Fighting the battle of the bulge

A little over four years ago, the police force faced a problem of hefty proportions.Nearly 10% of its officers were considered overweight, causing a spike in number of personnel with ailments such as diabetes and high blood pressure.Its director of management at the time said an average of 560 officers called in sick each day with about 200 dying in 2015 alone from heart attacks and diabetes, among others.Fast forward several years and the problem police officers encountered still stares many squarely in the face.About half of Malaysian adults are overweight according to the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey.Many try different ways to get rid of excess weight but do not realise that different kinds of body fat require different approaches.One concern that worries many people in terms of appearance and health is a fat belly or belly pooch.Maintaining a flat belly is a major part of maintaining a fit body.The fat that lies just below the skin over most of the body – the kind that can be pinched with the fingers – is called subcutaneous fat and is not the cause of belly fat. It’s visceral fat that’s behind the pooch.Visceral fat is fat that wraps around the abdominal organs deep inside the body and can cause belly pooch. It’s called visceral fat because it builds up in the spaces between and around the viscera – internal organs such as the stomach and intestines.A protruding belly pooch, also known as abdominal obesity, is an indication of excess visceral fat and has been shown to be closely related to the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic health problems.However, people may have a flat tummy and still have visceral fat. That’s sometimes called TOFI, or “thin outside fat inside”.‘BMI key’Weight problems within the police force saw the launch of a voluntary programme at the headquarters in Kuala Lumpur with basic goals including a 10% weight loss over six months.Participants were put through daily workouts and dietary restrictions which, as it turns out, are key to losing that belly pooch.Dr Feisul Idzwan Mustapha, deputy director of non-communicable disease at the health ministry, tells MalaysiaNow that maintaining a good body mass index (BMI) is key to controlling visceral fat.BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight and can be calculated for all adult men and women. A high BMI can be an indicator of high visceral fat.“While abdominal obesity is common among people who are overweight or obese, a person with a normal BMI can also have abdominal obesity,” says the doctor.He believes losing belly fat is about maintaining and achieving an ideal BMI. “This has to be started young and maintained throughout life,” he says.Mindful eating is the key, he insists. This goes beyond the type of food that you eat to controlling portions, frequency, timing and food preparation.Leading a healthy lifestyle entails mindful eating as well as active living, not smoking, not drinking alcohol (or drinking in moderation), and maintaining good mental health.Lifestyle changesLiew Ping Xuan and Teh Khai Chian, are trainers at a fitness centre in Shah Alam, Selangor, who are experts at helping people win the belly fat battle.“When people have belly fat, they start believing that they are fat, and they develop a mindset where they aim to lose as much weight as possible,” Liew tells MalaysiaNow. “To achieve this, they tend to overdo aerobic exercise and drastically cut their calorie intake.”He explains that by doing this the body doesn’t get enough calories to support the extra physical activity. As a result, the body burns muscle to create energy and retains the fat in the midsection, so creating the infamous belly pooch.Teh, who has been in the fitness industry for more than 10 years views belly fat in the same way as fat on other parts of the body.For her, the idea that belly fat is hard to lose is not true because the process is the same as losing fat from other parts of the body.“Weight training such as heavy squatting and deadlift is the right way to lose belly fat,” she says. “It is proven to condition core muscles and tone the midsection.”She also recommends bodyweight cardio exercises such as burpees, squat jumps, and jumping jacks that are capable of showing results quickly compared to steady-state cardio such as jogging, running and biking.“Combining weight training with a healthy diet would help to gain muscle and burn fat at the same time,” Liew and Teh tell MalaysiaNow.For these trainers, losing belly fat is all about making lifestyle changes and having the right mindset.They emphasise that people should allocate time for appropriate exercise, sacrifice some of their favourite foods and stick to portion control.


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New infections at 160 as death toll stays unchanged

Another 160 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,039,486.
There were 358 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,993,134.
There are now 9,401 active cases, of which 9,068 or 96.5% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 324 (3.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of nine are in ICU with four in need of respiratory assistance.
No new deaths were reported, leaving the toll unchanged at 36,951.


PN cooperation with other parties to be decided after polls, says Muhyiddin

Any form of cooperation between Perikatan Nasional (PN) and other parties will be decided after the election, says its chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, said the Melaka state election is proceeding smoothly, to give Melaka voters the chance to choose their government.“I did not say we were prepared to cooperate or not to cooperate… my answer should not be twisted by the media to say I am ready. I did not say so. I am non-committal.“I want to see the results of the election and after that, we will strategise our next move,” he told reporters after holding a special meeting with the British Malaysia Chamber of Commerce in Kuala Lumpur today.He was commenting on the statement of Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman Mohamad Hasan yesterday that BN was prepared to consider cooperation with any party to form the government, not just PN, if it could only defend 13 seats.“What is important is that we continue with our efforts which will be decided after the people have spoken… hope they support PN and whatever questions arising will be addressed after that.“If the voters of Melaka understand and know, this is a state election, not a by-election to choose an elected representative… there should be an overview for their votes to form a government,” he said.In the 14th general election (GE14), Pakatan Harapan formed the state government after winning 15 seats. DAP won eight, PKR three, Amanah two and Bersatu two.In 2020, PN took over the government with 17 seats – 14 held by BN, two by Bersatu and one by an independent.Four assemblymen subsequently withdrew their support for the leadership of Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali.Polling will take place this Saturday.


Meta's Threads is a true threat to Musk-owned Twitter, analysts say

Meta's Threads could quickly become a major threat to Elon Musk-owned Twitter, thanks to its easy access to billions of Instagram users, a similar interface to that of its rival and the advertising heft of the social media giant, analysts and industry experts said.
Dubbed as the "Twitter-Killer", Threads logged 10 million sign ups within the first seven hours after its launch, with celebrities from Kim Kardashian to Gordon Ramsay joining the app.
Meta Platforms' shares were up 1% in premarket trading on Thursday, after they closed 3% higher in the previous session ahead of the roll out of Threads.
"Whether planned or not, Meta's release of Threads came at the perfect time to give it a fighting chance to unseat Twitter," said Niklas Myhr, a professor of marketing at Chapman University, referring to the turmoil at Twitter after it limited the number of tweets users can see.
"Threads will be off to a running start as it is built upon the Instagram platform with its massive user base and if users adopt Threads, advertisers will be following closely behind."
While Threads is a standalone app, users can log in using their Instagram credentials, which makes it an easy addition for Instagram's more than 2 billion monthly active users.
Twitter, by comparison, had 229 million monthly active users in May 2022, according to a statement made before Musk's buyout of the social media platform.
Mastodon, another Twitter-like app, has 1.7 million monthly active users, according to the company's website.
Some analysts said Threads was reminiscent of Meta's success in integrating crucial features of platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok in the case of Instagram's Stories and Reels, respectively.
At least four brokerages raised their price target on Meta, whose shares have already doubled in value this year.
"No doubt there will be bumps in the road, but Threads could provide support to Meta's share price if it turns out to be a success, as its huge number of initial sign ups suggests," said Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor.
Available in more than 100 countries, Threads was the top free app in Apple's US App Store, while Twitter ranked 26.
Threads was also among the trending topics on Twitter where many users shared links to their profiles on the rival app and memes, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who on Wednesday posted on Twitter for the first time since 2012.
The launch was clearly a first stab at a service as it lacked the bells and whistles of Twitter.
Threads does not have hashtags and keyword search functions, which means users cannot follow real-time events like on Twitter. It does not yet have a direct messaging function and also lacks a desktop version that certain users, such as business organisations, rely on.
Some users including popular tech reviewer Marques Brownlee also posted about the need for a feed that only consists of the people one follows. Users currently have little control over the main feed.
Overall though, analysts cheered what they said was a strong competitor to Twitter, which has been rocked by abrupt decisions by Musk since he acquired it for US$44 billion (about RM205.1 billion) last year.
"There should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will," Zuckerberg said on Threads.


MPs from 7 opposition parties condemn Umno ‘power grab’ amid pandemic, floods

More than a dozen MPs have urged Malaysians to reject any attempt to force a general election during the pandemic season, as a group of Umno leaders aligned with former prime minister Najib Razak continues its threats to quit the ruling coalition.“Umno now wants to use fresh elections as a trump card to grab more power at the expense of Malaysians’ well-being and health safety. They have bared their true colours for all to see,” they said in a joint statement.The statement, signed by 13 MPs and a senator from seven opposition parties, questioned the Umno leaders’ action as the country battles a fierce spike in Covid-19 infections as well as hardships caused by floods in several states.“Some states are hit by severe floods and more than 15,000 Malaysians have been displaced. Current unemployment or reduced income for many families in this time of pandemic remains unsettling.“With these in mind, we are appalled by the continuous demand by Umno to hold snap polls in such a climate,” said the statement.The statement was signed by Darell Leiking, Azis Jamman and Isnaraissah Munirah from Warisan, Syed Saddiq (Muda), Hannah Yeoh, Yeo Bee Yin, Sivarasa Rasiah and Teo Nie Ching (PKR), Baru Bian (PSB), Mahfuz Omar, Khalid Samad and Salahuddin Ayub (Amanah) and Amiruddin Hamzah (Pejuang). Another member of the Pejuang bloc who signed the statement is Marzuki Yahya, a senator in the Dewan Negara.The statement comes after Umno division leaders were called to the party headquarters today where leaders urged them to turn their backs on the Perikatan Nasional government.MalaysiaNow reported that Zahid in his speech today told MPs to quit supporting Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government by February in order to force snap polls as soon as possible.In their joint statement, the 14 leaders described attempts to force an election as part of Umno’s “wicked and selfish ambition for power”.“We have lost enough from years of misgovernance and corruption.”The MPs also recalled Najib’s call to Umno members prior to the 2013 general election, where he said Umno would defend Putrajaya “even if our bodies are crushed and our lives lost”.“This nation needs to heal and the time to heal is now,” they said.


Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban to protest rescue plan

Sri Lankan workers went on strike Wednesday in defiance of a government ban to protest a rescue plan for the bankrupt island nation, forcing the closure of hospitals, banks and ports.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing a public backlash over steep tax hikes and spending cuts imposed to secure a sorely needed International Monetary Fund bailout.
Around 40 trade unions, including government hospital staff and bank employees, called work stoppages.
Doctors at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo said only emergency cases were being treated, while appointments were cancelled at private clinics and hospitals.
Electricity workers and bank tellers were also on strike while dock workers staged lunchtime protests at the capital's port.
Wickremesinghe used his executive powers on Tuesday to effectively outlaw strikes by compelling "essential services" to remain at work, and government workers defying the order risk losing their jobs.
Union leaders said they were told by Wickremesinghe on Saturday that he cannot reduce income taxes as it was a condition of the IMF to release a bailout package.
Haritha Aluthge of the Government Medical Officers' Association told reporters in Colombo that his union planned to continue its industrial action.
"A token one-day protest is not going to sway the authorities," he said. "We will have to take stronger action."
Sri Lanka sought IMF help after defaulting on its US$46 billion (about RM206 billion) foreign government debt last April but is waiting for financial assurances from China, its largest single bilateral creditor, that it is willing to take a haircut on loans to the South Asian nation.
Sri Lanka's unprecedented economic crisis since late 2021 has caused severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines and led to months of protests that toppled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July.
Wickremesinghe, who was elected by parliament to replace Rajapaksa, says the economy contracted by 11 percent last year and the island will remain bankrupt until at least 2026.
He has also announced that the country did not have money to finance a local government election which was scheduled for March 9, prompting accusations that he was using the economic crisis to stifle democracy.


‘He went around approaching Umno MPs to support Anwar’: Wanita leader spills on Zahid

Perlis Umno veteran Shahidan Kassim has remained defiant following the recent move by the party president to replace him as state chief, vowing to make good on his threat to expose efforts by the top leader to mobilise support for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.Hours after news of his removal as Perlis Umno chief, Shahidan had told the media that he would make public explosive details on Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.He had said he preferred to keep the secrets to himself, but in an interview with MalaysiaNow, he hinted at going public.“In fact, I am aware of many things but I have kept them to myself in the name of party harmony,” Shahidan said.Last year, Zahid and former prime minister Najib Razak, who have emerged as the most vocal critics of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, wrote a joint letter to the palace expressing support for Anwar in his bid for the top post.They are also believed to have engineered calls in the recent Umno general assembly to cut ties with Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional (PN), although this did not result in ministers from Umno resigning from the federal Cabinet.Shahidan, who is among Umno leaders opposed to cutting ties with Bersatu, said he would not wait long to expose dealings by the Umno president.For instance, he said Zahid and his allies had been on a “signature drive” to gather support for Anwar from among Umno MPs.“There is proof that he had been approaching people, asking them to sign this and that,” he told MalaysiaNow recently.A senior Wanita Umno leader confirmed Shahidan’s claim to MalaysiaNow.Wanita Umno exco member Shamsiah M Yassin said Zahid had approached the wing, asking them to support Anwar as prime minister.“He (Zahid) wanted us to support Anwar. We said ‘No way’,” Shamsiah told MalaysiaNow, adding that Wanita Umno was not firmly behind Zahid.For his refusal to cut ties with PN, Shahidan was heckled by Umno delegates at the general assembly last month during a speech which, unlike those of other state chiefs, was not streamed live to the public.The incident was mentioned in an audio recording of a telephone conversation between Zahid and Anwar, in which both leaders appeared happy with the outcome of the assembly.Shahidan’s stand is that Umno should cooperate with Bersatu as long as Parliament has not been dissolved, in keeping with a decision by the party Supreme Council earlier this year.But he said he was clear about supporting Zahid despite the president’s call to end ties with the PN coalition.“At the general assembly, no state expressed support for the president. Only I expressed support for Zahid,” he said.“I said that we should support PN until the general election, but they booed me. It shows they had no clue, they only knew how to boo.”Shahidan’s removal has been seen as part of efforts by Zahid to cleanse Umno of his critics.In January, Annuar Musa was removed as Barisan Nasional secretary-general for criticising Zahid, while Putrajaya Umno deputy chairman Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz was slapped with a six-year suspension.Shamsiah said Zahid had no winning formula for Umno at the next general election.She said she had met with Zahid before the recent general assembly and questioned him for making enemies.“(I asked him) What’s wrong with you? Why pick fights with everyone? What do I tell the members?” Shamsiah said.“He could not answer. He wants to win the general election but there is so much work not completed.”


Woman escapes death after concrete slab falls on car

A woman cheated death today when a concrete slab from the construction of the Sungai Besi-Ulu Klang Elevated Expressway fell and hit her car.Cheras District Police chief ACP Mohd Mokhsein Mohamed Zon said the woman had been driving along the Middle Ring Road 2 from Sungai Besi heading towards Ampang.She was nearing a petrol station in Bandar Tasik Selatan when the concrete slab measuring one metre square fell on her car.However, she escaped with injuries to her left hand.“The 25-year-old woman, who was driving a Proton Saga BLM, was rescued by members of the public before being sent to the Tuanku Muhkriz Chancellor Hospital for treatment,” he told Bernama.He added that it took two hours after the incident to divert the traffic and reopen all lanes.


Muhyiddin to be charged with corruption

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be charged with corruption-related offences tomorrow, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki told Reuters.
Azam did not give further details, but said the agency would issue a statement later today.
Muhyiddin, who was prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, arrived at the MACC offices this morning for questioning.
Muhyiddin and his party have faced graft investigations since losing to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in a tightly contested election in November.
Anwar last year ordered a review of government projects worth billions of dollars approved by Muhyiddin, including Covid-19 relief programmes, alleging they did not follow proper procedures.
Muhyiddin previously denied the accusations, describing them as a political vendetta.
Anwar today said he had not interfered in graft investigations involving Muhyiddin, Bernama reported.
Two leaders belonging to Muhyiddin's party Bersatu have been charged by MACC with bribery over an economic recovery project launched by his government.
The MACC questioned Muhyiddin last month regarding the same project and has also frozen bank accounts belonging to Bersatu.
The charges against Muhyiddin come ahead of elections due to be held in six states by mid-year, with the ex-prime minister's Perikatan Nasional coalition expected to pose a strong challenge to Anwar's Pakatan Harapan.


Defiant Myanmar protesters paint Yangon blood red as military targets celebrities

Opponents of Myanmar’s military junta sprayed blood red paint on roads and buildings in the country’s biggest city on Tuesday to mark the deaths of hundreds of protesters killed by troops.Demonstrators woke early in Yangon to spray and splash pavements, roads and bus shelters with red paint, Reuters is reporting.“The blood has not dried,” said one message in red. Another was directed at soldiers: “Don’t kill people just for a small salary as low as the cost of dog food.”Those able to access social media, on Tuesday shared pictures of striking workers marching for a second day in the city of Mandalay, some wearing gas masks and giving the three-finger salute that has become a symbol of resistance to army rule.A day earlier, demonstrators held placards of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and signs calling for international intervention.Authorities have now issued arrest warrants for dozens of celebrities, models and social media influencers, all of whom have spoken out against the coup.Sithu Aung Myint, a popular comedian, was on the wanted list and on Tuesday he was arrested in Yangon, the Mizzima news site reported.Writing on Facebook, he said he was proud: “When the coup council who have been committing crimes announces you as a lawbreaker together with the whole country, you will be more than happy because you are recognised as a hero in this revolution,” he wrote. “Your next generation will be proud of you.”Last week, Han Lay, 22, Miss Grand Myanmar, spoke out in Bangkok against the military junta.“Today in my country Myanmar there are so many people dying,” she said at the Miss Grand International 2020 event in Thailand. “Please help Myanmar.”A month ago, the University of Yangon psychology student was on the streets of Yangon, protesting.She decided to use the pageant as an international platform.“In Myanmar, journalists are detained, so I decided to speak out,” she told the BBC in a phone interview from Bangkok.She is concerned now that her two-minute speech could have put her on the radar of the military, so she will stay put in Thailand for at least three months.She told the BBC she knew before she left for Thailand that she would be potentially putting herself and her family at risk.“I am so worried about my family,” she said. “My friends told me to not come back to Myanmar.”She said she had not been contacted by the military or any other officials after her speech, but she said she had been on the receiving end of threatening comments on her social media accounts.“On social media they threatened me, saying when I go back to Myanmar prison is waiting for me.”


Deadliest day in Myanmar as 38 protesters killed

At least 38 people were killed in Myanmar on Wednesday in what the UN described as the “bloodiest day” since the coup took place a month ago, the BBC is reporting.Witnesses said security forces opened fire with rubber and live bullets.UN envoy to Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener said there was shocking footage coming out of the country.Reacting to Wednesday’s deaths, the UK called for a United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday, while the US said it was considering further action against Myanmar’s military.The latest violence comes a day after Myanmar’s neighbours urged the military to exercise restraint.Reports from inside Myanmar describe security forces opening fire on large crowds in a number of cities, including Yangon, with little warning.Two boys, aged 14 and 17, were among those who were killed, Save the Children said. A 19-year-old woman was also said to be among the dead.At least six people were reportedly shot dead during a protest in Monywa in central Myanmar. At least 30 others were wounded in the unrest, a local journalist told Reuters.A volunteer medic told AFP news agency in Myingyan that at least 10 people had been injured there. “They fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds,” they said.“They didn’t spray us with water cannon. With no warning to disperse, they just fired their guns,” one protester in the city told Reuters.In Mandalay, a student protester told the BBC that demonstrators were killed near her house. “I think around 10am or 10.30am, police and soldiers came to that area and then they started to shoot at civilians. They didn’t give any warning to the civilians.As world powers view Myanmar’s crisis with growing unease, the country’s military said it was ready to withstand sanctions and isolation after its coup,Schraner Burgener has urged the UN to take “very strong measures” against the generals. The UN envoy warned of such punitive action in a conversation with Myanmar’s deputy military chief.In response, “the answer was: ‘We have to learn to walk with only few friends’,” she told reporters in New York.Wednesday’s violence left the US “appalled”, State Department spokesman Ned Price said. He told reporters: “We call on all countries to speak with one voice to condemn the brutal violence by the Burmese military against its own people.”He urged China, historically a close ally of Myanmar, to bring its influence to bear on the country’s military.The UN Security Council has voiced concern over the situation, but stopped short of condemning the coup because of opposition by Russia and China, who view the matter as an internal affair.


Cops urge Zahid, Anwar to lodge report on leaked phone call

Police today urged Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim to come forward and lodge a report if they truly believe that they have been slandered in connection with an audio recording of an alleged conversation between them that recently went viral on social media.Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said they had received seven reports from various parties on the matter so far but none from the two political leaders or their representatives.“We are looking at the public reaction to that. If it gets to the point of making people worried and upset, we will launch an investigation.“So far, I have not been informed of any report made by Zahid and Anwar. We will wait. If it is true that they have been slandered, just come forward and lodge a report,” he told reporters after attending an event in Melaka.Hamid said follow-up action would be taken and investigation papers opened only when police reports have been lodged by the individuals involved.“The process of assessing evidence including the analysis of the audio recording will be conducted when the investigation papers are opened,” he added.Meanwhile, in Ipoh, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said the two leaders should lodge a police report if they were not involved in the telephone conversation.“If Zahid believes that it wasn’t him, he should be brave enough to lodge a report. But as of yesterday, no report was lodged either by him or Anwar,” he said after attending a programme there today.


Malaysia stands to benefit from energy crisis, says economist

An economist has played down the odds of negative effects for Malaysia from the recent energy and fuel crisis in Europe, even as global authorities scrambled to deal with a supply shortage which saw a hike in gas and electricity prices earlier this week.In Europe, electricity prices reached a record high last month while gas prices soared 600% this year.Consumers in Spain and Portugal meanwhile are paying €175 (RM845) per megawatt-hour, while in the UK prices surged to €183.84 (RM887) per megawatt-hour.The global crude oil price on the other hand climbed to a seven-year high at above US$80 (RM332) a barrel.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, though, Bank Islam chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the European energy crisis would radiate positive effects for Malaysia as it is an exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).“The surge in world gas prices will certainly benefit our oil and gas industry,” he said.“For example, in July and August, LNG exports recorded significant increases of 69.9% and 110.2% for both months.”As the economy begins its path to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic meanwhile, demand for gas is rising on the back of limited supplies.The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its non-Opec allies agreed last year to cut crude production to 10 million barrels per day. This later dropped to just 5.8 million barrels per day.Opec has said that production will return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022.Afzanizam said the imbalance in the commodity market had also spread to other commodities such as coal and crude oil. Rising prices mean that Malaysia, as a major exporter of commodities, would benefit.However, he also cautioned that this imbalance would have an impact on global inflationary pressure.“This will be a catalyst for the world’s major central banks such as the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next year.“It will then cause relatively negative sentiment in the stock market following the perception that a rise in interest rate will reduce the momentum of economic growth,” he said.Economist Yeah Kim Leng meanwhile agreed that Malaysia would suffer only minimal impact from the crisis due to its crude oil and gas supplies.However, he said the country would eventually have to deal with the negative effects of higher oil prices.“There will be a knock-on effect of higher fuel prices on production and transport costs that raise inflationary pressures,” Yeah, who lectures at Sunway University, told MalaysiaNow.“Although the government could cushion the price increases through subsidies, it will likely be partially as full subsidies will be costly and inefficient.”Yeah said the main concern would be the slowdown in the global economy, which would dampen Malaysia’s economic recovery efforts through trade and investment channels.But he said that government coffers are expected to improve due to higher oil prices, while national oil firm Petronas is well placed to strengthen its cash flow.


Govt vows no let-up in bringing 1MDB culprits to justice after RM19 billion settlements

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz today said there would be no let-up in the government’s efforts to bring those involved in the 1MDB scandal to justice, after securing agreements from three entities involved for some RM19 billion in settlements.“1MDB is one of the biggest financial scandals in the country. During this one-year period, the government has never compromised in upholding justice and ensuring that the individuals involved continue to be prosecuted in court,” Zafrul said in his latest report to Putrajaya’s Economic Action Council on the implementation of the Covid-19 stimulus packages.The government had in July 2020 succeeded in its negotiations with Goldman Sachs for a settlement of RM15.8 billion.This was followed by AMMB Holdings Bhd which agreed to a global settlement worth RM2.83 billion to resolve outstanding claims and actions related to AmBank’s involvement in the 1MDB issue.More recently, auditors Deloitte PLT agreed to pay RM324 million to settle claims related to its fiduciary obligations while auditing 1MDB and SRC International Sdn Bhd accounts.Zafrul said this latest solution would be beneficial for Malaysians as resolving the matter in court would involve time and financial resources.“With this settlement, the payment of that amount will be expedited and will not be delayed through a time-consuming court system. This amount can also be used to fulfil 1MDB’s outstanding obligations.”He also reiterated that the settlements would not affect or compromise Malaysia’s claims on individuals such as businessman Low Taek Jho and those still actively sought in connection with the scandal.1MDB entered the limelight in July 2015, when reports said up to US$700 million had been transferred into the bank accounts of former prime minister Najib Razak from various companies linked to the investment fund.Prosecutors ultimately alleged that more than US$1 billion made its way into the accounts of Najib, who was slapped with a total of 42 criminal charges.He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to 1MDB.In July last year, he was found guilty of seven counts of money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust related to SRC International.He was sentenced by the High Court to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million. He has appealed against his conviction.


China’s Xinjiang crackdown under scrutiny ahead of UN rights chief visit

China’s crackdown on Muslim minorities in the remote region of Xinjiang will return to the spotlight next week when Beijing hosts the United Nations human rights chief for the first time in nearly two decades.The highly scrutinised six-day trip by high commissioner Michelle Bachelet will begin Monday, with stops in the cities of Urumqi and Kashgar in Xinjiang, as well as Guangzhou in southern China, the UN announced Friday.Bachelet will meet “a number of high-level officials”, her office said, adding that she would “also meet with civil society organisations, business representatives, academics, and deliver a lecture to students at Guangzhou University”.But hopes of a thorough investigation into rights abuses have given way to concern among rights advocates that the ruling Communist Party will use the visit to whitewash its alleged atrocities.China is accused of incarcerating one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in detention camps in the far-western region in a years-long security crackdown that the US and other countries have called a “genocide”.Beijing has vociferously denied genocide allegations, calling them the “lie of the century” and arguing that its policies have countered extremism and improved livelihoods.Bachelet will meet virtually with heads of foreign missions on Monday before visiting Xinjiang on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to diplomatic sources in Beijing.The visit to China is the first by the UN’s top human rights official since 2005, when Beijing was keen to soften its global image as it prepared to host the 2008 Olympics.Since 2018, UN officials have been locked in negotiations with the Chinese government to secure “unfettered, meaningful access” to Xinjiang before the trip was announced in March.Instead, campaigners fear that Bachelet will get a stage-managed tour that sidelines key issues.Lack of accessWith hundreds of thousands in detention and many mosques closed or destroyed, authorities in Xinjiang appear to have pivoted in recent years to focusing on economic development, according to scholars and Uighurs based outside China.“Now there’s not much visible evidence of repression,” said Peter Irwin of the Uighur Human Rights Project.Rights groups have warned that pervasive state surveillance and fear of retaliation will prevent Uighurs on the ground from speaking freely to the UN team.“We fear the visit will be manipulated by the Chinese government to whitewash the severe abuses in Xinjiang,” said Maya Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch.Campaigners have questioned why Bachelet – a former president of Chile and a torture survivor – has not been more outspoken about Xinjiang.The US warned Friday that Bachelet’s “continued silence in the face of indisputable evidence of atrocities in Xinjiang” was “deeply concerning”.Her reluctance to criticise may reflect Beijing’s powerful influence at the UN, which puts officials “under a lot of constraints”, Irwin said.Last hopeRights groups have been dismayed by the stalled release of Bachelet’s long-awaited report on Xinjiang, believed to have been completed in September.Once published, the report could provide “political cover” for countries normally afraid to criticise China’s rights record, added Irwin.A spokesman for Bachelet said Tuesday that it would not be released before her trip and there was no clear timing for making it public.Hundreds of overseas Uighurs and Kazakhs – another Muslim minority in Xinjiang – have staged rallies in recent weeks to urge Bachelet to visit detained relatives.Tursan Can Heyit, 31, joined a demonstration in Istanbul after unsuccessfully petitioning Chinese authorities for years for information about his parents and sister, who vanished in 2017 and 2018.The Uighur PhD student has since learned that his sister was sent to a “re-education” camp in 2018, but his parents’ whereabouts remain unknown.“The UN must raise the concerns of relatives of Uighur concentration camp victims in meetings with high-level Chinese officials,” he told AFP from Istanbul.“I’ve tried asking through all the available channels, but now I’m increasingly disappointed.”


No appeals in flight MH17 trial, Dutch prosecutors say

Dutch prosecutors said Thursday they will not appeal the acquittal of a Russian man over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 as it would be a "great burden" for families.
Oleg Pulatov was found not guilty by a Dutch court on Nov 17 while Russians Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko were convicted and sentenced to life in absentia.
All 298 people on board the plane were killed when it was shot down by a Russian-made missile fired by Moscow-backed separatists over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, the court ruled.
"An appeal would be a great burden for the next of kin, because they would then remain in uncertainty about the outcome of the criminal case," the prosecution service said.
The verdict gave families "certainty on a number of important subjects" including Russia's role in the tragedy, which can now be used in separate civil cases, it said.
The victims of the disaster came from 10 countries, including 196 Dutch, 43 Malaysians and 38 Australians.
The three convicted men, who remain at large, have not appealed within the 14-day deadline and so their convictions are "irrevocable," the prosecution service added.
Judges found them guilty of murder and bringing down the plane, saying they were responsible for bringing the missile into Ukraine, even if they had not pulled the trigger themselves.
The court also said that Russia was in control of the Donetsk People's Republic, the separatist group to which the convicted men belonged.
Russia has denied all involvement and slammed the "scandalous" verdict.


Flooding in southern Brazil strands hundreds

Heavy rains caused serious flooding in southern Brazil on Thursday, where rescuers in the southern state of Santa Catarina were dispatched to help evacuate hundreds of families trapped in their homes.
Video footage provided by Santa Catarina's civil defence unit showed helicopters flying over muddy water that had submerged houses up to the roofline.
Helicopters hovered above some houses so firefighters could lift families to safety. Over 880 people have been evacuated so far, authorities said.
Santa Catarina officials called on people to avoid road travel, as a state of emergency was declared in several cities.
Flooding at this time of the year around Brazil is common and has caused devastation for decades.
In February, 94 people died in mudslides after heavy rains in the historic Brazilian mountain town of Petropolis, near Rio de Janeiro.


Pfizer, AZ Covid jabs ‘highly effective’ in elderly, UK study shows

The Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines have been “highly effective” in reducing coronavirus infections and severe illness among elderly people in Britain, with a more than 80% reduction in hospitalisation, official data showed Monday.In the over 80s, a single dose of either vaccine is more than 80% effective at preventing hospitalisation around three to four weeks after the jab, according to a Public Health England real-world study that has gathered data since January.The study comes as France and Germany consider reversing their refusal to authorise the AstraZeneca vaccine for people over 65 due to concerns of its efficacy.British Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the new study as “extremely good news”.“The detailed data show that the protection that you get from catching Covid 35 days after a first jab is even slightly better for the Oxford jab than for Pfizer,” he added.Both vaccines “are highly effective in reducing Covid-19 infections among older people aged 70 years and over,” added the study.The Pfizer jab has offered protection against catching the disease of between 57% and 61% after the first dose, with the AstraZeneca vaccine offering protection of between 60% and 73%, according to the study.“This adds to growing evidence showing that the vaccines are working to reduce infections and save lives,” said Mary Ramsay, Public Health England’s head of immunisation.“It is important to remember that protection is not complete and we don’t yet know how much these vaccines will reduce the risk of you passing Covid-19 onto others,” she added.Britain has given the first dose of one of the two vaccines to more than 20 million people as part of a mass rollout that is seen as vital in taming one of the world’s worst outbreaks, which has so far claimed almost 123,000 lives.Asked about the scepticism in some European countries about the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, said the results “vindicated” Britain’s approach.“I think in time the data emerging from the programme will speak for itself and other countries will doubtless be very interested in it,” he said.Britain announced another 104 fatalities on Monday, and 5,455 new cases – almost half the number recorded last Monday.The number of Covid admissions to intensive care units among people aged over 80 has dropped to single figures in the last two weeks, Hancock said.Britain will next week begin to unwind its third lockdown, with a plan for life to return to normal by the end of June.The latest results highlighted the importance of everyone getting vaccinated, said Van-Tam.“It shows us, gives us those first glimpses, of how if we are patient, and we give this vaccine programme time to have its full effect, it is going to hopefully take us into a very different world. In the next few months.


‘No doubt’ US has undercounted Covid deaths, says top pandemic adviser Fauci

The US, which has reported the world’s worst overall Covid-19 death toll, has “no doubt” been undercounting fatal cases, top pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci said Sunday.The country has officially lost over 581,000 people to the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus – but a University of Washington study released Thursday estimated deaths at more than 900,000.“That’s a bit more than I would have thought the undercounting was,” Fauci told NBC’s “Meet The Press”.“But I think there’s no doubt… that we are and have been undercounting.”The US has reported over 32.6 million cases since the virus was first identified at the end of 2019 in China.America was battered by a spike in cases and deaths after the end-of-year holidays, but since January new infections have come down as vaccination rates have jumped.“We are turning the corner. We have 58% of adult Americans with at least one shot, over 110 million Americans fully vaccinated,” White House Covid-19 coordinator Jeffrey Zients told CNN’s State of the Union.President Joe Biden wants 70% of adults in the US to have received at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccine by the July 4 Independence Day holiday.But the rate peaked around April 10 and has been declining since then, with vaccine hold-outs slowing the race to population immunity.Federal, state and local officials are partnering with pharmacies, restaurants, breweries, supermarkets and sports teams to come up with incentives to get people to get their shots.In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy launched a “Shot and a Beer” programme to encourage vaccination, while in West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced that the state will offer US$100 savings bonds to residents aged 16 to 35 who get inoculated.


Canada’s largest province to shut down due to ‘alarming’ spread of Covid

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that because Covid-19 cases are accelerating at “an alarming rate”, the entire Canadian province will shut down from Saturday.Ford called the closure a temporary measure at a news conference during which he implored residents to stay home except for essential needs like groceries and health emergencies.“Unfortunately, despite previous restrictions, we’ve seen growing numbers of people traveling between regions within Ontario,” Ford said. “Covid is spreading rapidly from high-outbreak areas to areas with fewer cases.”Ontario is Canada’s most populous province with 14 million people, just under 40% of the giant country’s population.The shutdown will remain in effect for up to 28 days as Canada is plunged into its usual freezing winter.Hospitalisations in the province have increased by 75% and ICU admissions are up by 80% in recent weeks, according to an official news release. The health system may have to cancel elective surgeries due to capacity concerns with thousands of surgeries already backlogged.Regarding schools, Ford told reporters, “I want to be clear; schools are not part of the problem of Covid in our communities. But out of an abundance of caution, school closures over the winter break will be extended.”The premier urged Canada’s federal government to close borders to prevent the spread from people arriving from outside.Along with many other countries, Canada announced a ban on travellers from the UK this week.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet the decision was made to keep Canadians safe from a new coronavirus variant discovered in England.


Anwar challenges PM over suspension of parliament

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has launched legal action against the prime minister over the suspension of parliament during the state of emergency aimed at fighting the coronavirus, his lawyer said Tuesday.The king declared a national emergency earlier this month for the first time in half a century, following a request from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as virus cases spiralled out of control.The declaration has allowed Muhyiddin to suspend parliament at a time his government was on the brink of collapse, sparking accusations that he was using it to cling to power.Anwar, who heads the Pakatan Harapan alliance, filed a lawsuit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday, said lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.“What we are challenging is the advice of the prime minister to the king to suspend parliament,” Ramkarpal told AFP.Anwar is seeking a judicial review of this advice and urging the court to rule it “unlawful and unconstitutional”, said Ramkarpal.The state of emergency itself is not being challenged, he added.Muhyiddin seized power in March last year without an election after a reformist administration, of which Anwar was a leading member, collapsed amid bitter infighting.But Muhyiddin’s government is also highly unstable.Anwar, who spent years in jail on sodomy charges critics said were politically motivated, was a leading member of the last government and seen by many as a prime minister in waiting.Supporters say the state of emergency is needed to channel extra resources to fighting Covid-19 and lessen the chances of national polls, which they fear could worsen the outbreak.Malaysia has recorded over 190,000 infections and 700 deaths with strict curbs in place across the country.


Stateless no more for Merdeka boy Omar Mokhtar

Stateless youth Mohamad Omar Mokhtar has been given Malaysian citizenship, just weeks after his plight was highlighted, gaining the attention of the prime minister himself.
In a letter dated Sept 12, the home ministry said Omar's application for citizenship had been approved.
"You are requested to present yourself at any National Registration Department office for the issuance of a certificate of Malaysian citizenship," it added in the letter addressed to Omar's father.
Omar, who was born on Merdeka Day in 2002, had been unable to apply for an identity card due to problems with the documentation of his birth mother, who came from Sabah.
His father is also a Malaysian citizen.
Omar's birth parents tied the knot in Selangor without a valid registration process. They later divorced, and in 2015 Omar was adopted by his aunt who lived in Kedah.
At that point, the adoption application was approved by the National Registration Department. Omar's first birth certificate put him down as a Malaysian citizen.
After finding his birth mother's identity card invalid, however, the department issued him a new certificate, this one stating that he was not a citizen.
His plight was highlighted in a press conference on Aug 29 organised by rights group Lawyers for Liberty.
He was subsequently met by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who presented him with a donation from the Keluarga Malaysia foundation early this month.
Omar said then he was told that "good progress" had been made on his situation.


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India records more than 45,000 cases of ‘black fungus’

India recorded more than 45,000 cases of the deadly “black fungus” over the last two months, the health ministry said, as a nationwide outbreak sweeps through Covid-19 patients.The country’s junior health minister Bharati Pravin Pawar told parliament on Tuesday that over 4,200 people had died of the fungus – scientific name mucormycosis.The infection was previously considered very rare but cases have ballooned during the pandemic, usually striking patients after recovery from Covid-19.It is a highly aggressive disease and surgeons have been forced to remove eyes, the nose and jaw from patients to stop it spreading to the brain.The death rate is over 50%.According to government data, the highest number of cases were reported in the western state of Maharashtra at 9,348.India dealt with just 20 cases a year on average before the pandemic, with only people with severely compromised immunity at risk, including those with high blood sugar levels, HIV or organ transplant recipients.Experts have attributed the recent rise to the excessive use of steroids to treat Covid-19.The Indian government declared the fungus an epidemic in May as cases shot up and social media has been flooded with desperate pleas for medicines to treat the illness.Government data tabled on Tuesday suggested infection numbers peaked during May and June and have since substantially decreased.But the Hindustan Times newspaper reported Monday that there had been a rise in cases among children in the northern state of Rajasthan.


China animal rescuer shares home with 1,300 dogs

Twenty years ago, Wen Junhong saved an abandoned dog from the streets of Chongqing in southwestern China. She now shares her home with more than 1,300 of them, and they keep on coming.After taking in that first dog, a Pekinese she named Wenjing – “gentle and quiet” in Chinese – Wen found she couldn’t stop.She says she was driven by worries about what strays face on the streets in China, from accidents to being snatched up for the dog meat trade.“It’s important to look after these dogs,” she said. “Each of us should respect life, and the Earth is not only for humans but for all animals.”Dog ownership was previously termed a bourgeois pastime and banned under the leadership of Communist China’s founder Chairman Mao.Views on pets have changed dramatically since, and ownership has boomed – but the country still does not have a national animal welfare law and there are tens of millions of stray dogs and cats, according to charity AnimalsAsia.Urban strays are rarely sterilised, exacerbating the problem and placing more pressure on overwhelmed and underfunded animal rescue centres.As well as the abandoned pets and strays that are regularly left in her front yard, Wen says she receives calls “every day to help more dogs”.And it’s not just canines that the 68-year-old has a soft spot for.She also lives with one hundred cats, four horses and a scattering of rabbits and birds.“Some people say I’m a psychopath,” she admits.Mucking outHer day starts at 4am with the unenviable task of clearing 20-30 barrels of overnight dog waste and cooking more than 500kg of rice, meat and vegetables for the animals.The waste gets burned in the back yard, sending a continuous plume of smoke into the sky.A handful of dogs run free around the building, while a tethered pit bull terrier at the back door growls and barks at strangers.Every room in the two-storey house is full of cages, piled next to and on top of each other.Surrounded by fences and locked gates, her hillside location is the latest in a series of homes after complaints from neighbours forced her and her charges to keep moving.Wen finances the operation with proceeds from selling her apartment, loans of up to 60,000 yuan (US$9,100) and her pension and life savings from an earlier career as an environmental technician.She also receives donations after gaining attention on social media, where she has been dubbed “Chongqing Auntie Wen”.Wen hopes the attention will lead to adoptions, but new arrivals far outpace those being re-homed.And she has suffered abuse online, after pictures of the animals’ living conditions were posted.“Living in such a small cage is no better than being a stray dog,” wrote one critic on social media.‘Even if they bite me’Six dogs had arrived on the day AFP visited, including four small puppies.Large dogs are kept outside, and small ones in cages indoors.“If all the dogs are released, they will fight,” Wen said.Some attempt to gnaw through the bars while others yap relentlessly and scrap with each other.One mutt snapped at anyone walking past until Wen covered its cage with a coat.She has six staff, who sleep in a room piled high with bags of dog food.One, Yang Yiqun, shows arms and hands covered in scars and scratches.“I like the dogs even if they bite me,” says the stoic Sichuan local who has worked with Wen for five years.“She is under too much pressure to handle it alone”.Even with her love of animals and a team to help her, Wen admits re-homing strays is a struggle.“It’s really very hard,” she laments.“There are more and more dogs and each of them gets less space.”


Agong remains at IJN for food poisoning, sports injury

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is expected to continue his treatment at the National Heart Institute (IJN) where he is being closely monitored for food poisoning and a sports injury, Istana Negara said in a statement today.“Sultan Abdullah is scheduled to return to Istana Negara in the very near future after undergoing follow-up treatment,” it said in a statement.The statement did not make any reference to the widely expected royal audience to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who last week announced he had achieved a “formidable” majority to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration.Anwar said then that an earlier appointment for a royal audience with the Agong could not take place as Sultan Abdullah had been admitted to IJN.In the palace statement today, Sultan Abdullah also expressed his concern over the recent spike in number of Covid-19 infections.Authorities today reported another 115 patients, continuing the trend of triple digit infections.


Singapore Airbnb host hit with US$845,000 fine

A Singaporean man has been fined US$845,000 for providing illegal short-term rentals on Airbnb and other platforms, authorities said Tuesday, a record penalty for the offence in the city-state.Housing is a sensitive issue in space-starved Singapore, where most live in apartments, and it is illegal to rent out accommodation for less than three consecutive months.Simon Chan, 57, reportedly leased 14 apartments and sublet them for short-term accommodation to local and foreign guests.The former property agent advertised the apartments on Airbnb, HomeAway and other platforms, local media reported.A court Monday fined him S$1.16 million (US$845,000) – the highest ever penalty handed out for short-term rentals – and he will be jailed if he fails to pay, officials confirmed.His girlfriend was reportedly fined S$84,000 for helping him.The Urban Redevelopment Authority, which oversees city planning in Singapore, warned that such unauthorised short-term rentals with frequent turnover of guests “changes the residential character of a property”.The body said it “will continue to take strong enforcement actions against short-term accommodation offenders… in order to safeguard the interest of the community”.Airbnb has become a popular and often cheaper alternative to hotels for many travellers.But the company has faced mounting criticism that it worsens housing shortages and squeezes the long-term rental sector, with cities including New York, Miami and Berlin cracking down on the service.


Get vaccinated and boosted ahead of Ramadan, Khairy tells seniors

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today urged senior citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and to take their booster shots for better protection, especially with Ramadan around the corner.In a Twitter post, he said getting vaccinated was crucial as during the fasting month, many senior citizens would be performing the tarawih prayers at mosques.“This message is also very important ahead of Ramadan. Maybe our parents are not going anywhere now. But when Ramadan arrives, they will go for tarawih prayers in groups.“It is good to ‘top up’ their protection with a booster. We strive, and the rest we leave to Allah,” he added.Khairy also said that 105 Covid-19 deaths were reported yesterday, and that senior citizens who are unvaccinated or have yet to receive a booster shot are most at risk of contracting the virus.“The capacity of hospitals or ICUs is under control. But I also want the death rate to be under control,” he said.His post was accompanied by a graph giving the data per population of 100,000 according to vaccination status yesterday, which showed that the most deaths were recorded among the unvaccinated group across every age level.


Pressure grows on Rafizi over RM17 million windfall from 'loss-making' Invoke

PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli came under further probe today about his recent declaration of assets which showed a huge jump of RM17 million in seven years, with questions surrounding the value of some RM12 million in the assets of a PKR-linked company within the space of less than year.
Bersatu's Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad questioned the worth of the shares of Invoke Solutions, a company headed by Rafizi, saying it had recorded losses with its net assets at -RM4.7 million as of December last year.
"However, in Rafizi's declaration as of Oct 31, 2022, this value had jumped to RM17 million.
"For the sake of transparency, as often raised by Rafizi, the people have the right to know what caused such a sudden increase in value."
Latiff added that Rafizi should publish Invoke's contracts or sources of income for 2022.
Last week, the PKR leader's asset declaration ahead of his candidacy for the Pandan seat raised eyebrows through the inclusion of RM16.7 million in shares from Invoke among his personal assets.
This resulted in his personal assets skyrocketing to a total of RM19.67 million, up from just RM1.5 million in 2015.
Johor Perikatan Nasional leader Rashid Hasnon then reminded Rafizi that Invoke had received public support through fundraising efforts.
"Rafizi cannot deny this as the details of this can be found in his own website. It is indisputable that Invoke was built on the back of public support," said Rashid, a former PKR man.
"The source of the wealth is the public-interest initiative, Invoke. He has profited, and the profit is massive," he added.
Tycoon among 14 shareholders
Latiff also recalled a statement by Rafizi in 2017 that Invoke shares would be distributed among its staff members.
He said a search on the Companies Commission however showed only 14 Invoke shareholders, including a tycoon and a PKR MP.
"Rafizi holds 73% or the lion's share followed by a business tycoon by the name of Lee Choo Boo, while the third largest shareholder is PKR MP Wong Chen."
Other shareholders include PKR's Akmal Nasrullah and Onn Abu Bakar, said Latiff.
"Also named is an engineering company and a foreign national known as Hassan Mia Sonday," he said, adding that Lee is the CEO of Itramas Corporation.
"Given the shareholders named above, what happened to the promise made in 2017 to distribute the shares to Invoke staff?
"In 2017 as well, Rafizi stated that there were close to 80 personnel at Invoke. Does he no longer want to share wealth worth millions through Invoke shares with those who have sacrificed for him to make Invoke a success?"


Govt says no plans to write off multi-billion ringgit PTPTN debt for the poor

The government has no plans to do away with the repayment of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans for those in the B40 and lower income bracket due to the number of individuals and value of allocations involved, Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said today.
He said preliminary estimates by PTPTN showed that the proposed cancellation of targeted loans to these groups would involve 1.84 million borrowers with cancellations amounting to RM42.34 billion.
Nevertheless, he said, the government is working to facilitate the repayment of PTPTN loans for these individuals.
"Measures include the deferment of repayments for those who are continuing their studies or who have yet to find a job," he said in response to an oral question from Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fahysal Wan Ahmad on the introduction of a targeted debt cancellation programme for those in these groups.
"Secondly, the structuring or rescheduling of loans according to the borrowers' ability.
"Thirdly, discounts on repayment loans if full repayments are made in a lump sum. And fourthly, repayments only after 12 months of the borrowers completing their studies, to give them the space to prepare."
Wan Ahmad Fahysal had asked if the government possessed the political will to write off PTPTN debts, which he said had been promised in Pakatan Harapan's (PH) election manifesto for the 15th general election.
Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli however denied that PH had offered to cancel PTPTN debts, saying the former youth and sports minister was attempting to cause confusion in the Dewan Rakyat.
Khaled meanwhile said it was possible that parties had made such offers in their manifestos, adding however that the present government consists of multiple coalitions.
"Our stand is that we will only utilise the manifestos that contain the same or similar issues," he said.
"And we have found that none of the parties in the coalition government offer the same things when it comes to PTPTN debts."


Palace deadline extended by 24 hours

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has consented to extend the deadline originally given to MPs to submit statutory declarations (SDs) on their candidate of choice for prime minister to 2pm tomorrow.
The deadline was initially set for 2pm today, as coalition leaders Anwar Ibrahim and Muhyiddin Yassin scrambled for the support needed to form the next government following the inconclusive results of the election on Saturday.
Istana Negara said in a statement that the Agong's decision followed requests from the leaders of political parties as well as coalitions received by the palace today.
"His Majesty urges and advises the people to be patient and remain calm until the process of forming a new government and the appointment of the 10th prime minister is complete," it said.
Anwar's Pakatan Harapan, together with youth-based party Muda, won 82 seats in the Nov 19 election.
Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional coalition, which includes Islamist party PAS, meanwhile won 73.


Targeted electricity subsidy for T20 to be announced end of year

The implementation of targeted electricity subsidy for those under the T20 category will be announced after the national utility database (Padu) system is completed at the end of this year.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said currently the subsidy for the group is based on consumption, not on their income.
As such, he said the targeted electricity subsidy to be based on income for the T20 category could only be implemented when the Padu system is fully completed.
"Assuming that a T20 household has five or more conditioners, a dryer and several other equipments, the electricity bill will be between RM500 and RM700 or more.
"It is unfair for them to receive a much higher subsidy and gain more in terms of ringgit compared to the M40 and B40 groups because it (subsidy) is based on consumption," he said during the Minister's Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today. Nik Nazmi also agreed that the T20 group should be encouraged to use solar power, but the price of the renewable energy must be reasonable and competitive with conventional electricity sources.
He said this in reply to a supplementary question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) who wanted to know why the T20 group will no longer enjoy electricity subsidy and whether the government will encourage them to use solar power as an alternative source of electricity.
In response to Khoo's original question on subsidy savings following the imbalance cost pass-through (ICPT) adjustment in January 2023, Nik Nazmi said there was a savings of RM5.4 billion from Jan 1 to June 30 and the cost had been passed on to consumers in a targeted manner.
"The ICPT cost for the period from July to December 2022 amounted to RM16.16 billion, equivalent to a surcharge rate of 27 sen/kWh which should be passed on to consumers for the period January to June 2023.
"However, the government maintained the rebate of 2 sen/kWh to domestic users and the surcharge of 3.70 sen/kWh to non-domestic users in the low voltage category (tariffs B and D) and specific agricultural categories (tariffs H, H1, and H2) for the period Jan 1 until June 30, 2023.
"The surcharge rate for other non-domestic users is 20 sen/kWh for the same period," he said.


Johor sultan concerned new rules for My Second Home programme will put off foreigners

Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskander today called for a revision of the new requirements for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, saying they are too restrictive and will dampen the interest of foreigners in coming to the country.In a statement on Facebook, he said the new conditions would also force existing pass holders to leave Malaysia.“The review was supposed to make things better,” he said. “But the new criteria are only going to drive investors and tourists away from Malaysia.”The new conditions require foreigners to prove the possession of liquid assets worth RM500,000 to RM1.5 million, depending on their age.They must also have a monthly offshore income of at least RM40,000 and must stay a minimum of 90 days in the country each year. Meanwhile, visas issued under MM2H are now valid for five years whereas they used to be valid for 10.Sultan Ibrahim said loss of interest by foreigners would mean massive revenue loss for the country.“This is very disappointing, especially for us in Johor as we have a long history with Singapore and its people,” he added.“The new requirements will turn them away from investing in Johor.”He also said the government should be more compassionate and lenient towards foreigners looking to settle and retire in Malaysia.“When you keep shifting the goalposts, foreigners will lose confidence in Malaysia. This is not the right time to raise fees,” he said.“Let us help put Malaysia back on the world map as the best place to live for high net-worth foreigners. Drastic changes like this will tarnish our image and will make us a laughing stock of the world.”


Philippine presidential aspirant Marcos Jr tested for cocaine

The son and namesake of the Philippines’ former dictator Ferdinand Marcos said Tuesday he took a cocaine test after President Rodrigo Duterte accused an unnamed presidential candidate of using the illegal drug.Marcos Jr, who is among the frontrunners seeking to succeed Duterte in 2022, said in a statement he was tested Monday and had submitted the result to three police agencies.He told a local broadcaster he had tested negative.“I really don’t feel that I am the one being alluded to,” said Marcos Jr, popularly known as “Bongbong”.“In spite of that, I believe it is my inherent duty as an aspiring public official to assure my fellow Filipinos that I am against illegal drugs. This is why I took a cocaine test yesterday.”Duterte, who has waged a deadly war on drugs that has killed thousands of people, has not identified the candidate he claims uses cocaine.At times he has referred to them using male pronouns.“There’s a candidate who was using cocaine – you can ask the rich people,” Duterte said Monday.“Why did I not arrest that person? You don’t know the rich, they go on a yacht or in the air, that’s where they snort.”A leaked survey conducted in October by respected polling outfit Social Weather Stations reportedly showed Marcos Jr as the top preference for president with 47% of voter support.He was followed by incumbent vice president and leading opposition candidate Leni Robredo (18%) and celebrity mayor Francisco Domagoso (13%).Retired boxing champion and senator Manny Pacquiao was fourth with 9%, followed by Senator Panfilo Lacson with 5%.Lacson said Tuesday he and his vice presidential running mate, Senator Vicente Sotto, had voluntarily undergone “multi-drug testing” on Monday. He said they had “passed”.Pacquiao, who has admitted using marijuana and crystal meth in his youth, said he supported mandatory drug testing for those seeking a government post.“Although I’m not in a position to judge anyone on this issue, I am willing to undergo a drug test anytime and anywhere,” Pacquiao said Friday, suggesting a hair follicle test offered “better results”.Domagoso on Friday also denied using drugs.Duterte has been an ally of the controversial Marcos family, which had gone into exile in the US after the patriarch’s humiliating downfall in 1986.But recently Duterte has been publicly critical of Marcos Jr, describing him as a “weak leader… saddled with baggage”.Sara Duterte, his daughter, had been widely expected to run for president, and potentially protect him from criminal charges in the Philippines and International Criminal Court prosecutors over his deadly drug war.But she has filed her candidacy for vice president, a position which holds very little power, and formed an alliance with Marcos Jr.In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately.Sara told a rally of supporters Sunday “we need to protect our candidate. Let us protect BBM (‘Bongbong’ Marcos)”.Duterte’s chosen successor is now his close aide Senator Christopher Go, who made a last-minute entry into the race on Nov 13.Many analysts consider Go unlikely to win.


Fahmi appointed as govt spokesman

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil has been appointed as spokesman for the government to handle the media.
Fahmi, who confirmed this today, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had issued a directive at the Cabinet meeting two weeks ago that he and his ministry should act as the representative or spokesman for the government, especially in dealing with the media.
Fahmi said the media conference after the Cabinet meeting every Wednesday would be handled by him if the prime minister was unable to attend.
"Any week, for example, that the prime minister is unable to host the weekly media conference, the communications and digital ministry and I will handle it," he told reporters in Putrajaya.
Fahmi said that as the government spokesman, the media could refer to him for confirmation of any issues that need to be verified. "This is to ensure that the issues are referred to the right ministry or minister for feedback," he said.
Fahmi said his ministry would also discuss with the broadcast stations the provision of detailed and comprehensive information regarding government activities expected to be aired in the news slot next week.
"Information is presented by the ministries and agencies but there is no emphasis on the effectiveness of its delivery," he said.
Fahmi said earlier in his speech that communications and digital ministry agencies such as the information department, Bernama and Radio Televisyen Malaysia must help the government explain the concept of Madani to the public.
"Its essence is more than just a slogan, it is the intention of the government," he said, adding that it was important for his ministry to study, interpret and refine the meaning of Madani for the benefit of the people.
On the appointment of Nurul Izzah Anwar as the prime minister’s senior economic and financial adviser, Fahmi said the government under the leadership of Anwar had also appointed several other individuals as advisers, including Mohd Hassan Marican.
"The term 'adviser' is clear, because they will not touch on policy matters, have no source of authority including to call for meetings, and are not paid any salary," he said.


Brazil police sceptical of ‘apparently human’ remains found in hunt for reporter, sources say

Brazilian investigators are sceptical that remains found in a river could be from a British journalist who went missing in the Amazon rainforest on Sunday, two police officers involved in the case told Reuters.On Friday, federal police had announced finding “organic material” that was “apparently human,” raising expectations of a breakthrough in the search for reporter Dom Phillips and his travel companion, indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.However, a federal police officer and a state detective, both of whom requested anonymity to discuss the case, said the material’s location and condition raised doubts about whether it could be connected to the missing men.A federal police spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The remains were found near the port of Atalaia do Norte, a town more than 65km downstream from where Phillips and Pereira were last seen on a slow-moving river, the sources said. The material’s condition suggested it could have been scraps from a nearby butcher rather than remains carried far downstream, they added.One of the sources said it seemed likely the material was from an animal and not human, but that it had been sent for forensic analysis out of an abundance of caution. The other said the origin would only be clear after that analysis.Witnesses said they last saw Phillips, a freelance reporter who has written for the Guardian and the Washington Post, last Sunday. His companion Pereira, an expert on local tribes, had been a senior official with government indigenous agency Funai.The two men were on a reporting trip in the remote jungle area near the border with Peru and Colombia that is home to the world’s largest number of uncontacted indigenous people. The wild and lawless region has lured cocaine-smuggling gangs, along with illegal loggers, miners and hunters.The pair’s disappearance has echoed globally, with Brazilian icons from soccer great Pele to singer Caetano Veloso joining politicians, environmentalists and human rights activists in urging President Jair Bolsonaro to step up the search for them.State police detectives involved in the investigation have told Reuters they are focusing on poachers and illegal fisherman in the area, who clashed often with Pereira as he organised indigenous patrols of the local reservation.Police have arrested one fisherman, Amarildo da Costa, known locally as “Pelado,” on a weapons charge and are keeping him in custody as they investigate whether he is involved in the men’s disappearanceCosta’s lawyers and family have said he fished legally on the river and denied he had any role in the men’s disappearance.Some 150 soldiers had been deployed via riverboats to hunt for the missing men and interview locals, joining indigenous search teams who have been looking for the pair since Sunday.


Research on tiger population by WWF experts in line with remarks by Kelantan forestry head

Months of extensive field research by two wildlife experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia concluded that some form of deforestation would help preserve the population of endangered Malayan tigers, lending credence to a similar claim by the Kelantan state forestry department director.Yesterday, Abdul Khalim Abu Samah was panned by some quarters over his statement that deforested areas may be good for tigers, in response to a claim that logging activities in Kelantan had contributed to the depleting number of tigers.Khalim pointed to research showing that areas that have been deforested would increase the tiger population.“The tiger population will become larger when small trees grow in the deforested area. The area will see the presence of animals such as mouse deers which is food for tigers,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.Abdul Khalim Abu Samah.The statement appears to be in line with the findings of wildlife experts Mark Rayan Darmaraj and Wan Mohamad Shariff, who set up camp at the Gunung Basor Forest Reserve in Kelantan as part of a wide-ranging observation study on Malayan tigers.Their study covered an area of 120km, aided by infrared camera traps strategically positioned and running round the clock for nine months.Based on the number of sightings of tigers throughout the period, the experts concluded that the population density of tigers was 30% higher in selectively logged areas than the highest estimate stated in an earlier study conducted at a protected forest in Taman Negara.“Selective logging may actually improve tiger habitat as the disruption of the forest canopy increases sunlight to the forest floor and thus increases browse availability to tiger prey,” the paper published by Cambridge University said.Following this, the experts called for urgent research on the ecology of tigers and their prey in logged forests.“Such research would enable conservationists to recommend tiger-friendly management guidelines for sustainable forest management and thereby significantly contribute to tiger conservation in Malaysia,” they said, adding that the impact of logging on the tiger population was “poorly known”.The experts warned against a tendency to perceive selective logging in forests as bad for conservation.“This fallacy has probably led to the degazetting of forest reserves and subsequent conversion to other land uses (e.g. for plant commodity crops such as oil palm).“As tigers have large habitat requirements the effects of such conversion, leading to fragmentation and isolation of forest reserves, will severely affect the long-term viability of tiger populations across the landscape,” they said in the paper, “The importance of selectively logged forests for tiger Panthera tigris conservation: a population density estimate in Peninsular Malaysia”.“We hope that future research will highlight the role of selectively logged forests for tiger conservation and aid in providing tiger-friendly management guidelines for sustainable forest management in Malaysia.”The field research was conducted in response to claims that the Panthera tigris, a family of the Malayan tiger, had become endangered due to loss of habitat, deforestation and poaching, as well as decreasing prey.The Gunung Basor Forest Reserve located in Jeli was chosen for the field study as it was considered a “Class 1” tiger conservation landscape but had been subjected to logging since the 1970s.“The area is undulating (150–1,840m) with floristic zones ranging from lowland dipterocarp and hill/upper dipterocarp forest to lower montane forest,” the paper added.


Musk delays Twitter relaunch after fake account frenzy

Twitter's new owner Elon Musk on Tuesday postponed the relaunch of the site's paid subscription service after a first attempt saw an embarrassing spate of fake accounts that scared advertisers.
"Punting relaunch of Blue Verified to Nov 29 to make sure that it is rock solid," Musk tweeted, delaying his new revamp, originally promised for Tuesday, by two weeks.
The bid for more time came after authentic-looking fake accounts proliferated on the website that Musk bought for US$44 billion (RM199.5 billion) late last month, throwing his plans into chaos.
This forced Twitter last week to suspend the new paid checkmark system and reinstate a gray "official" badge on accounts belonging to public figures and major businesses.
In an apparent attempt to avoid a repeat of the problem, Musk tweeted that in the new release, "changing your verified name will cause loss of checkmark until name is confirmed by Twitter to meet terms of service."
In the original revamp users in the US could pay eight dollars for the verified checkmark and were left free to change their account names and impersonate existing accounts, attracting mischief.
Musk's overhaul of Twitter had already been the subject of heavy criticism after he fired half of the company's 7,500-strong staff and saw major advertisers suspend ad buys amid the chaos.
Firings this week continued at the platform, with one senior engineer dismissed via a tweet by Musk after he questioned his new policies.
US media reports said about a dozen employees were let go in recent days after openly questioning decision-making by Musk, who has called himself a "free speech absolutist".
Musk has radically changed the company's culture since taking it over on Oct 27.
He has scrapped a highly popular work from home policy, imposed long hours and centralised authority around a small group of confidantes, including his personal lawyer.


Covid-19 detected at Tawau football competition

Those involved in a recent football competition at the Tawau Prison field and Tawau Municipal Council Stadium have been urged to take a Covid-19 test immediately as a referee tested positive for the virus on Saturday.Tawau district health officer Dr G Navindran said as of yesterday afternoon, about 100 people had turned up for screening at the Tawau health clinic in Kubota.“The screening tests were conducted since 8am, and the screening centre is open until 5pm for those involved in the football matches to do the Covid-19 screening,” he said when contacted by Bernama.The Tawau district health office issued a notice on Saturday asking all players, spectators and others involved in the football competition to be screened for Covid-19.The matches were held on Aug 28 and 29, and Sept 2 at the Tawau Prison field and Aug 30 and 31 at the stadium.Those involved can call 019-6053475 or 016-4729314 for further enquiries.


Lawyer questions 'special treatment' for Najib after Zahid prison visit

A lawyer has questioned the treatment given to Najib Razak in prison following the disclosure by Umno leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that he spent nearly two hours with the former prime minister, accompanied by members of the party's Supreme Council recently.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Rafique Rashid described the visit as an example of double standards by the home ministry and Prisons Department.
He also said that the parties concerned had violated the rules and regulations in their visit to Kajang Prison.
He said it was standard practice for members of the public, including lawyers and family members of prisoners, to comply with the conditions and visitation procedures laid out by the prison authorities.
For example, he said, visitors are not allowed to communicate with the prisoners face-to-face but must speak through the phone while separated by a glass divider.
They are also prohibited from bringing in communication devices such as phones and recorders, as well as food and drinks.
"Why the different story when Zahid visited Najib?" he added.
Speaking at the Umno general assembly on Saturday, Zahid said he had visited Najib, bringing with him some of the former leader's favourite food which he said they had enjoyed together.
Rafique also asked how Zahid had managed to spend two hours with Najib when visitors are limited to 45 minutes under tight supervision by prison officers and wardens.
He urged the home ministry and Prisons Commissioner General Nordin Muhamad to address the questions that had arisen after Zahid's disclosure.
As a lawyer, he said, he had always gone through the stipulated procedure for prison visits which he added had never changed.
"The internal rules for the Prisons Department are still the same," he said.
"Doesn't the country practise an equal legal system? Have pity on the other prisoners as well."
Najib, the former Pekan MP, began serving a 12-year jail sentence last August after losing his final bid for a review of his SRC International case.
The High Court found him guilty in 2020 of criminal breach of trust, money laundering, and abuse of power in relation to the appropriation of RM42 million, a verdict upheld by the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.


86.6% of teens, 97.1% of adults fully jabbed

A total of 2,724,238 individuals or 86.6% of adolescents had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, 2,832,379 individuals or 90% of this group have received at least one dose of vaccine.As for the adult population, a total of 22,729,076 individuals or 97.1% have completed their vaccination while 23,054,211 or 98.5% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Meanwhile, 93,743 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday involving 4,722 first shots, 5,929 second doses and 87,074 booster jabs.This brings the cumulative numbers of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 54,197,452.


Singapore household incomes dip to lowest in over a decade

Household incomes in Singapore saw their worst dip in more than a decade last year as the world staggered from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, falling for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis, according to official figures released today.The republic’s Department of Statistics said household incomes fell 2.5% from S$9,425 to S$9,189.It said lower-income households were the hardest hit with declines of up to 6.1%.The report also said households received the most government aid last year through various schemes, over S$1,600 more than they received in the previous year.On average, a total S$6,308 per household member was given compared to S$4,684 in 2019.“This was due to the schemes introduced in 2020 to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, resident households in HDB one- and two-room flats received S$13,670 per household member on average, close to double the transfers received by resident households in HDB three-room flats,” the department said, referring to government flats developed by the Housing Development Board.Singapore is facing its worst economic recession since the island became an independent republic, with the plunge in leading stock exchanges and industrial production affecting the export-dependent city-state.


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DAP steps up pro-Azalina campaign

DAP has given its strongest support yet for Umno’s Azalina Othman Said to be appointed as speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, as the Pengerang MP finds herself without a role in the current government after her resignation as a deputy speaker and her failure to obtain a Cabinet position.DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng also revealed that party deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo had met Azalina, hoping to convince her to accept a nomination to replace Azhar Harun as speaker, accusing the latter of causing the Parliament to become a tool of the government.“DAP is willing to discuss further with her if she is serious about putting her name forward to replace Azhar to restore Parliament’s image and credibility that has been badly damaged by Azhar’s subservience to the executive,” Lim said.Azalina and DAP MPs have been on friendly terms ever since she joined Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former leader Najib Razak in revoking their support for the Perikatan Nasional government under Muhyiddin Yassin last month.DAP’s Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh had openly campaigned for Azalina to be given the post of minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of legal affairs.Azalina, who resigned from the deputy speaker’s post during the power vacuum, later returned the gesture with a call for an opposition MP to be appointed to fill the vacancy.Following her failure to make it to Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Cabinet, DAP leaders launched a new campaign for her to be nominated as speaker.Yesterday, MalaysiaNow reported that a move by Umno to appoint Azalina as speaker could no longer be tenable following DAP’s “unauthorised support” for her.“The intense lobbying by some DAP MPs in support of Azalina only made her chances more remote,” an Umno Supreme Council member had said.Meanwhile, it was learnt that Umno leaders aligned with Zahid were vouching for Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan to be appointed as deputy speaker.Like Azalina, Ahmad was among the Umno MPs who heeded the call by Zahid and Najib to revoke their support for Muhyiddin.Ahmad is also part of a group of former leaders from the previous Barisan Nasional government known as the “court cluster”, who are facing court charges related to corruption and money laundering.


Ukraine says Russian 'shackles' worse than missiles six months after invasion

Ukraine was "reborn" when Russia invaded six months ago, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday, marking 31 years of his country's independence from the Moscow-controlled Soviet Union with a vow to drive Russian forces out completely.
After days of warnings that Moscow could use the anniversary of Ukraine's Independence Day to launch more missile attacks on major cities, the second biggest city Kharkiv was under curfew after months of bombardment.
The anniversary fell exactly six months after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Wednesday's celebrations were cancelled but many people marked the day by wearing embroidered shirts that are part of the national dress.
In an emotional speech to his compatriots, Zelensky said Russia's attack had revived the nation's spirit.
"A new nation appeared in the world on Feb 24 at 4 in the morning. It was not born, but reborn. A nation that did not cry, scream or take fright. One that did not flee. Did not give up. And did not forget," he said.
The 44-year-old leader, speaking in front of Kyiv's central monument to independence in his trademark combat fatigues, vowed to recapture occupied areas of eastern Ukraine as well as the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
"We will not sit down at the negotiating table out of fear, with a gun pointed at our heads. For us, the most terrible iron is not missiles, aircraft and tanks, but shackles. Not trenches, but fetters," he said.
He and his wife later joined other religious leaders for a service in St Sophia cathedral and laid flowers at a memorial to fallen soldiers.
Russia has made few advances in Ukraine in recent months, after its troops were pushed back from Kyiv in the early weeks of the war. Ukrainian soldiers on the front line in the east said they were more motivated than their enemy.
"All of our people are cheering for us," a soldier called Yevhen told Reuters, declining to give his last name. "The whole country is, and other countries who help us too. Our fighting spirit is greater than theirs."
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told a meeting of defence ministers in Uzbekistan that Russia had deliberately slowed down what it refers to as its "special military operation" in Ukraine to avoid civilian casualties.
Warnings
On Tuesday evening, Zelensky warned of the possibility of "repugnant Russian provocations" and on Wednesday, Ukraine's military urged people to take air raid warnings seriously, reporting new air and missile attacks on civilian buildings.
US President Joe Biden announced nearly US$3 billion for weapons and equipment for Ukraine in Washington's "biggest tranche of security assistance to date", while the head of Nato told Ukrainians they were an inspiration to the world.
"You can count on Nato's support. For as long as it takes," Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a video message.
Russian forces have seized areas of the south including the Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts, and chunks of the eastern Donbas region comprising the provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk.
US officials have warned of likely new Russian attacks on civilian and government infrastructure in coming days.
The war has killed thousands of civilians, forced more than a third of Ukraine's 41 million people from their homes, left cities in ruins, and shaken the global economy, creating shortages of essential food grains and pushing up energy prices.
In Germany, public buildings will be cooler this winter and streets darker under measures to make up for cuts in Russian gas supplies which it calls "blackmail". Moscow blames technical problems. Italy called on Europe to cap Russian gas prices.
Almost 9,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed in what Kyiv says is an unprovoked act of imperial aggression.
Russia has not publicised its losses but US intelligence estimates 15,000 killed. Moscow describes its actions in Ukraine as an operation necessitated by threats to its security and has imposed penalties on those deemed to discredit its armed forces.
Russian opposition politician Yevgeny Roizman was shown being detained at home in a video published by state-owned news agency RIA. "The essence is that I called the war a war. That's it," he said as he was led away.
In Ukraine, the head of the town of Mykhailivka in the Russian-controlled part of Zaporizhzhia region was killed by a car bomb, the latest killing of a Moscow-installed official.
Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union in August 1991 after a failed putsch by Communist hardliners in Moscow, and its population voted overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum that December.
Nuclear plant hopes
In southern Ukraine, both sides have accused the other of firing missiles and artillery at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, raising fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said the UN nuclear watchdog hoped to gain access soon, while Russia said it had arrested two Ukrainian employees of the plant for passing information to Ukrainian authorities.
Advanced US missile systems appear to have helped Ukraine strike deep behind the front lines in recent months, taking out ammunition dumps and command posts.
In the latest mysterious fire at a Russian military facility, Russian officials said ammunition stored in the south near the border with Ukraine spontaneously combusted on Tuesday.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region, blamed hot weather for the fire, drawing ridicule from Ukraine's defence ministry on Twitter.
"The five main causes of sudden explosions in Russia are: winter, spring, summer, autumn and smoking," it said.


British nurses begin first ever strike as pay dispute deepens

National Health Service nurses in Britain will strike on Thursday in their first ever national walkout, as a bitter dispute with the government over pay ramps up pressure on already-stretched hospitals at one of the busiest times of year.
An estimated 100,000 nurses will strike at 76 hospitals and health centres on Thursday, cancelling thousands of non-urgent operations, such as hip replacements, and tens of thousands of outpatient appointments in Britain's state-funded NHS.
Britain is facing a wave of industrial action this winter, with strikes crippling the rail network and postal service, and airports bracing for disruption over Christmas.
Inflation running at more than 10%, trailed by pay offers of around 4%, is stoking tensions between unions and employers.
Of all the strikes though, it will be the sight of nurses on picket lines that will be the stand-out image for many Britons this winter.
"It is deeply regrettable some union members are going ahead with strike action," health minister Steve Barclay said.
"I’ve been working across government and with medics outside the public sector to ensure safe staffing levels - but I do remain concerned about the risk that strikes pose to patients."
The widely admired nursing profession will shut down parts of the NHS, which since its founding in 1948 has developed national treasure status for being free at the point of use, hitting healthcare provision when it is already stretched in winter and with backlogs at record levels due to Covid delays.
Barclay said patients should continue to seek urgent medical care and attend appointments unless they have been told not to.
The industrial action by nurses on Dec 15 and Dec 20 is unprecedented in the British nursing union's 106-year history, but the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says it has no choice as workers struggle to make ends meet.
Nurses want a 19% pay rise, arguing they have suffered a decade of real-terms cuts and that low pay means staff shortages and unsafe care for patients. The government has refused to discuss pay.
The government in Scotland avoided a nursing strike by holding talks on pay, an outcome which the RCN had hoped for in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but Barclay is not budging.
The government has said it cannot afford to pay more than the 4-5% offered to nurses, which was recommended by an independent body, and that further pay increases would mean taking money away from frontline services.
The RCN has accused the government of "belligerence". It said as late as Tuesday that the strikes could still be stopped if the government was prepared to negotiate.
Some treatment areas will be exempt from strike action the RCN has said, including chemotherapy, dialysis and intensive care.
Polling ahead of the nursing strike showed that a majority of Britons support the action, but once the walk-outs are underway politicians will be closely monitoring public opinion.