of respiratory asssistance.Another 22,657 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,359,791.However, 393 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 15,211.


Ukraine warns only talks can end war as Russia cuts Finland gas

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Saturday that only a diplomatic breakthrough rather than an outright military victory could end Russia’s war on his country, as Moscow cut gas supplies to Finland.Zelensky also appealed for more military aid, even as US President Joe Biden formally signed off on a US$40 billion package of aid for the Ukrainian war effort.And he insisted his war-ravaged country should be a full candidate to join the EU, rejecting a suggestion from France’s President Emmanuel Macron and some other EU leaders that a sort of associated political community be created as a waiting zone for a membership bid.“We don’t need such compromises,” Zelensky said during a joint news conference with visiting Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.“Because, believe me, it will not be compromise with Ukraine in Europe, it will be another compromise between Europe and Russia.”Speaking on Ukrainian television on Saturday, Zelensky said: “There are things that can only be reached at the negotiating table.”The war “will be bloody, there will be fighting but will only definitively end through diplomacy”.“Discussions between Ukraine and Russia will decidedly take place. Under what format I don’t know,” he added.But he promised that the result would be “fair” for Ukraine.Russia cuts Finland’s gasAfter just over 12 weeks of fierce fighting, Ukrainian forces have halted Russian attempts to seize Kyiv and the northern city of Kharkiv, but they are under intense pressure in the eastern Donbas region.Moscow’s army has flattened and seized the Black Sea port of Mariupol and subjected Ukrainian troops and towns in the east to relentless ground and artillery attacks.Zelensky’s Western allies have shipped modern weaponry to his forces and imposed sweeping sanctions on the Russian economy and President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.The Kremlin has responded by disrupting European energy supplies.On Saturday, Russian energy giant Gazprom said it had halted supplies to neighbouring Finland as it had not received the ruble payments it was due.Helsinki had refused to pay its bill in rubles, which Moscow had demanded in a bid to side-step financial sanctions and force European energy clients to prop up his central bank.In 2021, Gazprom supplied about two thirds of the country’s gas consumption but only eight percent of its total energy use.Gasum, Finland’s state-owned energy company, said it would use other sources, such as the Balticconnector pipeline, which links Finland to fellow EU member Estonia.Moscow cut off gas to Poland and Bulgaria last month, a move the European Union denounced as “blackmail”, but importers in some other EU countries more dependent on Russian gas plan to open ruble accounts with Gazprom’s bank.Nato membership bidThe row over Finland’s gas bill comes just days after Finland and neighbouring Sweden broke their historical military non-alignment and applied to join Nato.Public support for the alliance has soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Moscow has warned Finland that joining Nato would be “a grave mistake with far-reaching consequences”. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said it would respond by building military bases in western Russia.But both Finland and Sweden are now apparently on the fast track to join the military alliance, with Biden this week offering “full, total, complete backing” to their bids.All 30 existing Nato members must agree however, and Turkey has condemned Sweden’s alleged tolerance for the presence of exiled Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Swedish and Finnish leaders to abandon financial and political support for what he called “terrorist” groups.Turkey would not look “positively” on their bids unless its terror-related concerns were addressed, he warned.Dogged resistanceOn the ground in Ukraine, the fighting is fiercest in the eastern region of Donbas, a Russian-speaking area partially controlled by pro-Kremlin separatists since 2014.In Severodonetsk, a frontline city now at risk of encirclement, 12 people were killed and another 40 wounded by Russian shelling, said regional governor Sergiy Gaiday.“The Russians are using artillery day and night,” he said.In the neighbouring Donetsk region, governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram on Saturday that seven civilians had been killed and 10 wounded.The Russian defence ministry claimed it had destroyed a large shipment of US and European weapons in a long-range missile strike on the Malin railway station west of Kyiv in the Zhytomyr region.There was no Ukrainian or independent confirmation of the strike.On Friday, Moscow declared the battle for the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol – a symbol of Ukraine’s dogged resistance since Putin launched the invasion on Feb 24 – over.Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenko said 2,439 Ukrainian personnel had surrendered at the steelworks since May 16, the final 500 on Friday.Ukraine hopes to exchange the surrendering Azovstal soldiers for Russian prisoners. But in Donetsk, pro-Kremlin authorities are threatening to put some of them on trial.Biden has cast the Ukraine war as part of a US-led struggle pitting democracy against authoritarianism.The US Congress this week approved a US$40 billion aid package, including funds to enhance Ukraine’s armoured vehicle fleet and air defence system – and President Biden signed it into law on Saturday.Russia meanwhile published a list of 963 Americans, including Biden, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman, who are banned from entering the country.That followed a similar list drawn up by Washington.Russia’s foreign ministry on Saturday also imposed travel bans on 26 Canadians “in response to the latest anti-Russian sanctions announced by Canadian authorities”.


Najib paid nearly RM23 million for international media team services, court told

The High Court was told today that Najib Razak made payments of nearly RM23 million through 39 cheques to Semarak Konsortium Satu Sdn Bhd for providing international media team services and English speechwriters to the former prime minister between 2011 and 2014.
The company's director, Mohd Omar Mustapha, 51, said that the company received payments totalling RM22,981,688 between March 3, 2011, and April 23, 2014, as it provided various services, including preparing English speech texts, for Najib, either domestically or abroad.
"It was also for coordinating all matters with international media based in Malaysia, organising Najib's interviews with international media during his overseas visits, and providing interview drafts or articles by Najib in English magazines or newspapers," he said when reading his witness statement during the trial on corruption and money laundering charges involving RM2.3 billion of 1MDB funds faced by Najib.
According to the 45th prosecution witness, the company's services to Najib began after the issue of services by APCO Worldwide to the Malaysian government arose where the government paid APCO a total of RM76.8 million in 2010.
"This payment was made by the government for international public relations services provided by APCO between July 2009 and June 2010.
"This payment became an issue raised by the opposition in Parliament, and I was made to understand that the contract between APCO and the government was not renewed after that."
As a result of this issue, I saw a business opportunity there and contacted APCO chief executive officer in Malaysia at that time, Paul Stadlen, to inquire if he was willing to leave APCO and provide services privately, and he agreed," he said.
According to Omar, APCO is one of the world's largest international public relations companies based in the US and has branches in more than 30 countries, including Malaysia.
The witness said he had also met with Najib at the Prime Minister's Office in March 2011 to offer international media team services and English speechwriters to him.
During the meeting, he said he proposed a cost-reimbursement method for the services, where each month he would submit claims to Najib for payment.
"At that time, Najib agreed to the proposed services. I did not ask for any contract to be signed for these services, and he (Najib) also did not ask for any contract from me. This matter was only based on a verbal agreement as it could potentially be politicised.
"I believe that Najib trusted me in this matter because I previously worked as his principal private secretary when he was the Deputy Prime Minister from 2004 to 2005," he said.
During cross-examination by the defence lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the witness said Najib was the only client of the company, and every month he personally went to Najib's office to get those cheques.
"I see him (Najib) monthly and I give him invoices including for operating costs and he will proceed with the payments. I received the payments for three years from him without being questioned by the bank or getting any red flags from the bank," he said.
Meanwhile, when re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib, the witness said the services that he provided to Najib were for official purposes and he did not know the source of the money that Najib used to pay for his company.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount of money.
The trial continues before Court of Appeal judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.


Two killed in Peru as protests spread against new president

Protests against Peru's new government turned deadly on Sunday, with two people killed as police clashed with angry demonstrators calling for a national strike, fresh elections and the release of detained former president Pedro Castillo.
The protests have swollen, notably in the northern and Andean towns, since the South American country's legislature on Wednesday threw out the leftist Castillo after he tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
Dina Boluarte, a former prosecutor who had served as Castillo's vice-president, was quickly sworn in to replace him.
On Saturday, she introduced her new cabinet, a group with an independent and technocratic profile and including eight women.
She named former prosecutor Pedro Angulo as prime minister.
After his impeachment, Castillo was quickly arrested, and on Sunday demonstrators in cities across the country's interior – including Cajamarca, Arequipa, Huancayo, Cusco and Puno – demanded his release.
New clashes broke out Sunday between protesters and police in the southern city of Andahuaylas, leaving two dead and at least five injured – including a police officer – as demonstrators attempted to storm the city's airport, authorities said.
Riot police were deployed to the airport to contain the thousands of demonstrators in Andahuaylas, which lies in Boluarte's home region of Apurimac.
Protesters fired slingshots and hurled stones, while police responded with tear gas, images from the scene broadcast by local TV showed. A police station in the Apurimac town of Huancabamba was set on fire, RPP radio reported.
"I urge people to remain calm," Interior Minister Cesar Cervantes told the station, as he announced the second death shortly after police confirmed the first.
The national human rights ombudsman's office said one of the deceased was a teenager who had joined the demonstrations.
Clashes in Andahuaylas on Saturday saw sixteen civilians and four police officers injured.
The country's right-leaning Congress convened in emergency session Sunday afternoon to discuss the crisis, but had to be suspended after physical altercations broke out.
In images posted on social media, a man can be seen punching another man from behind and then members shoving each other in the center of the chamber.
'Indefinite strike'
Meanwhile, rural unions and organisations representing indigenous peoples called for an "indefinite strike" beginning Tuesday in support of Castillo, himself the son of a peasant family.
They demanded the suspension of Congress, early elections and a new constitution as well as Castillo's immediate release, according to a statement from the Agrarian and Rural Front of Peru, which groups about a dozen organisations.
The Rural Front contends that Castillo "did not perpetrate a coup d'etat" on Wednesday when he announced the suspension of Congress and said he would be ruling by decree.
In Lima, the leftist party Free Peru organised a rally Sunday afternoon at the capital's historic Plaza San Martin, the epicentre of the country's political demonstrations.
With his background as a rural teacher and union leader, and with little contact with the nation's elites, Castillo has always drawn his strongest support from Andean regions, while struggling to find backing in coastal Lima.
The ousted president was arrested Wednesday while on his way to the Mexican embassy to seek asylum, and prosecutors have charged him with rebellion and conspiracy.
The demands for new elections come as recent polls show nearly nine in 10 Peruvians disapprove of the nation's legislature.
Political analyst Giovanna Penaflor told AFP that Boluarte – who on Friday did not rule out calling early elections – needs to make clear whether she intends to lead a transitional government or to remain in power until 2026.
"She should be clear that her role is to facilitate new general elections," Penaflor added, saying that doing so would provide needed stability and "allow this cabinet to not be like those in the past."
Peru is now on its sixth president since 2016.
Castillo's 17-month rule was overshadowed by six investigations against him and his family, mass protests demanding his removal, and a power struggle with the opposition-backed congress.


349 candidates to clash in Sarawak polls

A total of 349 candidates will contest the Sarawak state election on Dec 18 after successfully submitting their nomination papers today.Multi-cornered fights will feature for all 82 seats in the Sarawak legislative assembly, with the biggest clash involving eight candidates in the Chinese-majority Dudong constituency.Candidates will meet in a straight fight in four seats, three-way fights in 13 seats, four-cornered fights in 33 seats, five-way fights in 24 seats, and six-way fights in seven seats.The seats of Bukit Sari and Bukit Kota which were won uncontested by Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu’s Awang Tengah Ali Hassan and Abdul Rahman Ismail in the 2016 state election will see three and four-cornered fights respectively this time around.The youngest candidates are PKR’s Cherishe Ng and Parti Bumi Kenyalang’s Olivia Lom Wen Sia, both aged 24.The oldest candidate meanwhile is Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s Wong Soon Koh who at 79 will be contesting the Bawang Assan seat.Of the 349 candidates, 45 are women.More than half are aged 50 and above, with 113 candidates in the 50 to 59 age bracket and 141 above 60 years old.Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said a total of 351 nomination papers had been received.However, two were rejected – one each in Jemoreng and Senadin.Of the 349 candidates, 82 were from GPS, 73 from Parti Bumi Kenyalang, 70 from Parti Sarawak Bersatu, 28 from PKR, 26 from DAP, 15 from Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak, 11 from Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru, eight from Amanah, five from Parti Sedar Rakyat Sarawak, one from Parti Se-Malaysia and 30 independents.


Tough battle for DAP to win over Malays after latest party polls

An analyst says the results of DAP’s election for its top decision-making body are likely to complicate efforts to win the support of the Malays, with the majority of those appointed seen as maintaining the party’s “Chinese” image.At the central executive committee (CEC) election on March 20, only one Malay assemblyman – Ketari rep Young Syefura Othman – was voted in.Other Malays, even those seen as party heavyweights such as Tebing Tinggi assemblyman Abdul Aziz Bari, former Johor exco Sheikh Umar Ali, and Syahredzan Johan, did not make the cut.Meanwhile, two other Malay reps who formerly sat on the CEC – Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji and Zairil Khir Johari – were defeated this time around.Tengku Zulpuri was however appointed to the committee alongside Syahredzan who is Lim Kit Siang’s political secretary.Sarawak-based political observer Jeniri Amir said the results portrayed DAP’s dilemma in promoting the image of an inclusive Malaysia.“It looks like after 10 years, the party’s efforts to attract the support of more Malays have not borne fruit,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Instead, it appears to have regressed.”While Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo received the highest number of votes at the CEC polls, Jeniri said the Malays had yet to be accepted in DAP.DAP’s efforts to win Malay support began in the 1960s with personalities such as Ibrahim Singgeh and Ahmad Nor representing the party at the general election.The party redoubled its efforts to attract and highlight young Malay leaders like Zairil and Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud after the 13th general election.Dyana contested the 2014 by-election in Teluk Intan but lost to Mah Siew Keong of Gerakan.For Tebing Tinggi rep Aziz, a former law lecturer at the International Islamic University Malaysia, the issue of attracting Malay support was not a question at the CEC election.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the Malays were not DAP’s “power base”.“As a party, we have many issues to tackle,” he added. “This is a small matter.”The former Perak exco also said that the CEC election was a “party race” and could not be viewed from the perspective of a Malay or non-Malay dichotomy.Even if many Malays were elected to the CEC, he added, this did not necessarily mean they would win in elections.“In party elections, Chinese compete with Chinese and Indians compete with Indians. This is an open competition,” the former PKR member said. “There is no question of the Malays being marginalised.”Jeniri meanwhile said DAP would face challenges achieving the image of an inclusive party.He said this was part of the bigger picture of Malaysian politics which is still segregated according to race.“The Malays will be more cautious, and it’s almost a given that they will not support this party.“DAP will have bigger problems to deal with,” he said, adding that the party’s slogan of “Malaysian Malaysia” would be difficult to materialise.


Putrajaya spent RM1.17 billion on Covid-19 healthcare since March

The health ministry spent RM1.17 billion from March until Oct 31 in the fight against Covid-19, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.Deputy Health Minister II Aaron Ago Dagang said the amount was used to purchase medical supplies, consumables, personal protective equipment (PPE), rapid test kits, and on other services in efforts to contain further spread of the virus.He said the money was used at government facilities including hospitals, health clinics and dental clinics to protect frontliners and provide high quality services for the people.“A big part of the allocation, RM275 million, was used for the payment of Covid-19 special allowances for ministry frontliners while RM262 million was used for PPE and RM210 million was used for the payment of outsourced private labs for Covid-19 screenings.“The total amount does not include emolument payments for those involved in control and prevention treatment, the allocation for which is included in existing provisions for the health ministry,” he said.He was responding to Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PAS-Dungun) on the ministry’s total expenditure in the fight against Covid-19 from March 18 to Oct 31.On the government’s contingency plan to address the issue of unexpected spikes in Covid-19 cases, he said this information has not been made available to him.However, he said the ministry is committed to controlling the spread of the virus and allaying public concerns about the third wave of infections.“The health ministry has already spent RM1.2 billion. This contingency will be covered in the ministry’s existing allocations. Even though the budget (for 2020) was not enough, the ministry will continue to find a way to address the matter.”


US sets new record with 277,000 Covid-19 cases in 24 hours

The US on Saturday saw its highest number yet of coronavirus cases recorded in one day, with more than 277,000 infections.The hardest-hit country in the world by the pandemic, the US has marked 20.4 million cases overall and just under 350,000 deaths.Infections have been surging in recent months, with top US government scientist Anthony Fauci warning just days after Christmas that the worst of the pandemic may be yet to come, driving the country to a “critical point” as holiday travel spreads the virus.The country has floundered in its efforts to quell Covid-19, with its vaccination programme beset by logistical problems and overstretched hospitals.More than 4.2 million people in the US have already received their first jabs, with 13 million doses distributed, but that falls well behind the 20 million inoculations that President Donald Trump’s administration promised by the end of 2020.


You can return to Malaysia anytime, home minister tells RPK

Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin needs to use the right channels and have complete travel documents if he wants to return to Malaysia as conveyed in a video recording posted on his social media account recently.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the government had never prevented Raja Petra from returning home.
"He can write me a letter if he misses Malaysia and wants to come back. As a Malaysian, he just needs a proper channel, and if he has issues with the proper documentation or his (travel) document has been cancelled or has been subject to a restraining order and so on, he can ask me officially.
"I will look into it. That is better than voicing this on social media," he said at the exclusive session of media editors with the home minister at the home ministry in Putrajaya yesterday.
He said this in response to Raja Petra's previous statement which claimed that he was not allowed to return to Malaysia by the government and police.
In the video recording, Raja Petra claimed to have used various means to return to Malaysia since 2013, including holding negotiations with Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi under the administration of then prime minister Najib Razak without success.
He also claimed to have held negotiations with two Cabinet ministers as well as Bukit Aman to hep him return to the country.
Raja Petra was reported to have fled the country after two arrest warrants were issued against him for failing to appear in court in 2009 for his trial of allegedly publishing seditious and defamatory articles through his website.


UK to add Sinovac, Sinopharm jabs to list of approved vaccines

The UK will add China’s Sinovac and Sinopharm and India’s Covaxin vaccines to the country’s approved list of Covid-19 vaccines for inbound travel, the government announced on Monday.“From 4am Monday, Nov 22, Covid-19 vaccines on the WHO (World Health Organization) EUL (emergency use listing) will be recognised and all under-18s coming to England will be treated as fully vaccinated at the border,” Anadolu Agency said quoting a government statement.In the UK, passengers who have been fully vaccinated and have received their vaccine certificate from one of over 135 approved countries and territories are not required to take a pre-departure test, day eight test or self-isolate upon arrival.Instead, passengers only need to pay for a lateral flow test to take before the end of their second day, post-arrival.British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the new announcement was a step forward for the travel industry, businesses and for family and friends seeking to reunite or go abroad.“The red list and quarantine system remain vital in protecting our borders, and as we’ve said, we will not hesitate to take action by adding countries to the red list if necessary,” he added.


Fugging hell: Tired of mockery, Austrian village changes name

Residents of an Austrian village will ring in the new year under a new name – Fugging – after ridicule of their signposts, especially on social media, became too much to bear.They finally grew weary of Fucking, its current name which some experts say dates back to the 11th century.Minutes from a municipal council meeting published Thursday showed that the village of some 100 souls 350km east of Vienna will be named Fugging from Jan 1, 2021.Increasing numbers of English-speaking tourists have made a point of stopping in to snap pictures of themselves by the signpost at the entrance to the village, sometimes striking lascivious poses for posting on social media.Some have reportedly even stolen the signposts, leading the local authorities to use theft-resistant concrete when putting up replacements.Finally, a majority of the villagers decided they had had enough.“I can confirm that the village is being renamed,” said Andrea Holzner, the mayor of Tarsdorf, the municipality to which the village belongs.“I really don’t want to say anything more – we’ve had enough media frenzy about this in the past,” she told regional daily Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten (OOeN).According to the Austrian daily Die Presse, the villagers, known as Fuckingers, “have had enough of visitors and their bad jokes”.But not everybody seems happy about the impending change.“Don’t people have any sense of humour these days?” asked one OOeN reader.Another noted: “They’re getting free publicity – they ought to have been happy to have a funny name.”Locals had previously found their village in the news after it was the backdrop for a book by Austrian novelist Kurt Palm which later was turned into a film.The village was first officially inhabited from around 1070, but local lore suggests that a sixth century Bavarian nobleman called Focko actually founded the settlement. A map dating from 1825 used the spelling Fuking.Just across the border in Bavaria in Germany, there is another village called Petting.


Sweden passes Nato accession bill as it waits on ratification

Sweden's parliament on Wednesday formally approved a bill to allow the country to join Nato when its application has been ratified by all 30 members of the alliance, a process where it remains waiting on the final endorsements.
Sweden and neighbor Finland asked to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But the process has been held up by Turkey, which along with Hungary has yet to ratify the memberships.
The bill was passed as expected with an overwhelming majority - 296 in favour and 37 votes against - with the small Left Party and Greens the only parties opposing the proposal. If Sweden is accepted into the alliance it will end two centuries of military non-alignment for the country.
Sweden in particular has faced objections from Turkey, which says Stockholm harbours members of what Turkey considers terrorist groups - a charge Sweden denies - and has demanded their extradition as a step towards giving Sweden's Nato membership the go-ahead.
Speaking in parliament, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom was optimistic about Sweden's chances to join the alliance by the time of the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in July.
"It goes without saying that we will be able to become members by Vilnius," he said just ahead of the vote.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan last week said Turkey's parliament would start ratifying Finland's accession but held off approving Sweden's bid. Similarly, Hungary's legislature said the same day it would vote on ratification of Finland's accession on March 27, but not Sweden's.


SRC business plan a sham, prosecution tells court in Najib’s appeal

The Court of Appeal was today told that the SRC International business plan was a sham, although billions had been channelled to the company by the Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP).Ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram submitted that SRC International only “commenced business” by transferring out money to Switzerland in a fixed deposit when KWAP disbursed the loan in 2011 and 2012.He submitted this before a three-member bench led by Court of Appeal judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil in the hearing of former prime minister Najib Razak’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.The other two judges on the bench were Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera.Sithambaram said SRC International had plans to do “all kinds of things everywhere”, from Indonesia to Mongolia.“But there is nothing to show for it. All that talk about investment plans was a sham defence… Their defence cannot stand up to scrutiny,” he said.At this point, one of Najib’s lawyers, Harvinderjit Singh, stood to object but Sithambaram told him to sit down.He said Najib knew that everything was a sham as SRC International had nothing to show after obtaining the RM4 billion loan.When asked by Karim whether this was to camouflage the actual intentions, Sithambaram said: “Yes.”“The evidence is all there. If they had done what they said they wanted to do for Malaysia, I would have been very proud. At the very least there wouldn’t have been any more power failures. But from 2014 to 2018 nothing happened,” he said.The Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28 last year sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty on seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position involving RM42 million in SRC International funds.The hearing of the appeal continues.


Restaurants allowed to open until 10pm

Eateries will be allowed to operate until 10pm beginning tomorrow, Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced today.“Any activities related to food, whether restaurants or hawkers, we will allow them to operate up to 10pm,” he said in his daily update on the Covid-19 situation.Under the movement control order (MCO) covering most of the country, eateries are only allowed to open for takeaway and delivery, and must close by 8pm.Ismail said the government had heard the grievances of both customers and businesses which were only allowed to open from 6am to 8pm.“As I said, the government always listens to the views of the people. We realise when many grievances are aired, and we immediately held meetings since last week to discuss the matter.”He added however that SOPs remain unchanged, with no dining in allowed, only takeaway, delivery and drive-thru.The original closing time of 8pm had drawn criticism from a group of opposition MPs who said it was an incovenience to those who need to buy food after work as well as a hindrance to reviving the economy.Ismail earlier told MalaysiaNow that allowing eateries to operate past 8pm would mean that the MCO was no difference from the conditional MCO, under which Covid-19 cases had spiked.But he said the National Security Council, the main body tasked with managing the pandemic, would deliberate on the matter.


China says willing to help foster Palestinian peacemaking with Israel

China is willing to play a positive role to help the Palestinians achieve internal reconciliation and promote peace talks with Israel, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Palestinian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday.
"The fundamental solution to the Palestinian issue lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," Xi said, according to Chinese state media.
Palestinians seek statehood in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but continues to expand settlements in the West Bank and calls Jerusalem its eternal, indivisible capital.
Peace talks that were brokered by the US collapsed in 2014, with no revival on the horizon.
"We have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights," Xi told Abbas at a welcoming ceremony at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.
China has had historically good ties with the Palestinians and since Abbas' last visit in 2017 has consistently talked up its capabilities in mediation, although with little to show in this regard until it brokered a surprise deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic relations in March.
Abbas is in Beijing on a three-day visit in which he hoped to demonstrate Chinese support for a Palestinian state, after failing to meet with US officials while in New York for the United Nations general assembly last year.
Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged continued US commitment to both Israel's security and a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, but said the expansion of Jewish settlements would be an obstacle to peace.
Analysts say Palestinians' internal divisions have posed another obstacle. The Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza is sworn to Israel's destruction, rejecting a negotiated peace. Abbas heads the Palestinian Authority that exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank and negotiated with Israel.
Xi reiterated Chinese support for the Palestinian Authority becoming a full member of the United Nations and said Beijing would continue to stand up for the Palestinian side in multilateral forums, state media reported.
The United States opposes full Palestinian UN membership barring a peace deal with Israel, a step requiring a vote in the Security Council where the US, like China, holds a veto.
Xi also said the international community should increase development and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.
Xi and Abbas also announced the two sides had agreed to establish a strategic partnership and signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents.
Those include an economic and technological cooperation pact, a deal on mutual visa exemption for diplomatic passports, and a friendship between the Chinese city of Wuhan and Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian government in the occupied West Bank.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang offered to contribute "Chinese wisdom" to the "Palestinian issue" in a separate meeting with Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki.


95.7% of adults, 69% of teens fully jabbed

A total of 22,393,720 individuals or 95.7% of the adult population had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.Based on the health ministry’s data on the CovidNow portal, 22,885,170 individuals or 97.8% of the adult population have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 122,142 doses were administered yesterday to both adults and the adolescents, bringing the cumulative number of vaccine doses given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 50,306,343.As for teenagers aged 12 to 17, 69% or 2,171,270 have completed their vaccination while 83.2% or 2,619,573 have received at least one dose of vaccine under PICK for adolescents which began on Sept 8.Meanwhile, 56,493 Covid-19 booster doses were administered yesterday, bringing the cumulative number to 407,607.


Phase 2 of vaccination programme to be brought forward to April 17

The second phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme will start on April 17 instead of April 19 as previously announced, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.He said the registration campaign needs to be intensified as people aged 60 and above and individuals with comorbidities make up only 30% of the seven million people who have registered through the MySejahtera application.“We need to intensify the campaign to increase vaccination registration through five methods, namely through MySejahtera or the health ministry website, contacting the hotline, going to district health centres and through NGO outreach programmes that also focus on the homeless and illegal immigrants,” he said.The government is targeting 9.4 million recipients in the second phase which will involve high-risk groups including the elderly, those with chronic diseases, people with disabilities and those with comorbidities.Adham said the vaccination exercise would continue during the fasting month and that night appointments at certain vaccination centres (PPVs) would be offered as well.Asked about the ban on vaccine exports in several countries to meet domestic demand following an increase in Covid-19 infections and lack of supply, Adham said it would not affect the ongoing immunisation programme in Malaysia as suppliers had given their commitment to the government that deliveries would be on schedule.For example, he said Malaysia would procure the AstraZeneca vaccine from factories in Thailand through direct procurement, while the supply of AstraZeneca vaccine through the Covax facility would come from South Korea.“These things are all guaranteed. So the issue of delays in the supply of vaccines from suppliers does not arise for Malaysia. We can execute all schedules and deliveries within the stipulated time, but we hope deliveries can be expedited if possible,” he said.It was reported that India had temporarily halted all major exports of AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Indian Serum Institute (SII) to meet domestic demand following the increase in Covid-19 infections in the country.The move is expected to affect supply to the World Health Organization-backed Covax vaccine-sharing facility through which many countries are expected to get their supplies.


GPS won’t give way to peninsula-based parties at GE15

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the ruling coalition in the state, has maintained that it will not give way to peninsula-based parties in the general election to come, not even those with which it has friendly ties.GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg said it would instead contest all 31 seats once the 15th general election (GE15) is called.“I already said we will fill all 31 seats,” he said today when asked if GPS would give way to Bersatu in GE15.Bersatu, led by Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, currently holds two federal seats in Sarawak: Puncak Borneo and Saratok.Both are held by former PKR members: Willie Mongin in Puncak Borneo and Ali Biju in Saratok.GPS, comprising Abang Johari’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu, the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and the Progressive Democratic Party, is widely seen as a kingmaker in federal politics.Its support, along with that of PAS, was seen as crucial to the success of the so-called Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in February 2020.Last year, Muhyiddin said his bloc would work with GPS at the next general election, adding that an understanding had been reached at a meeting with Abang Johari, the Sarawak premier, several weeks before the state election in December.He said the understanding included Bersatu giving way to GPS by not contesting the Sarawak election and GPS in turn working with Bersatu at GE15.“We had an understanding that for the state election, we would support GPS,” he said.“Abang Johari understands, and he said that for the general election, that’s open. That’s what he said.”


Ukraine races to restore power grid after Russia strikes

Ukraine worked to restore power on Tuesday after Russia's latest wave of missile strikes caused power disruptions across the country, right as winter frost builds and temperatures plunge.
Out of the 70 missiles launched by Moscow, "most" were shot down, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, but the barrage still hit Ukraine's already battered infrastructure.
Fresh power cuts were announced in all regions "due to the consequences of shelling," national electricity provider Ukrenergo said on Telegram.
The head of Ukrenergo said he had "no doubt that Russian military consulted with Russian power engineers during this attack", judging by where the missiles landed.
"The time that Russians chose for this attack was connected with their desire to inflict as much damage as possible," Volodymyr Kudrytskyi told a Ukrainian news programme, explaining the attacks were launched as the country enters a "peak frost" period.
"Our repairmen will be working on the energy system restoration."
Nearly half of Ukraine's energy system has already been damaged after months of strikes on power infrastructure, leaving people in the cold and dark for hours at a time as outdoor temperatures drop below zero degrees Celsius.
As missiles rained down on Kyiv, UN rights chief Volker Turk – who arrived over the weekend on a four-day visit – had to move his meetings with activists into an underground shelter.
Zelensky announced in his nightly address that four were killed in Russia's strikes.
But "our people never give up," the president said in a video statement.
Across the border in Russia's Kursk region on Tuesday, an airfield saw a "drone attack", said local governor Roman Starovoyt, without specifying where the drone originated.
"As a result of a drone attack in the area of the Kursk airfield, an oil storage tank caught fire," he said on social media, adding that there were no casualties.
Tuesday's incident comes a day after Moscow accused its neighbour of carrying out deadly drone strikes on two other airfields.
Russia also confirmed a "massive attack on Ukrainian military command systems and related defence, communications, energy and military facilities".
Moscow vows to keep fighting
The latest violence comes just after Russia shrugged off a Western-imposed price cap on its oil exports, warning the move would not impact its military campaign in Ukraine.
The US$60-per-barrel cap agreed by the European Union, G7 and Australia aims to restrict Russia's revenue while making sure Moscow keeps supplying the global market.
"Russia's economy has all the necessary potential to fully meet the needs and requirements of the special military operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, using Moscow's term for its Ukraine offensive.
"These measures will not affect this," he said.
Russia "will not recognise" the measures, which amounted to "a step towards destabilising the global energy markets", he added.
The market price of a barrel of Russian Urals crude is currently around US$65 (RM285), just slightly higher than the US$60 cap – suggesting the measure may have only a limited impact in the short term.
The cap is the latest in a number of measures spearheaded by Western countries and introduced against Russia – the world's second-largest crude oil exporter – after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine over nine months ago.
It comes on top of an EU embargo on seaborne deliveries of Russian crude oil that came into force on Monday.
The embargo will prevent maritime shipments of Russian crude to the European Union, which account for two-thirds of the bloc's oil imports from Russia, potentially depriving Moscow of billions of euros.
Kyiv had initially welcomed the price ceiling, but later said it would not do enough damage to Russia's economy.
Meanwhile, Russian state media released footage of President Vladimir Putin driving a Mercedes car across the Crimea bridge – the closest the 70-year-old leader has come to the frontline in Ukraine.
The bridge connects the annexed peninsula to the Russian mainland, and was damaged in a blast in October.
'Impossible to prepare'
The G7 nations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – along with Australia have said they are prepared to adjust the price ceiling of oil if necessary.
In recent months, gas prices have skyrocketed since Moscow halted deliveries to the EU in suspected retaliation for Western sanctions and the bloc struggled to find alternative energy suppliers.
In the Ukrainian town of Borodianka, outside Kyiv, where snow has already coated the ground, locals recently gathered around wood-fired stoves inside tents to keep warm and cook food during the blackouts.
"We are totally dependent on electricity... One day we had no electricity for 16 hours," Irina, who had come to the tent with her child, told AFP.
Volunteer Oleg said it was hard to say how Ukraine would manage in the coming winter months.
"It is impossible to prepare for this winter because no one has lived in these conditions before," he said.


Protesters clash with police as thousands march against Australia lockdown

Thousands marched through Australia’s two biggest cities in anti-lockdown protests Saturday, sparking violent clashes with police in Sydney.Dozens of protesters were arrested after an unauthorised march flouted public health orders in Sydney, while several confrontations with police broke out during the hours-long rally.Officers were pelted with pot plants and bottles of water as opponents of Sydney’s month-long stay-at-home order took to the streets in numbers.Thousands also crowded several streets in Melbourne after gathering outside the state parliament in the early afternoon.The largely maskless protesters were flouting rules on non-essential travel and public gatherings, a day after authorities suggested the restrictions could remain in place until October.“I am utterly disgusted by the illegal protesters in the city today whose selfish actions have compromised the safety of all of us,” the premier of Sydney’s state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, said in a statement.“The protesters have shown utter contempt for their fellow citizens who are currently doing it tough.”Hundreds of police responded to the Sydney protest, with several demonstrators pulled from the crowd in handcuffs by officers. Police said they issued nearly 100 fines and arrested 57 people.Police in Melbourne said six people were arrested.New South Wales Police Minister David Elliott said a team of detectives would be scouring footage to identify and charge as many people as possible in the coming days.“What we saw today in Sydney is unfortunately something that we’ve seen in cities that we all shake our head at,” Elliott told media after the protest.“It’s quite clear that you know, Sydney isn’t immune from morons as well.”He also said he expected the gathering to drive a spike in Covid-19 cases and urged all those who attended to get tested and isolate.Organisers had dubbed the protest a “freedom” rally and publicised it on social media pages frequently used to spread vaccine disinformation and conspiracy theories.Attendees carried signs and banners reading “Wake up Australia” and “Drain the Swamp” – echoing messages seen in similar demonstrations overseas.Helicopters buzzed above the streets of Sydney, a city of over five million people that is struggling to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant.The state of New South Wales reported 163 new infections Saturday to bring its total in the current outbreak to nearly 2,000.After escaping much of the early pandemic unscathed, around half of Australia’s 25 million people are now in lockdown across several cities.There is growing anger at the restrictions and the conservative government’s failure to provide adequate vaccine supplies.Just 11% of the population is fully vaccinated.


What are the health risks from wildfire smoke?

The northeastern US is blanketed under a pungent haze caused by smoke carried down from wildfires burning in Canada that contains a host of noxious gases and particulate matter that carry serious health risks.
Here is what you need to know about the risks of the lingering smoke that has left the air quality in New York City, for example, ranked among the worst in the world on Tuesday and Wednesday:
What is contained in wildfire smoke?
More toxic than normal air pollution, wildfire smoke can linger in the air for weeks and travel hundreds of miles.
Wildfires can burn not only vegetative materials and trees but also cities, destroying vehicles and buildings and their contents. Along with particles of soil and biological materials, wildfire smoke often contains traces of chemicals, metals, plastics and other synthetic materials.
What are the known health effects?
In laboratory experiments, a given amount of wildfire smoke causes more inflammation and tissue damage than the same amount of air pollution, according to Kent Pinkerton, Co-Director of the Center for Health and the Environment at the University of California (UC), Davis.
Studies in people have linked wildfire smoke with higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrests, increases in emergency room visits for respiratory conditions, and weakened immune defences. Wildfires have also been linked with eye irritation and skin problems.
The effects of exposure can persist for years. After Australia's 2014 Hazelwood Coal Mine fire, rates of heart disease remained elevated for two and a half years and respiratory illnesses for five years, researchers reported in April.
Wildfire exposure in pregnancy has been associated with pregnancy loss, low birth weight, and preterm delivery. A study from California that has yet to be peer reviewed found a link between wildfire exposure and cellular damage in first- and second-trimester placentas.
Canadian researchers have reportedthat people who lived outside of major cities and within 50km of a wildfire in the past decade had a 4.9% higher risk of lung cancer and a 10% higher risk of brain tumors compared to people not exposed to wildfire.
Exposure to the 2018 Camp Fire in California was linked to changes in cognition and brain activity six to 12 months later, possibly related to stress and trauma, according to California researchers.
New data from California also show an increase in fungal infections in the months following wildfire smoke exposure, likely due to fungal spores in the smoke.
What is unknown?
More frequent wildfires likely linked to climate change mean people will be exposed more often. But the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure over multiple seasons are not yet clear.
"Repeated exposure, summer after summer after summer, is more likely to cause diseases, but it is hard to make predictions because it is hard to say how many fires people will be exposed to, how long the fires will burn, or what the smoke will contain," said Keith Bein of the Center for Health and Environment at UC Davis.
Current research is also looking into the long-term effects of smoke particles in water supplies, on crops or ingested by livestock; the long-term effects of urban wildfire smoke; the effects of wildfire exposure in utero on children's neurological development and respiratory outcomes; and whether wildfire smoke amplifies the adverse effects of extremely hot weather.
Nutrients carried in wildfire smoke may contribute to downwind algal blooms, which has implications for drinking water reservoirs and lake ecology, researchers warned earlier this year.
What can help mitigate the risks?
Experts say it is best to limit outdoor activities, especially strenuous sports, and to wear N95 masks.
An online course with instructions for reducing outdoor and indoor exposure to wildfire smoke is available from the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Do we really need to worry?
Doug Brugge, who chairs the Department of Public Health Sciences at UConn School of Medicine, said wildfire smoke can be deadly. "People should... reduce their exposure, especially if they are in a vulnerable population, such as the elderly, young children or people with respiratory diseases."


Datin who worked for ex-minister ‘leaked sensitive diplomatic info’

An aide to a former foreign minister may find herself in trouble for leaking sensitive information that could be detrimental to Malaysia’s diplomatic presence abroad, after a voice message from a Wisma Putra officer to her was made available online, MalaysiaNow has learnt.In the audio message which made the rounds last week, an officer is heard complaining to the woman, who carries a “Datin” title, about alleged problems faced by Malaysian diplomats overseas.“Some of the information is not supposed to be public knowledge,” the source told MalaysiaNow.The officer was subsequently identified and called to explain the audio message.“He revealed that the voice note was sent to a Datin who is a former press secretary to a former foreign affairs minister.“It turns out that it was not him who leaked the audio file,” the source added.The development follows Wisma Putra’s recent action against two of its diplomats in the UAE who failed to make arrangements for an official visit by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob late last month.Malaysia’s ambassador to the UAE, Tarid Sufian, and its consul-general in Dubai, Hasril Abdul Hamid, were stationed in Putrajaya after their communication blunder kept UAE officials in the dark about Ismail’s visit.It was learnt that the host was left embarrassed by the absence of protocol normally accorded to visiting heads of state, with UAE officials apologising to the Malaysian delegation.It is understood that Wisma Putra has in the past taken similar action against diplomats for failing in their duties.


New cases top 3,000 again, Selangor still over 1,000

Another 3,332 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 404,925.Selangor recorded 1,083 cases followed by Sarawak (522), Kelantan (401), Kuala Lumpur (359), Johor (207), Penang (158), Sabah (131), Negeri Sembilan (111) and Kedah (105).Pahang recorded 92 cases, Perak 91, Melaka 43, Terengganu 19, Putrajaya nine and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 28,093 with 309 in the ICU and 147 in need of respiratory assistance.Twelve more clusters were detected:1. Bukit Rotan (Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam, Petaling and Klang in Selangor and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan; 45 screened, 16 positive)2. Sileng Dayak (Lundu and Kuching in Sarawak; 1,740 screened, 72 positive)3. Kampung Pemanok (Machang in Kelantan; 53 screened, 27 positive)4. Raub Jaya (Raub, Lipis and Bentong in Pahang; 270 screened, 54 positive)5. Tabuan Jaya (Kuching, Serian and Samarahan in Sarawak; 252 screened, 22 positive)6. Batu Lada (Kuala Krai and Machang in Kelantan; 191 screened, 21 positive)7. Jalan Abdul Rahman Andak (Johor Bahru in Johor; 279 screened, 12 positive)8. Jalan RP Tiga (Gombak and Hulu Selangor in Selangor; 128 screened, 46 positive)9. Jalan Tiga Belas-Tiga (Petaling in Selangor; 164 screened, 14 positive)10. Jalan Adika Raja (Hulu Perak and Baling in Kedah; 88 screened, 34 positive)11. Kampung Parit Bunga (Tangkak in Johor; 18 screened, eight positive)12. Jalan Pokok Assam (Larut, Matang and Selama in Perak; 38 screened, 14 positive)Four others ended, leaving 378 active clusters across the country.Another 1,943 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 375,340.However, 15 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,492.


Sarawak welcomes Malaysia’s biggest museum and second largest in the region

Sarawak leaders have welcomed the forthcoming opening of the Borneo Cultures Museum, the largest in the country and the second largest in Southeast Asia, saying it will contribute to the state’s economic growth while preserving its cultural heritage.The Borneo Cultures Museum, situated in the heart of the Kuching city centre, is expected to open its doors to the public as soon as this week.It will house hundreds of historical artefacts on five levels, with a total floor space of some 31,000 sq m.Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg said the RM323 million complex would help the state’s gross domestic growth while protecting its rich heritage.Some of the historial artefacts on display at the Borneo Cultures Museum.“The concept of using museums as a stimulus for the growth of the cultural economy is a proven one and has bred success, thus becoming more popular in developed and developing countries.“The Sarawak Museum Department can play a larger role in connecting culture with creativity, thereby promoting the growth of our cultural and creative industries under the purview of the new tourism, creative industry and performing arts ministry,” he said at the launching ceremony over the weekend.The Borneo Cultures Museum in Kuching, lit up in a warm glow of light at night.The Borneo Cultures Museum will showcase objects of natural history, archaeology and culture in a thematic manner, with a space for children as well as an arts and craft gallery.It was designed for the application of digital advancement, featuring interactive exhibitions while ensuring that the museum remains up-to-date amid the evolving global dynamics.State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the architecture of the building itself would enhance and revitalise the image of the entire city.One of the many exhibitions at the Borneo Cultures Museum.“It will become the focus of the city and a must-stop destination for tourists,” he said.“I am confident the Borneo Cultures Museum, besides the old Sarawak Museum, will be the pride of Sarawakians.”Karim also said that Sarawak would look into integrated research collaboration with higher institutions, industry players and other stakeholders as part of efforts to document and preserve cultural materials in the state through Unesco recognition.


Pilot of missing helicopter found dead, Perak police say

The pilot of a helicopter that went missing in Bidor after losing contact with the Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Tower (KLATCC) yesterday was found dead at the crash site, says Perak police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri.
He said the body was found in the cockpit of the helicopter by members of the search and rescue (SAR) team this morning.
"A Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) helicopter found the location of the crash at about 9.30am in the Chikus forest reserve area. Five minutes later, the RMAF crew went down to the location and found the victim in the cockpit.
"The body was brought out from the crash site at 10.12am and taken to SMK Anderson in an ambulance and then sent to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun in Ipoh for " post-mortem,” he told reporters at the SAR operations room at the Bidor police station today.
He identified the pilot as Hong Kong citizen Tsz Kin Richard Chan, 58, whose family members have been informed of the incident. Yusri said the wreckage of the Eurocopter aircraft, which is owned by a private company, had been handed over to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) for further action.
Yesterday, Transport Minister Wee Ka Sing was reported to have said that the helicopter lost contact with KLATCC at 12.16pm before CAAM reported it as missing.
The aircraft’s last known location was a forest area near Bidor.
It took off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at 11.37am yesterday and was supposed to have returned at 12.37pm.


Air fares may stay sky-high, say industry experts

Despite the recent fall in oil prices, high air fares may stay in place for some time to come, say airline industry professionals and experts.
The gradual return of demand for travel last year following the lifting of Covid-19-related travel restrictions, had already given the signal for higher fares.
But this year, just as the airlines are expecting to see passenger numbers almost back to pre-crisis levels, prices have really taken off.
In France in April, the average cost of an air ticket was 32.6% higher than four years earlier, according to the French Civil Aviation Authority.
That increase was as much as 51% for flights to the Asia-Pacific region.
In the US, the air ticket price index published by the St Louis Federal Reserve showed an 11% increase in air ticket prices between April 2019 and April 2023.
This is despite the fact that oil prices have eased since peaking in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) estimates that they will fall to an average of US$98.50 (RM454.48) a barrel this year, compared with US$135.6 last year.
Representing between 25% and 30% of airline costs, fuel normally has a significant effect on ticket prices.
However "labour costs and other costs associated with the supply chain... seem to be higher or rising," Marie Owens Thomsen, Iata's chief economist said earlier this week in Istanbul.
"Airlines will have to find a way to cover those costs or they will start making losses again," at a time when they are barely back in the black and have to pay off the colossal debts incurred due to Covid-19, she added at the general meeting of her association, which brings together 300 airlines from around the world.
'Too few seats'
For Vik Krishnan, a specialist in the airline sector at strategy consultancy McKinsey, the main issue is now "less about oil prices and more about the fact that there are too few seats chasing too many people who want to be in them".
Despite order books that are sometimes full right up to the end of the decade, aircraft manufacturers are struggling to meet their delivery targets because of shortages of parts or materials from their suppliers.
There is also the thorny issue of labour costs.
"Many airlines had to recut their deals with their flight and cabin crews... but also all of the supply, the ground handlers, the maintenance shops, they all had to pay considerably higher wages coming out of Covid," said Geoffrey Weston, from the consultancy firm Bain & Company.
"There aren't many factors that are going to bring ticket prices down," echoed Pascal Fabre, aviation sector specialist at AlixPartners.
And given that the airline industry will have to invest hundreds, if not thousands, of billions of dollars in new aircraft and renewable fuels if it hopes to meet its 2050 decarbonisation target, Iata's Owens Thomsen sees no respite for consumers any time soon.
"Costs are likely to increase until such a point when all of these solutions have become commercially viable and produced at scale.
"When we reach that lucky moment, we can start thinking that these costs can decline again. I cannot pinpoint necessarily when that's going to happen but I'm tempted to say 2040".


Rohingya refugee boat lands in Indonesia after month at sea

A broken-down boat carrying 57 Rohingya refugees landed on Indonesia's western coast on Sunday after a month at sea, police said.
Thousands of the mostly Muslim Rohingya, heavily persecuted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, risk their lives each year on long, expensive sea journeys – often in poor-quality vessels – in an attempt to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
The wooden vessel with 57 men on board arrived around 8am local time (0100 GMT) on a beach in the westernmost Aceh province, local police spokesman Winardy told AFP.
"The boat had a broken engine and it was carried by the wind to a shore in Ladong Village in Aceh Besar (district)," Winardy, who goes by one name, said.
"They said they have been drifting at sea for a month."
Winardy added that police arrived at the beach after being informed by some locals that the boat had docked there.
He said four of the men on board were sick and had been transported to a hospital.
Telmaizul Syatri, the head of the local immigration office, said the refugees will be temporarily housed at a local government facility.
"We will coordinate with the International Organisation for Migration and the UNHCR so that it can be handled well," Syatri said.
This is the third Rohingya refugee boat to arrive in Muslim-majority Indonesia in recent months.
Two boats carrying a total of 229 Rohingya landed in Aceh on Nov 15 and 16, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
Sunday's arrival comes after UNHCR and Southeast Asian politicians called for the rescue of another vessel carrying as many as 200 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, which has been stranded at sea for several weeks.
That boat has been reported in waters close to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea and the Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
UNHCR said last week that it has been in the water since late November, and it had received reports of at least a dozen people dying on board. Those left on the boat have no access to food or water.


New infections drop to 2,300 as another 5 deaths logged

Another 2,373 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,475,873.There were 1,340 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,410,499.There are now 29,762 active cases, of which 28,425 or 95.5% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 29 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,261 (4.2%) have been hospitalised.A total of 47 are in ICU with 31 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 56.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 7.6%.Another five deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,612.


2 PKR MPs quit, declare support for Muhyiddin in blow to party

Two PKR MPs have quit the party and declared their support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, dealing the most serious blow to the PKR since the last exodus of its senior leaders in 2020.Sarawak’s Julau MP Larry Sng and Johor’s Tebrau MP Steven Choong will now remain as independents, ending weeks of rumours over their loyalty to party president Anwar Ibrahim.The duo today had a meeting with Muhyiddin to convey their decision.Present were Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainuddin, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, as well as Mohamed Azmin Ali, Zuraida Kamaruddin and Saifuddin Abdullah, three former PKR leaders who quit last year to join Muhyiddin’s Cabinet.The move is seen as a much needed boost for the ruling bloc in the event that Dewan Rakyat convenes, following threats by Umno MPs loyal to former prime minister Najib Razak to revoke their support for Muhyiddin.Steven Choong (left) and Larry Sng with Muhyiddin Yassin today, showing statutory declarations of support for the prime minister.Their exit sees PKR’s parliamentary strength further reduced to 36 MPs, one year after the exodus of former deputy president Azmin and several other MPS during the political crisis that saw the change of government.PKR won 47 seats in the May 2018 general election.


Biden gets his first Pfizer jab live on TV

US President-elect Joe Biden has received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, saying he was getting the jab to show Americans it is “safe to take”.Biden joins a growing number of political leaders getting the shot, including Vice-President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.“I’m doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it’s available to take the vaccine,” Biden said live on television from his home in Delaware. “There’s nothing to worry about.”He said the Trump administration “deserves some credit” for launching the country’s vaccine program.Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, received her first dose earlier in the day, the president-elect said.His running mate, vice-president-elect Kamala Harris and her husband are expected to receive their first shots next week.Around three million doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been shipped and more than 500,000 Americans have been vaccinated so far, according to the Reuters.The Biden team has set a goal of 100 million Covid-19 vaccinations across the US during the administration’s first 100 days in the White House.President Donald Trump, who spent three days in hospital with Covid-19 in October, has not said when he intends to get the vaccine.“I am not scheduled to take the vaccine but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time,” Trump tweeted in December.Some of his advisers have defended him waiting, saying he is still protected by the treatment he received to beat the virus.On Sunday, distribution of the Moderna vaccine which was approved last week began in the country too, with some six million vaccine doses available for immediate shipment.


Daily caseload at 204 as no new deaths reported

Another 204 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,042,015.
There were 254 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,995,838.
There are now 9,220 active cases, of which 8,907 or 96.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 304 (3.3%) have been hospitalised.
A total of nine are in ICU with six in need of respiratory assistance.
No new deaths were reported, leaving total deaths unchanged at 36,957.


Iran unveils Islamic marriage app to create ‘healthy families’

Iran has unveiled an Islamic dating application aimed at facilitating “lasting and informed marriage” for its youth.Called Hamdam – Farsi for “partner” or “mate” – the service allows users to “search for and choose their spouse”, state-run television said on Monday.It is the only state-sanctioned platform of its kind in the Islamic Republic, according to Iran’s cyberspace police chief, Colonel Ali Mohammad Rajabi.While dating apps are popular in Iran, Rajabi said all other platforms apart from Hamdam are illegal.Developed by the Tebyan Cultural Institute, part of Iran’s Islamic Propaganda Organization, Hamdam’s website claims it uses “artificial intelligence” to find matches “only for bachelors seeking permanent marriage and a single spouse”.While having four official wives and unlimited female slaves is permissible in Iran, experts say it is frowned upon for all but mullahs and Iranian Arabs.However, the husband only needs to get permission from the previous wife, and that’s usually a formality. In reality, polygamy has become increasingly rare among today’s urban Iranians but it still exists in rural areas.Tebyan head Komeil Khojasteh, speaking at the unveiling, said family values were threatened by outside forces.“Family is the devil’s target, and Iran’s enemies seek to impose their own ideas on it,” he said, adding the app helps create “healthy” families.According to the Hamdam website, users have to verify their identity and go through a “psychology test” before browsing.When a match is made, the app “introduces the families together with the presence of service consultants”, who will “accompany” the couple for four years after marriage.Registration is free as Hamdam has “an independent revenue model”, the website said without explaining further.Iran’s authorities, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have warned several times against the country’s rising age of marriage and declining birth rates.In March, Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament passed a bill titled “population growth and supporting families”.It mandates the government to offer significant financial incentives for marriage and to encourage people to have more than two children, while limiting access to abortion.The law awaits approval by the Guardian Council, which is tasked with checking that bills are compatible with Islamic law and the constitution.


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Staring at another election defeat, Amanah man urges PH to work with Muhyiddin’s PN

A prominent member of Amanah has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to widen its scope of cooperation for the Johor election by including Perikatan Nasional (PN) in its list of allies, in a sign that the opposition coalition may again be staring at defeat in the upcoming Johor polls.Mazlan Aliman, a popular former social activist from PAS who joined Amanah in its early days, warned that if PH decided to go to the polls in its current shape, it would again face defeat similar to the recent Melaka election.“PH which comprises PKR, Amanah, DAP and Upko would be as good as surrendering to Barisan Nasional (BN) if it maintains the status quo from Melaka and Sarawak,” he said.In the Melaka polls, BN returned to form the state government following an election which saw a setback for PH, especially PKR which was wiped out of the state assembly.Bersatu meanwhile managed to retain its two seats, while analysts concurred that the party’s candidates were the cause of PH’s defeats in Malay-majority seats.Mazlan said the recent call by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim to work with other opposition parties should also include Bersatu and PAS, the key components of the PN coalition led by Muhyiddin Yassin.“Bersatu and PAS were also part of the Johor administration but they were not invited to discuss the dissolution of the state assembly,” he said, adding that Umno had not appreciated PN.He also said there was a danger that Umno’s victory in Johor could see the return of “kleptocrats”.“This would pave its way for GE15 and its goal of winning a two-thirds majority in Parliament in order to realise its agenda,” he added.“Do PH and the public at large wish to return to a kleptocratic episode as was the case before?” asked Mazlan, adding that cooperation with Bersatu and PAS would create “the biggest coalition”.“This would be a true depiction of Keluarga Malaysia,” he said, referring to the tagline introduced by Ismail Sabri Yaakob after he was sworn in as prime minister.Mazlan said Umno appeared confident of securing yet another victory in Johor, descrbing the party as “arrogant”.He was confident that such an opposition pact could effectively defeat BN, citing the cooperation which saw PH coming to power in 2018.Yesterday, Muhyiddin said his bloc was ready to face the election in Johor despite not being consulted about the decision to dissolve the state assembly.The Johor coalition government led by BN had held 28 state seats through Umno (14 seats), MIC (two), Bersatu (11) and PAS (one), while PH held 27 seats through DAP (14), PKR (seven), and Amanah (six).The state was under PH before its collapse following Bersatu’s exit from the coalition in the wake of what has come to be known as the Sheraton Move.Mazlan said it would not be easy for PH leaders to ignore the Sheraton Move, describing the episode as “bitter” and “tragic”.But he said PH “must be big-hearted” for the sake of the people whom he said felt betrayed by the mandate given to PH in the last polls.


Six remanded in Terengganu over fake vaccination certs

Six men suspected of receiving payment for fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates in Terengganu have been remanded to facilitate investigations.Terengganu Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief M Zambri Mahmud said the suspects, aged 35 to 57, who were arrested last night, were remanded from today until Saturday under Section 420 of the Penal Code.The remand order was granted by magistrate Engku Nurul Ain Engku Muda at the Marang Magistrate’s Court today following an application by the police.Zambri said the suspects were believed to have received payment in return for fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates that they had failed to provide for their customers.“Police received reports (from the customers) that they had made payments for the certificates, but the suspects allegedly did not give the certificates to them,” he said when contacted today.Zambri said police believed the case was related to the arrest of a private clinic doctor in Marang last Saturday who was suspected of issuing fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates for fees of between RM400 and RM600.Preliminary investigations revealed that a total of 1,900 individuals were found to be dealing with the clinic for vaccination purposes. However, police are still investigating the number of people who received the fake certificates without getting the shots.The remand order against the doctor ended today. He was released on police bail pending further action by the public prosecutor.


Melaka govt lodges police report over EMCO proposal leak

The Melaka government lodged a police report on Tuesday following the dissemination of confidential information about a proposal to impose enhanced movement control order (EMCO) in Ayer Keroh which went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp.State health and anti-drug committee chairman Rahmad Mariman said the dissemination of the information not only forced the state government to retract the proposal, but also created unrest among the 15,000 residents there.“The police report was made to ensure that those who are responsible will be prosecuted for their action because they caused unrest within the community.“We lodged the report on behalf of the state government, but we have been told that another person has also made a police report on the same matter,” he told reporters after inspecting the drive-through vaccination centre at the Melaka International Airport in Batu Berendam today.Melaka Tengah district police chief ACP Afzanizar Ahmad confirmed receiving two reports on the matter on Tuesday.He said the police reports were received at the Ayer Keroh police station at 2.30pm and that the case was being investigated under Section 203A of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988.


US logs more than 3,900 Covid-19 deaths in new daily record

More than 3,900 people died of Covid-19 in the US Wednesday, according to a count released by Johns Hopkins University, a new daily record for fatalities from the virus.The Baltimore-based university said 3,927 people had died of the coronavirus in the 24 hours before 8.30pm (0130 GMT Thursday) in the US, the worst-hit country in the world, while 189,671 new cases had been recorded.That brought the US total to 19,715,899 infections and 341,845 deaths since the pandemic began.The country’s leading infectious diseases expert, Anthony Fauci, warned Sunday that the worst of the pandemic was likely yet to come, with the death toll rising at an alarming rate in the winter months and after major holiday gatherings.The country has begun a mass campaign of vaccinations and 2.8 million people have already received jabs, but that is well behind the 20 million inoculations the administration of President Donald Trump has promised by the end of the year.


Tajuddin hopes for 'amicable' solution to suspension of membership

Former Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman says he has no intention of representing another party in the upcoming state elections.
On the other hand, if his suspension as an Umno member is retracted, the former Umno Supreme Council member said he wanted to help the party machinery in the polls.
"If I am no longer suspended by Umno, of course I will campaign, help work for the party.  If possible, I don’t want to be with other parties," he told the media at his Raya open house in Pasir Salak yesterday.
Tajuddin was earlier reported to have submitted an appeal against his six-year suspension to enable him to be active in the party again.
On May 6, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reportedly said the appeal would be referred to the Supreme Council.
Tajuddin voiced hope that his appeal would considered by the Supreme Council soon, adding that he loves the party and wants to settle the issue amicably.
"I am confident that if it is brought to the council, the decision will be positive because I have explained in a letter twice before this and once again yesterday.
"The only mistake I made was being too vocal on party issues," he said.
However, Tajuddin said he was prepared to face any possibility and would not give up in the political struggle and try to be active on social media platforms.


Ceiling price for chicken to remain at RM9.40 per kg

The government has agreed to continue with the ceiling price of RM9.40 per kg for standard chicken, says Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He said the Cabinet reached the unanimous decision on Aug 26, adding that the government had also decided against floating chicken prices in response to feedback from several quarters.
"Further details regarding the decision will be announced after the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation meeting," he said in a Twitter post yesterday.
On July 30, ministry secretary-general Azman Mohd Yusof said the government might not continue with the RM9.40 ceiling price for chicken in the peninsula after Aug 31, as the chicken supply appeared to be stabilising.
This was because the market price of round chicken was now below the ceiling price, he said, adding that some sellers were offering prices as low as RM6.99 per kg.
He said the majority of suppliers were no longer facing production issues, causing an excess in supply that would affect the current price.
Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Ronald Kiandee previously said that the government would review the ceiling price of standard chicken and the permission to export after Aug 31.


No turning back: Global central banks vow to stay the course on inflation

Central banks in Europe on Thursday followed the Federal Reserve in slowing the pace of interest rate increases but also offered a similar stark message that financial conditions will continue to tighten even as economic performance deteriorates.
Recent months have offered at least initial confidence that the developed world's shared outbreak of inflation, driven by shocks including the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine, had peaked and begun to ease.
But it hasn't gone away, and policymakers in Frankfurt, London and Washington, responsible for overseeing a large chunk of the world's economy, now face the difficult task of determining just how much further to tighten monetary policy as recession takes hold in the United Kingdom and the euro zone and threatens the US next year.
It's a set of decisions that will shape the global economy in 2023, influencing exchange rates and terms of trade, and, as some international officials have warned, risking a deeper-than-needed correction if they get it wrong.
"The euro area economy may contract in the current quarter and the next quarter, owing to the energy crisis, high uncertainty, weakening global economic activity and tighter financing conditions," the European Central Bank said in a policy statement on Thursday that marched ahead with a half-percentage-point increase in its key interest rates and argued those rates "still have to rise significantly at a steady pace" even amid the economic slowdown.
The statement pushed the euro higher against the dollar while US equity markets sold off for a second day following what was construed as a hawkish tone from Fed Chair Jerome Powell in his news conference on Wednesday after a two-day policy meeting.
The policy moves and the messages from the Fed, ECB and Bank of England continue running along the same track as officials steel themselves for what is among the toughest calls in monetary policy: tightening credit conditions into a recession.
The United Kingdom is "expected to be in recession for a prolonged period," the Bank of England said in a statement on Thursday that raised the target policy rate from 3% to 3.5% and indicated more hikes were likely.
"Further increases... may be required for a sustainable return of inflation" to the central bank's 2% target, the BoE said, with officials promising to "respond forcefully" if inflation proves faster or more persistent than expected.
'Stay the course'
All three central banks did slow the pace of their rate hikes. The half-percentage-point increases in borrowing costs delivered this week are a step back from the 75-basis-point risesthat policymakers approved as inflation escalated over the year, offering a more careful way to approach an eventual stopping point.
But the Fed, ECB and BoE also took pains to tell the public and financial markets they were making no promises about where that stopping point might be - an effort to ensure expectations remain in check particularly among investors looking for signs of a central bank pause or even a pivot to rate cuts.
That won't happen, central bankers said this week, until it is clear that inflation is on a sustained fall from a current level around 6% in the US and above 10% in the United Kingdom and euro zone.
"Ongoing increases will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2% over time," the Fed said in a policy statement on Wednesday that lifted its benchmark overnight interest rate to a range between 4.25% and 4.5%, and projected it would rise to at least a level between 5% and 5.25% by the end of next year.
Projections from individual Fed policymakers showed a likely bias even higher, with seven of 19 already seeing the need for an additional quarter or half a percentage point of rate hikes.
"We will stay the course until the job is done," Powell told reporters after the policy meeting, which was the last of this year.
The issue Powell and his colleagues in Frankfurt and London may increasingly face in 2023 is the rising cost that their interest rate hikes extract in terms of slow or negative growth and increased joblessness, a tradeoff that may get harder to justify if inflation falls quickly at first, as expected, but then becomes harder to nudge lower.
The US is not currently in a recession, but economists expect at least a mild one to develop next year. New projections from Fed officials on Wednesday came close to acknowledging that likelihood, with growth expected to slow to a tepid 0.5% in 2023, and the unemployment rate to rise nearly a full percentage point.
If US officials are aligned right now about where monetary policy is heading in 2023, new projections show a cavernous split by 2024 about the "appropriate" level of the federal funds rate, with one US central bank official seeing it still above 5.5%, and one other as low as 3%.
Between now and then the world may have to weather a global recession, absorb the continued impact of the war in Ukraine, the uncertainty associated with China's new Covid-19 policy, and any unanticipated shocks beyond those of tighter monetary policy itself.
The baseline outlook is for a "relatively shallow global recession" beginning now and lasting through the middle of 2023, Adam Slater, lead economist at Oxford Economics, wrote in a note. But declines in financial and property markets, the very parts of the economy where the impact of monetary policy is most immediately felt, point to a "significant risk of a somewhat deeper recession... perhaps exacerbated by constrained room for maneuver on the part of policymakers grappling with large fiscal deficits and high inflation."


Political parties might be allowed to open branches at universities, says minister

Political parties might be allowed to set up branches at universities after the government's amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971.
Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said a number of amendments had already been made, giving students greater freedom to carry out political activities.
"We have made various amendments involving student activities and university administrations.
"We have given students the freedom to join political parties, within or outside of the campus.
"All of these have been relaxed, perhaps including the matter under proposal," he said at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Khaled was responding to Mersing MP Muhammad Islahuddin Abas who asked if the government would permit political parties to open branches at universities.
He earlier asked about the possibility of vice-chancellors at public universities being appointed by way of vote by university staff.
Khaled said the appointment of vice-chancellors would be made by the minister, in line with the current practice and the provisions of the Universities and University Colleges Act.
He previously stated that the government had no plans to do away with the act.
Pakatan Harapan, in its manifesto for the Nov 19 election last year, had pledged to abolish the Universities and University Colleges Act.
It was amended in 2012 to allow students the freedom to participate in political activities outside of campus, and to keep campuses free from such activities.


Australia’s second-largest city extends virus lockdown

Five million people in Australia’s second-largest city will remain under stay-at-home orders for at least another week after authorities extended a lockdown Wednesday after failing to curb Melbourne’s latest Covid outbreak.The city entered its sixth pandemic lockdown last Thursday after a fresh Delta variant cluster emerged at a Melbourne school and quickly spread.Daniel Andrews, the premier of the state of Victoria, said lockdown rules will be extended until at least Aug 19, after 20 new cases were detected overnight including several “mystery” cases.“There are too many cases, the origins of which are not clear to us… for us to safely come out of lockdown now,” he said.In Sydney, more than five million people are enduring their seventh week under stay-at-home orders, currently scheduled to remain until the end of August.The state of New South Wales recorded 344 new cases Wednesday, taking the total for an outbreak that began in Sydney in mid-June to more than 6,100 cases.Hundreds of thousands of people outside Sydney – including in Newcastle, Byron Bay and most recently, Dubbo – are in lockdown after cases emerged in recent days.Authorities are pinning their hopes on a fresh vaccination drive, suggesting some restrictions could be eased if enough people get vaccinated in the coming weeks.“If we keep the vaccination rate up, we will get to six million jabs by the end of August, which will give us an opportunity to think about what additional freedoms we can give people in September and October,” state premier Gladys Berejiklian said.Australia won global praise for its successful coronavirus response in the early stages of the pandemic, but in recent months has struggled to contain the highly transmissible Delta variant amid a glacial vaccination rollout.The nation has recorded more than 37,000 cases of Covid-19 and 941 related deaths to date in a population of 25 million.


Budget presentation brought forward to Oct 7

The government will present its budget for 2023 to Parliament on Oct 7, earlier than originally scheduled, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said on Friday.
The budget was previously due to be tabled on Oct 28.
The next Parliament sitting was also brought forward to Oct 3 to accommodate the new budget schedule and the tabling of other bills, Wan Junaidi said in a statement without saying why the budget had been brought forward.
The rescheduling comes as the government looks to boost revenue in a bid to offset a jump in spending on subsidies for food, fuel and electricity amid rising prices.
The government expects to spend at least US$18 billion on subsidies and cash aid this year, the largest amount in history.
It also comes amid speculation that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob could call for elections earlier than a September 2023 deadline.
The prime minister has been under pressure from his party, Umno, to call for early polls to capitalise on its success in recent local elections and the strong economic situation.
Malaysia's economy grew 8.9% in the second quarter, its fastest annual pace in a year, boosted by expansion in domestic demand and resilient exports.