Students at UK varsity up in arms over 'phallic' artwork given by Malaysian businessman

An art sculpture donated by a Malaysian businessman to Imperial College London has ruffled feathers among some of the students who say that the figure appears "phallic" and may hurt the reputation of the institution.
The Imperial College Union said while there was "nothing inherently wrong with phallic imagery in art", the sculpture dubbed "Alert" could "hurt the image and reputation of the college", UK paper The Guardian reported.
The artwork, which stands about 6m tall and is meant to resemble a human figure squatting, was given by Brahmal Vasudevan, an alumnus of Imperial College London, and his wife Shanthi Kandiah.
Brahmal, the founder and CEO of private equity firm Creador, said that he shared the college's vision "for a vibrant public space" in donating the sculpture by world-renowned artist Antony Gormley.
"I am deeply proud of my connection to Imperial and have fond memories of my time on campus as a student," he said in a statement on the university's website.
"I share the college’s vision for a vibrant public space, and am proud to bring this iconic, world-class piece of art by Antony Gormley to the heart of campus."
Gormley himself had said that he wished to explore the correlation between people and their environment in creating "Alert".
But the students said in their motion that it had an "obvious" interpretation of a person baring an erect penis, The Guardian reported.
Adding that the students had not been consulted about the installation of the sculpture, they said even its name could be understood as referring to such an interpretation.
In his statement also on the university's website, however, Gormley said he had wanted to "re-assess the relation between body and space".
"Balancing on the balls of the feet while squatting on its haunches and surveying the world around it the attitude of this sculpture is alive, alert and awake," he said.


Chief sec assures no disruption to civil service after PM steps down

The civil service today said it would continue carrying out its duty to serve the people as laid out in the Federal Constitution following the resignation of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Cabinet.Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali said the civil service was committed to upholding the concept of neutrality and the government of the day based on the rule of law.“The government machinery constantly strives to implement all policies that have been decided on to ensure the best delivery of services to the people, especially during this challenging time,” he said.“In the face of current developments, I give the assurance that the civil service, in particular the frontliners, are always fully committed to ensuring that the government’s system of delivery is not affected, based on current government policies.”In a statement, he said day-to–day administrative matters would continue as usual, led by the chief secretaries of ministries and the heads of government agencies.“Safety personnel, especially the police and armed forces, are always ready to protect public peace,” he added.Zuki also said that assistance and initiatives involving large allocations would not be affected, particularly the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.“No matter what turmoil and storms hit, we will continue serving in order to carry out our responsibilities for the sake of the country,” he said.


Sorry.


Meta working on potential Twitter rival

Facebook owner Meta is working on a new "text sharing" social media network, it said Friday, in a project seen as a potential rival to embattled Twitter.
Since billionaire Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter in October, the platform has suffered outages, layoffs and seen advertisers flee over the lack of content moderation.
But so far no major alternative to Twitter has emerged, leaving global leaders, politicians, celebrities and companies little choice than to continue to communicate via the platform.
Following reports on news websites Platformer and India-based Moneycontrol, Meta confirmed on Friday that it was beginning to work on the new platform.
"We're exploring a standalone, decentralised social network for sharing text updates," Meta, which also owns Instagram, said in a short emailed statement.
"We believe there's an opportunity for a separate space where creators and public figures can share timely updates about their interests," the statement added.
The media reports said that Meta's new app would use technology to allow it to be interoperable with niche network Mastodon and other platforms – enabling users to broadcast posts to people on other networks.
This would be a clear break from usual practice by tech giants, where platforms such as Instagram or YouTube are kept behind technological walls and operate using company servers under strict rules.
Mastodon runs from decentralised computing servers, with no central management or authority calling the shots.
Twitter vulnerable?
In December, Musk briefly banned Twitter accounts that provided links to other social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Mastodon.
Moneycontrol reported that Meta's new venture was being tested with features including tappable links, user biographies, verification badges and shareable images and videos.
In its latest glitch, Twitter on Monday suffered a brief but unprecedented outage with users worldwide reporting they could no longer read links to articles from outside websites.
The company's tech support account blamed the problem on "unintended consequences" from an update to the platform.
After several rounds of layoffs saw more than two thirds of staff let go, Twitter is running on a skeleton staff, allegedly leaving it vulnerable to outages as well as disinformation and harmful content.
When many advertisers backing off, the network saw its revenue and adjusted profit fall about 40 percent year-on-year in December, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing people close to the company.
Musk has tried to wean Twitter from advertising and promote subscriptions as a new way to bring in cash – an idea that Meta is testing as well – but so far the results have been disappointing.


Facebook could launch digital wallet this year, report says

Facebook is ready to launch a digital wallet that would let users store cryptocurrencies, a senior company executive said in a US media interview Wednesday.David Marcus, head of Facebook’s crypto unit, told The Information news site that company leaders “feel pretty committed” to launch the digital wallet called Novi this year.Marcus said he would have preferred to release Novi alongside Diem, a digital currency tied to the dollar that the company is also developing, but Diem’s timing was uncertain.“In theory, Novi could launch before Diem, but it would mean launching without Diem and that’s not necessarily something that we want to do,” Marcus told The Information.“It all depends on how long it’s going to take for Diem to actually go live and that’s not something I’m personally looking after.”In 2019 Facebook said it plans to introduce a cryptocurrency that at the time was called Libra. The project however faced regulatory resistance over concerns about security and reliability.In December 2020 the Libra changed its name to Diem and moved its operations from Switzerland to the US as part of a “strategic shift”.


Analysts see fierce fight in Ampang's battle of women candidates

Analysts expect a fierce fight for the parliamentary seat of Ampang, a dynamic Malay-Chinese constituency where five women are among the nine candidates battling for support ahead of the 15th general election (GE15).
Ampang incumbent Zuraida Kamaruddin, representing Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), will face off against Ivone Low Yi Wen of Barisan Nasional (BN), Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif of Perikatan Nasional (PN), Rodziah Ismail of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi of Gerakan Tanah Air.
The men in the running for the seat, meanwhile, are Lai Wai Chong (Warisan) and independent candidates M Raveendran, Muhammad Shafiq Izwan Mohd Yunos and Tan Hua Meng.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Rabi'ah Aminudin of the International Islamic University Malaysia said the benefit of having a multiway fight among women was that women would be represented regardless of who wins.
She said such scenarios were a common part of elections in other countries such as South Korea.
"It's better than fielding women candidates in seats that are not safe," she added.
As the clock ticks down to election day on Nov 19, she said voters in Ampang this time around might cast their ballots along party lines instead of for individual candidates.
While the Ampang seat was once known as a BN stronghold, it has been a PKR fortress ever since the general election in 2008, she said.
For her, the candidates to watch would be Zuraida and Rodziah.
"What's more, the Ampang incumbent has been embroiled in several controversies while her capacity as a minister was also disputed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic," she said, referring to Zuraida's resignation as plantation industries and commodities minister and quitting Bersatu to join PBM.
"Rodziah meanwhile has long been active in Selangor politics and has held important portfolios in the state government.
"If she has an effective strategy for approaching the voters in Ampang, I think the chances of the seat changing hands may be low."
New faces from PN and BN, meanwhile, might need some time to build up their portfolios in the constituency, she said.
Zuraida won the Ampang seat on a PKR ticket with a majority of 41,956 votes in a four-way fight with candidates from BN, PAS and Parti Rakyat Malaysia.
She was appointed to the Cabinet after PH's historic victory at the 2018 general election.
Meanwhile, analyst Bridget Welsh said that while female candidates were often marginalised, the Ampang constituency would be different as the individuals being fielded had different backgrounds and political bases.
Welsh, of Nottingham University's Asian Studies Institute, said PH might have the edge this time as Umno's support base in Ampang had significantly declined.
"And BN is fielding a Chinese candidate, which shows that they are unable to approach the voters from a macro stand, especially in the majority community areas where a large number of residents are from Malay villages," she said.
Welsh said the local issues would also focus on problems at the grassroots level instead of those faced only by women and mothers.
She said Ampang voters would likely focus on the development and management of the constituency, especially in terms of projects that would bring significant change to the environment there.
She said many in Ampang were concerned about issues such as the management of landslides, local development and traffic congestion.
While Zuraida had held the seat for a long time and could rally the support of the grassroots in the constituency, she said, her situation was not as favourable as those of the new candidates.
"I think the most well-known of them all is the PH candidate, who is seen as a family person," she said.
"She is also known as part of the local government, and I think this will give her the edge over the others who are less recognisable."


US State Department 'deeply troubled' by report on Nigerian army killing children

The US State Department is "deeply troubled" by a Reuters special report that the Nigerian army killed children in its fight against insurgents and has raised the allegations with the Nigerian government, a spokesperson said on Monday.
Nigerian military leaders told Reuters the army has never targeted children for killing. They said the reporting in the article is an insult to Nigerians and part of a foreign effort to undermine the country's fight against the insurgents.
"We are pursuing further information, including from the Government of Nigeria and stakeholders working in this space," a State Department spokesperson said by email.
"We are still reviewing the report and will make decisions about next steps thereafter. Our Embassy in Abuja is seeking additional information, including by speaking to Nigerian authorities."
The Reuters report said intentional killings of children have occurred across northeast Nigeria, where the military has been battling Islamist extremists for 13 years.
Amnesty International on Monday called on Nigerian authorities to immediately investigate the report's findings.
"The killing of children on the presumption that they were, or would become, terrorists is a war crime which violates international laws," it said in a statement.


9 students charged with bullying

Nine male students at a boarding secondary school in Kemaman were charged in the Magistrate's Court today with causing hurt to three students last month.
The accused, all aged 16, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them before magistrate Tengku Eliana Tuan Kamaruzaman.
According to the charge sheet, the students are alleged to have deliberately caused injury by punching and kicking three victims, all aged 15, at the school dormitory at 11.30pm on Aug 23.
They were charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code which provides for a prison sentence of up to one year, a maximum fine of RM2,000, or both upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Nor Azhani Azman prosecuted while the accused were represented by lawyer Akmal Wahidah Abd Halim.
The court allowed bail of RM2,000 and RM5,500 each and set Oct 12 for mention and the submission of documents.


South Korea's Yoon pardons Samsung leader Jay Y Lee

South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol pardoned Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y Lee on Friday, with South Korea's Justice Ministry saying the business leader was needed to help overcome a "national economic crisis".
The pardon is largely symbolic, with Lee already out on parole after serving 18 months in jail for bribery relating to his time leading the world's biggest smartphone and memory-chip maker.
However, it should mean Lee will be able to carry out business activities more freely and could herald some big moves from Samsung, analysts said.
"With urgent needs to overcome the national economic crisis, we carefully selected economic leaders who lead the national growth engine through active technology investment and job creation to be pardoned," Justice Minister Han Dong Hoon told a briefing.
Also pardoned by pro-business President Yoon was Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin, who was sentenced to a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence on charges of bribery.
"We sincerely thank the government's and people's decision to grant pardon, and Chairman Shin Dong-bin and staff members at Lotte will contribute to overcoming the complex global crisis," Lotte said in a statement.
Samsung did not immediately comment.
Even before receiving the presidential pardon, Lee had returned to the limelight, appearing in May with President Yoon and US President Joe Biden when they visited Samsung's Pyeongtaek chip production facilities.
He has also visited Europe in June to meet ASML Holding NV CEO Peter Wennink, discussing the adoption of key high-end chip equipment.
Analysts have long expected decisions on major M&A projects and investments once Lee was reinstated, with company sources saying such decisions should only be made by Lee.
"This removes the employment restriction Lee was technically under," said Park Ju-gun, head of research firm Leaders Index.
"And projects that were being pursued Samsung, such as major M&A or investments, these could be tied to the pardon. There's a high chance that announcements will be made going forward."
Last November, Samsung decided on Taylor, Texas as the site of a new US$17 billion chip plant in November.
Top Samsung executives have hinted earlier this year at potential upcoming acquisition activity. Samsung Electronics has not conducted a high-profile deal since its completed its purchase of audio electronics maker Harman for US$8 billion in 2017.
Although macroeconomic factors such as a demand downturn may weigh on investment decisions, Samsung has a huge war chest.
Samsung Electronics' cash balance increased slightly to 125 trillion won (US$95.13 billion) as of end-June, from 111 trillion a year earlier.
Shares in Samsung Electronics were trading up 1% as of 0245 GMT, versus benchmark KOSPI's 0.1% rise. Lotte Corp shares were down 0.8%.


US strikes IS target in Afghanistan, pushes airlift into final stage

The US conducted a drone strike against an Islamic State (IS) target in Afghanistan on Saturday, as the airlift of those desperate to flee moved into its fraught final stages with fresh terror attack warnings and encroaching Taliban forces primed to take over Kabul airport.US forces overseeing the evacuation have been forced into closer security cooperation with the Taliban to prevent any repeat of a suicide bombing that killed scores of civilians crowded around one of the airport’s main access gates and 13 American troops.The attack was claimed by a regional chapter of the IS group, and the Pentagon announced it had carried out a drone attack on a “planner” from the jihadist group in eastern Afghanistan.“Initial indications are that we killed the target,” said Captain Bill Urban of the Central Command.With the airlift window narrowing sharply ahead of an Aug 31 deadline, more than 5,000 people remain inside Kabul airport awaiting evacuation, and crowds continue to throng the perimeter gates pleading for entry.The carnage of Thursday’s suicide attack only injected further stress and tension into a situation already fraught with panic and despair for those wanting to leave and high risk for the US forces tasked with securing the operation.The suicide bombing followed a chorus of warnings about an imminent threat and, as people gathered outside the airport Saturday, the US issued a fresh alert for US citizens to leave areas around the main gates “immediately”.In recent years, the IS’ Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in those countries – massacring civilians at mosques, shrines, public squares and even hospitals.‘Future attempts’At the White House, President Joe Biden’s press secretary Jen Psaki said US national security experts consider another attack is “likely” and the next few days will be “the most dangerous period to date”.Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said on Twitter that the group’s fighters had already moved into parts of the military side of Kabul airport, but the Pentagon stressed that US forces retained control over the gates and airlift operations.Racing to meet the Tuesday deadline for the US withdrawal has required close cooperation with the Taliban on evacuee movements and the IS threat.The head of US forces at the airport, Rear Admiral Peter Vasely, is in constant contact with the Taliban official overseeing security around the airport.And with the Taliban poised to take over when the last US plane leaves, discussions have begun on resuming normal flight operations.Turkish officials have held initial talks with the Taliban in Kabul about helping get the airport back up and running.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Taliban offer was for them to oversee security at the airport, while Ankara runs logistical operations.Refugee exodusUnder enormous criticism at home and abroad for his handling of the Afghan crisis and the US military withdrawal, Biden has pledged to stick to the airlift deadline and to punish those responsible for the suicide blast.About 109,000 people have been flown out of the country since Aug 14, the day before the Taliban swept to power, according to the US government.Some Western allies, including Britain and Spain, announced an end to their airlifts on Friday, following other nations such as Canada and Australia earlier in the week.The United Nations said it was bracing for a “worst-case scenario” of up to half a million more refugees from Afghanistan by the end of 2021.The Taliban have promised a softer brand of rule compared with their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, which ended when the US invaded Afghanistan following the Sept 11 attacks.But many Afghans fear a repeat of their brutal interpretation of Islamic law, as well as reprisals against those working with foreign militaries, Western missions or the previous US-backed government.The role that women will be allowed to play in society has been one of the biggest concerns, after women were banned from work and education and confined to their homes during the group’s previous rule.Taliban official Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the former deputy chief negotiator of peace talks in Doha, said Friday that women have “an innate right” to work.“They can work, they can study, they can take part in politics and they can do business,” he told a press conference.


Now not the time to raise fines for errant employers, says human resources minister

The move to raise the fines for employers who fail to comply with Act 446 (Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990) is not suitable for implementation at present, according to Human Resources Minister M Saravanan.He said this based on the current state of the country’s economy with the crisis of labour shortage faced by many companies as a result of the implementation of the movement control order (MCO).“Before the first implementation of the MCO, the number of foreign workers contributing to Socso (Social Security Organisation) was 1.8 million but today, just within a year, the figure has dropped to 1.1 million, showing that the country is really facing a labour shortage crisis.“If we want to revive the economy, we have to increase productivity and for that, we need manpower, and in this situation, it is probably not a suitable time to raise the fines,” he said in reply to Che Abdullah Mat Nawi (PAS-Tumpat) at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.At present, each violation of the act could cause employers to face a fine of RM50,000.Meanwhile, Saravanan said 940 investigation papers had been opened against employers in various sectors between June 2020 and August 2021.“A total of 618 compound fines were also issued for various offences such as failure to meet the minimum standard of accommodation including beds, mattresses and pillows for the workers,” he added.


New cases inch past 27,800 as 36 more deaths reported

Another 27,808 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,166,023.Of the total number of cases recorded yesterday, 103 (0.37%) were in Category Three and above. The remaining 27,705 (99.63%) were in Category One and Two.There were 12,488 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 2,900,682.Of the 103 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 43 (41.75%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 41 (39.81%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 19 (18.45%) had received a booster jab;* 50 (48.54%) were aged 60 and above;* 44 (42.72%) had comorbidities;* 1 (0.97%%) was a pregnant woman; and* 16 (15.53%) had died, including 9 (8.74%) who were brought in dead.There are now 233,065 active cases, of which 219,696 or 94.3% are undergoing home quarantine.Another 5,476 (2.3%) are at quarantine centres while 7,658 (3.3%) have been hospitalised.A total of 235 are in ICU with 132 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 56.6%, with Covid-19 utilisation at 28.4%.Another 36 deaths were reported, including 11 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 32,276.According to health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the country’s infectivity rate as of Feb 18 was 1.24.


Johor polls a litmus test for youth support in GE15, say analysts

The Johor state polls next month which will see the inaugural participation of voters as young as 18 will likely indicate the voting pattern of the youth at the general election to come, analysts say.They said the implementation of Undi 18 in Johor would help political parties map out a strategy to attract support from the youth at the next election.Political analyst James Chin said the data from the Johor election would be crucial to determining overall voting patterns to predict the outcome of GE15.Chin, who is attached to the University of Tasmania in Australia, said the results in Johor would also reflect the momentum of political parties heading into the general election.“The most important thing in the Johor polls is that we will see the participation of a number of new parties like Muda, Pejuang and possibly Warisan,” he said.“This will be the best arena to test the extent of their achievements and influence.”The Johor state election on March 12 will see candidates jostling to fill the 56 seats in the legislative assembly.There are nearly 2.59 million registered voters in Johor comprising 2.57 million ordinary voters, 10,955 military voters and their spouses, 11,576 police personnel and their spouses, and 376 overseas voters.When asked if younger voters could be expected to rally around Muda, Ahmad Atory Hussain, an analyst from Universiti Sains Malaysia, said this would not necessarily be the case.He said it was difficult to predict where their support would lie as the majority of them have no fixed loyalties“And Muda doesn’t have an election track record, so it’s possible that voters will hesitate to choose its candidates,” he said.Atory said the manifestos presented by each party would therefore play an important role in attracting the attention of the youth.If the Johor election is a replay of the recent election in Melaka, he added, Barisan Nasional (BN) would likely have the upper hand.The Melaka election in November last year saw a voter turnout of 65.85% or 326,068 out of 495,195 voters – below the EC’s goal of 70%.This saw BN winning 21 out of 28 seats in the state assembly.Voter turnout at the 14th general election in 2018 meanwhile was 80%.Atory said if voter turnout in Johor is low, it would benefit BN which has strong grassroots support in the state.“Outstation voters or those in Singapore are unlikely to return to vote,” he said. “Of course, BN will seize this opportunity.”Mujibu Abd Muis of Universiti Teknologi Mara said if BN wins the Johor election, it will put pressure on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to hold the next general election as quickly as possible.“This state election is like a warm-up for GE15,” he said. “With each state BN captures, its political position in the country grows stronger.“Victory in Johor will not only boost the strength of BN’s election machinery, it will also contribute to a psychological victory and show that BN is still strong in the public eye.”


6 more deaths push virus toll to 463

Another 1,870 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 110,485.For the first time, Johor recorded the most new cases with 607, of which 578 or 95.2% were from clusters and close contact screening. This was due in part to the emergence of the Tembok Choh prison cluster.This was followed by Selangor (472, 25.2%) and Sabah (280, 15%).Kuala Lumpur recorded 219 cases, Penang 69, Kelantan 56, Pahang and Perak 48 each, Negeri Sembilan 34, Kedah 23, Melaka eight, Terengganu and Labuan two each, and Putrajaya and Sarawak one each.Active cases stand at 22,562 with 131 in the ICU and 62 in need of respiratory assistance.Eight new clusters were detected today: Tembok Choh (Johor Bahru, Pontian, Kota Tinggi and Mersing in Johor; 382 cases), Tapak Bina Broga (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 64 cases), Tapak Bina Stesen (Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur; 54 cases), Slot Berjaya (Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur; nine cases), Jalan Nikolas (Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; six cases), Gerbang Pongsu (Kerian and Kinta in Perak; eight cases), Damai Ketari (Bentong in Pahang; 21 cases), and Alor (Kota Setar in Kedah and Titiwangsa and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur; 20 cases).Five other clusters ended today – Tapak Bina Sungai Mulia, Assumption, Blok 31, Tanjung Bunga and Jeri – leaving 233 active clusters throughout the country.Another 745 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 87,460.However, six more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 463.


A plea for better management of human-tiger conflict

WWF-Malaysia is deeply saddened by the recent tragic incident in Kampung Sau, Gua Musang, where Anek Along, a 59-year-old Orang Asli villager was attacked and killed by a tiger.We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. We are also devastated that the tiger had to be shot, despite it being a critically endangered species which we as a nation are committed to protect at all cost. We share our concern for the safety of the villagers, and urge that best practices and necessary steps be taken to avoid further casualty, be it man or beast.Unfortunately, incidents of human-tiger conflict (HTC) are not uncommon in tiger range countries. HTC occurs when a wild tiger interacts with humans, their animals or their livestock and this results in an injury or death to a human, livestock or tiger.In Russia, two wild tigers responsible for killing three dogs on the outskirts of the town Vyazemskoye were sedated and successfully relocated to the Utyos Rehabilitation Centre with the support of WWF-Russia and ANO Amur Tiger.In Bhutan, human-wildlife conflict is a critical issue where farming communities reside close to protected areas or in reserved forests. Apart from measures such as the use of sound and light repellent and electric fencing, “safe systems” is being adopted, to address this issue holistically with strategies that ensure the safety of both humans and wildlife.In Peninsular Malaysia, our forests are home to fewer than 200 tigers, yet in recent months, a few from this already dwindling population have ventured out of the forest, closer to human settlements. With increased incidents, there is a real urgency to find a holistic way to address and manage HTC. To do this we must understand the nature of the tiger, the possible causes leading to HTC and expedite necessary solutions.Individual tigers require a large territory, and the size of its territory is determined mostly by the availability of prey. Across their range, tigers face unrelenting pressures from poaching, retaliatory killings, and habitat loss. They are forced to compete for space with dense and often growing human populations.Tigers are by nature solitary, unless they are courting or a mother with young cubs. Preferring to shy away from humans, the tiger hunts alone, by ambush, waiting for lone, unsuspecting prey. A tiger when threatened or already injured may exhibit more aggression and its natural behaviour is to defend and save itself.The solution is to minimise contact between wild tigers and humans. However, as competition for space and habitat increases, this becomes a challenge. It is only a matter of time before their numbers are completely wiped out from the combined threat of poaching, deforestation, habitat loss, lack of natural prey for food, injuries from snares or being hunted, leading to inability to hunt for food in the case of Awang Rasau, increased incidences of human tiger conflict and the threat of disease such as canine distemper.When we stop threatening the resources required for a self-sustaining ecosystem, the coexistence between human and wildlife can be better managed. So as we work towards increasing our wild tiger numbers, we also need to look at effectively managing HTC, for the safety of the communities that live close to the forest as well as the conservation of the Malayan tiger.Year 2021 closed on a hopeful note with the announcement of the set up of a Wildlife Crime Unit by the police. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hassan had also announced the establishment of a National Tiger Task Force and a Tigers Working Group to look at ways to increase tiger population in the wild. Together with other NGOs, we have advocated for several years to see this achieved, and now we must quickly and relentlessly move forward with the next phase of implementation – the nine strategic actions for the conservation of the species approved by the Cabinet in June 2021.The Malayan tiger is already standing precariously close to the brink of extinction. We may be losing tigers faster than they can breed. With fewer tigers, the chances of breeding will be further reduced, and with so few remaining in the wild, the urgency to conserve each and every tiger is so critical.In a few weeks, as we usher in the Year of the Tiger, my hope is that every Malaysian will seek to understand the nature and necessary existence of this critically endangered species that is our national icon and its connection to our very own survival.Sophia Lim is executive director and CEO of WWF-Malaysia.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


IMF says global debt well above pre-pandemic levels despite steep 2021 drop

Global public and private debt saw its biggest drop in 70 years in 2021 after reaching record highs because of the impacts of Covid-19, but overall remained well above pre-pandemic levels, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.
In a blog released with its inaugural Global Debt Monitor, the IMF said total public and private debt decreased by 10 percentage points to 247% of global gross domestic product in 2021 from its peak of 257% in 2020. That compares to around 195% of GDP in 2007, before the global financial crisis.
In dollar terms, global debt continued to rise, although at a much slower rate, reaching a record US$235 trillion (about RM1 quadrillion) last year.
The global lender said private debt, which includes non-financial corporate and household obligations, drove the overall reduction, decreasing by 6 percentage points to 153% of GDP, citing data for 190 countries.
The drop of 4 percentage points for public debt, to 96 percent of GDP, was the largest such drop in decades, it said.
The unusually large swings in debt ratios - or "global debt rollercoaster" - were caused by the economic rebound from Covid-19 and the ensuring swift rise in inflation, the IMF said.
Repayment concerns
Debt dynamics varied widely across country groups. Advanced economies saw the biggest drop in debt, with both public and private debt dropping 5% of GDP last year, followed by similar results in emerging markets, excluding China.
But low-income countries saw their total debt ratios continue to increase in 2021, driven by higher private debt, with total debt reaching 88% of GDP.
There are growing concerns about the ability of low- and middle-income countries to repay their debts, with an estimated 25% of emerging market countries and over 60% of low-income countries either in or near debt distress.
IMF fiscal affairs chief Vitor Gaspar and two other senior IMF economists said in a blog also released on Monday that it would become increasingly difficult to manage the high levels of debt if the economic outlook continued to deteriorate and borrowing costs rose further.
High inflation levels continued to help reduce debt ratios in 2022, but spending will increase if inflation becomes persistent, which could lead to higher premiums.
They said governments should pursue fiscal policies that help reduced inflationary pressures now and debt vulnerabilities over the long term, while continuing to support the most vulnerable.
"In times of turbulence and turmoil, confidence in long-run stability is a precious asset," they said.


Nashville blast: suspect killed in explosion named

Police investigating a camper van blast that injured three people in Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas Day have named a suspect after DNA was collected at the scene.Anthony Quinn Warner, 63, was present when the explosion occurred, officials say.They believe the explosion may have been a suicide bombing and confirmed on Sunday that DNA samples from the site belonged to Warner.No motive for the powerful explosion has yet been established.During a press conference on Sunday, federal investigators said they believed that Warner, who worked in IT and had extensive experience with electronics, was the sole individual responsible for the blast and had died at the site.They said the blast was probably deliberate, and that it was Warner’s remains discovered at the scene.Earlier, CNN reported that DNA samples had also been collected from members of the suspect’s family.Officers responded to reports of gunshots just before dawn on Dec 25 in an area of Nashville known for its restaurants and nightlife.Shortly afterwards, they found a camper van outside a building belonging to the telecoms giant AT&T. The van was broadcasting a warning message to leave the area.Police said the van had also played the 1964 hit song Downtown by British singer Petula Clark, just before it exploded, the Tennessean newspaper reported.Resident Buck McCoy said he had been woken up by the blast. He posted a video on Facebook, showing some of the damage done.“All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there, it would have been horrible,” McCoy told the Associated Press. “It felt like a bomb. It was that big.”


UiTM student tests positive for Covid-19 after event linked to Melaka BN

At least one student from UiTM Lendu in Alor Gajah has tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a programme at a resort believed to be organised by Barisan Nasional (BN) in conjunction with the Melaka state election.Melaka health director Dr Rusdi Abd Rahman said seven students were screened for the virus after attending the programme.“Yesterday, we were informed that seven people had symptoms of Covid-19. The results of saliva-based tests found one student positive for the virus,” he told MalaysiaNow.Adding that UiTM had isolated those who attended the programme, he said 40 have so far been screened with the investigation ongoing.Claims had been circulating on social media that seven UiTM students tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from a programme organised by Melaka BN from Nov 4 to 7.Barisan Nasional leaders including deputy president Mohamad Hasan and former prime minister Najib Razak in another picture making the rounds.“All of the students returned to campus on the seventh after the end of the programme at Villa D Aqua, Masjid Tanah, Melaka,” read a post making the rounds accompanied by pictures of the event.“When they returned to campus, out of dozens of students, seven were found to be positive for Covid-19,” it said.According to the post, the following day on Nov 10, BN supporters had gathered at the villa to have breakfast before going to the nomination centre together with Melaka chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh.Also present that morning was former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, who were there in a show of support for Rauf.MalaysiaNow’s efforts to reach BN for comment have yet to receive a response.


Xi, Putin hail 'new era' of ties in united front against West

The leaders of China and Russia hailed a "new era" in their relationship on Tuesday, putting on a united front in Moscow as Vladimir Putin accused the West of rejecting Beijing's proposals to end the Ukraine conflict.
The nations, eager to curb Western power, expressed concerns about Nato expansion in Asia and agreed to deepen a partnership which has grown closer since Putin launched an offensive in Ukraine.
Putin said he was open to talks on Ukraine and praised Beijing's 12-point position paper on the conflict, which includes a call for dialogue and respect for all countries' territorial sovereignty.
"Many of the provisions of the peace plan put forward by China... can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when Kyiv and the West will be ready for it," Putin said after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
"However, so far we have not seen such readiness on their part."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had invited China to talks, and is waiting for an answer from Beijing.
"We offered China to become a partner in the implementation of the peace formula. We passed over our formula across all channels. We invite you to dialogue. We are waiting for your answer," Zelensky told a press conference.
The US, however, said it does not see China as capable of being an impartial mediator – Washington's most direct criticism yet of Beijing's aim to be a middleman in efforts to end the conflict.
'Unlimited possibilities'
Moscow and Beijing have over the past years ramped up cooperation, both driven by a desire to counterbalance US global dominance.
The Chinese leader's Moscow visit has been viewed as a boost for Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court warrant over accusations of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
"I am sure that Russian-Chinese cooperation has truly unlimited possibilities and prospects," Putin said at a state dinner following the talks, where he toasted the "prosperity" of Russian and Chinese people.
He earlier gushed over the "special nature" of the relationship between the two countries in remarks broadcast on state television.
On the second day of his visit to Moscow, Xi said ties with Russia were "entering a new era".
Putin called the talks "meaningful and frank" and said that Russia, which has been largely cut out of European markets because of sanctions, would be able to meet China's "growing demand" for energy.
Energy is a key focus of Xi's visit, and Putin announced the two countries had reached an agreement on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which will connect Siberia to northwest China.
US 'undermining' global security
In a joint statement, the two leaders took aim at the West, accusing the US of undermining global security.
"The parties call on the United States to stop undermining international and regional security and global strategic stability in order to secure its unilateral military advantage," Russia and China said in the declaration.
They also expressed "great concern" over Nato's growing presence in Asia.
On Monday, Xi and Putin held four and a half hours of talks, calling each other "dear friend."
China and Russia have often worked in lockstep at the UN Security Council, using their veto power as permanent council members to counter the West.
Russia's assault on Ukraine has also deepened fears among Western powers that China could one day try to take control of the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as part of its territory.
China has sought to portray itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine conflict, but Washington has said Beijing's moves could be a "stalling tactic" to help Moscow.
The US has also accused Beijing of mulling arms exports to Moscow, claims China has vociferously denied.
Japan PM in Kyiv
Xi's trip coincides with a surprise visit to Kyiv by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who visited Bucha, a town where Russian forces were accused of committing atrocities during their occupation last year.
"Our talks with Kishida were quite productive," Zelensky said in his evening address.
"I also heard a very concrete willingness of Japan to work together with us to even more actively mobilise the world for international order, to protect against aggression, to protect against Russian terror," he said.
Kishida, the last Group of Seven leader to visit the country, had come under increasing pressure to make the trip, as Japan hosts the grouping's summit this May.
Zelensky confirmed on Tuesday he would participate in the G7 summit via video link.
And the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it had reached an agreement with Ukraine on a four-year loan package worth around US$15.6 billion (RM69.77 billion) – intended to support European Union accession talks and reconstruction in the conflict-hit country.


Speaker Art Harun shocked by friends who ‘unfriended’ him

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun says one of the things that saddens him the most is the fact that many of his close friends snubbed him after the change of government in 2020.In a frank interview on “Talk, Now”, a new online show by MalaysiaNow, Azhar spoke of how friends had started behaving “as if they were not my friends”.But Azhar, who used to blog under the pen name Art Harun before he was appointed as the Election Commission chairman during Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) administration, said his current role is still non-partisan, similar to his former position.“I have not changed. I am in the middle. In the past, A was on the left, so A saw my left side. B was on the right, and saw my right side.“Now, I am still in the middle. A and B have swapped places. That’s all,” he said, referring to the political realignment in February 2020 which saw Muhyiddin Yassin sworn into power to lead a new government following the collapse of PH.Azhar said he was happy to assume the role of chairing Dewan Rakyat sessions as he had friends on both sides of the political divide.“The reaction that I got, I must say, was shocking. It still shocks me now.”The full interview can be watched on YouTube and Facebook.


UK to turn page on 'Trussonomics' with budget plan

Finance minister Jeremy Hunt will bury Britain's failed "Trussonomics" experiment on Thursday by cutting spending and raising taxes, moves that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak say are needed to restore investor confidence.
Britain is probably already in a recession with 11% inflation creating a cost-of-living crisis. It is the only Group of Seven nation yet to recover its pre-pandemic size having previously suffered a decade of near-stagnant income growth.
But Hunt has warned of more pain in his budget statement that will represent an abrupt reversal of policy from the unfunded tax cuts promised by former Prime Minister Liz Truss less than two months ago.
Her government's short-lived "mini-budget" on Sept 23 sent the pound slumping to an all-time low against the US dollar, threatened chaos in the housing market, and eventually forced Truss to quit after just 50 days in Downing Street.
Investors took comfort when Hunt replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor of the exchequer in mid-October and immediately started steering the economy back towards a more orthodox path.
He and Sunak say they must now go further.
"Stability has returned to the United Kingdom but that's because the expectation is that the government will make those difficult but necessary decisions," Sunak said this week.
Critics say a return to austerity is unnecessary, will hurt millions of households and will deepen the expected recession.
But Hunt says he can only slow the rise in borrowing costs if he can show investors that Britain's £2.45 trillion (about RM13.2 trillion) debt mountain will start to fall as a share of economic output. Beating inflation is key to that.
"The Bank of England has my wholehearted support in its mission to defeat inflation... but we need fiscal and monetary policy to work together," Hunt said in excerpts of his budget speech released by the finance ministry.
"We are taking a balanced path to stability," he said. "But it depends on taking difficult decisions now."
Tax rises and spending cuts
Britain's government is aiming for more than 50 billion pounds of annual savings by five years' time - equivalent to about 2% of annual economic output. How soon spending cuts and tax rises come will be key for the short-term economic outlook.
Hunt risks reviving tensions within the ruling Conservative Party, many of whose members were already upset at the scale of tax increases he announced when finance minister.
Hunt is expected to extend a freeze on the thresholds at which people start to pay income tax, dragging more people into the taxman's net. He might cut the threshold for paying the higher rate of income.
News reports have said Hunt also plans to bring in more revenues from dividend and capital gains taxes while sources have said he is considering a big increase in a windfall tax on oil and gas firms and extending it to power generation firms.
New spending cuts could add to the public's frustration with over-stretched public services, ranging from a health system bogged down in backlogs to dilapidated public housing.
Adjusted for inflation, budgets have been cut below 2010 levels for many departments with transport spending about 40% down and justice 20% beneath its level 12 years ago, the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank estimates.
Opinions polls show the opposition Labour Party has a big lead in opinion polls ahead of an expected election in 2024.
The budget statement will be accompanied by forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility which are likely to echo the BoE's message that Britain is heading for a long recession.
Hunt has said he will address one of the drags on Britain's economy which is a shortage of workers in the labour market.


Only letters from 6 ministries, certain agencies accepted at roadblocks, says top cop

Beginning Tuesday, the police will only accept approval letters issued by six ministries and certain agencies in allowing workers to pass through roadblocks.Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the letter was proof to allow workers to travel to and from their workplace.“The public is reminded to submit the documents issued by the ministries or agencies that have been listed, when going through the roadblocks. Those who fail to do so or are found using a fake letter will be subject to stern action under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342),” he said in a statement.The ministries involved are the international trade and industry ministry (Miti) for the manufacturing and related services sector and the transport ministry for the public transport and essential goods sector.For the agricultural, fisheries, livestock, plantation and commodity sector, the agriculture and food industry ministry will only issue approval letters to smallholders while for those with Companies Commission of Malaysia licences, letters will be issued by Miti.“For Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM) licence holders such as smallholders, estates, nurseries, rubber traders and rubber manufacturers, they are allowed to use approval letters from the plantation industries and commodities ministry or LGM, while for manufacturers of rubber products, their letters will be issued by Miti.“All approval letters issued by agencies under the home ministry such as the immigration department, National Registration Department and Rela will be accepted for movement,” Acryl added.He said approval letters issued by the communications and multimedia ministry would be accepted for the telecommunications, media, post, courier and broadcast services sector.For financial institutions, insurance and stock trading, approval letters will be issued by Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission.Local authorities will issue letters for petty traders, hawkers and food truck operators while the issuance of business licence for strata, solid waste and sanitation management will be under the purview of Miti.“The approval documents need to be dated June 1, 2021. Those without any legal documents or who possess expired or outdated (before June 1, 2021) letters will be ordered to turn back.“The police will also issue travel permits to those who qualify under the regulations for interstate and inter-district travel, including for emergencies, self-employment and funeral arrangements,” he added.Acryl said for self-employed individuals like plumbers, maintenance workers and traders, one-off travel permits must be obtained from the police for the duration of June 1 until June 14.He said the police will approve one-off applications for two to three days for workers in sectors that are not allowed to operate but who need to go to their workplace for specific reasons, including for the preparation of documents, invoices and salary payments. However, they are required to present approval letters from their employers as proof.He said that for operations of legal firms with 20% of their workforce, letters will be issued by the Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division through Miti while legal practitioners who need to attend court to represent their clients in new cases (Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code) will need to produce printed documents or a letter from the legal firm at roadblocks.


Pfizer raises 2021 outlook on surging Covid-19 vaccine sales

Pfizer lifted its annual revenue and profit projections Wednesday as it forecast the delivery of 500 million more Covid-19 vaccine doses compared with earlier expectations.The two-shot inoculation accounted for more than 40% of Pfizer’s sales in the second quarter, lifting revenues sharply compared with the year-ago period.Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said more than a billion doses of the vaccine have been delivered, saying “the speed and efficiency of our efforts with BioNTech to help vaccinate the world against Covid-19 have been unprecedented”.The US drugmaker, which has partnered with Germany’s BioNTech on the vaccine, now estimates delivering 2.1 billion doses, generating US$33.5 billion in sales.The company’s May forecast was for US$26 billion in sales on 1.6 billion doses for the year.Pfizer said the pre-tax profit margin on the Covid-19 vaccine sales was in the “high-20s” in terms of percent, the same as the earlier forecast.Those profit margins have raised the ire of NGOs such as Public Citizen, which has accused Pfizer of “profiteering” on the pandemic and called on world leaders to launch a multi-billion dollar campaign to build vaccine manufacturing capacity and “vaccinate the world”.In the second quarter, Pfizer reported profits of US$5.6 billion, up 59% from the year-ago period on a 92% increase in revenues to US$19 billion.Recent commercial developments for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine venture include a May agreement with the European Union, a June deal with the US for 500 million doses to donate to the poorest countries and a letter of intent signed in July with the Biovac Institute to manufacture the vaccine in Africa.Pfizer has launched clinical studies on a possible third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as a booster shot. Bourla has said such boosters could amount to a “durable” revenue stream for the company.US health officials have thus far not backed a third shot for the broad population, but officials are studying the need for a third shot in immunocompromised people.Questions about boosters come as US health officials are adjusting policies in light of the Delta variant of the coronavirus.On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shifted course and directed people vaccinated against Covid-19 in high-risk parts of the US to resume wearing masks indoors.According to the latest CDC data, much of the southern US is experiencing high or substantial transmission, while highly vaccinated parts of the Northeast are mostly experiencing moderate rates of community transmission.Shares of Pfizer rose 0.9% to US$42.47 in pre-market trading.


Still checking data, health minister says on interstate travel for the fully vaccinated

Authorities are still looking into the relevant data before making any decision on allowing interstate travel for those who have completed their full regime of Covid-19 vaccine.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said while his ministry has looked at the suggestion raised by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, it is still reviewing the findings of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).“We will be getting data from the CDC and WHO in due course to ensure the prime minister’s suggestion can be implemented,” he said at a press conference today.However, he noted that the majority of those who have been vaccinated in the first phase are frontliners who are already allowed to cross state borders for work purposes.Muhyiddin had made the suggestion on April 1, adding however that any decision would be made by the National Security Council.He also said that the government had started negotiations with several countries to allow Malaysians who have been vaccinated to travel there.


UK lawmakers set to punish ex-PM Johnson for 'Partygate lies'

British MPs vote Monday on a damning report that found ex-prime minister Boris Johnson deliberately lied to Parliament about lockdown-breaking parties, in what the government hopes will be the final chapter in the damaging "Partygate" scandal.
The parliamentary vote is being held on Johnson's 59th birthday as the wounded former leader ponders his next move, with allies predicting a future return to the electoral fray.
It also comes at a time of mounting political problems for Rishi Sunak's Conservative government as stubbornly high inflation and constantly rising interest rates inflict economic pain on voters.
The populist architect of Brexit, Johnson led the Conservative party to a landslide victory at the last general election in December 2019.
But he was forced to quit as prime minister last July due to Partygate and a string of other scandals.
Johnson has rejected the report by Parliament's Privileges Committee, claiming he has been the victim of a stitch-up by political opponents and a "kangaroo court".
The committee in a scathing 106-page report on Thursday found him guilty of "repeated contempts (of parliament) and... seeking to undermine the parliamentary process".
'Indefensible'
"The contempt was all the more serious because it was committed by the prime minister, the most senior member of the government," the report said, adding there was "no precedent for a prime minister having been found to have deliberately misled the house".
Even as the vote looked set to draw a line under the Partygate scandal, another video emerged Sunday of Tory party officials partying in December 2020 during lockdown.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove apologised for the Covid rule breach at a time when the public was banned from socialising or meeting loved ones.
He told the BBC the footage was "terrible" and "indefensible".
Johnson could have faced a 90-day suspension and the humiliation of having to run for re-election in his constituency had he not quit as a lawmaker on June 9 after receiving an advance copy of the report.
A few of his close allies are expected to vote against the report, but they are said to be unconcerned about the recommended sanction of removing his parliamentary pass.
Johnson has reportedly privately urged supporters not to vote against the report, arguing the sanctions have no practical effect.
Conservative MP and Johnson loyalist Jacob Rees-Mogg predicted that the ex-premier might eventually stage a comeback.
"Perhaps, after the next election, Boris Johnson will return to the fray with a new electoral mandate," he wrote Saturday in the right-leaning Daily Telegraph.
"His undimmed ebullience and joie de vivre, with a renewed sympathy from the electorate, many of whom think the privilege committee over-egged its pudding, leave him as a powerful force in politics," he added.
Boris comeback?
Liz Truss, who briefly succeeded Johnson as prime minister last September, said on Thursday she would "never, ever, ever write Boris off".
"I am sure we will hear more from him," she said, adding that she viewed the proposed blocking of his parliamentary pass as "very harsh".
Under-fire Sunak is now facing four potential by-elections – three linked to the Johnson fall-out.
These will give voters an opportunity to voice discontent over the government's failure to tame inflation and the cost of living crisis.
While MPs have been caught up in the Johnson affair, commentators have repeatedly warned of a "mortgage time bomb" due to interest rates hikes that show no sign of ending.
Former Conservative minister Justine Greening told the BBC on Sunday it would be easier to persuade the public that the government had moved on if MPs backed the report on Monday.
"I think they should be decisive about supporting the privileges committee's work," she said.
"Essentially, it's important to recognise that MPs, and especially prime ministers, cannot mislead Parliament and be allowed to get away with that," she added.


9 cases of South African Covid variant found in Malaysia so far

Malaysia has detected nine Covid-19 cases of the South African B.1.351 variant which was first identified among four local cases in March, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.He said initial investigations found that the four cases had geographical and close relations with the Jalan Lima Cluster as shown in a phylogenetic analysis.“Two cases were believed to have originated from the Jalan Lima Cluster involving workers of a company which is based at KLIA. However, it was difficult to identify and verify the B.1.351 variant’s mode of transmission to these workers.“One case was from the Kebun Baru Cluster and another case was a family member of a Covid-19 patient who is living in the same house,” he said in a statement on Covid-19 development yesterday.Following the first discovery of the variant, Noor Hisham said more genome sequencing was carried out using the Covid-19 positive samples from geographical locations including the Kuala Langat and Sepang districts.He said the findings of the tests revealed that five more cases from the localities had been infected with the variant, of which four were from the Kebun Baru Cluster and the other from the Jalan Lima Cluster.Noor Hisham said the Institute for Medical Research had identified and verified the presence of the South African B.1.351 variant among the local Covid-19 cases through genomic surveillance.He said the genomic surveillance strategy involved samples that were confirmed positive for the coronavirus from January this year until March 31.“It involves positive cases from local clusters in Selangor, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melaka, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, positive cases with history of travelling abroad, and death cases due to Covid-19,” he said.He said the South African B.1.351 variant was first detected in the UK and South Africa in December 2020.The variant has also been reported in other countries including the US, Canada, Germany, Australia and South Korea.


Sorry.


Up to 500 IS fighters still active in Iraq, military says

The Islamic State group still has up to 500 active fighters in Iraq, a senior military official estimated Sunday in the country where jihadist cells continue to launch sporadic attacks.
But Iraqi General Qais al-Mohamadawi, part of the anti-jihadist coalition, stressed that IS – now based in remote desert and mountain hideouts – has "lost its ability to attract new recruits".
The United Nations estimated in a report published last month that IS still has "5,000 to 7,000 members and supporters" across Iraq and neighbouring Syria, "roughly half of whom are fighters".
The IS extremists in 2014 launched their self-proclaimed "caliphate" across swathes of both countries in a campaign marked by its brutality including mass killings, torture, rape and slavery.
US-backed counter-offensives ended their territorial hold in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but IS cells continue to target security forces and civilians in both countries.
With thousands of suspected IS fighters and relatives now held in vast detention camps, US general Michael Kurilla, head of Central Command, warned Saturday of the persistent threat of an "ISIS army in detention", using an alternative acronym for IS.
General Mohamadawi, deputy commander of the Iraqi operations unit working with the international anti-jihadist coalition, said Sunday that hundreds of IS fighters remain active in Iraq.
"According to information from intelligence agencies, the total number of IS members does not exceed 400 to 500 fighters, in three or four provinces," he told a press conference.
The group has "lost its ability to attract new recruits," he added, also pointing to a Feb 26 military operation that had killed 22 IS members and destroyed a "training camp" in Al-Anbar province.
The UN report last month said IS had been much depleted by "sustained counter-terrorism operations" in both countries.
It said the group still operates cells of around 15 to 30 individuals across Syria and continues "guerrilla warfare tactics" against government forces, other fighters and civilians.
In Iraq, IS cells operate in rural mountain areas, "leveraging the porous Iraqi-Syrian border and retaining manoeuvrability to evade attacks" while trying to "rebuild and recover", the UN report said.
The report estimated IS' "dwindling cash reserves" at US$25 million (RM112.99 million) to US$50 million and said it had started investing in hotels and real estate to launder money and engaging in cattle rustling to raise funds.


NZ hits first recession in decades

New Zealand has entered a recession with the economy shrinking 12.2% in the June quarter – the biggest drop since 1987, state-run media reported on Thursday.Official numbers showed that gross domestic product (GDP) fell a seasonally adjusted 12.2% for the three months up to June, Anadolu Agency reported according to Radio New Zealand (RNZ).The country has been witnessing its biggest fall since New Zealand introduced the current measuring data system in 1987.“Industries like retail, accommodation and restaurants, and transport saw significant declines in production because they were most directly affected by the international travel ban and strict nation-wide lockdown,” RNZ quoted Stats NZ senior manager Paul Pascoe as saying.Household domestic spending also dropped 12%.Annually, GDP fell 2% – the first annual decline since the March 2010 quarter.Service industries dropped 10.9% with consumer spending falling more than 25%, RNZ reported.Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the current figures were expected following the government’s tough restrictions to contain the coronavirus.“Sharp economic decline was no surprise, but the government’s measures such as the wage subsidy, business loans, and other schemes had cushioned the impact and laid the foundation for the rebound,” said Robertson.“Going hard and early means that we can come back faster and stronger,” state-run media quoted Robertson as saying.New Zealand’s economic slump is higher than Australia’s 7% and Canada’s 11.5%, but less than that of the UK and India.In March, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern placed her country under strict lockdown for a month following Covid-19 outbreak.New Zealand has so far recorded 1,809 cases with 25 deaths, while 1,707 patients have recovered, according to the health ministry.


Chinese paper manufacturing giant committed to boosting Malaysia investment by RM5.4 billion, says PM

China’s Nine Dragons Paper (Holdings) Limited, the largest paper and paperboard manufacturer in Asia, is committed to increasing its investment by RM5.4 billion in Malaysia, says Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.He said the increase in investment by the group clearly reflected the confidence of foreign investors in continuing to make Malaysia their destination of choice.“The Malaysian government is very pro-business and always welcomes the entry of new investments into the country, and is ready to offer various incentives to encourage more foreign investment into Malaysia.“Hopefully, the country’s economy will continue to recover and become stronger,” he said in a Facebook post after receiving the company’s delegation represented by its chairman Cheung Yan and deputy CEO Zhang Cheng Fei today.Also present were International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) CEO Azman Mahmud.Muhyiddin said as of December 2020, a total of 572 manufacturing projects from China worth RM78.61 billion had been approved by Mida, including that of Nine Dragons Paper Group.The company is listed on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and China Fortune 500.The group’s investment in Malaysia includes two manufacturing facilities, namely ND Paper (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd in Bentong, Pahang, involving the acquisition of a paper and pulp mill with a total investment of RM1.2 billion, and ND Paper Malaysia (Selangor) Sdn Bhd in Banting worth RM4.2 billion.Both projects will create 2,180 jobs with almost 90% for locals, the prime minister said, adding that the project in Banting is scheduled to begin operating in 2022.


Australia’s capital Canberra to enter virus lockdown after single case detected

Australia’s capital Canberra was ordered into a seven-day lockdown Thursday, after a single Covid-19 case was detected in the city that has largely avoided virus restrictions.About 400,000 people in the nation’s political hub will be under stay-at-home orders from 5pm local time, joining millions more already under lockdown in Australia’s southeast.“This is the most serious public health risk that we are faced in the territory this year. Really, since the beginning of the pandemic,” Australian Capital Territory chief minister Andrew Barr said.He added that the Covid-positive person had been in the community while infectious.Canberra has not been in lockdown since a nationwide shutdown in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020.After months of pursuing a “Covid zero” strategy, Australia is struggling to contain multiple outbreaks of the highly transmissible Delta variant.More than 10 million people in the country’s biggest cities, Melbourne and Sydney, are currently in lockdown as authorities try to bring case numbers down.Much of western New South Wales state was also placed under lockdown late Wednesday, amid concerns for a sizeable indigenous population feared more vulnerable to coronavirus.“I ask all our aboriginal community as well to please stay at home, come forward for a test if you have symptoms and of course please get vaccinated with any available vaccine as soon as you can,” New South Wales Health’s Marianne Gale said.In Sydney, the epicentre of the outbreak, almost 6,500 cases and 36 deaths have been recorded since a cluster emerged in mid-June.The city is expected to spend at least nine weeks under stay-at-home orders, with several hotspot suburbs placed under harsher restrictions Thursday.Australia won global praise for its successful coronavirus response in the early stages of the pandemic, and most of the country was enjoying few restrictions by late 2020.But a glacial vaccination rollout has been no match for the Delta variant, leaving cities and towns reliant on repeated lockdowns as they attempt to stamp out the virus.The nation has recorded more than 37,500 cases of Covid-19 and 946 related deaths to date in a population of 25 million.


Another palm oil giant accused of mistreating workers

Migrant workers employed by a Malaysian palm oil giant have faced mistreatment ranging from physical abuse to poor living conditions, a rights group said Wednesday.IOI Corporation is the latest producer of the commodity to face such allegations, and it follows the US banning imports from two other Malaysian palm oil firms over abuse claims.Palm oil is a common ingredient in items ranging from processed foods to cosmetics, with Malaysia and neighbouring Indonesia producing 85% of the world’s supply.But activists have long claimed that low-paid migrant workers on plantations face abuse, and also blame the industry for driving destruction of rainforests to make way for agricultural estates.The latest allegations come in a report by rights group Finnwatch, which has for several years been documenting problems at IOI, a supplier to consumer giants including Nestle and Unilever.The Finland-based group, which focuses on corporate responsibility, interviewed Indian workers at an IOI palm oil estate in Pahang.The workers complained accommodation was poor, with some forced to sleep on the floor as they were not given beds, and toilets and kitchens in bad condition, the report said.Workers were later given beds after Finnwatch complained.A staff member is alleged to have slapped workers, some complained of paying hefty recruitment fees, in breach of IOI’s own policies, and they were not given copies of their employment contracts, the group said.They were also unhappy with the firm’s complex, performance-based wage policies, it said.Finnwatch said some problems had been rectified after they were raised, but the complaints highlighted “gaps in the IOI Group’s wider recruitment and wage policies, and commitment to respect for human rights”.IOI did not immediately comment on the report.Last year, the US banned imports of palm oil from Sime Darby Plantation and FGV Holdings over allegations they mistreated migrant workers.


UK to trial if different jabs combined over 2 shots more effective

Britain has launched a trial to assess the immune responses generated if doses of the Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer and AstraZeneca are given in a two-shot schedule.The British researchers behind the trial said on Thursday data on vaccinating people with the two different types of coronavirus vaccines could help understanding of whether shots can be rolled out with greater flexibility around the worldThe trial will examine the immune responses of an initial dose of Pfizer vaccine followed by a booster of AstraZeneca’s, as well as vice versa, with intervals of four and 12 weeks.Both the mRNA shot developed by Pfizer and Biontech and the adenovirus viral vector vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca are currently being rolled out in Britain, with a 12-week gap between two doses of the same vaccine.AstraZeneca’s shot is also being tested in combination with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, and it is expected more vaccines will be added to the trial when they are approved and rolled out.“This is a hugely important clinical trial that will provide us with more vital evidence on the safety of these vaccines when used in different ways,” said Nadhim Zahawi, the designated minister for Covid-19 vaccine deployment in the UK.Recruitment for the study starts on Thursday, with over 800 participants expected to take part, the researchers said. That makes it much smaller than the clinical trials that have been used to determine efficacy of the vaccines individually.The trial is recruiting people over the age of 50 who may be at higher risk than younger people and have not been vaccinated already.Matthew Snape, an Oxford vaccinologist who is leading the trial, said initial results could inform vaccine deployment in the second half of the year.“We’ll get some results through by June that will inform the use of booster doses in the general population,” he told reporters.Given the possibility of vaccine supply constraints, data that could support a more flexible immunisation programme would be an advantage, said Jonathan Van-Tam, the UK’s deputy chief medical officer, who is responsible for the study.“It is also even possible that by combining vaccines, the immune response could be enhanced giving even higher antibody levels that last longer.”


Upgrades but no new prisons planned, says home minister Saifuddin

Several prisons will be upgraded while those over 100 years old will be redeveloped to be made more conducive for inmates and Prisons Department staff, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says.
Saifuddin said among those identified for this purpose are the Alor Setar prison in Kedah; Penang Prison, the Kamunting Correctional Centre (Perak) and the Pengkalan Chepa Prison in Kelantan.
"We are going with this (approach). We do not want to build new prisons because we want to reduce the crime rate and convictions. This is also to create prisons with more humane conditions to live in," he told reporters after an official visit to the Prisons Department headquarters in Kajang yesterday.
Saifuddin also said that the home ministry would add more prison officers and personnel and expedite the hiring process.
He said the Prisons Department needs 1,300 officers and uniformed personnel as well as some 180 non-uniformed staff to meet its staffing requirements.
Saifuddin also said that the home ministry wants to change public perception by identifying prisons as more of a correctional centre rather than a place to punish convicts.
This will be done through community correctional programmes such as parole and licensed prisoner release, in accordance with Section 43 of the Prisons Act 1995, he added.
"We will target this programme for 18,500 offenders who are currently serving prison sentences of less than three years, (and) who are considered not to have committed serious offences.
"Looking at the statistics of the correctional programme and its success, it has clearly helped reduce the recidivism rate, with only one in 800 offenders returning to prison after being released," he said.


France launches controversial vaccine pass as fourth wave hits

French cinemas, museums and sports venues began asking visitors Wednesday to furnish proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative test as the country, which is in the throes of a fourth wave of infections, rolled out a controversial vaccine passport system.The so-called “health pass” is required for all events or places with more than 50 people before being extended to restaurants, cafes and shopping centres in August.Prime Minister Jean Castex defended the policy, noting that nearly all new infections are in people who have not been immunised.The number of new infections over 24 hours shot up to 21,000 on Wednesday, the highest level since early May.“We’re in the fourth wave,” Castex told TF1 television, adding that the goal of the health pass is to avoid a fourth nationwide lockdown.Health Minister Olivier Veran lashed out at vaccine refuseniks, who have accused the government of flouting their freedom of choice.“Freedom is not about dodging taxes, or driving the wrong way up the motorway, or smoking in a restaurant or refusing a vaccine that protects me as much as it protects others,” he told parliament.50-million targetThe Louvre museum and Eiffel Tower were among the sites that began implementing the vaccine checks on Wednesday.But whereas most tourists had their vaccine certificates at hand, having shown them on arrival in the country, some French people were wrong-footed by the new rules.In the Paris suburb of Rosny-sous-Bois, 28-year-old Marie-Ange Rodrigues was surprised to be barred from a cinema screening after having received her second vaccine shot.“It’s rubbish!” she said of the requirement to have been fully vaccinated for at least a week.Nearly 38 million people, representing 56% of the French population, have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to data by the covidtracker.fr website.Nearly 46% have been fully vaccinated.The government aims to have given at least one shot to 50 million people by the end of the summer.‘Fracture our country’Tens of thousands of vaccine sceptics took to the streets in protest over the new vaccine rules last week, accusing President Emmanuel Macron of running a vaccine “dictatorship”.The restrictions have even faced criticism from some lawmakers in Macron’s Republic on the Move (LREM) party, who see it as a threat to civil liberties.“Protecting public health has been our priority since March 2020, but it has not threatened the cohesion of our country because the rules were the same for everyone,” LREM lawmaker Pacome Rupin said on Tuesday.“The health pass is going to fracture our country,” he said.Restaurant owners in particular are up in arms at the requirement to vet their customers’ vaccination status before serving them.In a concession Thursday, Castex said that they would not have to check customers’ ID and that the government would not punish venues during the first week of the new rules.After that, they face fines of up to €1,500 (US$1,700) for a first-time offence, and more for subsequent violations.Children aged 12 to 17, who only became eligible for vaccination in mid-June, will not need the pass in August nor have to show one when heading back to school in September.Masks return outdoorsThe changes introduced Wednesday were implemented by decree, but lawmakers also began debating a bill that will extend the rules next month to restaurants, as well as trains or planes for long-distance travel.From September, vaccinations will also be mandatory for healthcare and retirement home workers, many of whom remain sceptical of the shots.Left-wing parties particularly have slammed the health pass as an infringement of personal freedoms and said the government should be trying to convince rather than coerce people to get vaccinated.Other measures to contain the surge in new cases include the reintroduction of rules requiring masks to be worn outdoors in hotspots such as the western coastal area around Bordeaux, a popular holiday destination.


5,793 new cases, 76 deaths including 101-year-old

Another 5,793 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 652,204.Selangor recorded 1,582 cases, Negeri Sembilan 618, Sarawak 569, Kuala Lumpur 559, Johor 504, Sabah 378, Kelantan 337, Labuan 250, Perak 218, Penang 198, Melaka 178, Kedah 171 and Pahang 121.Terengganu recorded 82 cases, Putrajaya 23 and Perlis five.Active cases stand at 76,247 with 914 in the ICU and 459 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 8,334 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 572,113.However, 76 more deaths were reported, including a 101-year-old woman in Selangor who died at Hospital Sungai Buloh, pushing the virus toll to 3,844.


Najib withdraws appeal for documents linked to Goldman Sachs, Zeti

Former prime minister Najib Razak is withdrawing his appeals for the discovery of banking documents relating to investment bank Goldman Sachs and former Bank Negara governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz's family for his 1MDB trial.
His lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told the Federal Court three-member bench today that Najib is withdrawing both appeals without prejudice for it to be reargued at all levels of the court.
"We both (the defence and the prosecution) agreed to the following term. We will withdraw both substantive appeals without prejudice so that we can reargue at all levels of the court including the High Court. The High Court did say we can reargue on this when the witnesses come to testify in the trial," he said.
He also told the court that the prosecution would not object to Najib's right to reapply for the documents when the relevant witnesses testify at the trial in the High Court.
Shafee then asked the court to strike out the appeals on the basis of the two terms agreed upon by the defence and the prosecution.
Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, who chaired the bench, then struck out the appeals without hearing the merits of the appeals. The other two judges presiding with justice Abang Iskandar were chief judge of Malaya Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah and Federal Court judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof.
Najib had filed the appeals against the High Court’s decision on July 12, 2021, which dismissed two of his discovery applications to compel the prosecution in his 1MDB trial to disclose banking documents linked to Zeti's family on claims that her family allegedly received monies from fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low. He also lost his appeal in the Court of Appeal which was dismissed on Dec 8 last year.
The former Pekan MP filed the application on March 24, 2021, to compel the prosecution to provide several banking statements from companies, including Aktis Capital Singapore Pte Ltd, Country Group Securities Public Company Ltd, ACME Time Ltd (BVI), Butamba Investments Ltd and Central Holdings Ltd, believed to be related to Jho Low and Zeti’s family in his 1MDB case.
Najib also filed a second application on April 7, 2021, seeking to obtain the confidential settlement agreement between the government and the Goldman Sachs group entered in 2020 and transcripts or forensic reports on the phones of former Goldman Sachs partner in Asia, Tim Leissner.
Najib is on trial on four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount. The trial will continue on July 7 before justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah.
The former prime minister is currently serving a 12-year jail sentence in Kajang Prison after the Federal Court upheld his conviction for misappropriation of RM42 million SRC International Sdn Bhd funds on Aug 23, last year.


Fake vaccine certificates and real vaccines for sale on Dark Web

Now that vaccines for Covid-19 are available, some people find it necessary to prove they have received the shots even if they haven’t.And others do want the vaccine and are prepared to jump the queue and pay to get it.Either way, the Dark Web is the place to look.There are dozens of vendors on the Darknet, selling fake certificates for up to US$200 each, according to Check Point Research, in a study released on Tuesday.The purpose of the phony documentation is for buyers to “prove” to employers, airlines, immigration officers and others that a vaccine has been administered when, in fact, it hasn’t, reports Newsweek.Check Point spokesman Ekram Ahmed said, “More vendors are springing up weekly.”Do-it-yourself options offer user-friendly interfaces for as little as US$25, so that a buyer fills it out and the phoney document is delivered via email within 30 minutes.“We do negative Covid tests for travellers abroad and for getting a job,” reads one Darknet ad. “Everything is done within 24 hours.” This ad also has a special offer: “Buy 2 negative tests and get the 3rd for free!”The criminals selling fake certificates are often actually “more interested in your information and identity for exploitation” than they are in the actual payment, said Oded Vanunu, of Check Point. “So that’s more like a regular phishing scam.”Cyber criminals can help whether you want to get the vaccine or avoid the vaccine.Check Point has identified 1,200 ads for black-market sellers of the vaccines themselves on the Darknet, often by the same people who sell fake documentation.The vaccines are advertised as being made by legitimate pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, as well as Russian Sputnik and Chinese Sinopharm, and they cost from US$500-600 per dose.Check Point posed as a customer in Israel to purchase a vaccine from a vendor in China and paid for the item in Bitcoin, as demanded by the seller. A week later, Check Point still had not received the vaccine.“We may still get it, and if we do we’ll get the authorities involved, as well as the vaccine makers,” said Ahmed. “It could turn out to be water or the most dangerous thing you could inject.”A separate study two weeks ago from cybersecurity firm Kaspersky found that Darknet vendors had sold from 100-500 vaccines apiece for as little as US$250 and as much as US$1,000 per dose.They estimate that 30% may be genuine vaccines even when sold illegally online.“There are pictures of packaging and medical certificates. It looks like some of these people do have inside access to medical institutions,” according to a Kaspersky researcher.“Medical institutions, pharmacies, and hospitals around the world often end the day with leftover vaccine doses,” says the “white hat” researcher.“It’s not inconceivable that someone working at these facilities could pocket the extra doses and connect with dark web intermediaries to sell them.”


Russia pulling troops back from Ukraine border, calming Western suspicions

After weeks of tension over a build-up of Russian troops close to Ukraine’s border, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered a number of units to withdraw.“The troops have demonstrated their ability to provide a credible defence for the country,” he told Russian media.The EU estimated that more than 100,000 Russian soldiers had amassed near the border as well as in Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who earlier challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him in the conflict zone, welcomed the decision to “de-escalate” tensions at the border.Zelensky raised the troop build-up with European leaders last week, reporting that Russian battalion-strength tactical groups were massing on the border.Following Shoigu’s announcement, Nato said that it remains vigilant and any move towards reversing the escalation would be “important and well overdue”.Nato leaders have called a summit in June when Russia and Ukraine will be high on the agenda.Although Russia has shrugged off the build-up as training exercises in response to “threatening” actions from Nato, it is also said to be planning to cordon off areas of the Black Sea to foreign shipping. Ukraine fears its ports could be affected.Moscow knew very well that its troop movements close to Ukraine and in annexed Crimea were making a lot of people very nervous in Ukraine, Europe and the US.It may well have been using the build-up of troops to send a signal to Kyiv, Brussels and, especially, to Washington that Russia is a force to be reckoned with.Last week, US President Joe Biden telephoned President Putin and proposed a summit.Russia’s defence minister has made it clear that “Russia is taking measures in response to threats from Nato”.For example, Moscow is planning to block areas of the Black Sea to foreign shipping for six months.In a state-of-the-nation address on Wednesday, President Putin warned the West against “crossing a red line”.


Sarawak still in lead as new cases top 18,500

Another 18,547 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,880,734.Sarawak recorded 3,200 cases, Selangor 2,407, Johor 2,174, Sabah 2,107, Penang 1,776, Kedah 1,487, Kelantan 1,458 and Perak 1,197.Pahang recorded 742 cases, Terengganu 645, Kuala Lumpur 631, Melaka 448 and Negeri Sembilan 229.Putrajaya recorded 22 cases, Perlis 20 and Labuan four.Active cases stand at 252,002 with 977 in the ICU and 447 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 18,902 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,609,930.However, 311 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 18,802.


Western Canada declares fire emergency as evacuations climb

Canada’s western province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency Tuesday, with wildfires expected to grow even larger in the coming days due to high heat and winds.“We have reached a critical point,” said provincial public safety minister Mike Farnworth.“Based on the advice of emergency management and wildfire officials, and my briefing last night on the worsening weather, I am declaring a provincial state of emergency.”The decision empowers officials to organise mass-scale evacuations and to provide emergency accommodation for evacuees, he added.Some 5,700 people were under evacuation orders in the province Tuesday – more than double the previous day’s tally, as the threatened region grew in size.Around 32,000 more residents have been placed on alert.“Please have an evacuation plan ready for your family,” said Cliff Chapman, the director of operations for British Columbia’s wildfire service.“From working in this branch for 20 years, I would be taking my family out if I was on an evacuation order today.”Fires have been ravaging western Canada and the US west coast for several weeks following a scorching heatwave in late June that experts have tied to climate change.Chapman said around 3,000 sq km has already gone up in smoke in British Columbia – more than three times higher than the average area typically burnt by this point in the year.The province has nearly 300 active wildfires, spurred by hot, dry weather that is expected to continue in the coming days, in addition to rising winds that may spread the flames.The interior and southwest of British Columbia, including part of its border with the US, are particularly affected. More than 3,000 firefighters are currently battling blazes across the province.In the US, more than 80 large fires are burning, the biggest of which is in the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon. The Bootleg Fire has scorched almost 390,000 acres – an area bigger than Los Angeles.“Fighting this fire is a marathon, not a sprint,” Rob Allen, the incident commander for firefighters in the zone, said in a statement Tuesday.“We’re in this for as long as it takes to safely confine this monster.”Smoke has reached as far afield as the eastern US and Canada, parts of which were shrouded in a grey smoky haze Tuesday.New York state’s environmental protection services issued an air quality advisory.


Govt okays EPF Account 1 withdrawals up to RM6,000

EPF contributors will be allowed to withdraw up to RM6,000 from their Account 1, the government has announced as part of initiatives in the 2021 budget to help those financially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.Tabling the budget today, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said the withdrawals can be made over a period of one year, at RM500 a month, beginning January next year.At the height of the movement control order to contain Covid-19 early this year, the government allowed eligible contributors to withdraw a similar amount from their second account every month under the i-Lestari programme.The move to allow the additional RM6,000 from EPF brings the total amount that can be withdrawn from the retirement fund to RM12,000.The scheme is expected to benefit 4.7 million contributors involving RM11.6 billion.


BN will work with PH after polls, Muhyiddin says it again

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has repeated his claim that Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will form a coalition government between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) after the 15th general election (GE15).
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman reiterated this after Anwar, the PKR president, denied the claim in a recent ceramah.
He said Umno, the BN lynchpin, had no choice after refusing to work with Bersatu and PN if it lacks the support needed to form the government on its own.
"Zahid himself has said that he is ready to form an alliance with any party that works with Umno.
"But he rejected Bersatu at the Umno general assembly. Since he has done so, who is he likely to choose? PH?" Muhyiddin said at a ceramah in Indera Mahkota, Pahang, last night.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the Pejuang chairman, had previously said the same about cooperation between Anwar and Zahid.
Meanwhile Zahid, who is defending his Bagan Datuk seat, openly stated that BN was not rejecting the possibility of working with other parties after GE15, in order to ensure stability.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on the other hand said that any cooperation with other coalitions would be determined by the BN Supreme Council and not by any individual.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli previously said he would be the first to oppose cooperation with Umno.
But Muhyiddin said he had been told the truth about an understanding between the two leaders.
"He knows that Umno will not win enough seats to form the government on its own, so he will take steps to work with PH instead," he said.


Canada’s capital starts cleanup after weeks-long protest

Canadian police on Sunday smashed the windows of vehicles abandoned in the downtown core of the capital to tow them away, and city workers cleaned up trash after two days of tense standoffs and 170 arrests ended a three-week occupation of Ottawa.Demonstrators had used hundreds of trucks and vehicles to block the city since Jan 28, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke rarely used emergency powers.There were a few stragglers on Sunday packing up a logistics depot the so-called “Freedom Convoy” had set up in a parking lot near the highway to supply the protesters camped out in the city centre.“We were running support for the convoy and the people in the downtown core – food, fuel, basic necessities,” said Winton Marchant, a retired firefighter from Windsor, Ontario. “This was the base camp and we are cleaning up.”The protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border Covid-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers, but the blockade turned into a demonstration against Trudeau and the government.On Saturday, police used pepper spray and stun grenades to move out the die-hard protesters who remained, clearing most of the area in front of parliament. Others abandoned their positions in other parts of the downtown area during the night.“We continue to maintain a police presence in and around the area the unlawful protest occupied. We are using fences to ensure the ground gained back is not lost,” police said on Twitter.For the first time in weeks, there was only snow and silence downtown. The trucks blaring their horns were gone. One resident said he felt relief.“We seem to have gotten over the hump,” Ottawa resident Tim Abray told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. But Abray, a communications consultant, said the political division will not go away so easily.Several TV reporters were harassed, insulted, threatened and even pushed by protesters, both in Ottawa and in British Columbia, where a group shut down a border crossing south of Vancouver on Saturday.Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne condemned the treatment of journalists on Twitter, calling it “profoundly disturbing”.Trudeau on Monday invoked emergency powers to give his government wider authority to stop the protests, including sweeping powers to freeze the accounts of those suspected of supporting the blockades, without obtaining a court order.Parliament continued debate over the use of the emergency powers on Sunday, with a required vote and expected passage of the powers due on Monday.