When black market dollars are your only hope of salvaging your life savings

Argentines are being forced to turn to the black market to convert their pesos into US dollars in anticipation of their currency collapsing.Ordinary savers are finding it impossible to buy dollars through official channels, reports the Buenos Aires Times.This desperate rush to buy dollars is not part of plans to go abroad on holiday – obviously that’s out of the question right now. People are terrified of their savings being wiped out as the peso plummets and a complete crash seems on the cards.Most of the country’s major retail banks have notices on their websites saying foreign-exchange transactions can’t be completed.“Right now, you can’t buy or sell dollars,” Banco Galicia says on their site. “We apologise. We are adapting to the new rules.”The new rules in question have been issued by the government and the Central Bank, who are together seeking to hold onto hard currency. To do so, they have slapped a new 35% tax on dollar purchases, which already faced a 30% levy.Consequently, demand for greenbacks in Argentina’s black market is surging and the unofficial street-corner exchange rate has rocketed to 141 pesos per dollar, nearly double the spot rate of 75.Most Argentines are convinced things can only get worse for whatever money they have left.


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Microsoft taking Xbox games directly to TVs

Microsoft on Thursday said it is working on software to let people play Xbox video games on internet-linked televisions without need of consoles.The news came as Microsoft and other video game industry heavyweights prepare to show off coming titles at an annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) being held virtually beginning Saturday due to the pandemic.“As a company, Microsoft is all-in on gaming,” chief executive Satya Nadella said in introducing the plan.“Three billion consumers look to gaming for entertainment, community, creation, as well as a real sense of achievement, and our ambition is to empower each of them, wherever they play.”Microsoft has been playing on the strength of its Xbox unit as it vies with Luna and Stadia cloud gaming services run, respectively, by Amazon and Google.The Xbox team is working with TV makers to embed software that will let video games typically enjoyed on its consoles be played directly from the cloud, requiring only hand-held controllers, according to Microsoft.The US-based technology giant also announced it is building devices that will plug into any television screen or computer monitor to stream Xbox game play without any consoles.In coming weeks, cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will be possible through internet browsers Chrome, Edge and Safari, according to Microsoft.“There’s still a place for consoles and PCs and frankly, there always will be, but through the cloud, we will be able to deliver a robust gaming experience to anyone connected to the internet,” said Xbox unit head Phil Spencer.“And with the cloud, gaming players can participate fully in the same Xbox experience as people on local hardware.Xbox Game Pass had some 18 million subscribers worldwide at the end of last year, according to figures released by Nadella.Video game play has surged during the pandemic, as people turned more than ever to the internet for entertainment.Overall consumer spending on video gaming in the US totalled just shy of US$15 billion in the first quarter of this year, up 30% from the same period in 2020, according to industry tracker NPD Group.Microsoft will stream an Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase on Sunday, featuring games from its studios around the world.


Ismail says never begged for support to remain as PM

Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said that he had never begged any political party to maintain their support for him to remain as prime minister.Ismail, 62, said this in response to the statement of defence filed by the owner of Agenda Daily Media Enterprise, Muhamad Izwan Mohd Zubit.Ismail is suing Agenda Daily in his personal capacity for defamation over an article titled “Ismail Sabri bimbang jadi PM paling singkat, ‘rayu’ jangan tarik sokongan”.He said he believed that Izwan had not attended the ceramah at the Bera district council convention hall on Jan 29.“At the ceramah, I made a speech which was referred to and published by local newspapers. At the material time before the publication of the article, the defendant did not contact me for verification or explanation of my speech at the convention.“Instead, the defendant recklessly referred to articles published by local newspapers and published the article which contained defamatory statements against me,” he said in his reply to the statement of defence filed on April 6.Overall, Ismail said the article had defamed him and implied that he was dishonest, selfish and desperate to continue being the prime minister in whatever way.He claimed the defendant had failed to practise responsible journalism in publishing the article.Instead, Sabri claimed that the defendant was influenced or motivated by malicious intent as he knew that the Johor state election was set on March 12. He said the defendant had aimed to belittle and tarnish his reputation as an Umno member and the prime minister.“The excuse of ‘practising responsible journalism’ given by the defendant is completely unfounded and indefensible,” he said.On Feb 18, Ismail obtained an interim injunction order from the High Court for the defendant to remove the posting and refrain from making any statements in relation to him.On March 4, the High Court granted Ismail another ad-interim injunction against Izwan to maintain the status quo pending the disposal of the inter-parte injunction application on April 27.In his statement of claim, Ismail said that on Jan 30, Agenda Daily Media had published an article on its website which contained various ill-intentioned, defamatory and untrue statements about him.Ismail said that the article, among others, implied that he was desperate to continue being the prime minister and was even willing to beg certain political parties not to withdraw their support for him, in addition to inferring that he was concerned about becoming the prime minister with the shortest tenure in Malaysian history.As a result of the publication, Ismail said his reputation as an Umno member and prime minister had been tarnished.“The publication also caused me emotional turmoil and the defamatory statements contained in the article could also have a negative effect on my political career,” he said.As such, Ismail sought an injunction order for the defendant to delete the defamatory article from all websites and social media operated by the defendant and an injunction order to prevent the defendant or his agents from issuing similar statements against him.Izwan, 37, in his statement of defence, claimed that he and his company had practised responsible journalism in the publication of the article related to Ismail.He also denied that the article contained defamatory and malicious statements towards the plaintiff.The defendant claimed that the words used in the article did not have negative connotations in politics, and that they were not insulting.Instead, he said, they reflected a politician’s humility in asking for support.“The article was a fair and justified commentary and political analysis. If the plaintiff did not agree with the comments and analysis, at any time, the plaintiff as prime minister and a prominent politician always had the space and opportunity to answer and refute it,” he said.


Concurrent supply of vaccines to private sector, state govts in Phase 3 and 4, says health minister

Vaccines produced by Pharmaniaga LifeScience Sdn Bhd (PLS) can be supplied concurrently to the private sector, government-linked companies (GLCs) and state governments for areas with high Covid-19 transmission rates during the third and fourth phases of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.Speaking at a virtual press conference after visiting the PLS high-tech factory at Taman Perindustrian Puchong Utama today, he said this would also help the country achieve herd immunity more quickly.Following the visit, Adham said he was confident in PLS’ capability of producing 500,000 doses per week, and that it is expected to begin supplying the Covid-19 Sinovac vaccine to state governments and the private sector in June and July.Meanwhile, Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob who also visited the plant said PLS – the product registration holder of the Sinovac vaccine – was ready to help the government ramp up its production through the fill-and-finish process at the plant.He said since obtaining permission to supply the vaccines directly, PLS had received orders for seven million doses from the private sector, including from GLCs.“It’s four million doses from the private sector, including GLCs such as Petronas, PNB and others, as well as three million from state governments,” he said.


Singapore’s largest telco apologises after customers’ personal data stolen

Singapore’s largest mobile network operator Singtel says the personal data of some 129,000 of its customers was stolen by a group of hackers known as the Clop gang during a recent attack.The company said the data includes names, addresses, phone numbers, identification numbers and dates of birth.Bank details of 28 former Singtel employees were also stolen, as well as the credit card details of employees of a corporate customer which subscribes to Singtel’s mobile service, along with information from 23 companies.“While this data theft was committed by unknown parties, I’m very sorry this has happened to our customers and apologise unreservedly to everyone impacted,” said Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon.“Data privacy is paramount, we have disappointed our stakeholders and not met the standards we have set for ourselves.”According to The Straits Times, the Clop gang leaked over 11GB of data this week, putting some of it up for sale on the dark web in exchange for S$250,000 worth of bitcoin.The latest data theft took place after hackers breached Accellion, a file transfer software used by Singtel, which was found to have been compromised last month.


Ampang voters unhappy with 'pro-developer' candidate

As the first week of campaigning for the Nov 19 polls draws to a close, voters in Ampang are still coming to terms with the sheer number of candidates vying for their support.
With no fewer than nine candidates from across the political spectrum making their way through the constituency, they are slowly but surely becoming familiar with these aspiring MPs.
But even as they meet with the contenders, shake their hands and listen to their plans and promises, they have criteria of their own against which to benchmark their support for the individual in question.
Andrew Tan, who is in the furniture and home improvement business, said he for one was not surprised that so many groups were targeting Ampang this time around.
Tan, 63, said the constituency was becoming increasingly known as a money-maker for developers.
"Ampang is very crowded and densely populated," he said.
"But the minute there's an empty site, within a matter of months, someone will be using it for development.
"It doesn't matter what it is – shoplots, houses. Developers are a dime a dozen in Ampang, and meanwhile the residents can't even find a place to park.
"The minute there's an empty spot, they see it as a place to start building something."
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Tan said the residents could do little more than resign themselves to the situation.
"'Redha', the Malays say. That's how everyone in Ampang feels right now. Just accept it."
Tan's friend, Syed Fahmi, agreed. He said developers would continue to take things for granted in Ampang if they were not put in their place.
"If the person who looks after Ampang likes developers, of course developers will like Ampang," he said.
"But the people on the streets, who do we like? Can we decide not to like either one?"
Syed Fahmi was referring to Ampang incumbent, Zuraida Kamaruddin, who had been described as "pro-developer" during her time as the housing and local government minister under Pakatan Harapan (PH).
She was often criticised for appearing to favour developers through the introduction of housing campaigns, including the Malaysia My Second Home programme aimed at foreigners from China and Hong Kong.
She was also alleged to have received RM1 million in contributions from a blacklisted developer to the Penggerak Komuniti Negara NGO which she patronised in 2020.
She took down a photo of her receiving a mock cheque for the amount after questions were raised about the issue.
Zuraida, a three-term MP for Ampang, faces fellow women candidates Rodziah Ismail of Pakatan Harapan (PH), Ivone Low Yi Wen of Barisan Nasional (BN), lawyer Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif of Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi of Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA).
The four others are Warisan candidate Bryan Lai Wai Chong and independents Muhammad Shafiq Izwan Mohd Yunos, Tan Hua Meng and M Raveendra.
'Upset'
Hidayu Omar, who runs a clothing stall at a shopping centre in the area, said he and his neighbours had been offended by Zuraida's "reset Ampang" campaign.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said he was tired of dealing with the same problems day in and day out – traffic congestion, flash floods and water cuts on a regular basis.
"Out of the blue, she wants to 'reset Ampang'. Why now?" he asked. "We had the same problems before this but she only realises it now, just before the election?
"What has she been doing for the past 15 years if, at this general election, she wants to 'reset Ampang'? I'm really angry and disappointed."
Hidayu, who lives only 5km away from the shopping mall, said he nevertheless needed more than 10 minutes to get there on normal days – sometimes 15, if traffic was bad.
When asked about the water disruptions in the area, he only shook his head.
A youth who introduced himself as Hafiz Hafifi Hassan said he wanted a candidate who could make good policies for the constituency, especially to deal with the problem of flash floods.
He said representatives who were only active during times of disaster were not fit to be MPs.
"We don't want an MP who only comes down when it floods," he said. "If that's all they do, it would be better for them to just volunteer their services at an NGO."
Zuraida, who won and defended her seat on a PKR ticket, joined Bersatu in 2020 after being sacked from the party in the aftermath of the Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the PH government.
In May this year, she announced her decision to leave Bersatu and join Parti Bangsa Malaysia instead.
She also said she was ready to resign from the Cabinet where she had served under three administrations in two portfolios: housing and local government, and plantation industries and commodities.


15 deaths as daily cases hit new high of 3,337

Another 3,337 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 147,855.Selangor reported 1,036 cases, of which 795 were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Johor 460, Sabah 389, Kuala Lumpur 257 and Penang 234.Sarawak recorded 180 cases, Negeri Sembilan 169, Pahang 113, Perak 92, Terengganu 89, Kedah 86, Melaka and Kelantan 85 each, Labuan 34, Putrajaya 24 and Perlis four.Active cases stand at 33,989 with 195 in the ICU and 86 in need of respiratory assistance.Seven new clusters were detected:1. Selayang (Gombak in Selangor; 84 cases)2. Tropika (Johor Bahru in Johor; 55 cases)3. Pasir Barat (Johor Bahru and Kota Tinggi in Johor; 92 cases)4. Tapak Bina Dutamas (Kepong in Kuala Lumpur; 18 cases)5. Jalan Pahang (Kepong, Titiwangsa, Lembah Pantai and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur; six cases)6. Jalan Rantau-Siliau (Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan; 96 cases)7. Intan Mas (Hilir Perak in Perak; 15 cases)One other ended, leaving 276 active clusters across the country.Another 1,710 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 113,288.However, 15 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 578.


Covid-19 lockdowns drive spike in online child abuse

Out-of-school kids and adult predators spending more time at home and on the internet during the coronavirus pandemic is the “perfect storm” driving a spike in online child sex abuse around the world, activists and police say.From slums in the Philippines to Australia’s suburbs, the cross-border crime has mushroomed as offenders take advantage of school closures and lockdowns to reach children – either in person or via social media, gaming sites and the dark web.In Australia, federal police received more than 21,000 reports of child sex abuse in the 12 months to June 30, an increase of over 7,000 cases on the previous year.Their investigators also recorded a 136% increase in online child sex exploitation material.“Some of those dark web sites are actually crashing because they’re not coping with the amount of traffic,” Australian federal police Detective Superintendent Paula Hudson said.She said police “directly attribute” the “incredible influx” to offenders and children spending more time at home because of lockdowns and school closures, with youngsters often left unsupervised as parents juggle work and care responsibilities.“Covid-19 lockdowns created the perfect storm for increases in online sexual exploitation of children,” explained John Tanagho of the International Justice Mission in Manila.The Philippine government saw a 260% increase in reports of online child abuse materials from March to May – when the country was in a strict lockdown, Unicef said.Investigators are even “seeing Covid-specific child exploitation forums where (offenders) are discussing the opportunities that have arisen during the Covid period”, Hudson revealed, including one with 1,000 members.Live-streaming sexual abuseOnline sexual exploitation of children is a “crime of opportunity” driven by demand from sex offenders, said Tanagho.The abuse is often repeated regularly to create new material.With jobs and income lost and more time spent at home as a result of strict virus measures, in the Philippines many of the victims are first abused by their own parents, who livestream the sexual violence for predators in wealthy Western nations.“The sexual abuse is directed, it’s paid for and it’s consumed live by child sex offenders around the world who don’t need to leave the comfort of their home,” Tanagho said.Children are abused for an average of two years before being rescued, he added, but the trauma is long-lasting.Mellanie Olano, lead social worker with the International Justice Mission in Manila, told AFP: “It is a bit chaotic whenever we enter the house where the abuse is happening, the children are all crying.”Young victims are often on high alert, experience hyperarousal, suffer sleep issues, difficulty concentrating and struggle to control their emotions.“Of course, because most of the perpetrators are the parents… they are separated from their parents,” she added.Predators pounce in minutesIn Indonesia – which along with the Philippines has become a global hotspot for child sex abuse – around 20% of children surveyed by ECPAT, an international NGO working to end child exploitation, reported predatory behaviour online.Police in West Java province recently uncovered a group on popular messaging app LINE that facilitated “live nude shows” including several minors.Among them was a 14-year-old girl who was convinced to do a strip show while her parents thought she was doing homework online in her room.The group’s membership has tripled to 600 since the pandemic began.“Parents must be even more careful to monitor their children’s online activities because it can take just minutes for them to become a perpetrator or a victim in online crimes,” criminal division head Teuku Rasya Khadafi said. “Everything is there on the internet.”Former Australian cop Glen Hulley at anti-trafficking organisation Project Karma said paedophiles are also bypassing parents by using gaming platforms.“What mostly we found during this lockdown period is that perpetrators are trying to reach the kids in a popular app for kids, such as online gaming platforms with chat features,” he said.Activists have reported adults pretending to be peers, famous YouTubers or even celebrities like Justin Bieber.“Once the initial interaction started, they asked them to chat in other platforms so that they could be in contact without any disturbance from the game,” Hulley said.It is not only children in developing countries that are being sexually abused.In recent months, Australian police arrested 15 men accused of producing or sharing child abuse material online and identified 46 alleged victims, including 16 at a single childcare centre.They ranged from 16 months to 15 years, with an average age of eight years.Tip of the icebergTackling the issue has been further complicated by the pandemic.Before Australia closed its international borders to stop the spread of the virus, police regularly arrested suspected child abusers as they returned home on flights from Southeast Asia.But as offenders have moved online in greater numbers, Hudson says police have followed them, working more closely across with international counterparts by using virtual tools such as video conferencing.“Certainly the Covid pandemic has not hampered anything – if anything it’s actually increased our cooperation,” she said.“The more we’re investigating and the more we’re getting ahead, the more offenders that are revealed,” she added.The alleged Australia-based child sex abuse ring was busted after a tip-off from US authorities, who also arrested three Americans.A network of suspected offenders was identified across Europe, Asia, Canada and New Zealand, with police making almost 150 referral to their counterparts in those regions.Tanagho, though, is less optimistic that authorities are making headway.“This is a massive, massive problem and globally… this is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.As well as greater law enforcement, Tanagho said tech companies needed to do more to develop tools that could catch livestreamed abuse in action.“If sex offenders and traffickers fear being detected by the platforms they’re using, if they fear being arrested… then they are much less likely to abuse children online,” he said.“The easy money or the sexual gratification is just not worth being caught and sent to prison.”


13.7% of children fully jabbed, 40.1% given first dose

A total of 487,728 children or 13.7% of those aged five to 11 had been fully vaccinated under the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 1,425,865 children or 40.1% have received at least one dose of vaccine.For adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,877,332 or 92.5% have completed their vaccination, while 2,978,531 or 95.8% have received at least one dose of vaccine.As for the adult population, a total of 15,985,545 individuals or 67.9% have received a booster dose while 22,961,980 or 97.6% have completed two doses.Meanwhile, 23,238,874 or 98.8% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 47,612 vaccine doses were administered yesterday, with 35,398 as second doses, 4,635 as booster shots and 7,579 as first jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses dispensed under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 69,742,922.


Harris accuses China of ‘intimidation’ in disputed seas

US Vice-President Kamala Harris accused Beijing on Tuesday of intimidation in hotly disputed waters as she sought to rally Asian allies against China and shore up US credibility in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.Her comments in Singapore came as Washington seeks to reset relations in Asia after the turbulent Donald Trump era and build a bulwark against the rising might of Beijing.But her trip to the region, which also includes a stop in Vietnam, comes as Washington faces fresh questions over its dependability amid the US pullout from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover.In a speech laying out her administration’s foreign policy goals, Harris reiterated that Washington had “enduring commitments” in Asia – and took aim at China.“Beijing continues to coerce, to intimidate and to make claims to the vast majority of the South China Sea,” she said.“Beijing’s actions continue to undermine the rules-based order and threaten the sovereignty of nations.“The US stands with our allies and partners in the face of these threats.”‘Right, courageous’China claims almost all of the resource-rich sea, through which trillions of dollars in shipping trade passes annually, with competing claims from four Southeast Asian states as well as Taiwan.Beijing has been accused of deploying a range of military hardware including anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles there, and ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its historical claim over most of the waters to be without basis.Tensions have escalated in recent months between Beijing and rival claimants.Manila was angered after hundreds of Chinese boats were spotted inside the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, while Malaysia scrambled fighter jets to intercept Chinese military aircraft that appeared off its coast.Harris is the latest top official from President Joe Biden’s administration to visit the region. On a trip to Singapore last month, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin also strongly criticised China’s sea claims.But the Afghan crisis and doubts about US credibility are casting a long shadow over Harris’s visit.In Tuesday’s speech, she defended Biden’s decision to push ahead with the US pullout from Afghanistan as “courageous and right” and reiterated US officials were “laser-focused” on the chaotic evacuation from Kabul airport.She will hold talks later Tuesday with business leaders in Singapore on supply chain issues, including the global microchip shortage, before heading to Hanoi.


New judge takes over Najib's RM27 million SRC money laundering case

Former prime minister Najib Razak's money laundering trial over RM27 million in SRC International funds was heard before a new judge at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
Judge K Muniandy replaced Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, who was promoted to the Court of Appeal.
During the proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul said both parties had previously informed the court that the trial should be postponed as a decision on Najib's application for a review of his RM42 million SRC International case at the Federal Court had not yet been made.
"The date of the review decision has not yet been decided, and it (the date) will be notified by the Federal Court Registrar soon. Both the prosecution and the defence would like to request that the date for the management of this case be fixed in May," he said.
Lawyer Alaistair Brandah Norman, representing Najib, agreed. Muniandy then set May 29 for case management. On Feb 3, 2019, Najib claimed trial to three charges of laundering money by accepting proceeds from illegal activities amounting to RM27 million through his three AmPrivate Banking accounts.
He allegedly committed the offences at AmIslamic Bank, Ambank Group Building, No. 55, Jalan Raja Chulan on July 8, 2014, under Section 4 (1) (a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.
He faces a maximum fine of RM5 million, imprisonment of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.
Najib began serving a 12-year jail sentence at Kajang Prison after the Federal Court, on Aug 23, 2022, upheld his conviction, jail term and fine of RM210 million after finding him guilty of misappropriating SRC International funds amounting to RM42 million.


Tokyo knife attacker arrested after injuring 10 on train

Police have arrested a suspect in the stabbing of 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo late on Friday, local media have reported.Yusuke Tsushima, 36, was charged with one count of attempted murder for allegedly stabbing a 20-year-old female college student with a knife, causing serious injuries to her back and chest, reports Xinhua news agency.The others suffered less severe injuries. So far, none of the 10 wounded has admitted to being acquainted with their attacker.Tsushima has admitted to the assault, telling the police: “I have been wanting to kill happy-looking women for the past six years. Anyone would have been okay.”He also said that he chose to commit a crime on a rapid express Odakyu Electric Railway train because passengers would find it hard to run away.According to the police, he stabbed the woman and injured others in one car, then he tried but failed to start a fire with cooking oil in the next car.One witness who was on the train, told NHK news that people suddenly started running towards him, fleeing from one car to another.The train was brought to an emergency stop by the driver on hearing noises coming from inside the carriages.As the train stopped, Tsushima escaped through a door of another car.According to investigators, he jumped onto the tracks and fled. Train crew guided the passengers along the tracks to the nearest station.Tsushima later walked into a convenience store and told staff that he was “the suspect in the incident reported by the news” and was tired of fleeing.Police were called and took him in for questioning.The Transport Ministry has asked all Tokyo railway companies to thoroughly check their surveillance equipment to ensure safety.Violent crime is rare in Japan and tight security measures were in place in Tokyo as the Olympics were concluding.Despite Japan being one of the safest countries in the world, there have been a number of knife attacks in recent years.In 2015, a man set himself on fire on a shinkansen bullet train, resulting in himself and a female being killed and 26 other passengers injured.In 2018, a man killed a passenger and injured two others in a knife attack on a bullet train.In 2019, a man attacked a group of schoolchildren waiting for a bus in Kawasaki. Two people were killed and at least 18 were injured.


Singapore central bank sees record net loss on inflation fight

Singapore's central bank said Wednesday it suffered a record annual net loss of US$23 billion (about RM107 billion) in the most recent financial year as it tightened monetary policy to battle soaring inflation, and it warned the city-state's economy still faced headwinds.
Central banks worldwide have embarked on a campaign to cushion the effects of rising prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year that hammered oil and gas supplies.
But while others have hiked interest rates in their battle, Singapore, which imports most of its needs, has strengthened the local dollar to make imported goods cheaper.
However, that has translated into huge losses in its official foreign reserves, Monetary Authority of Singapore managing director Ravi Menon announced.
The MAS booked a "net loss of SG$30.8 billion (for the financial year ended March), reflecting the effects of monetary policy tightening to bring down inflation", he said at the release of its annual report.
"This is the largest loss MAS has ever recorded," he added.
He said 70% of the loss, or SG$21.4 billion, was down to the "negative currency translation effects of a stronger Singapore dollar".
The other 30% of the loss came from the MAS's "net interest expenses... from money market operations to mop up excess liquidity in the banking system".
Menon said inflation has "clearly peaked and has discernibly moderated".
Core inflation on a month-on-month seasonally adjusted annualised basis fell sharply from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.6% in May 2023, he said.
He said growth prospects for Singapore "have dimmed and the economy will operate slightly below its underlying capacity" as manufacturing and financial services – two key economic pillars – have stalled in recent quarters.
"Growth will remain weak in the near term," he said.
The trade ministry in May forecast economic growth this year of 0.5-2.5%.


Few masks as Iraq pilgrims ignore Covid for Shiite mourning

Masks were almost nowhere to be seen Thursday as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims thronged the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala for the Shiite commemoration of Ashura, ignoring Covid fears.Pilgrims numbers were down on the millions who attended before the pandemic took hold, and there were only a few pilgrims from outside Iraq, most from neighbouring Iran or from Pakistan.Ashura commemorates a defining moment in the birth of the Shiite branch of Islam that is the majority faith in both Iraq and Iran.It marks the killing of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Imam Hussein, by troops of Caliph Yazid in 680 AD in the Karbala desert.Pilgrims traditionally walk to Karbala, sleeping in roadside camps set up along the way, in summer temperatures that regularly top 45 degrees Celsius.In the run-up to Ashura, mourning rituals are also held in Shiite cities and neighbourhoods across Iraq.In Karbala, the most zealous flagellated themselves with flails or blades until their heads and backs were raw and streaming with blood, a practice frowned on by Shiite spiritual leaders.Divine providenceFor the faithful, religious devotion far outweighs any concerns about Covid infection.Even though only a little over 5% of Iraqis have been fully vaccinated against Covid, pilgrims insisted they had no need of masks, counting on divine providence to protect them.“Our belief protects us,” said one unmasked pilgrim, who had travelled to Karbala from the southern city of Kut.“We’re not bothering with masks, because our faith in Imam Hussein protects us from everything,” said the pilgrim, who gave his name only as Dholam.Another unmasked pilgrim, Kamel Mohammed, from the southern city of Basra, said he too was trusting in God.“I have great faith in God,” he said. “I follow the example of Imam Hussein.”Large crowds of pilgrims began gathering around Imam Hussein’s golden-domed mausoleum in the heart of the city from Wednesday evening.Drummers banged out the rhythm, as the faithful chanted prayers and poems commemorating Hussein’s martyrdom.Super-spreader?Before the pandemic, the main Shiite pilgrimages in Iraq were among the largest religious gatherings in the world, and there have been concerns they could act as super-spreading events.Indian health officials have said that the Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela, an event held every three years that drew millions to the Himalayan city of Haridwar in January, may have helped fuel a surge in infections earlier this year.Currently Iraq is registering about 10,000 new Covid cases a day in its population of around 40 million.Recorded deaths from Covid since the start of the pandemic number a little under 20,000, according to health ministry figures.The assistant director of the Imam Hussein mausoleum, Afzal Shami, insisted steps had been taken to avoid a major outbreak among pilgrims.“Masks have been provided for visitors and anyone else who needs them for hygiene purposes,” Shami said.“Mobile teams have been deployed around the holy places to keep them sterilised and reduce the risks.”Disinfectant dispensers had been installed at the entrances to the shrine, lit up in red to draw attention. But there weren’t nearly enough of them for the vast crowds camped outside.“It’s down to individual citizens to protect themselves by adopting preventive measures,” Shami said.Even before the Covid-19 pandemic began early last year, security was tight for the Shiite pilgrimages for fear of attack by Sunni extremists inspired by Al-Qaeda or the Islamic state group, which regard Shiites as heretics.Roadblocks were again set up this year on all roads into Karbala, and access to the city was closed off completely from Wednesday.Abbas, a pilgrim in his 60s, who spent Wednesday night inside the mausoleum, said it was the price of religious duty.“This night comes but once a year,” Abbas said. “You have to make sacrifices to perform the rituals.”


Daily cases hover just above 6,000

Another 6,060 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,460,809.Another 7,297 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,361,919.Meanwhile 570 are in the ICU, including 492 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 300 are in need of respiratory assistance including 208 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 6,060 cases reported today, 105 (1.7%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,955 (98.3%) are in Category One and Two.


ESG, supply chain to top agenda in Malaysia’s high-powered trade mission to US

Broadening bilateral linkage opportunities with a central agenda on environmental, social and governance (ESG), as well as supply chain resilience, will be the key focus during International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali’s trade and investment mission to the US.Scheduled for May 9 to 18, the trip aims to reinforce Malaysia’s value proposition as a preferred investment destination and trading partner.“The mission is paramount for Malaysia to engage with American business counterparts and further enhance Malaysia-US economic cooperation,” the international trade and industry ministry (Miti) said in a statement today.In Washington, the minister is scheduled to have meetings with Gina M Raimondo, the US secretary of commerce, and ambassador Katherine Tai, the US trade representative. The meetings will highlight Malaysia’s capabilities and capacities in strategic sectors, including advancing ESG in trade and investment and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).Azmin and Raimondo will also sign a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between Malaysia and the US to promote deeper bilateral cooperation in semiconductor supply chain resilience efforts. The MoC demonstrates Malaysia’s significant role in ensuring the stability of the global supply chain in the manufacturing sector and its related services, the ministry said.“The government’s strong commitment to advancing a green economy, business-friendly policies, and comprehensive measures aimed at solidifying bilateral cooperation with key industry partners will catalyse Malaysia’s value creation in advancing the nation’s competitiveness. “This is in line with the national aspiration toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 as stipulated under the 12th Malaysia Plan,” Miti said.The National Investment Aspirations policy will feature prominently in the core discussion topics during the mission.This mission, it said, will include facility visits and one-to-one business meetings with prominent American companies as well as potential investors in high-value sectors, including electrical and electronics (E&E), medical devices, metal technology, and telecommunication.The engagement is targeted at securing new business opportunities and attracting high technology, capital-intensive as well as high value-added investments with high-income jobs.In 2021, the US was Malaysia’s third largest trading and export destination, and its fourth largest source of import. Total trade between the two countries grew by 21.4% to RM217.10 billion (US$52.37 billion) compared to 2020. Malaysia’s exports to the US increased by 30.4% to RM142.20 billion, mainly due to higher exports of E&E and rubber products.  Imports from the US grew by 7.4%, valued at RM74.87 billion (US$18.06 billion), contributed by higher imports of E&E and metal products.The US is the fourth largest foreign investor in Malaysia in terms of implemented manufacturing projects, with a total of 840 manufacturing projects worth RM84.97 billion and the creation of 188,396 jobs. Major investments from the US are in the E&E, machinery and equipment, and chemicals sectors.


SpaceX needs Mars explorers but ‘you might not come back alive’

Elon Musk is once again in the news for admitting the truth about his dream of humans exploring Mars by saying: “A bunch of people probably will die” in the process.Musk told XPrize founder Peter Diamandis in a CNN interview, “It’s uncomfortable. It’s a long journey. You might not come back alive.”“We won’t make anyone go,” he laughed. “Volunteers only.”Musk has been talking about his interplanetary ambitions for over 20 years. The founding mission of his so far largely successful rocket company SpaceX was to eventually create the technology necessary to shuttle humans to and from Mars.The company is currently testing to destruction uncrewed prototypes of a vehicle called Starship that Musk hopes will one day be capable of taking people to Mars.Colonising Mars will be dangerous and ridiculously expensive. Musk wants to do it anyway.He has frequently talked about the inevitable dangers of life on Mars but hopes to one day live on the red planet.He told a virtual conference in August that there’s a “good chance you’ll die” on a SpaceX mission to Mars.Such risk predictions accord with historical human spaceflight initiatives. Three astronauts died in a fire during ground tests during Nasa’s Apollo programme last century, and 14 other astronauts were killed during the Space Shuttle era in the Columbia and Challenger disasters.He says assembling the crews for the first Mars missions will be “like that ad for Shackleton going to the Antarctic”, referring to a newspaper ad that British explorer Ernest Shackleton supposedly placed in a newspaper at the turn of the 19th century when he sought crew members for the first-ever trek to the South Pole.The ad read: “Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success.”Shackleton is said to have received more than 5,000 replies.Like the Antarctic, Mars is an exceedingly lethal place to visit and humans will need constant protection.The planet’s surface is so low in atmospheric pressure that a person’s blood would boil if they were exposed to the elements. That means settlers will permanently need to live in air-tight habitats or clunky spacesuits to keep them alive.Still, Musk said SpaceX is aggressively moving forward with its plans to develop the necessary rocket technology, because he believes that establishing a human settlement on Mars will be crucial for humanity’s long-term survival.Last year, he proposed an aggressive timeline of getting the first crew to the surface by 2026.Should Earth become uninhabitable due to natural or man-made disasters, he says, having a back-up planet will be humanity’s best chance.


Ex-1MDB chairman tells court he suspected Najib was involved in irregular transactions

Former 1MDB chairman Mohd Bakke Salleh told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that he did not meet Najib Razak to inform him about his resignation as he suspected that the former prime minister was involved in alleged irregular monetary transactions.Bakke, 68, said this when cross-examined by Najib’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in the trial of Najib and former 1MDB CEO Arul Kanda Kandasamy for allegedly tampering with the final 1MDB audit report.Shafee: Tan Sri, at one point, you said you felt sick. In fact, you wanted to resign from the board. Before that did you see the prime minister and tell him why you’re resigning?Bakke: I didn’t because I had a feeling and suspicion that the prime minister was in the loop and involved in the scheme of things with PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI).The same feelings were shared by board members. One that confirmed our suspicion, which made us feel disgusted, was the way the US$1 billion was remitted.Thus, I decided I would not want to see him personally. I was not comfortable.Bakke, the 13th prosecution witness, said his suspicions arose from the way the deal was asked to be rushed through despite the board having misgivings and red flags about it.Previously, he told the court that Najib had in September 2009 told the 1MDB board of directors to approve the JV that would eventually see the company pump in US$1 billion, and that he wanted it to be signed in four days.He said the company’s directors were rushed into making the decision due to a phone call from Najib prior to the meeting.Shafee: You know you are comfortable to see the prime minister (Najib) any time. Not for 1MDB but there is Felda; you saw him every two weeks. You could have seen him and told him about 1MDB.To this, Bakke replied, “It was not done because we had already firmed up the JV.”Shafee: The prime minister (Najib) was interested in a government-to-government PSI deal, were there any more suspicions?Bakke: I understand, but why the need to work in such a hurried fashion? That was the discomfort of myself and the board.Shafee: I’m just trying to understand why you never went to see the prime minister. What is it that you were suspicious of him? No need suspicion, he was in on the deal. He liked the deal to be done.Bakke: My suspicion was, why expedite this deal and position to do it in a hurried fashion? When you are pressed to do something that goes against a professional approach, then the board has to ask, why do we have to do this?Shafee: Aren’t you barking up the wrong tree? Why blame the prime minister when the management was directly under you? Why would he (Najib) micromanage? He could not possibly micromanage.Bakke then replied: “You have to look at the context of the entire project (the JV). If you look at a point in time, it’s specific. We were not pleased with what happened; my own conclusion was that if I did not attend to the phone call of the prime minister, the board wouldn’t have rushed through the deal. This was why my suspicions came. The manner in which instructions came. If only the prime minister had not spoken to me and gotten Jho Low to give me the phone, we would have looked at this as a proper proposal and done it properly.”When re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, Bakke said that Najib’s telephone call had caused the board to “race through the process”.Najib, 68, is charged with using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to prevent any action from being taken against him.Arul Kanda, 45, is charged with abetting Najib in making the amendments to the report, to protect Najib from being subjected to action.The offences were allegedly committed at the Prime Minister’s Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya, between Feb 22 and 26, 2016.Both were charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.The trial before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues tomorrow.


Qatar bid for Man Utd awaiting clarity after reports of exclusivity offer

A source close to Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani said Thursday that the Qatari bidders were still awaiting clarity from Manchester United after a report suggested they could be offered exclusivity in the battle to buy the club.
United announced in November that the board was exploring "strategic alternatives to enhance the club's growth", with a full sale one of the options.
The current owners, the Glazer family, are understood to value Manchester United at £6 billion (RM35.30 billion) and the Raine Group was brought in to oversee the process.
Sheikh Jassim made a fifth and final bid for the club last week and it is understood that his offer is viewed more favourably by the owners than a rival bid from British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe.
A report on Thursday suggested that, if exclusivity were granted to Sheikh Jassim, it would shut out the Ratcliffe bid for as long as the exclusivity period lasted.
But the source close to the bid told AFP there were no official updates from Sheikh Jassim's side and no timetable for next steps.
The offer from the Qatari banker is to buy 100% of the club.
It has been reported that Ratcliffe wants to purchase a controlling stake that would allow the Glazers to remain involved – a move that would be deeply unpopular with supporters.
Trading in Manchester United shares on the New York Stock Exchange was temporarily paused due to "volatility," though shares resumed trading shortly afterwards, and were up 12% on the day.
A new company, Nine Two UK Holdings Limited, was also incorporated in Britain on Thursday, understood to be part of Sheikh Jassim's preparations should his bid be successful.
The documents published on the Companies House website list Sheikh Jassim as an individual person with significant control of the company.
Companies House says all shares in the new UK company are owned by Nine Two Holdings LLC, which was registered in Qatar in April.
Ineos chemical company founder Ratcliffe appeared to be the front runner to win the race to buy United after a third round of bidding closed in late April.
The club ended a six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup in February and finished third in the Premier League in Erik ten Hag's first season in charge.
The long ownership saga means there is an air of uncertainty over the future of the club as they prepare for the summer transfer window.


Ku Nan, LHDN to settle RM57 million income tax suit

Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) are in the process of settling the suit to recover over RM57.17 million in unpaid income tax owed by the former federal territories minister from 2012 to 2017.LHDN’s deputy solicitor Hazlina Hussain informed High Court judge Azimah Omar of the matter today.“This is a settlement offer by the defendant (Tengku Adnan),” she said.“Both parties are working to resolve the case. As the issues are complex, the parties will be taking a bit of time to settle the case.”The court was scheduled to hear LHDN’s application for a summary judgment against Tengku Adnan, popularly known as Ku Nan, and his application for a stay of proceedings.A summary judgement is when the court decides a case through arguments without hearing witness statements during trial.Tengku Adnan’s counsel Rosli Dahlan also asked for an adjournment of the hearing as they were in the settlement process.“The parties have reached a settlement on the quantum but the mode of the settlement has yet to be decided,” he said.However, Hazlina told the court that LHDN had yet to decide on the quantum, especially on the amount of penalty involved.Azimah fixed Sept 23 to hear LHDN’s application for a summary judgment as well as Tengku Adnan’s request for a stay of proceedings.“I am giving two weeks,” she said.“if there is no settlement, I have to proceed with the case. This case has gone on long enough.”The government through LHDN filed the suit on July 24 last year after accusing Tengku Adnan of owing income tax for the assessment years 2012 to 2017 as stated in the assessment notice dated March 15, 2019.LHDN accused the Putrajaya MP of failing to pay the outstanding income tax with 10% increase totalling RM57,167,069.35.The sum comprised RM64,444.38 (2012); RM6,614,861.59 (2013); RM8,887,576.69 (2014); RM9,198,523.67 (2015); RM5,520,818.05 (2016); and RM26,880,844.97 (2017).The plaintiff is demanding a total of RM57,167,069.35 with interest of 5% per annum on the total sum from the date of judgment until the date of realisation.It is also demanding costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.


AirAsia brings back fuel surcharge for all flights

AirAsia Malaysia will be introducing its fuel surcharges beginning March 8 for all domestic and international flights, citing escalating jet fuel prices exceeding US$120 per barrel.The fee, last abolished in 2015, will see domestic routes charged RM10 and international routes between RM25 and RM60, depending on duration of trip.In a statement, the low-cost airline said the surcharge will be applicable for all new flight bookings made on and after March 8.“Bookings made prior to March 8 will not be affected,” it added.AirAsia CEO Riad Asmat said the airline hoped that this would be a temporary measure, adding that it would continue to ensure that its fares remained as low as possible.AirAsia first introduced a fuel surcharge in 2005, abolishing it in 2008. The charge was reintroduced in 2011 and removed again in 2015.


Disabled activists claim JKM called in the cops to ‘frighten’ them

A group of disabled activists have accused the welfare department (JKM) of calling in the police to intimidate them when they went to the department to inquire about a case in which the Disabled Workers Allowance or EPC for a man was said to be cancelled without a proper investigation.The activists from the Independent Living & Training Centre Malaysia (ILTC) said they had travelled from Rawang to Kuala Lumpur yesterday to help Kumar Nadeson, a disabled person whom they said had been suffering throughout the Covid-19 pandemic without a proper income.“We all went there to help him to get the JKM monthly financial aid of EPC allowance.“They treated us very badly and even called the police to frighten us. We fought with JKM officers at the front desk,” they said in a statement.Videos of the incident show the activists at the department, arguing with several police officers.An activist is also seen shouting at an officer when politely asked to leave the premises.“We want to ask our welfare minister Rina Harun to explain to us how to help this serious issue, where we were very badly treated, very upset, and why they called the police,” the activists added.MalaysiaNow is seeking a response from the minister as well as the JKM officers.When contacted, ILTC president Francis Siva said Kumar’s allowance was cancelled because he had not renewed his application using a new form called “Borang Kaji Semula JKM”.“The last payment was in January 2020. After that, no payment was made until now,” he said.“He has lost more than RM5,000 so far. He submitted another form in November, but nothing was done.”Francis, who also said that the allowance was cancelled without proper checks, said the new application process was difficult for the disabled community as many of them are illiterate and do not know how to fill up the form.“They don’t understand the suffering of OKU people,” he said, using the Malay acronym for those who are disabled. “They can’t come to the office. Public transport is not convenient.”He said he and the activists have been trying to reach out to Rina to highlight the issue and to urge her to simplify the application process.He also said that Kumar’s application was immediately approved and a one-month allowance issued after the incident at the department.


Relief, confusion mingle among the homeless at Kuching vaccination drive

Every day, Madzidi Bujang moves from one place to another in Sarawak’s capital city looking for a sheltered spot to spend the night.His home is in Kampung Pulo, one of the many villages located along the Sarawak River across from the Kuching Waterfront.But it’s been months since the last time he was back.Madzidi is one of many living rough on the streets of Sarawak. Some nights, the best he can do is to curl up on a ledge off the five-foot-way of a shoplot in Padungan.He would like to go home, but family problems make this difficult.For now, the best he can do is to keep moving from one spot to another, doing what he can to keep safe from Covid-19.Sarawak has been ramping up its vaccination efforts and has double-jabbed more than 82% of its adult population to date. But reaching homeless people like Madzidi who are constantly on the move presents more of a challenge for authorities in their race to achieve herd immunity.Madzidi Bujang gives a thumbs up sign after being vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine.Mobile vaccination units have helped tremendously, and some 72% of homeless people across the state have been vaccinated with a first dose since authorities began rolling out their inoculation programme for the homeless in late July.Madzidi was one of 14 people to receive a second shot of Sinovac vaccine during an integrated mobile vaccination operation in Kuching on Sunday.“I’m nervous,” he told MalaysiaNow when met. “But I prefer to be vaccinated because I can’t do anything if I’m not vaccinated.”This includes working the odd jobs that have so far allowed him to scrape together a little food from day to day.Now that he has been vaccinated, Madzidi is more optimistic of his chances which before this were bleak, especially with the more contagious Delta variant of Covid-19 making its way throughout the state.On Sunday, Sarawak recorded 1,772 new cases, the majority – 99.77% – of which were grouped in Category One and Two.Kuching posted the most cases at 725, followed by Samarahan (242) and Bau (167).Daily cases fell to 1,538 on Monday.Voon Chong Choi gathers his belongings together after receiving a dose of Covid-19 vaccine.Othman Drahman who has been homeless for years and was vaccinated alongside Madzidi on Sunday said he too was grateful.He does his best to follow public health advice by wearing a face mask and not mixing with others in large gatherings. But being homeless leaves him with few options in life and sometimes adhering to SOPs is difficult.“I’m very eager for this,” he told MalaysiaNow. “Now I feel so much relief.”Others appeared confused about the nature or need for the vaccine, but waited in line to be jabbed nonetheless.“I don’t know,” a middle-aged man named Voon Chong Choi told MalaysiaNow when asked how he felt after receiving the vaccine.But despite the various levels of awareness about the virus and the benefits of vaccination, authorities remain confident that every person inoculated brings the state one step closer to the long-awaited goal of achieving herd immunity.“Providing vaccines for homeless people presents certain challenges. They can be hard to keep track of, or might have more immediate concerns than getting vaccinated.“However, we will make sure we work together to ensure that everything is done safely,” Sarawak Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Fatimah Abdullah said at a press conference on Sunday.


Hong Kong to disqualify disloyal politicians, officials

Hong Kong announced plans Tuesday to ramp up the ideological vetting of politicians and officials, with anyone seen to be disloyal to China or a national security threat barred from office.The draft law will be sent next month to the city’s legislature, a body now devoid of opposition after a number of figures were disqualified because their political views were deemed a security threat.Officials have detailed a “negative list” of offences that could see their colleagues removed from office, including acts that endanger national security, advocating for independence or refusing to accept China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong.The city’s Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang confirmed that criticism of the Chinese Communist Party could also be a disqualifying factor.“You can’t say you’re patriotic but don’t love the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership, or don’t respect it,” he told reporters after the new law was announced Tuesday. “This does not make sense.“Doing harm to the country’s fundamental system, its socialist system, or doing harm to the socialist system led by the Chinese Communist Party, shouldn’t be allowed.”China has ushered in a sweeping crackdown against critics in Hong Kong after huge and often violent pro-democracy protests rocked the financial hub in 2019.Opponents have been jailed and prosecuted while each month has also brought new laws, procedures and policies aimed at squeezing dissent and imposing a political orthodoxy, including a sweeping new national security law.Hong Kong has never been a democracy – something that has fuelled protests and resentment towards Beijing.But the city maintained a veneer of choice that allowed a small and vocal opposition to flourish at certain local elections.In recent years authorities have ramped up the disqualification of politicians either sitting in the city’s semi-elected legislature or standing as candidates, based on their political views.The new law expands disqualification powers to all public officials, including district councillors, who hold little political power but hold some of the only posts fully elected by popular vote.In late 2019 pro-democracy candidates won a massive majority of those positions, in a major blow for Beijing that underscored how – when given the chance – Hong Kongers tend to overwhelmingly opt for pro-democracy candidates.Under the proposed new law, all district councillors will now have to swear a new oath of allegiance to the state.Those who refuse to take the oath, make a false oath, or are deemed by officials to be insincere, will be barred from standing for five years.While officials said the law would not be retrospective they also said “past actions” would be taken into consideration in judging disqualifications.The announcement of the new requirements came a day after Xia Baolong, a top Chinese official, said plans were underway to ensure only “real patriots” run Hong Kong and to “close any loopholes” that allow “anti-China troublemakers” into politics.


Canada police clear key border bridge but protests still crippling capital

Canadian police on Sunday cleared a key US border bridge occupied by trucker-led demonstrators angry over Covid-19 restrictions, towing vehicles and making “several” arrests in their bid to quell a movement that has also paralysed downtown Ottawa.“Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador Bridge came to an end,” Drew Dilkens, mayor of Windsor, Ontario, said in a statement. “Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so.”US officials, who had pressed for a quick resolution as the blockades hit auto industries in both countries, praised what they called the “decisive” action in Windsor and said they expected the bridge to open by day’s end.Liz Sherwood-Randall, the White House national security advisor, said US and Canadian officials recognized “the imperative of taking swift, strong action and deterring future blockades.”The demonstrations have inspired copycat protests around the globe, including in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia, and with some US truckers discussing a protest for March.On Sunday, with thousands of protesters still paralysing the center of federal capital Ottawa, Canada’s public safety and emergency preparedness minister indicated that patience was running short.“Enough is enough,” Bill Blair told a CBC interviewer. “This has to come to an end. The situation in Ottawa is unacceptable and intolerable, and the police need to restore order and enforce the law in that city.”He said the border closures were having “an enormous impact” on Canadian workers and companies.Blair said the federal government, working with the provinces, was prepared to do “whatever is required in order to bring the situation back under control.”Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised that “this conflict must end,” but he has faced mounting criticism for failing to act more decisively.‘Zero tolerance’Police in Windsor had begun their operation on Saturday, moving deliberately as they worked to clear the major border crossing to the US city of Detroit, Michigan.No arrests were initially made, and drivers were warned that they potentially faced major fines, jail time and loss of their driver’s licenses if they continued blocking traffic, but some stood fast.Early Sunday, as pressure grew for an end to the standoff, Windsor police deployed a large contingent of officers after warning on Twitter that “there will be zero tolerance for illegal activity.”They were seen placing at least one bridge protester in handcuffs.“Several arrests were made,” they said in a statement. “The arrested persons are all facing a charge of mischief.”Amid widespread criticism of the time it took to clear the vital transit point – which carries 25% of all merchandise exported by both countries – the Windsor police defended their “progressive approach.”“This exercising of police discretion,” the statement said, “should not be confused with lack of enforcement.”Copycat protestsTruckers had originally converged on Ottawa two weeks ago to press their demand for an end to a vaccination requirement affecting truckers crossing the international border.But their demands have grown. The protesters now seek an end to all vaccine mandates, whether imposed by the federal or provincial governments.Police in Ottawa on Saturday estimated that some 4,000 demonstrators were still occupying the center city.The atmosphere among protesters has been festive, with music, dancing and constant sounding of air horns – but the noise, obstruction and sometimes rude and aggressive behavior of demonstrators has harmed area businesses and infuriated many locals.The truckers’ message, however, has resonated more widely than authorities expected.One opinion survey found that a third of Canadians support the protest movement.The truckers have also found support among conservatives and vaccine mandate opponents across the globe, even as Covid measures are being rolled back in many places.In Paris on Saturday, police fired tear gas and issued more than 300 fines in an effort to break up convoys of vehicles coming from across France.A vehicle convoy in the Netherlands brought The Hague’s city center to a standstill.In Switzerland, hundreds of protesters marched in Zurich to protest Covid-19 restrictions, while several thousand others rallied against them, Swiss media reported. Police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.An estimated 10,000 Australian protesters marched through the capital Canberra to decry vaccine mandates.And in Wellington, New Zealand, anti-mandate activists have been camped near the parliament for days.


UK Covid-19 death toll passes 50,000

The official British Covid-19 death toll passed 50,000 on Wednesday.Early in the pandemic, the government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, had said that keeping the death toll below 20,000 would be “a good outcome”.Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “Britain is not out of the woods yet. Every death is a tragedy, and we mourn everybody who’s gone.”Last week he ordered England back into a month-long national lockdown amid concerns that a second wave of infections could overwhelm the National Health Service.He has been criticised by political opponents for moving too slowly to declare both national lockdowns, for shortages of personal protective equipment and for failing to adequately protect the elderly in care homes.A further 22,950 people tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, up from 20,412 the day before.Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director of Public Health England, said in a statement, “Sadly the upward trend is likely to continue and it will be several weeks before any impact of the current measures is seen and reflected in the data.”The UK has the highest death toll in Europe, and worldwide the number is only higher in the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.


Germany-based energy company could swap Aussie LNG for Atlantic gas to supply Europe quicker

Germany's Uniper is prepared to swap liquefied natural gas (LNG) it gets from Australia's Woodside for US gas, so it can boost supplies in Europe more quickly during the coming winter, it said.
The strategy reflects efforts by companies and governments across Europe to seek alternative lines of supply and draw up contingency plans for the upcoming winter gas season, fearing Moscow could fully stop supplies of natural gas.
In case of supply shortages, Uniper could make available to customers in Europe, US LNG that was earmarked for Asian customers and could be sitting in the Atlantic, speeding up potential supply.
"Uniper does its utmost to bring in additional or redirect existing cargoes to Germany. The volumes from Australia could be swapped against volumes originating in the US and currently in the Atlantic and destined for Asian buyers in China, India and Japan," a spokesperson for the company said.
"We may make use of that facility in the coming winter, in case the volumes were needed for Europe," the spokesperson said, declining to give details of timings and volumes.
Uniper, which has a big wholesale energy trading floor with global reach, said it has contacts with buyers in Asia to potentially free up supplies, replacing them with gas it gets from Woodside under long-term supply contracts.
Russia since mid-June has drastically cut flows to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and currently supplies just 20% of agreed volumes, blaming faulty and delayed equipment, while Europe says the move has been politically motivated.
Uniper, Germany's largest importer of Russian gas, and Woodside doubled an existing 13-year deal from 2021 to 1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG. It is due to further increase to 2 million mtpa from 2026.
Apart from helping to meet soaring demand for LNG to replace Russian pipeline gas in an energy supply crisis, Uniper's plan would have the environmentally beneficial side effects of avoiding distances that needed to be travelled by LNG vessels, the spokesperson said.
Germany is desperate to find alternatives to gas from Russia, its main supplier, and has approached Qatar as a potential supplier, but sources have told Reuters that talks between the two parties have hit snags.
Uniper's larger peer RWE on Thursday said it was talking to a number of potential LNG suppliers, not just Qatar and North America, as the group widens its net for potential deals.


Nasa delays debut Artemis flight of new moon rocket after engine cooling issue

An engine-cooling problem forced Nasa on Monday to postpone for at least four days the debut test launch of the colossal new rocketship it plans to use for future astronaut flights back to the moon, more than 50 years after Apollo's last lunar mission.
The space agency declined to set a precise time frame for retrying a launch of the mission, dubbed Artemis I. But a second attempt was still possible as early as Friday, depending on the outcome of further data analysis, senior Nasa officials told a news briefing hours after the aborted countdown.
If engineers can resolve the issue on the launch pad in the next 48 to 72 hours, "Friday is definitely in play," Michael Sarafin, Nasa's Artemis mission manager told reporters.
The planned journey marks the kickoff of Nasa's highly vaunted moon-to-Mars Artemis program, the successor to the Apollo lunar missions of the 1960s and '70s, and the first voyage of both the Space Launch Vehicle (SLS) rocket and its Orion astronaut capsule.
The mission calls for a six-week, uncrewed test flight of the Orion capsule around the moon and back to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific.
The malfunction on Monday surfaced as the rocket's fuel tanks were being filled with super-cooled liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellants at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Launch teams had begun a "conditioning" process to chill the four main SLS engines sufficiently, but one engine failed to cool down as expected, Nasa said. The flight was called off two minutes after the targeted launch time.
Late-hour launch postponements are routine in the space business, and Monday's was not in itself an immediate indication of a major setback for Nasa or its primary contractors, Boeing Co for SLS and Lockheed Martin Corp for Orion.
"We don’t launch until it’s right," Nasa chief Bill Nelson said in a webcast interview after liftoff was scrubbed. "This is a very complicated machine, a very complicated system, and all those things have to work. And you don’t want to light the candle until it’s ready to go."
Still, the delay was a disappointment to thousands of spectators who gathered on the shores around Cape Canaveral, with binoculars in hand. Vice President Kamala Harris had just arrived at the space center, joining a throng of invited guests attending the event.
The voyage is intended to put the 5.75-million-pound vehicle through its paces in a rigorous demonstration flight, pushing its design limits, before Nasa deems it reliable enough to carry astronauts in a subsequent flight targeted for 2024.
Billed as the most powerful, complex rocket in the world, the SLS represents the biggest new vertical launch system the US space agency has built since the Saturn V rocket flown during Apollo, which grew out of the US-Soviet space race of the Cold War era.
Due to the complexity of the issue that emerged on Monday and constraints on how long a rocket is permitted to remain at a launch tower before blastoff, the spacecraft could end up being rolled back to its vehicle assembly building if trouble-shooting and repairs drag on for too long.
Such a move would involve a more extended delay than a few days or a week. But Nasa officials said they were not ready to make that call yet.
Monday's show-stopping technical snag was foreshadowed weeks ago during Nasa's pre-launch "wet-dress rehearsal" tests of the SLS, when a problem with a hydrogen fuel line on the rocket forced engineers to forgo a full engine-conditioning test.
Nasa officials opted to proceed to final launch preparations and essentially defer the first conditioning run-through until the actual countdown, acknowledging then that such a strategy could end up causing a liftoff delay, as occurred on Monday.
One additional hitch was a "vent valve" problem that hampered engineers' ability to place sufficient pressure on a hydrogen fuel tank, Sarafin said.
Nasa officials said they expected to gain greater clarity on next steps after a meeting set for Tuesday to review data collected from the launch attempt.
Five decades since humans last on moon
If the first two Artemis missions succeed, Nasa is aiming to land astronauts back on the moon, including the first woman to set foot on the lunar surface, as early as 2025, though many experts believe that time frame is likely to slip by a few years.
The last humans to walk on the moon were the two-man descent team of Apollo 17 in 1972, following in the footsteps of 10 other astronauts during five earlier missions beginning with Apollo 11 in 1969.
The Artemis program seeks to eventually establish a long-term lunar base as a stepping stone to even more ambitious astronaut voyages to Mars, a goal that NASA officials have said will probably take until at least the late 2030s to achieve.
The program was named for the goddess who was Apollo's twin sister in ancient Greek mythology.
SLS has been under development for more than a decade, with years of delays and cost overruns. But Artemis also has generated tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in commerce.
Although no humans will be aboard, Orion will be carrying a simulated crew of three - one male and two female mannequins - fitted with sensors to measure radiation levels and other stresses that real-life astronauts would experience.


Zahid summoned but royal audience postponed as well

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, scheduled at Istana Negara tomorrow, has been postponed.Zahid, when contacted, confirmed the postponement but said that a new date had not been fixed.“Postponed. New date not fixed,” the Bagan Datoh MP said.Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan, after attending a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council’s political bureau late last night, told reporters that Zahid was scheduled to have an audience with Sultan Abdullah at 5pm on Thursday.This was after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was granted an audience with the king at Istana Negara yesterday after claiming to have secured the support of more than 120 MPs to form a new government.


Chinese military will send troops to Russia for joint exercise

Chinese troops will travel to Russia to take part in a joint exercise with Russia and other countries including India, Belarus and Tajikistan, the Chinese defence ministry said on Wednesday.
China's participation in the joint exercises is "unrelated to the current international and regional situation," the ministry said in a statement.
The exercises are part of an ongoing bilateral annual cooperation agreement, it said. Similar Russian-led joint exercises involving China have taken place in recent years.
"The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic collaboration among the participating parties, and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats," the statement said.


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‘Honour killings will now be punished’ in UAE as part of sweeping reforms

Known for its record-breaking skyscrapers and luxury lifestyles, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now seeking to boost its international standing and to consolidate its “principles of tolerance”, according to the state-run WAM news agency.As part of this effort, the UAE announced  sweeping reforms of its Islamic legal code on Saturday.Traditionally, in many Arab countries “honour crimes” carry weak or no penalties. The internationally condemned custom means that male relatives may escape prosecution for murdering a daughter or sister who is thought to have brought shame on his family. By murdering her, he restores the family’s good name.Women’s organisations and human rights groups have been calling for years for the “honour” defence to be scrapped. Now the reforms mean there will no longer be separate sentencing guidelines for “honour” killings. In future, those convicted will face life imprisonment or the death penalty. The only exception is if the victim’s family waives its right to justice, but even then the penalty will be a minimum of seven years.Abu Dhabi’s The National reports that the reforms, already approved by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, also include higher penalties for other offences against women.Men convicted of sexual harassment will face tougher sentences, and those convicted of raping a minor or “someone with limited mental capacity” will now face the death penalty.In another major shake-up, the country is also scrapping its penalties for Muslims convicted of alcohol possession and consumption.Beer and liquor have long been widely available in clubs and bars in the UAE, but entry was difficult for Muslims. It was necessary to possess a government-issued license for anyone to buy alcohol at government liquor stores and take it home to drink. This “liquor licence” was automatically granted to non-Muslims on arrival but forbidden to all Muslims whether foreign or local. The reforms appear to allow them to now drink freely.Expatriates make up 90% of the UAE’s population. The oil-rich state could not function without its foreign workforce as there are simply not enough Emiratis.


Emotions take over, it’s cool to be whacking govt, says Pua

Despite his party’s rejection of an offer by Muhyiddin Yassin, DAP’s Damansara MP Tony Pua has defended his view, saying people had acted based on emotions in summarily dismissing the cross-party consensus spelt out by the prime minister.Interviewed by Harith Iskander on his current affairs talk show, Pua said it was difficult for politicians to put politics aside and work together across party barriers to solve the people’s problems.“The best example of trying to put politics aside and work together is the offer the prime minister has put on the table for us. But emotions take over.“I completely understand the anger involved, but that’s when I put up the post hoping to put politics aside ‘sikit’, and that this was an opportunity to do some good for the country,” said Pua, who has courted condemnation from some fellow opposition MPs over his stand that they should at least discuss Muhyiddin’s proposal.On Friday, Muhyiddin listed seven items in a cross-party consensus to avoid a collapse of the government which he said risked a power vacuum that could be filled by “kleptocrats” while disrupting efforts to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.Among others, he pledged to channel equal allocations of funds to all MPs across the political divide, enact an anti-hopping law, limit the prime minister’s tenure in office, and ensure a balanced representation of MPs from the government and opposition in the Special Parliamentary Select Committee.Pua and Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming, both from DAP, had publicly said that the matter should be discussed by the opposition.Pakatan Harapan, the coalition which includes DAP, however rejected the proposal hours later.Pua said while there had been occasions where DAP had ignored politics in the greater interest of solving the people’s problems during the pandemic, such a move was unpopular.“It’s generally not the coolest thing to do. It’s more cool to be whacking the government, and it’s easier,” he said.He cited as an example DAP’s meeting with Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz to hand over suggestions for the government’s Covid-19 recovery plan, adding that some of them had been accepted.Pua also cited the appointment of DAP’s Ong by Putrajaya’s Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) to oversee the vaccination drive in the Klang Valley.“It’s not so cool to be sitting in a committee that the government runs trying to fix difficult problems because we may get dragged down by it.“Am I being too honest here?” he asked during the interview last night.Explaining his stand on the cross-party consensus, Pua said it was an opportunity to implement reforms.He questioned opposition politicians who rejected the proposal on the argument that the current government cannot be trusted.“I think we should consider. Consider means go and talk la, bincang dulu.“Then the next question is whether we can trust him to deliver. That’s why bincang is important.”Pua said the question of sincerity did not arise as it was akin to a transaction.“You want to buy a house? I don’t believe you pay up. You pay earnest deposit first, non-refundable so that I know you’re committed to these terms.“So the sincerity and trust issues no longer matter because the deposit has been paid. And if he does not deliver, you don’t deliver, because from now until the next eight to 10 months, any bill that comes need the support of the opposition. So you don’t deliver, we don’t support, and the government collapses and he wouldn’t want it.“If we have nothing on him, he can promise anything and we cannot assure he will deliver. But now we have something, we are grabbing hold of something,” Pua said.


New infections top 2,000 as another 4 deaths logged

Another 2,092 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,528,390.There were 1,876 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,470,067.There are now 22,607 active cases, of which 21,589 or 95.5% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 16 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 978 (4.3%) have been hospitalised.A total of 24 are in ICU with 12 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 61.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 5.5%.Another four deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,716.


Chicken export curbs ruffle feathers down south in Singapore

The government’s move to cut exports of chickens to control soaring prices and combat domestic shortages ruffled feathers today, with neighbouring Singapore warning of supply disruptions.Malaysia became the latest country to curb food exports as prices surged, after India banned wheat shipments and Indonesia temporarily halted palm oil exports.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced late yesterday that the export of up to 3.6 million chickens a month would be halted from June 1 “until prices and supply stabilise”.“The government cares about and takes seriously the issue of rising prices and the current (low) supply of chickens that is hurting” Malaysians, he said in a statement.The move followed mounting complaints in Malaysia but it triggered concerns in Singapore, the small city-state that relies in large part on its neighbour for food supplies.Around a third of Singapore’s chicken imports came from Malaysia in 2021, according to the city-state’s food agency.The agency warned of “temporary disruptions to the supply of chilled chicken”, but added that it was working with importers to minimise the impact.“We also advise consumers to buy only what they need,” it said in a statement.Some stalls selling chicken at fresh produce markets in Singapore warned they might have to close temporarily as a result of the ban, news outlet CNA reported.Malaysia also exports chickens to markets including Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong.As well as curbing exports, Ismail said Malaysia would seek to boost its chicken stocks, abolished some import permits, and vowed that price-fixing allegations would be investigated.Malaysia’s headline inflation rose to 2.2% in March, with food prices up 4%.Concerns are growing worldwide about food insecurity due to climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the World Bank warning this month that price increases were having “devastating effects”.


Zahid appoints his deputy as election chief, axes Tajuddin

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today appointed his deputy Mohamad Hasan as the party’s election director, less than a week after incumbent Tajuddin Abdul Rahman attacked the party leadership during a Supreme Council meeting.Zahid said the move was to restructure the Umno election department and to strengthen the organisation including at the grassroots level.“With Mohamad Hasan’s position as deputy chairman of Barisan Nasional (BN), it will facilitate the decision-making process in election preparations which will involve all component parties of BN,” he said in a statement today.He also thanked Tajuddin for his service as election director up until now.Tajuddin was among senior Umno leaders who disagreed with Zahid’s proposal to revoke the party’s support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.“If we pull out now, do you think the government will collapse? They may go to DAP, to get an understanding. DAP will support, it does not have to join the government, they just give their vote,” he had said during the Supreme Council meeting on July 7.He also said there was no guarantee that Umno could solve the problems of Covid-19 and the economy.“There were many decisions that we made in the past. All gone wrong,” he said.


Fourth Covid-19 cluster detected in Sabah

A new Covid-19 cluster was detected in Semporna, Sabah on Monday, making it the fourth in the state after the Benteng LD, Pulau and Laut clusters.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the index case for the new Selamat cluster was case 9969, a 32-year-old Malaysian who tested positive for the virus on Sept 14 while undergoing screening at the Tawau hospital for premature labour.“Through close contact screening and active case detection, another positive case was detected involving the medical officer who treated the index case,” he said in a statement on Covid-19 developments yesterday.To date, 118 individuals from this cluster have been screened, two of whom tested positive for Covid-19. The rest are awaiting their results.Noor Hisham said the source of infection is being investigated, and transmission prevention activity is ongoing.“Disinfection and cleaning have been carried out in the identified areas,” he added.On the Benteng LD cluster, he said two new cases were reported, bringing the total number of positive cases from this cluster to 474.To date, 7,670 individuals from this cluster in Lahad Datu and Tawau have been screened.As for the Sungai cluster, he said six new positive cases were detected, bringing the total to 65.“A total of 22,317 individuals were screened from this cluster with 22,153 of them screened in Kedah, 136 in Penang and 28 more in Perlis. The total includes 1,148 health workers, of whom 26 tested positive for Covid-19,” he said.He urged the people to continue observing the SOPs while attending gatherings and when in public places.


Zahid received gratification for himself, prosecution tells court in VLN case

The prosecution told the Shah Alam High Court today that former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had received gratification for himself.
Deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob said the contributions were personally delivered by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB)'s officers to Zahid and had not gone into Umno's account although the payments were said to be political contributions.
"Although the defence is saying the money was a political donation, it was not paid to his political party.
"UKSB also never put the money into Umno's account nor did it obtain receipts for the payments. The accused also did not refuse or ask for the money to be taken away when it was handed to him," Malik said in his submission at the end of the prosecution's case.
Malik said the evidence from three key witnesses comprising former UKSB directors Harry Lee Vui Khiun and Wan Quoris Shah Wan Abdul Ghani, and UKSB administrative manager David Tan Siong Sun, who are the 15th, 16th and 17th prosecution witnesses, was consistent on the delivery of the money to Zahid.
"Lee and Wan Quoris Shah were in agreement when they testified that the accused never indicated the amount to be contributed, only the fact that the accused indicated that the contributions must be made in cash and in Singapore dollars.
"They also concurred that the money was delivered at Country Heights, Kajang or Seri Satria, Putrajaya, and at night after 10pm. They were also able to describe the accused’s private or official residences and where the deliveries took place in the residences," he said.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Zander Lim Wai Keong submitted about the defence’s complaint that the public prosecutor had acted unfairly, was biased and had practised selective prosecution against the accused.
"The question to be considered by the court is whether the accused’s right to a fair trial has been infringed upon or not," he said.
Lim said Zahid was represented by a very competent legal team which was given the right to cross-examine all of the prosecution witnesses and to put up their defence during the prosecution’s case, as well as a reasonable time frame to file written submissions.
"The accused was also given the right to submit the defence orally at the close of the prosecution’s case and without a doubt, this case is heard before My Lord who is independent and impartial," he said. Lim also submitted that there was no violation of the accused’s rights under Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution.
"The charge faced by the accused is not discriminatory in nature. The accused has been given the same procedural rights for relief and for defence as any other accused in a criminal trial without discrimination.
"The accused is entitled to put forward all of his defences including the examination of the prosecution’s witnesses," he added.
Zahid, 69, faces 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB for himself as home minister to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the OSC service in China and the VLN system, as well as to maintain the contract agreement to supply the VLN integrated system to the same company by the home ministry.
On another seven counts, he was charged with obtaining for himself S$1,150,000, RM3 million, 15,000 Swiss francs and US$15,000 from the same company which had official links with his official duty.
He was charged with committing the offences at Seri Satria, Precinct 16, Putrajaya, and Country Heights, Kajang between October 2014 and March 2018.
The prosecution will continue its submissions before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa tomorrow.


Pharmaniaga to deliver 12 million Sinovac shots 4 months ahead of schedule

Pharmaniaga LifeScience Sdn Bhd (PLS), a subsidiary company of Pharmaniaga Bhd (Pharmaniaga), is expected to deliver 12.4 million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to the government by next week, instead of November as stated under the original agreement.Pharmaniaga managing director Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the supply was being hastened by four months following the surge in cases since April, adding that PLS is operating 24 hours each day in order to achieve the target.Zulkarnain said PLS had so far delivered 11.5 million doses or 93% of the Sinovac vaccine, comprising 3.6 million doses through “fill and finish” manufacturing and 7.9 million doses of the imported finished product.He said Pharmaniaga had signed a contract to supply about 12 million doses of the vaccine to the government with delivery to be completed by November.“However, due to the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country, we (Pharmaniaga) have asked for speedier delivery.“Alhamdulillah, we have done a ‘mix and match’, whereby we import the finished product (Sinovac) from China to be supplied to the government,” he said at a virtual media conference today on the latest developments pertaining to the Sinovac vaccine distribution.He added that so far, PLS had supplied 5.5 million doses of the vaccine through “fill and finish” manufacturing, of which 3.6 million doses that were approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) had been delivered.He also said that Pharmaniaga was prepared to provide additional supplies of the vaccine as requested by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, and would offer an additional supply of two million doses to the government.“We are waiting for further directives from the government… if it wishes to obtain this supply, we will give our cooperation and deliver it before the end of July,” he said.Zulkanain also said that Pharmaniaga was prepared to supply the doses of the vaccine to state governments and the private sector after completing its supply to the federal government.He said up until now, PLS had received orders for five million doses of the vaccine from state governments and the private sector.


Russia silences independent media amid Ukraine conflict

Russia’s blocking of a liberal radio station and an independent TV channel has shaken remaining independent media in the country who see the invasion of Ukraine as opening up a “second front” against them.Russia’s prosecutor general on Tuesday ordered the country’s media watchdog to “restrict access” to the Ekho Moskvy radio station and the Dozhd TV channel.It said the ban stems from the “purposeful and systematic” posting of “information calling for extremist and violent acts” and for propagating “deliberately false information about the actions of Russian military personnel” in Ukraine.The past year has seen an unprecedented crackdown on independent and critical voices in Russia.Dozens of media workers and independent outlets – including Dozhd – have been designated “foreign agents” by authorities.A term with Soviet-era undertones, the status obliges those hit with the label to disclose sources of funding and label publications – including social media posts – with a tag or face fines.The day after the ban on Dozhd was handed down, the channel’s editor-in-chief Tikhon Dziadko announced on Telegram that he had fled Russia, like some of his colleagues, saying he was “in danger”.The latest shutdowns were due to the independent media refusing to toe the official line on the war in Ukraine.According to the Kremlin, the action in neighbouring Ukraine is a military operation, not invasion, designed to protect Russia from the West and to protect Russian speakers from “genocide”.‘Censorship’At the same time, the government is preparing to tighten its repressive legal arsenal.A bill providing for up to 15 years in prison for any publication of “fake news” concerning the Russian armed forces will be examined in the Duma during an extraordinary session on Friday, parliamentarian Sergei Boyarsky told the state-run TASS news agency.The prosecutor’s office stressed over the weekend that “providing financial, logistical, consultative or other assistance” to a foreign organisation or state for “their activities against the security of Russia” constitutes high treason, and is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.The vague wording of the law makes it applicable in a broad number of cases.“There are enough laws in Russia to condemn a journalist for any reason. And enough tools to eliminate a media outlet,” said Galina Timchenko, director of the Meduza news website, which publishes in Russian and English and is based in EU-member Latvia.“Censorship is already in place,” she added, after Russia’s ban in the media of the words “invasion,” “offensive” and “declaration of war” issued Saturday.There is also a ban on mentioning civilian deaths caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.However, on Wednesday, Meduza welcomed its readers with the word “war” written in large letters.“In any case (Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor) will soon pull the plug on us,” said a journalist on the site, speaking on condition of anonymity.Information war“Other media will soon be blocked,” echoed Lev Ponomarev, a respected human rights activist who has already been arrested for demonstrating against the war, like thousands of other Russians at small gatherings across the country.There’s a “blanket ban coming down” said Jeanne Cavelier, Russian head of the Reporters Without Borders NGO.In addition to Ekho Moskvy radio and Dozhd TV channel, at least six other Russian media outlets have been blocked by Roskomnadzor since the invasion of Ukraine began on Feb 24, she said.Adding to that list, The Village Russian-language website was banned by the media regulator on Wednesday evening.Cavalier predicts that no independent media will survive in Russia, not even the opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.The “war on the media” is “the second front” of the invasion of Ukraine, says Timchenko.“The Kremlin is afraid of losing this information war”, adds Ponomarev.Meanwhile state-run media are in overdrive.Dmitry Kiselyov, considered a Kremlin mouthpiece with a long-running Sunday TV programme, proclaimed during a presentation of Russia’s nuclear forces, “what’s the point of having a world in which Russia no longer exists?”Kiselyov is on the EU sanctions list introduced over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.“It’s as if we’re going back to the Soviet era, except that now the Internet exists,” said Cavelier, who expects independent websites to be blocked and journalists to be arrested.Alexei Mukhin, director of the pro-Kremlin Centre for Political Information in Moscow, says “censorship is simply impossible in the Internet era” and denies any offensive against respectable media.On the other hand, Russian authorities are facing “political opponents who have gone mad and are participating in an information war, spreading Ukrainian propaganda and generating panic”, he added.For Meduza’s Timchenko, there is little doubt on the outcome of the Kremlin’s battle against independent media.“I have the impression that Putin’s final goal is to keep only those who are in his favour. The rest will be forced to flee or be eliminated.”