RoS to decide by July 16 on Umno's bid to amend constitution

A decision on the application for amendments to Umno's constitution to enable the party to postpone its elections will be known by July 16 at the latest.
The Registrar of Societies (RoS) told Bernama this in a brief email today.
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan was previously reported as saying that the party had yet to receive any feedback from the RoS since the notice on the party’s constitutional amendment was submitted on May 17.
He said it was unfair for the RoS to keep Umno waiting, and urged the agency to give an immediate response to enable the party to make the necessary preparations for elections if the application is not approved.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is Umno vice-president, was also reported as saying that the RoS had 60 days until July 16 to make its decision on the application.
Umno previously postponed its party elections for 18 months after the 2018/2021 term ended on June 30 last year. The 18-month period will finish by the end of this year, meaning that Umno elections would have to be held by Dec 30.
However, in May, the Umno special general assembly unanimously approved a motion to amend its constitution, which, among other things, allows party elections to be held a maximum of six months after the general election.


Jho Low told AmBank of 1MDB set-up 2 years before it was formed, court told

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was today told that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low informed AmBank that his team was looking to set up a sovereign wealth fund – the predecessor of 1MDB – to raise funds to develop the state of Terengganu, two years before it was officially formed.
Joanna Yu Ging Ping, 51, a former relationship manager at the bank, said she was introduced to Jho Low, Tan Vern Tact, and Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil by her then team leader, Chan Wan Seong, in 2007.
Initially established in 2009 as an entity owned by the Terengganu state government, the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA) was later renamed as 1MDB.
Yu said she was introduced Jho Low when she was assigned by Chan to handle the loans of Majestic Masterpiece Sdn Bhd some time in 2007.
"The company was looking to acquire the shares of two other companies, namely Loh & Loh Corporation Bhd and Putrajaya Perdana Bhd. Majestic Masterpiece was owned by Wynton Private Equity Group and Abu Dhabi Kuwait Malaysia Investment Corporation. Jho Low was one of the directors of Wynton Private Equity Group.  "Not long after the Majestic Masterpiece loan was approved by the bank and the acquisition of the entities above completed, Jho Low informed the bank that his team was looking to set up a sovereign wealth fund to raise funds to develop the state of Terengganu," she said.
The 41st prosecution witness said this when reading out her witness statement at Najib Razak’s corruption and money laundering trial involving RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB.
She said she then attended a meeting in 2009 with Jho Low and several others to come up with the related bond issuance.
The others who attended the meeting were Casey Tang and Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi, a number of AmBank officers such as Chan, as well as several members of the bank’s debt capital market division.
Tang would later become 1MDB’s business development executive director and Shahrol would become the fund’s CEO.
"In this meeting, Jho Low and Tang asked many questions and inquired about the typical issues involved in the issuance of a bond, the structures and the timeline to issuance. We were initially asked to provide a proposal for a RM10 billion-bond issuance with a 30-year tenure.
"My colleagues from the treasury and debt capital market division shared that there might not be enough investors for the size of RM10 billion and that a 30-year bond tenure in Malaysia was also unprecedented.
"There were several suggestions discussed, including to obtain a government guarantee for the bonds, to reduce the size of the bond issue, and to shorten the tenure of the bond. Following this meeting, there were several other discussions.
"Eventually the client (TIA) agreed to a reduced issuance size of RM5 billion-government guarantee bond for a period of 30 years. I am not sure who made the decision to have a government guarantee for this bond, but as far as I know, the bank’s treasury/debt capital market did share that a government guarantee may be required for a bond period exceeding 20 years.
"Normally, it is the customer who makes the final decision on the bond structure and for 1MDB, the client was instrumental in procuring the government guarantee for the bond," said Yu, adding that once the issuance of the bond was agreed on, TIA opened an account at AmBank for the purpose of receiving the bonds’ proceeds.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.


Philippines' largest prison holds mass burial for 70 inmates

The bodies of 70 inmates from the Philippines' largest prison were laid to rest Friday in a mass burial, weeks after their decomposing remains were discovered in a Manila funeral home.
They were among 176 corpses found by police during an investigation into the death of an inmate, who was accused of being involved in the killing of a journalist in early October.
Most of the deaths were due to "natural causes", said Cecilia Villanueva, the Bureau of Corrections' acting director for health and welfare services.
Among them was a Japanese national.
Villanueva said 127 of the 140 bodies buried so far were badly decomposed and could not be autopsied again.
The bodies began piling up in the funeral home in December 2021 after their families – most of them poor – did not claim them.
Villanueva blamed "constraints" for the failure of corrections staff to ensure the inmates were given timely burials.
Bodies are normally held at the accredited funeral home for three months to give relatives time to retrieve them.
Friday's mass burial was the biggest ever by the Bureau of Corrections, Villanueva told reporters.
Minimum security inmates carried the 70 plywood coffins to their final resting place – cheap concrete tombs in a cemetery inside the prison complex.
The gruesome discovery at the funeral home was only the latest scandal to rock the troubled Bureau of Corrections, which runs the country's overcrowded prison system.
Its chief Gerald Bantag is accused of ordering the killing of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, as well as Cristito Villamor Palana, an inmate who allegedly passed on the kill order to the gunman.
After Bantag was suspended from his job as director general, a huge pit was discovered next to his former official residence inside the prison complex.
Bantag claims it was for scuba diving, not an escape tunnel for inmates.
Among the remaining bodies still at the funeral home, eight would be re-examined by Raquel Fortun, one of the country's two forensic pathologists.
Villanueva said an average of one to two prisoners died every day inside New Bilibid Prison, where about 29,000 inmates are held in a facility designed for 6,435.
There were only five doctors to treat the prisoners, but the Bureau of Corrections was trying to hire more.
"We are doing everything we can, we try to provide health care, just as health care is provided to the public, but there are so many constraints," Villanueva said.


Daily cases hover just over 4,000

Another 4,083 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,715,847.Another 5,435 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,630,680.Meanwhile 391 are in the ICU, including 314 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 215 are in need of respiratory assistance including 145 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 4,083 cases reported today, 69 (1.7%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 4,014 (98.3%) are in Category One and Two.


Come clean on decision to dump Bersatu in GE15, Annuar Musa tells Umno leaders

Ketereh MP Annuar Musa today urged Umno leaders to explain the decision not to work with Bersatu in the 15th general election (GE15), saying party members deserve to be kept abreast of any such move by the Supreme Council.“As members, we have the right to be told whether this is true and, if so, why we were not informed of this decision,” the former Umno secretary-general said.In a statement, he said it was understood that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had written to Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, informing him in a letter dated Feb 26 of the decision made in a Supreme Council meeting at Janda Baik on Feb 19.He said the letter had stated that there would be no cooperation with Bersatu in GE15, and that Umno’s status in the government would remain only until the dissolution of Parliament.He also questioned the rationale behind the purported decision which was made prior to the party’s general assembly.“Members should be informed if the decision made by the Umno Supreme Council is final. If so, we have the right to know the rationale behind the decision, especially when the election date is yet to be announced,” he said.“Why make the decision now when it should be proposed at the general assembly? Why is the decision made before the assembly?”Umno’s annual general assembly is scheduled to take place on March 27 and 28.Annuar also questioned Umno’s position in the next polls, asking if the party would form a new coalition or cooperate with other parties.“If the decision to end cooperation with Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional is final, then the members want to know who Umno will cooperate with.“Will Umno stand on its own or with Anwar (Ibrahim) and PKR? Will it be with DAP and Lim Kit Siang? Or will Umno form a new coalition?”He likewise warned that making such a decision ahead of GE15 would put Umno at a disadvantage as the government mignt not offer another opportunity for cooperation.“This decision means Umno parts ways with parties under Perikatan Nasional. Will this strengthen or weaken the party?” he said.


Anwar denies financial interests after stock market buzz

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim today denied any financial interest in several listed stocks which saw extraordinarily active trading and gains of late after being linked to him.He also urged investors to “invest carefully and not to invest on rumours”.“It is an unfortunate reflection of the state of our economy that such rumours can move markets,” he said in a statement.Last Friday, shares for Malayan United Industries Bhd, where Anwar’s sister Farizan Ibrahim is an independent non-executive director, were the second most active in early trade, with 228.66 million shares traded, increasing by 17.86% to 16.5 sen at 11.13am.This came a day after Anwar announced he was having an audience with the Agong to inform the king of his “formidable” majority to topple the federal government.A PKR politician earlier told MalaysiaNow that Anwar would be content with an appointment with the Agong “even without the numbers”, and suggested that the move could sway tycoons and businessmen “unfamiliar with the numbers game” to come to his side.“Between today and next Tuesday, there is every possibility that anxious businessmen and tycoons unfamiliar with the numbers game will be willing to put their stake with Anwar, all because of this royal audience,” the source said.Maintaining that he had no financial interests in these stocks, though, Anwar also urged Bursa Malaysia and the Securities Commission of Malaysia to take immediate action against anyone found manipulating the market based on “malicious political rumours”.


Home ministry to send report to US on anti-human trafficking efforts

The home ministry says it will send a complete report, including a video documentary of Malaysia’s efforts to address human trafficking issues, to the US State Department.
Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said the documentary would show the plight of the victims of trafficking cases who had been rescued, and give an actual picture of Malaysia's anti-trafficking efforts.
"We do all that to inform the world that we do not take this issue lightly or take it for granted," he told reporters after officiating the World Day Against Trafficking In Persons 2022 in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
According to Hamzah, the initiatives were taken by the government to improve Malaysia’s Tier Three standing in the US Trafficking in Persons Report 2022. In a related matter, Hamzah said that 73 civil servants were investigated for offences related to human trafficking from January to July this year, 40 of whom were officers from the immigration department.
"Action has been taken against six (out of the 40 immigration officers) under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act and five others under the Immigration Act, while another 27 have been made subject to disciplinary action such as suspension and dismissal, and two others have resigned.
"Of the 33 civil servants, 13 were charged in court, 16 were acquitted and four others are still being investigated.
"This proves that we will take stern action and no longer compromise with those who are involved in the crimes," he said.
Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the transfer to Sabah and Sarawak of nine police personnel under investigation for alleged involvement in a recent extortion case in Gombak, Hamzah said the police would review the decision.


China says 91% of students aged 12-17 fully vaccinated

China has fully vaccinated 91% of students aged 12-17 against Covid-19, state television reported on Wednesday, although authorities said schools need to be vigilant.An outbreak in the southeastern province of Fujian this month that has grown to 152 cases includes infections among unvaccinated students in at least four primary schools and two kindergartens, data from local authorities showed.China’s two main vaccines have been approved for use in children from the age of three but authorities in charge of the vaccination rollout have yet to make children under 12 eligible.The education ministry said in a statement that schools should not be complacent and implement anti-Covid measures in a more efficient and targeted manner.The cities of Putian and Xiamen, where most cases in the latest outbreak have been detected, have suspended in-person classes at kindergartens and primary schools and most in-person classes at high schools.The outbreak has prompted cities in other parts of China to issue travel warnings ahead of a Mid-Autumn Festival holiday next week and a week-long holiday starting Oct 1, although state media has warned against imposing blanket travel curbs.Wang Dengfeng, an education ministry official, told state television that students and teachers were being encouraged to stay put during the upcoming holidays.China began vaccinating students aged 12-17 in July. The vaccination rate of 91% is much higher than the national rate, which was just under 70% as of Sept 6.


Annual health checks for MPs, Zahid says

All members of the Dewan Rakyat, from both the government and the opposition, will have to undergo health checks once a year starting from the next session of the Dewan Rakyat in May.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this was among the issues decided in the Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat Cabinet Committee meeting chaired by him today.
"The committee has recommended that health checks be held once a year, when the Dewan Rakyat session is held at the Parliament building. I myself will appear with my fellow ministers to volunteer for our health check to be done.
"This is after taking into account the fact that a total of nine elected representatives comprising MPs and assemblymen died while serving from 2018 to 2020, due to non-communicable diseases such as kidney complications and heart attacks," he said at a press conference with Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa at the Parliament building.
Zahid added that members of the Dewan Negara might also be considered in this matter.


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North Korean ambassador to Kuwait defected to South, reports say

A senior North Korean diplomat who was acting ambassador to Kuwait defected to the South with his family in 2019, it emerged in reports on Monday.Ryu Hyun Woo reached South Korea in September 2019 and sought asylum, according to the Maeil Business daily, but his defection was kept secret until now.The Yonhap news agency confirmed Ryu had defected but said it could not confirm the timing.Defections by senior officials are rare but about 30,000 North Koreans have fled repression and poverty for the South.If confirmed, Ryu’s arrival would have come about two months after Jo Song Gil, the acting ambassador to North Korea’s embassy in Italy, entered South Korea after disappearing in late 2018.“I decided to defect because I wanted to offer my child a better future,” the Maeil Business newspaper cited Jo Song Gil as saying.Ryu was appointed acting ambassador in September 2017 after Kuwait expelled envoy So Chang Sik following the Gulf nation’s adoption of a UN resolution condemning Pyongyang’s weapons programmes.According to reports, Ryu is the son-in-law of Jon Il Chun, the former head of Office 39, which manages the secret funds of the North Korean leadership.Thae Yong Ho, another high-profile defector who fled his post as North Korea’s deputy ambassador to the UK in 2016 and was elected a South Korean opposition MP last year, described Ryu as part of Pyongyang’s “core elite”.But he added: “No matter how privileged your life is in North Korea, your mind changes when you go abroad and draw comparisons.”The North tightened border security as part of its defences against Covid-19 and the number of defectors plunged in 2020.But Thae said leader Kim Jong Un “will not be able to stop North Koreans who long for freedom from going to South Korea forever”.


Filipino boxing hero accuses Duterte of going soft over South China Sea disputes with Beijing

Senator and former boxing star Manny Pacquiao has hit out at President Rodrigo Duterte for not planting a Filipino flag on disputed islands in the South China Sea as he had promised.Duterte had previously accused the legendary “PacMan” of having a “shallow” view of events.Responding on Wednesday, Pacquiao stood by his original statement, accusing Duterte of failing to stand by his election promise on disputed territorial claims.“I respect the president’s opinion but humbly disagree with his assessment of my understanding of foreign policy. I am a Filipino voicing out what needs to be said in defence of what has been adjudicated as rightfully ours,” he said.He added that he believed his opinion reflected the sentiment of most Filipinos and that the country should “stand strong in protecting our sovereign rights”.The former boxing champion had previously accused Duterte of going soft on territorial claims in the South China Sea.Pacquiao noted that when campaigning in 2016, Duterte said he would take a jet ski to the Spratly Islands and plant a Filipino flag there.“I felt it in my heart to vote for him because that’s the kind of president that we need; someone who will fight for our country,” he said.He accepted that Duterte had not followed through on his promises because he was doing his best not to anger Beijing.This led Duterte to advise Pacquiao to go “study” because of his “shallow” understanding of issues relating to the South China Sea and Manila’s dispute with China over the territory.The disputed water and the islands within it have overlapping claims from China, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei, among others.Duterte, who has frequently been accused of being too close to China, will see his presidency come to an end in June 2022 when his six-year term finishes.Last week, he suggested that his daughter Sara, the incumbent mayor of Davao City, and Pacquiao were among his favourites to succeed him.National hero Pacquiao is regarded by many boxing historians as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time.He is the only boxer in history to win 12 major world titles in eight different weight divisions.


International tourist arrivals down 68% from Jan-June

A total 4,252,997 international tourists were recorded arriving in Malaysia in the first half of 2020, a 68.2% drop compared to 13.3 million recorded during the same period last year.According to Tourism Malaysia, they spent RM12.5 billion during the period, a drop of 69.8% compared to RM41.6 billion previously.“Per capita spending also dropped 5.3% from RM3,121.60 in 2019 to RM2,956.10 this year,” the tourism promotion agency said in a statement today.The top 10 markets for Malaysia were Singapore (1,541,820), Indonesia (702,082), China (401,285), Thailand (348,133), India (153,873), Brunei (135,593), South Korea (118,594), Japan (73,201), Australia (72,103) and the Philippines (64,311).According to Tourism Malaysia, 1,712,140 day visitors or excursionists came to Malaysia from January to June 2020, a 64.2% drop compared to 4,782,587 people during the same period last year.“The significant drop in arrival of tourists and day visitors is due to the closure of the Malaysian border entry gates following the proliferation of Covid-19,” said Tourism Malaysia.


Najib's allegations against judge Nazlan 'baseless', says prosecution

The prosecution in former prime minister Najib Razak’s SRC International case has described his allegations against the trial judge, Mohd Nazlan Ghazali, as a desperate attempt to nullify the trial.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul, in reply to Najib’s supporting affidavit in his application to obtain a declaration that the SRC International trial is null and void and to request for a retrial, said the issue of conflict of interest involving the judge, who previously held a position in Maybank Bhd, could have been raised during the trial.
Instead, the former prime minister chose not to do so because the issue was invalid, he added.
Nazlan, who was a High Court judge then and is now a Court of Appeal judge, sentenced Najib to 12 years in prison and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty of seven counts of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.
On Najib's statement regarding the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) investigation into Nazlan, Ashrof said it was full of scandals aimed at defaming Nazlan's reputation as a trial judge. "Najib's alleged personal knowledge of the MACC investigation is untrue because the MACC, as an independent enforcement agency, would not disclose confidential information regarding the ongoing investigation," he added.
Ashrof said there was no conflict of interest when Nazlan sat as the trial judge for the SRC International case and that Najib himself had said there was no allegation of corruption against the judge.
He said the allegation of conflict of interest due to Nazlan’s capacity as the chief counsel and company secretary of the Maybank Group in the RM140 million loan to Puncak Perdana Sdn Bhd and RM4.17 billion to 1MDB could not be proven.
"In any case, the allegation is irrelevant to the charges faced by the applicant (Najib) in this appeal. The real purpose (of the document regarding the alleged conflict of interest), which is a worthless document, is to discredit Nazlan," he said.
On Dec 8 last year, a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal led by Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil dismissed the Pekan MP's appeal, after which he took the matter to the Federal Court.
The Federal Court has set 10 days from Aug 15 to hear Najib's final appeal against the conviction, prison sentence and fine imposed on him by the High Court.


Toll rates on 4 highways to remain unchanged as govt approves restructuring plans

The government has agreed to the proposed restructuring of four highway concessionaires in the Klang Valley, which will see the toll rate maintained until the end of the concession period and savings in toll subsidies of at least RM4.3 billion.The concessionaires in question are Kesas Sdn Bhd which manages the Kesas highway, Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir dan Terowong Sdn Bhd which manages the SMART tunnel, Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat Sdn Bhd which manages the SPRINT highway and Lingkaran Trans Kota Sdn Bhd which manages the LDP.“Through this restructuring, the toll rate will not be increased but will remain until the end of the concession period, and will help save on compensation payments from Jan 1 until then,” Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement today.“This is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure that the Malaysian Family is not burdened, especially with the increase in toll rates as stipulated in the concession agreement,” he added.“These savings can be used for national infrastructure development programmes and other facilities that should be prioritised for the well-being of the Malaysian Family.”Ismail also said that the decision was made after a detailed study into all related aspects including the burden on highway users, the government’s obligations under the concession agreements, and its financial burdens.Further details on the restructuring of the companies will be announced by Works Minister Fadillah Yusof.


New cases top 5,700

Another 5,713 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,492,343.Another 5,865 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,396,244.Meanwhile 555 are in the ICU, including 519 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 280 are in need of respiratory assistance including 218 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,713 cases reported today, 93 (1.6%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,620 (98.4%) are in Category One and Two.


Hezbollah slams Australia’s ‘terrorist’ listing

Lebanon’s Shiite militant movement Hezbollah denounced Australia’s decision Wednesday to list the whole group as a “terrorist organisation”, accusing Canberra of bowing to US and Israeli demands.Hezbollah has long been targeted by US sanctions and blacklisted by the US and Israel as a “terrorist” organisation, but the Iran-backed group is also a powerful political player, with seats in Lebanon’s parliament.Countries have avoided sanctioning the group’s political wing, fearing such a move could hamper relations with Lebanese authorities or contribute to destabilising the country.Hezbollah in a statement “strongly denounced the Australian authorities’ decision”, saying it was “a humiliating submission to American and Zionist diktats” and served Israeli interests.Australia’s move extended a pre-existing ban on the Shiite group’s armed wing.The “decision and those that have preceded it will not affect Hezbollah’s position and its right to resistance”, the statement said.Hezbollah was founded in the 1980s to fight Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon and has grown into Iran’s main regional proxy, with operatives in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.The only Lebanese faction to have kept its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war, Hezbollah has a more powerful arsenal than the Lebanese national army.It emphasises the movement’s role of “resistance” against Israel and says its role is to defend Lebanon.


834 new cases, 900 recoveries as active cases drop below 10,000

Another 834 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed cases in the country to 33,339.Of these, 503 were recorded in Sabah, followed by Selangor (129), Labuan (105), Kuala Lumpur (22) and Penang (21).A total of 900 patients were discharged, bringing cumulative recoveries to 23,120 or 69.3% of all cases.This takes active cases below 10,000 again to 9,968 with 91 in the ICU and 32 in need of respiratory assistance.However, two more deaths were reported, taking the virus toll to 251.


2,437 cases take total confirmed infections past 300,000

Another 2,437 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 300,752.Selangor recorded 914 cases, followed by Johor (340), Kuala Lumpur (337), Perak (287), Sarawak (171), Sabah (134) and Penang (105).Negeri Sembilan recorded 65 cases, Kelantan 33, Kedah 13, Terengganu 12, Pahang 11, Melaka 10, Putrajaya three and Labuan two.Active cases stand at 26,205 with 202 in the ICU and 93 in need of respiratory assistance.Nine new clusters were detected:1. Jalan Timah Tiga (Johor Bahru in Johor; 255 screened, 31 positive)2. Jalan Tanjung Empat (Johor Bahru in Johor; 66 screened, 28 positive)3. Jalan Desa Tropika (Johor Bahru in Johor; 21 screened, 10 positive)4. Batu Empat (Batu Pahat in Johor; 55 screened, eight positive)5. Perusahaan Jalan Bukit (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 699 screened, 262 positive)6. Industri Waja (Kuala Langat in Selangor; 248 screened, 45 positive)7. Jalan Selisik (Petaling and Kuala Selangor in Selangor; 32 screened, 17 positive)8. Tapak Bina Bukit Kiara (Kepong in Kuala Lumpur; 250 screened, 181 positive)9. Jalan Sungai Baong (Seberang Perai Selatan in Penang; 93 screened, 40 positive)Three others ended, leaving 491 active clusters across the country.Another 3,251 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 273,417.However, nine more deaths were reported including a foreign woman aged 102, pushing the virus toll to 1,130.


Ukraine's key food exports down by almost half since Russian war

Exports of key Ukrainian agricultural commodities have fallen by almost half since the start of the Russian invasion earlier this year compared to the same period in 2021, data from the agriculture ministry showed late on Monday.
Russia began its attack on Ukraine on Feb 24, calling it a "special military operation", and as a result of the fighting, Ukrainian seaports were blocked, leaving a vast amount of crops either unharvested or destroyed.
Agricultural exports between Feb 24 and Aug 15 this year fell to 10 million tonnes from around 19.5 million in the same period last year, the ministry data showed.
The 2022 grain harvest in Ukraine is forecast to fall to around 50 million tonnes from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021.
From Feb 24 to Aug 15 this year, Ukraine has exported 3.8 million tonnes of corn, 1.4 million tonnes of sunflower seeds, almost 1 million tonnes of sunflower oil and around 640,000 tonnes of wheat, the ministry data showed.
The country, whose food production, according to the government, is capable of feeding up to 400 million people, also exported barley, soy beans and oil, sunflower and soybean meals.
At the end of July, three Ukrainian Black Sea ports were unblocked under a deal between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.
But even with the ports opened, Ukraine's agricultural exports are significantly lower than before the conflict, when Ukraine exported up to 6 million tonnes of grain a month.
Last week the agriculture ministry said Ukraine's grain exports in the 2022/23 season up to Aug. 19 are down 51.6% from a year earlier at 2.99 million tonnes.
Grain exports for the 2021/22 season, which ended on June 30, rose 8.5% to 48.5 million tonnes thanks to a large volume of shipments before Russia invaded.


UK foreign ministry suffered serious cyber attack earlier this year, documents show

Britain’s foreign ministry was the target of a serious cyber security incident earlier this year, according to tender documents posted on the government’s website.“The authority was the target of a serious cyber security incident, details of which cannot be disclosed,” according to the documents. The news was first reported by The Stack.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was forced to call in BAE Systems Applied Intelligence to deal with the incident, according to the documents. It paid BAE Systems 467,326 pounds (US$632,946) for the work.“We do not comment on security but have systems in place to detect and defend against potential cyber incidents,” a foreign ministry spokesman said.It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack – or the effects of it. It was also unclear why the details of the incident could not be disclosed.


Job scams among issues to be raised at Dewan Rakyat

The issue of job scams and the government's measures to address the problem are among the matters expected to be raised in today's Dewan Rakyat sitting.
According to the order paper, Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) is scheduled to ask the home minister about job scams during the Ministers’ Questions Time.
Sim will ask about the latest number of Malaysians involved, as well as the number of those who have been rescued and those who are still being held captive.
Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan) meanwhile is expected to ask the rural and regional development minister about the government's plans for maintenance and repair works on infrastructure and rural facilities damaged by floods.
There will also be a question from Manndzri Nasib (BN-Tenggara) to the agriculture and food security minister on the government’s steps to improve Malaysia's position in the Global Food Security Index 2022.
Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) meanwhile will ask the finance minister about the government's measures to increase the dividend rate in rebuilding the contributions of the Employees Provident Fund at a faster rate by taking into account long-term investment portfolio strategies and the short- and medium-term global economic risks.
After the session, members of the Dewan Rakyat will participate in the debate session on the motion of thanks for the royal address.
The current Dewan Rakyat will sit until March 30.


Division leader sacked in 2009 hits out at ‘double standards’ by Umno

A former Umno division leader who was stripped of his post and sacked over court charges in 2009 has hit out at what he calls “double standards”, citing a lack of similar action against the party president and top leadership.Former Labuan division chief Suhaili Abdul Rahman said the party should apply Article 10.10 of the Umno constitution against leaders currently facing criminal charges in court, as had been done to him 12 years ago.“This means Umno is practising double standards because that rule applies to everyone. It was used in 2009. Is this fair to other members?” he said in a report by Utusan Malaysia today.“Does the rule apply only to ordinary people like myself? What about the Supreme Council members, the secretary and the president?”Suhaili added that the court case against him in 2009 had nothing to do with accusations of corruption, abuse of power or theft.Suhaili was dismissed by the Umno Supreme Council in 2009 over a charge of making a false statement.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is currently facing 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds from Yayasan Akalbudi.Meanwhile, former president Najib Razak, who is also Pekan Umno division chief, has been convicted and sentenced to 12 years in jail along with a RM210 million fine over seven charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering linked to RM42 million in SRC International funds.Najib also has dozens of other corruption charges linked to the 1MDB scandal pending.Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan is also on trial for allegedly failing to declare RM2 million that he received from Najib.Putrajaya Umno chief Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor meanwhile faces a 12-year jail sentence and RM2 million fine for a charge of accepting a RM2 million bribe from a businessman.Zahid and Najib are at the forefront of a group of Umno leaders facing charges in court who have launched attacks on the Perikatan Nasional government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, which came to power last year on the back of support from the Malay party.Suhaili said he was the first and last Umno leader against whom Article 10.10 of the party constitution had been used despite many others being embroiled in criminal charges.“I was not given any space to explain and my post was not restored even though my case was settled,” he told Utusan Malaysia.“Twelve years have passed since then, but today, let everyone know the truth about the injustice of Umno’s cause.”


Asia’s ‘most wanted man’ arrested in Netherlands

Police in the Netherlands have arrested the alleged head of one of the world’s biggest drugs organisations, on a warrant issued by Australia.Chinese-born Canadian Tse Chi Lop is said to be the head of The Company, which dominates a US$70 billion illegal drugs market across Asia.One of the world’s most wanted fugitives, Tse was detained at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Friday as he was about to board a flight to Canada.Australia will now seek his extradition to face trial there.The Australian federal police believe The Company, also known as the Sam Gor Syndicate, is responsible for up to 70% of all illegal drugs entering the country. They had reportedly been tracking Tse, 56, for more than a decade.“He was already on the most-wanted list and he was detained based on intelligence we received,” a Dutch police spokesman said.Reuters published a special investigation into Tse in 2019 – describing him as “Asia’s most wanted man”.The news agency cited UN estimates as saying the syndicate’s revenue from methamphetamine sales alone could have been as high as US$17 billion in 2018.Tse is rumoured to have moved between Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan in recent years and the effort to arrest him, Operation Kungur, involved about 20 agencies from countries across the globe.He previously spent nine years in prison in the US for drug trafficking in the 1990s.Australian media described his arrest as the “most important” for the country’s federal police in two decades.


Jasa rebranded as J-KOM, says communications minister

The government has agreed to rebrand the Department of Special Affairs (Jasa) as the Department of Community Communications (J-KOM) with different roles and functions, Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah says.He said the main objective of J-KOM will be to create two-way communications between the government and the people, namely to convey accurate, authentic, and wise government information to the people, as well as to hear the voices and feedback from the people.“The method used is by developing the community, especially at the grassroots level, who practise a culture of knowledge, are digitally skilled, and appreciate the meaning and focus of patriotism by adopting the community empowerment approach,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2021 for his ministry at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.Saifuddin also said the functions of J-KOM would differ from those of Japen (Department of Information) as the main task of J-KOM at the moment is to implement strategic communication to promote the new normal in light of Covid-19.Japen, on the other hand, is tasked with providing the public with an understanding of the government’s policies, programmes and initiatives through, first and foremost, communications.The minister said the functions of J-KOM will not overlap with those of other agencies such as Bernama, Radio Televisyen Malaysia and the Malaysian National Film Development Corporation (Finas) which have their own target groups as well as different approaches and activities.Responding to Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) on the allegation that J-KOM would be a propaganda agent, Saifuddin refuted it and stressed that its director-general and deputy director-general would not be appointed from among politicians.“I am giving the assurance that J-KOM is not a propaganda machine, not under my charge. The appointment will follow the Public Service Department’s (PSD) criteria and the main criterion for the appointment is that he or she must be IT-savvy.“I am also giving the assurance that the director-general and deputy director-general of J-KOM will not be appointed from among politicians. They must be a combination of a professional and a good administrative officer with high credibility,” he said.He added that the candidates will have to undergo the application and interview processes stipulated by the PSD.On the allocation of RM85.5 million to the department, which had been deemed too big, Saifuddin hinted that the allocation would be reduced.He said the reduction was possible as the allocation for J-KOM would be given based on the number of districts and not the number of parliamentary and state constituencies as was previously the case.


Recalled instant noodle products safe for consumption, says health DG

The health ministry today said that the two instant noodle products recalled following the detection of ethylene oxide have been found to be safe for consumption.
Health director-general Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan said the "Penang Ah Lai White Curry" and "Indomie Special Chicken Flavour" products had also complied with the stipulated legislation.
He said this was confirmed by a laboratory analysis carried out on samples of the two types of noodles.
"For imported food, the health ministry implements six levels of inspection at the country’s entry points based on risks.
"For Level 5 inspection, which is hold, test and release (TUL), food products entering the country will be held and analysed first and only food products that comply with the standards will be released for the Malaysian market," he said in a statement today.
He said that from 2022 to April this year, a total of 317 samplings for the purpose of TUL had been carried out. Of the total, 37 (11.67%) were TUL samplings on instant noodle products of various brands for ethylene oxide parameters. Radzi also said that the ministry would cooperate with the companies involved to ensure that products found to be non-compliant are withdrawn from the market.
For more information regarding the issue, consumers can contact the nearest district health office, or visit http://moh.spab.gov.my or the food safety and quality division Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bkkmhq.
The health ministry had ordered a voluntary recall of the "Penang Ah Lai White Curry" product for batches expiring on Aug 25, 2023 following the detection of ethylene oxide in the product as well as the "Indomie Special Chicken Flavour" noodles.
The ministry also issued a directive to hold, test and release the "Indomie Special Chicken Flavour" instant noodle product from Indonesia at all entry points of the country, and urged its manufacturer to voluntarily recall the affected products from the market.
Ethylene oxide is a chemical gas that is carcinogenic and often used as pesticides. It is also an active ingredient in detergents, not allowed to be used on surfaces that come into contact with food.


Australia to swear in new PM Anthony Albanese

Australia’s Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese will be sworn in as the country’s new prime minister on Monday as he promised a “journey of change” vowing to tackle climate change and rising living costs.Along with Albanese, deputy Labor leader Richard Marles and three key ministers in waiting – Penny Wong in foreign affairs, Jim Chalmers as treasurer and Katy Gallagher in finance – will be sworn in at a ceremony in the national capital, Canberra.Albanese and Wong then head to Japan later on Monday to attend a key meeting of the “Quad” security grouping in Tokyo.“It’s a big day in my life but a big day for the country, when we change the government,” Albanese told reporters outside his Sydney suburban home.“I want to channel the opportunity that we have to shape change so that we bring people with us on the journey of change. I want to bring the country together.”Albanese said he spoke to US President Joe Biden on Sunday night and was looking forward to meeting him during the Quad summit on Tuesday alongside the prime ministers of Japan and India. He will return to Australia on Wednesday.Labor will retake power after nine years in opposition as a wave of unprecedented support for the Greens and climate-focused independents, mostly women, helped end nearly a decade of rule by the conservative coalition.Labor’s campaign heavily spotlighted Albanese’s working-class credentials – a boy raised in public housing by a single mother on a disability pension – and his image as a pragmatic unifier. Read full storyCentre-left Labor still remains four seats short of a majority of 76 in the 151 seat lower house with about a dozen races too close to call, according to television channels. Some predicted Labor might get enough seats to govern on their own.Official results could be several days away, with the counting of a record 2.7 million postal votes underway on Sunday.


US health authority says Moderna jab effective in kids under 5

US health authorities confirmed on Friday that data provided by drug-maker Moderna on the efficacy of its Covid-19 vaccine among very young children were accurate, ahead of a decision next week on whether to authorise two inoculations against the virus in kids aged six months to five years.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which independently analysed data from clinical trials conducted by Moderna, said vaccine efficacy against symptomatic cases of Covid-19 was 51% in babies aged six months to less than two years old, and 37% in children aged two to five years.The figures are lower than those recorded during clinical trials on adults, but that is only because the trials for the very young children were conducted during a wave linked to the Omicron variant, according to the FDA.“Although the VE (vaccine efficacy)… in children six months to five years is lower than that observed in the pivotal adult or older pediatric studies, it is highly consistent with real-world vaccine effectiveness observed against Omicron in adults,” the FDA said in a statement.Even though Moderna’s vaccine has proven less effective against the Omicron variant, it remains very good at protecting against severe cases of the disease, the FDA pointed out.That is why the FDA concluded that the Moderna data “support the administration” of the vaccine in two doses of 100 micrograms each in adolescents aged 12 to 17, 50 micrograms for six to 11-year-olds, and 25 micrograms in children aged six months to five years.In the US, Moderna’s vaccine is currently only authorised for people aged 18 and older.The latest document, stretching to more than 100 pages and published by the US agency, will serve as a basis for the authorisation discussions next week.An advisory committee of experts must meet over two days to study the request for authorisation of the vaccine, as well as that of Pfizer, and make its recommendation.The FDA is expected to publish its independent analysis of data from Pfizer early next week.Pfizer has filed an application for authorisation for children aged six months to four years, although its vaccine will be administered in three doses.


No vaccination, no salary, says Pakistan province

The head of a Pakistani province ordered Thursday that government employees who refuse to be vaccinated against Covid-19 would not be paid from next month.Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced the move after meeting with health officials to discuss the first cases of the delta variant detected in the province, which includes the megacity of Karachi.“Any government employee who is not vaccinated should have their salary stopped from July,” he tweeted, adding that orders had been given to the finance ministry.A third wave of infections has begun to stabilise in the country after weeks of restrictions on public gatherings, but Sindh province has reported the highest number of cases since the pandemic began.Pakistan’s initially sluggish vaccination rollout has been ramped up in recent weeks with more than 200,000 doses administered most days.But the impoverished country has fully vaccinated only around 2.2 million people – a fraction of its 220 million population.Misinformation and conspiracy theories about the side effects of the jab have sparked hesitancy in Pakistan, while the requirement to have a mobile phone to register for a shot has proved a barrier for some poor and illiterate citizens.Those in rural areas have also struggled to get access to vaccine centres, the majority of which are in major cities.The Sindh salary order mystified employee representatives.“This is a strange order, as people are very much volunteering and willing to get vaccinated,” said Liaqat Sahi, the secretary general of a labour union at the central State Bank of Pakistan, adding that he has been vaccinated.“Instead the government should… create more vaccination centres, especially in rural areas.”Pakistan has recorded more than 850,000 infections and 21,022 deaths, but with limited testing and a ramshackle healthcare sector, many fear the true extent of the disease is much worse.This week it opened up jabs – the majority of which have come from its neighbour China – to all adults above the age of 18.


Saudi to host scaled-down haj for citizens, residents already in kingdom

Saudi Arabia announced Saturday it will allow 60,000 vaccinated residents of the kingdom to perform the annual haj, state media reported.The haj ministry said this year’s pilgrimage would be “open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims”, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.The pilgrimage, scheduled to be held at the end of July, would be limited to those who have been vaccinated and are below 65 years of age with no chronic illnesses, it said.It will be the second year in a row that the kingdom hosts a downscaled haj amid the coronavirus pandemic.The haj – a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime – typically packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites and could be a major source of contagion.Only up to 10,000 Muslims took part in last year, a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated in the five-day annual pilgrimage in 2019.In a relaxation of coronavirus curbs last October, Saudi Arabia opened the Grand Mosque for prayers for the first time in seven months and partially resumed the all-year-round umrah pilgrimage.The limit on umrah pilgrims is 20,000 a day, with a total of 60,000 worshippers allowed to perform daily prayers at the mosque.The umrah usually attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe each year. Authorities said the umrah would be allowed to return to full capacity once the threat of the pandemic has abated.The revered Black Stone in the kaaba – which is customary but not mandatory to touch during the pilgrimage – remains out of reach.‘Highest precautions’“In light of what the whole world is witnessing with the coronavirus pandemic… and the emergence of new variants, the relevant authorities have continued to monitor the global health situation,” the haj ministry said Saturday.“Considering the large crowds that perform haj, spending long periods of time in multiple and specific places… required the highest levels of health precautions,” it added in the statement carried by SPA.A scaled-down haj represents a major loss of revenue for the kingdom, already reeling from the twin shocks of the virus-induced slowdown and a plunge in oil prices.The haj and the year-round umrah pilgrimages together rake in some US$12 billion annually.Last year, the foreign press were barred from the haj, usually a huge global media event.Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 460,000 coronavirus infections, including 7,536 deaths.The health ministry says it has administered more than 15 million coronavirus vaccine doses, in a country with a population of over 34 million.Hosting the haj is a matter of prestige for Saudi rulers, for whom the custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites is their most powerful source of political legitimacy.But a series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 worshippers, has prompted criticism of the kingdom’s management of the pilgrimage.


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How Malaysia ended up owing US$15 billion to a sultan's heirs

Malaysia is scrambling to protect its assets as the descendants of the last sultan of the remote Philippine region of Sulu look to enforce a US$15 billion arbitration award in a dispute over a colonial-era land deal.
In 1878, two European colonists signed a deal with the sultan for the use of his territory in present-day Malaysia – an agreement that independent Malaysia honoured until 2013, paying the monarch's descendants about US$1,000 a year.
Now, 144 years later after the original deal, Malaysia is on the hook for the second largest arbitration award on record for stopping the payments after a bloody incursion by supporters of Sultan Mohammed Jamalul Alam's heirs in which more than 50 people were killed.
"It is a fascinating and unusual case," said lawyer Paul Cohen, a lead co-counsel for the sultan's heirs from British law firm 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.
For years, Malaysia largely dismissed the claims but in July, two Luxembourg-based subsidiaries of state energy firm Petronas were served with a seizure notice to enforce the award that the heirs won in February.
The arbitration ruling in France followed an eight-year legal effort by the heirs and US$20 million in funds raised for them from unidentified third-party investors, according to interviews with main figures in the case and legal documents seen by Reuters.
Malaysia did not participate in nor recognise the arbitration – allowing the heirs to present their case without rebuttal – despite warnings that it would be dangerous to ignore the process.
The claimants, including some retirees, are Filipino citizens leading middle-class lives, a far cry from their royal ancestors of the Sulu sultanate that once spanned rainforest-covered islands in the southern Philippines and parts of Borneo island.
The heirs argue that the 19th century deal was a commercial lease, which is why they chose arbitration. They also claimed compensation for the vast energy reserves that have since been discovered in the territory they gave up in Sabah.
Malaysia disputes that, saying the sultanate ceded sovereignty and the arbitration was illegitimate.
"The arbitration is a sophisticated fiction, veiled as a legal process," Uria Menendez, a Spanish law firm representing Malaysia, told Reuters.
Malaysia has obtained a stay in France pending an appeal – a process that could take years – but the award remains enforceable globally under a UN convention on arbitration.
'Poorest sultan'
Malaysia honoured the colonial-era deal until 2013, when supporters of the late Jamalul Kiram III, who claimed to be the rightful sultan of Sulu, attempted to reclaim Sabah.
Clashes erupted when about 200 supporters arrived in boats from the Philippines and lasted nearly a month.
Kiram, who claimed to be the "poorest sultan in the world", was not one of the court-recognised heirs who received payments from Malaysia.
The eight claimants in the arbitration – including Kiram's daughter and cousins – who received the annual payment have condemned the attack.
Up until the intrusion, the Malaysian embassy in Manila wrote a cheque to the claimants every year for "cession money", according to cheques and correspondence from the embassy to the heirs and shared with Reuters by the heirs' lawyers.
Then prime minister Najib Razak told Reuters he had stopped the payments due to public anger over the incursion, acknowledging the reason publicly for the first time.
"I felt it was incumbent upon my duty and responsibility to protect the sovereignty of Sabah and the people of Sabah," he said, adding he had not anticipated retaliatory legal action.
The claimants, through their lawyers, declined to be interviewed.
Cohen, the heirs' lawyer, first heard of their claims from an oil and gas expert he cross examined in 2014 in an unrelated case.
Knowing they did not have the financial means, Cohen in 2016 brought on board Therium, a British firm that has bankrolled legal actions by raising money from institutional investors, including a sovereign wealth fund.
Therium conducted nine rounds of funding for the case, during which third-party investors repeatedly assessed its merits, said Elisabeth Mason, a lead co-counsel for the claimants with 4-5 Gray's Inn Square.
The case has cost over US$20 million, including lawyers and researchers in eight jurisdictions, she said.
"Investors don't invest lightly in such matters," she said.
Therium said it would continue to finance efforts to enforce the award. It declined to provide details.
'Ludicrous'
The heirs notified their intention to commence arbitration in 2017 in Spain and initially sought US$32.2 billion in compensation, according to the award statement.
Malaysia's first response came in 2019 when then attorney-general Tommy Thomas offered to resume the annual payments and pay RM48,000 (US$10,800) in arrears and interest if the arbitration was dropped.
Thomas believed the demands were "absurd and ludicrous" but made the offer after colleagues advised him that it was "perilous" to disregard the arbitration as Malaysia's foreign assets could be at risk, he wrote in a 2021 memoir.
The heirs rejected Thomas' offer and the arbitration went on without Malaysia's participation.
Malaysia successfully challenged the appointment of Gonzalo Stampa as the sole arbitrator in a Spanish court last year.
But Stampa argued in his award statement that the courts did not have jurisdiction over arbitration, and moved the case to France to deliver the award – actions that Malaysia says were unlawful.
Stampa is now facing criminal proceedings in Spain following a complaint filed by Malaysia. He declined to comment to Reuters.
By snubbing the arbitration, Malaysia is confined to arguing the procedural validity rather than making a case against the heirs' claims, said N Jansen Calamita, head of Investment Law and Policy at the National University of Singapore.
"It was a risky strategy and ultimately, I don't think it has served them well," he said.


Panic measures as South Korea sees more deaths than births for first time

South Korea recorded more deaths than births in 2020 for the first time ever, raising fresh alarm in the country which already has the world’s lowest birth rate.Only 275,800 babies were born last year, down 10% from 2019. Around 307,764 people died.The figures prompted the interior ministry to call for “fundamental changes” to its policies.A declining population puts immense strain on a country. Apart from increased pressure on public spending as demand for healthcare systems and pensions rise, a declining population of people of working age also leads to labour shortages that have a direct impact on the economy.Last month, President Moon Jae-in launched several policies aimed at addressing the plummeting birth rate, including cash incentives for families.Under the scheme, from 2022 every child born will receive a cash bonus of 2 million won (RM7,500) to help cover prenatal expenses, on top of a monthly payout of 300,000 won (RM1,100) until the baby turns one. The incentive will increase to 500,000 won (RM1,800) every month from 2025.There are several reasons for the declining birth rate but largely it is because in South Korea, women struggle to achieve a balance between work and life’s other demands.Hyun-yu Kim is one of them. The oldest of four, she dreamed of having a big family of her own one day. But faced with conditions that are not family-friendly in South Korea, she is seriously reconsidering her plans to have children.She recently started a new job and is feeling more and more anxious about taking time off for maternity leave. “People tell me that it’s safer to build my career first,” she told the BBC.Soaring real estate prices are another major issue. Kim points out that rapidly rising property prices make home-ownership impossible for young couples and discourage them from starting families.“In order to have children, you need to have your own home. But this has become an impossible dream in Korea.”She is also unconvinced by the incentives being offered by the government.“It’s expensive to raise a child. The government providing an extra couple hundred thousand won won’t solve our problems.”


Russian crude oil heads to UAE as sanctions divert flows

The United Arab Emirates has been taking more cargoes of Russian crude oil, according to ship tracking data and trading sources, in another example of how Western sanctions on Russia have adjusted traditional energy trade flows.
Russia has been selling both crude and refined products at discounted prices after international sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", left it with fewer buyers.
The development also highlights growing cooperation between Russia and top Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Gulf Arab states have resisted US pressure to help isolate Russia and to pump more oil to help replace Russian supply after it came under Western sanctions.
It is not known exactly when the UAE began importing Russian crude, but tanker tracking data indicates volumes have risen in the wake of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent Western sanctions on Moscow.
Ship tracking data shows about 1.5 million barrels of Russian crude have gone to the UAE - one of the world's biggest oil producers in its own right - since November 2022, with volumes either beginning or moving higher since early 2022.
According to data from energy analytics firm Kpler, the first shipment of Russian crude to the UAE was in 2019, but shipments increased after April 2022, with a pause between July and October 2022.
Refinitiv Eikon data shows the first Russian crude shipment to the country was in 2022, with a spike in volumes in April 2022.
The UAE and Russian energy ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the data.
Growing cooperation
Saudi Arabia has been importing significant amount of Russian fuel oil to burn at its power plants while freeing up more crude for exports. Only one shipment of Russian crude to the UAE has previously been reported.
China, India and several African and other Middle Eastern nations have also increased Russian crude and products imports, while many countries have banned or discouraged such purchases.
The UAE has also maintained cooperation with Russia in the alliance of global producers known as Opec+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies.
Data seen by Reuters on Eikon ship tracking showed a shipment of Russian crude arrived at the UAE Ruwais refinery in November 2022.
Another cargo, of Russian Urals crude, is shown as having arrived at the oil hub of Fujairah earlier this month.
Data from Kpler also showed both crude shipments as having taken place. "Shipments to UAE are occasional," a Russian crude trading source said.


PLUS-TNB to install 18 EV charging stations along highways by year-end

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and PLUS Malaysia Bhd will jointly install 18 electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations along PLUS Highways by year-end.
PLUS Malaysia Bhd and TNB, in a joint statement, said that TNB Electron charging facilities were now available at three rest and recreation (R&R) areas in Ayer Keroh (northbound) and Tapah (northbound), and along the North-South Expressway and Paka (northbound) on the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2).
Six more TNB Electron charging facilities are being built at the Machap R&R (southbound), Rawang (northbound), Gunung Semanggol (southbound), Gurun (north and southbound) and Paka (southbound).
These are expected to be completed this year, in line with Malaysia's goal of achieving a carbon-neutral country status.
TNB president and CEO Baharin Din said the use of electricity at the nine TNB Electrons which is estimated to reach 99,000kWh in 2023, would avoid the emission of 7.2 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in the same period – equivalent to the capture of greenhouse gases by 3.43 hectares of forest per year.
He said TNB has made the development of the EV ecosystem one of four initiatives to accelerate its energy transition drive in an effort to increase its commitment to environment, social and governance interests, as well as ensure sustainable business growth. PLUS Malaysia Bhd board member and UEM Group managing director Mohd Izani Ghani said the major concessionaires of the country's highway infrastructure operators had joined hands with TNB and used their expertise in energy resource technology expertise to be enjoyed by PLUS highway users.
Izani said as of Jan 20 this year, a total of 20 fast-charging facilities are operating along the PLUS Highway, with more similar facilities planned at R&R areas.


Former MACC chief made non-executive chairman of holding firm

A former chief of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) who was allegedly featured in an audio tape showing efforts to sabotage investigations into the 1MDB scandal has been given a senior position in a holding firm.Dzulkifli Ahmad, who resigned as the MACC chief commissioner following the change of government in 2018, was appointed as the independent and non-executive chairman of Joe Holding Bhd, a company involved in the manufacturing of automotive battery components as well as used cars.The announcement was made in a bourse filing yesterday.Dzulkifli headed the Commercial Crime Unit at the Attorney-General’s Chambers before he became the MACC chief in 2016, at the height of the revelations linked to 1MDB and former prime minister Najib Razak.He was allegedly among those featured in nine audio clips of phone conversations released by former MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya in 2019.The conversations pointed to alleged attempts to exonerate Najib from allegations of misappropriating billions of dollars in funds linked to 1MDB.


New cases drop to 16,800 as 37 more deaths logged

Another 16,863 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,138,867.Of the total number of cases recorded, 100 were in Category Three and above.There were 26,171 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,870,937.A total of 850 cases were admitted to hospital, with 362 (42.6%) in Category Three and above and 488 (57.4%) in Category One and Two.Of the 100 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 30 (30.00%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 44 (44.00%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 26 (26.00%) had received a booster jab;* 69 (69.00%) were aged 60 and above; and* 63 (63.00%) had comorbidities.There are now 233,179 active cases, of which 226,656 or 97.2% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 1,032 (0.4%) are at quarantine centres while 5,192 (2.2%) have been hospitalised.A total of 299 are in ICU with 187 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 56.9%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 33.9%.Another 37 deaths were reported, including six who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 34,751.The country’s infectivity rate as of March 27 was 0.93.


Don’t worry, govt tells undocumented migrants on vaccine jabs

Undocumented foreign workers have been asked to approach their respective embassies in order to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, ahead of the first delivery of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines this Sunday.Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin assured that discussions would be held with the authorities to ensure that these workers are not detained.“Arrangements will be made for documented foreign workers to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in an efficient manner,” he said at a press conference today.“Meanwhile those who do not possess documentation must approach their embassies to be brought out and vaccinated without being arrested,” he said, adding that his ministry is still discussing the details of the plan.Putrajaya previously said that foreign workers would receive Covid-19 vaccines free of charge, noting their contribution to the economy and saying this would help ensure herd immunity.Khairy said that 300,000 frontline workers would receive the jabs in the first phase of the national vaccination programme. He said priority would be given to those in the health sector, followed by other workers in frontline sectors.He said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was prepared to be one of the first to receive the vaccine to assure those who are concerned about its efficacy.“The plan at the national level is being drafted,” he said. “We will identify several NGOs to join us on our team to help boost public confidence in the vaccines.”On which vaccine would be given, Khairy said this would depend on the allocation of the jabs which have been approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).“No one can choose which vaccine they will receive,” he said. “But do not worry as whatever vaccine is given has been approved by the NPRA. There should be no concerns.“You cannot choose which vaccine. You will only be given the date, time and place to come and receive the jab.”Malaysia has so far secured Covid-19 vaccine supplies from five companies at a total price of over RM2 billion, enough to inoculate more than 80% of the population and achieve herd immunity.The Pfizer vaccines will be the first to arrive in Malaysia on Sunday, followed by vaccines under the Covax facility (March) and from AstraZeneca (April).Three other vaccines will come from Sinovac and CanSino (China) and Gamaleya (Russia), totalling 23.9 million doses under various regiments.


Thunderstorm warning for 8 states with heavy rain, strong winds expected

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a thunderstorm warning for eight states with heavy rain and strong winds expected until 7pm.
MetMalaysia said in a statement that heavy rain is expected throughout Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu.
A similar warning was issued for several areas in Kelantan (Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Kota Bharu, Bachok, Machang, Pasir Puteh, Kuala Krai and Gua Musang); Pahang (Cameron Highlands, Lipis, Raub, Jerantut, Bentong, Temerloh, Kuantan, Bera and Rompin); Perak (Kinta, Kampar and Batang Padang); Selangor (Hulu Langat); Johor (Segamat, Kluang and Mersing); and Sarawak (Bau, Kuching, Serian, Samarahan and Asajaya).


Interest in sub-sale homes bounces back in 4 states

Interest in sub-sale residential properties in four states bounced back in the first half of 2021, rising to 19.2% from -2.5% in the first half of last year.Using unique visitors and listing data, iProperty revealed that visits outweighed the increase in listing supply for terrace houses, condominiums, service residences and apartments in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Johor.iProperty spokesman Premendran Pathmanathan said the increase could be attributed to property seekers who had moved online in conducting their research, as well as virtual tours and virtual follow-ups with property agents.“Visitors are genuinely interested in purchasing properties,” he said, adding that this had been verified through reference to the total amount of loan applications from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).“The trend showing similarity between portal user visits and total loans applied indicates a strong intent to purchase after the research phase,” he said at a virtual presentation today.He said lower interest rates and the Home Ownership Campaign which had been extended to December had also contributed to the growth in property interest.According to BNM, the value of home loan applications grew from RM96.4 billion in the first half of 2020 to RM179.4 billion in the first half of this year.Terraces in suburban areas saw a spike in demand due to the shift to remote working and an interest in bigger houses.Malaysia has seen three lockdowns imposed since last year, forcing millions of employees to work from home.According to a study by Randstad Malaysia, 69% of respondents in the country prefer to work remotely, at least until the nationwide vaccination programme has ended.“People are looking for bigger spaces, further away, at lower costs. You see places like Puncak Alam, Dengkil and Semenyih coming into the limelight.“In the sense of space, these locations have it,” Premendran said, adding that people are going beyond the suburbs with connectivity to the city centre.In Selangor, Puncak Alam and Dengkil saw high demand for terrace houses priced between RM500,000 and RM750,000 for 1,500 to 2,000 square feet, while people are looking for more spacious terrace houses of up to 3,000 square feet in Semenyih and Sungai Long.Affluent areas in Kuala Lumpur remained steady with 8.1% growth in sub-sale demand in the first half this year compared to 0.3% in the same period last year.The asking prices in affluent areas such as Damansara Heights, Mont Kiara and Desa Parkcity are more likely to be higher. However, property sellers in other parts of the capital city are lowering their asking prices due to the decline in holding power.Locals are also driving the interest in sub-sale residential properties in Johor, as foreign demand remains low with international borders still closed.Premendran said at the moment, the asking prices of high-rise homes in all four states have reduced due to a high number of unsold units, and as a means for sellers to attract buyers.“Generally, the transaction prices are lower than asking prices, about 20%,” he said.


Indian lawyers told to smarten up in virtual hearings

Indian lawyers have been told to smarten up their act after some appeared in virtual hearings in colourful shirts, just a vest or even while riding a scooter.The Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh state said Wednesday that cyberspace was like an extended courtroom and the casual attire and behaviour were unacceptable.Most courts in India have been functioning virtually since last March when the country imposed a months-long pandemic lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19.“Advocates should understand that their appearance for hearing of cases through virtual mode from their house or office or chamber is like an extended court room and it is as serious as attending a proceeding inside a court,” news channel NDTV quoted the court order as saying.It ordered advocates to adhere to the dress code that includes a white shirt for men and white saris for women.The court said that in recent times it had encountered “a lady advocate with face pack on”, a lawyer “while driving scooter”, and one advocate “wearing a vest” and warned that it will not “ignore any more casual appearances”.Yogendra Swaroop, former chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Bar council, said the order was necessary to maintain the sanctity of the courtroom.“There are certain norms to be followed in a court and dressing is one of them,” Swaroop told AFP.India’s virtual court hearings like elsewhere – like the viral Zoom video of a US lawyer stuck with a cat filter – has too witnessed several faux pas.Last year, a lawyer was seen smoking a water pipe during a hearing and another gobbling down his lunch while a third advocate told a Supreme Court judge, “who are you, brother?”


In Kelantan border town, traders bid farewell to a year of suffering

As December approaches, people in the east coast usually brace for the annual floods.Just five years ago, Kelantan and Terengganu were hit by the worst floods in history which caused untold economic and social miseries.This year, the floods are not the only one to blame.In Rantau Panjang, a town in Kelantan which borders with Thailand, traders at one of Malaysia’s key shopping attractions find their livelihoods nearly wiped out by the various Covid-19 lockdowns imposed this year.For years, traders at the tax-free zone have depended on the thousands of daily visitors at the busy border.But with borders shut and restrictions on businesses, coupled with the economic uncertainty, traders are lamenting their losses for this “year of suffering”.“We have all been tested, right until the end of the year.”Rukinah Mail, 59, said sales began to pick up after Hari Raya sometime the middle of the year, when locals came crowding in.“But just as we were breathing a sigh of relief, the conditional movement control order was imposed,” she said, referring to the restriction on movements reinstated across most of the country in the wake of a spike in Covid-19 cases.This put paid to interstate travel, which was only allowed to resume recently on Dec 7.“The rainy season has also arrived, and floods could happen at any time. We have all been tested, right until the end of the year,” Rukinah told MalaysiaNow at her stall in Rantau Panjang, in front of the three-storey Fatimah Bazaar.The building was constructed by the Kelantan government after the original bazaar site was razed by fire several years ago.Rukinah has been selling household goods such as pots, plates and bowls, as well as mats, bedsheets and dolls since the 1990s, but the future of her small shop is now up in the air.Come December, she used to rake in six-figure profits but this year she is far short of her sales target and was forced to let go two of her workers.Across the way, Syukri who sells children’s clothes said he has over RM15,000 worth of stock of which he has little hope of disposing.It’s difficult for him to sell the stock that came in earlier this year as fashion trends have changed since then.“As long as I can pay my rent, it’s okay. If I have any extra money I will try and plan for another business.”“I would like to just auction it off for cheap,” he told MalaysiaNow. “Hand it over to other traders based on how many sacks of clothes they want. I advertised it on Facebook asking for only RM10,000, but no one took up my offer.“It’s old stock,” he added. “We’re heading into 2021, no one wants to sell clothes from 2020 anymore.”Syukri owes about RM4,000 in rental for two shop units. Monthly rental for one unit is RM450.“I want to sell everything,” he said, referring to his stock.“As long as I can pay my rent, it’s okay. If I have any extra money I will try and plan for another business.”Rantau Panjang is located about 40km from Kota Bharu, adjacent to the town of Golok on the Thai border.Its duty-free status, obtained in 2002, had made it a hot spot for tourists every year – except this year.Less than 30km away, the Pengkalan Kubor duty-free zone operates on the same concept and price range. Both locations are under an hour’s drive from the state capital Kota Bharu.Today, Fatimah Bazaar is deserted, with many shops shuttered and unoccupied.Only a handful of shops on the first floor remain open for business – the rest have no tenants to speak of.Traders said the second and third levels of the bazaar are deserted, filled with rubbish and thick with dust.“The rental imposed by the council is steep and not in line with the units’ location on the top floor. Who wants to go up there when there are many shops at the ground level?” Kak La, who sells gold-plated items, told MalaysiaNow.Syukri meanwhile said the shopping haven is now frequented by locals looking to buy snacks from stalls at the side of the road.“It makes me sad, but I have to laugh as well, when in the morning I come to open my shop and there are cars and motorcycles parked in front of the stalls.“It appears that people are coming to jog here because they can’t go anywhere else.”The Rantau Panjang Traders’ Association said the number of tourists to the area has been on the decline.However, its president Ramli Abdullah said the traders had accepted the situation as the Covid-19 pandemic has affected everyone at every level of society.He told MalaysiaNow that while 2020 might end in sadness, hope remained for the year ahead.“We will think of a way to make sure we can continue to survive and to operate as normal,” he said.“That’s our job here, every day – to run our business and not give up.”


Analysts see small voter turnout if GE15 is held in haste

The 15th general election (GE15) will likely see a low turnout of voters if it is held in the near future and in haste, several analysts say.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said the state elections in Melaka and Johor had shown that many were still concerned about the Covid-19 situation, with outstation voters reluctant to return to their home towns to vote.They also spoke of a growing disenchantment with politicians who chase power and positions without taking into account the well-being of the people.Azmil Mohd Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said it was not unusual for state and by-elections to have lower voter turnouts, especially if they are held in a sudden manner.Nevertheless, he cautioned the government and political parties against taking the matter lightly, saying they should instead boost their efforts to increase the voter turnout for future polls.“The pandemic situation has made many uneasy about the risk of infection, and voters are also tired of parties and politicians who only appear interested in power,” he told MalaysiaNow.There is also the question of motivating outstation voters to return for elections, exacerbated by the ineffective campaign narratives put forth by a number of parties, he said.The Johor state election on March 12, for example, witnessed a voter turnout of just 54.92%. At the Melaka election last November, meanwhile, only 65.85% of voters turned out to vote.The Election Commission had targeted a voter turnout of 70% for both elections.Analyst Oh Ei Sun said a low voter turnout was a cause for concern for any democratic country, adding however that it was a voter’s right to refrain from voting in order to express dissatisfaction towards current political developments.“A large segment of those who did not vote may have been Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters or pro-opposition voters who were disappointed with the Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the government that they voted in.“Many of them lost any hope of restoring that government, for example when the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration was toppled last year – they began feeling that there was no point in voting,” Oh, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, told MalaysiaNow.The post of prime minister returned to Umno after PH rejected an offer by Muhyiddin Yassin promising to undertake a list of reforms long championed by the coalition in exchange for its support to prevent the collapse of the PN government in the midst of the pandemic.PH later signed a memorandum of understanding with Ismail Sabri Yaakob who was appointed as prime minister after Muhyiddin resigned, a move which Oh said could have left voters even more disappointed.“Although they are loath to turn out on polling day, they will not vote for Barisan Nasional or PN either,” he said.“This group would prefer to just stay at home.”Observer James Chin said if GE15 is held next year, more voters might turn out given that the Covid-19 situation is expected to ease by the end of this year.“We also need to monitor the Covid-19 developments in Malaysia as this will affect the atmosphere of GE15,” Chin of Australia’s University of Tasmania said.Adding that voter turnouts vary from election to election, he said low numbers were not necessarily a cause for concern.“Covid-19 has changed not just the character of elections, but also the way that parties campaign,” he said.


Fighting rabies in Selangor together

Now with two cases 60km apart, we clearly have a rabies problem to deal with in Selangor.It is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly.The media reports that the Department of Veterinary Services is rounding up strays within a 10km radius of the suspected areas to see if the animals are carrying the disease which is deadly to both dogs and humans is most reassuring to the general public.In order to confirm this, our veterinarians will have to literally get into the brains of animals to confirm infections after they have been humanely euthanised.In the meantime, pet owners should keep their dogs (and cats) strictly confined indoors.This is so that they are not accidentally caught and put down by the authorities.Being in close contact with rabies-infected strays will also get them infected through bites and the transfer of saliva.Feeding strays is one of the main ways that rabies spreads.The availability of food allows infected and non-infected animals to mingle.Animal welfare NGOs in Selangor should take a lead role in saving these strays by putting them in homes in order to provide proper care and love.It seems like they have initiated a blackout on rabies when they ought to show the opposite response.Dogs and cats belong in loving homes with humans, not out in hostile streets.Some of the calls to hide strays in homes when they see the authorities coming during a rabies operation are extreme. They make the rabies infection containment process more difficult.The authorities are playing a vital role in making sure Selangor is free from rabies.NGOs should be going all out with the authorities to educate their members, followers and the public at large about the dangers of rabies and how to avoid getting bitten by an infected dog or cat.They should also provide information on immediate actions to take if one gets bitten or scratched by a rabid animal.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Belgian ambassador forfeits South Korea posting after wife assaulted shop worker

Belgium is prematurely ending the posting of its ambassador to South Korea after his wife assaulted a female member of staff in an upmarket Seoul clothes shop.CCTV footage of the incident shows Peter Lescouhier’s wife, Xiang Xueqiu, slapping and pushing a shop assistant in April.Staff had wanted to check the clothes she was leaving in were her own, amid concern she might be shoplifting.At the time of the incident, the BBC reported the couple had plans to “claim diplomatic immunity” to avoid criminal charges, which sparked mass outrage in South Korea. However, the embassy confirmed that “her diplomatic immunity was waived on the request of the police,” and she would comply fully in the criminal investigation.Xiang later met the shop employee to apologise for her “unacceptable behaviour”, the Belgian foreign ministry said.But Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes decided to end Lescouhier’s posting this summer after three years in the role. While Lescouhier had served his country with dedication, “the current situation” did not “allow him to further carry out his role in a serene way”, the embassy said in a Facebook post.The incident took place in a clothing shop in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Xiang, 63, had spent around an hour trying on clothes before she left, South Korean media reported.A member of staff followed her as she left the shop to make sure the clothes she was wearing – originally from the same shop – were paid for.The ambassador’s wife then followed the employee back into the shop and, in a confrontation caught on CCTV, pushed and slapped another staff member who had tried to intervene. The woman was left with a “swollen face and a bloodshot eye”, the South China Morning Post reported.Police questioned Xiang on May 6. She had previously been treated in hospital after suffering a stroke following the incident, according to the Belgian embassy.The embassy’s press release did not indicate who would replace Lescouhier or when his term would officially end.


Nearly 480,000 children infected with Covid-19 in US, says report

Nearly 480,000 cases of Covid-19 among children have been reported in the US since the onset of the pandemic, Xinhua news agency says according to a new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association.While children represented only 9.5% of all cases in states reporting cases by age, a total of 476,439 children have tested positive for Covid-19, said the report released on Monday.The overall rate is 631 cases per 100,000 children in the population.70,330 new child cases were reported from Aug 13 to 27, a 17% increase in child cases over two weeks, the report added.Children comprised 0.6% to 4.1% of total reported hospitalisations and 0 to 0.3% of all Covid-19 deaths, said the report.“At this time, it appears that severe illness due to Covid-19 is rare among children.“However, states should continue to provide detailed reports on Covid-19 cases, testing, hospitalisations, and mortality by age so that the effects of Covid-19 on children’s health can be documented and monitored,” said the report.


PJ named country’s top sustainable city

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has grabbed top spot in the category of sustainable cities in conjunction with National World Urban Planning Day, celebrated on Nov 10.Mayor Mohd Sayuthi Bakar, who made the announcement yesterday, said MBPJ had achieved sustainable levels since the award was introduced in 2007.“From 2015 to 2019, the council won the Sustainable City Award and a special award for consistency in that category with a sustainability level of 99%,” he said.He said MBPJ had also won the Green Neighbourhood Initiative Award for the following categories: pedestrian, bicycle tracks, community gardens and composting and a special award selected by the federal territories minister.He also said MBPJ had received a five-star rating for the delivery of local services with a total score of 97.6%, making it first in the state of Selangor and fourth nationwide.Ratings were determined according to four main criteria and 17 sub-criteria, as was the case with previous assessments.The four main categories are Management, Core Services, Customer Management, Community Participation and Public Perception.“The council is committed to continuing to provide municipal services that are more efficient, in line with the high expectations of its stakeholders,” Sayuthi said.He added that MBPJ would strengthen its governance and service system as part of efforts to become a smart, resilient and dynamic city by 2025.


In Shanghai, lockdown blues make way for Covid testing gripes

While a two-month Covid lockdown is all but over in Shanghai, residents’ relief is quickly giving way to frustration that they now face hours waiting in line for virus tests and the negative results they must show to be allowed to enter public spaces.China’s business and commercial hub lifted lockdowns for most of its 25 million residents on Wednesday. But citizens are required to have proof they’ve taken a Covid test within the last 72 hours in order to enter areas like malls and offices – or even to use subways and buses.Authorities have built 15,000 testing sites and trained thousands of workers to swab throats. Still, long, snaking queues amid early summer heat of up to 31 degrees Celsius became a common sight on Wednesday and Thursday, with some people saying they queued for two hours.One person posted a picture on social media of a sign at a booth warning of a 4.5 hour wait. The hashtag “Shanghai PCR testing” garnered 190 million views on Weibo on Thursday.“I left the lockdown nightmare only to enter the 72-hour PCR testing nightmare,” said one Shanghai resident, declining to provide her name.“It is troublesome, but we have no choice,” said another, named Xu Xiaojun. “This is for everyone’s good.”Other Chinese cities including Beijing and Shenzhen have imposed similar requirements under a national zero-Covid policy that aims to cut off every infection chain.Despite the deep discontent sparked by Shanghai’s stringent curbs – some 2.5 million in the city are still under lockdown – China has vowed to stick with its approach. It says the zero-Covid policy is needed to save lives and prevent its healthcare system from being swamped, even as much of the world tries to return to normal despite ongoing infections.That increasingly means Covid testing is becoming a feature of daily life: China’s goal is to have testing sites within a 15-minute walk for everyone in large cities.Still, many Shanghai residents remain on edge about the possibility of going back under lockdown.On Thursday, videos shared on social media showed people fleeing the luxury International Finance Centre (IFC) mall in the city’s Lujiazui financial district after it stopped people from entering or exiting – a common practice at venues when a positive Covid test result is found.The IFC mall, run by Sun Hung Kai Properties, later issued a notice saying that it had reopened at 12.30pm local time after carrying out a full disinfection without confirming whether there had been a positive Covid test at the site. The mall did not respond to calls seeking further comment.The ruling Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper on Thursday also published a commentary in which it said that the zero-Covid policy was most appropriate for China’s situation. It also carried a front-page article describing how Shanghai was returning to normal.“Great, phased results have been achieved in the defence of Shanghai.”


Iconic TV interviewer Larry King dead at 87

The iconic TV and radio broadcaster Larry King, who interviewed anyone worth interviewing over a career spanning six decades, died Saturday at the age of 87.The company he co-founded, Ora Media, did not state a cause of death but media reports said King had been battling Covid-19 for weeks and had suffered several health problems in recent years.King, with his trademark suspenders and black rim glasses, was best known for a 25-year run as a talk show host on CNN’s “Larry King Live”.“For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,” Ora Media said in a statement posted on Twitter.King’s long list of interviewees ranged from every US president since 1974, world leaders Yasser Arafat and Vladimir Putin, and celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand.In an emotional last “Larry King Live” show in 2010, tributes included one from President Barack Obama, who in a video message called King “one of the giants of broadcasting”.Radio rootsTributes from the media, politicians and Hollywood stars poured in, led by Putin, who hailed the interviewer’s “great professionalism and unquestioned journalistic authority”, according to the Kremlin.Veteran CNN foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour remembered King as “a giant of broadcasting and a master of the TV celebrity/statesman-woman interview”.She added: “His name is synonymous with CNN and he was vital to the network’s ascent. EVERYONE wanted to be on Larry King Live. May he Rest in Peace.”Star Trek icon and social media personality George Takei noted how King understood “human triumph and frailty equally well,” while Kirstie Alley, of “Cheers” fame, described him as “one of the only talk show hosts who let you talk”.Born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger on Nov 19, 1933, to poor Russian Jewish immigrants in working-class Brooklyn, New York, King says he never wanted to be anything but a radio broadcaster.At the age of 23 he went to Florida to try and find a job.He became a disc-jockey for a Miami radio station in 1957, changing his name to King when the radio’s manager told him it was “too ethnic”.For another Miami Beach radio station he recorded programmes in a restaurant, doing live audience interviews.In 1978 he went to Washington where he anchored a national late-night radio call-in show, before being spotted by CNN, a channel founded in 1980, which hired him for its nighttime programmes in 1985.One million viewers“Larry King Live”, which ran from 1985-2010, broadcast six nights a week to more than 200 countries. CNN puts his total number of interviews at 30,000.At the height of its success the show attracted more than a million viewers every night, making King the star of cable television, on the back of which he negotiated an annual salary of more than US$7 million.Structured in two parts, the show opened with King, typically in his signature rolled-up shirtsleeves and multi-colored ties, interviewing his guests in his relaxed style.The second part of the show had the guest answering questions phoned in by viewers from around the world.“I don’t have an agenda. I don’t assume the answer,” King told the Miami Herald in 2017 of his approach to the job. “I never learned anything when I was talking. Listening is as important,” he said.While critics found his easy-going interviewing style too soft, others saw it as the key to King’s appeal, drawing so many star guests to his show and helping CNN establish itself with the scoops he won.“I’m not interested in embarrassing (guests) nor am I interested in sucking up to them,” he told AFP in 1995. “I’m just curious.”The show goes onAfter CNN King continued to do interviews on his own website and then, in 2013, he hosted a new show, “Larry King Now”, on Russia Today, a government-funded Russian international television network.His private life has been colorful too: after 22 years of marriage he divorced his seventh wife Shawn Southwick in 2019, having filed eight times for a divorce – he married one wife twice.“Instead of goodbye, how about so long?” he said, voice breaking, as he signed off from his show that made him famous.


Ebola toll hits 4 in DR Congo as people ‘resist’ health measures

Four people have died from Ebola during a new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where people are resisting measures to contain the disease, officials said Sunday.Since the epidemic’s resurgence this month, “we have already registered six Ebola cases. We have lost four infected people,” Dr Eugene Syalita, the provincial health minister in North Kivu province in the DRC’s northeast, told AFP.Syalita said one person died Friday and another on Saturday, while the two others died at the beginning of the month.Two patients are receiving care at an Ebola treatment centre in Katwa, he added.Syalita complained that the region’s residents were not taking the new outbreak seriously enough.“Some families categorically refuse to have their homes disinfected or to hold dignified and safe funerals,” the doctor said.“People have not yet understood that Ebola has reappeared. Everything is not yet clear for them.”As in past outbreaks, the population of the region refuses to believe in the existence of the Ebola disease and rejects measures aimed at checking the virus’ spread, such as avoiding touching sick people or not washing the dead who are infected.The 10th epidemic, which was declared on Aug 1, 2018, was only eradicated on June 25 last year because of unrest caused by armed groups and the population’s resistance to anti-Ebola measures.With more than 2,200 deaths recorded, it is considered the most serious in the history of Ebola in the DRC since its appearance in 1976.The Ebola virus is transmitted to people through infected animals. Human transmission is through bodily fluids with the main symptoms being fevers, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea.Ebola has also resurfaced in Guinea, where it has already killed five people.