Taiwan vows counter-attack if Chinese forces enter its territory

Taiwan said on Wednesday it would exercise its right to self-defence and counter-attack if Chinese armed forces entered its territory, as Beijing increased military activities near the democratically governed island.
Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its own against the strong objections of the Taipei government, has held military exercises around the island this month in reaction to a visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Taiwanese defence officials said China's "high intensity" military patrols near Taiwan continued and Beijing's intention to make the Taiwan Strait separating the two sides its "inner sea" would become the main source of instability in the region.
"For aircraft and ships that entered our sea and air territory of 12 nautical miles, the national army will exercise right to self-defence and counter-attack without exception," Lin Wen-Huang, Taiwan's deputy chief of the general staff for operations and planning, told reporters.
Taiwan has complained of Chinese drones repeatedly flying close to its small groups of islands near China's coast.
The military would exercise the same right to counter-attack Chinese drones that did not heed warnings to leave Taiwanese territory after posing threats, Lin added.
Taiwan fired warning shots at a Chinese drone for the first time on Tuesday shortly after President Tsai Ing-wen ordered the military to take "strong countermeasures" against what she termed Chinese provocations.
Taiwan's army said its forces again fired warning shots and flares on Wednesday at drones buzzing islets in its Kinmen chain, which are situated just offshore from the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou.
The drones then flew back to Xiamen, it added.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, in a regular press briefing, reiterated Beijing's position that Taiwan belonged to China.
"Firstly I need to tell you, Taiwan is a province of China, it has no so-called defence ministry. The Taiwan authorities are playing up their nervousness, this is meaningless," he said.
Earlier in the week, the ministry dismissed complaints from Taiwan about drone harassment as "not worth fussing about".
In the same briefing, Ma Cheng-Kun, a director at the National Defence University military academy, said China might further move to reject passage of foreign naval ships through the strait without its permission.
"After the new military normal status has been consolidated, then the risk of collision will increase if foreign naval ships insist on the rights of navigation and freedom," he said.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that China continued to try to "permanently alter" the status quo around Taiwan, and that the US wouldn't accept it.
"The concerns expressed by leaders in Taiwan are understandable given the aggressive, assertive, coercive, and quite frankly, unnecessary, activities that the PRC continues to conduct from a military perspective in and around the Strait," Kirby said, referring to the People's Republic of China.
US warships and those from allied nations such as Britain and Canada have routinely sailed through the Taiwan Strait in recent years, including two US Navy warships last week.
Taiwan's armed forces are well-equipped but dwarfed by China's. Tsai is overseeing a modernisation programme and has made increasing defence spending a priority.
China has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taipei rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying that the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.


No apology, Umno man tells PM over quarantine remarks

Umno Supreme Council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi today said he would not apologise to Muhyiddin Yassin for a Facebook post claiming that the prime minister had refused to undergo quarantine upon returning from an official trip to Indonesia earlier this month, despite the threat of legal action.Puad said he had received the letter of demand (LOD) from Muhyiddin’s lawyers asking for a public apology and RM10 million in compensation for allegedly defaming the prime minister.“As an individual guaranteed of freedom of speech, I will not allow myself to be bullied by Muhyiddin in the same way as Umno has been bullied,” he said in a Facebook post.“I do not need to apologise, nor do I need to remove my post on Facebook. I choose to go to court. This will give me the chance to stand together with those who oppose the practice of double standards in the quarantine issue.”Puad, the former Batu Pahat MP who is among the most vocal critics of the present government, had spoken of a commotion at the Subang airport where Muhyiddin’s delegation landed after its trip to Jakarta, the prime minister’s first official visit abroad since he was sworn into office on March 1 last year.“Health ministry officials were waiting for quarantine management duties when the PM’s delegation arrived from Jakarta. It is said they refused the 10-day quarantine? The people deserve to know,” said Puad, accusing authorities of discrimination in implementing the quarantine order.The Prime Minister’s Office however denied the suggestion, saying Muhyiddin was ordered to undergo home surveillance order, or HSO, as well as to wear a wristband.The LOD sent by Muhyiddin on Tuesday said Puad’s statements were malicious and untrue.It also stated that legal action would be taken against Puad, the former deputy education minister, if the apology and compensation were not forthcoming within a week.Puad said he would leave it to his lawyers to answer the LOD.“I have been accused of slandering the prime minister although I was only asking for an explanation,” he said.“If even that is cause for legal action, then it is only appropriate that I go to court.”He also said the decision to shorten the mandatory quarantine period from 10 days to three for ministers appeared to have been made in haste.“This makes it a matter of public interest that should be questioned,” he said. “Article 8 of the Federal Constitution clearly states that the people have the right to fair treatment. Is the three-day quarantine period not at odds with this?”


Daily caseload just below 3,000 as 3 more deaths logged

Another 2,932 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,578,741.
There were 2,292 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,512,935.
There are now 30,019 active cases, of which 28,709 or 95.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 30 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,238 (4.1%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 42 are in ICU with 25 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 61.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 9.8%.
Another three deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,787.


Only vaccinated fans will be allowed at football World Cup 2022

World Cup host Qatar will only allow people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to attend next year’s football festival and is in talks to secure one million doses in case global immunisation efforts lag.The Gulf Arab state hosts the four-week tournament in November 2022 and the president of global soccer body Fifa has said the matches will be held in capacity stadiums.Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani told newspapers that while most countries were expected to have vaccinated their citizens by then, Qatar was still taking measures to ensure a successful event.“We are currently negotiating with a company to provide one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in order to immunise and vaccinate some of those coming to Qatar,” he said in remarks also carried by state news agency QNA late on Sunday, without identifying the firm.It was not immediately clear how those vaccines would be offered. Most coronavirus vaccines require two doses administered weeks apart.Qatari officials had earlier said they hoped to hold a coronavirus-free tournament and planned to make vaccinations available to attendees not already immunised.Qatar is inoculating its citizens and residents with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. It has administered nearly three million doses, enough to vaccinate just over half of its population, according to a Reuters Covid-19 tracker.Sheikh Khalid said the 2021 Arab Cup, which Doha is hosting in December, would reflect Qatar’s preparedness to host major tournaments.He said a large number of stadiums have been completed and work continues on three stadiums including Lusail Stadium, which will host the final match of World Cup 2022 and is now 90% complete.A number of groups are still expressing concern over the suitability of Qatar to host the event with regard to human rights, particularly worker conditions in stadium construction, and the rights of fans in the LGBT community because of the illegality of homosexuality in Qatar.Authorities have said the Muslim state will also permit fans to consume alcohol during the event, however drinking in public is not permitted as Qatar’s legal system is based on shariah.


EU watchdog approves Moderna jab for ages 12 and up

The European medicines watchdog on Friday approved the use of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 17, making it the second jab for adolescents for use on the continent.“The use of the Spikevax vaccine in children from 12 to 17 years of age will be the same as in people aged 18 and above,” the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said, using the vaccine’s brand name.The vaccine will be given in two injections, each four weeks apart.The decision by the Amsterdam-based agency follows the approval of the first vaccine for European youngsters, by Pfizer-BioNTech in May.The effects of the jab have been studied among 3,732 children aged 12 to 17 years, the EMA said.“The study showed that Spikevax produced a comparable antibody response in 12- to 17-year-olds to that seen in young adults aged 18 to 25 years,” it said.The Moderna jab employs the same mRNA technology as Pfizer-BioNTech, using genetic material to deliver instructions to human cells to create coronavirus spike proteins.It thereby trains an immune response without exposing the host to a real infection.The EMA said there were common side effects in children similar to those in adults.This included pain and swelling at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle and joint pain, enlarged lymph nodes, chills, nausea, vomiting and fever.“These effects are usually mild or moderate and improve within a few days from the vaccination,” the EMA said.‘Benefits outweigh risks’But it noted that due to the “limited number of children and adolescents included in the study, the trial could not have detected new uncommon side effects”.Nor could it estimate the risk of known side effects such as myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the membrane around the heart).“However, the overall safety profile of Spikevax determined in adults was confirmed in the adolescent study,” it said.“The benefits of Spikevax in children aged 12 to 17 outweigh the risks, in particular in those with conditions that increase the risk of severe Covid-19.”The EU on Thursday said 200 million Europeans have been fully vaccinated, more than half of the adult population, but still short of a 70 percent target it had set for the summer.The EU’s rollout began more slowly than in Britain and the US – largely because of supply shortages – and drew heavy criticism during the first months of the year.The European Commission, which coordinated vaccine orders for the 27 member states, was the subject of many of the complaints.European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen had announced on July 10 that the EU had enough doses to vaccinate “at least 70% of the adult population this month”.According to official data compiled by AFP, just over 440 million doses have been administered in the European Union. That is 98.4 doses per 100 inhabitants, while the United States are at 102.4 per 100 inhabitants.


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RM111.95 million flood losses recorded in agriculture, agrofood sectors

The agriculture and agrofood sectors experienced damages and losses amounting to RM111.95 million as a result of the northeast monsoon last month.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said the ministry’s disaster management centre report recorded damages and losses over 24,700 hectares of agricultural land.
He said these involved 12,000 farmers, breeders as well as agrofood entrepreneurs throughout the country.
"To lighten their burden, the agriculture and food security ministry's Caring programme provided 6,700 ready-to-cook kits, 3,000 ready-to-eat kits and 1,000 hygiene kits to those affected in the agrofood community.
"The contribution, involving a RM1 million allocation, was to assist the agrofood community hit by the monsoon disaster nationwide," he said in Kota Bharu today.
Mohamad added that despite the monsoon disaster, the country's food supply was still intact.
"Food supply is sufficient as the floods mostly occurred in the east coast while the west coast was relatively unaffected," he said.


Daily caseload at 5,230 as 8 more deaths logged

Another 5,230 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,613,998.
There were 2,927 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,536,946.
There are now 41,208 active cases, of which 39,703 or 96.3% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 30 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,411 (3.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 64 are in ICU with 44 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.4%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 15.8%.
Another eight deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,844.


Covid-19 international vaccine tourism taking off

Covid-19 vaccines have now been around for six months, and people with the time and money to do so are already jumping vaccine queues in their own country by flying off to get their antibodies elsewhere.Vaccines are plentiful in the US and some vaccination centres don’t ask for proof of residence, so worried citizens of jab-strapped Latin American countries are taking the trip.“We have arrived in the US not for the American dream, we are here for the vaccine dream,” Elver Estela told CNN. The businessman and some of his family had travelled from Peru looking for shots and got their first doses of Pfizer at a vaccination centre in Seattle.Earlier this year, Estela had decided to travel to the US after seeing people close to him in Peru become sick with Covid-19 and vaccines very hard to find.Some US states have started taking measures to restrict vaccines to their own taxpayers. Florida did this to stem the flow of Argentinians arriving just for the jab.One country that has been looking at encouraging vaccine tourists is Russia, looking for customers for its Sputnik V vaccine.In March there was talk of Lufthansa offering special vaccine flights, where the recipient would never have to leave the airport terminal in Moscow. Though this never got off the ground, the general idea is very much still alive.CNBC reports that a three-week vaccine tour of Russia, with Sputnik doses being administered up to 20 days apart is under consideration. The cost should be between US$1500 and US$2500, excluding flights.Analysts say that’s extremely competitive considering a three-week stay would have cost about the same during “before times”, and shows that the Russian tourism industry, as in other countries, is prepared to offer cut price deals to get people to visit again.One fly in the ointment is that the Sputnik V vaccine has so far not been approved by the main Western regulators let alone the World Health Organization.As a result, someone with a Sputnik vaccine could find international doors still closed.However, some European countries do accept the vaccine as valid for entry. Cyprus, which relies on Russian holiday revellers, is open to anyone of any nationality with a Sputnik V shot.In comparison, private members club the Knightsbridge Circle was offering vaccine tours to the UAE earlier this year. However, joining the Circle involves having to pay a US$40,000 membership fee before the subject of vaccines is even raised.


Worrying, says auditor-general on govt paying matured debt with new loans

The position of the government in depending on new loans to finance the repayment of loan principals which have matured has been described as worrying.Auditor-General Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid said even though the certificate of the auditor-general for year 2020 was issued with a clean certificate status without any reprimand, several matters should be given emphasis including the status of federal debts.“Half of the new loans were used to pay loans which have matured when they should be paid with surplus revenue.“Nonetheless, in 2020, the country was facing the Covid-19 threat and the government was forced to take measures to assist the health system and the people to combat Covid-19,” he said at a media conference at Parliament building today.The Auditor-General’s Report on the Federal Government Financial Statement as well as 2020 Federal Ministries and Departments Compliance Audit tabled at the Dewan Rakyat today found that RM98.058 billion or 50.4% of RM194.555 billion in new loans of the government was for the repayment of the principal of loans in 2020.The amount rose by RM15.335 billion compared to the total of RM82.723 billion in 2019.Nik Azman said the department proposed prudent spending and ensuring that all development expenditures are financed with loans that should be serviced according to schedule within reasonable costs without leakage or wastage.Another issue that was given attention was the Development Fund for 2020 which was not fully used for the purpose of development.“We found RM2.6 billion used to fund maintenance expenditure which is usually funded by operating expenditure.“The funds for development are mostly from borrowings which should be used to generate revenue in the future. Even though it is allowed under the act in Development Fund, from the economic aspect, we feel it is not so appropriate. We hope the government will look into the matter,” he added.


US CDC removes mask recommendation from monkeypox travel notice to avoid confusion

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday it had removed a mask recommendation from its monkeypox travel notice to avoid “confusion” over the disease, which primarily spreads through direct contact.“Late yesterday, CDC removed the mask recommendation from the monkeypox Travel Health Notice because it caused confusion,” a CDC spokesperson said on Tuesday.The agency had earlier suggested that travellers wear masks as it can help protect against “many diseases, including monkeypox”.As per the CDC’s website, while the disease spreads primarily through direct contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids, “it also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact”.Around 30 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, with more than 911 confirmed or suspected cases mostly in Europe.


Confident GPS eyes clean sweep at Sarawak election

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) chairman Abang Johari Openg today voiced confidence that the coalition would be able to make a clean sweep of all 82 seats in the state legislative assembly at the Sarawak election next month.“Now is the time for us to focus,” he said at a launching ceremony in Kuching.“Dec 18 will be a ‘penalty kick’ for GPS to score its goal. In one spirit, we, GPS, can sweep all 82 seats.”The long anticipated Sarawak election was announced on Nov 24, with 12 days of campaigning following nomination day on Dec 6.Its 82 seats make the Sarawak legislative assembly the largest in the country, with 1.2 million voters eligible to vote come election day.Abang Johari also reiterated his confidence that GPS would win the election with a comfortable margin, thanking Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin again for staying out of the contest.He said Muhyiddin’s decision was in line with the wishes of the people, who desired to be governed by a Sarawak-based party.“I must thank our friend from Kuala Lumpur, Bersatu, for not fielding candidates in Sarawak,” he said.“We are friendly but firm. This shows the good relationship with friendly parties like Bersatu.”


Singaporean admits killing maid after ‘inhumane’ abuse

A Singaporean woman has admitted to starving, assaulting and ultimately killing her domestic worker from Myanmar in what prosecutors called one of the worst cases of maid abuse in the city-state.The affluent financial hub is home to about 250,000 domestic workers who mostly come from poorer Asian countries, and stories of mistreatment are common.But the abuse meted out against Piang Ngaih Don was particularly awful, with the helper stamped on, strangled, choked, battered with brooms, and burnt with an iron.Gaiyathiri Murugayan, 40, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 28 charges including culpable homicide against the 24-year-old maid. She will be sentenced at a later date, and could be jailed for life.“That one human being would treat another in this evil and utterly inhumane manner is cause for the righteous anger of the court; and the law must come down with full force”, prosecutors said.The maid was employed by Gaiyathiri and her husband, a police officer, in 2015 to help take care of their four-year-old daughter and one-year-old son.But she physically assaulted the victim almost daily, often several times a day, with her 61-year-old mother sometimes joining in, according to court documents seen by AFP.The domestic worker finally died in July 2016 after Gaiyathiri repeatedly assaulted her over several hours.Piang, who had worked for the family for over a year at the time of her death, was provided with very little food, and was forced to shower and relieve herself with the door open.Only allowed to sleep for five hours a night, she lost about 38% of her body weight during her employment, and only weighed 24kg at the time of her death.The prosecution sought a reduced charge of culpable homicide rather than murder – punishable with the death penalty in Singapore – after taking into account that Gaiyathiri suffered from illnesses including depression.Her husband is also facing multiple charges over the case, police confirmed.


Thunderstorm warnings nationwide until next week

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued warnings for thunderstorms and rain in several areas in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak over the next three days, from today, which is nomination day for the 15th general election (GE15).
In a statement, it said that thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon in Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Melaka, and several areas in Sabah and Sarawak.
In the evening, rain is forecast in Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Sarawak (Mukah, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang) and the west coast of Sabah; while thunderstorms are expected in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, as well as some places in Sarawak, including the interior, and Labuan.
MetMalaysia has also has forecast rain in the morning tomorrow (Nov 6) for  Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and several locations in Sarawak and Sabah.
Thunderstorms are expected tomorrow evening in Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Sarawak (Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang) and Sabah (west coast, Tawau and Sandakan). Thunderstorms are also expected tomorrow night in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Sabah (interiors) and Labuan, with rain forecast for Perak, Selangor, Johor and several areas in Sarawak as well as Sabah.
Meanwhile, on Monday (Nov 7), rain is expected in the morning in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Sarawak (Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Kapit and Bintulu) as well as in Sabah (interior, west coast, Tawau, Sandakan and Kudat) and Labuan.
Rain is expected in the evening in Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Sarawak (Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Limbang) and Sabah (interior, west coast, Tawau and Sandakan).
Thunderstorms are forecast at night in Pahang, Sabah (interior) and Labuan, with rain in Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and several areas in Sabah and Sarawak.
In a statement today, the National Disaster Control Centre said the water level of rivers in three states – Pahang, Perlis and Selangor – had risen to the danger level.
In Pahang, the level of the Sungai Pahang (Pekan) was at 21m; Sungai Perlis in Kangar, Perlis, at 10.98m; and Sungai Bernam in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, at 2.32m.


Take care of your own problems, Muhyiddin tells Najib

Muhyiddin Yassin today hit out at Najib Razak for challenging his denial of a witness testimony in court that he had received RM1.3 million in 2018, saying it would be better for the former prime minister to manage his own problems instead.“He is not a judge,” Muhyiddin, a former home minister, said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.He added that he had already issued a statement on the claim, saying there was no need to comment any further.“I said at the time that I was not in the country,” he said. “So I ask that this not be discussed again.”Former Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun had said at the corruption trial of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last week that Muhyiddin received RM1.3 million from the company in three cash transactions, on June 4, July 4 and Aug 23, 2018.Tan told the Shah Alam High Court that RM300,000 was given on June 4, RM500,000 on July 4 and RM500,000 on Aug 23.Muhyiddin later denied Tan’s testimony, saying he had been undergoing treatment for cancer at a hospital in another country.He also said he was ready to be investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).Najib had later questioned Muhyiddin’s denial in a post on Facebook.When asked about the statement by former Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the party had never received a sum of RM1.3 million, Muhyiddin said that people should not jump to their own conclusions.“As if I received (the money) and the party did not,” he added, repeating his stand that he was ready to be investigated by the authorities.MACC has said that it will investigate the individuals named by Tan in his testimony.Muhyiddin aside, Tan had named Khairy Jamaluddin, Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Hishammuddin Hussein, Shafie Apdal and Anifah Aman, saying they were mentioned in the UKSB ledger as well as in an MACC forensic report.Zahid himself was also included in the ledger under a series of code names such as “z”, “zh”, “yb”, “young boy”, “mon” and “monster”.Tan said he used code names because he was worried that the ledger might be exposed to other people.The ledger contains the details of payments made by UKSB to several individuals between 2014 and 2018.


Health minister sued by child rights, anti-tobacco groups for delisting liquid nicotine

Health and child rights groups have mounted a legal challenge to Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa and the government for exempting liquid nicotine from the Poisons Act 1952 despite strong objections from public health advocates.
Galen Centre's CodeBlue reported that the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC), which represents over 40 organisations, the Malaysian Green Lung Association (MGLA), and the Voice of the Children (VoC) filed for judicial reivew at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 30.
They are seeking an order to quash the removal of liquid nicotine as a scheduled poison.
They are also seeking a stay of proceedings on the order, pending the disposal of their hearing.
They also claimed that Zaliha had breached the Poisons Act by overriding the Poisons Board on the matter, and that the exemption of liquid nicotine was contrary to the health ministry's own policy objectives in the so-called generational endgame bill of prohibiting tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and vape for those born from Jan 1, 2007 onwards.
The Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill was spearheaded by Zaliha's predecessor Khairy Jamaluddin but has yet to be passed in Parliament.
MCTC, MGLA, and VoC said in their court filing that it was "unclear" when the bill would be tabled for second reading or passed, CodeBlue added.
Claiming that the declassification of liquid nicotine would "effectively legalise" any level of nicotine content in vape and e-cigarettes given the lack of legislation on the matter, they also said that the order gazetted by Zaliha as well as the power to make such an order was unconstitutional.
They likewise said that the deregulation of liquid nicotine was in breach of Malaysia's international commitments, citing the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Zaliha announced the exemption on March 30, in the face of objections from Malaysian Pharmacists Society, Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control and Galen Centre.
The vape industry was worth an estimated RM2.49 billion as of February this year, and is expected to continue growing.
The health ministry announced on June 13 that the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022 had recorded an increase in vaping or the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers aged 13 to 17, from 9.8% in 2017 to 14.9% in 2022.
It said a significant increase was also recorded among teenage girls, from 2.8% in 2017 to 6.2% in 2022.


US’ Pompeo in Japan for Quad session with Australia, India to discuss China

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Tokyo with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan for two days of discussions.They are there ostensibly to discuss regional security which is actually understood to mean how they can cooperate to counter China’s increasingly assertive behaviour.They are also expected to discuss issues including the coronavirus pandemic and cyber security.The Quadrilateral Initiative, informally named the Quad, first met in 2007 in the Philippine capital of Manila. When Beijing protested, the four said they were only discussing regional security and not targeting any particular country. They did not meet again until recently.The current Quad meeting comes as all four countries seek to find ways of dealing with an increasingly confident and ambitious China, with whom the US, India and Australia are all experiencing strained relations.Japan’s new prime minister Yoshihide Suga faces a more delicate balancing act. Tokyo has seen a steady improvement in ties with Beijing while also wanting to maintain close relationships with the US, India and Australia.Suga told reporters on Monday that he would seek to “promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and build stable relations with neighbouring countries including China and Russia”.China warned ahead of the meeting against “exclusive cliques” that target third parties.


Johnny Depp lawyers urge jury to restore his ‘name, reputation, career’

Lawyers for actor Johnny Depp urged a jury on Friday to find his ex-wife Amber Heard guilty of defamation over domestic abuse allegations and restore “his name, his reputation and his career.”“Mr Depp is no saint and he has never claimed to be one,” Benjamin Chew, an attorney for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, said in closing arguments in Fairfax County Circuit Court near the US capital.“He has struggled with drugs and alcohol,” Chew said. “But he is not a violent abuser.”“He did not and does not deserve to have his life, his legacy destroyed by a vicious lie,” the lawyer said. “Miss Heard’s attempt to paint herself as a heroic survivor, an innocent survivor, and Mr Depp as a terrifying abuser are utterly false.“We ask you, we implore you to give him his name, his reputation and his career back.”Chew also referenced #Metoo, saying it’s “a movement that Mr Depp supports.”“But it’s for true survivors of abuse, not Miss Heard,” he said. “Nobody has come out of the woodwork to say ‘me too.’ This is the unique and singular ‘me too’ case where there’s not a single ‘me too.'”Camille Vasquez, another of Depp’s attorneys, told the jury the evidence has “shown that Miss Heard is the abuser.” “She was violent, she was abusive and she was cruel,” she said.Lawyers for the two sides are making their closing arguments after six weeks of blistering mutual accusations of domestic violence between the couple.Judge Penney Azcarate will give the case over to the seven-person jury later Friday. The panel will be off over the weekend and on Monday, a holiday, and resume deliberations on Tuesday.The 58-year-old Depp filed suit against Heard over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”The Texas-born Heard, who had a starring role in “Aquaman,” did not name Depp in the piece, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking US$50 million in damages.The 36-year-old Heard countersued for US$100 million, claiming that she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.‘Monster’Dozens of witnesses testified during the trial, including bodyguards, Hollywood executives, agents, entertainment industry experts, doctors, friends and relatives.Depp and Heard each spent days on the witness stand during the televised trial which attracted hundreds of fans of the “Pirates” star daily.Video and audio recordings of heated, profanity-laced arguments between the couple were played for the jury, which was also shown photographs of injuries allegedly suffered by Heard during their volatile relationship.Hours of testimony featuring medical experts was devoted to a finger injury that Depp suffered while filming an installment of “Pirates” in Australia in March 2015.Depp claimed the tip of the middle finger on his right hand was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him. Heard said she did not know how the injury occurred.Both agreed that Depp went on to scrawl messages on walls, lampshades and mirrors using the bloody digit.Heard said Depp would become a physically and sexually abusive “monster” during alcohol- and drug-fuelled binges and resisted her repeated efforts to curb his drinking and drug use.Heard said Depp had promised to bring her “global humiliation” if she left him, and she has been the target of a vast #JusticeForJohnnyDepp social media campaign.Depp testified that it has been “brutal” to listen to “outlandish” accusations of domestic abuse.“No human being is perfect, certainly not, none of us, but I have never in my life committed sexual battery, physical abuse,” he said.Damaged Hollywood careersHeard, who was married to Depp from 2015 to 2017, obtained a restraining order against him in May 2016, citing domestic violence.Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, filed a libel suit in London against the British tabloid The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater.” He lost that case in November 2020.Both sides have claimed damage to their Hollywood careers.Heard’s legal team presented an entertainment industry expert who estimated that the actress has suffered US$45-50 million in lost film and TV roles and endorsements.An industry expert hired by Depp’s side said the actor has lost millions because of the abuse accusations, including a potential US$22.5 million payday for a sixth instalment of “Pirates.”


Risk of blood clots in lung doubled for Covid survivors, US study says

Coronavirus survivors have twice the risk of developing dangerous blood clots that travel to their lungs compared to people who weren’t infected, as well double the chance of respiratory symptoms, a large new study said Tuesday.The research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that as many as one in five adults aged 18-64 years and one in four of those over 65 went on to experience health conditions that could be related to their bout of Covid – a finding consistent with other research.Among all conditions, the risk of developing acute pulmonary embolism – a clot in an artery of the lung – increased the most, by a factor of two in both adults younger and older than 65, as did respiratory symptoms like a chronic cough or shortness of breath.Pulmonary embolisms usually travel to the lungs from a deep vein in the legs, and can cause serious problems, including lung damage, low oxygen levels and death.The study was based on more than 350,000 patient records of people who had Covid-19 from March 2020 – November 2021, paired with 1.6 million people in a “control” group who had sought medical attention in the same month as a corresponding “case” patient, but weren’t diagnosed with Covid.The team assessed the records for the occurrence of 26 clinical conditions previously associated with long Covid.Patients were followed one month out from the time they were first seen until they developed a subsequent condition, or until a year had passed, whichever came first.The most common conditions in both age groups were respiratory symptoms and musculoskeletal pain.In patients under 65, risks after Covid elevated for most types of condition, but no significant differences were observed for cerebrovascular disease, mental health conditions, or substance-related disorders.“Covid-19 severity and illness duration can affect patients’ health care needs and economic well-being,” the authors wrote.“The occurrence of incident conditions following infection might also affect a patient’s ability to contribute to the workforce and might have economic consequences for survivors and their dependents,” as well as placing added strain on health systems.Limitations of the study included the fact that data on sex, race, and geographic region were not considered, nor was vaccination status. Because of the time period, the study also didn’t factor in newer variants.


New cases dip to 1,354

Another 1,354 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 323,763.Selangor recorded 577 cases, Sarawak 178, Penang 154, Johor 121 and Perak 101.Kuala Lumpur recorded 55 cases, Sabah 39, Terengganu 37, Kedah 33, Kelantan 26, Negeri Sembilan 21, Pahang five, Melaka four, Putrajaya two and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 16,279 with 158 in the ICU and 71 in need of respiratory assistance.Three new clusters were detected:1. Jalan Tun Mutalib Tiga (Kota Tinggi in Johor; 469 screened, 10 positive)2. Jalan Sutera (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 26 screened, eight positive)3. Begalak (Sibu and Song in Sarawak; 335 screened, 49 positive)Five others ended, leaving 424 active clusters across the country.Another 1,782 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 306,274.However, four more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,210.


Heavy rain sees Melaka, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan hit by floods too

Continuous heavy rain since yesterday has triggered floods at some low-lying areas in several states, forcing more people to evacuate this morning.Melaka, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan became the latest states to be hit by floods in addition to Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu.In Kelantan, the number of evacuees has increased to 798 people from 170 families compared to 735 victims from 156 families yesterday.Kelantan Civil Defence Force (APM) disaster management and operation officer Mohd Hanif Omar said 11 relief centres (PPS) had been opened – seven in Kuala Krai, two in Gua Musang and one each in Jeli and Tanah Merah.Meanwhile, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) on its portal reported that the water level of two main rivers in Kelantan had reached the danger point.Sungai Golok in Kampung Jenob, Tanah Merah measured 24.36m, Sungai Kelantan in Kampung Jenob, Tanah Merah 24.62m, and Sungai Kelantan in Kuala Krai 25.51m.In Pahang, nine more PPS were opened in Raub this morning, housing 513 victims from 137 families, bringing the total number of operational PPS to 25.According to the Social Welfare Department’s Info Bencana portal, the PPS are at Masjid Kampung Kuala Semantan, Pusat Kegiatan Wanita Batu Malim, SK Tersang, Masjid Baru Kampung Ajai, Balai Raya Kampung Ria, Dewan Dato Seriwa Dong, Masjid Kuala Temau, Balai Umno Kampung Batu Talam and Dewan Serbaguna Kampung Pia.In Terengganu, the number of victims remained at 66 people from 14 families at two PPS.The DID’s portal reported that the level of Sungai Dungun in Pasir raja had breached the danger point at 37.97m (danger level is 37.5m).In Selangor, state fire and rescue department director Norazam Khamis said a total of 1,011 people in the Telok Gong area, Klang, have been evacuated to three PPS at SK Telok Gong, Masjid Al-Islah and Masjid Al-Ubudia.He said floods also forced the evacuation of about 64 residents in Kapar, Banting, Port Klang, Andalas, Pulau Indah and Sepang.In Negeri Sembilan, three PPS were opened this morning at Balai Raya Jimah Lama and Balai Raya Permatang Pasir, Port Dickson and Surau Keru Hilir, Tampin to accommodate 107 victims from 36 families.State APM director Mohd Syukri Madnor said Jalan Sendayan-Kampung Jimah Lama, Port Dickson has been closed to traffic following landslides that occurred along the stretch this morning.In Melaka, one PPS was opened at SK Durian Tunggal, Alor Gajah to house 40 victims from 11 families.


Festive price hikes herald need for Economic Sabotage Act?

As Malaysians geared up to mark Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year, shoppers eager to find what they needed for their celebrations might have bumped into a common problem: the perennial festive season price hikes.While Hari Raya sales abounded in some areas, especially as businesses looked to recoup the Covid-19 losses suffered over the past two years, prices elsewhere might have suddenly increased to far beyond what they were during non-festive seasons.This year, problems centred on the supply of chicken, with cartels said to control nearly 70% of the market.They were also believed to possess a monopoly over the supply of chicken feed, medication and industrial vitamins.Throughout the month of Ramadan, meanwhile, complaints abounded over the increase in price of other goods such as beef.There were also cases of certain quarters hoarding sugar and cooking oil, as well as the smuggling of subsidised goods.These in turn gave rise to concerns over economic sabotage and the abuse of consumers.Yet such problems have existed for a long time. In 2018, Abu Kassim Mohamed, the director-general of the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption, proposed the enactment of an Economic Sabotage Act aimed at combating the so-called “Ali Baba” culture in government procurement.It was also meant to curb the sale of import permits.The draft act was supposed to be brought to the Attorney-General’s Chambers before being taken to the Cabinet and tabled in Parliament in April 2019.But this never materialised. Instead, the proposed act vanished from public view and was never heard of again.The “Ali Baba” problem which revolves around the resale of tenders was seen as a plague on the economy, in addition to the cartel system that controlled the supply chain of essential goods and supplies.Just last year, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission arrested seven individuals believed to be members of a cartel monopolising government tenders worth some RM3.8 billion.Several years ago, meanwhile, the spotlight was on a cartel which smuggled meat in from various countries and passed it off as halal.Economist Barjoyai Bardai referred to the situation in neighbouring Philippines, where the problem of syndicates and cartels has reached the point where the masterminds of such outfits are handed the death penalty.There, economic sabotage is defined as conduct or activities that are contrary to government policy so as to weaken or cause chaos in the economic system.This includes price manipulation with serious negative impacts on the public, especially in the sale of basic goods and major commodities.Barjoyai, of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, said in Malaysia, a special task force was established by the Competition Commission or MyCC.“But nothing was ever said about its progress,” he told MalaysiaNow.While the act had gained Putrajaya’s support at the time of its announcement, Barjoyai questioned the apparent lack of development after that.“Is it because the syndicates involve influential politicians which might affect the reputation of certain parties and their leaders?” he said.Economist Ahmed Razman Abd Latiff of the Putra Business School meanwhile said that the act was a long-term solution which needed to be tabled and debated in Parliament.Given the rising global inflation rate, he said, the country could expect to experience a similar phenomenon in the near future which would require a short-term solution.“In the short term, the existing mechanisms can be improved to make them more effective,” he added.“The agencies under the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry already have procedures in place to prevent a spike in the price of goods.”Razman nonetheless acknowledged that complaints usually focused on the buyers dealing with traders.“They rarely involve those in the supply chain such as wholesalers, supplies and manufacturers,” he said.He also said that traders could be boycotted by suppliers and manufacturers.“We cannot expect traders to report to enforcement authorities,” he said. “Enforcement agencies go down to the field because price increases occur if there is hoarding.”On the resale of government tenders, Razman said the existing procedures to tackle the problem should be improved to make them more open and targeted.“Tenders should not be made without comprehensive information,” he said. “The people should be able to observe and scrutinise them.“This will make it difficult for corrupt elements and cartels to continue to thrive.”


Use emergency period for social reforms, economists say

Economists today urged the government to use the emergency period to conduct radical reforms on the social system.Muhammed Abdul Khalid of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said the state of emergency, declared in January, would not necessarily cause harm to the country’s economic performance if the government has the expertise needed to better govern.He also said the emergency proclamation would be a wasted opportunity if it is not used to implement reforms to areas under the social system such as education.“We are experiencing bad times (so) it’s time for comprehensive and brutal reforms,” he said at a press conference organised by the committee of Tamat Darurat, a movement led by Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad calling for an end to the emergency period.“This is an opportunity to improve the social system.”The press conference was organised for input on how the state of emergency is affecting the country’s economic performance.Economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram said it is possible for the economy to recover this year if the pandemic is not manipulated by the government for political gain.He added that the previous GDP growth forecast by Bank Negara Malaysia is no longer reasonable given the current economic condition.The central bank had predicted that the country’s economy was on track for recovery with a growth in GDP of between 6% and 7.5%.This is in spite of the GDP shrinking by 5.6% in 2020.“It is clear that November’s forecast for the budget is no longer valid,” Sundaram said.“That’s not the minister of finance’s fault, that’s because the situation is politically manipulated.”


Sydney posts fresh Covid record as Melbourne races to trace outbreak

Australia’s state of New South Wales reported another record day of Covid-19 cases Saturday, as authorities in the country’s second city of Melbourne rushed to trace the source of its outbreaks.Australia’s three largest cities were in lockdown on Saturday, as New South Wales recorded 319 community cases of the virus and five more deaths – a third straight day of record case numbers.With the virus continuing to spread through Sydney’s sprawling suburbs, despite the city heading into its seventh week of lockdown, state Health Minister Brad Hazzard expressed frustration that people appeared to be ignoring restrictions and urged residents to stay at home.“That is the biggest thing you can do for all of us and for yourself, to make sure that we beat this Delta virus that is wreaking havoc across the world,” Hazzard told media.He also announced that the city of Armidale, about six hours’ drive northwest of Sydney, would join around 60% of Australia’s 25 million residents already under stay-at-home orders.Contact tracers in Melbourne’s state of Victoria, which on Thursday returned to lockdown for the sixth time since the pandemic began, were still working to track down the source of its outbreaks.“This is very, very significant to see this many cases… we don’t know where those two outbreaks started,” state premier Daniel Andrews said, announcing 29 new cases of the virus.And as the city of Brisbane is set to end its lockdown on Sunday, health officials urged people not to become complacent ahead of the loosening of restrictions.A lack of supply and pockets of vaccine hesitancy has throttled efforts to immunise Australians, with just over 20% of the population fully vaccinated.The nation managed to avoid the worst of the pandemic for the past 18 months, but the effectiveness of its “Covid zero” policy had been called into question as lockdowns struggle to stamp out the highly-infection Delta variant.


In about-turn, Zahid urges support for PN

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today announced a “political ceasefire” just days after the revelation that he had been collaborating with Anwar Ibrahim to replace the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition to which his party belongs.Zahid said his party would now help the PN government to focus on rebuilding the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.“The cooperation of all parties in PN should be strengthened in order to ensure political stability at a time when the country is faced with the threat of Covid-19 and economic uncertainties,” he said in a statement.He also urged Cabinet members from Umno to give their full attention to helping the people survive the economic hardships brought about by the pandemic.On Friday, MalaysiaNow revealed that Zahid and his predecessor, former prime minister Najib Razak, had unilaterally written to the palace expressing support for Anwar’s plan to take over Putrajaya.In the letter, Zahid claimed “a number of Umno MPs” would back the plan to topple Muhyiddin, without giving details of the MPs in question.The revelation sent shock waves through the Umno leadership, with several leaders hitting out at Zahid for supporting an outsider.Umno’s elderly adviser Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah later warned that top leaders who prioritise the interest of other parties should be booted out.


Russia says warning shots fired at British destroyer in Black Sea

Britain has denied reports that the Russian military fired warning shots at a UK destroyer in the Black Sea on Wednesday.Moscow’s defence ministry was quoted as saying that the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender entered Russian territorial waters near Crimea, leading to a Russian warship firing warning shots and an SU-24 jet dropping bombs in its path, forcing it to change course.Britain’s defence ministry claimed that the ship was sailing in Ukrainian waters and no warning shots had been fired.British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement that HMS Defender was carrying out a “routine transit” and entered an internationally recognised traffic corridor.The ministry said the Russians were carrying out a gunnery exercise in the Black Sea and provided prior warning of their activity.“As is routine, Russian vessels shadowed her passage and she was made aware of training exercises in her wider vicinity,” Wallace added. “No shots were directed at HMS Defender and we do not recognise the claim that bombs were dropped in her path.”Russia said the incident happened near Cape Fiolent in the south of Crimea and – according to a defence ministry statement to Russian news agencies – claimed the British vessel subsequently changed course.The Black Sea incident came as Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Wednesday that Moscow was “concerned” about a Nato build-up near Russia’s borders.Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 but this has not been recognised internationally.Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday that Russia’s reported action showed how Moscow’s “aggressive” policy constitutes a threat to Ukraine and its allies.“We need a new quality of cooperation between Ukraine & Nato allies in the Black Sea,” he said.Ukraine has intensified its years-long call for Nato membership in recent months, but the Western alliance has repeated that it needs to solve domestic issues such as corruption before being considered.The British embassy’s defence attaché has been summoned to the Russian defence ministry in Moscow, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.HMS Defender is a Type 45 destroyer that is part of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group. It is carrying out missions in the Black Sea, according to the Royal Navy’s website.The warship was in the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa earlier this week, according to the British embassy in Ukraine.It said the UK and Ukraine had signed an agreement to jointly build warships and construct two naval bases.


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US House votes to avert default, setting up Senate showdown

US lawmakers voted Wednesday to raise the national borrowing limit as a crucial first step to averting a catastrophic default, greenlighting a pact struck between Washington's warring parties after weeks of brinkmanship and fraught backroom deal-making.
Hammered out between Democratic President Joe Biden and the Republicans in the House of Representatives, the measure suspends the debt ceiling through 2024, slightly cutting government spending next year.
"Passing the Fiscal Responsibility Act is a crucial first step for putting America back on track," said Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in Congress.
"It does what is responsible for our children, what is possible in divided government, and what is required by our principles and promises."
Biden hailed the 314-117 vote as a "critical step" to protecting the country's post-pandemic economic recovery that had been achieved through "bipartisan compromise."
The drama capped a tense few days on Capitol Hill, with the Treasury expecting to run out of the money as soon as Monday.
The Republican majority in the House needed help from dozens of Democrats to fend off a right-wing rebellion – 71 conservatives voted no – and advance the deal to the Senate, which is expected to follow suit by the end of the week.
McCarthy's lieutenants had spent the final hours frantically whipping votes, as senior Democrats vowed that their members would put the nation's finances above the temptation to give the opposition a bloody nose.
"The consequences of slipping past the deadline would reverberate across the world and take years to recover from," Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democratic-led Senate, warned ahead of the lower chamber's vote.
"Remember, a default would almost certainly trigger another recession, send costs soaring, kill millions of jobs – hardworking people thrown out of work through no fault of their own."
Leadership challenge?
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the proposed spending limits for 2024 and 2025 would trim nearly US$1.5 trillion (about RM7 billion) from projected federal budget deficits over the next decade. The total debt is more than US$31 trillion.
The vote was the result of weeks of on-off talks between the McCarthy and Biden teams, with Democrats accusing Republicans of holding the economy "hostage" by insisting on spending cuts to accompany the hike in the borrowing cap.
Fiscal hawks on the right of Congress have accused the White House of pushing unsustainable spending programs and say negotiating the future budget must be a condition of hiking the limit, which covers debts already incurred.
The high drama seen in recent debt ceiling and budget fights was absent however as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries had been open that his members would provide enough votes to ensure the bill was never in danger.
But it was a high wire act for McCarthy, whose job would have been on the line had the majority of his members rejected the pact, only to see it pushed through anyway.
Securing 149 Republican votes – roughly two-thirds of his caucus – allows McCarthy to project strength in his bid to face down criticism from the Republican right, which has accused him of capitulating to the White House by not demanding steeper cuts.
Some hardliners have openly mused about using a new power granted by McCarthy as part of his pitch for the speakership in January to call for snap vote to oust him.
'Cartoon villain'
House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark described the vote as a "ransom" the Republicans had exacted by offering Americans "devastating cuts or we lose eight million jobs overnight."
"It's hard to take in because it is so cartoon villain-like. But unlike a cartoon, the American people won't snap back up when you drop that economic anvil on their head," she said.
The bill will need 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, and party bosses urged their members to cooperate on a swift rubber stamp vote that they are hoping to hold as early as Thursday evening.
Defense hawks have voiced concerns over a US$886 billion cap on defense spending, the amount Biden requested.
Meanwhile senators Jeff Merkley and Bernie Sanders – a Democrat and an independent who votes with the party – released separate statements saying they could not "in good conscience" back a bill cutting key federal programs while increasing military spending and demanding no extra tax dollars from billionaires.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who largely deferred to McCarthy in the negotiations, will be expected to provide at least a dozen votes, with most of the 51-member Democratic majority locked in.


Private doctor claims ‘kickbacks’ in vaccine procurement

A private hospital doctor has launched a scathing attack on Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccination programme, accusing the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) not only of flip-flopping, but also of corruption.Dr Musa Nordin also asked why the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), the main drug approval authority under the health ministry, had yet to give the green light for the Moderna vaccine.“If you want a short answer, I would say, I guess, not enough kickbacks,” Musa, a paediatrician at the KPJ Damansara Specialist Centre, told an online forum where he was a speaker alongside Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his former Cabinet colleague Rafidah Aziz.Musa, who was among the candidates named by Mahathir for his version of a national recovery council, also heaped scorn on Health Minister Dr Adham Baba and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who jointly chair the JKJAV.He said both ministers had been wrong in predicting the number of vaccine doses that could be delivered in the early stage of the immunisation programme in February.While acknowledging Malaysia’s vaccination rate, currently among the highest in the world, Musa however said the country was facing the Delta variant.He criticised what he called the “flip-flop” policies of the vaccines committee on administering jabs to teenagers, as well as on the procurement of the Sinovac vaccine.Claiming the Sinovac vaccine was ineffective in fighting the Delta variant, he said recipients of the Chinese vaccine should be given a booster jab without delay.“The problem with JKJAV is their wait-and-see attitude,” he said.Last year Musa, who is a strong supporter of Pakatan Harapan leaders and active in Islamist bodies linked to opposition MPs, accused health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah of failing to protect frontliners battling the Covid-19 pandemic.His comments drew strong reactions from the public as well as from veteran doctors.


Covid vaccine from Germany’s CureVac just 48% effective

Germany’s CureVac said Wednesday that final trial results showed its coronavirus vaccine had an efficacy rate of just 48%, far lower than those developed by mRNA rivals BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna.The outcome had been expected after poor interim data were released earlier this month.The company in part blamed “the unprecedented context of 15 strains circulating” among the trial volunteers, as well as varying responses across age groups.The Covid vaccines developed by Germany’s BioNTech in partnership with US giant Pfizer and by US firm Moderna – based on the same novel messenger RNA technology – were approved earlier on in the pandemic after showing around 95% efficacy.Their trials only had to contend with the original strain of the virus. But recent studies indicate that both vaccines also offer strong protection against the newer, more contagious variants.CureVac said its jab, known as CVnCoV, did slightly better among people aged 18 to 60 than among older ages, with efficacy climbing to 53%.Among that same 18-60 age group, the vaccine offered 100% protection against hospitalisation and death.In a statement, CEO Franz-Werner Haas said “CVnCoV demonstrates a strong public health value” for people aged 18 to 60 “which we believe will be an important contribution to help manage the Covid-19 pandemic and the dynamic variant spread”.‘No safety concerns’CureVac’s late-stage Phase 2b/3 trial involved some 40,000 people in 10 countries in Europe and Latin America. Of those, 228 contracted the coronavirus.CureVac said in May that independent analysis “found no safety concerns” with its two-dose vaccine.The Tuebingen-based company has shared its data with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which will now decide if the vaccine is good enough to be greenlit.CureVac said it would give further details at a press conference on Thursday.Its share price fell by nearly 10% in after-hours trading.The European Union has secured up to 405 million doses of the CureVac vaccine should it receive regulatory approval.Despite being a laggard in the vaccine race, CureVac believes it has advantages over mRNA competitors.CureVac’s product can be stored at standard refrigerator temperature, unlike the first-generation Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which require super-cold freezers.CureVac’s vaccine also requires a lower dosage of just 12 microgrammes, compared to 30 microgrammes for BioNTech and 100 for Moderna, allowing for faster and cheaper mass production.These factors could possibly give CureVac an edge in poorer or warmer countries.Second-generation vaccine in developmentScientists have said the weaker-than-hoped results may be down to the lower dosage, or even CureVac’s recipe, which unlike its rivals uses an unmodified form of messenger RNA.The company is already working on a second-generation Covid vaccine for which it has teamed up with pharma giant GSK.Early results on rats have been promising, it said. Clinical testing on humans is set to begin in the third quarter of 2021.CureVac was founded in 2000 by mRNA pioneer Ingmar Hoerr and is backed by Dietmar Hopp, the German billionaire behind software behemoth SAP.The German government last year took a 23% stake in CureVac for €300 million.The move came shortly after media reports said then-president Donald Trump had sought exclusive US access to any CureVac vaccine, a claim both sides strenuously denied.


Daily cases expected to hover at 500 by May, says health ministry

The health ministry expects daily Covid-19 cases to hover at 500 in May, depending on the level of compliance with the government’s SOPs.Minister Dr Adham Baba said the projection was based on the declining infectivity rate (Rt) or R-naught (R0), which was 0.87 yesterday compared to 0.9 on Feb 28.“However, if the SOPs are not adhered to, the RT is expected to rise again to over 1.0, along with the number of daily positive cases,” he said at a news conference on developments on the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in Putrajaya today.As of yesterday, he said, most states had achieved an RT of below 1.0 except for Terengganu and Penang.On the incidence of Covid-19 cases based on districts in the peninsula, he said for the period of Feb 28 to March 14, the number of districts in green zones increased to 11 from six.These comprised four in Kedah, two each in Pahang and Perak, and one each in Kelantan, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan.In the same period, the number of districts in red zones dropped to 35 from 42, while districts in yellow zones increased from 31 to 37.


Hard to open vaccination centres in EMCO areas, says Khairy

It will be difficult to open vaccination centres (PPVs) in localities under enhanced movement control order (EMCO) because the list of areas under such restrictions is constantly changing, says Khairy Jamaluddin.The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) coordinating minister said the “dynamic” nature of the EMCO list makes it difficult to send vaccines to new inoculation centres every week.“Maybe this week it is under EMCO, next week it may exit EMCO. It will complicate matters if we have to shift supplies for the whole country based on a constantly changing EMCO list,” he told reporters after visiting the industrial vaccination centre (PPVIN) at KLIA in Sepang today.He was asked to comment on the Selangor government’s initiative to open a PPV at the Mentari Court apartments in Petaling Jaya, which have been placed under EMCO since July 1. The PPV at Mentari Court started operating yesterday to vaccinate some 8,000 residents.Khairy, who is science, technology and innovation minister, also said the distribution of vaccines to states is based on several indicators such as high rates of Covid-19 positivity and incidence.“Every week we adjust the (vaccine) distribution according to data from the states concerned. For example, among the targets this month are Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Negeri Sembilan, the states with a high incidence rate,” he said.Khairy also said more PPVINs would be set up at airports throughout the country, after the first one for the aviation sector opened at KLIA yesterday with a capacity to administer 1,000 doses daily.“To protect workers in this important segment, CITF (Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force) has decided to give priority in PICK to the aviation sector,” he said.Khairy said in the first week of this month, 27 PPVINs had started operations throughout the country and CITF had received proposals for the opening of more such centres involving several other ministries.So far, the ministries already involved in the PPVIN initiative are the international trade and industry; works; and transport, while plantation industries and commodities and domestic trade and consumer affairs are ready to join, he said.Meanwhile, Khairy said all countries should reach a common understanding in deciding on their immigration policies with regard to vaccine recognition.“Now we still do not know about the immigration policies of many countries because they have not been finalised yet.“Some countries have imposed conditions such as (recognising) only vaccines used in their countries. So, the process of discussions is continuing for other countries,” he said.Khairy said Malaysia’s stand is that all vaccines listed by the World Health Organization should be recognised by all countries.He added that if there are countries which do not recognise the vaccines used in Malaysia, they should consider implementing swab tests as a condition for Malaysians to enter their countries.


Media free to report but within limits of law, says Fahmi

The communications and digital ministry will not curb the freedom of media practitioners to report, but they must discharge their duties within the limits of the law, says minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi said it was important for media practitioners to abide by the laws and regulations to avoid spreading fake news and slander.
"Our reminder to all media practitioners and the public is that we do not curb the right of the media to report on anything.
"In terms of constraints, firstly, they have to abide by the licensing conditions and secondly, existing laws in this country," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.
It was recently reported that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had opened an investigation paper against local television station Awesome TV over a breach of licensing regulations in connection with a news report deemed as fake.


Tiger Woods suffers multiple leg injuries in car crash

Tiger Woods suffered serious injuries to both legs as his car flew off the road and flipped several times Tuesday near Los Angeles in a crash he was “very fortunate” to survive, law enforcement officials who found the US golf legend said.Woods did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the early-morning incident, and underwent surgery after the roll-over collision, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.No other vehicles or passengers were involved in the crash which occurred on a steep stretch of road known as a “hotspot” for high-speed accidents in recent years.“I will say that it’s very fortunate that Woods was able to come out of this alive,” said deputy Carlos Gonzalez, the first officer to arrive on scene.Gonzalez found Woods trapped in his vehicle but conscious, appearing “calm and lucid” and able to identify himself.“It is my understanding that he had serious injuries to both legs,” said Los Angeles County fire chief Daryl Osby, describing Woods’ condition as “stable”.Firefighters and paramedics extricated Woods from the wreckage of his SUV and transported him with a neck collar and backboard to a local hospital via road, where he underwent surgery.There was “no evidence of impairment at this time” including any influence of narcotics, mediciation or alcohol, said Villanueva, adding that the crash remained “subject to investigation”.He added that no blood was drawn at the scene of the crash because the sheriff’s office does not have that capability.Woods, one of the most successful golfers of all time, has won 15 major golf championships.He recently underwent his fifth back surgery, and said he was uncertain if he will be able to play at the upcoming Masters, which he last won in 2019.Woods, 45, was in the area for his annual Genesis Invitational golf tournament at the Riviera Country Club, and was driving a courtesy car on the morning of the crash.“We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA Tour and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers,” PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.‘True champion’The crash occurred near the hilly Palos Verdes peninsula, at the bottom of a steep stretch of road which has runaway truck ramps for vehicles that lose control going downhill, and which has become notorious for fatal accidents over the years.“Apparently the first contact was with the rcenter median, and from there (the car) crossed into the opposing lane of traffic, hit the curb, hit a tree, and there was several rollovers during that process,” said Villanueva, who did not provide a cause of the crash.The car ended up on its side on a patch of grass some distance off the road, with its hood badly damaged.News of the crash spread rapidly around the sport world and beyond, with figures inside and outside golfing swift to send their prayers and best wishes to Woods.Skier Lindsey Vonn, Woods’ former girlfriend, tweeted: “Praying for TW right now.”“I have no doubt about it, he’s gonna be back,” former US president Donald Trump told Fox, urging Woods to “get better and get out there because we all miss him.”‘Deeply concerned’Woods was one of the most revered athletes in the world when he became engulfed in scandal in late 2009.He smashed his car into a tree and a fire hydrant outside his luxury Florida home, sparking a series of scandalous revelations that doomed his marriage and put his game in freefall.He later divorced from his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren, with whom he has two children, after a cascade of women came forward to say they had affairs with the golfer, making him fodder for tabloids around the world.Woods underwent four back surgeries between 2014 and 2017.In May 2017, Woods was arrested near his Florida home for being asleep at the wheel of his car in a traffic lane.Woods said he had taken a mixture of prescription drugs and did not realize they would cause him to fall asleep. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving.But he made an astonishing comeback to sensationally win the Masters in 2019, his first major title since the 2008 US Open.He is the winner of 82 US PGA titles, level with Sam Snead for the all-time record.In 2000-2001, while aged just 25, Woods became the first man to hold the US Open, British Open, the USPGA and the Masters titles at the same time.Woods remains three major victories shy of the all-time record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus, but only four winners in major history have taken a title at an older age than Woods is now.“Barbara and I just heard about Tiger’s accident, and like everyone else, we are deeply concerned,” tweeted Nicklaus.“We want to offer him our heartfelt support and prayers at this difficult time. Please join us in wishing Tiger a successful surgery and all the best for a full recovery.”


Polling day for Padang Serai on Dec 7

Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh today said that the election for Padang Serai will be postponed to Dec 7, following the death of Pakatan Harapan's candidate for the seat.
He said the polls for the parliamentary seat would need to be rescheduled, and would not be held alongside the rest at the 15th general election tomorrow.
Nomination for Padang Serai will be held on Nov 24.
PKR man M Karupaiya died on Nov 16, days before the general election on Nov 19.
Karupaiya had faced a six-way fight at the upcoming polls, with Hamzah Abd Rahman (Pejuang), C Sivaraj (Barisan Nasional), Azman Nasrudin (Perikatan Nasional), Mohd Bakhri Hashim (Warisan) and independent candidate Sreanandha Rao.


LHDN comes under attack from pro-Najib cybertroopers

The Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) has come under attack on social media and sites believed to be operated by supporters of Najib Razak, two days after the former prime minister lodged a police report accusing the agency of being politically motivated in seeking over RM1 billion in tax arrears.The attacks were initiated by sites disguised as news portals, claiming that LHDN officials would reveal the names of the politicians who had supposedly instructed LHDN to impose the tax penalties on the Pekan MP.According to one portal, the LHDN officials involved had violated Sections 167, 192, 196 and 197 of the Penal Code.It also accused a high-ranking tax official of having bought a luxury car for his wife.Another website close to the pro-Najib group in Umno meanwhile attacked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Registrar of Societies, accusing them of being political tools.Access to the articles on these portals was shared by some of Najib’s supporters on social media.One of them, Aizat Asyraf, demanded that LHDN reveal the names of the politicians supposedly behind the imposition of tax penalties on the former prime minister.Najib lodged the police report against LHDN on Sept 8.He claimed that LHDN officials as well as certain politicians had violated Sections 167, 192, 196 and 197 of the Penal Code as well as Section 23 of the MACC Act involving the abuse of power and the use of forged documents.However, social media users hit out at Najib over his move to lodge a police report.Some reminded the former prime minister of his previous remark that those who fail to pay their taxes are traitors to the country.Many also questioned the timing of his police report, asking why it was not lodged until Ismail Sabri Yaakob took over from Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister last month.Yesterday, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeals of Najib and his son, Mohd Nazifuddin, against two previous High Court rulings allowing LHDN to enter summary judgments to recover RM1.69 billion from Najib and RM37.6 million from Nazifuddin.The government through LHDN filed the suit against Najib on June 25, 2019, seeking total payment of RM1.69 billion for income tax arrears from 2011 to 2017, with interest at 5% a year from the date of judgment, as well as costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.The High Court ruled on July 22 last year that Najib had to pay LHDN the amount in question after allowing the tax agency’s application to enter a summary judgment against the former prime minister.The decision was upheld by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 14. Judge Ahmad Bache said there was no strong basis for Najib to receive a stay of execution and that every taxpayer, like every citizen, stands equal before the law.


'It felt like my insides were crying': China Covid curbs hit youth mental health

Zhang Meng had a breakdown last December. The 20-year-old found herself sobbing on the stairs of her dorm, driven to despair by repeated Covid lockdowns of her university campus in Beijing.
The lockdowns had meant she was mostly confined to her room and unable to meet up with friends. There were also strict curbs on when she could visit the canteen or take a shower. Describing herself as someone who craves in-person social interaction, Zhang said the restrictions had "removed the safety net that was holding me up and I felt like my whole being was falling down".
That month, she was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety.
Yao, also 20 and who asked that his first name not be used, had his first breakdown in high school where he was a boarder, unable to understand why lockdown policies were so tough. He said that one day he had to take refuge in a school toilet, crying so hard "it felt like my insides were crying."
In early 2021 while at university in Beijing, unable to shake that depression and also unhappy he had not taken the courses he wanted to for fear of upsetting his father, Yao attempted suicide.
China has employed some of the world's harshest and most frequent lockdown measures in its determination to stamp out every Covid outbreak, arguing it saves lives and pointing to its low pandemic death toll of around 5,200 to date.
It's an effort it has shown little sign of abandoning, but the policy's impact on mental health alarms medical experts and as Zhang's and Yao's experiences have shown, it is already taking its toll.
"China's lockdowns have had a huge human cost with the shadow of mental-ill health adversely affecting China’s culture and economy for years to come," argues a June editorial in the British medical journal the Lancet.
In particular, experts fear for the mental health of teenagers and young adults, more vulnerable because of their age and lack of control over their lives, and who have to contend with far greater education stresses and economic pressures than earlier generations.
The number of young people affected is potentially huge. Some 220 million Chinese children and young people have been confined for prolonged periods due to Covid restrictions, the Education Ministry estimated in 2020. It did not respond to a Reuters request for an updated figure and comment on the topic.
Kids under pressure
The Covid curbs have sometimes forced young people into extreme situations.
During Shanghai's two-month draconian lockdown this year, for instance, some 15 to 18-year-olds had to isolate by themselves at hotels as they were not allowed to return home.
"They had to cook for themselves and didn't have people to talk to so it was actually very hard for them," said Frank Feng, deputy principal at Lucton, an international school in Shanghai, told Reuters.
While data examining youth mental health in China and the impact of lockdowns and the pandemic is sparse, what there is is grim.
Around 20% of Chinese junior and senior high school students learning remotely during lockdowns have experienced suicidal ideation, according to a survey of 39,751 pupils conducted in April 2020 that was published in the US journal Current Psychology in January. Suicidal ideation is sometimes described as when a person thinks they would be better off dead, though the person may not have at the time intent to commit suicide.
More broadly across age groups, searches for "psychological counselling" on Chinese search engine Baidu more than tripled in the first seven months of 2022 compared to the same period a year earlier.
For many teenagers, Covid lockdowns have come during critical exam years. If the stigma of being infected is not enough, desperation to avoid missing a life-changing exam due to either catching Covid or, much more commonly, being considered a close contact has many families isolating for months ahead of exam periods, teachers said.
Exacerbating that academic pressure are dismal job prospects. While overall unemployment stands at 5.4%, the rate for urban youth has soared to 19.9%, the highest level on record, as corporate hiring withers due to the pandemic and regulatory crackdowns on the tech and tutoring sectors.
Most students are also only children due to China's 1980-2015 one-child policy and are conscious they will have to help support their parents in the future.
According to a Fudan University survey of around 4,500 young people this year, some 70% expressed varying degrees of anxiety.
The pandemic and lockdowns are also thought to be fuelling disaffection with the intense pressure to get ahead in life, symbolised by the so-called "lying flat" movement that last year gained huge social media traction in China as many young people embraced the idea of doing the bare minimum to get by.
A two-decade toll?
For its part, the Education Ministry has launched a raft of measures to improve mental health for students during the pandemic, including the introduction of mandatory mental health classes at colleges and a drive to ramp up the country's number of school counsellors, therapists and psychiatrists.
But mental health has gained attention in China only in the last 20 years and the ministry's efforts to install counsellors in schools are relatively new. Most schools would not have had one last year. Guidelines it published in June 2021 call for a ratio of at least 1 counsellor per 4,000 students nationwide.
State media have also taken up the topic.
A June 6 article in the China Daily that focused on the mental health impact of Covid curbs on vulnerable groups including teenagers quoted Lu Lin, president of Peking University's Sixth Hospital, as saying that Covid's "toll on people's mental health could last over two decades".
Data from early 2020 shows that a third of residents who isolated at home had experienced conditions such as depression, anxiety and insomnia, he said.
Lu estimated most would recover after an outbreak subsides but 10% would be unable to completely return to normal, noting he had teenage patients who had developed gaming addiction, had trouble sleeping and continued to be downcast and reluctant to go outdoors.
For Zhang, lockdowns and her subsequent depression have completely shattered her worldview. Once satisfied with her plans to study Chinese language and literature, disillusionment with how lockdowns have been managed has sparked interest in studying abroad.
"I was quite patriotic when I graduated from high school… this feeling is slowly disappearing. It's not that I don't trust the government anymore, it's more of a feeling that the smell of masks and sanitiser has penetrated deep into my bones."


Talks needed on dates for state polls, says Negeri Sembilan MB

The six states that will hold their elections this year need to discuss suitable dates for the dissolution of their state legislative assemblies, says Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.
In this regard, Aminuddin said that he, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, were in talks to meet with the menteris besar of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
"We are discussing meeting our counterparts in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah to decide on the dates.
"Then we will inform and discuss with the Election Commission regarding the suitable dates to hold the elections so that there is no overlap," he told reporters in Seremban yesterday.
Aminuddin, who is also Negeri Sembilan Pakatan Harapan chairman, agreed with Chow that June was the best time to hold the state polls.
"If we dissolve (the state assembly) in May, the people go to the polls in June. So I share the same view with him that the elections can be held around that time.
"This is also to give other parties the opportunity to prepare and hold their election campaigns," he said.
Aminuddin previously said that the Negeri Sembilan state legislative assembly was expected to be dissolved in May to pave the way for state polls.


Investigation paper opened on alleged data leak

Police have opened an investigation paper on an alleged personal data leak claimed to be from the National Registration Department (JPN) and the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said the investigation was launched after the JPN deputy director lodged a report at the Presint 7 police station, Putrajaya, yesterday.He said the police would obtain a report from JPN’s information technology division and inspect the JPN and LHDN systems to determine the source of the alleged leak, adding that the police are looking at the allegations from all angles.“Our initial action will be to block the data from being sold. The police do not rule out the possibility of the involvement of insiders but a thorough investigation will be carried out in collaboration with the Communications and Multimedia Commission, CyberSecurity and National Cyber Security Agency,” he said at a special press conference at the Jinjang police station in Kuala Lumpur today.Kamarudin said the case is being investigated under Section 4 (1) of the Computer Crimes Act 1997.An online discussion forum had claimed that the data of four million citizens from JPN’s database was up for sale on a well-known database forum market today.It said the database was obtained from the LHDN website through an application programming interface or API made for myIDENTITY.


Massive fire hits Hong Kong high-rise construction site

A high-rise building under construction in Hong Kong erupted in flames and was still burning hours later, with some nearby residential blocks evacuated early Friday after the fire threatened to spread.
Officials said the fire initially broke out at 11.11pm (1511 GMT) Thursday in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, a busy shopping and tourist district on the city's harbourfront. It eventually escalated to the fourth level of severity on a five-point scale.
No casualties had been reported early Friday, while 130 affected residents had been relocated to a safe distance, police told AFP.
Flames were first spotted near scaffolding at the top of the building, with the blaze clearly visible across the harbour and sending sparks raining down onto neighbouring streets.
Around an hour later, the fire had spread down the length of the building and was approaching street level, where hundreds of onlookers had gathered.
Japanese tourist Tosho Sai, who was staying in a nearby building, said a security guard told everyone on his floor to leave after a window in the unit next door was hit by embers.
A French business traveller passing by the site said he saw "lots of debris falling" from the tower.
"It's truly an apocalyptic scene... Really very, very scary for everyone", he told AFP
Large pieces of debris – apparently from the site – were visible on the ground, and an acrid smell permeated the air, an AFP reporter on the scene said.
Flames were seen on the roof of an office tower across the street at around 3.30am, prompting fears of a wider inferno in the densely built area.
Police said five buildings in the surrounding area had reported fires, though some had been quickly extinguished.
The building was billed as a 42-storey "harbourside icon" in the making, intended to house the historic Mariners' Club and a new hotel, according to the website of its developer, the Empire Group.
The HK$6 billion (RM3.42 billion) redevelopment project was greenlit in 2019 and was originally expected to be completed in the first half of 2023, according to local media.
Empire Group did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.


Govt to reconsider giving Pfizer jab to teens

The government will reconsider its previous decision to administer the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to adolescents following reports of side effects related to heart inflammation, especially among male recipients.National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said his party, together with the ministries of health and education, would hold a meeting to discuss the issue.“We are monitoring developments regarding these side effects but it does not change our acquisition decision regarding Pfizer.“It’s just that it has to do with the decision on whether we want to administer Pfizer to teenagers because the incidence of heart inflammation among the group is quite high,” he said at a press conference on the development of the immunisation programme today, which was also attended by Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.Khairy said the issue of Pfizer’s side effects had been presented to him and Adham by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee.The US Food and Drug Administration had planned to update the guidelines for administering the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines to adolescents and young people after discovering the possible risk of heart inflammation.The government, on June 21, approved the administration of the Pfizer vaccine to children aged 12 and above.Asked whether the government planned to shorten the interval between the first and second doses of AstraZeneca from 12 to six weeks, especially for the elderly, Khairy said an announcement would be made on the matter tomorrow.Khairy, who is science, technology and innovation minister, also said the government was still considering the “mix and match” method for administering different brands of vaccine.“For now, you will be given the same second dose as your first dose. For AstraZeneca, the second dose will also be AstraZeneca,” he said.Meanwhile, when asked to comment on health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s tweet on the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines against the Delta variant of concern (VoC), Khairy said so far all Covid-19 vaccines used in Malaysia are able to protect from Covid-19 variants.“Although there may be differences in terms of the effectiveness of the vaccine against VoC Delta, it (vaccine) still protects you. Hence, whatever vaccine you are offered, please take that vaccine. The vaccines (that) we are administering will give you protection against the VoC,” he said.Noor Hisham, in a tweet earlier today, said that one dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine only provides around 33% protection against symptoms from the Delta variant while two doses provide between 88% (Pfizer) and 60% (AstraZeneca) protection against symptoms.In another development, Khairy said the country’s vaccination rate was still increasing consistent with the average number of vaccine doses administered over the past week (June 21-27), with an increase of 19% compared with the previous week (June 14-20).“This shows the consistency in the vaccination rate, which is currently being intensified,” he said, adding that on Thursday the country reached a new record of 268,604 shots administered in a day.


Children die in funeral stampede as Tanzania mourns ex-president

At least five people, including four children, died in a stampede during a public viewing of the body of former Tanzanian President John Magufuli over the weekend.Regional leaders joined Tanzanians to pay their last respects to the controversial leader.Magufuli was one of Africa’s most prominent Covid-19 sceptics and even though his government announced that he had died of heart failure on Wednesday, opposition leaders and critics say that he died of complications from Covid-19, reports the Associated Press.Tens of thousands of Tanzanians came out to view Magufuli’s body at Uhuru Stadium in the country’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, over the weekend.The BBC is reporting the death toll from the crush and stampede could be high as 40 but officials have not confirmed this. The city’s police commander said he would give further details of the deaths on Tuesday.Nicknamed “The Bulldozer”, Magufuli was popular with many Tanzanians for his no-nonsense governance style. Critics, however, accused him of being an autocrat and of clamping down on dissent.He also downplayed the effects of coronavirus and stopped the publication of the country’s infection numbers and deaths.At the funeral on Monday, Tanzania’s new president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, remembered her predecessor as a champion of the poor and a religious man, saying, “He wasn’t just our leader but also a guardian and parent to many, and an honest man.”Tanzanian leaders attending the funeral and the majority of the thousands of people at the stadium did not wear face masks or observe social distancing – health measures that the late president often mocked.However, visiting leaders and other delegations did wear masks.South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa described him as a “true pan-Africanist” who was unapologetic about being an African.


Zahid confirms majority support for Saarani as Perak MB

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today confirmed that his party’s candidate posseses the majority support of assemblymen to be appointed as the new Perak menteri besar.Speaking after an audience with Perak’s Sultan Nazrin Shah at Istana Kinta in Ipoh, he said the ruler would announce the selected candidate soon.This latest development implies that Umno has received the support of Bersatu and PAS to put forth Kota Tampan assemblyman Saarani Mohamad as the new MB.“This means that the cooperation to form the state government is between Umno, Bersatu and PAS,” Zahid said.Zahid had arrived at the palace at 10am for his audience with the sultan to submit the name of the Umno assemblyman for the post of Perak MB.Last night, Umno leaders said the party would continue to defend the state coalition government in Perak together with PAS and Bersatu.This put to rest speculation that the Malay party could work with Pakatan Harapan to form a new state government, following the ouster of Ahmad Faizal Azumu as menteri besar.Zahid had earlier said Umno was open to working with PH in the event that it fails to obtain support from PAS and Bersatu, who condemned the plot against Faizal and threatened to stay out of any new state government.