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☆ Malaysian urges palm oil producers to boost cooperation after EU rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Slideshow ( 2 images )KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia on Thursday called on countries producing palm oil to strengthen cooperation following new European Union (EU) legislation aimed at reducing the use of palm oil-based fuels. The EU is a key palm oil importer but demand is expected to fall significantly within the next 10 years due to a renewable energy directive to phase out palm-based transport fuels by 2030 over perceived links to deforestation. Malaysian Commodities minister Fadillah Yusof urged the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) - led by Indonesia and Malaysia - to work together against the new regulations and to combat “baseless allegations” made by the EU and the United States about the sustainability of the edible oil. CPOPC had previously accused the EU of unfairly targeting palm oil and creating trade barriers. Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim this week agreed to “fight discrimination against palm oil” and strengthen cooperation through CPOPC.

☆ With few entry tests, Southeast Asia may gain most from China's travel revival
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Xinghui Kok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Except for airplane wastewater testing by Malaysia and Thailand for the virus, the region's 11 nations will treat Chinese travellers like any others. As many as 76% of Chinese travel agencies ranked Southeast Asia as the top destination when outbound travel resumed, according to a survey released in December by trade show ITB China. Thailand already expects to welcome 5 million Chinese travellers this year, or about half of the 10.99 million of 2019. Neighbouring Malaysia projects 1.5 million to 2 million Chinese tourists this year versus 3 million before the pandemic. "But for Cambodia, it’s an invitation to Chinese people: Chinese tourists, come to Cambodia."

☆ Malaysia to screen inbound travellers, including from China, for fever
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Malaysia on Friday said it will screen all inbound travellers for fever and test wastewater from aircraft arriving from China for COVID-19 as part of fresh measures to prevent an outbreak following Beijing's decision to lift strict zero-COVID policies. The Health Ministry is taking preventative measures as the country faces a risk of an influx of coronavirus cases from abroad, Minister Zaliha Mustafa said in a statement. Malaysia joins countries like United States, India, Italy and Japan in taking new measures as a wave of infections erupted across China after Beijing's abrupt decision to dismantle COVID restrictions. Zaliha said Malaysia will screen body temperatures of all inbound travellers, including those from China, and those detected with fever or other symptoms will be tested for COVID-19. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"It's not a question of if it will happen, it's now just a matter of how many and how fast." As the Lunar New Year holiday - typically a peak travel period for Chinese tourists - starts on Jan. 21, some businesses are already gearing up. Japan, however, is being cautious about Chinese tourism due to the rapid spread of the virus in China. Australia, Germany, Thailand and others, however, said they would not impose additional rules on Chinese travel for now, with France taking to social media platform Sina Weibo to emphasise it welcomed Chinese friends "with open arms". "I suspect any meaningful rebound will have to wait until the travel boom in June or July next year."

☆ Malaysia finds body of last person unaccounted for in campsite landside
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Rescuers work during a rescue and evacuation operation following a landslide at a campsite in Batang Kali, Selangor, Malaysia, December 17, 2022. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Rescue teams in Malaysia on Saturday recovered the body of the last person unaccounted for after a landslide that flattened a campsite last week, bringing what is thought to be the final death toll to 31. Rescue workers, in their ninth day of search operations, found the body of a boy in a sleeping bag while digging through mud and debris, Hulu Selangor police chief Suffian Abdullah said. Suffian said they believe all victims have now been found, but search operations will continue to assist in investigations. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thailand hosts Myanmar junta figures in talks, key ASEAN nations skip
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Foreign ministers of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam's deputy foreign minister joined the talks hosted by Thailand's foreign minister, according to Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke. "The consultation was a non-ASEAN meeting but intended to complement ASEAN’s ongoing collective efforts to find a peaceful political resolution," Kanchana said in a statement. Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin attended along with Kan Zaw, minister for investment and foreign economic relations, and Ko Ko Hlaing, minister for international cooperation, Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a statement. The Philippines said its foreign minister would also not join, without elaborating. "Any meeting convened under ASEAN, formal or informal, should not divert from this decision," it said, according to the source.

☆ Malaysia floods force tens of thousands to evacuate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

At least two people have died as floods hit five states this week, and authorities have set up hundreds of relief shelters as the number of people displaced grows. [1/5] Residents are rescued by a boat from the flood relief centre as the flood water rise and partially submerged the building at Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia December 21, 2022. More than 70000 were forced into relief centres, with numbers rising in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, according to local media. REUTERS/Stringer 1 2 3 4 5Videos on social media showed brown water gushing into fields and streets, submerging cars and causing rivers to breach their banks. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Known in the legal world as the “death penalty” of child welfare, it can happen in a matter of months. One in 100 U.S. children — disproportionately Black and Native American — experience termination through the child welfare system before they turn 18, the study found. Still, longer timelines can also reflect a stronger focus on family reunification and a willingness to devote greater resources to meet that goal, child welfare experts say. And some child welfare advocates have criticized the law’s focus on narrow initiatives like parenting classes, which they say fail to address poverty and the other root causes of neglect that prompt most child welfare cases. Snodgrass said she never imagined when her child welfare case started that she could lose her rights to her children.

Of the 94 people caught in the landslide, 61 were safe and nine still missing, the Selangor state fire and rescue department said. Hulu Selangor police chief Suffian Abdullah said police have questioned the operator and two workers of the campsite at Father's Organic Farm. [1/2] A rescuer crew member pats a sniffer dog being used to aid in the search for victims of the landslide in Batang Kali, Selangor, Malaysia, December 17, 2022. Flooding is also common, with about 21,000 people displaced last year by torrential rain in seven states. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu amd Yuddy Cahya Budiman; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Search continues for 9 campers caught in Malaysia landslide
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A rescuer crew member pats a sniffer dog being used to aid in the search for victims of the landslide in Batang Kali, Selangor, Malaysia, December 17, 2022. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The search for missing campers caught in a deadly landslide at an unlicensed campsite in Malaysia continued for a third day on Sunday, with the fire department saying the chance of finding survivors is slim. Of the 94 people caught in the landslide, 61 were safe and nine still missing, the Selangor state fire and rescue department said. Responders have deployed excavators and rescue dogs to search for people trapped under mud and debris, while heavy rain has raised concern of further landslides. Flooding is also common, with about 21,000 people displaced last year by torrential rain in seven states.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Rescue teams searching for survivors from a landslide that tore though a campsite in Malaysia recovered the bodies of a woman and two children on Saturday, officials said, raising the death toll to 24. The landslide in Batang Kali, a popular hilly area about 50 km (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, flattened the unlicensed campsite early on Friday while people slept in their tents. Of the 94 people caught in the slide, 61 were safe and nine still missing, according to the Selangor state fire and rescue department. Search and rescue operations resumed for a second day earlier on Saturday, after a halt overnight due to heavy rains. Survivors are in stable condition and will also receive trauma counselling, said Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa.

☆ Malaysia campsite search continues as 12 still missing after deadly landslide
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Rescuers work during a rescue and evacuation operation following a landslide at a campsite in Batang Kali, Selangor state, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 16, 2022, in this picture obtained from social media. Korporat JBPM/via REUTERSKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The search for the remaining 12 campers caught in Friday's deadly landslide at an unlicensed campsite in Malaysia continued for a second day after an overnight halt due to bad weather, officials said. At least 21 people, including five children, were killed after a landslide in Batang Kali, a popular hilly area about 50 km (30 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, tore down while people slept in their tents. There were 94 people caught in the landslide but 61 were safe, with 12 still missing, according to the Malaysia National Disaster Management Agency. ($1 = 4.4220 ringgit)Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Food inflation: Tight grain, oilseed supplies to keep prices elevated
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Naveen Thukral | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"As this stage, it looks highly unlikely, if we look at the global production prospects for cereals and oilseeds." Wheat, corn and palm oil futures have from dropped from record or multi-year highs but prices in the retail market remain elevated and tight supplies are forecast to support prices in 2023. Food imports costs are already on course to hit a near $2 trillion record in 2022, forcing poor countries to cut consumption. Corn and soybeans climbed to their highest in a decade, while Malaysia's benchmark crude palm oil prices climbed to a record high in March. For rice, prices are expected to remain high as long as export duties imposed earlier this year by India, the world's biggest supplier, remain in place, traders said.

Put another way, more Black children in metro Phoenix will go through a child maltreatment investigation than won’t. Almost all described a system so omnipresent among Black families that it has created a kind of communitywide dread: of that next knock on the door, of that next warrantless search of their home. Many Black families first moved there as a result of redlining and racial covenants that blocked them from renting or owning property elsewhere. In Maricopa County, Black children experienced child welfare investigations at one of the highest rates among large counties nationally, and nearly three times the rate of their white peers, from 2015 to 2019. But throughout the country, investigations were more pervasive among Black families.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBitcoin hovers near $17,000, and lawmakers threaten to subpoena SBF: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, Calanthia Mei, the co-founder of Masa Finance, discusses crypto markets following the collapse of FTX and what investors can expect in 2023.

TSMC's Arizona factory has sparked concerns in Taiwan, where semiconductor manufacturing is the backbone of the economy, about a "goodbye to Taiwan" trend among chip firms. "TSMC's research and development centre is in Taiwan, the complete supply chain is here," she said. "Taiwan has a complete supply chain, a complete system, and the backing of the government. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (2330.TW), , as it is formally called, has repeatedly said that the bulk of its manufacturing will remain in Taiwan. It is also encouraging more foreign tech firms in the chip supply chain to invest in Taiwan.

The Williams Racing team has won nine World Constructors' Championships and seven World Drivers' Championships in Formula 1. He said all F1 teams faced the challenge of "how to spend the money wisely and be highly efficient." "We won't be as competitive as someone with a few years of experience in F1," Capito said. "It's also a good opportunity for the young drivers. Capito added that he was determined to keep morale high, which "has to come from the leader."

☆ Taiwan president resigns as party leader after election loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party following local election losses on Saturday suffered by her party. Tsai had spoken out many times about “opposing China and defending Taiwan” in the course of campaigning for her party. “Faced with a result like this, there are many areas that we must deeply review.”Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen casts her ballot at a polling station in New Taipei City, Taiwan on Nov. 26, 2022. They’ve raised a local election to this international level, and Taiwan’s survival,” said Yeh-lih Wang, a political science professor at National Taiwan University. At an elementary school in New Taipei City, the city that surrounds Taipei, voters young and old came early despite the rain.

☆ Malaysia's PM Anwar says cabinet of ministers to be smaller
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Malaysia's new Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday said the cabinet of ministers in his government will be smaller compared to previous administrations. In a news conference, he also said support for his ruling coalition exceeded two-thirds majority in parliament. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu Editing by Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Malaysia's Anwar begins work as PM after polarising election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Malaysia's newly appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim greets his supporters as he leaves his news conference in Sungai Long, Selangor, Malaysia November 24, 2022. Office of Anwar Ibrahim/Afiq Hambali/Handout via REUTERSKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim is expected to start discussions on forming his cabinet on Friday as he begins work as prime minister at a challenging time, with the economy slowing and the country deeply split after a close election. Anwar, who was appointed by Malaysia's king following an inconclusive election, said that the people of Malaysia had long been awaiting change. Both men's coalitions failed to win a majority in Saturday's election, but Malaysia's constitutional monarch, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, appointed Anwar after speaking to several lawmakers. Markets surged on Thursday on the end of political deadlock, but investors will be monitoring how Anwar manages the aftermath of the election.

☆ Reaction to Anwar Ibrahim's appointment as Malaysian prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's king appointed long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister on Thursday, ending five days of unprecedented post-election crisis after inconclusive polls. Anwar's appointment caps a three-decade long political journey from a protege of veteran leader Mahathir Mohamad to protest leader, to a prisoner convicted of sodomy, to opposition leader and, finally, prime minister. The former finance minister and deputy prime minister will have to address soaring inflation and slowing growth, while calming ethnic tension that has flared since a Saturday election. ADIB ZALKAPLI, DIRECTOR AT POLITICAL RISK CONSULTANCY BOWERGROUPASIA:"With the appointment of Anwar as the 10th prime minister, this is a closure to the longest-running political crisis in Malaysia that began 24 years ago when he was sacked by the prime minister Mahathir Mohamad .... So it's an important closure, Anwar has been the longest-serving potential prime minister candidate.

☆ Malaysia's wait for PM continues for fourth day as post-election crisis drags on
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Election workers prepare a polling station ahead of the polling day of Malaysia's general election at Permatang Pauh, Penang, Malaysia November 18, 2022. Malaysia's king will pick the new premier, after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin missed his Tuesday afternoon deadline to put together an alliance with other parties to form a government. The constitutional monarch plays a largely ceremonial role but can appoint a premier he believes will command a majority in parliament. Anwar's coalition won the most seats in the Saturday election with 82, while Muhyiddin's bloc won 73. Muhyiddin said he had declined the King's suggestion for the two rivals to work together to form a "unity government".

"We continue to be on high alert and will aggressively remove any violative content," TikTok, which is owned by the China-based firm ByteDance, said in a statement. TikTok said it had been in contact with Malaysian authorities on severe and repeat violations of its community guidelines since the lead-up to the election. One of the alliances hoping to form a government is a conservative, largely ethnic Malay, Muslim group led by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin. SULTANS TO MEETReuters reviewed about 100 videos on TikTok, some of which featured people displaying weapons such as knives and machetes. In response, a flood of videos explaining the history of the May 13 violence have surfaced with many ethnic Malay users calling for unity and criticising those inciting violence.

☆ Malaysian king calls council of sultans to resolve election crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah waves to media members waiting outside the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia November 21, 2022. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Malaysia's king on Wednesday called a special meeting of his fellow hereditary sultans to discuss who should be prime minister as an unprecedented post-election crisis entered its fourth day. King Al-Sultan Abdullah made his announcement of a special council after meeting lawmakers from the incumbent Barisan Nasional coalition. Anwar's coalition, known as Pakatan Harapan, won the most seats in the Saturday election with 82, while Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional bloc won 73. Police this week cautioned social media users to refrain from posting "provocative" content on race and religion after the divisive election.

☆ Explainer: Who is Malaysia's king and why is he picking the prime minister?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

King Al-Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah ascended the throne in 2019 at the age of 59, becoming Malaysia's 16th monarch since it gained independence from Britain in 1957. The silver-haired, bespectacled Al-Sultan Abdullah became king after the surprise abdication of the previous king. The king appointed Muhyiddin prime minister in February 2020 when then-premier Mahathir Mohamad resigned due to coalition infighting. The king has summoned 30 lawmakers from the Barisan Nasional alliance for a meeting on Wednesday to determine who becomes prime minister. Whoever is eventually named prime minister is likely to face more political turbulence of the kind that has plagued the country in recent years.

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