MACC begins probe into Sungai Gong pollution

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has begun investigations into the pollution of Sungai Gong in Rawang which saw nearly five million residents in the Klang Valley and Selangor affected by unscheduled water cuts.It said in a statement today that the probe was to look into elements of corrupt practices involving any party, including enforcement agencies.“MACC urges anyone with information on the issue to come forward and cooperate with us,” it added.Yesterday, Bernama reported that a factory suspected to be involved in the river pollution was found to have operated without a licence since 2014.Residents in the Klang Valley and Selangor experienced a disruption in water supply since Thursday, when the Sungai Selangor Phases 1,2 and 3 and Rantau Panjang water treatment plants were shut down due to pollution at the raw water source.In another development, Pahang MACC has started investigations into the matter of state government land in Raub which has been turned into illegal durian orchards.“MACC is gathering evidence and scrutinising several documents related to the parties involved and asks anyone with information on the matter to report directly to the nearest MACC office,” it said.On Sept 2, Bernama reported that MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki had directed Pahang MACC to obtain further information from the Raub District and Land Office as well as the Pahang state secretary’s office regarding the matter.On Aug 1, the Pahang government began taking action against the farmers who were said to have illegally cultivated durian plantations on state government land around Raub.


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Muhyiddin has audience with Agong

Prime Minister Muhyidddin Yassin was at the Istana Negara today for an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.Muhyiddin’s official vehicle was seen entering the main gate of Istana Negara at 7.50am.In the past, Muhyiddin as prime minister would seek an audience with the king before Cabinet meetings on Wednesday, to give an update on the development of the country’s administration.It is understood that the Agong had granted audiences to leaders of major political parties, separately, including Muhyiddin as the president of Bersatu, starting today.Muhyiddin’s vehicle was seen leaving the palace’s main gate at 8.56am after the prime minister’s audience.


EU says vaccine rate now higher than in US

European Union leaders on Saturday celebrated their coronavirus vaccination programme reaching a higher proportion of its people than in the US, which had outpaced the bloc for months.“We promised it and it’s done. The EU this week overtook the US as the continent with the most first doses in the world,” Commissioner Thierry Breton wrote on Twitter.Citing statistics website Our World in Data, France’s Europe minister Clement Beaune wrote that the EU had now given 55.5% of people a first dose, compared with 55.4% across the Atlantic.Brussels’ strategy for rolling out Covid-19 shots was widely criticised in early 2021, lagging Britain and the US for lack of supply.But Breton, who runs a group working on boosting vaccine production and supply, said that the EU had now overtaken its transatlantic rival while “remaining #open and exporting half of our production to 100+ countries”, hailing “efficiency and solidarity” on Europe’s part.At the height of the vaccine scheme’s teething troubles, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had in February acknowledged mistakes by the Brussels authority.She nevertheless insisted that “the battle against the pandemic is not a sprint, but a marathon”.


Mahathir wants Apandi investigated over role in Jho Low talks

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has launched an attack against former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali following revelations that the latter had represented Low Taek Jho in the fugitive businessman's latest attempt to reach a settlement with the Malaysian government.
The former prime minister, who terminated Apandi's services as the government's top lawyer shortly after the 2018 general election, also called for him to be investigated for any links with Low, better known as Jho Low.
"The current government is duty-bound to investigate because there is an element of collusion and complicity in the 1MDB crimes, to ensure that the bandits who robbed the nation in this organised crime are tried and punished," he said.
Mahathir also said Apandi's involvement in the talks was "suspicious", adding that he believed the former attorney-general was paid to become a "middleman" for Jho Low.
"It raises the suspicion that Apandi’s collaboration with Jho Low began while he was the attorney-general," Mahathir added.

Former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali.

When contacted, Apandi refused to comment, giving only a terse reply.
"I know who owns MalaysiaNow. Please convey my regards to him," he said, adding: "So please, stop your fishing expedition. Thank you."
On July 14, MalaysiaNow reported that Low had failed in a bid to negotiate a deal with Putrajaya that would have allowed him to travel to the US to settle his cases there.
Apandi later clarified to MalaysiaNow that his role in the talks was as a facilitator, where he arranged meetings involving Kobre & Kim, the law firm representing Low, with the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC).
"The purpose of the meetings was to discuss the repatriation of monies allegedly siphoned by Jho Low from 1MDB.
“After the said meetings, which at that material time, looked positive, it was aborted and called off by the AGC suddenly, for reasons best known to them,” Apandi had said.
Apandi, who served as attorney-general from 2015 to 2018, controversially cleared Najib of wrongdoing in the 1MDB scandal in 2016, declaring that no charges would be pressed against the then prime minister.
The 1MDB investigation resumed following Najib's fall from power. He was later convicted and sentenced to 12 years in jail and a RM210 million fine, with one of the charges linked to the scandal that had triggered investigations in several countries.
Mahathir today said Apandi should regret his decision to clear Najib.
"Apandi should feel guilty and remorseful for his stance in blocking 1MDB crimes from being brought to court.
"Now, he is willing to be a mediator for Jho Low to get a settlement, and reportedly by paying the Malaysian government RM1.5 billion. This means Jho Low is guilty. If not guilty, why offer money to settle the action against him?" he said.


Former UK PM Johnson earns £1 million for four speeches since quitting

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been paid more than £1 million (about RM5.4 million) to deliver four speeches since he left Downing Street just over three months ago, official data showed on Wednesday.
Johnson stood down as prime minister in early September after he lost the support of ministers and lawmakers following months of scandals, including parties at the heart of government when the rest of Britain was under a strict lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 58-year-old was paid £1,030,782 for four speaking engagements in October and November, a rate of about £30,000 an hour, according to the latest register of financial interests of members of parliament.
As a member of parliament, Johnson is required to declare external earnings, as well as the number of hours involved.
Johnson's best paid work was a speech in New York to the US finance firm Centerview Partners worth £277,724. The firm also provided transport and accommodation for Johnson and two members of his staff, and the registered time commitment was nine hours.
His other earnings were a "speaking engagement and VIP reception" with the Indian newspaper the Hindustan Times for which he was paid £261,652, as well as £215,276 for a speech at the CNN Global Summit Lisbon, and £276,130 for a Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers conference.
He also received donations-in-kind of accommodation from Conservative donors the Bamford family worth thousands of pounds, and had a trip to the US worth over £11,000 for a meeting funded by media tycoon Rupert Murdoch.
In October Johnson abandoned an attempt to reclaim the job he lost just weeks earlier following his successor Liz Truss's brief tenure as prime minister.
After racing home from a holiday in the Caribbean, Johnson said he did not believe he could unify the party's lawmakers.
Johnson, whose verbal flamboyance has long been one of his hallmarks, was widely expected to enter the speaking circuit after leaving office.


Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi detained by army, says party spokesman

Myanmar’s military has detained the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an apparent coup, her ruling party’s spokesman said Monday.The military, which ruled the country for nearly five decades, had this week refused to rule out seizing power over its claims of voter fraud in November’s elections, won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party.Myo Nyunt, the spokesman for the NLD, said Suu Kyi, along with President Win Myint, had been “detained” in the capital Naypyidaw.“We heard they were taken by the military,” he told AFP, adding that he was extremely worried about the pair.“With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup.”He added that the circumstances of the country’s newly elected MPs – who were expected to sit Monday for the opening of parliament – were unclear.Communications appeared to be disrupted, with phone numbers in Naypyidaw seemingly unreachable.Myanmar’s polls in November were only the second democratic elections the country has seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.The NLD swept the polls and was expecting to renew the 75-year-old leader’s lease on power with a new five-year term.But the military has for weeks alleged the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered over 10 million instances of voter fraud.It has demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking – which the commission has not done.Last week, the military chief General Min Aung Hlaing – arguably the country’s most powerful individual – said the country’s 2008 constitution could be “revoked” under certain circumstances.Min Aung Hlaing’s statements – released amid already increasing tensions over rumours of an imminent coup – raised alarm within Myanmar, as well as from more than a dozen foreign missions and the United Nations.The last time Myanmar saw its constitution repealed was in 1962 and 1988 when the military seized power and reinstated a junta government.Suu Kyi – a former democracy icon whose image internationally has been in tatters over her handling of the Muslim Rohingya crisis – remains a deeply popular figure.She spent 20 years off and on under house arrest for her role as an opposition leader before she was released by the military in 2010.


80% of Japanese say Tokyo Olympics should be cancelled or won’t happen

More than 80% of people in Japan who were surveyed in two polls in the last few days say the Tokyo Olympics should be cancelled or postponed, or say they believe the games will not be able to take place.The polls were conducted by the Japanese news agency Kyodo and TBS, the Tokyo Broadcasting System.The results are bad news for Tokyo organisers and the International Olympic Committee as they continue to insist that the postponed Olympics will open as rescheduled, on July 23.Tokyo is struggling against a surge of Covid-19 cases that last week prompted the national government to call a state of emergency.In declaring the emergency, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he was confident the Olympics would be able to go ahead.Japan has controlled the virus relatively well but the current surge has heightened people’s doubts about the need for the Olympics and the obvious dangers of bringing 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes into the country during the pandemic.The Olympics would also host tens of thousands of coaches, judges, officials, VIPs, sponsors, media and broadcasters. It is not clear if fans from abroad would be allowed, or if even local fans would be permitted to attend events.In the Kyodo poll, 80% of respondents in a telephone survey said the Olympics should be cancelled or rescheduled. The same question in December found 63% calling for cancellation or postponement.


Over 3 million senior citizens given at least one vaccine jab

More than three million senior citizens in the country had received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of Aug 1, says Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun.She said of the total, 2,249,249 have completed both doses.“A total of 95% of the 3.15 million senior citizens aged 60 and above have been vaccinated,” she told reporters after visiting the vaccination centre (PPV) at the Family Centre of the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) today.She said 76% of the 454,639 people with disabilities (PwDs) who registered with MySejahtera had received their first dose of vaccine during the same period, with 149,188 of them having completed both doses.She said efforts were underway to expedite vaccination for the two groups with the cooperation of LPPKN through the mobilisation of mobile PPVs.Through the Covid-19 Vaccination Outreach Programme, senior citizens and PwDs, especially those with health problems, would be vaccinated at home, she added.


EU to tighten export rules to stop one-way flow of vaccines

The European Commission will tighten its export guidelines on Wednesday to prevent what it sees as an unfair one-way flow of vaccines, according to a draft seen by AFP.Brussels has been infuriated that Britain has laid claim to vaccines produced at a plant in the Netherlands by AstraZeneca, while the UK-based firm falls short on deliveries promised to the EU.While negotiations with the British government continue behind the scenes to head off the threat of a general vaccine export ban, the EU is moving to tighten its export rules.The measure, put in place to monitor exports from EU territory and if necessary to block them, has already been used once to prevent an AstraZeneca shipment leaving Italy for Australia.But the draft of the updated rule complains of countries preventing exports to the EU “either by law or through contractual or other arrangements concluded with vaccine manufacturers”.Vaccine securityAstraZeneca has said that its contract with the UK government gives Britain priority over some production.European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, supported by some EU leaders including Germany’s Angela Merkel, has demanded what she calls “reciprocity” in vaccine exports and warned that AstraZeneca could face an export ban.The draft document also warns that some other countries currently exempt from export controls now have a better vaccination rate than EU members or are suffering a “less serious” coronavirus pandemic.“Exports to those countries may thus threaten the security of supply within the Union,” the draft warns.The draft suspends the entire list of non-EU countries previously exempt from the mechanism – mainly poorer European neighbours – apart from a handful of micro-states and territories like San Marino, Andorra and the Faroes.On Tuesday, Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concern over the EU move, but also hope that a negotiated solution could be found.“We in this country don’t believe in blockades of any kind of vaccines or vaccine material,” Johnson told a news conference.“It’s not something this country would dream of engaging in and I’m encouraged by some of the things I’ve heard in the continent in the same sense.”But Sandra Gallina, head of the European Commission’s health directorate, had earlier told MEPs that the EU has “a serious problem” with AstraZeneca.The Anglo-Swedish company delivered less than a quarter of the 100-million-plus doses it had pledged to supply in the first three months of this year, she said.Britain is now facing its own AstraZeneca shortfall, with expected shipments from a huge plant in India being delayed.It wants to access AstraZeneca doses being made in the Netherlands in a factory expected shortly to be approved for operation, but fears that Brussels may prevent deliveries from other EU-based firms.Aside from AstraZeneca, Britain relies on vaccines produced in Belgium for the US and German firms Pfizer and BioNTech.Supply chains under threatUnder the export-checking mechanism created at the end of January, a vaccine-maker needs to ask for authorisation to send doses out of the bloc.EU member states are divided on whether to enact a tougher ban.Some see it as a way to prod pharmaceutical companies into honouring their European delivery schedules, noting in particular that the EU exported more than 10 million vaccine doses to Britain from early February to mid-March but received none from the UK.Others such as the Netherlands fear it could trigger retaliation that would choke international vaccine supply chains, some of which furnish crucial ingredients, and Ireland has spoken out against a ban.


Japan’s ex-princess Mako, husband arrive to new life in New York

Japan’s former princess Mako Komuro arrived in the US on Sunday with her husband, swapping ancient imperial rites for the bright lights of New York after leaving the royal family.The pair tied the knot in Tokyo last month in muted fashion, following years of tabloid gossip and online sniping over their union that Komuro said caused her ‘sadness and pain.’Footage broadcast on Japanese TV channels showed the couple flanked by security officials as they made their way through New York’s John F. Kennedy airport and into a waiting vehicle.A move to the US had long been rumored. The two 30-year-olds finally boarded a commercial flight Sunday from Tokyo to New York, where Kei Komuro attended law school and now works.Mako, the niece of Emperor Naruhito, lost her royal title when she married a commoner under postwar succession laws that only allow male members of the imperial family to ascend to the throne.After announcing their engagement in 2017, the Komuros were confronted with a barrage of reports alleging that Kei’s family had run into financial difficulties.Japan’s royals are held to exacting standards, and the Imperial Household Agency said Mako developed complex post-traumatic stress disorder because of the media attention.“I have been scared, feeling sadness and pain whenever one-sided rumors turn into groundless stories,” Mako said at a press conference after their marriage.Kei said he felt “very sad that Mako has been in a bad condition, mentally and physically,” declaring: “I love Mako. We only get one life, and I want us to spend it with the one we love.”The controversy surrounding the pair, and their US move, has drawn inevitable comparisons to another royal couple: Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.Japanese media said the Komuros, who met at university in Tokyo, have already secured a place to live in New York, though it was not clear where in the city they had chosen to set up their new life.The original plan had been for Kei to travel to the US ahead of Mako, with the former princess joining him after she got her first passport, reports said.But Kei stayed in Japan longer than expected to attend the funeral of Mako’s grandfather.Japan’s emperor holds no political power, but is an important figurehead.With a dwindling supply of male royals, there has been some debate over changing the rules in Japan, with polls showing the public broadly supports women being allowed to rule.But any change is likely to be slow, with traditionalists vehemently opposed.


As Najib, Zahid eye escape route, PKR man warns PH of collapse

Vocal PKR MP Hassan Karim has again emerged with a stinging criticism of his party chief and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, warning that any move to drop the criminal charges against his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and to secure a royal pardon for jailed former leader Najib Razak could lead to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
"The political coalition of PH and PKR will be rejected by the people in the six coming state elections. This will be followed by PH and PKR being rejected by the people at the next general election.
"In the end, PH and PKR will collapse together with Barisan Nasional and Umno if Najib Razak and Zahid Hamidi are freed and get off so easily.
"If this happens, don't say I didn't remind," the Pasir Gudang MP said.
Anwar is currently at the centre of a fresh bid by Umno to plead for a royal pardon for Najib's release from prison.
Najib began serving 12 years at Kajang Prison after being convicted in the SRC International case. Last week, he failed in his review application to set aside the conviction, following which Umno leaders said they would seek an audience with the Agong to ask for a royal pardon.
Anwar earlier indicated that he was among those on the Pardons Board, the body tasked with advising the Agong on applications for pardons for convicted persons.
Observers have said that the situation poses a dilemma for Anwar, whose government was formed last year on the back of Zahid's commitment of support from BN MPs for the PKR leader.
PH was at the forefront of a campaign against Najib over the 1MDB scandal, and failure by the coalition leaders to speak up against any move to pardon him would be seen as a blow to Anwar's image.
The pardon bid has sparked speculation that Umno leaders are attempting to redeem their support for Anwar by making demands.
This was fuelled today by the postponement of Zahid's corruption trial, with his lawyers informing the court that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was conducting "further investigations" on new evidence from the defence, which has applied for charges to be dropped.
Government lawyers meanwhile announced to the court that they were under instructions from the attorney-general not to object to the postponement.
Just last month, Zahid, who is facing multiple charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering involving tens of millions, succeeded in his bid for the return of his passport, ending the travel ban earlier imposed on him.
Hassan said the developments in Zahid's case were "very frightening and worrying" as the attorney-general was involved in the Pardons Board hearing Najib's case, as well as in deciding whether to drop the charges against Zahid.
Hassan said the attorney-general had been granted wide powers, where the Agong is expected to act according to his advice.
"The power of the attorney-general to drop the 47 charges against Zahid Hamidi are almost absolute under Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution," he added.
He also said it would be catastrophic for the government led by Anwar in the event that Najib is pardoned and the charges against Zahid dropped.


South Korea clamps down as infections highest in 9 months

South Korea is battling a steep rise in Covid-19 infections. On Sunday, 631 new cases were reported in one day, the highest number in nine months.The country was widely praised for its virus response earlier this year, with aggressive testing and contact tracing but the authorities have been struggling in recent weeks. The number of active cases in South Korea now stands at 7,873.Health minister Park Neung-hoo said there was a risk of the virus spreading if nothing was done. “We concluded that this is a dangerous situation on the verge of expanding into a nationwide pandemic,” he told Reuters news agency.Gatherings of more than 50 will be banned in the capital Seoul and surrounding areas from Tuesday, while gyms and karaoke bars will be closed.On Saturday, Seoul’s municipal government introduced a curfew, with most businesses including restaurants, bars and cafes being forced to close at 9pm.Restrictions will also be tightened in other parts of the country, Park said, but at a lower level. They will last at least three weeks.Reuters reported last week that asymptomatic patients are driving the surge in new cases in South Korea, frustrating efforts to control transmission.Cold weather is further accelerating the spread as more meetings and activities are held indoors in places with poor ventilation, while the risk of unwitting infections by symptomless patients has increased.There have now been 37,546 cases in total, and 545 deaths.


Britain’s vaccine officials advise 5- to 11-year-olds to get Covid shots

Britain’s vaccine officials on Wednesday advised that all children aged 5-11 should be offered Covid-19 shots, paving the way for a wider rollout of vaccines in children in a decision that has been taken more slowly than in some other countries.British health minister Sajid Javid said he would accept the advice for England.Britain has offered Covid-19 shots to vulnerable children, but has been slower than the likes of the US and Israel in offering the vaccine to all 5- to 11-year-olds.“The main purpose of offering vaccination to 5-11 year olds is to increase their protection against severe illness in advance of a potential future wave of Covid-19,” Wei Shen Lim, Chair of the Covid-19 immunisation on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said.The JCVI said that there was a non-urgent offer of the Pfizer BioNTech paediatric Covid vaccine for the age group, with at least 12 weeks between doses.All four nations of the United Kingdom have followed JCVI guidance on the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines. Scotland and Wales had already said it would accept JCVI advice in favour of vaccination for children aged 5-11.


Taliban governor of Afghan province killed in suicide attack

The Taliban governor of Afghanistan's Balkh province was killed at his office on Thursday in a suicide attack that was later claimed by the Islamic State group.
The killing of Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, the provincial governor, marked one of the highest-level attacks since the Taliban stormed back to power in 2021. A second person also died in the attack, police said.
An IS fighter waited for the governor at his office and "rushed towards him, detonating his explosive belt," the jihadist group said in a statement on its Amaq news agency, as translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.
Muzammil had met just a day earlier with top government officials visiting from Kabul.
Violence across Afghanistan has dramatically dropped since the Taliban seized control, but the security situation has again deteriorated with IS claiming several deadly attacks.
"Two people, including Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, the governor of Balkh, have been killed in an explosion this morning," local police spokesman Asif Waziri told AFP, adding that the blast happened on the second floor of his office, in the provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif.
"It was a suicide attack. We don't have information as to how the suicide bomber reached the office of the governor," he said, adding that two people were also wounded.
The explosion happened moments after the governor arrived in his office, said Khairuddin, who was wounded in the incident.
"There was a bang. I fell on the ground," he told AFP from a hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif, adding that he witnessed a friend lose a hand in the blast.
Authorities deployed extra security at the governorate, who forbade journalists from taking photos, an AFP correspondent reported from near the site of the blast.
Muzammil was "martyred in an explosion by the enemies of Islam", tweeted government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Muzammil was initially appointed governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar, where he led the fight against IS jihadists, before being moved to Balkh last year.
On Wednesday, he met two deputy prime ministers and other senior officials visiting Balkh to review a major irrigation project in northern Afghanistan, according to a government statement.
IS has emerged as the biggest security challenge to the Taliban government since last year, carrying out attacks against Afghan civilians as well as foreigners and foreign interests.
IS attacks
Several attacks have rocked Balkh, including in Mazar-i-Sharif last year, some claimed by IS.
In January, a suicide bomber killed at least 10 people when he blew himself up near the foreign ministry in Kabul, in an attack claimed by IS.
The Taliban and IS share an austere Sunni Islamist ideology, but the latter are fighting to establish a global "caliphate" instead of the Taliban's more inward-looking aim of ruling an independent Afghanistan.
At least five Chinese nationals were wounded in December when gunmen stormed a hotel popular with businesspeople in Kabul.
That raid was claimed by IS, as was an attack on Pakistan's embassy in Kabul in December that Islamabad denounced as an "assassination attempt" against its ambassador.
Two Russian embassy staff members were killed in a suicide bombing outside their mission in September in another attack claimed by IS.


Bank Negara hikes interest rate to tame inflation

The central bank raised its key interest rate today for the first time since 2020, in a surprise move aimed at taming inflation.Bank Negara Malaysia joins other central banks around the world in tightening monetary policy as the cost of everyday goods is pushed higher by supply chain problems and surging commodity prices.The bank lifted its main rate 25 basis points to 2%, despite most economists having predicted no change until later in the year.It was the first hike since July 2020, when rates were slashed to a historic low to combat the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.“Inflationary pressures have increased sharply due to a rise in commodity prices, strained supply chains and strong demand conditions, particularly in the US,” the central bank said in a statement.With life returning to normal as the pandemic abates, the Malaysian economy is now on a “firmer footing”, giving policymakers room to start tightening policy to head off inflation, it said.Malaysia’s headline inflation was 2.2% in March, lower than in many other countries, but food inflation jumped 4% and economists expect further increases.Fears are growing that inflation could accelerate further worldwide as China’s pandemic lockdowns heighten pressure on global supply chains and the Ukraine war pushes up commodity prices.


Put an end to the tragic incidents at the SUKE highway project

Another tragic incident took place at the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) project. Three construction workers died and a road user was seriously injured when a crane launcher tipped over and crashed to the ground. Keep in mind that only three weeks ago, a part of the SUKE highway that was still under construction collapsed and killed two people because of a road accident involving a trailer and the scaffolding holding the unfinished structure up. Also in September of last year, a parapet wall slab of the ongoing highway construction fell and nearly killed a road user; she was lucky enough that only her hand was injured, even if her car was destroyed.Having all these terrible incidents happen in such a short amount of time (span of six months) should be an indicator to the authorities that something is just not right with how Prolintas (Project Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd), the developer of the SUKE highway project, is managing it.However, the response of Fadillah Yusof, the works minister, to this latest SUKE highway incident was to issue a stop order just at the affected part of the SUKE highway and order the developer to find alternative travel routes for the resident of nearby apartments. Even more shocking is that the initial investigation supposedly showed that the contractor involved had complied with the stipulated SOPs. If so, why did the incident even happen?It is time that the authorities took drastic measures to ensure the safety of road users and construction workers. The Consumers’ Association of Penang asks that there be a complete stop of work of the SUKE highway project, and authorities need to consider severe punishment for those responsible and in serious cases, mandatory imprisonment.The authorities should also consider replacing the developer of this project as well as the contractors because with this many incidents, we can only assume that these parties are negligent in terms of safety.Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers’ Association of Penang.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Finnish PM tests negative for drugs in wake of leaked party video

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin has tested negative in a drug test she took following the publication of video footage last week that showed her partying with friends, the prime minister's office said on Monday.
Video clips of Marin, 36, at a party with Finnish celebrities began circulating on social media last week and they were soon published by several media outlets in Finland and abroad.
On Thursday, Marin said she was upset that videos of her dancing at private parties were published online as they were meant to be seen only by friends.
Marin, who became the world's youngest serving government leader in December 2019, agreed on Friday to take the drug test, saying she had never taken drugs and that she had not seen anyone doing so at the party she attended.
Social Democrat leader Marin also said her ability to perform her official duties had remained unimpaired on the Saturday night in question and that she would have left the party had she been required to work.
Some Finns have voiced support for Marin and others have raised questions about her judgement.


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Apandi’s suit against Mahathir, govt heads to trial as mediation fails

Mohamed Apandi Ali’s suit against former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the government will head to trial after the parties involved failed to resolve matters through mediation.Apandi’s lawyer Abdul Shukor Ahmad, when contacted by reporters, said the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had said that the government did not agree to settling the suit.“During today’s case management held online, judicial commissioner Latifah Mohd Tahar set April 18, 20, 21 and 22 next year as the trial dates, and further case management will be held on Nov 5.“The plaintiff intends to present five witnesses, including Apandi,” he said.Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan who represented the AGC, when contacted, confirmed the matter.On July 6, Shukor said that Apandi was ready to settle his suit through the mediation process and had submitted the mediation form to the AGC through email on May 21.In his statement of claim, Apandi, who was a Federal Court judge before being appointed as AG in 2015, sought among others a declaration that the first defendant had committed misfeasance and misconduct in public office and a declaration that the first defendant had caused and induced a breach of contract between him and the government.He sought special damages in the sum of RM2,233,599.36, general damages, exemplary and/or punitive damages, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.The two defendants, in their statement of defence filed on Nov 12, said there was no abuse of power by Mahathir in the termination of Apandi as AG, as it was done in accordance with the provisions of the law.


Sarawak CM Abang Johari in 4-way fight for Gedong

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg will face a four-cornered fight for the Gedong seat in the 12th Sarawak state election on Dec 18.Representing Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president has for the first since 1981 moved out of his traditional Satok seat, and will now contest against three new faces: Mohamad Sofian Fariz Sharbini from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), Kamal Bujang of Amanah, and Tomson Ango of Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK).Their names were announced by returning officer for Gedong, Abdul Khalid Manap, after the nomination process at the Gedong community hall closed at 10am.Abang Johari chose to contest in Gedong, a rural constituency, after serving nine terms in Satok.Gedong, which has 7,208 registered voters, comes under the Batang Sadong parliamentary constituency and is about an hour and a half’s drive from Kuching.Gedong was one of 11 state seats created in a redelineation exercise in 2015. About 60% of its voters are Malay, followed by Iban (30%) and others (10%).Its incumbent Mohd Naroden Majais had announced that he was giving way to allow Abang Johari a chance to contest the seat this time around.Naroden, who is also assistant minister of tnternational trade and industry, industrial terminal and entrepreneur development, was a five-term assemblyman for Simunjan before moving to Gedong in the 2016 state election.In that contest, Naroden obtained 4,064 votes, defeating Rapelson Richard Hamit from Amanah and independent candidate Uja Bunsi.Polling is on Dec 18 while early voting will take place on Dec 14.


‘Huge’ pressure for Shanghai to stay Covid-free as end to lockdown looms

Health authorities in Shanghai faced “huge” pressure to keep China’s most populous city free of Covid-19 as residents were counting down the days until June 1 and the end of their lockdown after almost two months of isolation.The commercial hub of 25 million achieved a fourth consecutive day without any new infections in the community, holding on to its prized “zero Covid” status and keeping alive hopes for an imminent end to lockdown misery.Despite no new cases, authorities are not lifting the lockdown immediately, instead gradually easing restrictions until June 1, with some shops allowed to open this week and public transport expected to partly resume over the weekend.Residents at housing compounds across Shanghai have been given passes that allow one person from each household to go out for a few hours at a time. Some can go out only twice a week and only within a few streets of their home.To get into a supermarket, they also need a pass from the shop.“The risk of finding positive infections among risk groups still exists and the pressure of… preventing a rebound remains huge,” Zhao Dandan of the municipal health commission told reporters on Wednesday.The government of Shanghai’s Xuhui district posted pictures on its social media account of workers planting flowers alongside largely deserted streets to ensure a “clean and beautiful” environment for the “resumption of work and production in the city”.But in the central district of Changning, big piles of trash spilled onto the roads in a sign of how the city has struggled to maintain services during the lockdown.As part of the gradual reopening, Shanghai authorities issued a list of 864 financial institutions that can resume work, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.Social media posts have shown long queues of people, most of them migrant workers, outside one of the city’s main railway stations, looking to return to their home towns after getting permission to go outside.Some have been photographed hauling suitcases on rented bikes or making long walks from distant corners of the city.The United States, Europe and other regions have lifted restrictions to “live with the virus” and get their economies going even as infections spread.But China has chosen a radically different path, ruthlessly restricting movement and isolating people to end any outbreak, no matter the economic cost.Defeating the highly transmissible Omicron variant has proven an uphill battle, as the struggle in the capital, Beijing, over the past month has shown.Beijing authorities have been discovering dozens of new cases almost every day since April 22.While most Beijing residents are working from home, they can at least wander about outside, albeit with few places to go, as many shops, gyms and other businesses have closed in several districts.“I’m happy that we are not confined at home like in Shanghai but still pretty frustrated at what’s happening, as most of the countries have already moved on from Covid,” said Lin Cong, 27, who lives in Chaoyang district, the epicentre of the outbreak.Losing income and confidenceOverall, Shanghai reported fewer than 1,000 new cases for May 17, none from outside a quarantined area. Beijing reported 69 cases, up from 52.China’s uncompromising strategy to fight Covid has placed hundreds of millions of people in dozens of cities under restrictions of some kind and disrupted a global rebound in production of everything from mobile phones to electric vehicles.Companies from Apple to Tesla have taken a hit.E-commerce group JD.com said on Tuesday it was cautious about its outlook, because consumers were losing income and confidence and logistics have been disrupted.Still, investor sentiment towards JD.com and its peers has improved on comments Vice Premier Liu He made at a Tuesday meeting with tech executives, which fanned hopes that a regulatory crackdown on the sector was easing.The unprecedented crackdown, which began in 2020, has hit technology companies and roiled markets, shaving billions of dollars in market value, and weighing heavily on an important growth driver.A more free-wheeling tech sector would not, however, make up for the headwinds China is facing from Covid, a property sector downturn, geopolitics and rising borrowing costs in the US and elsewhere.New-home prices fell in April for the first time since December, data showed on Wednesday.Chinese shares, dipped and the yuan softened as bonds faced continued capital outflows.This week, data showed consumption and factory output falling in April at a pace unseen since early 2020, as Covid, first detected in Wuhan city in late 2019, was beginning its global spread.China is likely to struggle to stage a quick recovery without compromising on its “zero Covid” policy, analysts say.


Ahead of election, Cambodia amends law to bar non-voters from contesting in future

Cambodia's parliament voted unanimously to amend an election law on Friday to penalise anyone who boycotts next month's poll, which critics have said will be a sham because of Prime Minister Hun Sen's efforts to stamp out all opposition.
Hun Sen, who has held power in Cambodia for more than three decades, last week ordered the rubber-stamp parliament to revise the law so that anyone who does not vote in the general election on July 23 will be barred from contesting any future elections.
"... Individuals wishing to stand for election must participate in voting events prior to their mandate," Sar Kheng, deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page after the vote in parliament.
"The amendments impose fines and punish individuals who disrupt and obstruct the voter registration process... (and) the election," he added.
At the last election in 2018, the Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) won all of the parliamentary seats, having scored 4.8 million votes out of the 6.9 million cast.
There have been no overt calls for an election boycott but critics have expressed alarm over what they see as a campaign of intimidation and public threats by Hun Sen and the CPP ahead of an election they are certain to dominate.
"This really shows that this is a dictatorship that is playing in the democracy game," Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch said, adding that "civil rights and political liberty have been completely, totally restricted by Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government".
Hun Sen's administration has denied targeting opponents and says it is enforcing the law.
The election commission said earlier this month that anyone urging people not to vote would be fined or imprisoned.
The CPP will run virtually unopposed next month, after the election commission disqualified the sole opposition Candlelight Party from running, citing improper paperwork.


PN finalises seats, to field 245 candidates in upcoming polls

Perikatan Nasional (PN) has finalised the distribution of seats among its three components parties for the coming elections in six states, with PAS to contest under its own logo in its strongholds of Kelantan and Terengganu.
In a statement, the coalition said it would contest all 245 seats across the six states.
PAS will run in 126 seats, Bersatu in 83 and Gerakan in 36.
Of these, a total of 150 seats will see PN seeking to wrest them from incumbents Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional.
PN's PAS currently rules Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, where a total of 113 seats will be contested.
The remaining 132 seats are spread throughout Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, which are under PH.
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said he was confident of a strong turnout.
“I think the people are very tired and angry with what is happening in the country,” he said at a press conference with PN component leaders Abdul Hadi Awang of PAS and Gerakan’s Dominic Lau.
“They are in dire need of help, as the unity government is not listening or acting for those who are badly affected.
“The turnout, I would expect that many are quite ready to come out and vote. They could use this as a referendum of how they feel about the government on the federal level.
“We hope, of course, that the turnout will be big and better than the 15th general election.”


WHO looking forward to oral, nasal Covid vaccines

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) chief scientist said Tuesday she was looking forward to the “second generation” of Covid-19 vaccines, which could include nasal sprays and oral versions.Soumya Swaminathan said such vaccines could have advantages over the current crop as they would be easier to deliver than injections and could even be self-administered.Swaminathan said there were 129 different candidate vaccines that have got as far as clinical trials – being tested on humans – while a further 194 are not yet that advanced in their development and are still being worked on in laboratories.“This covers the entire range of technologies,” she told a live interaction on WHO social media channels.“They’re still in development. I’m sure some of them will prove to be very safe and efficacious and others may not.“There could be advantages to some of the second generation vaccines… clearly if you have an oral vaccine or an intra-nasal vaccine this is easier to deliver than an injectable.“Ultimately we’ll be able to choose the ones that are most appropriate.“If not for Covid, we’re going to use these platforms for other infections in the future.”Swaminathan explained the advantages of a vaccine being sprayed into the nose, as happens in some countries with influenza vaccines.“If there’s a local immune response then it will take care of the virus before it even goes and establishes itself in the lungs and starts causing a problem,” she said.WHO has only given emergency use authorisation to seven Covid-19 vaccines: those created by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac and last week Bharat Biotech.“None of the vaccines are 100%. Nobody has ever claimed that the vaccines are going to be 100% protective. But 90% is a wonderful amount of protection to have, compared to zero,” Swaminathan said.“Till now, with the vaccines that we have approved, there has not been any signal which has been so worrying that we need to say, well, we need to re-think this vaccine.”More than 7.25 billion vaccine doses have been administered around the world, according to an AFP count.


Sudan battles rage as US, Saudi urge new truce talks

The US and Saudi Arabia on Sunday made a renewed push for truce talks between Sudan's warring generals as deadly fighting has raged into its eighth week.
Multiple ceasefires have been agreed and broken, and Washington slapped sanctions on the two warring generals last week, blaming both sides for the "appalling" bloodshed.
Envoys of Sudan's regular army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have remained in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah despite the earlier collapse of ceasefire talks, the kingdom's foreign ministry said.
The foreign mediators called for "the parties to agree to and effectively implement a new ceasefire, with the aim of building to a permanent cessation of hostilities", Riyadh said.
A five-day extension of a US- and Saudi-brokered truce formally expired on Saturday with no signs of the conflict abating and fears that the rival sides were poised for an escalation.
Upwards of 1,800 people have been killed, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, and the UN says 1.2 million have been displaced with more than 425,000 fleeing abroad.
The RSF on Sunday claimed it had shot down a fighter jet after the army "launched an audacious airborne assault upon our forces' positions" in northern Khartoum.
A military source told AFP a Chinese-made jet crashed near Wadi Seidna base north of Khartoum because of a "technical malfunction".
Witnesses said they saw an aircraft travelling from the south to the north of the capital with flames erupting from it.
Other witnesses spoke of air strikes on RSF positions in the east of the city, with some civilian casualties reported.
'Disaster zone'
The fighting erupted on April 15 in the Sudanese capital between the army led by de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF commanded by his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
Deadly battles have since gripped Khartoum and the war-scarred Darfur region in the west, forcing residents to flee or camp out for weeks as supplies of food and other vital goods have been depleted.
The governor of West Darfur, Khamis Abakar, said Sunday there was "complete lawlessness" in the state.
"Armed men have taken over everything, and the situation is completely out of control," he said.
Darfur governor Mini Minawi, a former rebel leader now close to the army, on Twitter denounced "looting" by armed groups, declared Darfur a "disaster zone" and appealed for help from the community international.
Sunday's Saudi statement comes two days before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to arrive in the Gulf kingdom, with discussions on Sudan expected to be on the agenda.
The last truce was agreed to allow desperately needed humanitarian aid into areas of Sudan ravaged by the fighting, but like all those that preceded, the accord was routinely violated by both sides.
The Sudanese army on Wednesday withdrew from the talks in Jeddah.
A day later, the US-Saudi mediators declared the talks officially suspended, with Washington saying it was ready to resume the talks once the parties were "serious" about a ceasefire.
Both Burhan and Daglo have pledged repeatedly to protect civilians and secure humanitarian corridors.
But civilians reported escalated fighting after the army quit the Jeddah talks, including one army bombardment Thursday that a committee of human rights lawyers said killed 18 civilians in a Khartoum market.
Some 25 million people – more than half Sudan's population – are now in need of aid and protection in what was already one of the world's poorest countries before the conflict, according to the UN.


Two US auction theorists win 2020 Nobel in economics

American economists Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson have been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in economic sciences for their contributions to auction theory, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday.The men were honoured “for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats”, said secretary-general Goran Hansson for the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.“Their discoveries have benefitted sellers, buyers and taxpayers around the world,” the prize committee said in a statement.The pair’s work has had significant positive effects on government auctions of radio frequencies, rail franchises and contracts for huge national infrastructure projects in several different countries.The prize, called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, has been awarded since 1969.Laureates share prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor (RM4.5 million).It is the last of the Nobel prizes to be awarded this year.


Daily cases rise past 6,500

Another 6,517 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,535,338.Another 6,026 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,441,485.Meanwhile 544 are in the ICU, including 485 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 269 are in need of respiratory assistance including 194 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 6,517 cases reported today, 125 (1.9%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 6,392 (98.1%) are in Category One and Two.


Pandemic has increased trust in media, report shows

The pandemic has helped rebuild a little of the confidence lost in the media, and pushed news companies even more towards digital, according to the annual Reuters Institute report published Wednesday.The 10th edition of the report on digital news found that confidence in news reporting had risen six points to 44% since the start of the crisis.The figures were based on a series of opinion polls conducted by YouGov in 46 countries, with more than 92,000 participants in total.The highest rates of trust remained in Finland (65%) while the US fell to the lowest among the countries covered, at just 29%.France was little better at 30% despite an increase of seven points.“The focus on factual reporting during the Covid-19 crisis may have made the news seem more straightforward, while the story has also had the effect of squeezing out more partisan political news,” said lead author Nic Newman.“This may be a temporary effect, but in almost all countries we see audiences placing a greater premium on accurate and reliable news sources.”Shift to digitalThe Reuters Institute, based at Britain’s University of Oxford, found increased consumption of mainstream news particularly in countries with “strong and independent public service media”.But it also said printed media remained in steep decline, worsened by the impact on sales and advertising revenue of the pandemic.This has accelerated the shift towards digital subscriptions, especially in countries where physical sales had stayed relatively high like Germany, Austria and Switzerland.However, in the roughly 20 countries where newspapers were actively developing their digital sales, only 17% of respondents said they paid for news online, up two points on last year’s report and five compared to 2016.The number of people paying for news was highest in wealthier countries with traditions of subscribing to physical newspapers, such as Norway (45%) and Sweden (30%).The numbers were lower for the US (21%), France (11%), Germany (9%) and Britain (8%).“Subscriptions are beginning to work for some publishers but it won’t work for all publishers and most importantly, it won’t work for all consumers,” said co-author Rasmus Kleis Nielsen.“Given abundant access to free news, publishers will need to develop compelling options to bundle publications or more ways of paying a smaller amount for limited access.”MisinformationMeanwhile, trust in news shared on social media remained very low at 24%.There has been a gradual increase in concern over misinformation, though it varies greatly between countries, from 82% in Brazil to 37% in Germany.A large majority still want media to be impartial (74%) and believe opposing views should be given a balanced hearing (72%).The report also found younger generations had weak links to traditional media, and were more likely to get their news from social media, aggregators and notifications.Facebook has lost ground to its subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram as a source of news.It said TikTok has become an increasingly popular sources of news, particularly among younger audiences, in the wake of the pandemic and race protests of 2020, as well as becoming a key way to mobilise political protests in places like Peru, Indonesia and Thailand.


Anti-vaxxers and what lies beneath

From plots of global domination to teams of scientists working in secret labs, Covid-19 ignited a storm of conspiracy theories when it arrived on the world scene.For well over a year now, social media has been abuzz with theories conceivable or otherwise, with some pinning the blame on shadowy figures seeking a new world order and others pointing the finger at pharmaceutical giants out to make a killing from selling the cure.Most if not all of these claims have been debunked or denied yet many remain sceptical of official assurances.The same scepticism extends to the various immunisation programmes being rolled out across the world as well as the vaccines provided.In Malaysia, the government aims to achieve herd immunity by getting at least 80% of the population – about 27 million people – vaccinated by the end of the year.“The negative information about vaccines that the anti-vaxxers receive will be processed in the working memory and then stored in the ‘hard disk’ of the brain.”As of June 1, only some 12 million had registered for the national immunisation programme. The reasons for this are manifold: some lack awareness about the situation, some are reluctant to get jabbed due to concerns about safety and side-effects, and others are outright against it.Psychologist Dr Mariani Md Nor, a professor at SEGi University, said the latter group, known colloquially as anti-vaxxers, have been around for a long time.“They have their perceptions and beliefs about vaccines,” she said, adding that this had contributed to the proliferation of conspiracy theories.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said much of the issue is rooted in misinformation.“There are so-called experts on social media sharing negative information about the vaccines,” she said, adding that the mind could become overloaded with such details.When this happens, age does not make much of a difference as both youngsters and the elderly could be affected, she said.Another issue arises when a person knows nothing about vaccines and will accept any information given.“The negative information about vaccines that the anti-vaxxers receive will be processed in the working memory and then stored in the ‘hard disk’ of the brain.“It is difficult to change these people, especially the strong anti-vaxxers,” she said, adding that they in turn are capable of influencing others around them.“When you come into contact with something unknown, fear will push you away from understanding it.”To combat this, effective communication is needed, especially among family members, she said.“To persuade your family members to take the vaccine, you need to educate them by providing evidence. Otherwise, they might access the wrong information.”In terms of vaccination rate, Malaysia has kept pace with many other countries with similar or larger population size.As of May 29, 5.9% of people in Malaysia had received at least a first jab, with Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister in charge of the national immunisation programme, saying millions more doses of vaccine would be arriving in the next two months.But vaccine hesitancy across the world is jeopardising hopes of a quick road to herd immunity. A recent Gallup poll reported by The Economist which surveyed 300,000 people across 117 countries found that only 68% of adults would agree to be vaccinated if a free jab were available to them while 29% said they would refuse outright.Dr Fauziah Mohd Sa’ad, a counselling psychologist at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, singled out fear as the main reason behind the attitude of anti-vaxxers.“When you come into contact with something unknown, fear will push you away from understanding it,” she said.“When someone is fearful, that person will be prone to emotional disorders and abnormal behaviour.”She said similar behaviour was seen when news first broke about the virus: some were driven to panic by their fear of the novel coronavirus.Others meanwhile accept everything they read at face value and spread it far and wide without first checking the facts.“Every vaccine has its complications but not necessarily everyone will experience this,” Fauziah said.“The anti-vax group often magnifies certain isolated cases and treats them like common cases. Then they spread it around on social media.”But she and Mariani both agreed that giving up on this group would do nothing to help bring an end to the pandemic. The key, they said, is to keep educating them. For if herd immunity is the goal, then everyone will need to be on board.


Why US Democrats are growingly challenging Israel

Though the US remains a strong supporter of Israel, there are some indications that the supposed "unbreakable bond" with Tel Aviv is faltering, though more in language than in deeds.  Following the provocative "flag march" on May 18, which is carried out annually by Israeli Jewish extremists in the occupied Palestinian city of East Jerusalem, the US joined other countries around the world in condemning the racism displayed at the event.  The language used by the US State Department was firm, but also guarded. Spokesman Matthew Miller did not condemn the racist, provocative march – which involved leading Israeli officials – but the language used by the large crowds, most of whom are strong supporters of the far-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  "The US unequivocally opposes racist language of any form," Miller tweeted. "We condemn the hateful chants such as 'death to Arabs' during today’s marches in Jerusalem." Carefully articulated not to appear as a condemnation of Israel itself, the US position is still more "balanced" than previous positions, where Palestinians were often the ones associated with the US use of words such as "condemnation", "incitement", and the like.  On the other hand, during the Israeli bloody five-day war on Gaza, starting on May 9, Washington had resorted to the same old script, that of Israel having the "right to defend itself", thus entirely misrepresenting the events which led to the war in the first place.  This US position on Israel’s war on Gaza suggests that Netanyahu is the "defender" of Israel against supposed Palestinian violence and "terrorism". But this purported champion of Israeli rights is yet to be invited to the White House five months after he returned to power at the helm of Israel's most rightwing government in history.  Some want to believe that the decision by the Joe Biden administration to distance itself from Netanyahu was entirely altruistic. But that cannot be the case, as the US continues to back Israel militarily, financially, politically and in every other way.  The answer lies in Netanyahu's major miscalculations of the past, when he crossed a dangerous line, by turning against the Democratic Party and allying his country entirely with Republicans. His tactics paid dividends during the term of Republican president Donald Trump, but backfired when Trump left the White House.  Biden is unquestionably pro-Israel. Per his own repeated remarks, his support for Israel is not only political but ideological as well. "I am a Zionist. You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist," he has repeated, and proudly so, on several occasions. But the US president is also anti-Netanyahu, a dislike that even preceded the Trump-Netanyahu love affair. It mostly dates back to Barack Obama's two terms in office, when Biden was the vice-president.  Netanyahu’s political shenanigans and relentless attacks on the Obama Administration at the time taught Biden that Netanyahu simply cannot be trusted.  Yet, Biden, with historically low ratings among ordinary Americans, cannot possibly, on his own, challenge Netanyahu and Israel's stronghold on Washington through its influential lobby.  Something else is at work, namely, the fact that the Democratic Party as a whole had shifted allegiances, from Israel to Palestine.  This assertion would have been unthinkable in the past, but the change is real, confirmed time and again by credible polling companies. The latest was in March.  "After a decade in which Democrats have shown increasing affinity toward the Palestinians, their sympathies... now lie more with the Palestinians than the Israelis, 49% versus 38%," the Gallup poll concluded. The fact that such growing "affinity" with Palestine has been taking place for at least a decade suggests that the position of the Democrats was a generational one, not an outcome of a single event.  Indeed, numerous organisations and countless individuals are working on a daily basis to create a link between "affinity" and policy.  Buoyed by the growing sympathies for Palestine, long-time advocate of Palestinians’ rights in the US Congress, Betty McCollum reintroduced, on May 5, the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act.  Co-sponsored by 16 other members of Congress, the legislation demands that Israel must be prohibited from using "US taxpayer dollars in the occupied West Bank for the military detention, abuse or ill-treatment of Palestinian children." Two years earlier, the Intercept had reported that McCollum and her supporters were pushing towards barring US aid to Israel from "subsidising a wider array of Israeli occupation tactics". Alex Kane wrote, this is "an indication of just how far the debate over the US aid to Israel has come in the past six years", a reference to 2015, when McCollum introduced the first legislation on the matter.  Since then, things have moved forward at an even more accelerated speed. The effort to hold Israel accountable has now reached the New York state assembly.  On May 16, The New York Post reported that legislation was introduced by several Democratic lawmakers aimed at blocking registered US charities from funnelling money to fund illegal Israeli Jewish settlements.  The legislation, "Not on Our Dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act" dares to challenge Israel on multiple fronts: the traditional power of the pro-Israel lobby, questioning US funding of Israel and confronting the channeling of funds to illegal settlements in the name of charity work.  Several reasons compel us to believe that the shift in US policy on Palestine and Israel, though slow, nuanced and, at times, symbolic, will likely continue.  One is the fact that Israel is turning towards far-right nationalism, which is increasingly difficult to defend by US liberal government and media.  Two, the steadfastness of Palestinians and their ability to overcome mainstream media restrictions and censorship that had prevented them from having any fair representation.   And, finally, the dedication of numerous civil society organisations and the widening network of support for Palestinians throughout the US, which allowed courageous lawmakers to push for substantive change in policy.  Time will tell what direction Washington will take in the future. But, considering the current evidence, support for Israel is dwindling at rates that are unprecedented.  For those advocating a just peace in Palestine, this is a good thing.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Conflict ahead as PRS gears up for first new president in 18 years

With Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) scheduled to appoint its president for the first time in 18 years next month, political observers say the results of the triennial delegation conference (TDC) will reveal the extent of stability within the party’s top ranks as talk of a power struggle continues five months after the death of James Jemut Masing.Masing, the long-time leader of PRS, died on Oct 31 last year. His passing left a power vacuum within the party which analysts warned would need to be quickly filled.The TDC on May 7 will see delegates deciding on a new leadership line-up including the president, deputy president, vice-presidents and Supreme Council members.Lucy Sebli of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak said while most of the positions would be decided by the delegates, the final say on the new president would belong to the Supreme Council.“The post of president will not be contested,” she said. “The party president, according to the PRS constitution, will be appointed by members of the Supreme Council.“The rest of the posts will be contested via election during the TDC.”Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said whoever is made president must be able to strengthen the party’s position in the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition.With de facto second-in-command Joseph Salang currently at the forefront, she said, the Supreme Council might choose him as the new president.But veteran political observer Jayum Jawan is not convinced that Salang is the party’s best choice.“Salang is not expected to rise to this position,” he told MalaysiaNow.“He was there as deputy president because Masing did not feel threatened by him, especially after the Joseph Entulu debacle.”Jayum was referring to Joseph Entulu Belaun, who was expelled from the party before the 14th general election in 2018. He was replaced as deputy president by Salang, who nonetheless lost his Julau seat after three terms to long-time rival Larry Sng.The name of PRS secretary-general Janang Bungsu is also being bandied about as a possibility for president, with speculation rife that he and Salang are locked in a power tussle.But Jayum said neither had what it would take to be the “next Masing”.“They need the endorsement of party members, especially the 11 assemblymen,” he said.“Neither has a position in government which signals weakness and is a great disadvantage to both.”For Jayum, Masing’s sudden death was just another development in the internal strife already existent in the party.He believes that a dispute over who will succeed Masing is inevitable, pointing to the origins of PRS itself as a splinter party.“PRS was paralysed with the death of Masing,” he said. “It was as if Masing was PRS and PRS was Masing.“This is the mentality of the Ibans, before, now and for the foreseeable future.”


High Court judge visits Kajang bungalows in Zahid graft trial

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who is presiding over Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s corruption trial, visited two bungalow units in Country Heights, Kajang, today which were allegedly bought with funds from Yayasan Akalbudi.
The bungalows were purportedly bought for use as a Quran study centre for retirees and tahfiz students.
Sequerah arrived at the site at about 10.40am, accompanied by several police vehicles and a police patrol car.
Accompanying the the judge were deputy public prosecutors Harris Ong Mohd Jeffrey Ong and Abdul Malik Ayob. Also present were Zahid with his team of lawyers, comprising Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Hamidi Mohd Noh and Zaidi Ahmad Zainal.
They visited the two bungalows and left at about 11.25am to head back to the Kuala Lumpur court complex.
On July 6, Sequerah acceded to a request by the defence for a site visit to the bungalows in the interest of justice.
According to Hisyam, the visit would give a clear picture of the current status of the bungalows, their location and the distance between both bungalow lots and Surau An-Nur.
The court had been informed that Zahid contributed RM5.9 million to Yayasan Al-Falah for the purchase of the two bungalows through a cheque by Messrs Lewis & Co, the trustee of Yayasan Akalbudi which belonged to the former deputy prime minister.
On Jan 24, the court ordered Zahid to enter his defence for 47 charges — 12 of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.


More than half the world will be overweight or obese by 2035, report shows

More than half of the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2035 without significant action, according to a new report.
The World Obesity Federation's 2023 atlas predicts that 51% of the world, or more than 4 billion people, will be obese or overweight within the next 12 years.
Rates of obesity are rising particularly quickly among children and in lower income countries, the report found.
Describing the data as a "clear warning", Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, said that policymakers needed to act now to prevent the situation worsening.
"It is particularly worrying to see obesity rates rising fastest among children and adolescents," she said in a statement.
"Governments and policymakers around the world need to do all they can to avoid passing health, social and economic costs on to the younger generation."
The report found that childhood obesity could more than double from 2020 levels, to 208 million boys and 175 million girls by 2035.
The cost to society is significant as a result of the health conditions linked to being overweight, the federation said: more than US$4 trillion (about RM18 trillion) annually by 2035, or 3% of global GDP.
However, the authors said they were not blaming individuals, but calling for a focus on the societal, environmental and biological factors involved in the conditions.
The report uses body mass index (BMI) for its assessments, a number calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared. In line with the World Health Organization's guidelines, a BMI score over 25 is overweight and over 30 is obese.
In 2020, 2.6 billion people fell into these categories, or 38% of the world's population.
The report also found that almost all of the countries expected to see the greatest increases in obesity in the coming years are low or middle-income countries in Asia and Africa.
The data will be presented to United Nations policymakers and member states next week.


Knifeman kills at least 7 in China stabbing rampage

At least seven people have been killed by a knife-wielding attacker in north-eastern China, media reports say.Another seven people were reported wounded in the mass stabbing, which took place in Kaiyuan, a small city in Liaoning province.“It’s lucky that school is off today, otherwise there could have been more victims,” said an eyewitness, a woman with the surname Liu.Police have arrested a suspect, the state-run Xinhua news agency reports, although a motive remains unclear.Witnesses described seeing a man stabbing people seemingly at random.Violent crime is relatively rare in China, but the country has seen a rise in knife attacks in recent years.They have usually been carried out by people living with mental illness or seeking revenge against officials or individuals known to them.The suspect in Kaiyuan began attacking people seemingly at random just after 8am local time, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reports.Police said an officer was injured while confronting the suspect. No other details on casualties have been provided.An eyewitness told the SCMP that the attack started outside a school and most victims appeared to be middle-aged or elderly women.


Indonesia takes over land controlled by Suharto son’s firm

Indonesia’s government on Friday took over land assets linked to an automaker company owned by the son of late president Suharto, in its latest attempt to recover money from the once-powerful family.The move was part of wider efforts to recoup US$7.7 billion of unpaid loans given as bank bailouts during the 1997-1998 financial crisis.Carmaker PT Timor Putra Nasional, controlled by Suharto’s youngest son Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra, has an outstanding debt to the state amounting to 2.6 trillion rupiah (US$180.87 million) after defaulting on loans to state banks during the crisis, according to a statement.The government had issued letters to seize the assets used as collateral, but had not physically taken them over due to “obstacles on the ground”, it said.On Friday, authorities sealed the assets – four plots of lands in the Karawang area of West Java with a total size of 1.2 million sq m (120 hectares), it said.Hundreds of police and military personnel oversaw the process, local media reported.Tommy Suharto could not be reached and his assistants and lawyer did not respond to multiple requests for comment.His lawyer had recently attended meetings with authorities to discuss Timor’s debt, according to media reports.The government has made several attempts to recover funds from the company, including taking it to court in 2008.Timor was assigned to build Indonesia’s national car during the Suharto era.Critics said the elder Suharto, who died in January 2008, had amassed as much as US$45 billion in kickbacks or deals during his presidency, which he and his family always denied.Once jailed for paying a hitman to kill a judge, Tommy is now chairman of the Berkarya political party, which failed to win a seat in the national parliament in the 2019 elections. He also controls shipping company PT Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi and other businesses.


Include Penang airport in Malaysia-Indonesia travel lane arrangement, Putrajaya told

Penang is asking the federal government to consider including the Penang International Airport (PIA) in the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangement between Malaysia and Indonesia.State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said the earlier announcement on the arrangements for the Malaysian side only involved KLIA.“In the VTL arrangement, Indonesia listed (airports) in Bali and Jakarta, and the arrival of visitors from Indonesia is important in creating a multiplier effect on the economy of the state (Penang) and the country as a whole.“If PIA is given the same opportunity as KLIA, I’m sure it will have a good economic impact on the entire chain of supply such as accommodation, food and beverages, logistics, retail, tourism and transportation sector for the northern states of the peninsula,” he said in a statement today.It was reported that Malaysia and Indonesia had agreed to implement a travel corridor between the two countries through VTL by air early next year.Yeoh said based on PIA’s international tourist arrivals chart from 2015 to 2020, Indonesia had always been in the lead. He said this should be among the factors considered by the federal government in the Malaysia-Indonesia VTL arrangement.He said the Penang Immigration Department’s statistics also showed that PIA had recorded 275,933 tourist arrivals from Indonesia in 2019; 245,920 in 2018; 279,173 in 2017; 264,546 in 2016; and 268,892 in 2015.“PIA has always been one of the important airports in Southeast Asia welcoming tourists from all over the world,” he added.


Focus on vaccinations, not screenings, Selangor govt told

Selangor National Community Mobilisation secretary Muhamad Shazlee Muhamad Nazlee has urged the state government to improve its vaccination programme Selvax, following reports of confusion among recipients and questions over the cost of jabs compared to those given under the national immunisation drive.In a statement, he noted the recent focus on mass screenings in the state but called for the administration of vaccine to be prioritised instead.“This is because the costs of vaccination and conducting screening tests are almost the same,” Shazlee said.“The Selangor government shouldn’t be wasting the people’s money on screening programmes when giving vaccines is the better step to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection.”He also noted complaints raised on social media on July 1 and 2 by residents in Lembah Jaya about the lack of notice given when the vaccination programme was postponed, and confusion among others who said they were given more than one vaccination appointment on different dates, one through Selvax and another through Putrajaya’s MySejahtera app for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.“Still others say they do not know about developments in the Selvax programme because these are not made public on the official social media of the Selangor Covid-19 task force.”Urging the state government to address these issues, he compared the rollout of Selvax to the vaccination campaign in Penang.“If the government of Penang, which is also administered by the opposition, can administer vaccines quickly and in an orderly manner with the full cooperation of the federal government, why not in Selangor?”He said he believed that through more systematic management, this would not be a problem.“What is important is for the Selangor government to set aside its political differences and make the health of its people the main focus in its administration today.”Shazlee’s comments follow other questions raised over the cost of vaccines for industrial workers which, under the Pikas programme launched by the international trade and industry ministry, costs RM45 per worker.Under Selvax, meanwhile, the cost of fully inoculating one worker is RM350.State assemblyman Haniza Talha on Saturday urged Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari to review the charges, saying they were too high and would slow down efforts to reach herd immunity in Selangor.Haniza, the Lembah Jaya assemblyman, also said it was “not right to take advantage and reap profits multiple times” during the pandemic crisis.Amirudin had previously said that the higher fee was due to other costs such as payments for staff and vaccination centres.


Brokers yawn over missing details as Anwar returns from China claiming 'historic high' investments

Details have been scarce on the 19 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed between Malaysian and Chinese firms during Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Beijing, leading to questions on the nature and worth of investments the prime minister claimed to have secured.
Anwar described the MoUs as "historic", saying they far surpassed the more than RM140 billion signed during Najib Razak's visit to China, seen then as a historic high.
The former prime minister in 2016 announced a total of 14 agreements with Chinese firms worth RM144 billion, described the biggest single investment commitment.
While news reports and soundbites in the aftermath of Anwar's China visit painted a confident picture of an "upward trend" in China-Malaysia ties, domestic brokers and investors were eager to find out what the latest MoUs were.
"Until the full details of the industries involved and the nature of investments are published, the list is a yawn," said one broker to MalaysiaNow.
A list of the 19 MoUs being circulated among market players shows details for only two of them.
They include an MoU between China's export and import chamber of commerce for electronic products and the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Malaysia, the main representative for Malaysian Chinese businesses.
"The other MoU is with Geely, the auto-maker which was an entity brought in during Najib's era to treat Malaysia's ailing national car industry," said an investment consultant.
One broker said it was critical for the government to share more specifics and details on the investments pledged, adding that the nature of MoUs is not legally binding.
"It's just the paper version of a handshake," he told MalaysiaNow.
There were also questions on how many of the MoUs were new, and how many were reaffirmations from the same investors who had started setting up base in Malaysia over the last three years.
A source familiar with foreign direct investments (FDI) said the National Committee on Investment (NCI) should be informed of the latest undertakings to invest in Malaysia.
"NCI is the highest body which approves all FDIs. Whether or not these latest investments have been tabled to them, I wouldn't know. Without its approval, they will not invest," the source added.
There were also questions on whether the investments to be brought were technology-driven and fulfilled environmental, social and governance (ESG) requirements.
"How many of the Chinese companies setting their sights on Malaysia are ESG-certified or driven by green tech and AI, in keeping with our shift to high-quality investors?" the source asked.
From 2018 to September last year, Malaysia attracted total investments of RM1.1 trillion, half of them FDIs, following more than two years of the Covid-19 crisis which saw industries heavily affected.
In 2021 alone, the country saw some RM306 billion worth of approved investments in the manufacturing, services and primary sectors.
The government's post-Covid investment drive saw a focus on attracting only high-quality companies, doing away with past practices of big multinationals using Malaysia as a base for their labour-intensive manufacturing plants.
Under the 12th Malaysia Plan and Malaysia’s National Investment Aspirations, emphasis was also placed on ESG elements, with foreign companies expected to add value and create knowledge-based jobs as well as benefit local SMEs.
Big investors included China's Risen Solar with total investments of RM42 billion, Intel Electronics (RM30 billion) and global high-end circuit boards maker AT&S (RM8.5 billion), with a design development centre in Kulim, Kedah.


France debates bill to stop Islamist ‘separatism’ from gaining ground

French lawmakers on Monday began to debate a bill they hope will uproot radical Islam in the country and stop the infiltration of extreme beliefs into public services, schools and online.Multiple deadly attacks in France by Islamist extremists provide the backdrop for the bill, reports the Associated Press.The bill is broad and controversial with the goal of strengthening French secular values, and it guarantees heated debate by lawmakers and the public for the next two weeks.It reflects a priority for President Emmanuel Macron, who in an October speech painted a dark picture of what he dubbed “separatism, a perverse version of Islam, quietly making inroads and creating a counter society”.The proposed law is one aspect of the French president’s bid to do what his predecessors tried and failed to do: create a made-to-measure “Islam of France.”Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the bill’s sponsor stressed that “we are not fighting against a religion,” although some Muslims in France have voiced concern that the legislation once again points the finger at Islam.The bill will apply to all religions, and Buddhists and Roman Catholics have complained they could also suffer fallout.Critics say the bill covers ground already addressed in current laws while far-right leader Marine Le Pen says the bill doesn’t go far enough or even name the enemy: radical Islam.The bill seeks oversight in the functioning of associations and mosques, including foreign financing, and aims to plug entry points for Islamist ideology in the lives of French Muslims.In a bid to protect children from indoctrination and to do away with underground schools, the bill requires all children from age three to attend a regular school.If some Muslims feel a new layer of stigmatism, France’s other religions feel collateral damage. Le Monde newspaper reported they were unanimous in their criticism of the treatment of religious associations, which leaders told a parliamentary commission adds unnecessary layers of work, oversight and suspicion for all faiths.The proposed law also seeks to halt the issuing by doctors of virginity certificates, the practice of polygamy and forced marriage. Doctors would be fined and risk jail for providing virginity certificates.The new law includes “Paty law”, after the beheading of school teacher Samuel Paty who showed students in a civics class caricatures of the prophet.It creates a new crime for hate speech online in which someone’s personal details are posted. A Chechen refugee beheaded Paty after information about him was spread online.After the murder, the president defended the right to produce or show such caricatures in a stand for free expression that upset many Muslims and triggered protests in multiple countries where Macron’s position was perceived as anti-Muslim, which his government strongly denies.An international collective of pro-Muslim groups filed a complaint last month with the UN Human Rights Committee, accusing France’s government of “Islamophobic attitudes”.


Can banks sustain another blanket moratorium?

Questions remain about the financial health of banks, which have been thrust into a debate on suspending the collection of billions of ringgit worth of loans during the Covid-19 crisis.This comes on the back of calls for a blanket extension to the loan moratorium as the pandemic continues to batter the economy.One narrative is that banks should give back to the nation after raking in profits over the last few decades.Proponents of this view also point out that the six-month suspension which ended in October this year has not affected banks, citing reports of pre-tax profits posted by several major banks.But reports from analysts and research firms suggest that loan moratoriums and related losses have challenged the profitability of banks.This, coupled with interest rate cuts and weaker loan growth in the present challenging business environment has limited their earnings.Bank Negara governor Nor Shamsiah Yunus said reimposing a blanket moratorium “would not be a proportionate or responsible response” to the economic situation, while Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said banks risked an estimated loss of RM79 billion over the six-month moratorium period.Reports from analysts and research firms suggest that loan moratoriums and related losses have challenged the profitability of banks.Maybank, the nation’s largest commercial bank, estimated that it had incurred approximately RM1 billion worth of one-day modification losses during this period.A one-day modification loss is a one-off cost incurred when a bank opts for a particular method compared to what it could have earned by choosing an alternative.Public Bank, meanwhile, for the first time declared no interim dividend for the second quarter ending June 30 as opposed to 33 sen per share in the same period last year.Profitability is fundamental to ensuring that the financial system remains resilient and can support effective credit intermediation in the economy.Stable profits support the accumulation of capital buffers, which enable banks to continue providing financial services even during periods of stress, thus acting to dampen the impact of adverse developments in the real economy.Low profitability meanwhile could affect a bank’s willingness and capacity to lend, which would constrain the availability of financing to the economy.How banks make moneyThere are three main ways in which banks make money.1. Net interest marginBanks typically use deposits to provide loans for customers. These loans come with interest rates which depositors have to pay. The difference, known as the margin, is kept by the bank.For example, if a bank pays 1% interest on deposits, it may charge 4% interest on loans.Banks also lend to each other on a huge scale, mostly on a short-term basis of no longer than three months or even just overnight.The money earned on these loans is revenue for the bank. Some of it is given back to customers in the form of interest in checking and savings accounts. The money that the bank keeps is the net interest margin.2. InterchangeWhenever you use a credit or debit card to buy something, whether in a physical store or online, the business in question has to pay what’s called an interchange fee.This covers the cost of handling credit and debit transactions.3. FeesBanks charge customers all manner of fees – and penalties – such as monthly service fees, minimum deposit limits, ATM fees, overdraft fees, and foreign transaction fees.Investment banks earn huge fees for advising companies and public institutions on issuing bonds and shares (securities), and from underwriting these issues.Banks also make money by trading securities in equities markets. Their aim is to sell these securities at a profit or purchase them for less than they sold them for.Banks also buy and sell international currencies, taking advantage of the different prices involved.Banks and the digital boomPerhaps the only winner at this time of pandemic economics has been digitalisation – a strategy that has kept businesses and even societies afloat.The latest global survey by Standard Chartered shows the emergence of cashless and more conscientious consumers due to Covid-19.Prior to the pandemic, only 30% of Malaysians said they preferred shopping online compared to 70% who preferred shopping in-person. This has shifted significantly with over 51% stating that they prefer online payments to in-person payments.Banks reaped the benefits of digitalisation as the increase in preference for online payments holds true across a range of purchases, from groceries and travel to digital devices.According to the survey, 79% of Malaysians now expect the country to go fully cashless, with a majority expecting this to happen by 2030.In many ways, Covid-19 became a catalyst for change for financial institutions, presenting banks with an opportunity to make bold changes at a dramatic pace and further proving the resilience and robustness of this sector.


Pfizer/BioNTech first dose 85% effective after 2-4 weeks, study shows

The first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination is 85% effective against coronavirus infection between two and four weeks after inoculation, according to a study published in the Lancet medical journal.The survey was carried out on healthcare workers at the largest hospital in Israel, which on Dec 19 launched a mass vaccination campaign regarded as the world’s fastest.Israeli studies have found the vaccine developed by US pharma giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech to be 95% effective one week after a second jab, while the Lancet report focused on more than 9,000 medical staff at Sheba hospital near Tel Aviv.Some 7,000 of them received the first dose and the rest were not inoculated.From the group, 170 were diagnosed with Covid-19 after tests carried out only on those showing symptoms or who had been in contact with coronavirus carriers.52% of them were found to have not been vaccinated.Comparing the two groups, the Sheba study calculated that the vaccine was 47% effective between one and 14 days after inoculation, rising to 85% after 15 to 28 days.“What we see is a really high effectiveness already right after two weeks, between two weeks to four weeks after vaccine, already high effectiveness of 85% reduction of symptomatic infection,” Gili Regev-Yochay, co-author of the study, told a small group of journalists.He said that despite the vaccine being “amazingly effective”, scientists are still studying whether fully vaccinated people can transmit the virus to others.“That is the big, big, question. We are working on it. This is not on this paper and I hope we will have some good news soon,” said Regev-Yochay.Israel has delivered a shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to 4.23 million residents, or 47% of its nine million population, 2.85 million of whom have received the recommended full course of two jabs, latest health ministry figures show.Separately on Friday, Pfizer and BioNTech said their vaccine can stand warmer temperatures than initially thought, potentially simplifying the jab’s complex cold-chain logistics.The companies said they have asked the US Food and Drug Administration to allow for the vaccine to be stored for up to two weeks at -25 to -15 degrees Celsius – temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers and refrigerators.Under the existing guidelines, the Pfizer/BioNTech jab needs to be stored at a frigid -80 to -60 degrees Celsius until five days before use, a delicate process that requires special ultra-cold containers for shipping and dry ice for storage.


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US, Australia to counter China's 'destabilising military activities'

Australia and US defense ministers are determined to "counter destabilising military activities by the People's Republic of China", they said in a statement after a meeting at the Pentagon.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles in Washington on Monday as part of the annual Ausmin talks that on Tuesday will include the two nations' foreign ministers.
Britain's defence minister, Ben Wallace, will also attend the first in-person meeting of Aukus ministers on Wednesday in Washington. The defence technology group of Australia, US and Britain was formed to deliver nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia.
The Aukus meeting comes at a critical time for the partners, which are due to decide in March whether the submarine will be British or American, and set a road map for an Australian fleet.
Australia has said it needs the long range and stealth capability of nuclear-powered submarines, which would carry conventional weapons.
A US Department of Defense report on China last week said Beijing was making a diplomatic push to criticise and "subvert" Aukus.
"PRC officials have inaccurately framed Aukus as an act of nuclear proliferation," the report said.
Canberra has said the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Australia is party to does not prohibit nuclear propulsion.
A statement released after the Pentagon meeting said Australia and the US would deepen defense cooperation, including technology cooperation.
China is Australia's largest trading partner and the top market for exported iron ore, but Canberra has grown concerned about Beijing's military ambitions in the South Pacific after it struck a security pact with the Solomon Islands this year.
A meeting between Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month at the G20 was a step towards normalising ties but would not bring a shift in Canberra's defense policy, Australian diplomats said.


Malaysia receives RM340 million from audit firm KPMG in 1MDB settlement

The finance ministry said today it has received RM340.92 million (US$81.69 million) from audit firm KPMG as settlement for a suit filed by state investment firm 1MDB.In a statement, it said the government has repaid RM13.3 billion of 1MDB’s debt so far, which the outstanding amount as at Dec 31 was RM38.81 billion.


South Korea to allow those with first Covid jab to ditch masks outdoors

South Korea announced Wednesday that people who have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine will no longer be required to wear masks outdoors starting in July, as part of incentives for those participating in the public vaccine campaign.The incentive programme announced at a daily interagency coronavirus response meeting also included a plan to lift the gathering ban for family members who have had their first vaccine dose, Yonhap news agency reported.South Korea launched its two-dose vaccination regimen campaign in February and plans to achieve herd immunity by November.Starting in July, those who have received their first vaccine jabs can go outdoors without masks. Those who have completed both doses will be exempt from private gathering bans and the occupancy ceiling rule at restaurants and cafes.Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said health authorities plan to fully revise the government’s antivirus measures in late September, when more than 70% of people are projected to have received their first jabs.“We will also review loosening indoor mask rules when reaching herd immunity,” Kim said.