Schools allowed to check teachers’ vaccination certs, says education minister

School administrators have the authority to inspect a teacher’s vaccination certificate beginning today, says Education Minister Radzi Jidin.He said the move is to ensure that no teacher fails to adhere to the circular issued by the Public Service Department (PSD) which makes it compulsory for civil servants to get vaccinated.“Beginning today, schools will check the digital vaccination certificate. We want to know if teachers are telling the truth, if they have been vaccinated or not.“We do not want to deal with cases where they claim to have been vaccinated but in actual fact, they have yet to be vaccinated and so on.“And we will be sure to check the vaccination certificates of the teachers to ensure that the data we have is accurate come Nov 1. The move is also to enable us to take the necessary action and to ensure that the action taken is based on accurate data,” he told reporters after having an engagement session at Sekolah Kebangsaan Ayer Molek in Melaka today.In its latest circular, the PSD said it was mandatory for all civil servants including teachers to be fully vaccinated before Nov 1, failing which disciplinary action including dismissal will be taken against them.Radzi said the move is to ensure that teachers and the education ministry create a safe environment for schoolchildren and students at a time when the country is still facing the Covid-19 threat.“We must understand that teachers are constantly with their pupils and parents.“So, it is very important for teachers and the education ministry to create a safe environment and convince parents that schools are actually a safe area. Therefore, it is important for teachers to be vaccinated,” he said.Radzi said a total of 694,531 Standard One, Two and Three students and 652,142 Form Three and Four students have started attending school in states under Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan, namely Melaka, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.


48 reported deaths take Covid toll to 30,956

Another 48 Covid-related deaths were reported on Dec 14, taking the cumulative death toll in the country to 30,956.According to the health ministry’s Github data repository, 12 or 25% of these were brought-in-dead (BID) cases.Penang had the highest number of reported deaths at eight or 16.7% followed by Kelantan, Sabah and Terengganu at six or 12.5%.Selangor reported five deaths; Perak reported four deaths; while Johor and Negeri Sembilan reported three deaths each.Kedah and Kuala Lumpur reported two deaths each while Pahang, Sarawak and Labuan reported one death each.No deaths were reported in Melaka, Perlis and Putrajaya.A total of 4,097 new cases were reported yesterday, taking the overall total to 2,699,240.As of yesterday, there were 57,674 active Covid-19 cases reported and 4,301 recoveries.


Putrajaya announces more relief, calls for aggressive solution to prevent floods

Putrajaya has announced several measures to help the tens of thousands affected by the recent floods, including instructions for the relevant authorities to “aggressively” work for a solution to the annual problem in a Shah Alam neighbourhood where rising waters left a trail of destruction last weekend.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob also announced several urgent financial measures for victims and businesses affected by the floods, as well as a directive giving the National Security Council the power to manage relief efforts with the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) as its secretariat.“The meeting also agreed that the issue of floods in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, must be resolved urgently. In this regard, I have directed all agencies to get working more aggressively to help flood victims there,” Ismail said in statement after chairing a special meeting to discuss the crisis.Taman Sri Muda, a dense neighbourhood in Shah Alam, was among the areas worst affected by the floods which ravaged large parts of Selangor following days of continuous heavy rain.Ismail said a total of 41 boats and 16 lorries with more than 320 rescue personnel had been mobilised in Taman Sri Muda alone.Apart from the RM100 million from the government, he said, giant government-linked companies have also pledged more than RM50 million to help cushion the financial impact of the floods.These include national oil firm Petronas, Khazanah Nasional, Sime Darby, CIMB, Celcom, Telekom Malaysia and the Employees’ Provident Fund.Ismail said yesterday that the government would provide RM100 million in post-flood allocations for the repair of homes and infrastructure damaged by the unprecedented torrents which hit areas in a number of states.He said Putrajaya would also contribute RM1,000 for each household affected by the floods.As of this morning, more than 61,000 people had been evacuated to relief centres in Selangor and Pahang alone.Klang had the highest number of evacuees in Selangor at nearly 19,000.The floods also caused the closure of several stretches along major highways, while the water level of a number of rivers remains at the danger level.


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No talks yet on ex-Umno members joining PH, says Zahid

Umno has yet to hold talks with Pakatan Harapan (PH) on the desire of several former members to join parties in the coalition, says Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"So far, it has not been brought up with me," he said on reports that PH would discuss the matter with Umno.
Zahid, who is also a deputy prime minister, said this at a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Yesterday, PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim said PH had yet to decide whether it would accept former Umno members who had expressed an interest in joining the coalition.
He said the matter would be discussed with Umno leaders, out of respect for Umno which is part of the coalition government.
On Jan 27, Umno sacked 44 members, including former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, for offences said to have been committed during the 15th general election last November.


Forget Jaws: sensitive shark advocates want to rename violent attacks ‘interactions’

Marine experts in Australia are urging the public to stop using the word “attack” in reference to sharks, declaring that the toothy predator has been unfairly maligned as a deliberate killer.They are suggesting that encounters with sharks, no matter how bloody, be dubbed with less emotive words such as “interactions”.Others have suggested “negative encounter” or “incident”, the Sydney Morning Herald recently reported.”To say ‘shark attack’ is a lie,” said Christopher Pepin-Neff of the University of Sydney, who argued that a majority of what people call “attacks” are merely nips and minor injuries from smaller sharks.He said such phenomena were once called “shark accidents”, prior to the 1930s when prominent Sydney surgeon Victor Coppleson began calling them “attacks”.The change of language marked a shift in mood as shark nets were also being strung across the shallows of Australian beaches at that time.Leonardo Guida, shark researcher at the Australian Marine Conservation Society,said the change to more sensitive language is important “because it helps dispel assumptions that sharks are ravenous, mindless monsters”.Describing shark interactions more accurately “helps improve the public’s understanding of sharks and how they behave”, he added.Guida was present at Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation’s annual shark symposium in May where researchers discussed the shark attack rebrand, favouring the softer term “bite” over “attack” to describe injurious meetings with sharks.The vast majority of shark encounters, which nobody seems to be suggesting should be called “playful”, can be chalked up to their curiosity, advocates say.As the 450 million-year-old species has not yet developed hands, “if they want to explore something, they mouth it”, Nathan Hart, a professor at Macquarie University said. “Very rarely are entire humans consumed by sharks.”The sensitivity shift is already being seen among water enthusiasts, such as surfer Cooper Allen, who prefers the droll Australian approach when describing a shark encounter that left him with deep leg wounds.“I just tell people that I had a bit of a run-in with a man in a grey suit,” he said.One person who may have disagreed with the jokey description had he lived was a man killed by a shark while wading into the surf to relieve himself.“There was a lot of blood in the water,” bystander Endriano Gomes told Newsflash of the horrific attack, which occurred on Saturday in northeastern Brazil.The victim, Marcelo Rocha Santos, 51, had reportedly been drinking with friends when nature called.His drinking buddy, Ademir Sebastiao da Silva, said, “As the beach has no bathroom, we went into the sea to pee. I was beside him in the water.”Despite signs warnings people to stay out of the ocean, the lifeguard on duty refrained from ordering the two men back to the beach as they were only up to their waists.That’s when the shark struck – biting off Santos’ hand and tearing off a chunk of his leg.Da Silva, who was the only other person in the water at the time, escaped the ‘interaction’ unscathed.“It could have been me. It was God’s deliverance,” he said. “If I had been diving or lingered in the water, I could also have been attacked.”Australian marine experts are no doubt still recovering from his horrific use of the insensitive term “attacked”.


Facebook blocks Aussie users from viewing or sharing news amid legal dispute

Facebook has blocked Australian users from sharing or viewing news content on their platform amid a legal dispute with the Australian government.A new law wants tech giants like Facebook and Google to pay for content reposted from news outlets.Facebook says this “fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers”.Australians woke up on Thursday to find that the Facebook pages of all national news sites, as well as international media, had been blocked.Australia’s government has strongly criticised the move, saying it threatens the “credibility” of the platform.The action has affected the accounts of several government agencies including Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, police and emergency services and other non-news organisations.Canberra has said it is proceeding with the new law, which passed parliament’s lower house on Wednesday.“Facebook needs to think very carefully about what this means for its reputation and standing,” Communications Minister Paul Fletcher told the ABC.Treasurer Josh Frydenberg tweeted that he had had a “constructive” discussion with Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday, saying: “He raised a few remaining issues with the government’s news media bargaining code and we agreed to continue our conversation to try to find a pathway forward,” he said.Facebook’s announcement came hours after Google agreed to pay Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp for content from news sites across its media empire.Facebook does already pay for some news. It has entered into commercial deals with media companies in the UK, for example.However, the American social media mega-tech giant does not want governments telling them they have to pay for news and even setting the price.


Talks ongoing over ban on sale of alcohol in KL, says FT minister

Discussions on banning the sale of liquor at sundry and grocery shops, convenience stores as well as Chinese medicine shops in the federal capital are still ongoing to reach a consensus between all parties involved before the ban is enforced, Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim said today.Previously, he said several meetings were held with the parties involved including Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) to get their views on the liquor licence guidelines.He said the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s decision to postpone the restriction on liquor sales until Oct 31 was to provide space for further discussions.“We are still having meetings… we not only need to think about (the interests) of the sellers, but also the buyers. The Malaysian Family government respects Muslims and non-Muslims,” he said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat.Although certain premises will not be allowed to sell liquor, non-Muslims can still get it at permitted locations such as hotels, pubs, bars and stores that exclusively sell liquor, he said.


British man detained climbing South Korean skyscraper

A British man attempted to scale the world's fifth tallest building without ropes on Monday until South Korean authorities forced him to abandon his climb more than half way up the 123-storey Lotte World Tower in Seoul.
The 24-year-old man, wearing shorts, made his way up the landmark skyscraper for more than an hour as police and fire crews gathered below.
He reached the 73rd floor where authorities forced him to get into a maintenance cradle and enter the building, a fire department official said, adding that police took him into custody for questioning.
Police were not immediately available for comment.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper identified the man as George King-Thompson. British media reported he was arrested and jailed for climbing the Shard building in London in 2019.
In 2018, police arrested “French Spiderman” Alain Robert as he was more than half-way up the Lotte World Tower.


iPhone contractor in China admits to contravening student labour law

A Taiwan company crucial to the production of iPhones for tech giant Apple admitted Monday that working conditions for some students employed at a factory in China contravened agreed labour terms.The company was reacting to a Bloomberg report that said Apple had suspended all new business with them after finding evidence of the labour violations and attempts to cover them up.Pegatron “misclassified the student workers in their programme and falsified paperwork to disguise violations of our code, including allowing students” to work nights and overtime, Bloomberg quoted Apple as saying in its statement.Employees “went to extraordinary lengths” to cover up the violations and the company has now placed the partner on probation until action is taken, it said.In an email statement to AFP, the Taipei-listed Pegatron admitted that some students labourers at factories in the southeastern Chinese cities of Shanghai and Kunshan were made to work in conditions not compliant with agreed terms.The company is crucial to the production of the iPhone and is involved in the creation of parts for the US firm’s latest model, the iPhone 12.Pegatron told AFP that some students were “identified working night shifts, overtime and in positions unrelated to their majors, which were not in compliance with local rules and regulations”.Pegatron said it removed the students, returning them to their homes or schools, and compensated them. It did not disclose how many students were removed or how much they were compensated.It added that it had launched an external audit to strengthen the company’s working conditions and ordered management to re-assess the company’s code of conduct.Apple’s production process had long been linked to alleged worker abuses. Watchdogs, as early as 2013, accused Pegatron of underpaying student workers and unfairly deducting their wages at one of its factories in Shanghai.Apple has made efforts to improve the conditions of its production process after criticism about the treatment of workers at its partner factories in China, particularly a spate of suicides at the industrial park of its major partner Foxconn in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in 2010.Analysts say Pegatron could lose some of its business with Apple next year to rival manufacturers as a result of the discovery.


Hungarian PM condemns anti-LGBT politician over ‘gay orgy’

Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban condemned an MEP from his Fidesz party on Wednesday who quit after attending an alleged “gay orgy”, with critics accusing the socially conservative ruling party of hypocrisy.Orban described the actions of MEP Jozsef Szajer as “unacceptable and indefensible” and said they had “no place in the values of our political family”, according to a statement from his office.Szajer, a proponent of anti-LGBT measures, admitted on Tuesday he had taken part in a “private party” in Belgium and apologised for breaking coronavirus restrictions.“While Fidesz politicians are teaching us about Christianity, family, traditional gender roles and morality, they are actually living a completely different life, as far away as possible from the values they voice,” leader of the DK opposition party Ferenc Gyurcsany said.According to Belgian media, the gathering Szajer went to was a sex party attended by 25 naked men.“Suddenly my whole living room was full of cops,” the organiser of the party told the Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper.“They immediately started shouting: ‘Identity card! Now!’ But we weren’t even wearing pants, how in God’s name could we quickly conjure up our identity card?”LGBT misery in HungaryBelgian prosecutors say Szajer was spotted fleeing the gathering along a gutter and that narcotics were found in his backpack.The revelations are particularly embarrassing for the 59-year-old lawyer as he played a key role in pushing Fidesz’s conservative agenda, helping to rewrite the constitution that contains a clause defining marriage as being “a union of one man and one woman”.“While he was enjoying himself in LGBT-friendly Brussels, he made life for LGBT people in Hungary miserable,” tweeted Szabolcs Panyi, a journalist for the Direkt36 investigative site.Szajer’s fall from grace comes shortly after Orban lost two other key players in his Europe policy, MEP Gyorgy Schopflin and adviser Peter Gottfried.“These people will be missing from very important meetings and won’t be able to convey information back home,” says Zoltan Lakner, analyst and owner of the independent Jelen weekly.Hungary is already fighting fires in Brussels after it joined Poland to veto the EU’s budget and coronavirus rescue plan because of proposals to link funds to the rule of law.At the same time, another Fidesz MEP is ruffling feathers in the party’s European Parliament grouping, the European People’s Party (EPP).Tamas Deutsch caused uproar by comparing EPP parliamentary leader Manfred Weber, who is German, with the Gestapo.Some 30 MEPs from the bloc have demanded Deutsch be excluded from the grouping.EPP president Donald Tusk suggested on Wednesday that Fidesz should be cast out of the grouping, tweeting: “What else should Fidesz do for all of you to see that they simply don’t fit in with our family?”


Child porn cases rise during MCO

Cases involving child pornography are reported to have increased during the movement control order (MCO) period.Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Huzir Mohamed, who will retire today, said a total of 45 cases were reported during the MCO period (from March 18, 2020 to April 29, 2021), an increase of 27 cases compared to 18 cases before the implementation of the MCO (from Feb 18, 2019 to March 17, 2020).He said it also involved child grooming without physical contact namely by using words or showing obscene sexual acts either in audio and visual form to children, which increased by 24 cases compared to 53 cases before the MCO.“The widespread use of social media is believed to be a contributing factor to these cases,” he said when contacted by Bernama.Meanwhile, Huzir said a total of 12,330 criminal cases against women and children and sexual crimes were reported during the implementation of the same period of MCO, down by 5%, compared to 13,023 cases before the enforcement of the MCO.Apart from that, he said domestic violence cases showed an increase of 9% compared to before MCO (6,003 cases).“The main causes that contribute to the increase in domestic violence cases are quarrels (between husband and wife) due to financial problems, drug abuse problems and stress (believed to be due to loss of income,” he said.


Police carry away abortion-rights protesters in Poland

Police cracked down on protesters in Warsaw on Monday, carrying away abortion-rights protesters as demonstrations against the government and the church enter their 20th day.The protests were sparked in October by the tightening of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation’s abortion laws and have seen the largest anti-government crowds since the fall of communism in 1989.Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in peaceful protests across Poland since a constitutional court decided to ban abortion even in cases of fetal defects.The Catholic church is against abortion and Poland already has some of the strictest termination laws in Europe. Most of the limited number of terminations allowed were in cases of fetal defects.AP reports that on Monday the protesters were sitting in the street in front of the education ministry demanding the firing of the new education minister. A few hundred protesters then marched through downtown Warsaw chanting anti-government slogans when the police moved in to disperse them.Public gatherings have been banned as part of Covid-19 restrictions and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has been appealing to people to stay home and express their anger on the internet.As the rallies grew, President Andrzej Sebastian Duda backed down and proposed a new bill that would make abortion legal in case of some fetal defects.When the ruling takes effect at an unspecified date, abortion will be permitted only when a pregnancy endangers a woman’s health, or results from crimes like rape or incest.Despite the pandemic, women and men across the country have blocked roads and stormed churches. In response, right-wing groups have organised to protect the churches, at times clashing with demonstrators.Journalist Kaja Puto told Reuters, “Protesters are frustrated with the omnipotence of the Catholic church in Poland. According to the Pew research centre, Poland is the fastest secularising country in the world.”


PM's aide conveys well wishes to Hadi after outrage over PKR man's post

The political secretary to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has contacted the family of Abdul Hadi Awang to enquire about his health, following public outrage over a statement by a PKR supporter calling for the PAS president's death.
Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin also conveyed his wishes for Hadi's recovery on behalf of the prime minister and his office.
"Thankfully, communications have been good and we have been given the latest updates on Hadi's health," he said.
Hadi was discharged yesterday.
Today's development came after Anwar slammed PKR supporter Ahmad Zaki Yamani over a Twitter post praying for the death of Hadi and Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Anwar said he had also instructed Zaki to immediately remove the post, which he only did more than 24 hours later.
Shamsul meanwhile denied an earlier report by MalaysiaNow referring to Zaki as his aide, saying there was no link between them in any official capacity.
"The allegations about such a link should not made into a polemic without clear basis," he added, urging MalaysiaNow to retract the report.
For the record, MalaysiaNow had published Zaki's denial in the same report that he was an aide to Shamsul.
MalaysiaNow also amended the headline suggesting that Zaki was an aide to Shamsul.


Musk says Twitter to hold off relaunching blue check verification

Twitter's new owner Elon Musk said on Monday the social media company is holding off the relaunch of its blue check subscription service, a delay from his initial tentative timeline to bring back the service on the platform.
"Holding off relaunch of Blue Verified until there is high confidence of stopping impersonation," Musk said in a tweet.
"Will probably use different color check for organisations than individuals."
The coveted blue check mark was previously reserved for verified accounts of politicians, famous personalities, journalists and other public figures.
But a subscription option, open to anyone prepared to pay, was rolled out earlier this month to help Twitter grow revenue as Musk fights to retain advertisers.
Twitter had paused its recently announced US$8 (about RM36) blue check subscription service, as fake accounts mushroomed and had said Twitter's sought-after blue check subscription service will be relaunched on Nov 29.
Musk also tweeted that Twitter added 1.6 million users this past week, "another all-time high".


Pandemic school closures could inflict lasting economic toll, IMF warns

School closures during the pandemic have set back children’s learning in many G20 countries and could have a long-lasting negative impact on GDP in advanced economies, the IMF said Tuesday.Recent assessments of schoolchildren show that widespread virtual learning during the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in lower academic levels in India, Germany, the UK, Brazil and the US, where many institutions were closed for more than a year.“If these learning losses aren’t addressed, affected students could experience a lifetime of depressed earnings,” the Washington-based crisis lender said in a report.IMF economists observed that current students will make up nearly 40% of the working-age population in G20 economies for decades to come.“While much is still unknown, our simulations show that, once all such students are in the labor market, gross domestic product for advanced G20 economies could be as much as three percent lower in the long run,” the report warned.Poorest households suffered the worst learning losses, and their prospects stand to be “particularly diminished, further widening income inequality,” the IMF said.If learning loss from the pandemic goes unaddressed, it could result in lifetime income losses of 1.5% to 10% for residents of G20 nations, the IMF estimates.


Give loans to people, not malls, banks told

Gerakan president Dominic Lau today urged banks to stop financing shopping malls and office buildings and to instead provide loans to individuals for their homes, vehicles and small businesses.In a statement, he said many organisations had been forced to adopt long-term telecommuting practices as a result of the pandemic.“As consequence, overbuilding shopping malls and office complexes is not financially sustainable,” he added.“Many firms have been forced to implement long-term telecommuting strategies with a focus on digitisation as a result of the pandemic. This means that employers do not require office space.”Decribing individuals and SMEs as “the backbone” of the economy, he said financial institutions should extend or reschedule their terms or refinance their term sheets.“This over-financing of the over-supply of shopping malls and office buildings must stop now.“It is time for Malaysian financial institutions to rethink their priorities,” he added.“It’s critical to give the people enough time and space to figure out how to solve their financial concerns.”


Wage growth, immigration in focus at Australian jobs summit

Wage growth and skilled migration are set to dominate the Australian government's jobs summit as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged compromises between employers and unions to tackle the country's key economic challenges.
Amid widespread staff shortages and a clamour from businesses to raise the country's immigration intake, Albanese on Thursday announced a A$1.1 billion (US$752 million) package to create 180,000 more fee-free places for students looking to gain technical skills.
At the two-day meeting, the recently elected centre-left Labor government will look at ways to bring down soaring inflation and stem the fall in real wages, with Albanese saying "compromises will need to be negotiated, sacrifices will need to be made."
Even as Australian business groups and unions assembled at the national capital for the summit, Sydney, the country's biggest city, is facing a protracted strike by train employees and protests by nurses seeking higher wages.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the summit was being held at a "critical juncture" for the economy.
"This summit is just one step - a major step, yes, but one step. Our expectations are tempered and realistic," Chalmers said.
The government will release the outcomes of the summit on Friday that will outline the immediate actions it would pursue.
Despite Australia's unemployment sitting at a near 50-year-low of 3.4%, the central bank sees inflation heading to three-decade highs requiring further hikes in interest rates that would sharply slow growth. Wages are also rising but not as fast as inflation.
Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus said pay rises needed to keep up with the cost of living.
She said employees will face real wage cuts for "years to come" even as many businesses report higher profit.
A blowout in visa processing times has left about a million prospective workers stuck in limbo, worsening Australia's staff shortages.
Jo Masters, chief economist at Barrenjoey Capital, said immigration would be a key topic during the summit as Australia competes with other developed economies for skilled migrants.
"I expect it's the one we are going to get some actionable outcome on," Masters said.
Businesses have been urging the government to raise the cap on annual immigration from 160,000. Chalmers said "that will be an important part of the conversation" during the summit.
"There's an appetite to lift that in a responsible way," he told ABC television. "But (that) should never be a substitute for training Australians for opportunities here as well."


No lockdown, business chamber clarifies after leaked letter

The EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eurocham) has sought to calm fears within the business community that Putrajaya is considering a complete lockdown of industries if Covid-19 infections remained high in the coming days, following a letter leaked to the media on its meeting with officials from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti).“Eurocham Malaysia wishes to clarify that while Miti underscored the heightened sense of urgency that currently prevails, given the rising number of cases, there was no mention of an immediate lockdown after Feb 4, 2021, and therefore, we seek for people to remain focused on the bigger picture – in doing their part to ensure that another lockdown is avoided instead,” said a statement released by chambers today.Several media outlets today reported the contents of a letter sent by Eurocham to its members, summarising a “very important and urgent” meeting between its CEO Sven Schneider and Miti secretary-general Lokman Hakim Ali.In it, Eurocham warned that if the current infection rate does not come down, the government would immediately announce a “shutdown/strict lockdown” after Feb 4, when the movement control order expires.“This is the current situation we are facing and Miti is appealing to all companies, foreign and local, to join the effort of reducing infections, breaking the chain, to keep the economy open for business,” the letter had said.But in its latest statement, Eurocham said its meeting with Miti had been an “informal discussion”, adding that the letter was a “confidential internal circular”.“In these trying times, we appreciate the strong working relationship with the Malaysian government, in particular, Miti, and in our earnest opinion they have been doing a commendable job in managing the pandemic since 2020,” said Eurocham chairman Oliver Roche.Its CEO Schneider meanwhile praised the government for its efforts to fight the pandemic, adding that the business community must take collective responsibility to flatten the curve.“Globally, this pandemic has caused panic and disruption to every aspect of life since 2020 and therefore we should focus on our capacity to contribute to ending the pandemic,” he added.The recently announced MCO has allowed most businesses to continue operating, unlike the first nationwide lockdown in March last year, when businesses were forced to shut down with the exception of essential services.This time, however, authorities have placed strict health SOPs on businesses.The government has repeatedly indicated that it will not repeat the lockdowns of the past following the effect these had on people’s livelihoods, with thousands losing jobs and companies forced to cut salaries.


New cases jump to 12,366

Another 12,366 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 939,899.Selangor recorded 5,524 cases, Kuala Lumpur 1,580, Negeri Sembilan 970, Johor 793, Kedah 701, Sabah 657, Penang 460, Sarawak 351, Melaka 309, Perak 295, Pahang 288, Terengganu 190 and Kelantan 179.Putrajaya recorded 50 cases, Labuan 17 and Perlis two.Active cases stand at 133,703 with 924 in the ICU and 448 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 7,567 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 798,955.However, 93 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 7,241.


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Ukraine may break off diplomatic ties with Russia, president says

Ukraine may break off diplomatic relations with Russia after Moscow decided to recognise two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as independent, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at a briefing on Tuesday.Speaking alongside his Estonian counterpart, Zelenskiy said he was weighing a request from his foreign ministry to break off ties.He also urged Ukraine’s allies not to wait for a further escalation to impose sanctions, which he said should include shutting down the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 pipeline, awaiting approval to carry Russian gas under the Baltic Sea to Germany.“I’ve received a request from the foreign ministry. I will consider the issue of severing diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Immediately after our press conference, I will consider this issue,” Zelenskiy said.Putin’s announcement on Monday, and his signing of a decree on the deployment of Russian troops to the two breakaway regions, drew international condemnation and immediate US sanctions, with President Joe Biden signing an executive order to halt US business activity in the breakaway regions.The US and its European allies were set to announce fresh sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.Zelenskiy, who in his nighttime address to the nation accused Russia of destroying peace efforts, played down the prospect of a large-scale conflict with Russia but said he was prepared to introduce martial law if that happened.“As for martial law… this question is clear to us. We believe that there will be no war, there will be no powerful (war) against Ukraine and there will be no wide escalation by the Russian Federation. If there is a (wide escalation), then martial law will be introduced,” he said.


Ismail predicts doom for 'same old' Umno at state polls

Former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has warned of a repeat of Umno's historic defeat at the recent polls in the six states that will be holding elections this year, criticising recent moves by the party leadership ignoring the message sent by younger voters who rejected them last year.
Ismail, the Umno vice-president and among those who opposed party chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's recent purging of vocal prominent leaders and members, said there was a need to show young voters that their demands were being heard as the last general election showed that it was ultimately their votes that turned the tide against Umno.
"Now we must realise that the voters who ultimately make up the numbers in this country are the young voters. A clear message needs to be given to young voters, so that they have new hope for our party.
"But the signal must be in tune with with their idealism. They are asking for human rights, openness, transparency, the right to expression," Ismail, who led a fragile government for some 16 months before being pressured into calling for elections, told Utusan Malaysia recently.
He said despite Umno's biggest electoral setback, which saw its parliamentary share reduced to 26 seats as the party was decimated in the Malay heartlands, the party appeared to be in "reverse" mode.
"We are sending them (young voters) the wrong signal. They believe that there is no democracy in Umno, and that anyone who speaks up will be chopped, sacked and suspended.
"They want freedom for members. They will not join a party that restricts their freedom.
"If we give them these wrong signals, there will not be any new hope or change for the party, and it will be hard for us to attract young voters," he said.
On Jan 27, Zahid made good on a promise to "cleanse" the party of several vocal critics, sacking former Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin and former Selangor chief Noh Omar, while suspending prominent members Sembrong MP Hishammuddin Hussein and former information chief Shahril Hamdan. Dozens of others meanwhile were either expelled or suspended.
The move was widely seen as Zahid tightening his grip on the party following demands for him to step down in the wake of Umno's electoral defeat, which saw him instructing MPs to back PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister last year.
The faction aligned with Zahid also pushed through a controversial motion at the party's recent general assembly, banning any challenge against him and his deputy Mohamad Hasan in the upcoming party polls.
'More young voters coming'
Ismail said the voting pattern coupled with the new demographics of the electorate were not in Umno's favour ahead of the elections in six states which must be held by September.
"Don't forget, in the upcoming state polls, the number of youths will increase. Those who are 18 years old will be registered automatically," said Ismail.
Close to seven million people were automatically registered as voters ahead of the last general election, including those in the 18-20 age bracket who were previously not eligible to take part.
Many observers say the group was critical in creating a wave of support for Perikatan Nasional, the two-year-old coalition led by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin which wrested a number of Umno's traditional seats, especially in predominantly Malay areas.
"We may face the same problem as we did in the recent election, when we were ultimately rejected by the people, especially the youth and professionals because of (our) attitude," Ismail added.
He said there had been no change in Umno's ways following its defeat.
"If during the general election they rejected us, there is no reason why they would change their minds at the state elections," he added.
Giving a rough breakdown of demographics, Ismail reminded Umno that more Malaysians would be eligible to vote at the state elections as they turn 18.
He said many of those in the youngest categories of voting channels would remain voters as they make way to the higher-aged voting channels.
"And don't forget, there will be new voters on Channel 5 and 6 (18 years and above) as well, who will increase even more. If the 4.5 million (young voters) remain in Channels 3 and 4, add if we add another 4.5 million (younger voters), there will be nine million of them. If these people reject us, we are doomed from the start."


108 whales survive mass Australian stranding

The final total of surviving pilot whales in Tasmania’s mass stranding is 108.All of them have successfully swum back out to the open sea.Rescuers believe the area on Tasmania’s west coast is now clear of live whales.Marine Conservation Program wildlife biologist Kris Carlyon told the BBC it was a fantastic outcome after five days of hard work by the rescue team, which captured the attention of the world.A statement released by the Tasmanian government on Saturday confirmed that 108 long-finned pilot whales which had survived the stranding had been released outside the heads at Macquarie Harbour.However, 350 did not survive Australia’s worst ever stranding and their carcasses remain where they died and now have to be dealt with.Plans are being made to dispose of the carcasses, which will not be an easy job.Fifteen were buried at sea on Friday to see if that was a practical method. The government statement said results would take a number of days to be known and will depend on wind, tide and other conditions,Locals and tourists are being urged to stay away from the area while the carcass removal is under way.


Clashes between Pakistan police, former PM Khan's supporters injure several

Pakistani police and supporters of Imran Khan fought pitched battles on Tuesday outside the former prime minister's home in the eastern city of Lahore, injuring several on both sides, ahead of his possible arrest, a government spokesman and witnesses said.
The police charged the supporters with batons and lobbed teargas shells.
A few hundred Khan supporters gathered outside his house after a police team arrived from Islamabad to arrest him on a court order, government spokesman Amir Mir told Reuters.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers started the violence, which injured several police officials, Mir said, adding, "If Imran Khan ensures his presence in the court, it will be good, otherwise the law will take its course."
Khan called on his supporters to stand up for the supremacy of law and fight for true independence.
"Police have come to arrest and send me to jail," he said in a video recorded statement posted by his twitter handle. "If something happens to me, or sent to jail, or they kill me, you've to prove that this nation will continue to struggle even without Imran Khan."
Mir said the government has called out paramilitary forces to control the situation.
Several of Khan's supporters were injured when the police resorted to teargas shelling, witnesses said.
Similar clashes took places last week.
"We have come here just for the compliance of the court order," deputy inspector general of police Syed Shahzad Nadeem told reporters.
The workers started pelting the police with stones and bricks, and in response police directed a water cannon at them and in some cases baton charged them, he said.
Live TV footage showed the supporters also using sling-shots and attacking the police with bricks and sticks.
"Our understanding is that the police can't arrest Imrabn Khan because he has secured a protective bail from a high court," his aide Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters.
The court in Islamabad had issued the arrest warrant in a case against Khan on charges of threatening a judge in one of his speeches last year.
The former premier has been embroiled in several court cases since his ousting early last year in a parliament vote of confidence.
He has been demanding snap polls in protest rallies across the country, a move his successor Shehbaz Sharif has rejected, saying the elections would be held as scheduled later this year.
Khan was also shot and wounded in one of these rallies.


Philippines court delivers rare conviction of police officer for drugs war violations

A Philippine court handed a police officer two life imprisonment sentences for torturing and planting evidence on drugs war victims at the height of former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody anti-narcotics crackdown.
Rights groups on Thursday welcomed the rare conviction and called for justice for thousands more who died during Duterte's six-year term, which ended in June 2022.
A Caloocan City court in the capital region sentenced police officer Jefrey Perez to two terms of life imprisonment, disqualification from public office, and monetary penalty over the arrest of Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19, and Reynaldo De Guzman, 14, in August 2017, both of whom died.
"The planting was intended to paint a picture that Carl was a criminal... and his death was a result of a legitimate police operation," according to presiding judge Rodrigo Pascua's ruling dated Nov 10, which was made public late on Wednesday.
The court said the police officer was guilty of torture and planting plastic sachets containing marijuana leaves and methamphetamine and a .38-caliber revolver on Arnaiz.
A police report had said Arnaiz died in a gunfight while De Guzman's body was later found with stab wounds.
"This is a warning to all law enforcers to not use excessive force against civilians," Persida Acosta, chief of the Public Attorney's Office, which handled the case, told ANC news channel on Thursday.
The Philippine police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
More than 6,200 people were killed in police operations under Duterte's war on drugs. Police reject allegations the killings were executions, saying the drug suspects violently resisted arrest, and that authorities acted in self-defence.
"We are not satisfied. This is only a drop in a bucket," Amnesty International Philippines said on Facebook. "Those who emboldened the police to torture, kill and plant evidence must be made to account, not just the low level police," it added.


Is divorce inevitable now that social media rules?

More Malaysian marriages are hitting the rocks than ever before.Couples used to be more or less obliged to stick with their deteriorating marriages and soldier on with growing loathing and regret, just to avoid the shame of divorce.But today, separations and divorces are no longer taboo and do not carry the social stigma they used to.So it’s hardly surprising that without the social pressure to stay unhappily married, many people choose not to.Recent figures from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) show that the number of divorces increased from nearly 51,000 in 2018 to 57,000 in 2019. That’s an increase of 12% in one year.The median age at divorce is 37 for men and 34 for women.Ezane Chong is a family lawyer of 19 years’ experience and Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.“I have definitely seen an increase in divorce over the years,” she tells MalaysiaNow.Recent figures show that the number of divorces increased from nearly 51,000 in 2018 to 57,000 in 2019.“Some newlyweds even seek a divorce in the first year of marriage even though a petition for divorce cannot be presented within the first two years of marriage.”Her experience backs up the DOSM figures.“Divorce is very common among millennials, especially those in their 30s, even those with young children,” she says.The most common reasons for splitting up that she hears from her clients are still the traditional ones. They include incompatibility causing conflict; extramarital affairs; money problems; physical and mental abuse; and growing apart from each other.However, there are newer reasons her clients’ parents could not have seen coming.If one spouse, still usually the husband, is regularly travelling away for work or often working late, the one left at home would, in the “olden days”, pass the time watching television or doing something similarly passive.These days, the stay-at-home partner is much more likely to spend their alone time on the laptop and smartphone being highly active exploring the many apps and websites that open a whole new world of making friends and building relationships.Social media like Facebook and WhatsApp provide each partner in a modern couple with plenty of “friends” at their fingertips, who they can turn to for instant comfort and confidential advice when they run into a rough patch in their relationship.Without this luxury, the modern couple’s parents and grandparents had little choice but to work out their problems together after an argument, with many begrudgingly deciding to stay together “for the sake of the children”.It used to be the husband who did the divorcing, but financial independence and the support of social media groupings increases the options available to a modern woman and influences the choices she makes.“A woman today will be less motivated to stay in an unhappy marriage if she is gainfully employed and does not need to rely on her husband to support her,” Chong says.And yet some things never change. Chong believes that for married couples raising a family, the children’s best interests should, as ever, always be the paramount consideration.“If the marriage is salvageable and both parties are willing to commit to making it work, then that would be the best outcome for the family,” she says.“But if a marriage or a relationship has irretrievably broken down and creates an unhealthy atmosphere in which to raise children, then it may not be worth grimly hanging on.”Social psychologist Elaine Fernandez tells MalaysiaNow that modern women’s empowerment, particularly through financial independence, has reduced the need for unhappy wives to stay in a problematic relationship in order to survive.“This means younger people may be prioritising other aspects of their relationships, such as compatibility, when deciding whether to stay together,” she says.“There is more emphasis today on relationship satisfaction and lower tolerance for toxic relationship behaviours.”There is also a much wider range of potential partners available through social media and dating apps such as Plenty of Fish which can lead to “choice paralysis”, according to Fernandez.When continually presented with plentiful choices online it becomes harder for young people to settle with one partner.“There is more emphasis today on relationship satisfaction and lower tolerance for toxic relationship behaviours such as gaslighting or manipulation, due to rising mental health awareness in society.”“This was less of an issue when people were more likely to date within their immediate communities and had less knowledge of or exposure to others beyond that network,” says Fernandez.With increased mobility that drives couples apart and into different social circles, and the possibility of encountering others who may be more compatible partners, whether online or IRL, life is different for the social media generation.Although the decision to stick it out or throw in the towel is a very personal one, Fernandez advises young people to identify and clarify their reasons before deciding.If the reasons that brought a couple together at first are still relevant, then it’s important to talk things over and work towards a constructive solution to sustain the relationship, she says.“If communication is difficult, and you don’t know where to start, it may be worth seeing a professional like a couple’s therapist to help you work through these issues together in a safe, neutral environment.”With such professionals growing in numbers and available at the click of a mouse, maybe divorce need not be inevitable after all.


Covid-19 looms large over Sarawak river town

The tiny Sarawak town of Siniawan, 40km from Kuching, has had its share of ups and downs over the years, and for many of its inhabitants this Chinese New Year certainly feels like a low point.Bong Boon Koh, the kapitan or Chinese community leader of Siniawan, lives with his elderly parents in a wooden shophouse in the town.He said the Covid-19 pandemic has dampened everyone’s spirits this year.Normally, his brother’s family would be here from Singapore celebrating with them – the house filled with the sound of his nephews and nieces playing, and everyone sharing the traditional Chinese cakes and Sarawak kek lapis his mother always makes for the festivities.This is the first time they have celebrated the Lunar New Year without the company of other family members.“Seeing as here in Sarawak we are still under the conditional movement control order, flying back to Kuching at this time would be too much hassle for them because of the mandatory quarantine and other travel restrictions,” Boon told MalaysiaNow.Bong Boon Koh, the kapitan of Siniawan, smiles for the camera against a backdrop of Chinese New Year decorations but his cheery expression belies a deep concern for the survival of his town.Covid-19 has changed Chinese New Year. The hustle and bustle of going from one house to another has become a lonely time, sitting at home catching up with loved ones on WhatsApp or Zoom.When MalaysiaNow visited, the streets were decorated with red lanterns, and traditional Chinese music echoed from the shophouses, but people were scarce.The streets should be packed with family and friends visiting, and lion dancers noisily performing for the crowds but everywhere was practically deserted.In other years, shoppers would be laden with purchases but this year many shops still have unsold lanterns.“Many people are afraid to go shopping because of the increase in Covid-19 cases,” said Boon sadly, as he passed several shuttered shops.The streets and alleys of Siniawan are festooned with colourful lanterns and umbrellas but few venture from their homes to enjoy the sight.The town has enjoyed booms and survived busts before.It was a bustling river stop for traders when everything went by boat, and in gold rush days it had its own casino, opium dens and hotels as Chinese traders and gold miners poured in.But 50 years ago, after traffic took to the recently built roads instead of the rivers, decline set in.According to Boon, things had begun to look up again as more people visited after the old Siniawan bazaar was restored 10 years ago.“Busloads of people came to visit our night and weekend market. It certainly helped to boost the local economy,” he said.In another good sign for the future, the town has regularly hosted cultural events and festivals such as Pesta Siniawan, a food and heritage festival with a folk music theme.Boon said the event was an unexpected success and has become an annual fixture with over 18,000 visitors attending the last festival. Its future is uncertain now.While not a casino or opium den, another good sign of regeneration is The Bikalan, a pub-cum-bistro located in the heart of the town. Run by husband-and-wife team Andy and Grace Newland, it opened late last year and serves authentic Bidayuh food.For Joseph Chai, the big concern is the effect of the pandemic on the economy.He fears Siniawan will be left abandoned if Covid-19 continues to surge.Joseph Chai, fondly known around town as Uncle Joseph, outside his shop, Sin Lian Ho.“I don’t know if our shops will be able to generate enough revenue during this recovery phase,” sighed Chai who owns Sin Lian Ho, a shop he inherited from his grandfather.“All these wooden shophouses that you see here were built at the start of the last century and they’ve all survived until today. My grandfather was a pioneer in this town,” he said proudly.With Covid-19 vaccines on the way, shop owner Daphne is hoping for a return to better days.She told MalaysiaNow she believes getting the vaccine is the only way forward in the face of Covid-19.“I hope the distribution of the vaccine in Sarawak will be conducted thoroughly and I hope everyone will get themselves vaccinated,” she said.“I want to see this town filled with visitors again just like before Covid-19.”


MACC tells of graft in pandemic medical purchases

The country’s anti-graft agency today revealed that corrupt practices had occurred in the purchase of medical equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic, with investigations opened over issues such as bribery in the procurement of medical services.Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki said probes were also launched into the abuse of power in diverting relief aid and stimulus packages, and fraud related to falsified medical protective equipment such as face masks and gloves in terms of both quantity and quality.Giving the keynote address at the Third Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Forum in Putrajaya, he also spoke of the bribery of enforcement officers in the line of enforcing the movement control order.“It is sad, even in this pandemic and state of emergency, that some of these purchases are mired in corruption,” he said.“This shows that there are some unscrupulous people who are still taking the opportunity to make illegal money from the people’s pain and misfortunes.”On MACC’s investigation activities as a whole, he said the agency had opened 829 investigation papers in 2021 resulting in 851 arrests.A total of 376 investigation papers were opened in the first four months of 2022, resulting in 415 arrests.Performance in the asset recovery process has also been steady, with a total of RM162 million in assets seized in 2021 and RM5.13 billion in forfeitures, he said.In the first quarter of 2022, meanwhile, RM12.58 million in assets was been seized, and RM59 million in forfeitures.In terms of 1MDB-related cases, Azam said MACC had succeeded in recovering RM14 billion in 2020 by way of compound and settlements, including the repatriation of criminal proceeds.In 2021, another RM5.11 billion was recovered by way of settlement, he added.


Japan finds stainless steel particles in suspended doses of Moderna vaccine

Japan’s health ministry said on Wednesday that contaminants found in suspended Moderna Inc Covid-19 vaccines were particles of stainless steel, and it did not expect they would pose an additional health risk.Japan suspended the use of 1.63 million doses of the Moderna vaccine last week after being notified of contamination that local media reported was metallic. The findings on Wednesday were the result of an investigation by domestic distributor Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, the ministry said in a statement.“Stainless steel is routinely used in heart valves, joint replacements and metal sutures and staples. As such, it is not expected that injection of the particles identified in these lots in Japan would result in increased medical risk,” Takeda and Moderna said in a joint statement.The use of three lots of Moderna vaccines was suspended on Thursday after 39 vials were found to contain foreign material. All the vials came from a single lot, but two others were suspended as a precaution as they all came from the same manufacturing line of Spanish pharmaceutical company Rovi, which bottles Moderna vaccines.The most probable cause of the contamination was related to friction between two pieces of metal in the machinery that puts stoppers on the vials, Takeda said, citing a joint investigation with Moderna and Rovi. The material was confirmed to be grade 316 stainless steel.The three suspended lots were the only ones affected by the manufacturing issue and Rovi has taken corrective measures, the statement said.Use of other doses of the Moderna vaccine from different batches also was temporarily halted in three regions in Japan this week. In some cases, foreign substances have been found in unused vials, whereas others appear to be caused when bits of the vials’ rubber stopper break off when needles are incorrectly inserted.The contamination issue gained more attention after the health ministry said on Saturday that two men, aged 38 and 30, died in August within days of receiving their second Moderna doses. Each had received a dose from one of the suspended lots.The cause of death in the two cases is still being investigated. Takeda said there was no evidence the fatalities were caused by the vaccine.“The relationship is currently considered to be coincidental,” the company said in the statement.


Bersatu sacks rep who withdrew support for Melaka CM

Bersatu’s political bureau has terminated the party membership of Telok Mas assemblyman Noor Effandi Ahmad with immediate effect.Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said the decision, made under Clause 10 of the party constitution, will be endorsed at Bersatu’s next Supreme Council meeting.Hamzah also said the political bureau was extremely disappointed with the actions of the four assemblymen who withdrew their support for the Melaka chief minister, eventually leading to the dissolution of the state legislative assembly at a time when the country was battling the Covid-19 pandemic.“The political bureau is of the opinion that this political crisis stems from the internal problems of certain political parties and it only worsens when there are certain parties who take advantage without considering the welfare of the people and national interests at a time we are in the early stages of recovery,” he said in a statement.The bureau is also of the view that the political crisis in Melaka should be resolved in accordance with the state constitution and the Federal Constitution by taking into account the interests of the people, he said.Besides Noor Effendi, the other three assemblymen who withdrew their support for Sulaiman Md Ali on Monday were Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu).On Oct 5, the Election Commission received official notification about the dissolution of the 14th Melaka legislative assembly.This means that the state will have to hold a snap election within 60 days.


Stand-off as Singapore court insists ill lawyer be present to argue Pausi’s case

A stand-off appears to be underway at the Singapore court as the judges hearing the bid by Malaysian Pausi Jefridin to have his death sentence declared unconstitutional have ordered his 78-year-old lawyer who is suffering from side effects due to her Covid-19 vaccine jab to be present to argue his case.Prominent human rights lawyer M Ravi said in a Facebook Live video that Violet Netto, whose firm filed the application for Pausi on a pro bono basis, was also still recovering from having contracted Covid-19.It is understood that she had been given an MC from Feb 17 to 23.“Things are really ridiculous,” Ravi said. “She is ill. I am taking her to the clinic right now.“We have been told that the court will not accept the MC. She’s at her house and she is panicking. She is very ill. What are we supposed to do?”Lawyer N Surendran meanwhile questioned the need for such haste in the matter.“The action by the Singapore High Court this morning in threatening and harassing a sick 78-year-old lawyer, who defends death row prisoners on a pro bono basis, is sickening,” he said in a Twitter post.“What’s the hurry? Only kangaroo courts behave this way.”The application filed yesterday was fixed for hearing at 9.30am today. Activists and lawyers had said that the rushed hearing date was to enable Singapore authorities to immediately hang Pausi and Singaporean Roslan Bakar who is scheduled to be executed alongside him.Pausi and Roslan, who were charged with trafficking 96.07g of diamorphine and 76.37g of methamphetamine in 2008, were convicted in 2010.They failed in an appeal in 2017 to commute their death sentence to life imprisonment, despite lawyers citing medical reports on their intellectual capabilities which would render their execution illegal under Singapore laws as well as international treaties.Their executions, scheduled for yesterday, were postponed as lawyers rushed in a last-minute bid to save them from the gallows.Singapore has some of the world’s toughest drugs laws, and insists that the death penalty is an effective deterrent against crime.But news of their imminent executions has been met with criticism including by the United Nations which said this week that the use of the death penalty for drug-related offences is incompatible with international human rights law.Their case is similar to that of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, a Malaysian diagnosed with an IQ of 69 who was to have been executed in November last year.He was granted a stay of execution after a diagnosis of Covid-19 just before the court was due to hear a last-ditch appeal to save his life.His hearing is believed to have been set for this month.Ravi today said that right to counsel includes the health and condition of the lawyers themselves.“Access to justice also means that the lawyer must be in good health,” he added.


New cluster detected in Semporna, Sabah

Another cluster named the Bakau cluster was detected in Semporna today, from which three Covid-19 cases were reported.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the index case for the new cluster was case 10145, a Filipino woman who also was the country’s 129th fatality.“She tested positive on Sept 16. Contact screening was done and two more positive cases were detected, involving one Malaysian and a Filipino. They are being treated at the Tawau hospital,” he said in a statement today.As of noon today, 109 individuals from the cluster had been screened, and preventive measures such as disinfection and cleaning was carried out at Semporna hospital while the source of infection is being investigated.On the Sungai cluster, Noor Hisham said eight new cases were reported in Kedah, bringing the total number of positive cases in this cluster to 73, with 23,935 individuals screened as of noon today.Noor Hisham said in Kedah, 23,748 people had been screened so far, with 72 positive cases detected including eight new cases today.In Penang, 142 people underwent screening while 45 in Perlis have been screened with one testing positive for the virus.As for the Benteng Lahad Datu cluster, one new positive case was reported today, bringing the total of cases to 551, with 7,985 individuals tested so far.Noor Hisham said in Tawau, 5,975 people were screened, 399 of whom tested positive including one new case today.In Lahad Datu, 2,009 were screened with 151 positive cases while in Sandakan, one more person tested positive.“Of the 551 positive cases from this cluster, 272 involve Malaysians, while 279 are foreigners involving Filipinos (185 cases) and Indonesians (94 cases),” Noor Hisham said.


UN negotiating with Beijing for unrestricted Xinjiang inspection

The United Nations is in serious negotiations with Beijing for a visit “without restrictions” to Xinjiang to see how the Muslim Uighur minority is being treated, secretary-general Antonio Guterres said in an interview broadcast in Canada on Sunday.At least one million Uighurs and people from other mostly Muslim groups have been held in camps in the northwestern region of China, according to US and Australian rights groups, which accuse Chinese authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing forced labour, says IBT.China has repeatedly denied all Western accusations.“A serious negotiation is at the present moment taking place between the Office of the UN Human Rights Commissioner and the Chinese authorities,” Guterres told Canada’s CBC television network.“I hope they will reach an agreement soon to allow a visit without restrictions or limitations.”Guterres said the Chinese had repeatedly affirmed to him “that they want that mission to take place”.US officials have said China’s treatment of the Uighurs constitutes genocide, and in response on Saturday, Beijing announced targeted sanctions against two American religious-rights officials and a Canadian lawmaker who had denounced Beijing’s treatment of minorities.Guterres said he was also following “with concern” the fate of two other Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who are being held prisoner in China on charges of espionage.Their detention, which Ottawa has denounced as “arbitrary”, is widely viewed in the West as a reprisal for the arrest and continued detention in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, an executive of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.“Our position has been very clear,” Guterres told CBC: “that in all situations of this kind, there must be due process and full respect for the human rights of the people involved.”The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said last month that reports of arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, sexual violence and forced labour in Xinjiang necessitated a thorough and independent assessment.Activists have expressed scepticism about the prospects for a meaningful visit with unfettered access in China, saying Beijing could not permit this to happen.


WHO to use 'mpox' for monkeypox to tackle stigma

The World Health Organization said on Monday it would start using a new preferred term, "mpox", as a synonym for monkeypox and urged others to follow suit after receiving complaints that the current name for the disease was racist and stigmatising.
"Both names will be used simultaneously for one year while 'monkeypox' is phased out," the WHO said in a statement.
The WHO launched a public consultation process to find a new name for the disease earlier this year and received more than 200 proposals. The US, which was among the countries and bodies supporting the name change, welcomed the announcement.
"We must do all we can to break down barriers to public health, and reducing stigma associated with disease is one critical step in our work to end mpox," said US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
One of the more popular public suggestions was "mpox" or "Mpox", put forward by men's health organisation RÉZO among others. Its director said at the time that the removal of monkey imagery helped people take the health emergency seriously.
Some ideas were farcical such as "Poxy McPoxface" which alluded to Boaty McBoatface - the choice of a public vote on the name of a British polar research vessel, before a decision to give it another name - Sir David Attenborough.
The WHO said global experts settled on "mpox" after considering the scientific appropriateness, extent of current usage as well as pronounceability among other factors.
Mpox, discovered in 1958 and named after the first animal to show symptoms, mostly spread in a group of countries in west and central Africa until this year.
Around 100 countries where mpox is not endemic have now reported outbreaks of the viral disease.
The WHO has a mandate to assign new names to existing diseases under the International Classification of Diseases.
Generally, it seeks to avoid associating any disease or virus with a country, region, animal or ethnic group.
Last year, it assigned the letters of the Greek alphabet to new coronavirus variants to stop a practice of linking them with specific countries.


Whopping 5,725 new cases, death toll up by 16

Another 5,725 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 203,933.Selangor recorded 3,126 cases, of which 2,559 or 81.9% were from clusters and close contact screening.Kuala Lumpur recorded 687 and Johor 684.Sabah recorded 288 cases, Sarawak 179, Terengganu 137, Kedah 125, Penang 99, Kelantan 93, Melaka 74, Perak 73, Negeri Sembilan 69, Pahang 67, Putrajaya 16, Labuan five and Perlis three.Sabah recorded 288 cases, Sarawak 179, Terengganu 137, Kedah 125, Penang 99, Kelantan 93, Melaka 74, Perak 73, Negeri Sembilan 69, Pahang 67, Putrajaya 16, Labuan five and Perlis three.Active cases stand at 45,478 with 301 in the ICU and 115 in need of respiratory assistance.Twelve new clusters were detected:1. Persiaran Subang (Klang and Petaling in Selangor; 16 cases)2. Industri Indah (Klang in Selangor; 47 cases)3. Tapak Bina Jalan Klang (Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur; 50 cases)4. Tapak Bina Jalan Vista (Cheras in Kuala Lumpur; 47 cases)5. Jalan Kota Burok (Muar in Johor; 30 cases)6. Jalan By-Pass (Segamat in Johor; 23 cases)7. Jalan Bistari Dua (Johor Bahru in Johor; 17 cases)8. Jalan Empayar (Johor Bahru in Johor; 18 cases)9. Jalan Rusa Scientex (Johor Bahru in Johor; six cases)10. Tinanom (Ranau in Sabah; 46 cases)11. Jalan Sepanggar (Kota Kinabalu in Sabah; 12 cases)12. Tabong (Bau in Sarawak; seven cases)Nine others ended, leaving 375 active clusters across the country.Another 3,423 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 157,722.However, 16 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 733.


Broker detained in probe into falsified documents worth RM24 million in contract for combat ships

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has detained a broker to assist in investigations into the submission of documents containing false details estimated to be worth RM24 million in relation to the procurement contract for six coastal combat ships.According to sources, the remand application for five days from today to Jan 30 was allowed by magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim at the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court this morning.The sources said the 62-year-old man was arrested at about 9.30pm at the Putrajaya MACC headquarters yesterday where he had gone for questioning.It is understood that he is believed to have submitted the documents to a shipping company through three other firms.The investigation is being conducted in accordance with Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009.


Another 277 deaths as daily cases stay over 21,000 for second day

Another 21,468 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,363,683.Selangor recorded 7,449 cases, Kuala Lumpur 2,183, Kedah 1,807, Sabah 1,654, Johor 1,485, Penang 1,316 and Kelantan 1,088.Negeri Sembilan recorded 974 cases, Perak 940, Melaka 723, Sarawak 715, Pahang 572 and Terengganu 440.Putrajaya recorded 66 cases, Perlis 50 and Labuan six.Active cases stand at 241,187 with 1,075 in the ICU and 537 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 17,025 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 1,110,528.However, 277 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 11,968.


China's Xi planning Russia visit as soon as next week, sources say

Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to travel to Russia to meet with his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter said, which would be sooner than previously expected.
Plans for a visit come as China has been offering to broker peace in Ukraine, an effort that has been met with scepticism in the West given China's diplomatic support for Russia.
Russia's Tass news agency reported on Jan 30 that Putin had invited Xi to visit in the spring. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that a visit to Moscow could take place in April or early May.
China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the possibility of Xi going to Moscow and the Kremlin declined to comment.
No other details were immediately available.
The sources briefed on the matter declined to be identified given the sensitivity of the issue.
Last month, Putin hosted China's top diplomat Wang Yi on a visit to Moscow and signalled that Xi would travel to Russia.
China and Russia struck a "no limits" partnership in February of 2022, when Putin was visiting Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, and the two sides have continued to reaffirm the strength of their ties.
Xi has met Putin in person 39 times since becoming president, most recently in September during a summit in central Asia.
On Monday, Xi wrapped up the annual session of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, during which he was unanimously confirmed in a precedent-breaking third term as president.


New infections top 3,200 as another 8 deaths reported

Another 3,213 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,683,266.
There were 3,847 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,602,625.
There are now 44,664 active cases, of which 43,080 or 96.5% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 20 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,510 (3.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 54 are in ICU with 33 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 63.2%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 14.4%.
Another eight deaths were reported, including two who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,977.


18 reported deaths take Covid toll to 31,044

Another 18 Covid-related deaths were reported on Dec 17, taking the cumulative death toll in the country to 31,044.According to the health ministry’s Github data repository, one or 5.6% of these was a brought-in-dead (BID) case.Perak had the highest number of reported deaths at seven or 38.9% followed by Selangor at three or 16.7%.Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan and Sabah reported two deaths each while Johor and Perlis reported one death each.No deaths were reported in nine states – Kedah, Melaka, Pahang, Penang, Sarawak, Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.A total of 4,362 new cases were reported yesterday, taking the overall total to 2,711,764.As of yesterday, there were 55,475 active Covid-19 cases reported and 5,098 recoveries.


Pendang MP told to leave after accusing Nik Nazmi of lying over Malay reserve land

Pendang MP Awang Hashim was told to leave the Dewan Rakyat today after accusing Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad of lying to the House about Malay reserve land in Kedah.
Deputy speaker Alice Lau ordered Awang to leave the hall for at least an hour.
Awang, while debating the second reading of a bill, had read the details of a document from the Kedah Land and Mines office denying that the state had experienced a decline in area of Malay reserve land.
He said Nik Nazmi's facts were inaccurate and accused him of lying to MPs.
Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng then asked Awang to retract his accusation.
But Awang said he would not do so as Nik Nazmi "had lied".
He also accused Nik Nazmi of having bad intentions towards the Kedah state leadership.
Yesterday, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor denied that the state had lost the biggest amount of Malay reserve land.
He said the narrative had been played up to give the impression that Kedah would suffer losses if it remained under Perikatan Nasional at the state election to come.
Nik Nazmi said last week that three states – Kedah, Perak and Kuala Lumpur – had recorded a drop in area of Malay reserve land between 2021 and 2022.
He said Malay reserve land in Kedah had fallen from 721,888.93 hectares to 716,537.
Perak meanwhile dropped from 953,042 hectares to 953,040, and Kuala Lumpur from 1,003 hectares to 999, he said.
The total land area gazetted as Malay reserves however increased by 0.67% last year from 4.963 million hectares to 4.996 million hectares, he added.


Two new clusters in Sabah, one triggered by Hari Raya celebration

Sabah recorded two new clusters yesterday, one triggered by a senior citizen who celebrated Aidilfitri with her children in Penampang on May 15.Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Masidi Manjun said in a statement that a 68-year-old woman was the index case of the Taman Deluxe cluster in Penampang.He said the woman, who is from Kampung Bubul Batu 2, Semporna, had crossed districts to celebrate Hari Raya with her children before testing positive for Covid-19 following a symptomatic screening on May 19.“As of 12 noon, 12 out of 14 people screened from this cluster tested positive… preliminary investigations are being carried out to determine the cause of the infection,” he said.The second cluster, in Kampung Padawan in Papar, was detected on May 22 at the Inanam health clinic following a symptomatic screening, with the index case being a 50-year-old woman from Kampung Dambai, Inanam, who tested positive with her three children.“Following that, six more family members of the index case tested positive, taking the total to 10. Concerned about the risk, 36 RTK-Ag screening tests were carried out at a private clinic as an initiative by the close contacts and family members of the index case,” he said.Masidi said the Papar district health office had also carried out 113 RT PCR screening tests on other close contacts. According to preliminary information, they are believed to have been infected during a funeral in Kampung Padawan on May 17.The funeral was also attended by close family members from several districts who failed to comply with SOPs for three days, including by getting together for dinner, he said.Meanwhile, Masidi said Sabah recorded 184 new cases yesterday, taking the total number of infections to 60,562, while 88 patients were discharged, bringing the number of recoveries to 58,798.He also said the state government had decided that restaurants, shops and food stalls in the state would be allowed to operate until 10pm.Previously, shops and food stalls were only allowed to operate until 9pm while restaurants could open until 10pm.


Health ministry urges vaccination for kids ahead of transition towards endemic phase

The health ministry has recommended that children be vaccinated under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) before the country begins the transition to the endemic phase on April 1.Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said this is to ensure that children aged five to 12 are protected from severe Covid-19 infection and complications.He said although there had been a 160% increase in the number of Covid-19 hospital admissions among children this year, there were still some parents who believed that during the transition phase, children would no longer need to be vaccinated.“Parents are urged to register their children as dependents in the MySejahtera application to get a vaccination appointment or walk in to the designated vaccination centres (PPV).“Choose to vaccinate your children because the benefits outweigh the risks of getting the side effects of the vaccine,” he said in a statement today.Noor Azmi added that parents who bring their children to PPVs on work days would be given a time slip as a proof that they had brought their children to be vaccinated.As of yesterday, a total of 1,315,497 children or 37.1% of those aged five to 11 had received a first dose of vaccine under PICKids.


Afghan regional capitals fall to resurgent Taliban

The Taliban made rapid advances and captured three regional capitals in Afghanistan over the weekend as they continue to make sweeping territorial gains.Having captured large swathes of the countryside, they are now targeting strategic towns and cities, the BBC is reporting.They seized control of the key northern city of Kunduz on Sunday, as well as Sar-e-Pul and Taloqan. The three cities fell to Taliban control within hours of each other on Sunday, with one resident in Kunduz describing the situation as “total chaos”.It means five regional capitals have fallen to the militants since Friday, with Kunduz being their most important gain this year. The city is well connected to other important areas, including the capital Kabul.The Afghan government, meanwhile, said its forces were fighting to retake key installations.Heavy fighting has also been reported in Herat in the west, and in the southern cities of Kandahar and Lashkar Gah.In captured towns, it is being reported that the Taliban has reverted to the kind of behaviour their leaders promised was a thing of the past, particularly its treatment of women.They are kidnapping and forcibly marrying off teenage girls and young women to its fighters, according to the UK’s Mail on Sunday.The newspaper says that whenever they capture a new town or district, they issue orders through the local mosques for the names of wives, widows, and daughters of local government and police personnel to be brought to them.They then take as many young women as they can find to be married to their militants as “war booty”, local residents and officials told the newspaper.Terrified families fearing the Taliban’s advance have been sending their women and girls to safer areas, including the capital Kabul, to prevent them being taken by the Taliban and married off.Fundamentalist warriors have also been shuttering girls’ schools in towns it takes over. Women cannot leave their homes without wearing a burqa, and must be chaperoned by a male adult relative, the report said.Witnesses told the Mail of the group’s sexual slavery activities after it took control of the remote district of Saighan, in the central highlands of Bamyan province.According to local residents, the Taliban went door to door looking for women and girls and demanded residents open their wardrobes so they could determine the ages of family females by looking at the clothes inside.Baes Sakhizada, 28, a maths teacher in Saighan, sent his wife, sister, and cousin, out of the town before the Taliban arrived. In full burqas, the women were driven 150 miles away, sometimes going through Taliban checkpoints.Sakhizada said: “Everyone got their women out of Saighan, especially the young girls. They were the first to be evacuated.”The three women returned to their homes after local militia forces managed to drive the Taliban out after four days of heavy fighting.Now they live in fear knowing the group will soon return.


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No compromise, Ismail says on defending country's assets after Sulu claims

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said the government would use every available channel to protect the country’s assets following claims made by the Sulu group.
"They brought the case to court, so we will also protect our assets through legal channels.
"I give my assurance that I will not compromise or budge even an inch in defending the country’s rights and sovereignty," he told reporters after opening the 2022 National Security Conference in conjunction with National Security Month celebration in Putrajaya.
He was responding to reports that the Sulu group had threatened Malaysia's interests and assets overseas, especially assets belonging to government-linked companies.
On July 12, the assets of two Petronas subsidiaries in Azerbaijan were reportedly seized by the Sulu group, who are claiming US$14.92 billion (RM62.59 billion) from Malaysia.
The move was said to be part of legal efforts launched in 2017 by the heirs to receive compensation over land in Sabah which they claim their ancestor had leased to a British trading company in 1878.
Ismail said he was made to understand that Petronas and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar would give an explanation to Parliament soon on the seizure of Petronas assets in Azerbaijan.
He said the Cabinet had on July 14 agreed to set up a special task force to study, monitor and formulate an appropriate action plan based on the provisions of the law to address the Sulu group's claims on Malaysia.
"A special task force has been set up to look into the issue in a comprehensive manner, not only concerning Petronas assets but also Malaysia’s other assets abroad.
"There are many government-linked companies which have assets overseas and this will be looked into thoroughly," he said.
When asked about any need to mobilise security forces to defend the country’s assets overseas, Ismail said: "It’s not easy to bring security forces to other countries, unless under the United Nations flag."
In March, a French arbitration court ruled that Malaysia, which inherited the lease obligations after gaining independence from Britain, must pay at least US$14.92 billion to the descendants of the last Sulu sultan.
However, Wan Junaidi said the government did not recognise the claims and proceedings by the arbitration court in Paris as the decision made by the arbitrator, Dr Gonzalo Stampa, was null and void after his appointment was revoked in 2021.
On Tuesday, the Paris Court of Appeal allowed the government’s application to stay the enforcement of the final award issued by the arbitration court on the grounds that it would affect the immunity of Malaysia’s sovereignty.
In a statement on Wednesday, Wan Junaidi said as a result of the suspension order given by the Paris Court of Appeal, the final award could not be enforced in any country until a final decision is made by the Paris court regarding the government’s application for its cancellation.


MP lodges police report against Kedah MB over vulgar language

Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid today filed a police report against Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor over a video of his speech in which he allegedly used vulgar language.
Syerleena said the report was lodged at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters at 9.17am after the video of Sanusi’s speech during a Perikatan Nasional (PN) event in Permatang Pauh, Penang went viral.
"A leader cannot do this kind of thing, he has disregarded the audience which includes women and children.
"This act cannot be compromised with," she said at a press conference in Parliament today.
Also present were Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan), Sanisvara Nethaji RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong), Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi), Teresa Kok Suh Sim (PH-Seputeh) and Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani). Meanwhile, Mohammed Taufiq said that Kedahans were not rude people, and being polite and well-mannered was part of their culture.
"I myself am from Kedah, if he (Sanusi) says that is the way Kedah people speak, that is wrong. This is very shameful, he is a Kedah MP who represents the good name of the state and the Sultan of Kedah. He should show a good image," he said.
Lim, meanwhile, advised the Opposition not to play dirty politics involving the 3R (religion, race and royal institution) simply to chase popularity and fish for votes ahead of the state election.


Questions raised on Malaysian company’s multi-million investment in UK

A pledge by a company linked to a controversial Malaysian businessman to invest £60 million (RM342 million) in the UK has ruffled feathers within the community of businesses and investors there, who cite similar announcements in the past which they claim were never followed up on and had “amounted to naught”.“In the end, it is a convenient way of collecting tonnes of money on the assertion that an initial public offering (IPO) of the company’s shares would be held,” said an investor familiar with the “tactics” by companies to raise funds by engaging with senior government trade officials.MalaysiaNow cannot independently confirm the claim and has opted not to name the businessman.A trade announcement by the UK government had included the pledge as part of some £10 billion secured from investors during an investment summit held in London last month.It is said that the company pledged £30 million for the construction of “sustainable modular homes” that would create more than 200 jobs, and the same amount for a recycling facility.When contacted, a UK trade representative in Kuala Lumpur confirmed a statement issued by 10 Downing Street, but said it was unable to divulge details of the nature of investment pledged by the Malaysian company.The company has not responded to MalaysiaNow’s queries.But an industry veteran questioned the pledge, saying a similar investment promise in the UK not long ago had led to nothing despite millions of pounds collected for IPO investments “that never took off”.Pre-IPO is a form of fundraiser for companies to gather enough money ahead of their public listings, where investors are offered a discount for the purchase of stocks.“Investors are willing to invest in pre-IPO over the potential returns of the planned business, and highly publicised official announcements would be the best way of convincing them,” the London-based businessman told MalaysiaNow.He warned that many companies have a history of not doing an IPO despite collecting funds from potential investors.He cited how the same Malaysian company in 2015 announced a £12 million investment as part of a grand plan by the UK government to boost the economies of cities in the northern part of Britain.“A similar recycling facility was also part of the deal. And it earned praise from an unsuspecting David Cameron, as it is understandable that any investment would be a political boost,” he added, referring to the British prime minister at the time.Three years later, the company said its listing plan had been shelved due to difficult market conditions.Yet, the company targeted US$20-50 million in pre-IPO funding, up from an earlier US$6-10 million, ahead of a potential listing in the London market in November 2018.“You see, politicians are not savvy about investment details. They are good at making announcements,” the businessman said.“In this case, they would embrace anyone making an announcement of investing millions in the economy, when in many cases, it is a ruse to collect pre-IPO investments, only to never do the IPO,” he added.“In the end, all the investments go up in smoke.”


Biden given inconclusive intelligence report on Covid origins

A classified US intelligence report delivered to the White House on Tuesday was inconclusive on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, in part due to a lack of information from China, according to US media reports.The assessment, ordered by President Joe Biden 90 days ago, was unable to definitively conclude whether the virus that first emerged in central China had jumped to humans via animals or escaped a highly secure research facility in Wuhan, two US officials familiar with the matter told the Washington Post.They said parts of the report could be declassified in the coming days.The debate over the origins of the virus that has killed more than four million people and paralysed economies worldwide has become increasingly contentious.When Biden assigned the investigation, he said US intelligence agencies were split over the “two likely scenarios” – animals or lab.Former president Donald Trump and his aides had helped fuel the lab-leak theory, using it to deflect blame for their administration’s handling of the world’s biggest outbreak, and instead finger point at Beijing, which strongly denies the hypothesis.China on Wednesday urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to visit the US military biolab Fort Detrick, after rejecting its calls for a second stage of the Covid origins probe focusing on Chinese laboratories last month.“If (the US) want to baselessly accuse China, they better be prepared to accept a counter-attack from China,” Fu Cong, head of the foreign ministry’s arms control department, told reporters.“If the US thinks China is guilty, they need to come up with evidence to prove that China is guilty. You don’t blame a victim for not providing information to incriminate himself.”Despite Biden’s directive that the intelligence community “redouble their efforts” to untangle the origin debate, the 90-day review brought them no closer to consensus, the officials told the Post.Beijing has rejected calls from the US and other countries for a renewed origin probe after a heavily politicised visit by a WHO team in January also proved inconclusive, and faced criticism for lacking transparency and access.Pressure has meanwhile increased to evaluate the lab-leak theory more thoroughly.At the outset of the pandemic, the natural origin hypothesis – that the virus emerged in bats then passed to humans, likely via an intermediary species – was widely accepted. But as time has worn on, scientists have not found a virus in either bats or another animal that matches the genetic signature of SARS-CoV-2.In the face of China’s reluctance to open up to outside investigators, experts are increasingly open to considering the theory that the virus might have leaked out of a lab conducting bat coronavirus research in Wuhan, an idea once dismissed as a conspiracy propagated by the US far-right.


Nearly 30,000 evacuated as flood situation worsens

The number of flood victims in five states continued to increase this evening, with a total of 29,091 evacuees housed at temporary relief centres (PPS) in Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah and Melaka.
In Johor, the flood situation is becoming increasingly worrying, with 26,633 evacuated as of 2pm compared to 25,213 at 8am.
Seven more PPS have been opened, bringing the total to 193 relief centres in all 10 districts.
The state disaster management committee (SDMC) secretariat said in a statement that Segamat was the worst affected district with 2,189 families evacuated to 60 relief centres, followed by Kluang with 1,571 families at 39 centres, Kota Tinggi with 774 families at 18 centres, Johor Bahru with 607 families at 12 centres, and Pontian with 60 families at four centres.
Also affected was Muar district with 573 families housed at 15 PPS, Kulai (242 families at six centres), Mersing (150 families at six centres), Tangkak (255 families at 13 centres), and Batu Pahat (894 families at 22 centres.
In Pahang, the SDMC secretariat reported that 1,373 flood evacuees were still taking shelter at 25 PPS in five districts as of this afternoon.
Rompin had the most evacuees with 662 at 10 PPS, followed by Maran (441 at seven PPS), Pekan (106 at two PPS), Jerantut (96 evacuees at one centre) and Raub (68 evacuees at five PPS).
In Negeri Sembilan, the Social Welfare Department Info Bencana portal reported a total of 928 victims from 256 families as of 1pm compared to 704 from 197 families this morning.
Meanwhile, in Melaka, the number of evacuees dropped to 49 people from 15 families at noon today compared to 67 people from 21 families at 8am.
The Melaka SDMC said eight victims from three families had been evacuated to the Balai Raya Bukit Tambun PPS in Alor Gajah, while only three victims from two families and 38 victims from 10 families were being housed at the PPS in SK Asahan and Chohong, respectively.
"The affected victims involve residents from Kampung Bukit Balai, Kampung Bukit Tambun, Kampung Gadek, Kampung Panchor, Kampung Belimbing Dalam and Kampung Pulau in the Alor Gajah district," it said.
The flood-affected areas in Jasin include Kampung Sungai Dua Asahan, Kampung Pondok Batang, Kampung Bukit Asahan, and Kampung Chohong.
In Sabah, the SDMC secretariat said 108 people from 24 families remained at the Dewan Mini Kampung Simpang Entilibon PPS in Tongod.


Govt suspends umrah travel over Omicron concerns

The government has decided to temporarily suspend permission for travel to perform the umrah beginning Jan 8 to curb the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin who announced this today said the authorities were concerned that non-compliance with home quarantine procedures among returning pilgrims had caused the spread of the new variant among family members.“Most pilgrims who returned from performing the umrah applied to undergo their seven-day quarantine at home. However, when there was non-compliance with the stipulated SOPs, positive Covid-19 cases among umrah pilgrims caused the infection to spread among family members.“Due to non-compliance with the home quarantine procedures, family members living in the same house or neighbours and relatives who come visiting are exposed to Covid-19 infection,” he said at a press conference.He said a special meeting was held yesterday to discuss the situation with several agencies involved in umrah pilgrim management, including the tourism, arts and culture ministry; Wakaf, Zakat and Haj Department; transport ministry; National Security Council; National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma); immigration department and Association of Umrah and Haj Tour Agencies.