Israel says to send 5,000 vaccine shots to Palestinians

Israel said Sunday it would send 5,000 coronavirus vaccine shots to the Palestinian Authority to inoculate medical personnel, following global pressure to ensure Palestinians are vaccinated.Israeli authorities have launched an aggressive campaign to vaccinate its own citizens, but the shots have not been made available to Palestinians in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Six Day War.In recent weeks, the United Nations and rights groups have piled pressure on Israel to help some 4.8 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Israeli-blockaded Gaza to access vaccines, citing the Jewish state’s obligations as an occupying power.More than three million of Israel’s nine million people have received the first of two required jabs of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, a pace widely regarded as the world’s fastest per capita.“I confirm we are going to send 5,000 vaccines to medical teams in the Palestinian Authority,” a spokesperson for Defence Minister Benny Gantz told AFP on Sunday.She said they were from Israeli supplies, but declined to say whether they were Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna.A Palestinian official, who requested anonymity, dismissed the shipment as “a symbolic move”.It “will not help us,” the official told AFP.International lawThe PA, based in the West Bank city of Ramallah, has announced procurement agreements with four vaccine providers, including the makers of Russia’s Sputnik V shot.The PA has not publicly asked for Israel’s help with a mass public vaccination campaign.But earlier this month, the Palestine Liberation Organization called on the international community to “hold Israel to account” and ensure that it provides vaccines to all Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.The UN’s new Middle East envoy, Tor Wennesland, said last week that Israel should support the Palestinian vaccination effort to help stem the pandemic and meet “Israel’s obligations under international law”.That echoed similar calls from Human Rights Watch, which cited Israel’s responsibilities as an occupying power.HRW highlighted unequal access to vaccines in the West Bank, where Jewish settlers are being inoculated by Israel but their Palestinians neighbours are not.“Nothing can justify today’s reality in parts of the West Bank, where people on one side of the street are receiving vaccines, while those on the other do not, based on whether they’re Jewish or Palestinian,” said the group’s Israel and Palestine director Omar Shakir.Former senior Israeli foreign ministry official Alan Baker, who helped negotiate the Oslo Accords, said claims that Israel is obliged to vaccinate Palestinians were “false and misleading”.He insisted the PA was responsible “for health and medical issues” for Palestinians, citing the Oslo Accords.The PA said it expects to have sufficient doses to vaccinate 70% of the Palestinian population, in both the West Bank and Gaza, starting from mid-March.Hamas is seen as unlikely to publicly collaborate with Israel on any vaccination effort.


‘We have to feed our children’: Delhi’s rickshaw pullers battle on through toxic smog

For over 40 years, Inder Pal Singh has been ferrying passengers around Delhi’s old city by cycle rickshaw in searing summer heat, and increasingly, choking winter smog. He says he has no choice but to carry on despite government advice to stay inside.The city of 20 million was the world’s most polluted capital for the third straight year in 2020, and air quality has hit hazardous levels there and in other parts of northern India for much of this month.Delhi’s provincial government has tried various measures to contain pollution, urging people to stay at home, closing schools and deploying anti-smog cannons which blast out water vapour to try to capture dust and other pollutants.But many of the thousands of rickshaw pullers in the city say they have to work.“I have been driving a cycle rickshaw since I was 12 years old,” said Singh, who does not know his age but says he is around 55 to 60.“If I do not work, then what will I eat? Will (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi feed me?”On a good day, Singh makes around 500 Indian rupees (US$6.73), sending most back to his family in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state.The strenuous, antiquated job comes at a cost: a continuous itching and burning sensation in the eyes, he said.Mohammed Islam, a second rickshaw puller, said many were suffering from health ailments brought on by the pollution.“We find difficulty in breathing and our eyes itch while riding rickshaws… the government says to stay at home; if we sit at home, what will we eat?”“The government does not make any arrangements for us, how will we survive by sitting at our homes? We have to feed our children.”The federal government led by Modi has shut down five coal-fired power plants around New Delhi, banned trucks carrying non-essential goods and stopped construction in the capital and its satellite cities.But on Thursday, pollution levels were still rated as hazardous in many parts on the city.


Ex-Bersatu veep to be investigated after racial slur against badminton player

Former Pasir Puteh Bersatu vice-president Borhanuddin Che Rahim will be investigated following his racial slur against national shuttler S Kisona, Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin said today.He said several police reports were lodged nationwide against Borhanuddin after his statement went viral on social media yesterday.He said police would conduct an investigation under Section 504 of the Penal Code for intentionally insulting another with the intent to breach the peace, which is punishable with a maximum imprisonment of two years, a fine or both.“Investigations will also fall under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. I am disheartened to hear a racist comment coming from a leader. Racist remarks have been frequent, including this case.“Sometimes people get too emotional and say unpleasant things,” Hamzah told a media conference after a groundbreaking ceremony at the Terengganu police contingent headquarters (IPK) here today.Also present were Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani and Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.The RM104 million nine-storey IPK, located on a two-hectare site in central Kuala Terengganu, is due for completion in late 2024 and will replace the current 84-year-old building.In a similar development, Hamzah who is also Bersatu secretary-general, said that no action would be taken against Borhanuddin at the party level after he tendered his resignation and made an open apology to the public.“Borhanuddin has apologised and tendered his resignation… so my advice to others is not to commit the same misstep. Wrong is wrong… I think he knows it. We don’t take lightly to (racist statements) but it has already happened,” he said.Meanwhile, when queried on the claim by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that more leaders and members of Bersatu have expressed their wish to return to the party, Hamzah said: “I wouldn’t know… it could be his (Zahid’s) perception.”He added that leaders have the right to join any party and that it was their own prerogative to make a choice.Hamzah also said the actions of some leaders who exited the party would not affect people’s support for Bersatu and that in fact, total party membership has risen to 520,000 members compared to only 300,000 in the past year.


Ecuador to pardon 5,000 prisoners to tackle overcrowding

Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso announced Tuesday some 5,000 prisoners would be pardoned to reduce overcrowding in the country’s prisons, which were hit with riots that left more than 320 inmates dead in 2021.“I hope that at least 5,000 people deprived of their freedom will be released,” the president told reporters.He said he aimed “to end overcrowding by the end of the year and thus have a much more favorable environment for security and for social rehabilitation inside the prisons.”Ecuador’s 65 prisons have capacity for 30,000 inmates but house some 39,000, equivalent to 30% overcrowding.Some 15,000 of the prisoners have not been sentenced.More than 320 inmates were killed in 2021 in a surge of violence blamed on fighting between rival drug groups in Ecuador, nestled between the world’s biggest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru.Lasso signed a decree Monday to establish the conditions and system for pardons.The effort will target prisoners charged with theft, fraud or breach of trust, local media reported.


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North Korea says fever cases in locked-down province were flu

North Korea said on Friday it had confirmed that cases of unknown fever reported near its border with China were patients with the flu, state media reported.
On Thursday, the country said it had locked down the area and mobilised medical teams after four fever cases were reported from Ryanggang Province, but that it was not the novel coronavirus over which the country declared victory this month.
"It was revealed that all of the fever patients in the Ryanggang province were patients with the flu," KCNA news agency reported on Friday, saying experts conducted clinical symptoms observation, epidemiological relationship investigation and nucleic acid tests.
North Korea has never confirmed how many people caught Covid-19, apparently because it lacks the means to conduct widespread testing.
Instead, it reported daily numbers of patients with fever, a tally that rose to some 4.77 million. But it said it had registered no new such cases since July 29.


Vietnam capital dims street lights to save energy during heatwave

Authorities in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi are turning off street lights to keep the national power system running amid record temperatures bringing a surge in demand in some parts of the Southeast Asian nation.
As weather officials warn the heatwave could run into June, several cities have cut back on public lighting after state utility EVN said rising demand for air conditioning could burden the national grid further.
"It's so harsh and hot outside that people have to wear protective clothing to cool down and not get burned," said Hanoi resident Tran Van Hung, 67.
Temperatures this week are expected to range between 26 and 38 degrees Celsius, weather officials say.
To deal with the problem, Hanoi turns on its public lighting half an hour later than usual, and switches it off half an hour sooner, while halving illumination on some major roads and in public parks.
"If people all save energy, all will have enough electricity to use, but if not, there will be a partial electrical overload that will put the power grid at risk," said Luong Minh Quan, an electrician with EVN in Hanoi.
Last week Vietnam called for electrical devices to be turned off when not in use, and for air-conditioning to be kept above 26 degrees C.
Some chose to cool off at a waterpark, though experts say activity in extreme heat can cause dehydration and exhaustion.
"The water can help overcome the heat, as there are no other immediate solutions," said Tran Minh Trung, 48.


PM urges US to adopt more active Asean trade agenda

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Thursday urged the US to adopt a more active trade and investment agenda with Asean, saying this would benefit Washington economically and strategically.Speaking in Washington, where Asean leaders are gathered for a two-day summit with President Joe Biden, Ismail made clear some of the frustration felt in Asia since former president Donald Trump quit a regional trade pact in 2017.He said the US was an important partner for Asean, as its largest foreign direct investor and second largest trading partner, with two-way trade of US$308.9 billion in 2020.Ismail told a forum of US businesses and other Asean leaders the Covid-19 pandemic had made clear the importance of international trade and cooperation and the interlinkage of regional supply chains.“Therefore the US should adopt a more active trade and investment agenda with Asean, which will benefit the US economically and strategically,” he said.Ismail pointed to the entry into force of the Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP), a Chinese-backed initiative, which Asean saw as an important tool to invigorate regional business and economic activity through a marked reduction in trade barriers.He said there were some 6,200 US companies operating in Asean, many of which used the region as a production platform to export in the region and beyond.“To further their growth I would encourage US businesses to tap into the largest FTA, with a market covering 15 countries, comprising 2.3 billion, or nearly a third of the global population and world GDP, and take advantage of the vast investment opportunities presented,” he said.At a virtual summit with Asean last October, Biden said Washington would start talks about developing an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) to engage more with the region as the US seeks to push back against China’s growing influence.This would aim to set regional standards for cooperation, but does not currently offer the expanded market access Asian nations crave given his concern for American jobs.


EMA official suggests ditching AstraZeneca jab

A top official in the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said it might be worth abandoning AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for all age groups where alternatives are available, in an interview published Sunday.Marco Cavaleri, the EMA’s head of vaccine strategy, also told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper that the Johnson & Johnson jab should be preferentially used for the over 60s.Both so-called viral vector vaccines are authorised for everyone over 18 but have been dogged by reports of rare blood clots. The EU has also authorised two mRNA vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.Italy on Saturday restricted AstraZeneca vaccines to people aged 60 and over following concerns about the heightened health risks for younger people.Asked if it would not be better to ban AstraZeneca including for the over 60s, Cavaleri said: “Yes, and it is an option that many countries, such as France and Germany, are considering in the light of the increased availability of mRNA vaccines.“However, incidents were very rare and after the first dose. It is true that there is less data on the second dose, but in the UK it (the vaccination programme) is going well.”He added: “Among young people the risks of illness decrease, and the message for them could be to use preferentially the mRNA vaccines, but the choice is left to individual states.”He noted the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine has “fewer problems than AstraZeneca” while noting it had been less widely used.“With one dose it is useful for some categories that are difficult to reach, but it remains an adenovirus (vaccine) and it is preferable to reserve it for the over 60s,” he said.Messenger RNA genetic technology trains the body to reproduce spike proteins, similar to that found on the coronavirus. When exposed to the real virus later, the body recognises the spike proteins and is able to fight them off.Viral vector vaccines like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson use genetically-engineered version of a common-cold causing adenovirus as a “vector” to shuttle genetic instructions into human cells.


Kanye West hints at another presidential run

The rapper and fashion designer Kanye West has suggested he will run for president and wants Donald Trump to be his running mate. Trump, for his part, brushed aside a recent meeting with West as of no significance.
The artist, who goes by the name Ye, posted Thursday a swirling symbol on his Twitter account with "Ye" and the number 24, apparently representing 2024, the year of the next US presidential election.
Then the rapper posted a video of himself speaking about a meeting this week with the former president in Florida.
"I think the thing that Trump was most perturbed about (was) me asking him to be my vice-president," West said.
"Trump started basically screaming at me at the table, telling me I'm going to lose," West said. "I'm like, hold on Trump, you're talking to Ye."
Trump, who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Joe Biden, announced last week that he would run again in 2024.
Trump posted on Friday on his Truth Social platform about his meeting with West, saying the two discussed politics "to a lesser extent" than business, and that West had asked Trump "for advice concerning some of his difficulties."
The two "got along great," Trump said, adding that he told the rapper "he should definitely not run for president" because "'any voters you may have should vote for TRUMP.'"
In an earlier post on Truth Social, Trump said a meal the two shared Tuesday night at Mar-a-Lago was "quick and uneventful."
Trump said the rapper called ahead to arrange the dinner, then "unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about."
The group ate on the back patio of Mar-a-Lago, then West and his friends "left for the airport," Trump said.
West had posted after the dinner on Tuesday that he had posed the question to Trump about joining his presidential ticket.
"What you guys think his response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?" West asked.
It was not clear whether the rapper was serious about his intentions – or if he sought publicity after a spate of PR moves that put him in a negative light.
West is a veteran at garnering publicity – and dabbling in politics. He ran for president in 2020, but got fewer than 70,000 votes, coming in seventh place.
Last month, German sportswear giant Adidas severed its lucrative tie-up with West after the star made anti-Semitic statements.
Adidas later said the termination of ties with West had forced it to slash its forecast of net income for 2022 by half. West had helped Adidas develop its successful "Yeezy" line of clothing.
Paris fashion house Balenciaga and US clothing retailer Gap have also ended ties with West, who appeared at a Paris fashion show last month wearing a shirt with the slogan "White Lives Matter," a rebuke to the Black Lives Matter racial equality movement.


Nearly 950,000 children fully vaccinated against Covid-19

A total of 945,787 children or 26.6% of those aged five to 11 had completed their vaccination under the National C-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 1,560,474 children or 43.9% have received at least one dose of vaccine.For adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,898,581 or 93.2% have completed their vaccination while 2,996,030 or 96.3% have received at least one dose.In terms of adults, a total of 16,045,993 individuals or 68.2% have received a booster dose while 22,968,441 or 97.6% have completed two doses.A total of 23,244,381 individuals or 98.8% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, 27,286 doses of vaccine were dispensed with 8,290 as first doses, 16,207 as second shots and 2,789 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 70,446,288.


Big Pharma may have to reveal govt deals in WHO's draft pandemic rules

Pharmaceutical companies could be made to disclose prices and deals agreed for any products they make to fight future global health emergencies, under new rules that would govern a World Health Organization-backed pandemic accord reviewed by Reuters.
A draft version of the WHO accord, which is being negotiated by the UN health agency's 194 member countries, calls for it to be compulsory for companies to reveal the terms of any public procurement contracts.
It says that public funding for the development of vaccines and treatments should be more transparent, and include provisions to ensure that any resulting products are distributed evenly around the world.
The aim of the pact, commonly known as the pandemic treaty, is to prevent the next global health crisis from being as devastating as Covid-19 and improving the global response that left many of the world's poorest countries behind.
During the pandemic, many deals governments made with pharmaceutical companies have been kept confidential, giving them little scope to hold drugmakers accountable.
A spokesman for WHO said it was member states that were driving the current process toward a new agreement.
"The process is open, transparent, and with the input from other stakeholders, including any interested stakeholders and public, able to submit comments at public consultations."
The agreement is at an early stage and likely to change in the course of negotiations with member states and other stakeholders. The draft will be presented to them in full in a meeting on Friday, after being circulated earlier in the week.
The document is vague about what would happen if countries that sign up do not stick to its rules and if companies do not comply. The UN agency cannot force companies to follow its rules.
The proposal may face resistance from the drug industry after its meteoric race to develop vaccines and treatments that proved to be critical tools in controlling the virus which has killed more than 6.5 million people worldwide.
Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca tested, developed and launched vaccines less than a year after the virus first emerged in China in late 2019.
Thomas Cueni, director-general for the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), said the draft was an "important milestone", but added that it was important not to undermine how pharmaceutical companies innovate and to protect their intellectual property (IP).
The draft recognises the importance of IP but says there needs to be better mechanisms for sharing expertise so more companies can produce vaccines and drugs during a crisis.
"If the draft were implemented as written today it would most likely undermine rather than facilitate our collective ability to rapidly develop and scale up counter measures and ensure its equitable access," Cueni added.
The draft document also proposes a peer-review mechanism to assess countries' pandemic preparedness, as well as better universal health coverage, more domestic funding on preventing and tackling pandemics, and better access for WHO to investigate outbreak origins.
'Far reaching and bold'
Lawrence Gostin, a professor at Georgetown Law in Washington DC who follows WHO, said the accord could be a game changer and redress the "unconscionable" hoarding of vaccines seen during Covid-19.
"The draft is actually far reaching and bold. The obstacles though are political opposition and industry blowback," he said.
Mohga Kammal Yanni, policy co-lead for the People's Vaccine Alliance, said the pact could either break with the "greed and inequality" of Covid-19 and other diseases "or it could tie future generations to the same disastrous outcomes".
The treaty has been described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen global health rules by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The UN agency's constitution invests it with considerable powers to strike international agreements, but in its 74-year history it has only done so once in the form of the 2005 tobacco treaty.
Negotiations began on the pact in February and made an important step in July, when countries agreed to make the new agreement legally-binding despite earlier reservations from Washington. The next formal meeting of the board is in December, but there is a long road ahead. The agreement is not expected to be adopted before 2024 at the earliest.
"Some of the discussions ahead are going to get uncomfortable," said a Western diplomat, referring to issues around intellectual property and price transparency.
But they said there was a genuine interest in getting agreement by some major powers. "There's appetite to explore the issues, including the difficult ones."


Weekly dengue cases up 3.5%

The number of dengue fever cases recorded in the 51st epidemiological week of 2022 (ME 51) from Dec 18 to 24 increased by 3.5% to 2,018 compared to 1,950 during the previous week.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement that one death due to dengue fever complications was also reported during the week.
The cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported so far stands at 64,078 compared to 25,794 for the corresponding period in 2021, an increase of 148.4%.
A total of 50 deaths due to dengue complications have also been reported, compared to 19 deaths during the same period last year.
"Some 58 hotspot localities were reported this week, 32 of which were in Selangor, followed by Sabah (16), Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (six) and Penang (four)," Noor Hisham said.
On the chikungunya situation, Noor Hisham said 16 cases were reported in ME 51, with 10 cases in Penang, two each in Perak and Negeri Sembilan and one case each in Selangor and Pahang.
"As for Zika surveillance, a total of 2,181 blood samples and 18 urine samples were screened, with the results all negative," he said.


New cases hover just over 4,000

Another 4,087 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,627,903.Another 4,984 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,532,036.Meanwhile 507 are in the ICU, including 401 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 272 are in need of respiratory assistance including 175 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 4,087 cases reported today, 72 (1.8%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 4,015 (98.2%) are in Category One and Two.


China overtakes Germany with world’s largest current account surplus

Germany’s current account surplus shrank for the fifth year in a row in 2020 as China overtook Europe’s biggest economy during the Covid-19 pandemic.China now has the world’s largest current account surplus, a survey by the Institute for Economic Research (IFO) in Munich released on Friday shows.The data underlines a massive shift in world trade triggered by the coronavirus crisis, Reuters reports.IFO said China’s current account surplus, which measures the flow of goods, services and investments, more than doubled to US$310 billion last year.Higher demand around the globe for medical protection gear and electronic devices has boosted Chinese exports.Germany’s current account surplus shrank to US$261 billion in 2020 as demand for cars, machinery and equipment fell in many of its key export markets.The survey showed Japan came in third with a current account surplus of US$158 billion.Measured in relation to economic output, however, Germany’s current account surplus remained unusually high at 6.9% last year, edging down only slightly from 7.1% in 2019.By comparison, China’s current account surplus last year stood at 2.1% and Japan’s at 3.2%, according to the survey.The US still has the world’s largest current account deficit which rose by roughly a third to US$635 billion in 2020 or 3.1% of economic output, the IFO survey showed.This suggests that former President Donald Trump failed to push down the trade deficit despite his “America First” agenda of protecting industrial jobs by increasing import tariffs on foreign goods.


India’s top court orders ‘work from home’ over pollution in capital

India’s Supreme Court told authorities on Monday to shut offices in the capital and nearby cities, allowing millions to work from home as officials seek ways to reduce hazardous air pollution that led to the closure of schools.Its action came after city authorities in New Delhi, which has been battling a toxic haze since early November, took emergency measures on Saturday, ordering the closure of schools and building work for four days.“We direct the centre and states of the national capital region to impose work from home for the meantime,” said Chief Justice NV Ramana, head of a panel of three judges considering a petition by a city resident.The court also sought urgent steps to rein in crop waste fires in the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, set by hundreds of thousands of farmers looking to clear fields for a new sowing season.“We want action on the issue,” said Justice Surya Kant. Although the court did not set a deadline for the action by authorities, it will next take up the pollution issue on Wednesday.India’s efforts to reduce the burning of crop waste, a major source of air pollution during winter, have had little benefit, despite its expenditure of billions of rupees over the past four years.An index of air quality stood at 343 on a scale of 500 in Delhi on Monday, a sign of “very poor” conditions that can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure.The capital experienced severe conditions late last week as temperatures dropped and the index reached 499.The Supreme Court also ordered measures to halt vehicle traffic that is not essential, cut industrial pollution and limit dust.Contributors to the poor air quality in Delhi, often ranked the world’s most polluted capital, include coal-fired plants outside the city as well as the burning of garbage in the open.


Daily caseload just below 2,000 as death toll up by 6

Another 1,942 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,808,896.
There were 2,276 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,746,912.
There are now 25,693 active cases, of which 24,431 or 95.1% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 11 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,189 (4.6%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 62 are in ICU with 39 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 59.6%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 16.9%.
Six more deaths were reported, taking the death toll to 36,291.


18 pregnant women in Johor died of Covid this year, state assembly told

A total of 18 pregnant women have died in Johor due to Covid-19 since the start of this year, the state legislative assembly was told today.Johor health and environment committee chairman R Vidyananthan said they were continuously monitoring pregnant women and encouraging them to be vaccinated against Covid-19.“Based on the state’s health department data, 30,000 pregnant women in Johor have received one dose of the vaccination jab, while 9,177 have been fully vaccinated,” he said during the winding-up session at the 14th Johor state assembly sitting at Sultan Ismail Building in Kota Iskandar today.Yesterday, Johor deputy speaker Gan Peck Cheng suggested that the state government consider vaccinating pregnant and breastfeeding women at health clinics during their monthly check-ups.“Besides speeding up vaccination, they will be more confident when they are provided advice from experts and nurses at the clinics,” she said during the session.Gan (PH-Penggaram) said the proposal would ease the burden of pregnant and breastfeeding women of having to wait for their turn at vaccination centres.


Chinese tech giant Alibaba names next CEO

Chinese tech giant Alibaba announced on Tuesday that it will replace chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang with current executive vice chairman Joseph Tsai in September.
Zhang said in a statement it was "the right time" for him to step down as the firm looks to implement a full spin-off of its advanced cloud computing unit.
Hangzhou-based Alibaba is one of China's most prominent technology firms, with business operations spanning cloud computing, e-commerce, logistics, media and entertainment, and artificial intelligence.
Following the executive transition, Zhang will continue to serve as chairman and CEO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, the company said.
The firm has faced several unprecedented headwinds in recent years as Beijing imposed tighter restrictions on the domestic tech sector.
Alibaba said in late March that it would split into six business groups in one of the most significant overhauls of a leading Chinese tech firm to date.


PH accused of forming 'delaying committee' as Muda knocks on coalition's doors

There are rumblings from within Pakatan Harapan (PH) that its top leadership is seeking to stall a bid by the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance, or Muda, to become part of the coalition, even as parties rush to finalise talks on seats and other preparations for the 15th general election (GE15), MalaysiaNow has learnt.
Several sources from PH, citing negotiations with Muda as well as socialist party PSM on getting them on board the opposition coalition, said these had met with stiff resistance from PKR.
They also said the recent announcement by the PH Presidential Council on the formation of a committee to study cooperation with Muda and PSM was a ploy to delay a decision on them becoming part of PH.
"Forming a committee is another way of delaying the decision to take in Muda, because there are more pressing concerns for PH parties, especially PKR, to address rather than showing it is a youthful coalition," said one Amanah MP privy to earlier discussions related to Muda.
When contacted, Muda and PSM leaders did not directly respond to the claims, but said negotiations on cooperating under the PH banner were ongoing.
PSM secretary-general Sivarajan Arumugam said the current negotiations were nothing new, and that similar attempts were made in the past to avoid clashes between his party and others from the opposition.
"At GE14, too, we tried to forge cooperation, but there was no meeting point in the demands and offers by PH at that time," he said, adding that his party was "sincere" in wanting to cooperate with PH to ensure the defeat of Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional.
His counterpart in Muda, Amir Abd Hadi, agreed.
"It is a good step and hopefully the decision, whatever it is, will take into account the interests of the people in building a united front to face GE15," he said.
Last week, Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and three party leaders met with PH representatives as part of the ongoing negotiations, without any concrete outcome.
"The issues raised will be brought to the leadership at a Presidential Council meeting to be held in the near future," said a joint statement issued after the meeting.
On Sept 6, Syed Saddiq announced that his party, which has been branded itself as the voice of the youth, was applying to join PH.
It is understood that the announcement was talked over at length by PH leaders during a recent retreat to discuss the so-called "big tent" strategy, a euphemism for cooperation with those outside the four-party coalition.
A source in Amanah said some leaders in DAP were of the view that the party needed to attract more young voters and those under 21 years of age, who for the first time will be able to cast their ballots following the success of the Undi 18 movement once promoted by Syed Saddiq.
"However, many top PKR leaders are not convinced that Muda or, for that matter, PSM would add any value to PKR or PH.
"So this new committee is seen as a farce to delay discussions, and ultimately reject any attempt to bring them into the fold," the source, an MP from Amanah, told MalaysiaNow.


Australian police nab alleged hitman after 12-year hunt

Australian police have arrested a suspected mafia hitman after a 12-year nationwide manhunt during which he used disguises and even a fatsuit to evade capture after skipping bail.The search ended on Monday when officers found Graham Potter hiding out in a derelict house in the small town of Ravenshoe, Queensland after a tip-off from the public.In 2010, Potter fled before his court date, while facing serious charges including the allegation he was involved in a planned hit at an underworld wedding.Potter was listed as one of the country’s 10 most wanted fugitives, with a Aus$100,000 (US$72,000) reward offered for information leading to his capture.Authorities had suspected he would look for work as a caretaker, farm hand on an outback station, and was said to have “welding, beekeeping, hydroponics, aquaponics, gold prospecting and earth moving skills.”Potter had already served 15 years in jail for the 1981 murder of a 19-year-old shop assistant.Senior Victorian state police officer Mick Frewen Tuesday hailed Potter’s capture, describing him as “a violent person” and “very high-end fugitive.”Potter faces charges in Victoria of conspiracy to murder and over the distribution of 25,000 ecstasy tablets.He appeared in court in Queensland on Tuesday and did not apply for bail.


China must act fast to bolster recovery, says senior economic official

China needs to step up measures as soon as possible to bolster a faltering post-Covid recovery in the world's second-largest economy, a senior economic official with the country's top political advisory body said on Sunday.
Analysts at major international banks have downgraded economic growth forecasts for 2023 after May data showed demand weakened in China and abroad, raising the case for more stimulus.
"It is better to introduce measures sooner (rather) than later," said Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the economic committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a former vice head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
China's economy faces heavy downward pressure and its recovery is unstable and imbalanced, said Ning, who is also a former head of the National Bureau of Statistics.
The strength of macroeconomic measures "ought not be small" to prevent "an economic spiral contraction" in a global slowdown, said Ning.
China's cabinet this month met to discuss measures to boost economic growth, pledging to roll out policies in a timely manner and to take more forceful actions in response to changes in the economic situation.
The nation's benchmark loan prime rates (LPR) were cut on Tuesday in the first such reductions in 10 months while the five-year LPR was reduced by a smaller than expected 10 basis points.
China's central bank is likely to cut lending rates further, but a reluctance to borrow among private companies and households means that continued policy easing could hurt banks that are already battling margin pressures, analysts said.


China says WHO virus experts to visit from Thursday

Ten World Health Organization (WHO) scientists will visit China from Thursday to probe the origins of Covid-19, authorities said Monday, more than a year after the pandemic began and amid accusations Beijing has tried to thwart the investigation.The long-awaited mission is of great political significance at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the world, caused almost two million deaths, and brought the global economy to a virtual standstill.The WHO team “will conduct joint research cooperation on the origins of Covid-19 with Chinese scientists”, the National Health Commission said in a statement that provided no further details.A last-minute delay to the mission earlier this month earned China a rare rebuke from the head of WHO.Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “very disappointed” China had not authorised the team’s entry – especially as two members were already en route.Beijing sought to downplay the tension, however, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying calling it a “misunderstanding”.The WHO experts will have to quarantine for two weeks on arrival, but are expected later to visit Wuhan – the city where the deadly virus was first detected in late 2019.Virus originsThe US and Australia have led international calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus, putting China under significant pressure amid growing calls for accountability.Beijing has faced international criticism over its lack of transparency during the initial outbreak, although domestically the government has praised its own handling of the outbreak and stifled any criticism.Government officials have repeatedly said that tracing the origins of the pandemic was a “scientific matter”, and has even pushed theories it originated outside China.Experts say solving the mystery of how it first jumped from animals to humans is crucial to preventing another pandemic, but China’s tight control of its scientific research leaves little hope of finding definitive conclusions.There is little dispute that the virus emerged in late 2019 at a wet market in Wuhan where wildlife was sold as food, and the pathogen is believed to have originated in an undetermined bat species.The quest to detect its origins has also been plagued by conspiracy theories – amplified by US President Donald Trump – that it leaked from a Wuhan virology lab.


Europe eyes Musk's SpaceX to replace Russian rockets

The European Space Agency (ESA) has begun preliminary technical discussions with Elon Musk's SpaceX that could lead to the temporary use of its launchers after the Ukraine conflict blocked Western access to Russia's Soyuz rockets.
The private American competitor to Europe's Arianespace has emerged as a key contender to plug a temporary gap alongside Japan and India, but final decisions depend on the still unresolved timetable for Europe's delayed Ariane 6 rocket.
"I would say there are two and a half options that we're discussing. One is SpaceX that is clear. Another one is possibly Japan," ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher told Reuters.
"Japan is waiting for the inaugural flight of its next generation rocket. Another option could be India," he added in an interview.
"SpaceX I would say is the more operational of those and certainly one of the back-up launches we are looking at."
Aschbacher said talks remained at an exploratory phase and any back-up solution would be temporary.
"We of course need to make sure that they are suitable. It's not like jumping on a bus," he said. For example, the interface between satellite and launcher must be suitable and the payload must not be compromised by unfamiliar types of launch vibration.
"We are looking into this technical compatibility but we have not asked for a commercial offer yet. We just want to make sure that it would be an option in order to make a decision on asking for a firm commercial offer," Aschbacher said.
SpaceX did not reply to a request for comment.
The political fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine has already been a boon for SpaceX's Falcon 9, which has swept up other customers severing ties with Moscow's increasingly isolated space sector.
Satellite internet firm OneWeb, a competitor to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet venture, booked at least one Falcon 9 launch in March. It has also booked an Indian launch.
On Monday, Northrop Grumman booked three Falcon 9 missions to ferry Nasa cargo to the International Space Station while it designs a new version of its Antares rocket, whose Russian-made engines were withdrawn by Moscow in response to sanctions.
'Wake-up call'
Europe has until now depended on the Italian Vega for small payloads, Russia's Soyuz for medium ones and the Ariane 5 for heavy missions. Its next-generation Vega C staged a debut last month and the new Ariane 6 has been delayed until next year.
Aschbacher said a more precise Ariane 6 schedule would be clearer in October. Only then would ESA finalise a back-up plan to be presented to ministers of the agency's 22 nations in November.
"But yes, the likelihood of the need for back-up launches is high," he said. "The order of magnitude is certainly a good handful of launches that we would need interim solutions for."
Aschbacher said the Ukraine conflict had demonstrated Europe's decade-long cooperation strategy with Russia in gas supplies and other areas including space was no longer working.
"This was a wake up call, that we have been too dependent on Russia. And this wake-up call, we have to hope that decision makers realise it as much as I do, that we have to really strengthen our European capability and independence."
However, he played down the prospect of Russia carrying out a pledge to withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS).
Russia’s newly appointed space chief Yuri Borisov said in a televised meeting with President Vladimir Putin last month that Russia would withdraw from the ISS "after 2024".
But Borisov later clarified that Russia’s plans had not changed and Western officials said Russia’s space agency had not communicated any new pullout plans.
"The reality is that operationally, the work on the space station is proceeding, I would say almost nominally," Aschbacher told Reuters. "We do depend on each other, like it or not, but we have little choice."


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Malay rulers to convene special meeting at Istana

The Malay rulers are expected to convene a special meeting at Istana Negara today to discuss the country’s current political issues, particularly in relation to the appointment of the ninth prime minister of Malaysia.The meeting is expected to begin at 2.30pm and will be presided over by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.The focus will be on the appointment of an MP who commands the majority support of the Dewan Rakyat as the country’s new prime minister in accordance with Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution.This is necessary following the resignation of Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister on Aug 16.Yesterday, the king granted separate audience to 114 MPs from Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and the independent bloc.MPs from Pakatan Harapan (PH) and its allies, however, have not been granted a similar audience with the king.It was reported that the audience with the king was to enable the MPs to verbally declare and verify their statutory declarations stating support for their prime minister candidate.Based on the statements issued by various parties and MPs, Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob appears set to be appointed as prime minister to replace Muhyiddin, while PH maintains Anwar Ibrahim as its candidate.Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had also decreed that the new prime minister must seek a vote of confidence as soon as possible to determine his legitimacy and majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.The king also reminded victorious political party leaders and representatives to extend the hand of cooperation to those who are not successful and to work as a team to maintain harmony.


North Korean extradited from Malaysia appears in US court

A North Korean national extradited to the US from Malaysia appeared in court on Monday to face money laundering charges.Mun Chol Myong, 55, is the first North Korean national ever to be extradited to the US, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.Mun was not extradited by North Korea but brought to the US from another “foreign country” where he had been detained since May 2019, the department said in a statement.The DoJ did not identify the country involved but North Korea severed diplomatic ties with Malaysia and closed its embassy on Sunday to protest Mun’s extradition.Pyongyang called it an “unpardonable crime” carried out under “blind obedience” to American pressure.The DoJ said Mun is accused of laundering money through the US financial system between April 2013 and November 2018 to provide luxury items to North Korea.“The indictment alleges that Mun defrauded banks and laundered money in an effort to evade counter-proliferation sanctions imposed on North Korea by the US and the United Nations,” Assistant Attorney-General John Demers said.“We will continue to use the long reach of our laws to protect the American people from sanctions evasion and other national security threats.”Alan Kohler, an FBI agent, said one of the FBI’s biggest counterintelligence challenges is bringing overseas defendants to justice, especially in the case of North Korea.“Thanks to the FBI’s partnership with foreign authorities, we’re proud to bring Mun Chol Myong to the US to face justice, and we hope he will be the first of many,” Kohler said.The DoJ said Mun made an initial appearance on Monday in federal court in Washington to faces six counts of money laundering in transactions valued at over US$1.5 million.The indictment alleges that Mun was affiliated with North Korea’s primary intelligence organisation, the Reconnaissance General Bureau.Malaysia had been one of Pyongyang’s few allies, but ties were already strained following the 2017 assassination of leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother at klia2.After Pyongyang cut ties, Malaysia gave North Korean diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.On Sunday, the North Korean flag and a plaque were taken down from the country’s embassy – a large house in an upmarket area of Kuala Lumpur – and the gates were chained up.Malaysia denounced Pyongyang’s move, and announced it would close its mission in North Korea, whose operations had already been suspended since the murder of Kim’s half-brother.


Booster deadline extension nothing to do with Johor polls, says Khairy

The extension of deadline to March 31 for Sinovac recipients aged 18 and above and senior citizens aged 60 and above to get their booster shots has nothing to do with the Johor state election, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.He said the extension was to give time to the two groups to complete their booster dose injections as many had yet to receive the jab.“There are also many requests from this group to extend the period for them to take this booster dose. This is the last extension, it is final, and if by March 31 they still do not take the booster dose, their vaccine status will be changed to ‘incomplete’,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.He said this in his reply to Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Kuala Selangor), who wanted to know whether the reason for the extension had anything to do with the Johor polls.Meanwhile, Khairy said the move to open vaccination centres (PPV) on a walk-in basis and provide booster dose vaccine options was to help increase the number of booster dose recipients in the country.The health ministry previously said that vaccine recipients aged 60 and above and Sinovac recipients aged 18 and above must receive a booster dose before Feb 28 to maintain their fully vaccinated status.On the vaccination of children aged five to 11, Khairy said Sarawak had the highest number of recipients with 57% of children in the state given a first dose.Replying to Oscar Lin Chai Yew (PH-Sibu) who asked the ministry about the seriousness of Omicron compared with other variants, Khairy said although a sharp increase had been recorded, over 99% of daily cases are in Category One and Two.“Although there was an upward trend in hospital admissions during this Omicron wave, the discharge rate from hospital also rose sharply given the high recovery rate and the short duration of treatment in hospital,” he said.He said compared with the Delta variant, the Omicron variant seemed to infect the upper respiratory tract, allowing it to infect easily and quickly.Apart from that, he said, the Omicron variant was found to have less capacity to infect lung tissue, which explains why individuals infected with the variant have a milder infection than those infected with Delta.While there had been an increase in the number of ICU beds used and daily deaths during the fifth epidemiology week, he said, this was still 80 to 90% lower compared with the situation during the Delta wave in August last year.“One of the factors is that 78.9% of the Malaysian population have completed their vaccination.“The regression rate of Covid-19 patients to Category Three to Five is low, the recovery rate is high, and the duration of treatment in hospital is not prolonged,” he said.He added that the health ministry had implemented various measures to help tackle the challenges of the Omicron wave, including administering booster doses, improving the management of Covid-19 through the automated FTTIS (Find, Test, Trace, Isolate and Support) approach, and joint ventures with private health facilities.Other steps include developing the Covid-19 Clinical Care Pathway to introduce the latest antiviral drugs for high-risk patients in the early stages of infection and reactivating the National Rapid Response Task Force 2.0 starting Feb 7.


New infections top 3,200 as death toll up by 2

Another 3,264 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,595,974.
There were 2,703 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,524,281.
There are now 35,882 active cases, of which 34,659 or 96.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 24 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,156 (3.2%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 43 are in ICU with 26 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 61.9%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 10.4%.
Two more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 35,811.


Brussels closes bars, cafes for a month – too late, say experts

Bars and cafes in Brussels were on Wednesday ordered to shut for a month due to a surge in Covid-19 cases. Gatherings of more than four people inside or outside have also been banned.Health officials said that hospitals in Brussels are already under stress and have begun transferring patients to hospitals outside the capital.Young people continue to account for the majority of infections and hospitalisations but an increase in cases among older people has also been observed.Authorities partially blame the latest surge on people of all ages growing complacent and not taking basic precautions.The Brussels Times is reporting that the city’s decision to close down bars is a step in the right direction but has come too late to halt the soaring rate of new coronavirus infections.Erika Vlieghe, a leading virologist advising the government, said that the new Brussels measures need to be linked with more efforts to raise awareness among the public.“The measures should have come earlier. But it is good that they are here now,” Vlieghe said. “I also think it’s important that they are accompanied by an information campaign to reach people of all ages and backgrounds.”“Just closing the cafes is not enough for me,” Kenneth Coenye at Cliniques Saint-Jean in Brussels said. “I am also not convinced that the problem really lies there.”Among European capitals, Brussels is second after Madrid for new daily infections.The tiny country of 11 million has the sixth highest case-fatality ratio in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.


Amanah leader defends Anwar after failure to form govt

Acting Amanah Youth chief Muhammad Taqiuddin Cheman has defended Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim following his failure to obtain the numbers needed to form the government, as open conflict over the matter between his party and PKR continues.Taqiuddin, who is Pulai Sebatang assemblyman, said the PKR president should not be blamed for failing to obtain the support of the majority in Parliament to return PH to federal power.“The statements by Amanah leaders who suggested that Anwar be replaced as PH chairman and his position as opposition chief be given to someone else may have been made in a personal capacity,” he told MalaysiaNow.“But such statements are highly irresponsible,” he said, adding that they had used their party positions to attack Anwar for failing to acquire the needed majority.Debate over Anwar’s leadership as PH chairman surfaced after Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob was found to possess the support of 114 out of 220 MPs despite the PKR chief’s earlier claim of having “strong and formidable” numbers, enough to topple the Perikatan Nasional government.Last week, a war of words erupted between Bukit Bintang Amanah chief Ahmad Asri Talib and Sarawak PKR activist Iswardy Morni over the matter.Asri had suggested that a PH Plus coalition be formed with other opposition parties while calling on Anwar to be removed as chairman.He said there were many other candidates who could be put forth as Anwar’s replacement, naming Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Shafie Apdal, or those agreed to by PH Plus.Iswardy however said Amanah was unaware of its own position, adding that the PAS splinter party was nearly immobile in Sarawak.He also said that seat negotiations for Amanah in the state assembly for the Sarawak election to come could be pared down from more than 10 to just two.The spat between the two PH components also spread to Penang, where Tanjong Amanah leader Faruk Abdul Rahman voiced support for Asri, angering several PKR Youth chiefs in the state.Offers by Muhyiddin and IsmailTaqiuddin meanwhile hailed the cooperation between the government and PH announced in a recent joint statement by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Anwar and the two other top PH leaders, Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu.“This is especially in efforts to break the chain of Covid-19 infections, achieve herd immunity and restore the economy,” he said.“For now, the most important thing is to put aside political differences and focus on joining hands to resolve the pandemic crisis which has caused the people many difficulties.”He said Muhyiddin Yassin’s offer of a cross-party consensus in exchange for support from the opposition shortly before he announced his resignation had been made when his government was on the brink of collapse.“Ismail made his offer right after being appointed as prime minister,” he said, declining to go into further detail.In their joint statement, Ismail and the PH leaders had agreed to find common ground to “lower the political temperature” as advised by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.They said they had reached a mutual agreement on strengthening the function of Parliament and making it more transparent.“We also agree and understand the importance of the independence of the judiciary, institutional reform and good governance to ensure a more conducive environment for the people and the country in the framework of the Malaysian Family,” they said, in reference to a phrase Ismail had used in his inaugural speech as prime minister on Sunday.


India, China pull back frontline forces from disputed border lake

India and China have completed the pull-back of troops from part of their disputed Himalayan border, the Indian defence ministry says.Clashes on the poorly marked border led to the deaths of at least 24 soldiers last June.Troops completed their withdrawal from the Pangong Tso Lake area on Saturday, according to the communique.Both sides say they will work to cut tensions on other parts of the border, or line of actual control (LAC), reports the BBC.China and India announced their intention to withdraw forces from the lake area on Feb 11, and commanders met on Saturday to assess how the operation was going.“The two sides positively appraised the smooth completion of disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area noting that it was a significant step forward that provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC,” Sunday’s statement said.The statement acknowledged that other parts of the border remained tense.“The two sides agreed to continue their communication and dialogue, stabilise and control the situation on the ground, push for a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues in a steady and orderly manner, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.”Months of tension has increased fears that the continued deployment of thousands of troops in the Ladakh region and the Chinese-administered Aksai Chin could lead to an escalating conflict.India and China have been locked in a border dispute there for decades and went to war in 1962. The border is 3,440km long and ill-defined.Rivers, lakes and snowcaps along the frontier mean the line can shift, bringing soldiers face to face at many points, often sparking confrontation. The two countries however have a long-standing agreement not to use guns or explosives along the border.In January, troops on both sides were injured in a clash in the north-east in India’s Sikkim state.Twenty Indian troops were killed in June’s clash in the Galwan Valley. China admitted two days ago that four of its soldiers also died in the encounter. Weapons used reportedly included stones and nail-studded clubs.


Sarawak govt officials to take 2-month salary cut

Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg today announced that state government officials from the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will take a salary cut for the next two months to contribute some RM3 million in a show of solidarity with the people.“Members of the state government council including our state assemblymen and political secretaries have decided to contribute 5% to 30% of our salaries to show the commitment of GPS state leaders in light of this crisis,” he said, adding that 30% of his own salary would be channelled to the state disaster relief fund.“GPS will consider extending this monthly contribution to the Sarawak Disaster Relief Fund if this pandemic continues,” he said in a statement.Abang Johari also said that 7,000 civil servants excluding frontliners would contribute certain amounts from their allowance for two months.“There will be a 50% cut for Grade A state civil servants, followed by Grade B (25%), Grade C (10%), Grades 43 to 56 (5%), and a RM10 cut for civil servant below Grade 43.“The total cuts from this fixed allowance will contribute RM300,000 to the Covid-19 relief fund,” he said.MORE TO COME


Have PhD, will deliver food: Riders hit the road in pursuit of their dreams

At first glance, Mohd Akmal Azhar looks like any other food delivery rider as he makes his way through traffic with his customers’ orders tucked safely in the insulated bag behind him.One among many, he spends his days picking up orders from restaurants around the city and bringing them to his customers’ doorsteps.Such riders are a common enough sight, especially with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic which triggered a surge in demand for food deliveries during the many lockdown periods when people were unable or reluctant to venture out from their homes.With Covid-19 restrictions gradually easing and life returning to some semblance of normal, food delivery services, also known as p-hailing services, are still high in demand especially in the city where the frantic pace keeps many too busy to get their meals any other way.Mohd Akmal Azhar is fresh from his four-year journey to his PhD in pharmaceutical technology.Yet too often, they are seen as an extension of the service they provide instead of as individuals with hopes and dreams of their own.Akmal, for example, bucks the trend in at least one significant way: unlike the popular image of food delivery riders as people with only basic education, he possesses a doctorate degree in pharmaceutical technology.But fresh from his four-year journey to his PhD, Akmal said he now struggles to make ends meet as he needs to provide for his family and finish paying for his studies.A rider checks his customers’ orders at the restaurant before heading off to deliver them.“I did my full-time doctoral studies under a fellowship with Universiti Malaysia Pahang where they sponsored my studies for three years,” he told MalaysiaNow.“During that time, I did some part-time jobs on weekends to earn some more pocket money. As for the remaining year, I had to pay for my studies myself.”With a wife and five children to feed and clothe, he knew he had to find a full-time job.But like hundreds of thousands across the country, he found himself mired in the economic hardships brought on by the pandemic.“Last year, when food delivery services were booming, they called for more riders to fill the gap so I took the chance that I had at the time as I needed money,” he said.As long as it is honest work, he doesn’t mind. But he also dreams of the day when he can return to the academia and put his degree to work.“I want to be a lecturer,” he said. And if that fails, he has a backup plan as well, to go into research.For Abdullah Mohd Zain, becoming a food delivery rider seemed to fit where he was in life.Now 44, he took up the job three years ago because he enjoyed riding his motorcycle and it would allow him flexibility in work.“I was a dispatch when I was younger, but then the economy dropped so I had to find another job to provide for my family,” he said.“Now that I have reached a certain age, there is not much that I can do, and it’s hard to find jobs with a satisfying salary.”But while he likes the job and is doing well now, he isn’t planning on being a food delivery rider forever, either.“I am only doing this temporarily until I save up enough money to run my ‘kambing bakar’ business again,” he told MalaysiaNow.“When we can go out again and the economy is more stable, I plan to focus more on my business.”Abdullah, who is a familiar face to many p-hailing rivers around the KLCC area, said the majority of them have their reasons for working this job.“Some work as a rider part-time and some do it full-time, but most do it because they want to save up money for their own future endeavours,” he said.Mohd Haizad Firdaus puts on his helmet before heading off to deliver his customers’ orders. While this is his job now, he dreams of opening his own restaurant one day.Such is the case for Mohd Haizad Firdaus, who used to work as a cook at a Thai restaurant before becoming an executive marketer. While he is a food delivery rider now, he knows what he wants to do with his life.“I don’t want to work with people forever,” he said to MalaysiaNow. “I plan to open up my own restaurant.“To make that a reality without having to take a loan or borrow money from elsewhere, I need to save up first.“In the meantime, I want to gain experience and knowledge, and build up my communication skills.”While delivering food might seem like a step down from being an executive marketer, Haizad was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was in fact making more money as a rider.“A rider earns his pay by how hard he works,” he said. “The harder I work, the more I get in return.”And while he works, he has a firm timeline mapped out for the years ahead.“I will not be a rider forever. I want to open my restaurant before I turn 40.”At 36, he has four years left to achieve his dream, and he doesn’t intend to waste a single day.


Higher loans for B40 diploma students at private institutions, says minister

National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans for B40 students taking diploma courses at private institutions of higher learning (IPTS) will be increased from RM6,800 to RM8,000 per semester, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad, when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2021, said this would be subject to the takaful reserves for the IPTS concerned beginning next year.“The ministry has also agreed to widen the provision of PTPTN loan advance payments to IPTS students from B40 families based on PTPTN’s terms of eligibility beginning 2021,” she said.She said the ministry would also study proposals to waive the interest on loans and give discounts for repayments during the moratorium period, aside from ensuring that the sustainability of PTPTN’s financial sources is not affected in the long term.“This matter is still under discussion with the finance ministry because any action taken by PTPTN is subject to approval by the finance ministry as the source of funding is from the ministry,” she added.Responding to Rusnah Aluai (PH-Tangga Batu) on the alleged slashing of up to RM130 million in allocations for Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) under Budget 2021, Noraini said the actual reduction was only RM3 million or 0.18%.She said a misunderstanding occurred as the operating budget of RM1.861 billion received by UiTM in 2020 included an allocation for Hospital UiTM (HUiTM), which had been made separate under Budget 2021.“Overall, the allocation for UiTM (excluding HUiTM) in 2020 was RM1.737 billion while the allocation for 2021 is RM1.733 billion, a drop of only RM3 million or 0.18%.“I would like to inform (the House) that the shortfall of 0.18% will be met by the ministry through the implementation of internal savings,” she said.


Najib and son get leave to appeal over unpaid tax ruling

Najib Razak and his son Mohd Nazifuddin can appeal to the Federal Court over a summary judgment entered against them regarding the payment of income tax amounting to RM1.69 billion and RM37.6 million respectively to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).This follows a unanimous decision today by a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, granting leave to Najib and Nazifuddin as the applicants to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision.“It is our unanimous decision that the requirements of Section 96 (a) and (b) of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 (CJA) have been met in terms of Enclosure 1 (motion for leave to appeal),” said Tengku Maimun who presided with Federal Court judges Nallini Pathmanathan and Mary Lim Thiam Suan.Section 96 (a) and (b) of the CJA states that leave will only be given by the Federal Court or Court of Appeal in any civil cause or matter involving a question of general principle decided for the first time or a question of importance upon which further argument and a decision of the Federal Court would be to public advantage or from any decision as to the effect of any provision of the constitution including the validity of any written law relating to any such provision.The former prime minister and his son had sought leave to file an appeal against the summary judgment obtained by LHDN to recover more than RM1.7 billion in tax arrears from them.Two separate High Courts had allowed LHDN’s applications to enter a summary judgment to recover tax arrears of RM1.69 billion from Najib and RM37.6 million from Nazifuddin, for the period of between 2011 and 2017.A summary judgment is obtained when the court decides on a case through written submissions without a full trial and calling witnesses.Najib and Nazifuddin lost their appeal in the Court of Appeal on Sept 9, 2021 to set aside the summary judgment.The appellate court, however, granted the applications by both to temporarily halt the summary judgment order pending the hearing of their leave to appeal application before the Federal Court.In civil cases, litigants must obtain leave before they can proceed with their appeals in the Federal Court.Earlier, counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, representing Najib and Nazifuddin, submitted that LHDN’s conduct amounted to bad faith and that it had sought to bankrupt his clients even before the Special Commissioners of Income Tax could hear the merits of their defence to the additional tax assessments raised against them.LHDN was represented by its deputy solicitor Hazlina Hussain while counsel Anand Raj from the Malaysia Bar acted as amicus curiae or a friend of the court.When contacted, Wee Yeong Kang, another lawyer representing Najib and Nazifuddin, said they would file a notice of appeal as soon as possible.


San Francisco police defend 'killer robots' plan

Police in San Francisco defended their potential use of killer robots on Thursday, insisting they would be a "last resort" and only for very dangerous situations.
Detectives in the California city, where residents complain of a spike in crime, were granted permission this week to deploy machines capable of lethal force.
City supervisors said if a high-ranking San Francisco Police Department officer gives the green light, armed robots could be sent in to tackle very violent suspects like mass shooters or suicide bombers.
"The use of robots in potentially deadly force situations is a last resort option," San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said Thursday.
"We live in a time when unthinkable mass violence is becoming more commonplace. We need the option to be able to save lives in the event we have that type of tragedy in our city."
SFPD already has a number of robots in its arsenal, which are remotely controlled and used in "bomb situations, hazardous materials incidents, and other incidents where officers may need to keep a safe distance before rendering a scene secure," the force said.
The change in the city's rules will mean "robots could be used to deliver an explosive charge to breach a structure containing a violent or armed subject.
"The charge would be used to incapacitate or disorient a violent, armed, or dangerous subject who presents a risk of loss of life.
"Robots equipped in this manner would only be used to save or prevent further loss of innocent lives."
But the reassurances were not enough to assuage fears of a future that resembles the movie "Terminator" or the dystopian tech TV show "Black Mirror."
"Nope. Nope. Nope. and NOPE," tweeted @doggieLB
"And when it 'malfunctions' like EVERY computer has done. Who gets held accountable?" wrote @Numbor1dad on Twitter.


Prosecution appeals against Ku Nan’s acquittal in RM2 million graft case

The prosecution today filed an appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor of a charge of receiving RM2 million in bribes from a businessman in 2016.According to sources in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the notice of appeal was filed at 12.30pm today. The prosecution is appealing against the decision to the Federal Court.On July 16, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal of Tengku Adnan, also known as Ku Nan, to set aside the conviction and sentence of 12 months’ jail and RM2 million fine meted out by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.Judge Suraya Othman, who read out the 2-1 majority decision, said the court found that the cheque for RM2 million received by Tengku Adnan from businessman Chai Kin Kong was a political contribution to Umno.Justice Ahmad Nasfy Yasin agreed with Suraya while Abu Bakar Jais rejected Tengku Adnan’s appeal.Abu Bakar said he agreed with the decision of the High Court Judge that Tengku Adnan had received the cheque for himself and that it was not a political contribution for Umno.On Dec 21 last year, High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan sentenced the Putrajaya MP to 12 months in jail and imposed a RM2 million fine on him after finding him guilty.Tengku Adnan, 70, was charged in his capacity as a public servant with having received for himself a total of RM2 million from Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd (AKSB) director Chai via a cheque deposited into a bank account owned by Tadmansori Holdings Sdn Bhd, in which Tengku Adnan had an interest in and was known to AKSB as being related to his official duties.He was accused of committing the offence at CIMB Bank Bhd, Damansara Town Centre branch, on June 14, 2016, under Section 165 of the Penal Code which provides for an imprisonment of up to two years, a fine or both.


No Interpol member state has confirmed Jho Low's presence, says top cop

An extradition request for fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, cannot be made as no Interpol member state has confirmed his presence in their country, says Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.
He said efforts to track down Low were still ongoing and that all information received about his whereabouts in foreign countries was checked for validity, including through cooperation with the authorities in the countries concerned.
"Parties who have information regarding the location of Jho Low are requested to channel it to the Commercial Crime Investigation Department's Infoline at 013-2111222 (WhatsApp only) or to head to the nearest police station.
"Every piece of information received will be scrutinised for validity and will be channelled to Interpol to seek further verification assistance from the member countries involved," he said in a statement.
He said the red notice (fugitive wanted for prosecution) issued by Interpol to 195 member countries served to inform and seek information assistance regarding the whereabouts of fugitive criminals. He said if any member country detects the whereabouts of a wanted criminal, Interpol there would be responsible for channelling the information to the country that obtained the red notice for the extradition application process.
He said the police remained committed to ensuring that Low was arrested and brought to justice, including through the filing 13 charges in court against him in absentia involving 1MDB.
He said the police had also sought and obtained a red notice against Low in 2018.
"In addition to the police, foreign authorities in Singapore and the US are also investigating Low. Both countries have filed charges against Low," he said.
It was previously reported that "Billion Dollar Whale" co-author Bradley Hope had claimed in the first episode of the programme "Where is Jho Low? The Search for the 1MDB Fraud Mastermind", broadcast on YouTube, that Low was believed to have been detected abroad in 2019.
In that episode, Hope, along with co-author Tom Wright, shared a photo showing Jho Low with two unknown individuals at a restaurant in a theme park in a foreign country. Hope claimed that the photo, dated Dec 24, 2019, was received from a reliable source.
Low is wanted to assist in 1MDB investigations.


After forcing snap polls, Umno to promote 'stability' to return to power

A confident Umno will propose that the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition it leads use "stability and prosperity" as its theme for the polls, saying the same battle cry had been used when it won the Melaka and Johor state elections.
The decision followed a meeting among top Umno leaders last night to discuss the party's preparations, where they welcomed yesterday's decision to dissolve Parliament after almost two years of campaigning by a faction aligned with party chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Umno leaders are now hoping that the Election Commission (EC) will fix the polling date before the middle of next month, a time the Malaysian Meterological Department has warned will see heavy rain as well as floods in several states.
MetMalaysia had also warned against holding the general election this year.
"Even during the transition period, many places have already flooded. So in terms of suitability, it will not help to hold an election," the department's deputy director-general Hisham Mohd Anip said last week.
The election must be held within the next 60 days, and could see polling day as early as the first week of November if the EC allows the usual two-week campaign period.
Some 6.9 million Malaysians who were automatically listed as voters have the chance to cast their votes for the first time at this year's general election.
MalaysiaNow previously reported that an overwhelming majority of the new voters are aged 21 to 50, with the bulk of them from the Malay community.


Floods threaten hundreds of thousands in northeast India

Flood waters rose Monday across northeastern India, where hundreds of thousands of people are stranded on the roofs of their homes or have fled to higher ground as more torrential rain fell.Incessant downpours for more than a week forced the Brahmaputra and other major rivers to burst their banks across Assam and Bihar states.Up to two metres of water has submerged many villages. Experts say annual floods which hit the region are getting worse because of climate change.At one dam, authorities released water fearing the walls would collapse.The floods have also threatened a Unesco World Heritage-listed reserve that is home to the largest concentration of one-horned rhinos.Tens of thousands of people are stuck in villages cut off by the floods and the state governments said more than 400,000 had been moved to higher ground.Sixteen-year-old Anuwara Khatun said she and her family have spent nearly a week on the roof of their home at Ghasbari in Assam’s Morigaon district.“The water level has been rising for five days now,” she told AFP by telephone from her stricken village on the banks of the Brahmaputra.“A lot of families are stuck on their roofs. There is a shortage of essential supplies so we only eat once a day. There is no hygiene here.”Santosh Mandal moved his family to a sandbank in Bihar’s Supaul district after his village was flooded.“There is no clean water to drink, food to eat and the children are crying for milk. We are praying for help because the government has yet to send relief,” Mandal said.The Bihar government has sent rescue boats to get people to safety but these are concentrated in the worst-hit districts.The Bihar and Assam governments said more than 12,000 people were in relief camps.The Bihar government opened up the Valmiki Gandak dam, warning people in nearby villages to move away, after 16cm of rain fell in 24 hours.About 70% of the 430-sq-km Kaziranga National Park in Assam is underwater, threatening its rare one-horned rhinoceroses as well as elephants and wild boar.Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam’s chief minister, on Monday made an “urgent appeal” for traffic to avoid a key highway through the reserve.He said animals that seek shelter on the highway were now at risk.


Mexico president rejects 'irresponsible' calls for US military action against cartels

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday rebuked calls from some US lawmakers advocating military action in Mexico against drug cartels, describing the proposals as threats to Mexican sovereignty.
"We are not going to permit any foreign government to intervene in our territory, much less that a government's armed forces intervene," Lopez Obrador said during a regular news conference.
The kidnapping of four Americans - two of whom were killed - in a northern border state intensified calls from Republican lawmakers in Washington to take a tougher line on organised crime.
Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw on Wednesday released a message in Spanish on Twitter asking Lopez Obrador why he opposes a proposal the congressman introduced in January authorising military force targeting drug cartels in Mexico.
"In addition to being irresponsible, it is an offense to the people of Mexico," Lopez Obrador said during the news conference, adding that Mexico "does not take orders from anyone."
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Monday said in a Fox News interview that it was time to "put Mexico on notice" and advocated introducing legislation to classify some Mexican drug cartels as "foreign terrorist groups."
The fatal kidnappings and backlash could complicate delicate efforts to foster closer collaboration between the US and Mexico on immigration and the trafficking of drugs, particularly ultra-lethal fentanyl.
Lopez Obrador said he would begin a public information campaign aimed at Mexicans in the US about the Republican-led proposal.
If Republican lawmakers try to "use Mexico for their propagandist, electoral and political purposes, we will make a call to not vote for that party," Lopez Obrador said.


Govt to re-look MCO in states with virus spikes

Putrajaya will evaluate the movement control order (MCO) currently in force, as authorities battle a fierce spike in daily Covid-19 cases nationwide.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the focus would be on states which have been reporting high numbers of cases in recent days.“This reassessment is important to ensure the SOPs in force and the actions taken are effective to curb the spread of Covid-19 which has been on the rise in the country and globally,” said Muhyiddin.He said the government has been using an early warning system under the Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) to identify high-risk areas and premises.“These premises will be ordered to close if they are found to have been visited by a large number of those who are positive for Covid-19.“This approach is in line with the government’s decision to control and curb the spread of Covid-19 on a targeted basis,” he said in a statement.Several states have been experiencing a surge of Covid-19 infections including Sarawak and areas in the Klang Valley.Of the nearly 4,000 cases reported yesterday, more than 1,000 were in Selangor alone.Schools in several areas have been closed while Education Minister Radzi Jidin said earlier this week that classes would be held online for the two weeks after the Aidilfitri break.A total of 22 Ramadan bazaars across the country meanwhile were ordered to close over Covid-19 fears.The Yang di-Pertuan Agong yesterday voiced concern over the situation in the country, urging the people to continue adhering to health SOPs as daily cases continued to breach the 3,000 mark.He said the health ministry was expecting daily numbers to surpass 3,000 after Hari Raya Aidilfitri if a lack of strict compliance with SOPs causes a spike in infectivity rate.


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The role of the law in the fight against Covid-19

When Covid-19 began to spread from China to 20 other countries, following the recommendation of the emergency committee, the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, on Jan 30, 2020, declared that the outbreak constituted a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).Serious public health events that endanger international public health may be determined as a PHEIC under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005. The term is defined there as “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease; and to potentially require a coordinated international response”.The IHR grew out of the response to deadly epidemics that overran Europe, accelerated by the SARS outbreak of 2003.The IHR is now a key international legal instrument that regulates the “international spread of disease”. It binds 196 states, including all member states of WHO – Malaysia included. Malaysia has been a signatory to the IHR since 2007.Member states, including Malaysia, have reacted in a variety of ways to the WHO recommendations pursuant to the PHEIC. Some states have been stringent while other states have fallen short of WHO’s recommendations.While Article 1 of the IHR does state that WHO’s recommendations are not binding and Article 3(4) reaffirms that member state parties have “the sovereign right to legislate and to implement legislation in pursuance of their health policies”, that sovereign right is not unlimited. Article 3(4) itself makes clear that member states must exercise it “in accordance with the charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law” and that, in doing so, “they should uphold the purpose” of the IHR.Several countries have invoked emergency powers. However, many of these countries employ what has been identified as the “legislative model” whereby emergencies are handled through ordinary legislation – not the constitution – delegating “special and temporary powers to the executive” (see John Ferejohn and Pasquale Pasquino “The law of the exception: A typology of emergency powers” [2004] 2 IJCL 210).It allows close legislative supervision of the exercise of powers by the executive and sets a timely ending to those powers.The approach can be seen in common law jurisdictions or countries.Take the example of Australia, in particular the state of Victoria which was the first state to record a Covid-19 case on Jan 25: a passenger who travelled from Guangdong, China, to Melbourne on Jan 19.This set off a chain reaction as Australia’s federal, state and territory governments implemented emergency plans to combat the spread of the virus. Travel restrictions were imposed and national coordination arrangements implemented.On March 16, Victoria declared a “state of emergency” under the state Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. Two days later on March 18 – the same day the movement control order (MCO) in Malaysia was first imposed – Australia’s governor-general declared a “human biosecurity emergency” across Australia under the federal Biosecurity Act 2015. The act provides for managing, among others, biosecurity risks, biosecurity emergencies and human biosecurity emergencies.These declarations conferred extraordinary powers on the state chief health officer and the federal health minister respectively to issue directions that successively locked down Victoria and Australia’s society and economy to minimise the rate of infection.The pandemic therefore marked the first time that the emergency powers were activated under the two legislation – one a state law and the other a federal law.On Aug 2, a “state of disaster” was also declared in Victoria under the Emergency Management Act 1986 – another state law – which gives the police greater power to enforce public health directions.The Australian constitution does not provide the federal government with general emergency powers like Article 150(1) of the Federal Constitution. Rather, special “emergency powers” are provided for in ordinary and typically state-level legislation that defines the conditions under which specific kinds of emergencies may be declared.The legislation comes with built-in safeguards. Victoria’ Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, for example, provides safeguards against the powers impinging upon individual liberties, including that:– infectious disease management be governed by principles respecting personal rights;– measures which least restrict the rights of a person should be chosen; and– public health orders are subject to appeal, requiring a review by the chief health officer within seven days.The act was also assessed as compatible with the state’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.Importantly also, the act provides that the longest state of emergency enforceable is four weeks, which may be extended for a period of up to six months only.Take another example, briefly, of New Zealand which responded to the SARS outbreak in 2003 with its own Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006 to ensure adequate statutory powers for its government agencies (a) to try to prevent the outbreak of epidemics in New Zealand; (b) to respond to epidemics in New Zealand; and (c) to respond to certain possible consequences of epidemics (whether occurring in New Zealand or overseas).The act requires the prime minister to issue an epidemic notice in the New Zealand gazette. To do so, the prime minister must be satisfied, on the advice of the director-general of health, that the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak are “likely to disrupt or continue to disrupt essential governmental and business activity in New Zealand”. The act has been further enforced by the Covid-19 Response (Further Management Measures) Legislation Act 2020. The latter amends or modifies the application of a number of existing legislation to assist New Zealand to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak.Prior to that, the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 was passed to support the public health response to the pandemic. Both Australia and New Zealand, thus, have an armoury of legislation to fight the pandemic.The above shows how legislation or the law has come to be utilised and enforced to combat the pandemic to great effect.It is no coincidence that both are considered among the countries which have successfully contained the spread of the disease. Similarly, Malaysia has to utilise its state of emergency to promulgate emergency ordinance(s) to combat the pandemic.Let’s realise the role of law to its full effect and flatten the curve, to say the least.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Dr M explains why he attended Malay Congress

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today responded to claims that he had planned last year’s Malay Congress with Umno and PAS as part of an overall plan to form the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, saying he only attended the gathering to neutralise critics who accused the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government of being anti-Malay.“If anyone still remembers, I attended the congress to remind the Malays about the need to work hard and to change their attitudes if they wished to stay competitive during these times.“For me, it was better that I attended and led the congress than allow kleptocrats to use it as a platform to extend their agenda against non-Malays and non-Muslims,” he wrote in his blog today.Mahathir, who was prime minister under the PH government at the time, raised eyebrows with his attendance of the so-called Malay Dignity Congress on Oct 9 last year.At the event, he told members of the audience, largely Malay undergraduates, that the Malays should redeem their dignity by taking opportunities instead of asking for more assistance.In an interview with The Star daily, however, senior minister Mohamed Azmin Ali who held the economic affairs portfolio in Mahathir’s Cabinet said the veteran leader had planned to form the PN government to make himself a prime minister supported by MPs across the divide.He also asked why Mahathir had planned the congress with Umno and PAS if he was really against working with Umno.But Mahathir said Umno and former prime minister Najib Razak had been inciting hatred among the Malays of PH which was said to be controlled by DAP.“Apart from the Rome Statute issue and the ICERD which was linked to the Malay rulers, they also sowed hatred and lies about the death of (fireman) Adib, LTTE, Tabjung Haji and anything at all that was related to Malays and Islam that could be blamed on PH and DAP, in addition to playing up issues of race.“My stand is, I rejected any form of cooperation with kleptocrats, rejected Umno en bloc and remained with PH at the time,” he said.


Severe reaction to Moderna vaccine ‘rare’, US study shows

Severe allergic reaction to Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine is “rare,” US health authorities said Friday, with only 10 cases arising from more than four million first doses.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also emphasised that widespread vaccination was critical to fighting the coronavirus pandemic.“Based on this early monitoring, anaphylaxis after receipt of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine appears to be a rare event,” the CDC said in a report, indicating that none of the reactions resulted in death.The CDC data documented the 10 cases of anaphylactic shock among a reported 4,041,396 first doses administered between Dec 21 and Jan 10.They were recorded among 108 possible allergic reactions, the CDC said, with six of the cases requiring hospitalization, while the other four were treated in an emergency department setting.The numbers represent 2.5 cases of anaphylactic shock per one million Moderna injections, compared with 11.1 cases per one million Pfizer injections, according to the CDC study.“The clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of anaphylaxis case reports after receipt of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine are similar to those reported after receipt of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine,” the CDC said.Of the 10 severe cases, all were women, aged 31 to 63, and nine had a history of prior allergic reaction, although not to vaccines.A heavily female ratio was also noted with the Pfizer vaccine, which experts say could be due to the fact that more women than men have been vaccinated, at a rate of approximately two to one.Symptoms began within 15 minutes after injection for nine of the Moderna shot recipients, and after 30 minutes for one.Vaccination sites must be equipped and able to treat severe allergic reaction, and able to transport patients to the hospital if necessary, the CDC said.“Widespread vaccination against Covid-19 with highly effective vaccines represents a critical tool in efforts to control the pandemic and save lives,” the agency added.


Murder boards over, Amy Coney Barrett faces senate committee inquisition

A four-day Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trump’s nominee to the US Supreme Court is to begin today, Monday.This is a key step before a final full Senate vote by the end of October on her nomination for a lifetime job on the court.In a copy of her prepared remarks released on Sunday, Barrett said that as a judge she seeks to “reach the result required by the law, whatever my own preferences might be”.Her confirmation to replace the late liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would create a 6-3 conservative majority on the court that many liberals fear could lead to rulings rolling back abortion rights and expanding religious and gun rights.Barrett, 48, a devout Catholic, is expected to face hard Democratic questioning on abortion.Republicans have said questions about Barrett’s religious faith should be off-limits and so far, Democrats have indicated they will not focus on it.Democratic senator Mazie Hirono said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Barrett’s religious views were “irrelevant”.Candidates do not go before the gruelling Senate Judiciary Committee inquisition without extensive preparation. Barrett will have spent days being trained how to withstand probing questioning from senators.So-called Murder Boards will have featured significantly. These are exercises where accomplished lawyers play devil’s advocate to critically expose her weaknesses and help her prepare herself.The term murder board has its origins in the military but the practice has been enthusiastically adopted by business and politics, and they can and do make or break a candidate.George W Bush nominated his White House Counsel Harriet Miers to succeed Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court. However, Miers withdrew her nomination after, it was said, performing badly in her murder boards.


London set for hosepipe ban, water company says

Thames Water, which serves customers in and around the British capital London, said on Wednesday it was banning customers from using a hosepipe from Aug 24, citing prolonged dry weather.
Britain officially declared a drought in parts of England on Friday following England's driest July in nearly 90 years, a month in which temperatures crossed 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time.
"With low rainfall forecast for the coming months, we now need to take the next step in our drought plan," the company said in a statement on its website.
"Everything we do now will help protect supplies next summer and help the environment."
Thames Water is the latest of several firms in England to introduce such a ban, which includes preventing customers from using a hose to water their garden, wash their cars or fill up a paddling pool.


Turkey jails teen who added moustache to Erdogan poster

Turkish authorities on Tuesday seized and jailed a 16-year-old youth for drawing a moustache on an election campaign poster showing re-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, media reports said.
Several media close to the opposition, including daily newspapers BirGun, Cumhuriyet and private TV station Halk TV, said the youth from the southeastern town of Mersin was accused of defacing the poster near his home with a pen, scribbling "a Hitler moustache and writing insulting comments".
He was arrested after being identified by CCTV cameras, media reports said. Authorities interviewed him at his home where he reportedly "admitted drawing the moustache" while denying writing the accompanying comments.
Taken before the public prosecutor he was found to have "insulted the president" and was jailed at a nearby youth facility, according to Halk TV.
Erdogan extended his 20-year rule over Turkey after winning the May 28 second round of the presidential election to embark on a new five-year term.
According to the justice ministry, "insulting the president" is one of the most common crimes in Turkey, resulting in 16,753 convictions last year.