SINGAPORE, Oct 30 — Warrants of arrest have been issued against 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians believed to be involved in a scam ring operating out of Cambodia, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed yesterday.

The 34 suspects, who are currently outside Singapore, are thought to be connected to 15 individuals charged last month for links to the syndicate.

“The SPF will spare no effort to pursue criminals who base their operations locally or overseas and target Singapore,” the police said in a statement, cited by The Straits Times. 

“We will work closely with foreign law enforcement agencies to bring them to justice.”

The syndicate was initially targeted in a joint enforcement operation with Cambodian police on September 9. 

The group, allegedly operating from a scam compound in Phnom Penh, was involved in impersonating government officials to defraud Singapore victims. 

Investigators believe the scam has resulted in 438 cases with losses of at least S$41 million (RM132.7 million).

Following the September operation, 15 suspects — including 12 Singaporeans, two Malaysians, and one Filipino — were arrested in Singapore and charged on September 11 and 12 for membership in a locally linked organised criminal group.

Subsequent investigations, aided by evidence from Cambodia, identified an additional 34 suspects. 

The 27 Singaporeans are Ng Wei Liang, Andrew Tay Jing An, Finan Siow, Francis Tan Thuan Heng, Jonathan Pek Ser Siang, Lam Yong Yan, Leon Chia Tee Song, Lim Ee Siong, Wong Yao Zong, Clarence Ng Jun Rong, Dilwin Tay Meng Wei, Dinesh, Kiang Wayne, Lam An Tuyen Daniel, Lim Jing En Kyan, Neo Zhi Bin, Ngiam Siow Jui, Phua Sheng Kai Audric, Poh Yang Ting, Sim Zong Yuan, Tan Darren, Tan Kai Siang, Tan Li Sen, Wayne Soh You Chen, Xavier Kho Yong Jun, Lee Jian Hao Jayen and Sie Eng Fa Brian.

The seven Malaysians are Tang Soon Fai, Kang Liang Yee, Tang Soon Wah, Hoe Ming Wei, Pang Han Ee, Bernard Goh Yie Shen, and Yip Chee Hoe.

The SPF is coordinating with Interpol to issue Red Notices for the suspects, and investigations remain ongoing. 

Authorities have urged anyone with information on the suspects’ whereabouts to contact the SPF hotline at 1800-255-0000 (or +65 6255 0000 for overseas callers) or submit details online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness, assuring that all information will be treated confidentially.

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 — US President Donald Trump claimed victory yesterday over what he called the “hoax” of climate change, after billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said a warming world would not end civilisation.

“I (WE!) just won the War on the Climate Change Hoax. Bill Gates has finally admitted that he was completely WRONG on the issue,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

“It took courage to do so, and for that we are all grateful.”

Microsoft co-founder Gates said in a long memo this week that climate change “will not lead to humanity’s demise,” in what was seen as a major pivot by the 70-year-old.

Gates added that while climate change would have “serious” consequences, “people will be able to live and thrive in most places on Earth for the foreseeable future.”

He argued that tackling global disease and poverty would instead help prepare the planet’s poorest for a warming world.

Gates acknowledged that critics may charge him with hypocrisy because of his significant carbon footprint or argue the memo was a “sneaky way of arguing that we shouldn’t take climate change seriously.”

But he pointed to significant progress in cutting emissions to date, and said he was optimistic future technology would do so even more.

Trump has been a long-term sceptic on environmental issues and trashed climate change as the “greatest con job ever” in an address to the UN General Assembly in September.

The Republican has rolled back green policies since returning to power in January, following a victorious 2024 election campaign that received hundreds of millions of dollars on donations from Big Oil. — AFP

SINGAPORE, Oct 30 — Asian stocks advanced in morning trading today after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates and US and Chinese leaders met to thrash out a trade deal, with the Bank of Japan also due to decide on interest rates imminently.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last up 0.5 per cent, while US S&P 500 e-mini futures moved 0.4 per cent higher after stocks on Wall Street posted a slim loss to snap a four-day winning streak.

Global markets are in the midst of a string of central bank decisions that will give clues about the path ahead for interest rates as the Trump administration imposes blanket tariffs on foreign imports.

“There’s a stack to digest, and the Bank of Japan decision shouldn’t be forgotten as something that could rock the region should they say or do something hawkish today,” said Kyle Rodda, senior market analyst at Capital.com in Melbourne.

“The US-China trade deal could reignite animal spirits although I suspect that with the rally we’ve had this week on Wall Street, and the boost that’s given the Asian region, a lot of the good news is priced in.”

US President Donald Trump is currently meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea. US negotiators have signalled they seek a return to a fragile trade war truce, but tensions remain high and longer-term economic irritants will likely persist between the geopolitical rivals.

“After a fair bit of action in the first couple days of this week, we’ll probably finish the central banking story with a bit of a whimper in the next 24 hours, with probably not much happening either from the BOJ or the ECB,” said Sally Auld, chief economist at National Australia Bank in Sydney in a podcast.

The Nikkei 225 fluctuated between gains and losses and was last 0.1 per cent higher ahead of a decision from the Bank of Japan today at which the central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates steady.

Against the yen, the US dollar was last 0.2 per cent weaker at ¥152.455 after remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling for speedier rate hikes to avoid weakening the currency too much, which analysts said may affect the BOJ’s communication on the future pace of rate hikes.

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates yesterday by a quarter of a percentage point as expected, but the US central bank’s new policy statement included several references to the lack of official data during the ongoing federal government shutdown, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters later that policymakers are likely to become more cautious if it deprives them of further job and inflation reports.

Traders have slashed their forecasts of a 25-basis-point rate cut next month, which had been viewed as a near-certainty earlier. Fed funds futures now imply a 67.8 per cent probability that the Fed will hold rates at its next meeting on December 10, compared with a 9.1 per cent chance yesterday, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool.

The yield on the US 10-year Treasury bond was last trading around a three-week high of 4.068 per cent, up 1 basis point compared with a previous close of 4.058 per cent.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, edged back from a two-week high, down 0.1 per cent at 99.032. Gold was last up 0.2 per cent at US$3,937.19 per ounce.

The euro was last 0.1 per cent firmer at US$1.1617 ahead of a policy decision by the European Central Bank later in the day at which it is expected to leave rates on hold for a third meeting in a row.

Elsewhere, the KOSPI index jumped 1.1 per cent after Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung finalised details of their trade deal.

Shares in Samsung Electronics surged 4.3 per cent after it reported today a 32 per cent rise in third-quarter operating profit.

Corporate earnings season is fuelling fresh anxiety among investors over the cost of the AI buildout, even as the US economy appears to remain in rude health, putting pressure on tech megacap stocks that account for the biggest weighting in the S&P 500 Index.

Meta yesterday forecast “notably larger” capital expenses next year as its revenues beat market estimates, while Microsoft’s spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure soared to a record of nearly US$35 billion in the September quarter. Shares of both companies slumped.

However, rival tech giant and Google parent Alphabet bucked the trend, with shares rising in after-hours trading after it beat revenue expectations.

In energy markets, Brent crude was last down 0.5 per cent at US$64.62 per barrel. — Reuters

PARIS, Oct 30 — Jannik Sinner began his tilt at a maiden Paris Masters crown which would return him to world number one with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Zizou Bergs yesterday, while reigning champion Alexander Zverev battled through a lengthy three-setter.

Following the surprise exit of world number one Carlos Alcaraz at the round of 32 stage on Tuesday, a maiden crown in the ATP 1000 event in the French capital would return Sinner to the summit of the world rankings.

But the Italian second seed showed no signs of feeling the weight of that pressure in his opening match at La Defense Arena — the top eight seeds received byes through the first round.

“I’m very happy to come through the first match,” Sinner said.

“I was very precise, and I also started off with a break straight away, which gives you a bit more confidence.”

Four-time Grand Slam champion Sinner is known for his efficiency on-court and won through against 41st-ranked Belgian Bergs in one hour and 27 minutes without facing a single break point.

The 24-year-old methodically engineered breaks of his own early in both sets to seal his spot in the third round, where he will meet Francisco Cerundolo today.

Germany’s Zverev battled past Argentine world number 49 Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 7-5 to open his title defence.

He will next take on Spanish 15th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina following his victory over Frenchman Arthur Cazaux.

A hardfought tie-break separated Zverev and Ugo Carabelli in the opening set, before the 28-year-old cruised through the second in 35 minutes.

It then seemed Zverev might follow Alcaraz in crashing out early at La Defense Arena when the third seed fell 1-3 behind in the decider.

But he hit back instantly on his opponent’s next service game, before securing the crucial break at 5-5 to keep his title defence alive.

Dimitrov withdraws 

Norwegian eighth seed Casper Ruud was felled in his opening match at the tournament by 50th-ranked German Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 7-5.

Former world number one Daniil Medvedev of Russia was given a walkover to the third round after Grigor Dimitrov withdrew with a shoulder issue.

The 34-year-old Bulgarian’s return from a pectoral injury, which forced him to retire when leading eventual champion Sinner two sets to love in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July, unfortunately lasted only one match before his latest fitness set-back.

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, who occupies the final qualification spot for November’s ATP Finals in Turin, fell to a costly three-set defeat to compatriot Lorenzo Sonego.

Just behind Musetti in the race for Turin is Canadian ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who ground out a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) win against France’s Alexandre Muller.

Cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech opened the day’s action in a repeat of their Shanghai Masters final from earlier in October.

And just like in China, it was the Monegasque Vacherot who claimed victory in three sets against the Frenchman. He will next face Alcaraz’s British vanquisher Cameron Norrie.

A bad day for the host country was compounded when last hometown favourite standing, Corentin Moutet, went down in straight sets against fellow maverick and fiery character Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Afterwards on-court, Bublik quipped that the local-born Moutet would at least not have far to go now he was eliminated.

“I don’t think it was personal,” Moutet said. “Some people talk, some people don’t. I guess he’s part of the first category.

“He loves to verbally clash with people.”

Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov grinded past Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 and will meet Australian sixth seed Alex de Minaur in the round of 16 today. — AFP

SEOUL, Oct 30 — South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics posted today a 32 per cent rise in profits on-year for the third quarter, driven by AI-fuelled market demand for memory chips.

The artificial intelligence industry has provided a major boost to South Korea’s Samsung and SK hynix, two of the world’s leading memory chip makers, as their products have become indispensable for AI infrastructure.

Samsung’s latest earnings report marks a sharp turnaround for the company, which saw its profits plunge more than 50 per cent on-year in the second quarter due to the impact of US curbs on AI chip exports to China.

“Operating profit increased to 12.2 trillion won (RM35.7 billion). The Device Solutions (DS) Division reported a 19 per cent increase in sales quarter-on-quarter, with the Memory Business setting an all-time high for quarterly sales,” the company said in its earnings statement.

Its smartphone division logged an 11 per cent rise quarter-on-quarter in revenue “due to the successful launch of new foldable phones and solid flagship sales”, it added.

“Looking ahead to Q4, the rapid growth of the AI industry is expected to open up new market opportunities for both the DS and DX Divisions,” it said, referring to its chips and smartphone units.

The current boom in AI has pushed up prices and shipments of conventional NAND and DRAM memory chips, alongside soaring demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI servers.

Samsung said it would invest 40.9 trillion won in its semiconductor facilities this year to meet this growing demand.

“The DS division will focus on transitioning to advanced processes and reinforcing existing production lines to meet demand for high-value products,” the company said.

Following the earnings report, Samsung’s shares broke a previous record, jumping more than five per cent to 105,800 won in the first 30 minutes of trading.

Share surge 

“This quarter’s performance is a clear result of the memory market boom,” Hwang Min-seong, research director at market analysis firm Counterpoint, told AFP.

“In the DRAM segment, it has significantly narrowed the gap with SK hynix, the current leader and if this trend continues, we think Samsung could regain DRAM leadership as early as next quarter,” he added.

DRAM is a type of memory chip that temporarily stores data, essential for devices like computers, smartphones and AI servers.

Against the backdrop of AI market opportunities, Samsung — a bellwether on South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index — has seen its shares surge more than 90 per cent since the beginning of this year.

Samsung signed in July a US$16.5 billion deal with Tesla under which it will provide the electric car maker with AI6 chips through the end of 2033.

The agreement is expected to provide a major boost to Samsung, which has faced headwinds in its foundry business, lagging rivals SK hynix and Taiwan’s TSMC in the race for cutting-edge artificial intelligence chips.

The foundry business involves contract-based manufacturing of chips designed by other companies. — AFP

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 30 — OpenAI is laying the groundwork for an initial public offering that could value the company at up to US$1 trillion (RM4.2 trillion), three people familiar with the matter said, in what could be one of the biggest IPOs of all time.

OpenAI is considering filing with securities regulators as soon as the second half of 2026, some of the people said. In preliminary discussions, the company has looked at raising US$60 billion at the low end and likely more, the people said. They cautioned that talks are early and plans — including the figures and timing — could change depending on business growth and market conditions.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has told some associates the company is aiming for a 2027 listing, the people said. But some advisers predict it could come even sooner, around late 2026.

“An IPO is not our focus, so we could not possibly have set a date,” an OpenAI spokesperson said. “We are building a durable business and advancing our mission so everyone benefits from AGI.”

The IPO preparations signal a new urgency inside the ChatGPT maker to tap public markets now that a complex restructuring is complete that reduces its reliance on Microsoft. An IPO would open the door to more efficient capital raising and enable larger acquisitions using public stock, helping to finance CEO Sam Altman’s plans to pour trillions of dollars into AI infrastructure, according to people familiar with the company’s thinking.

With an annualised revenue run rate expected to reach about US$20 billion by year-end, losses are also mounting inside the US$500 billion company, the people said.

During a livestream on Tuesday, Altman addressed the possibility of going public. “I think it’s fair to say it is the most likely path for us, given the capital needs that we’ll have,” he said.

IPO preparations follow major restructuring

OpenAI started out as a nonprofit in 2015. A few years later, the company overhauled its structure again so that the nonprofit would have oversight and control over the for-profit arm. The main goal of the nonprofit was to ensure that OpenAI developed AI technology safely, rather than prioritizing profits like a traditional company.

This week, OpenAI revamped itself yet again. It is still controlled by a nonprofit, now called the OpenAI Foundation, but the nonprofit has a 26 per cent stake in OpenAI Group and a warrant to receive additional shares if the company hits certain milestones. This change makes the nonprofit a significant stakeholder in OpenAI’s financial success.

A successful offering would mark a major win for investors such as SoftBank, Thrive Capital and Abu Dhabi’s MGX. Microsoft, one of its biggest backers, now owns about 27 per cent of the company after investing US$13 billion.

The deliberations come as AI is driving a surge in public markets. Earlier this year, AI cloud company CoreWeave went public at a US$23 billion valuation and has roughly tripled since. Yesterday, Nvidia became the first company to reach a US$5 trillion market value, powered by a rally that has cemented its role at the centre of the global AI boom.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the possibility of OpenAI going public as early as 2027. — Reuters

SHAH ALAM, Oct 30 — An estimated 2.42 hectares (six acres) of forest in the Taman Perdana Heights area caught fire at Jalan Pulau Angsa U10/2 at about 4pm yesterday.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said following a call at 4.15pm, firemen from the Bukit Jelutong fire and rescue station (BBP) were dispatched to the scene.

“Upon arriving at the location 12 minutes later, the operations commander found that an area of ​​0.8 ha had been burnt and extinguishing work was immediately launched with help from the Kapar and Sungai Buloh fire stations.

“With a force of 18 officers and personnel, 80 per cent of the fire zone was extinguished at 6.05 pm and the latest finding at 6.30 am showed that the size of the gutted area was ​​2.4 hectares,” he said in a statement yesterday, adding that extinguishing work (remaining 20 pct) was still ongoing.

Meanwhile, he stated that the fire did not spread to the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Puncak Perdana Campus.

Earlier, videos and photos showing the forest fire at its height had gone viral on social media. — Bernama

BANDAR PERMAISURI, Oct 30 — A nine-month-old baby girl was killed in a four-car collision at Kilometre 79 of Jalan Kuala Terengganu–Kota Bharu, near Kampung Bukit Grebar, yesterday.

Setiu district police chief Supt Mohd Zain Mat Dris said the victim, Nur Athiya Inara Isnorizal, succumbed to head injuries while receiving treatment at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Kuala Terengganu at 8.09pm yesterday.

According to him, police were alerted to the crash involving four vehicles — two Honda Accord cars and two Perodua Axia cars — at about 10.27 am.

“The victim was sitting with her mother, Nur Azzahra Manaf, 25, in the front passenger seat when the Perodua Axia driven by her father, Isnorizal Ismail, 25, was involved in the accident.

“The victim’s father sustained an injury to his left leg, while her mother suffered swelling on her lip and left hand. The drivers and passengers of the other three vehicles escaped unhurt,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Zain said the incident was believed to have occurred when the car driven by the victim’s father, travelling from Kuala Terengganu to Tumpat, Kelantan, went out of control and crashed into the rear of another Perodua Axia that had stopped to make a right turn.

“Following the collision, both Perodua Axia cars spun and were hit by a Honda Accord coming from the opposite direction, which then lost control and crashed into another Honda Accord parked by the roadside.

“The injured victims were taken to Setiu Hospital for treatment,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — The Pasir Mas-Rantau Panjang railway line upgrading project is expected to begin next year at a cost of RM264 million, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said the project, approved under Rolling Plan 1 of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), would be implemented by the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC), with procurement expected in the first quarter of next year.

Loke said the initiative aimed to reactivate the line for passenger and cargo train services, thereby enhancing Malaysia-Thailand cross-border rail connectivity through the link to Sungai Golok, Thailand.

“The project is expected to commence next year after the procurement process is completed and is scheduled for completion within three years from the start of the upgrading works.

“The project scope includes earthwork and track upgrading, fencing construction, upgrading of the Pasir Mas and Rantau Panjang stations, as well as signalling and communications systems,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 at the policy stage for the Ministry of Transport (MOT) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Loke said the project aligned with the aspirations of the National Transport Policy 2030 (DPN 2030) to promote rail as an efficient, safe and sustainable mode of transport.

“Once completed, the route is expected to boost cross-border economic activities, facilitate the movement of goods and tourists, and serve as a key component in the government’s efforts to strengthen regional rail connectivity along the East Coast,” he said.

He added that the government had never neglected the development of public transport to support mobility and economic growth in the Northern and East Coast regions.

Among the key initiatives, he said, was the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, a high-capacity passenger and cargo rail service designed to benefit the East Coast population.

The 665-kilometre (km) ECRL line will feature 20 stations across four states — Kelantan (two stations), Terengganu (six), Pahang (seven) and Selangor (five) — connecting Kota Bharu, Kelantan, to Port Klang, and is expected to be completed and operational by 2027.

Loke said the ECRL project would serve as an economic catalyst for the East Coast region, spurring the development of economic clusters that supported local businesses and balanced growth.

“The total volume of cargo to be transported via the ECRL is estimated at 24.6 million tonnes, equivalent to one million 20-tonne lorry trips,” he said. — Bernama

SIBU, Oct 30 — A man, who is believed to have seriously injured his wife and daughter with a machete at their home in Permai Jaya here early yesterday morning, was eventually arrested by police yesterday.

Sibu police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili said the 57-year-old suspect was arrested by a special team in the Kanowit area at 4.15pm.

“Police will seek a reman order on the suspect tomorrow (Oct 30) to assist the probe. Police are still trying to identify the motive for the incident and the case is being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for intentionally causing grievous bodily harm using a dangerous weapon,” he said in a statement last night.

The section provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years and can be fined or whipped if convicted.

Earlier, ACP Zulkipli said police received a report of a domestic fight involving serious injuries to two in the family at about 7am.

“The police were alerted via a MERS 999 emergency call made by one of the victims, informing that she and her mother had been hacked with a machete by the father,” he explained.

Following the report, a task force was formed to track down the suspect and thanks to quick action, police managed to arrest him in Kanowit.

He said the suspect had fled immediately after the incident.

The suspect’s wife was reported to be in critical condition and is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Sibu Hospital while the 20-year-old daughter suffered serious head injuries but was reported to be stable.

Those with information related to the incident are asked to contact Sibu police headquarters (IPD) at 084-336144, Investigating Officer Inspector Ahmad Hakimi Abd Azid at 011-3187 3715, or any nearby police station. — Bernama

IPOH, Oct 30 — Police arrested a man after he was believed to have set fire to his family’s house in Kampung Seberang Kuak Hulu, Pengkalan Hulu early yesterday morning.

Pengkalan Hulu police chief Supt Zulkepli Ibrahim said the 25-year-old suspect, suspected of being under the influence of drugs, set fire to the house, which was burnt 65 per cent.

He said the Pengkalan Hulu district police headquarters had received a report at 1.08am regarding a blaze at a residential house in the location.

“Initial investigations point to a treacherous act of the homeowner’s own son, who was believed to be under the influence of drugs,” he said in a statement here.

He said the suspect’s mother was taken to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar Kedah for treatment of burns which required immediate surgery.

He said a team of 10 from the Pengkalan Hulu fire station, assisted by the Baling district fire station from Kedah, extinguished the fire at 2.30am.

“Further investigation by a team from the Intelligence and Operations Branch (Criminal Investigation Division) of the Pengkalan Hulu IPD, assisted by police patrol cars then succeeded in arresting the suspect at 3.25am on the same day.

“In a remand application under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code made at the Gerik Magistrate’s Court (yesterday), the suspect has been remanded for four days until November 1,” he said.

Zulkepli said the suspect tested positive for methamphetamine and the case is being investigated under Section 436 of the Penal Code (mischief by fire). — Bernama

GYEONGJU, Oct 30 — United States President Donald Trump is not over with his praises on Malaysia’s leadership under the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the country’s successful role, which led to the landmark signing of the Cambodia-Thailand peace deal, last week.

Describing the situation of the conflict as “too hot with bullets flying all over the place” at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) platform yesterday, he said with the help of Malaysia, the peace deal was successfully signed between the two countries at the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit and related meetings held in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday.

“And after about two days, we ended up with the help of Malaysia. Malaysia was like a mediator. We used beautiful facilities in Malaysia.

“Malaysia was fantastic and they helped in implement it (the signing). Prime Minister was great, great guy. Just left him and within two days, we signed the deal. The two people (Thailand and Cambodia) came in, they were like best friends. It was a beautiful thing to see, we save probably millions of lives,” he said in his speech during the Apec CEO Summit Korea 2025 here yesterday.

The peace deal which is known as Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord was signed here by Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, with Trump and Anwar who then signed as witnesses.

Trump is currently on his last leg of his Asia tour after visiting Malaysia and Japan. He is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping today with tariff issues discussion on the table ahead of the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) which will start this Friday.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, is leading the Malaysian delegation to the AELM and is expected to arrive here today. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Swiss Moto3 rider Noah Dettwiler, who suffered a serious crash at the Malaysian MotoGP over the weekend, is no longer in a critical condition, his family has announced.

“According to the doctors, Noah’s condition is now stable and no longer critical,” said a statement on X.

“He will continue to be monitored closely in the intensive care unit.”

The Moto3 race at Sepang on Sunday was delayed and shortened after the collision involving newly crowned world champion Jose Antonio Rueda and 20-year-old Dettwiler during the sighting lap.

Both riders, who were conscious following the incident, were airlifted to hospital.

Rueda, a 19-year-old Spaniard, suffered a suspected hand fracture and other injuries.

His condition “continues to improve”, his Red Bull KTM Ajo team said on X.

Doctors said Rueda would likely return to Spain today “to undergo surgery on his right hand in Barcelona in the coming days”.

Moto3 is the “lightweight” or entry class in the world championship, behind Moto2 and MotoGP, which is regarded as the pinnacle of the sport.

In 2011 at Sepang Italian rider Marco Simoncelli died after his bike veered across the track during the second lap of the MotoGP race.

Simoncelli lost his helmet in a collision with Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi and suffered critical injuries to his head, neck and chest. — AFP

HAVANA, Oct 30 — Hurricane Melissa barrelled through the Caribbean yesterday after thrashing Cuba’s second-biggest city, isolating hundreds of rural communities, unleashing devastation in Jamaica and drenching Haiti, where at least 25 were killed.

Melissa struck Jamaica on Tuesday as the strongest-ever hurricane to directly hit its shores, with sustained winds of 298 kph, well above the minimum strength for a Category 5, the strongest classification for hurricanes.

As of 2100 GMT yesterday, Melissa was a Category 1 hurricane moving north-east through the Bahamas archipelago, which completed the air evacuation of nearly 1,500 people early.

The storm did not directly hit Haiti, the Caribbean’s most populous nation, but it hurled days of rain over the island nation. Authorities reported at least 25 deaths, largely due to floods in Petit-Goave, a coastal town 64km west of the capital where a river burst its banks.

At least 10 children were killed there and 12 people remain missing there, Haiti’s disaster management agency said.

In Haiti, where a gang conflict has displaced over 1.3 million people, authorities said more than 1,000 homes were flooded. People living in makeshift camps said the flooding made it impossible to sit or sleep, and said the government and aid groups were slow to bring supplies.

Fortune Vital, a displaced man in Les Cayes, said he was separated from his family which already lacked sufficient food. “If the hurricane comes on top of all the problems we already have, we’ll simply die,” he said.

‘Like missiles blowing through the glass’

On Tuesday, Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica, devastating areas already battered by last year’s Hurricane Beryl. US forecaster AccuWeather estimated Melissa cost US22 billion (RM92.3 billion) in damages and economic loss in Jamaica alone, and that rebuilding could take a decade or more.

Local authorities said flood waters had washed up four bodies in the southwestern agricultural hub of St. Elizabeth. About 77 per cent of Jamaica was without electricity, authorities said yesterday morning. The capital Kingston was spared the worst damage and its main airport was set to reopen today.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness visited Black River Hospital, the only public hospital in St. Elizabeth, where aerial footage showed the wrecks of buildings, roofs blown off, power cables knocked down and fields strewn with rubble.

Hospital workers there said the building showed some significant damage, and staff told the prime minister they spent the night fearing for their own families while working by flashlight to care for patients.

“It was the most terrifying experience in all my life,” a hospital worker said. “It is beyond imagining. At one point it was as if missiles were blowing through the glass.”

Jamaica’s government gave an “all clear” to begin recovery efforts, but said it would keep emergency shelters open through the week as people kept coming in from devastated homes.

Local government minister Desmond McKenzie said over 25,000 people had been admitted. “No one must be turned back from the shelters,” he said.

Mass evacuations in Cuba

Melissa was a still major Category 3 when it hit Cubaovernight with winds of 120 mph, landing in Guama, a rural, mountainous area some 40km west of Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-most populous city.

At least 241 communities remained isolated and without communications yesterday following the storm’s passage across Santiago province, according to preliminary media reports, affecting as many as 140,000 residents.

Across eastern Cuba, authorities evacuated around 735,000 people as the storm approached. Most remained in emergency centres.

No deaths were reported yesterday but President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the island had suffered extensive damage and warned of vigilance as rains continue to lash the region.

“A major hurricane landfall in the dark is incredibly dangerous,” AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said.

“The storm lost wind intensity as it interacted with the mountains of south-east Cuba, but the forced upward motion of the air over the mountainous terrain is squeezing out tremendous amounts of rainfall.”

Cuban officials also warned of severe impact on crops ahead of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter growing season.

Cuba was already suffering from food, fuel, electricity and medicine shortages that have complicated life, prompting record-breaking emigration since 2021.

Yesterday, the UN General Assembly again voted overwhelmingly for the US to end its Cold War-era economic embargo on the communist-run country.

Loss and damage

Meteorologists at AccuWeather said Melissa ranked as the third-most intense hurricane observed in the Caribbean, after Wilma in 2005 and Gilbert in 1988 — the last major storm to directly hit Jamaica.

But scientists say hurricanes are intensifying faster with greater frequency as a result of warming ocean waters caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Many Caribbean leaders have called on wealthy, heavy-polluting nations to provide reparations in the form of aid or debt relief to tropical island countries.

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, a branch of regional bloc Caricom, issued a statement in solidarity of those affected by Hurricane Melissa and called for stronger efforts to curb climate change.

It said Melissa’s rapid intensification, fuelled by record-breaking Caribbean sea temperatures, underscored need for the UN’s “loss and damage” fund to be scaled up.

The fund was established in 2023 as a mechanism for developing nations to quickly and reliably access financing to recover from more frequent extreme weather events. However, donations from wealthy, polluting nations have fallen short of targets and the US withdrew from its board in March.

The devastation caused by Melissa drew an outpouring of support from across the world, with some countries pledging support in the form of cash, food aid and rescue teams.

In Montego Bay, a popular Jamaican tourist destination, a resident told Reuters the water reached her waist and rescuers had to break into her home to save her and her child.

“All the trees that my dad planted, all of them are gone,” she said. — Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 30 — The deadliest police operation in Brazil’s history killed at least 119 people, authorities said yesterday, as Rio de Janeiro residents lined a street with dozens of corpses found overnight, a week ahead of global climate events in the city.

State police said the raids targeting a major drug gang had been planned exhaustively for more than two months, designed to drive suspects into a forested hillside where a special operations unit was waiting in ambush.

“The elevated lethality of the operation was expected but not desired,” Victor Santos, head of security for Rio state, told a news conference.

Rio police confirmed 119 deaths so far, including four officers. Public defenders said the final count would rise to at least 132.

Santos said there was no connection between the violence and the global events Rio will host next week related to the United Nations COP30 climate negotiations, including the C40 summit of mayors addressing global warming and Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood in Rio gathered dozens of corpses from the surrounding forest overnight and lined up more than 70 of the bodies in the middle of a main street.

“I just want to take my son out of here and bury him,” said Taua Brito, a mother of one of those killed, surrounded by weeping mourners and onlookers on either side of the long row of bodies, some of which were covered with sheets or bags.

A motorcycle caravan set off from the neighbourhood in the afternoon to protest the police violence outside the governor’s palace, where demonstrators gathered waving Brazilian flags stained with red palm marks.

The city’s most deadly police raid before Tuesday was a 2021 raid that left 28 people dead in the Jacarezinho neighbourhood. In 1992, 111 prisoners died when Sao Paulo police stormed the Carandiru Penitentiary to put down a rebellion.

UN urges investigation

UN officials and security experts criticised the heavy casualties of the military-style operation. The United Nations Human Rights office said the killings add to a trend of extremely lethal police raids in Brazil’s marginalized communities.

“We remind authorities of their obligations under international human rights law, and urge prompt and effective investigations,” the agency said in a statement.

Relatives of the fallen described evidence of summary executions, including bound limbs, knife wounds and gunshots to the face and neck.

“Several families reported signs of torture on the victims’ bodies,” said Guilherme Pimentel, a human rights lawyer working with families of the deceased at Rio’s police morgue.

Rio Governor Claudio Castro said he was certain those killed in the operation were criminals firing guns from the forest.

“I don’t think anyone would be walking in the forest on the day of the conflict,” he told reporters, calling the raids an effort to combat “narcoterrorism.”

“The only real victims were the police officers,” he said.

The Rio state government said the operation was its largest ever to target the Comando Vermelho gang, which controls the drug trade in several favelas — poor and densely populated settlements woven through the city’s hilly oceanside terrain.

Police said they had arrested 113 suspects in the operation and seized 118 firearms.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was surprised to learn Rio police had launched an “extremely bloody, violent” operation without notifying or involving the federal government, Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski told journalists.

The minister said he would meet with Rio’s governor and could increase the number of federal security officials there.

Lula, who returned to Brasilia late on Tuesday from a trip to Malaysia, met with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and cabinet members yesterday to discuss the matter, his office said. — Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been named among the world’s 50 most influential Muslims in the 2025 edition of The Muslim 500.

The annual publication recognises global Muslim figures who have made significant contributions to politics, religion, education, and social development.

Anwar was 10th overall and seventh under the category of “Rulers and Politicians”, joining leaders such as Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

This year’s top five positions were led by Sheikh Tamim, Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Erdoğan, and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud.

The inclusion of Anwar, Malaysia’s tenth prime minister, places him among a select group of leaders shaping policy and moral discourse in the Muslim world.

Other regional figures recognised include Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and Singapore’s Mufti Nazirudin Nasir, highlighting Southeast Asia’s growing influence.

The publication described Anwar’s political journey as one defined by resilience and reform after decades marked by imprisonment, opposition, and eventual triumph.

The report recounted his years of political persecution, calling his royal pardon in 2018 “a restoration of justice” that paved the way for his eventual rise to the premiership in 2022.

It also cited his international recognition as a peace mediator, particularly his role in easing tensions between Thailand and Cambodia after border clashes.

Anwar’s strong advocacy for Palestinian rights was highlighted, along with his criticism of social media platforms for removing his tributes to late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

The publication quoted Anwar’s statement urging Meta to “cease this display of cowardice” and stop “acting as instruments of the oppressive Zionist Israeli regime.”

SEOUL, Oct 30 — South Korea’s government said today that more than 260,000 cars will be recalled due to manufacturing defects, including over 180,000 by Hyundai Motor Group.

“A total of 260,184 vehicles across 57 models manufactured, imported, or sold by Hyundai Motor, Kia, BMW Korea, and Stellantis Korea will be voluntarily recalled due to identified manufacturing defects,” the Ministry of Land and Transport said in a statement.

The ministry added that among this total more than 180,000 cars from Hyundai Motor Group will be recalled.

“Hyundai Motor will recall 85,355 units of the Porter II Electric model from October 30 due to a potential fire risk caused by a design flaw in the battery management system software,” the ministry said.

It also added that Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motors, will begin recalling 54,532 units of the Bongo III EV model from October 30 for the same software defect that could lead to fires.

Other recalled models from Hyundai Motor included the Tucson, which was recalled due to a design flaw in the fuel filter components, and Kia’s Seltos, which was recalled over a similar defect that could cause the engine to shut down.

AFP reached out to Hyundai Motor Group for a comment.

An electric vehicle battery fire last year damaged hundreds of vehicles and created a national panic, with car parks across South Korea imposing a wave of adhoc restrictions amid growing calls for transparency on battery supply chains.

South Korea is a major producer of batteries and electric vehicles, including local carmakers Hyundai and Kia, with EVs making up 9.3 percent of new cars purchased last year — higher than in the US. — AFP

LIVERPOOL, Oct 30 — Liverpool boss Arne Slot defended his decision to name a much-changed side after a 3-0 League Cup exit to Crystal Palace yesterday extended the Reds’ miserable run.

The Premier League champions have now lost six of their last seven matches in all competitions, including their last four in the league.

Slot made his priorities clear before kick-off by making 10 changes, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah left out of the squad completely.

A youthful selection were easily picked off by Palace, who have now beaten Liverpool three times this season.

Ismaila Sarr struck twice in the first half before Yeremy Pino added a third late on after Liverpool substitute Amara Nallo was sent off.

“It’s not Liverpool standards to lose six out of seven,” said Slot, who used a big week ahead as justification for his team selection.

Liverpool will aim to snap their Premier League losing streak against in-form Aston Villa on Saturday.

Real Madrid then visit Anfield in the Champions League on Tuesday before a trip to Manchester City on November 9.

“I couldn’t have brought them (the first team regulars) into a situation where they had to go into a week like this.

“We have a game tonight, then it’s only two days to rest, play the next one, only two days’ rest, play Real Madrid and then a few days more Manchester City.

“Everyone can have his opinion about it, but with the squad we have, maybe 15 or 16 first team players available, this is the choice I’ve made.”

FA Cup winners Palace have more silverware in their sights, but were handed another difficult draw away to Arsenal in the quarter-finals. — AFP

OCTOBER 30 — Management consultants have a priority, fees. The consultant’s condo does not pay for itself. Nor does his or her year-end winter holiday. Airport parking can be murder.

It’s an amazing job where the factor of production is time developing presentation decks. To make sense inside a meeting room to clients.

This is what crossed my mind looking at the proud faces — civil servants representing councils — on stage two days ago as they announced Johor as the country’s first smart state. Awards were handed out, and smiles procured. Putrajaya was too busy patting too many heroes on their backs.

Somewhere behind the stage must be an army of consultants rubbing their palms in glee. “If smart state titles excite the clients, what other fascinating titles can we come up with!”

The report heralded “all 16 local authorities (in Johor) achieved at least Level 1-Smart City Early Adopter under the Malaysian Smart City rating.”

File picture of the Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Johor. — Bernama pic

It sounded like gibberish. It made little sense to people in or out of Johor. Even to people in or out of our galaxy.

Before I upset civil servants, politicians and businesses in Johor, do relax. Smartness, or more precisely declarations of technological competency, is contagious in Malaysia and not limited to Johor.

The Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu already announced last week, that 30 local authorities across the country have earned the Malaysia Smart City Rating 2025.

Having read that, and then look out of the window to what is actual, how can we all not speculate a bunch of consultants have set up structures to aid civil servants’ self-aggrandisements?

The A to be F adds a B to the C

Check out the ministry’s smart city framework, be ready to be awed — also ready for a headache.

The Policy and Development Agenda Matrix outlines markers like NUA (UN’s non-binding New Urban Agenda) elements, SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) goals, 11MP (11 Malaysia Plan) thrusts and more letters with NPP and NUP, together a management consultant’s wet dream.

Take a deep breath.

As Dr Hannibal Lecter tells FBI Agent Starling in the fictional The Silence of the Lambs, “First principles, Clarice.”

A few steps back to examine the intention before the undertaking and titles.

Malaysia wants better living spaces. Using methods to calculate the Internet of Things (IOT), digitalisation and physical connectivity are excellent but they cannot replace the need to be honest about things.

Honesty is a very underrated virtue when it comes to governing in Malaysia.

I’m not sure whether my Kajang Town Municipality is one of the 30 excellent municipalities but as recent as yesterday, retirees living in my taman had to pay council contracted grasscutters directly, for them to do their jobs that their employer was already paid for.

Not sure whether any of the grasscutters had an app to monitor their work, or QR codes to receive payments from geriatrics, but smart with or without electronics was absent.

How does the smart city framework track that?

A bit old school but 56-page theoretical documents do not impress in the age of the AI generation.

More so when disengaged local councils uniformly do what they please without the democratic consent of their rate-payers.

They are rewarded for their anti-democratic zeal and obedience to the ministry rather than their inhabitants with awards like Level 1-Smart City Early Adopter under the Malaysian Smart City rating.

Bussing in reason, and people

Sixteen councils in Johor with enviable public transportation — which is an element, thrust, principle and a laugh in the Policy and Development Agenda Matrix.

Comprehensive as in Muar, one of the state’s larger towns, only has five bus routes. One of them is the Terminal Maharani to Jorak route.

Five rides a day, meaning if full, both ways carries 1,000 commuters. The whole system probably serves 5,000 commuters daily.

As a comparison, Klang Valley buses ferry 280,000 commuters daily, which is low for an advanced metropolitan of 8 million dwellers.

Back in Muar, miss the 7.30am bus for Jorak and there is the 10am to wait for. It is thrilling connectivity, all the way to the last bus at 6pm. That’s our smart state folks.

There are three routes inside Segamat, four in Kluang and none in Mersing.

Which thrust or element am I missing here?

I am going to guess, like I did insinuating about consultants, none of the senior civil servants on stage being feted by the local government ministry take the bus to work.

This is not to poke holes in the country’s efforts to be better. We are all ready to cheer the effort. But what is happening is that processes are manufactured and checkpoints marked without reciprocal meaning for the people intended to have “smarter” lives.

It’s a bit like increasing SPM A students annually while our graduate average compatibility with the new economy goes even quicker in the opposite direction.

When we get to grade ourselves using our own matrixes with data we collect, how can we ever go wrong? At worst, there is no bus in our smart towns. But honestly, are smart people expected to take buses?

It is simpler to talk about the key things needed from the councils rather than caught in the whirlpool of technical management speak which hides the direct things in abstractions.

Wasting time, midnight fire

Like talking about waste management, which is a fundamental role of the councils. An app is unnecessary to generate that opinion.

Most of the states rely on landfills.

By large, most Malaysians have zero input about waste management except that they do not want an incinerator near their homes.

They have almost tautological indifference to how wastes from millions of Malaysian homes are collected, redirected, processed or ultimately buried or burnt. They just do not want it incinerated anywhere remotely close to their bedrooms.

Johor has no incinerator, whether the garden variety or the latest waste to energy types.

And our smart cities, towns and states have religiously averted a serious discussion with the communities. Not an SDG or Smartcity framework consultant, but surely talking in a meaningful way with the population about waste management might be a start to manage waste management.

Buy-ins are difficult, almost elusive. However, how else to proceed without discussions with the voters rather than galas in Putrajaya?

To be fair, there are more town-halls in the country, but the people who run this country still believe that the people should limit themselves to slipping paper into suggestion boxes and leave the governing to them.

In short, the sessions only pay lip service.

Those who lead the councils know that the central change which needs to happen is to involve the people directly in the running of the councils.

They would have had a hard time explaining to classmates in the UK, Australia or the US where they did their postgraduate studies.

That Malaysia eschews ratepayers from controlling their councils and is utterly convinced this is the best way for humanity, let alone just Malaysians. They’d look the opposite of smart when they defend undemocratic local councils.

But that is OK, they get the Level 1-Smart City Early Adopter under the Malaysian Smart City rating back home.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s explanation on the outcomes of his recent meeting with United States President Donald Trump is expected to be among the highlights of the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.

According to the Order Paper published on the Parliament website, Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai) has asked the Prime Minister to elaborate on the benefits derived from the meeting with Trump, particularly in the areas of trade, humanitarian issues in Gaza, and other strategic sectors of mutual interest between Malaysia and the United States.

During the same session, Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) will raise a question to the Prime Minister regarding the progress of the Madani Government’s efforts to address hardcore and overall poverty.

In the question-and-answer session, Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis) will ask the Minister of Housing and Local Government about the ministry’s readiness to mandate the 10:90 “build-then-sell” (BTS) housing scheme nationwide to curb the issue of abandoned housing projects, especially condominium developments, and to better protect buyers.

Meanwhile, Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed @ Hashim (PN-Kuala Terengganu) will query the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry on the key outcomes and initiatives of the Asean Semiconductor Summit (ASEMIS) 2025 in enhancing semiconductor exports, regional value chain participation, and local technological competitiveness.

Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) will also ask the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether the government plans to make it mandatory for large-scale housing projects to include facilities such as schools and childcare centres as prerequisites for project approval.

After the session, the Dewan Rakyat sitting will proceed with the winding-up of the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 at the policy stage by the relevant ministries.

The Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament runs for 35 days until December 4. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is expected to rejoin Umno before the Sabah state election at the end of next month.

According to sources, the former Rembau MP — now a radio presenter on Hot FM — has already received the blessing of the party’s top leadership, particularly its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, to return to Umno’s fold, Berita Harian reported today.

The green light was reportedly conveyed personally by the Deputy Prime Minister to Khairy, or KJ, when he attended the wedding of the daughter of Perlis Umno liaison chief Datuk Rozabil Abdul Rahman last Sunday.

“At the meeting, Zahid himself told Khairy to submit his membership form to become an Umno member again.

“Khairy is expected to assist in Umno and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) campaign during the Sabah polls. Many of the candidates to be fielded are of his generation and among his political peers,” the source said.

The source also revealed that Khairy is being considered as a potential BN candidate in the next general election to contest the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat.

“That constituency was the traditional seat of his father-in-law, the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,” the source added.

Meanwhile, a party source said Umno has yet to receive any formal application from Khairy to rejoin the party.

Khairy’s return is expected to inject fresh momentum into Umno’s efforts to regain Malay support, particularly among the younger generation.

In January 2023, Khairy was expelled from Umno for openly criticising the party’s top leadership during the 15th general election campaign.

However, he has since repeatedly declared that he would not join any other political party, citing his continued loyalty to Umno.

During GE15, Khairy contested under BN in Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) stronghold of Sungai Buloh. Although he lost, he managed to secure an impressive number of votes and significantly reduced PH’s overwhelming majority in the constituency.

While PH’s candidate Datuk Seri R Ramanan retained the seat, his winning majority dropped sharply to just 2,693 votes — a stark contrast to the 2018 election, when PKR’s R Sivarasa won the seat with a majority of 26,634 votes.

During GE15, Umno and BN were at one of their weakest points, winning only 26 parliamentary seats and failing to secure any in several states, including Selangor, Melaka, Perlis, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.

Khairy first joined the Cabinet under Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Minister of Youth and Sports, earning praise for his management of the 2017 SEA Games and the introduction of the National Sports Council’s Podium Programme, aimed at winning Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal, as well as the National Football Development Programme.

He later served as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, playing a key role in developing the MySejahtera app and overseeing the country’s vaccine procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under Malaysia’s ninth prime minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Khairy was appointed Health Minister, taking full responsibility for the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination rollout.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Malaysia and Italy have agreed to expedite and finalise cooperation between Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) and Italian energy company Eni S.p.A (ENI), in the near future, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In a post on the X platform, he said the agreement was reached during his phone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

He said Malaysia is ready to receive Meloni on an official visit to Kuala Lumpur early next year to finalise the strategic agreement.

“In a phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni just now, she informed me of the reason for her absence from the 47th Asean Summit, which was due to urgent matters in Rome involving the drafting and enactment of budget-related laws, as well as discussions at the European Union level,” Anwar said.

He noted that Malaysia understands Italy’s current domestic priorities and appreciates the country’s continued support for the universal call for peace, justice, and humanity in Gaza, which is greatly needed on the world stage at this time.

“God willing, the close relationship between Malaysia and Italy will continue to be strengthened for the benefit of the people of both countries,” he added. — Bernama

PARIS, Oct 30 — Two men arrested on suspicion of stealing jewels from the Louvre Museum have “partially admitted” their involvement in the daylight heist but the precious pieces remain missing, the Paris prosecutor said yesterday.

Four hooded thieves made off with their booty after breaking into the Louvre’s Apollo gallery, home to the French Crown Jewels, during opening hours on the morning of October 19, exposing security lapses at the world’s most-visited museum.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the two men in detention were suspected of breaking into the museum through an upstairs window, while two accomplices waited on the street below.

“Both have partially admitted their involvement to investigators,” she told a press conference.

“We do not rule out the possibility of a larger group, including a person who commissioned the theft and may have been the intended recipient of the stolen jewels,” Beccuau added.

There is no evidence at this stage in the investigation to suggest the heist was an inside job, she said.

“The jewels are not yet in our possession. But I want to remain hopeful that they will be found and returned to the Louvre Museum.”

Organised theft charges

The two detained men were arrested on Saturday after being identified through DNA traces left at the crime scene.

One of them, a 34-year-old unemployed Algerian national living in France since 2010, was detained by police as he tried to board a flight to Algeria. The other man, 39, was already under judicial supervision in an aggravated theft case, Beccuau said.

Both men live in Aubervilliers, a low-income neighbourhood in the deprived suburbs of northern Paris.

Beccuau said investigators would be asking magistrates to place the two men under formal investigation on suspicion of multiple organised theft offences. Being placed under formal investigation in France does not imply guilt or necessarily lead to trial but shows judicial authorities consider there is enough evidence to pursue a preliminary probe.

Their lawyers, David Bocobcza and Reda Ghilachi, told TV station BFMTV they have demanded the investigation to be kept confidential and carried out with all serenity. They said their clients will only speak to the investigative magistrates.

The thieves stole eight precious pieces worth an estimated US$102 million (RM428 million) from the Louvre’s collection on October 19 before escaping on motorbikes.

They used an elevator truck stolen in the town of Louvres in Val-d’Oise, near Paris, two weeks before the heist, to access an outside balcony before smashing a window, the prosecutor said.

The museum’s cameras failed to detect the intrusion swiftly enough to prevent the robbery, which took between six to seven minutes.

The security shortcomings have forced the museum to transfer some of its most precious jewels to the Bank of France under secret police escort, according to French radio RTL.

News of the robbery reverberated around the world, prompting soul-searching in France over what some viewed as a national humiliation. — Reuters

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Oct 30 — Malaysians working in Singapore but running self-employed ventures, such as e-hailing or food delivery services, in Malaysia can still contribute to the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso).

Johor Perkeso director Tong Sing Chuang said contributions under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (Lindung Kendiri) would ensure that contributors are covered with the necessary protection.

Tong said there is currently no specific protection scheme for those working in the republic, adding that protection would be provided a foreign company operates in Malaysia and registers with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM).

“Those working in Singapore who are also self-employed in Malaysia can still make contributions under Lindung Kendiri. There is no problem for them to apply,” he told Bernama.

He said this when asked to comment on current developments related to protection schemes for Malaysians working in the republic.

Last year, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim was quoted as saying that his ministry, through Perkeso, would conduct a study on a social security insurance scheme for Malaysians working in Singapore, particularly those who commute to the republic daily.

It is estimated that more than 1.18 million Malaysians work in Singapore, with between 300,000 and 400,000 commuting across the Causeway every day.

Meanwhile, Tong urged housewives to contribute under the Housewife Social Security Scheme (Lindung Kasih), which offers protection in the event of accidents or mishaps while doing household chores.

He said protection would also be provided to them in the event of sickness or invalidity.

“This protection includes (in situations) like injuring your hand with a knife while preparing food or falling in the bathroom,” he said.

Therefore, Tong urged housewives who have not reached 55, or have yet to reach 54 at the time of their first contribution, to take out this protection, which requires payment only once a year. — Bernama

SEOUL, Oct 30 — US President Donald Trump, ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping today, said he has instructed the Department of Defence to immediately resume testing nuclear weapons on an “equal basis” with other nuclear powers.

“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately,” Trump said on Truth Social, ahead of the meeting with Xi in South Korea.

“Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years,” Trump noted.

President Vladimir Putin said yesterday Russia had successfully tested a Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo that military analysts say is capable of devastating coastal regions by triggering vast radioactive ocean swells.

As Trump has toughened both his rhetoric and his stance on Russia, Putin has publicly flexed his nuclear muscles with the test of a new Burevestnik cruise missile on October 21 and nuclear launch drills on October 22.

The United States last tested a nuclear weapon in 1992.

Tests provide evidence of what any new nuclear weapon will do - and whether older weapons still work.

Apart from providing technical data, such a test would be seen in Russia and China as a deliberate assertion of US strategic power.

The United States opened the nuclear era in July 1945 with the test of a 20-kiloton atomic bomb at Alamogordo, New Mexico, and then dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 to end World War Two. — Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Bursa Malaysia opened higher on Thursday, taking its cue from Wall Street’s mixed performance overnight as investors welcomed the United States Federal Reserve’s (US Fed) second interest rate cut this year.

At 9.10 am, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) added 1.62 points to 1,613.16 from Wednesday’s close of 1,611.54, after opening 2.62 points higher at 1,614.16.

Market breadth was slightly negative, with 184 losers outpacing 136 gainers while 304 counters were unchanged, 2,086 untraded and 101 suspended.

Turnover stood at 163.55 million shares valued at RM84.54 million.

Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd vice-president of equity research Thong Pak Leng said Wall Street ended mixed after the Fed reduced its benchmark rate by 25 basis points.

He said the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.16 per cent to 47,632.00 points, the S&P 500 was almost flat at 6,809.59 points, while the Nasdaq added 0.55 per cent to 23,958.47 points.

“As for the local bourse, we are hopeful that the US interest rate cut will boost investor confidence. Hence, we anticipate the benchmark FBM KLCI to trend higher within the 1,610–1,620 range today,” he told Bernama.

Among the heavyweights, Public Bank and Tenaga Nasional added two sen each to RM4.21 and RM13.32, respectively. IHH Healthcare rose 17 sen to RM8.42 while Maybank and CIMB group were flat at RM9.87 and RM7.38, respectively.

On the most active list, Systech added one sen to 21.5 sen, TWL Holdings and Insights Analytics were unchanged at 2.5 sen and 69 sen, respectively. Tanco eased one sen to 91.5 sen, and Perak Transit slipped half-a-sen to 38 sen.

Top gainers included LPC Group, which surged 30 sen to 40 sen, Far East Holdings added 18 sen to RM4.28, United Plantations gained 12 sen to RM24.40, Hong Leong Industries and KESM Industries rose 12 sen to RM13.82 and RM13.56, respectively.

Top losers included Mentiga Corporation, which fell eight sen to 52 sen, Scientex and Solarvest eased six sen each to RM3.48 and RM3.02, respectively, Petronas Chemicals declined five sen to RM3.97, and Sam Engineering slipped four sen to RM4.95.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index improved 1.31 points to 12,055.01, the FBMT 100 Index advanced 2.43 points to 11,794.99, and the FBM Emas Shariah Index added 1.53 points to 12,141.10.

Meanwhile, the FBM 70 Index decreased 37.09 points to 17,124.90, and the FBM ACE Index slipped 10.58 points to 5,214.98.

By sector, the Financial Services Index rose 11.66 points to 18,181.26, and the Plantation Index increased 11.50 points to 7,973.49, while the Industrial Products and Services Index eased 0.59 of-a-point to 171.58, and the Energy Index fell 1.69 points to 773.33. — Bernama

BUSAN, Oct 30 — US President Donald Trump and China’s leader Xi Jinping were set to hold talks in South Korea this morning, seeking a return to a fragile trade war truce between the world’s two largest economies.

The meeting, the first between the leaders since Trump returned to office in January, is due to begin at 11am local time (0200 GMT) in the southern port city of Busan, capping off the US president’s whirlwind trip around Asia.

Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism about reaching agreement with Xi during the summit, taking place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, buoyed by a breakthrough in trade talks with South Korea yesterday.

But with both countries increasingly willing to play hardball over areas of economic and geopolitical competition — which analysts see as a new Cold War — many questions remain about how long any trade detente may last.

The trade war reignited this month after Beijing proposed dramatically expanding curbs on exports of rare-earth minerals vital for high-tech applications, a sector China dominates.

Trump vowed to retaliate with additional 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese exports, and with other steps including potential curbs on exports to China made with US software - moves that could have upended the global economy.

“THE G2 WILL BE CONVENING SHORTLY,” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly before landing in Busan to meet Xi.

In a separate post, he said the US would step-up testing of nuclear weapons immediately, noting China’s growing arsenal.

US expects Beijing to delay rare earth controls

After a weekend scramble between top trade negotiators, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expected Beijing to delay the rare earth controls for a year and revive purchases of US soybeans critical to American farmers, as part of a “substantial framework” to be agreed by the leaders.

Ahead of the summit, China bought its first cargoes of US soybeans in several months, Reuters reported exclusively yesterday.

The White House has signalled it hopes the summit will be the first of several between Trump and Xi in the coming year, including possible leader visits to each country, indicating a protracted negotiation process.

But Trump wants some quick progress, in talks being closely watched by businesses worldwide.

Trump said yesterday he expects to reduce US tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Beijing’s commitment to curb the flow of precursor chemicals to make fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of American overdose deaths.

Trump has also said he might sign a final deal with Xi on TikTok, the social media app that faces a US ban unless its Chinese owners divest its US operations.

Beijing is willing to work together for “positive results”, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said yesterday.

Prior deals on tariffs and rare earths due to expire

Previous deals, which brought down retaliatory tariffs sharply to about 55 per cent on the US side and 10 per cent on the Chinese side and restarted the flow of rare earth magnets from China, are due to expire on November 10.

Bessent said China had agreed to help curb the flow of fentanyl precursors, but did not say whether the US had made any concessions in return.

Beijing has sought the lifting of 20 per cent tariffs over fentanyl, an easing of export controls on sensitive US technology, and a rollback of new US port fees on Chinese vessels aimed at combating China’s global dominance in shipbuilding, ocean freight and logistics.

Trump’s meeting with Xi comes at the end of a five-day trip to Asia in which he signed pacts with Japan and Southeast Asian nations on rare earths, seeking to blunt China’s stranglehold on minerals used in everything from cars to fighter jets.

Tensions over Taiwan

Regional strategic tensions, particularly over Beijing-claimed Taiwan, a US partner and high-tech powerhouse, are an ominous backdrop to the summit.

On Sunday, Chinese state media said Chinese H-6K bombers recently flew near Taiwan to practise “confrontation drills.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Taiwan should not be concerned about the US-China talks, despite some experts expressing fears that Trump might offer concessions over the island. Washington is required under US law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. — Reuters

OCTOBER 30 — When law clashes with the language of security, we must stand firmly on the side of justice. In recent months, the cases of children accused of committing sexual and bodily crimes has reignited a wave of anxiety and public debate. What began as a social and parenting discussion has now been entangled by the rhetoric of securitisation which is a dangerous practice of reframing ordinary legal or moral issues as matters of national security.

This is not merely a story about violence; it is a story about childhood, responsibility, and society’s moral compass. When such a tragedy involves two children – one alleged perpetrator and one victim, we must be extra careful. Both are children. Both are products of the environments that shaped them. To speak of them in the language of threat or deterrence is to lose sight of their humanity and of the state’s duty to protect, not punish.

The Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has rightly pointed out that any move to search or confiscate children’s mobile phones is unconstitutional. Such an act violates the child’s fundamental right to privacy and personal liberty guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. A child is a rights-holder, not a suspect. Subjecting them to surveillance or intrusion under the guise of “protection” erodes the very foundation of justice and undermines public trust in the rule of law.

An undated file photograph shows children using smartphones. — AFP pic

Too often, measures framed in the name of deterrence are used to justify policies or actions that, in practice, criminalise childhood. Deterrence may have a place in adult justice, but when applied to children, it becomes conceptually and morally unsound. Children do not act through rational calculations of punishment or consequence; they act through curiosity, imitation, and social learning. To impose the language of control, “risk,” or “security” on them is to mistake development for deviance.

When a violent incident occurs in a school, it is quickly securitised; discussed in terms of threats, prevention, and control. But when violence occurs at home, do we accord the same urgency, resources, and framing? If not, then it is clear that what we are witnessing is not true securitization, but selective moral panic. The issue is not “security,” but our collective failure to provide consistent care, emotional education, and community support for children across all settings. What we need is not surveillance or control, but empathy-driven intervention, systems that address harm through understanding, not fear.

Equally concerning is the growing tendency to attribute children’s violent or troubling behaviour solely to online gaming or social media or exposure to digital content. This narrative is simplistic and reductionist. Criminality, even in its earliest forms is rarely born from a single source. It is the culmination of multiple interlocking factors: family dysfunction or parental neglect, exposure to violence, neglect, socio-economic strain, peer influence, emotional deprivation, and the absence of safe social spaces. To place all blame on gaming or social media is to absolve society of its deeper responsibilities – to raise, educate, and support children meaningfully in both the real and digital worlds.

When dealing with children, we must therefore use language that heals, not harms; language grounded in care, guidance, and education, not surveillance or suspicion. Every word we use shapes the way we see them: either as individuals in need of nurturing or as potential threats in need of control.

This habit of invoking “security” or “public order” every time a moral panic arises is not vigilance, it is moral carelessness and emotional laziness. The securitisation of childhood transforms vulnerability into guilt and compassion into control. It diverts attention from the real questions society should be asking: Where are our parenting structures, our educational supports, and our digital literacy initiatives? Why do we resort to fear and punishment instead of understanding and guidance?.

The law exists to protect, not persecute. It must remain the bulwark against moral panic and political expediency. To securitise children’s behaviour is to criminalise innocence; to police their digital lives is to teach them distrust, not discipline.

True security does not come from control or intrusion, it comes from compassion, education, and the fair application of law. A nation that governs through fear can never claim to be just. A nation that safeguards its children’s rights, however, proves that its justice system is still rooted in humanity.

In moments like these, we must choose law over fear, rights over rhetoric, and justice over securitisation.

* Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid is a Criminologist and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya and may be reached at haezreena@um.edu.my 

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Malaysia’s interest in the men’s singles event in the Hylo Open 2025 came to an end early as both Leong Jun Hao and Jacky Kok were sent packing from the opening round in Saarbrucken, Germany, yesterday.

The world number 22 Jun Hao suffered his fifth consecutive early exit since the China Masters 2025 last month, this time against world number 65 from India, S. Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian 14-21, 21-18, 16-21 in one hour and 12 minutes in the Super 500 tournament held in Saarlandhalle.

Professional shuttler Jacky, on the other hand, fought hard before going down to Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen, 19-21, 18-21.

Meanwhile, professional men’s doubles pair, Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong, endured a similar fate as they fell to fifth seeds from Indonesia Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, 16-21, 22-24.

However, national women’s singles shuttler K. Letshanaa got off her campaign to a flying start by seeing off Taiwan’s Huang Ching Ping 21-9, 21-15 in 34 minutes.

In the second round tomorrow, Letshanaa will be up against second seed, Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark, who thumped Yevheniia Kantemyr of Ukraine, 21-11, 21-7. — Bernama

LONDON, Oct 30 — Premier League leaders Arsenal will host Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarter-finals, while third-tier Cardiff City, the only non-Premier League team to make the last eight, will host Chelsea.

Holders Newcastle United are at home to Fulham and Manchester City, who have hoisted the League Cup eight times, host Brentford.

The last-eight games will take place during the week of December 15.

Four of the quarter-finalists — Brentford, Fulham, Cardiff City and Crystal Palace — have never won the League Cup.

Liverpool, who have won the League Cup a record 10 times, were dispatched by Crystal Palace 3-0 in yesterday’s fourth-round tie. — Reuters

SEOUL, Oct 30 — US President Donald Trump said yesterday he would not seek a third term in office, a marked shift after months of teasing the idea despite constitutional limits though it was unclear whether it was his final word on the matter.

Trump, who is known for changing his mind on major issues, was speaking to reporters on Air Force One during his three-country Asia tour. His flirtation with the idea has alarmed opponents and constitutional experts, who say a third term would test the 22nd Amendment, which states no person shall be elected to the presidency more than twice.

“If you read it, it’s pretty clear — I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad, but we have a lot of great people,” Trump said, adding he thought Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be “unstoppable” if they ran together in 2028.

Trump, however, frequently takes what appear to be firm positions on issues, only to reverse course later.

Trump, 79, has in the past repeatedly refused to rule out the possibility of seeking a third four-year term in 2028. He often teases a third term at his rallies and hands out “Trump 2028” hats to his friends at the White House.

His latest comments came the day after a close political ally, US Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, said he had told Trump he did not see a path toward changing the Constitution to permit a third term.

“It’s been a great run. But I think the president knows, and he and I have talked about, the constrictions of the Constitution,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill.

“I don’t see a way to amend the Constitution because it takes about 10 years to do that, as you all know, to allow all the states to ratify ... what two-thirds of the House and three-fourths of the states would approve,” said Johnson, a former constitutional lawyer who earlier this year also said Trump understood the legal barrier to serving a third term.

Remaining relevant

Johnson’s latest remarks drew a sharp contrast with some members of his House Republican majority, who have said publicly that they want Trump to seek a third term to prevent a Democrat from entering the White House after his current term ends in January 2029.

George Washington set the standard for two-term presidencies when he chose not to seek a third term. But Franklin Roosevelt, who led the US through the Great Depression and World War Two, was elected four times and died in office. Roosevelt’s example prompted Congress to approve the 22nd Amendment, and it was adopted in 1951.

Some political analysts see Trump’s third term references as a strategic way to remain relevant, antagonise his political opponents and avoid becoming a lame duck.

“He probably thought it would keep him relevant and prevent lame duck syndrome, or he might actually have thought he could figure out some way to do it,” said Republican strategist Charlie Black.

A Republican lobbyist who spoke on condition of anonymity said some of Trump’s friends had been reaching out to the White House to say Trump’s talk of a third term is “not helpful” because it was giving Democrats talking points “about how you’re ending democracy.”

Some allies have taken Trump’s signals seriously, suggesting they are exploring legal or political pathways to make a third term a reality, even as most constitutional scholars dismiss the concept. A group known as “The Third Term Project” says on its website that it is “a think-tank devoted to getting President Donald J. Trump his rightful third term in office.”

A far-right influencer and former Trump adviser, Steve Bannon, told The Economist last week that there are a variety of alternatives for Trump to stay in office. “At the appropriate time, we’ll lay out what the plan is,” Bannon said. “But there is a plan.”

Bannon did not respond to a request for comment yesterday about Trump’s new comments.

One theory from his supporters has been for Trump to run as vice president, while another candidate stood for election as president then resigned, letting Trump again assume the presidency. The Constitution’s 12th Amendment would seem to prohibit that outcome as well, as it says: “No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of president shall be eligible to that of vice president of the United States.”

Trump said on Monday he would be allowed to run for vice president but would not do it because “it’s too cute” and people would not like it. “It wouldn’t be right,” he said. — Reuters

OCTOBER 30 — Twenty days ago I wrote that the minister is accountable to Parliament.

It is a convention of a Westminster-style government. The convention holds ministers responsible and accountable for their departments’ actions and performance. 

It is the ministers who must account for the performance and decisions of their departments.

Civil servants, on the other hand, are accountable to ministers. So, they are not accountable directly to Parliament. 

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul speaks to reporters after officiating the Asean Women Parliamentarians Meeting under the auspices of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in Kuching on April 22, 2025. — Bernama pic

Civil servants do appear before select committees, but they do so to speak on behalf of their ministers rather than in their own right, and are restricted in what they can say. They provide factual information rather than to explain or justify policy decisions or departmental performance.

The convention must be upheld.

It was therefore timely of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul to issue a stern warning to members of parliament (MPs) against insulting civil servants during debates, stressing that action will be taken against anyone who does so. 

“Take my word for this. Anyone, whether from the government side or the Opposition, who insults civil servants, I will take action. You can comment on politicians, but do not insult the civil service

“Don’t challenge me. Please… some have ridiculed secretaries-general and others, don’t do that,” he said when concluding Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz’s briefing on the Malaysia–United States Reciprocal Trade Agreement (ART) in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Oct 29).

Criticise the ministers for they are the ones who must be held responsible and accountable to Parliament

Spare the civil servants — for good reasons. They should continue to fearlessly provide ministers with candid advice, including on the constitutionality or legality of proposed actions.

Candid means truthful, frank and straightforward.

Let our civil servants be truthful, frank and straightforward in their advice to the ministers.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — The ringgit extended its gains for the seventh day on Thursday, opening higher against the US dollar, supported by the much-anticipated 25 basis points cut last night by the US Federal Reserve (US Fed), an analyst said.

At 8am, the ringgit appreciated to 4.1835/2050 against the greenback from Wednesday’s close of 4.1850/1900. 

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the decision comes with a catch, however.

“Monetary policy is not a preset course, and views are polarised among Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members.

“The gap between the US federal funds rate (FFR) and Malaysia’s overnight policy rate (OPR) will not be narrowed soon enough. US dollar returns may look attractive to some degree,” he told Bernama.

Mohd Afzanizam said the ringgit could experience some profit-taking after staging significant gains after the dollar-ringgit passed the RM4.20 psychological level. The local unit could range between RM4.19 to RM4.20 today.

At the opening, the ringgit traded higher against most major currencies.

It rose against the Japanese yen to 2.7383/7525 from 2.7493/7528 at Wednesday’s close, strengthened against the British pound to 5.5189/5472 from 5.5326/5392 and climbed versus the euro to 4.8533/8782 from 4.8722/8780.

The local note also traded mostly higher against most Asean currencies.

It improved against the Singapore dollar to 3.2245/2416 from 3.2324/2365 at Wednesday’s close and inched up vis-a-vis the Indonesian rupiah to 251.7/253.1 from 251.8/252.2.

The ringgit gained against the Thai baht to 12.9096/9840 from 12.9651/9858 but was almost flat against the Philippine peso at 7.12/7.16 from 7.12/7.14 previously. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth treasurer Datuk Shahrul Nasrun Kamarudin has been relieved of his duties following a viral social media controversy sparked by allegations from his former wife, entrepreneur and influencer Amyera Zainal.

Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh confirmed the decision, saying that it was made to allow Shahrul Nasrun to resolve his personal matters away from the public eye.

“For now, Datuk Shahrul has been temporarily relieved of his duties as BN Youth treasurer to enable him to focus on his personal affairs. We will not interfere and will give him the space he needs,” Akmal was quoted saying in a Sinar Harian report.

The controversy erupted on Oct 28 when Amyera made a series of claims on her Instagram Stories, just days after Shahrul announced his engagement to Meerween Hanees Natasha Meeat on Oct 25. 

The timing and nature of the posts sparked widespread social media discussion, with many questioning Shahrul’s credibility as a political figure.

Amyera said she was speaking out to defend her reputation against what she perceived as attacks on her character. 

“He just wants people to think I’m bad because I’m sexy. That’s his only motive... if you mess with me, that’s your biggest mistake,” she wrote on a social media account.

Shahrul responded on the same night with an Instagram statement of his own, denying the allegations and expressing regret that their personal issues had become public. 

He defended his fiancée, stressing she was not involved, and acknowledged his previous marriage officially ended on July 30, 2024. 

Admitting to past “shortcomings,” he said he viewed them as “meaningful life lessons” and wished his ex-wife peace and happiness.

However, his post also included a warning, citing Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 that he said would punish individuals found guilty of spreading false information or cyberbullying with a fine of up to RM50,000, a year in prison, or both.

LIVERPOOL, Oct 30 — Second-string Liverpool were thumped 3-0 by Crystal Palace as Ismaila Sarr struck twice for the visitors in the League Cup yesterday, booking the London side’s spot in the quarter-finals and piling more misery on Arne Slot’s struggling side.

Holders Newcastle United dispatched Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, Arsenal beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0, Manchester City came back to down second-tier Swansea City 3-1 and Chelsea edged past Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 in other fourth-round ties.

Slot rested most of his regular starters — as did the other major Premier League clubs — leaving Liverpool to suffer their sixth loss in seven games across all competitions.

The match at Anfield was fairly even before Sarr scored in the 41st minute when Liverpool defender Joe Gomez attempted to clear the ball but teed it up instead for the Senegalese player, who unleashed a blistering shot past keeper Freddie Woodman.

In a torrential downpour that matched the Reds fans’ mood, Sarr doubled Palace’s lead seconds before the break when he latched onto a lovely reverse pass from Yeremy Pino.

Liverpool were reduced to 10 men when Amara Nallo was sent off in the 79th minute for taking down Justin Devenny, his second red card in two senior appearances.

Pino added to Liverpool’s misery with the visitors’ third goal in the 88th minute.

“It’s not of Liverpool standards to lose six out of seven,” Slot told Sky Sports.

Asked if Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Aston Villa was a must-win, Slot said: “Every Liverpool game is a must-win.”

The night marked the first time Liverpool had lost a domestic cup match at Anfield by three goals without scoring since February 1934 in a 3-0 defeat by Bolton in the FA Cup.

It was also the league champions’ third loss to Palace this season.

“I don’t know how often this happens when you play the champions three times within three months, and you win three times. So credit to the players,” said Palace boss Oliver Glasner.

Holders Newcastle down Spurs

Newcastle reached the last eight thanks to goals from Fabian Schar in the first half and Nick Woltemade in the second to oust Spurs in an electric atmosphere at St James’ Park.

“Really pleased, I think when you make the (eight) changes that we did, you hope to see a performance that’s in line with our identity and our expectations, and I thought we got both today,” said Newcastle manager Eddie Howe.

“It’s most important the attitude is right from minute one and there’s that will to win that you need, and we had.”

Arsenal’s 18-year-old Ethan Nwaneri broke the deadlock in the 57th against Brighton at the Emirates when he latched onto a pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly and fired into the bottom corner.

Bukayo Saka doubled the Gunners’ lead in the 76th minute when he pounced on the rebound from a Jason Steele save.

“A very special evening for obvious reasons,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said. “We made 10 changes, we played players that have never played together.

“Two debuts for Max (Dowman, who is 15) and Andre (Harriman-Annous, 17). That feeling is unique.”

Championship side Swansea stunned Pep Guardiola’s City — who are 28 places above them in England’s football pyramid — when Goncalo Franco struck in the 12th minute.

But Jeremy Doku equalised with a deflected effort just before halftime, Omar Marmoush put City ahead in the 77th when he broke free from a defender and fired into the roof of the net and Rayan Cherki wrapped up the win with a goal in added time.

Chelsea looked poised to thrash Wolves as goals from Andrey Santos, Tyrique George and Estevao gave them a 3-0 lead at Molineux. But the hosts showed some life late on with a goal from David Moller Wolfe after Tolu Arokodare had got one back.

Chelsea’s Liam Delap was sent off in the 86th but his teammate Jamie Gittens made it 4-2 three minutes later before Moller Wolfe got his second of the night in added time. — Reuters

OCTOBER 30 — Last Thursday morning, I was sitting alone with a cup of kopi-C-kosong at the Engineering Tower, when a thought came quietly. There is one future skill that everyone needs to master: 

The ability to ask the right question.

The idea came just before my 9 am class. I had been thinking about how we now use generative AI in classrooms, for everything from problem-based learning, flipped learning, and even in writing essay assignments. It reminded me of a World Economic Forum report that said 65 per cent of jobs in the future have not yet been created. That statistic used to sound like science fiction. Now it feels like a warning.

In a world where machines can generate, translate, and even imitate, the real skill will no longer be about producing quick answers. It will be about asking meaningful questions.

AI, after all, only knows what we ask of it. A good question is like a map. It guides, filters, connects. A weak question gets you noise, while a thoughtful one brings clarity. The better you are at asking, the better the answers you uncover.

That, to me, is what separates users from thinkers. Anyone can click “generate.” But to prompt meaningfully, to connect ideas, to see patterns others miss, requires curiosity and care.

Rumi wrote, “What you seek is seeking you.” The older I get, the more I think he was talking about questions. The right question has its own magnetism. It pulls the right answer toward it. But you have to ask it first, and you have to mean it.

In my classes, I often tell students that curiosity is a form of courage. It means being willing to look foolish for a moment so that you can understand for a lifetime. Too many of us stay quiet out of fear of asking the wrong thing, when in truth, the only wrong question is the one never asked.

When I first started teaching, I thought good answers were the goal. Now I know that good questions are the real milestones. They show that a student is thinking, connecting, wondering. When someone asks, “What if?” or “Why not?” or even “How do you know?”, I know something is moving.

And this is where AI becomes interesting. Generative tools can summarise and simplify, but they still depend on our curiosity to guide them. Without it, they are like powerful engines idling without direction. The human role is not to out-calculate the machine but to out-question it.

Coldplay once sang, “Questions of science, science and progress do not speak as loud as my heart.” I like that line from ‘The Scientist’ because it reminds me that knowledge, at its best, is not cold logic. It begins with wonder. The scientist, the artist, the teacher, all of them start with a question that matters to them. The data and diagrams come later.

I think back to my own school days, when the brave ones in class were not necessarily the top students, but those who dared to raise their hands and ask “Why?” Sometimes the teacher had an answer. Sometimes they didn’t. But the question always lingered, pushing us to look deeper.

The more I teach, the more I see that learning is not about collecting facts. It is about developing a relationship with not knowing. To ask a good question is to admit that you do not yet understand, and to be comfortable with that space.

There is a line in Rumi’s writing where he says, “Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.” That might be the best advice for our AI age. We have plenty of cleverness now. What we need is more genuine wonder.

So how do we nurture that?

I don’t know, to be honest. But what I do know is that slowing down really helps. Curiosity grows in stillness. Because it needs time to notice details, to form connections, to wonder why something is the way it is.

And perhaps the other way is to treat questions not as challenges but as bridges. When we ask with sincerity, we are not testing others; we are inviting them in. A good question carries respect. It should say, “I value your perspective. Help me see what I can’t.”

An illustration featuring the words “Artificial intelligence AI”, a miniature robot, and a toy hand taken on December 14, 2023, as a file photo. — Reuters pic

If AI is to be our companion in the years ahead, then this human art of questioning will matter even more. The machine can process, but only we can wonder. The machine can simulate empathy, but only we can feel it. The machine can predict patterns, but only we can decide which ones are worth following.

In a world full of quick answers, the rarest skill will be to pause, to think, and to ask with sincerity. 

Because only then will we have the real answers.

* Nahrizul Adib Kadri is a professor of biomedical engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, and the Principal of Ibnu Sina and Tuanku Bahiyah Residential College, Universiti Malaya. He may be reached at nahrizuladib@um.edu.my 

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

OCTOBER 30 — When Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail declared that Asean had placed cybercrime and online scams at the top of its security agenda, it marked not only a shift in priorities but also a profound recognition of a new type of threat—one that strikes at the heart of trust, sovereignty, and economic integrity. 

The announcement came as Malaysia hosted the 19th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in Melaka, where member states adopted a declaration to combat cybercrime and online scams. For Malaysia, this was not just another regional statement; it was the first building block of what should rightfully be called The Merdeka Declaration Against Cyber Scams and Crimes—a necessary start in reclaiming digital freedom and safety across Asean.

In spirit, “Merdeka” means liberation—freedom from subjugation, fear, and exploitation. Translated into today’s context, it means freedom from the predation of digital fraudsters, online syndicates, and transnational networks who profit from human misery. 

These scams are not just about stolen money or data. They are about stolen trust, dignity, and hope. Entire communities have been victimised—students deceived by false job offers, retirees conned by investment frauds, and families torn apart by the emotional and financial wreckage of online deceit.

For too long, the fight against cybercrime in Southeast Asia has been reactive. 

Police raids on scam centres in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar—some controlled by organised crime—have been episodic, not systemic. Yet, the region’s interconnectedness, its rapid digitalisation, and its booming online economy make it uniquely vulnerable. With 460 million internet users, Asean’s digital economy is projected to exceed US$1 trillion by 2030. 

But without safeguards, this growth will be undermined by the “scam-demic” that has already cost the region billions of dollars.

The new Asean Declaration on Combating Cybercrime and Online Scams, adopted in Melaka, represents the first serious attempt to build a coordinated framework for enforcement, data sharing, and financial tracing. It commits Asean members to strengthen legal cooperation, train law enforcement agencies, and establish anti-scam centres. Malaysia has proposed a new working group with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) focusing on money laundering and cross-border financial investigations—a timely initiative. This aligns with the broader Asean Plan of Action on Combating Transnational Crime (2026–2035), providing a decade-long roadmap for implementation.

But declarations are only the start. The region’s real test lies in enforcement. Scams evolve faster than legislation. Artificial intelligence is being weaponised for deception, while cryptocurrencies make tracing illicit flows increasingly complex. Deepfake technologies can now mimic trusted public figures to defraud unsuspecting citizens. Asean’s security response must therefore be agile, integrated, and preventive, not merely punitive.

Malaysia’s leadership is crucial here. As Asean Chair in 2025 and host of the AMMTC, Malaysia must ensure that its own domestic enforcement—through the Royal Malaysian Police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department and the National Scam Response Center—becomes a model for regional best practices. The establishment of a regional “Merdeka Digital Command Center” could serve as a nerve hub, synchronising intelligence, sharing data, and coordinating responses to transnational cyber threats.

Asean must also treat cybercrime not only as a security issue but as a civilizational one. Digital scams thrive on inequality, misinformation, and lack of governance. They corrode the moral and ethical fabric that binds societies together. In this sense, “Merdeka” must also mean moral emancipation—the freedom to trust, to transact, and to live without fear in digital spaces.

The term “Merdeka Declaration” carries deeper resonance because it reflects Asean’s need for sovereignty in cyberspace. Just as Malaysia’s independence in 1957 represented liberation from colonial control, Asean’s cyber-independence must represent liberation from digital predators. The Declaration should evolve into a legally binding convention by 2030, harmonising laws across member states. This would allow Asean to finally move from aspirational language to operational justice.

Equally vital is private-sector collaboration. Telecom operators, fintech platforms, and social media companies must become active participants in Asean’s collective defence. Without their cooperation in tracing transactions, blocking suspicious accounts, and verifying user identities, cybercrime will remain one step ahead. Civil society and academia must also play their role in education and awareness. A region with half a billion young users cannot afford digital illiteracy.

A photo illustration highlights a scam warning issued on June 12, 2025. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

For Malaysia, the timing is opportune. Under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership, the government has woven digital transformation into its economic and social development agenda. The National Scam Response Center’s formation, the CyberSecurity Malaysia initiatives, and collaborations with tech giants like Google and Meta are already laying the groundwork for regional emulation. By proposing the Merdeka Declaration as a signature Asean initiative, Malaysia can combine diplomacy with digital ethics—anchoring Asean’s cyber resilience as part of its broader peace and security architecture.

Still, the road ahead is long. Without sustained political will, the Declaration risks becoming just another diplomatic gesture. Asean must embed anti-scam cooperation into its economic frameworks, from the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) to RCEP implementation. Only then can regional trade and digital innovation coexist securely.

The Merdeka Declaration Against Cyber Scams and Crimes must therefore be understood as the beginning of Asean’s collective digital awakening. It is an assertion that sovereignty in the 21st century is not only about territory or resources—it is about the integrity of information, the safety of citizens, and the protection of truth itself.

With Malaysia leading by example, the region can turn its declarations into durable institutions. The spirit of Merdeka—freedom with responsibility—must now extend into cyberspace. It is time for Asean to liberate its people not just from colonialism or conflict, but from the invisible chains of deception that have ensnared millions in the digital age.

* Phar Kim Beng is professor of Asean Studies and director of the Institute of International and Asean Studies (IINTAS) at the International Islamic University Malaysia. Luthfy Hamzah is a research fellow at the Institute of International and Asean Studies (IINTAS), International Islamic University Malaysia. Rahmah Azizan is a strategic analyst with Strategic Pan Indo Pacific (SPIPA).

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 — A policy divide within the US central bank and a lack of federal government data may put another interest rate cut out of reach this year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said yesterday, as he acknowledged the threats that officials see to the job market but also the risky nature of making further rate moves without a fuller picture of the economy.

The Fed yesterday cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as expected, as a way to temper any further weakening of the job market. But the central bank’s new policy statement included several references to the lack of official data during a federal government shutdown, and Powell told reporters later that policymakers are likely to become more cautious if it deprives them of further job and inflation reports.

“We’re going to collect every scrap of data we can find, evaluate it and think carefully about it. And that’s our job,” Powell said in a press conference after a two-day policy meeting, as he ticked off private data the Fed can use, along with its own in-house surveys of business executives and less formal interviews with a range of contacts around the country.

“If you asked me could it affect ... the December meeting, I’m not saying it’s going to, but yeah, you could imagine that. You know, what do you do if you’re driving in the fog? You slow down.”

His comments show the developing dilemma for the Fed as a budget dispute between the Trump administration and Democrats in Congress extends into a second month, with the government unable to carry out surveys and produce reports that are key to central bankers’ policy decisions — in this case possibly delaying rate cuts that President Donald Trump himself wants.

Beyond the data issues, Powell said there were “strongly differing views” among his Fed colleagues about the appropriate path for monetary policy moving forward, with “a growing chorus now ... feeling like maybe this is where we should at least wait a cycle” before cutting rates again.

Financial markets responded to Powell’s remarks by reducing bets on another rate cut at the Fed’s December 9-10 meeting, a prospect now given roughly two-to-one odds, with the S&P 500 ending the day largely flat after giving up earlier gains.

“Powell explicitly signalled a break between this and future meetings,” as he manages a policy-setting committee that agreed to consecutive rate cuts in September and October even as many of its members remain concerned that inflation is expected to rise through the remainder of 2025, said Michael Pearce, deputy chief US economist at Oxford Economics.

Even those who have emphasised the possible weakness in the job market agree the Fed should now move carefully.

The economy continues to throw off mixed signals, Powell said, with “bifurcated” consumers stressed at the low end of the income distribution but those at the upper end spending robustly, and economic growth buoyed by business investment even if that is not translating into strong job growth.

The latest rate cut drew dissents from two policymakers, with Fed Governor Stephen Miran again calling for a deeper reduction in borrowing costs and Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid favouring no cut at all given ongoing inflation.

It was only the third time since 1990, according to data from the St. Louis Fed, that policymakers had dissented in different policy directions, a sign of the split opinion at the central bank about where the economy is headed.

A ‘solid’ policy decision

Powell still called the Fed’s 10-2 vote in favour of lowering the benchmark interest rate to the 3.75 per cent-4.00 per cent range a “solid” endorsement of easing policy to help support a gradually cooling labour market.

But “there were strongly differing views about how to proceed in December,” Powell said, an unusually blunt comment about an upcoming meeting, something Fed chiefs usually shy away from.

“A further reduction in the policy rate at the December meeting is not a foregone conclusion. Far from it, policy is not on a preset course,” he said.

Powell said his own view is that the current policy rate remains “modestly restrictive” and is still putting some downward pressure on inflation, which he said as a base case will likely rise temporarily in coming months due to the Trump administration’s import tariffs, but then fall.

“I think it would not be appropriate to just ignore or assume away the inflation issue; at the same time I think the risk of higher, more persistent inflation has declined significantly since April,” Powell said, adding that the Fed would resume its rate cuts at some point. “I think we are trying to get to the end of this cycle with the labour market in a good place and with inflation on its way to 2 per cent or at 2 per cent.”

Fed policymakers acknowledged the limits in their decision-making process posed by the government shutdown, dating their view of the unemployment rate to August — the month of the last official jobs release — while noting that “available indicators suggest” the economy continued growing at a moderate pace.

Inflation has not risen as strongly as initially expected on the back of the White House’s new import taxes, but nevertheless has climbed from around 2.3 per cent in April to about 2.7 per cent in August, according to the last official estimate released for the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index before the shutdown. The Fed uses the PCE to set its 2 per cent inflation target, and in projections issued in September policymakers expected it to rise to 3 per cent by the end of this year.

The Fed also announced yesterday that it will restart limited purchases of Treasury securities after money markets showed signs that liquidity was becoming scarce, a condition it has pledged to avoid.

The decision to end the balance sheet drawdown will keep the total amount of the central bank’s roughly US$6.61 trillion (RM27.7 trillion) in holdings steady on a month-to-month basis as of December 1, but shift its portfolio by reinvesting the proceeds of maturing mortgage-backed securities into Treasury bills. — Reuters

CAIRO, Oct 30 — Israel said yesterday it remains committed to the US-backed ceasefire in Gaza, despite its retaliation for the death of an Israeli soldier with day-long bombardment that Gaza health authorities said killed 104 people.

Even as the military affirmed it still intended to uphold the truce in the Palestinian enclave, it announced it had carried out another airstrike in the north of Gaza where it said weapons had been stored. Medics said two people were killed in that attack.

The killing of an Israeli soldier in Gaza on Tuesday has triggered the worst escalation there since the ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump came into effect on October 10 after two years of war triggered by deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel.

Israel says the soldier was killed in an attack by gunmen on territory within the “yellow line” where its troops withdrew under the truce. Hamas has rejected the accusation.

Israel described yesterday’s attack as a targeted strike near Beit Lahia in the north of the strip, where it said weapons had been stored. It said it would continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement while responding firmly to any violation.

“We want to ensure that the goal that President Trump and we agreed on of disarming Hamas and demilitarising Gaza is ultimately achieved,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later on yesterday during a visit to a military facility in southern Israel where US troops are monitoring the truce.

“There is a real effort here in cooperation, with security being maintained in our own hands,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement released by his office.

Airstrikes targeted Hamas commander, Israel says

In response to the soldier’s death, the military launched what it described as strikes targeting dozens of Hamas militants across the enclave, as well as weapons depots and tunnels belonging to the group.

It named 24 militant targets, including one it described as a Hamas commander who took part in an attack on a kibbutz during the October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel that ignited the war.

The Gaza health ministry said 46 children and 20 women were among the 104 people killed in the airstrikes.

The Hamas-run Gaza government media office issued a statement saying Israel’s list of targets was a product of a “systematic campaign of misinformation, forgery, and lies aimed at distorting the truth and covering up its ongoing crimes against civilians.”

In Nusseirat in the central Gaza Strip, neighbours said the entire Abu Dalal family had been wiped out in an airstrike that flattened their home overnight.

A boy in a wheelchair wailed as the family’s bodies in white plastic body bags were loaded into the back of a flatbed truck. Crowds followed as the bodies were driven through the streets to a cemetery.

Despite the bombardments, Trump said the ceasefire was not at risk.

“As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “So the Israelis hit back and they should hit back. When that happens, they should hit back,” he added.

“Nothing is going to jeopardise” the ceasefire, Trump said. “You have to understand Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave.”

He has touted the truce and hostage-prisoner exchange deal as one of the top foreign policy achievements of his second term, and he and his top aides have sought to keep the ceasefire from unravelling.

The latest flare-up has underscored the stumbling blocks to a lasting peace. Key questions of Hamas disarming, further Israeli troop pullbacks and future governance of Gaza remain unresolved.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who has acted as a mediator, said yesterday that the attack on the Israeli soldier and subsequent Israeli airstrikes had been “very disappointing and frustrating for us”.

Residents describe night of bombardment

Displaced Palestinians feared the truce could fall apart.

“The sounds of explosions and planes made us feel as if war had started again,” Ismail Zayda, 40, living in tents in western Gaza City with his 25-member family, told Reuters via a chat app.

Under the accord, Hamas released all living hostages in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees, while Israel pulled back its troops and halted its offensive.

Hamas also agreed to hand over the remains of all dead hostages yet to be recovered, but has said that it will take time to locate and retrieve them. Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by stalling in handing over bodies. — Reuters

BATU CAVES, Oct 30 — Whether you call it pan mee, ban mian or mee hoon kueh, there’s no denying the firm, chewy grip the noodles have on the hearts and minds of many Malaysians. 

You’ll find it in soup; dry, tossed in sauce; hand-torn; knife-cut; or thin and served with plenty of dry chilli, a Klang Valley favourite. But where does one find something truly different?

The answer is Batu Caves. Specifically, in Medan Selera Selayang Jaya, where Rong Shu Xia Noodle House has been around for just over 20 years, occupying three stalls and standing as the most popular option for food near the market. 

Rong Shu Xia translates to ‘beneath the banyan tree’, but it is housed in a stall in Medan Selera Selayang Jaya. — Picture by Ethan Lau

Many of the neighbourhood’s residents come here for a meal, some for tong sui and a chat, while plenty of vendors from the market do the same. 

The name of the game is ban mian, with eight varieties on offer, from the usual suspects (dry, soup) to more inventive options (Thai style, siong tong), but one stands high above the rest: luo ban mian (RM9.50).

As its name suggests, this is a cross between lor mee, the thick, starchy Hokkien classic mostly associated with Penang, and pan mee. 

Much like regular lor mee, the “gravy” is thickened with cornstarch; unlike lor mee, it is not dark brown or heavily spiced, instead sporting a dirty blonde shade and a clean, savoury flavour. 

Rong Shu Xia Noodle House is located in the row of stalls on the right entrance of the Medan Selera. — Picture by Ethan Lau

It can be ordered with either thick or hand-torn noodles, but I think the latter is the clear choice. 

The uneven, rustic shapes are perfect vessels for the slippery gravy, which is meant to be cut with black vinegar provided on every table. 

The result is a savoury yet slightly tangy gloop that is equal parts hearty and comforting. 

It wasn’t raining on the day of my visit, but the bowl made me feel so cosy I almost wished it was. 

The rest of the typical accoutrements round out the dish, including crispy anchovies, minced pork, and shiitake mushrooms, as well as wood ear fungus for added texture.

The ‘dry spicy ban mian’ is also popular at Rong Shu Xia Noodle House. — Picture by Ethan Lau

If you’re anything like my first girlfriend — an absolute fiend for dry chilli pan mee, that is — the version here is more than decent. 

It’s served only with the thin variety of noodle, which the proprietor, Mr Chong, says is optimal, and I agree. 

Mix in the flakes of dried chilli, anchovies, and the poached egg for a fiery experience. The fishball and pork ball warrant a special mention; he is happy to share that he buys them fresh from Selayang Utama daily.

But they do make their sui kow (RM2) in-house, which are utterly bursting at the seams with minced pork, carrots, wood ear fungus and scallions. 

The ‘sui kow’ are also made from scratch here. — Picture by Ethan Lau

Just like their noodles, all of which are made fresh from scratch, it is clear they have done their time, with decades of hard work and expertise that can’t be replicated, poured into every bite.

Rong Shu Xia Noodle House

57, Medan Selera Selayang Jaya, 

Jalan SJ 5, Taman Selayang Jaya, 

Batu Caves, Selangor.

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 7am-3pm

Tel: ‪012-915 1575

Facebook: Rong Shu Xia Noodle House

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.

* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and self-deprecating attempts at humour.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 — As world leaders exchange handshakes and sign deals in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) this week, a small uncelebrated workforce has been deployed to ensure their headline-making activities proceed smoothly.

A team of 130-odd janitors dressed in grey uniforms move quietly to ensure the space  used by delegates for the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits, hosted by Malaysia, remain impeccably clean.

In just three days, the convention centre’s waste management team collected roughly eight tonnes of food waste and another one and a half tonnes of general waste — a scale that KLCC general manager John Burke said highlights the enormity of the cleaning crew’s task.

Asked about the amount of waste produced daily throughout the summit, he told Malay Mail: “Too much”.

He explained that for food waste, KLCC has a system in place to ensure that “100 per cent” is composted naturally so that none of it has to enter landfills.

“As for our general waste, we try to minimise what goes to the landfill, so about 60 per cent of the total waste collected is converted into recyclables,” he said.

KLCC general manager John Burke speaks to Malay Mail during the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

Behind the scenes

In the daytime, Malay Mail observed KLCC’s janitors collect the trash and clean the washrooms regularly during their 12-hour shifts.

When night fell and the convention centre emptied, the crew began a thorough deep cleaning of the vast premises covering function rooms, restrooms, and foyers.

They vacuumed and mopped the floors, polished every glass panel, metal handle and rail and wooden surface till it gleamed.

Inside the refuse room, janitors sort through the collected rubbish, separating general waste from recyclables. Just next door, a four-tonne roll-on roll-off bin gathers the day’s food waste as it awaits transport elsewhere for composting.

All food waste from the convention centre during the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits is collected here in this four-tonne roll-on roll-off bin. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

KLCC Chief Steward Parameswaran Marimuthu Pillay said the food waste bin is equipped with a biofilter designed to neutralise odours and decompose harmful gases emitted from the accumulated waste.

“We also use biochar, a sustainable, carbonised solid product, to cover the top layer inside the bin and help mitigate any escaping odours,” he told Malay Mail when met.

When it comes to food waste, KLCC Chef de Cuisine Nur Muhammad said a dedicated bin is also used to collect the day’s plate waste from buffet offerings and guest servings, complemented by an AI-driven food waste tracking system that helps the kitchen operate more efficiently.

He said the food waste tracking analytics platform – implemented over three years ago – has significantly helped drive food cost savings whilst increasing yield from food preparation.

“From here we can see what is the most favourite to the least favourite items and from there we can re-engineer, reduce our menu offerings to further reduce wastage.

“For example, as you can see yesterday’s plate waste amounts to 160 kilograms for both lunch and dinner; and from here we can see its carbon footprint value,” he told Malay Mail when met.

Nur Muhammad demonstrating the AI-driven food waste tracking system that allows chefs to make better decisions regarding inventories, portion size and menu planning for the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

While the housekeeping crew worked tirelessly, Burke said getting the Summit attendees to dispose of their waste in the correct bins was a persistent challenge.  

“It’s very difficult to get people to put the right type of rubbish in the colour-coded recycling bins provided so we try to do extra segregation behind the scenes later.

“It’s not specific to any event but an all-year round problem,” he said.

Still, Burke said KLCC is exploring waste segregation and handling methods that require less manpower and effort as it strives to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

With the 47th Asean Summit now concluded, these invisible hands behind the scenes will quietly carry on, ever ready for the next big occasion.

NAGPUR (India), Oct 30 — Brandishing bamboo sticks and chanting patriotic hymns, thousands of uniformed men parade in central India, a striking show of strength by the country’s millions-strong Hindu ultranationalist group.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh – the National Volunteer Organisation, or RSS – marked its 100th anniversary this month with a grand ceremony at its headquarters in Nagpur.

AFP was one of a handful of foreign media outlets granted rare access to the group, which forms the ideological and organisational backbone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in power since 2014.

Like the 75-year-old prime minister, critics accuse it of eroding the rights of India’s Muslim minority and undermining the secular constitution.

At the parade, RSS volunteers in white shirts, brown trousers and black hats marched, boxed and stretched in time to shrill whistles and barked orders.

“Forever I bow to thee, loving Motherland! Motherland of us Hindus!” they sang, in a scene that evoked paramilitary drills of the past.

“May my life... be laid down in thy cause!”

RSS volunteers brandishing bamboo sticks as part of the Hindu nationalist organisation's centenary celebrations at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur on October 2, 2025. — AFP pic

‘Proud’ 

Hindus make up around 80 percent of India’s 1.4 billion people.

Founded in 1925, the RSS calls itself “the world’s largest organisation”, though it does not give membership figures.

At the heart of its vision is “Hindutva” – the belief that Hindus represent not only a religious group but are India’s true national identity.

“They are willing to fight against those who will come in their way... that means minorities, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and other Hindus who do not subscribe to the idea,” historian Mridula Mukherjee said.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat uses softer language, saying that minorities were accepted but that they “should not cause division”.

Anant Pophali, 53, said three generations of his family had been involved with the group.

“The RSS made me proud to be an Indian,” the insurance company worker said.

Bloody origins 

The RSS was formed during the imperial rule of the British.

But it diverged sharply from that of independence efforts by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Party, whose leader Jawaharlal Nehru considered them “fascist by nature”.

Mukherjee said archives showed “a link between the RSS and fascist movements in Europe”.

“They have said, very clearly, that the way the Nazis were treating the Jews should be the way our own minorities should be treated,” she told AFP.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attends the centenary celebrations of the Hindu nationalist organisation at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur on October 2, 2025. — AFP pic

The RSS does not comment directly on such parallels, but Bhagwat insisted that “today we are more acceptable”.

The RSS was an armed Hindu militia during the bloody 1947 partition of India and the creation of Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Hindu extremists blamed Gandhi for breaking India apart.

A former RSS member assassinated him in 1948, and the group was banned for nearly two years.

But the RSS rebuilt quietly, focusing on local units known as “shakhas” to recruit.

Today, it claims 83,000 of them nationwide, as well as over 50,000 schools and 120,000 social welfare projects.

At a shakha in Nagpur, Alhad Sadachar, 49, said the unit was “meant to develop togetherness”.

“You can get a lot of good energy, a lot of good values, like helping those in need,” he said.

At a shakha that AFP was allowed to attend, dozens of members – many middle-aged or elderly, and not in uniform – gathered for an hour of calisthenics and song.

But in a show of symbolism, they congregated beneath a saffron flag – the colour of Hinduism – rather than India’s tricolour.

‘A country that is one’ 

The RSS remains deeply political.

The group re-emerged in the late 1980s, spearheading a movement that ended with a violent mob demolishing a centuries-old mosque in Ayodhya –now replaced by a gleaming temple to the Hindu god Rama.

“That was the turning point,” said historian Mukherjee, adding that the RSS was “able to create a mass mobilisation on religious issues, that became at its heart clearly anti-Muslim.”

The group helped deliver Modi’s BJP party an electoral landslide in 2014.

Since then, Modi – a former RSS “pracharak”, or organiser – has pursued policies that critics say marginalise India’s estimated 220 million Muslims, 15 percent of the population.

“There has been a clear increase in terms of violence, lynching and hate speech since Modi has taken over,” said Raqib Hameed Naik, director of the US-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate.

RSS volunteers take part in morning drills during a shakha, or training session, of the Hindu nationalist organisation at a park in Nagpur on October 3, 2025. — AFP pic

RSS leaders deny it has participated in atrocities.

“Those allegations are baseless,” Bhagwat said.

“Atrocities were never done by the RSS. And if it happens anyway, I condemn that.”

Under Modi, it has expanded its reach.

“The RSS has been able to stir Indian society in a direction that is more nationalistic, less liberal in a Western sense,” said Swapan Dasgupta, a former nationalist parliamentarian.

But volunteer Vyankatesh Somalwar, 44, said the group only pushed “good values”.

“The most important thing is to contribute to your country,” he said. “A country that is one, above all.” — AFP

SAN QUENTIN (United States), Oct 30 — Held inside a notorious prison among some of California’s most dangerous felons, the San Quentin Film Festival is not your typical Hollywood affair.

Red-carpet interviews take place just yards (meters) away from a now dormant execution chamber where hundreds of death-row inmates met grisly ends.

Convicted murderers sit alongside famous actors and journalists, applauding films made by their fellow inmates.

Among them is Ryan Pagan, serving 77 years for first-degree murder.

“I always wanted to be an actor –  but unfortunately that’s not the life I ended up living,” said Pagan, prison tattoos peeking out from the short sleeves of his jailhouse-issue blue shirt.

His film “The Maple Leaf,” made behind bars, is competing for best narrative short film – a category only for currently or formerly incarcerated filmmakers.

Pagan, 37, was a teen when he committed his crime, and hopes his new skills directing movies could one day offer “a pipeline to Hollywood, to employment.”

Though it did not win, the movie – about a self-help group in which prisoners tackle guilt and shame – won high praise from a jury including director Celine Song (”Past Lives”) and actor Jesse Williams (”Grey’s Anatomy”).

“Right now, I’m just doing the work and rehabilitating myself. Part of the story of ‘The Maple Leaf’ is about guys like me,” he said.

Dressed in prison blues, inmates watch a screening on day two of the San Quentin Film Festival at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center on October 24, 2025, in San Quentin, California. — AFP pic

‘Healing’ 

The oldest prison in California, San Quentin was for decades a maximum-security facility that hosted the nation’s biggest death row – and a famous concert by Johnny Cash in 1969.

It has become a flagship for California penal reform, and no longer carries out executions.

Rehabilitation programs include a media center where prisoners produce a newspaper, podcasts and films. The projects are intended to provide employable skills, as 90 percent of inmates will one day be released.

The festival, launched last year, offers inmates a chance to meet mainstream filmmakers from the outside.

Founder Cori Thomas, a playwright and screenwriter, had volunteered at the prison for years, and wanted a way to show her Hollywood peers the “exceptional work” being made in San Quentin.

“The only way would be for them to come in here to see it,” she realized.

After two successful editions, the festival will expand to a women’s prison in 2026.

‘Warning Signs’ 

San Quentin’s film program is also a chance for inmates to confront their often brutal pasts.

Miguel Sifuentes, 27 years into a life sentence for an armed robbery in which his accomplice killed a police officer, said creating short film “Warning Signs” was “a transformative healing experience.”

He plays an inmate contemplating suicide. Total strangers in prison who watched the film later approached him to open up about their own suicidal thoughts, he said.

“It really wasn’t like acting – it was just speaking from a real place of pain,” Sifuentes said.

Prison warden Chance Andes told AFP that cathartic activities like filmmaking and events like the festival help “reduce the violence and the tension within the walls.”

Inmates who cause fights or otherwise break prison rules temporarily lose their chance to participate.

Andes said these lessons resonate after the prisoners are released.

“If we send people out without having resolved their trauma and having no skill set, no degree, no schooling, they’re more likely to reoffend and cause more victims,” he said.

Founder of the San Quentin Film Festival Cori Thomas (centre) and TV star Jesse Williams (third from right) pose with guests and inmates on the red carpet of the film festival at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center in San Quentin, California, on October 24, 2025. — AFP pic

‘Grateful’ 

Even rehabilitation-focused prisons like San Quentin remain dangerous places.

“We’ve had assaults where nurses have been hurt by patients,” said Kevin Healy, who is a union president and trains staff at San Quentin.

“It’s a prison... it comes with the territory.”

Overhead circling the courtyard is a narrow walkway, where guards with deadly rifles can appear at the first sign of unrest.

But it is a far cry from the terrifying maximum-security prisons where both Pagan and Sifuentes began their sentences, and where Sifuentes nearly died after being stabbed.

At least on this sunny festival day, as incarcerated musicians play cheerfully in the courtyard, that violence feels temporarily at bay.

“Honestly, I hate to say ‘I’m grateful to be at this prison,” said Pagan.

“But in a sense I am.” — AFP

SYDNEY, Oct 30 — High above Sydney’s beaches, drones seek one of the world’s deadliest predators, scanning for the flick of a tail, the swish of a fin or a shadow slipping through the swell.

Australia’s oceans are teeming with sharks, with great whites topping the list of species that might fatally chomp a human.

Undeterred, Australians flock to the sea in huge numbers – with a 2024 survey showing nearly two-thirds of the population made a total of 650 million coastal visits in a single year.

Many beach lovers accept the risks.

When a shark killed surfer Mercury Psillakis off a northern Sydney beach in September, his grief-stricken family called it “a tragic and unavoidable accident”.

Increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures that appear to be swaying sharks’ migratory patterns may be contributing to an escalation in attacks despite overfishing depleting some species, scientists say.

More than 1,280 shark incidents have been recorded around Australia since 1791 – about 260 of them fatal – according to a national database.

Though still relatively rare, fatal attacks do appear to be on the rise with 56 reported deaths in the 25 years to 2025, compared to 27 deaths in the previous quarter-century.

Shepherding sharks 

But how best to protect people from sharks is a sensitive topic in Australia.

Authorities have adopted a multi-layered approach – deploying drones, fixing acoustic trackers to sharks so they can be detected by listening buoys near popular beaches, alerting people in real time with a mobile app, and stringing up old-fashioned nets.

Drones have become a key resource, spotting more than 1,000 of the predators in the past year as they prowled New South Wales coastal waters.

“We err on the side of caution,” Surf Life Saving New South Wales drone pilot Oliver Heys told AFP.

“If we see something, we drop down and zoom in to see if it is a dangerous shark or not,” he said.

“When we see them, a jet ski or inflatable rescue boat shepherds the shark back out to sea.”

Pilots look for three species considered the most dangerous: great whites, tiger sharks and bull sharks.

Of these, the great white has accounted for 42 per cent of shark attacks since 2000.

‘Dinner bell’ 

While shark nets are rolled out each summer in New South Wales and Queensland, their use is hotly debated.

Three local councils in New South Wales had planned to remove the nets from some beaches in a trial this year, but scotched the move after September’s fatal attack in Sydney.

Support for nets, which can be wider than a football field and up to six metres (20 feet) deep, has also broadly waned because sharks can swim around them, and the mesh kills most of the marine life it ensnares, including endangered turtles, dolphins, fish and rays.

Nets are outdated and can act as a “dinner bell” when trapped carcasses attract the predators, Leonardo Guida, shark scientist at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, told AFP.

Many scientists advocate more sophisticated techniques.

Above Sydney's beaches, drones seek one of the world's deadliest predators, scanning for the flick of a tail, the swish of a fin or a shadow slipping through the swell. — AFP pic

In New South Wales, smart drumlines – anchored buoys with baited hooks – send an alert when a shark bites, allowing the animals to be tagged.

A mobile app called Shark Smart then alerts swimmers, surfers, divers and fishers in real time when a tagged shark nears a listening buoy off their favourite beaches.

But the technology only works if the aquatic hunter has been tagged or swims near a buoy that can detect it.

Other Australian states rely on wall-like structures that enclose headlands to protect swimmers.

“There is no silver bullet,” Guida said.

“We are not going to eliminate 100 per cent of the risk,” he added.

“But we can mitigate that risk as much as possible.”

Bite-resistant wetsuits 

Scientists are also trying to make shark encounters less deadly with measures such as bite-resistant materials and electronic deterrents.

Some bite-resistant wetsuits may reduce injuries and blood loss, the most common cause of death from shark bite, according to New South Wales-funded research by Flinders University professor Charlie Huveneers and his team.

Huveneers’ previous research also found that an effective personal electronic device designed to repel sharks by interfering with their electro-sensory systems may reduce bites by about 60 per cent.

“Australia is at the forefront of shark bite mitigation measures,” he said.

“We can actually save lives.”

Researchers say shark lives, too, need protecting.

Globally, about 37 per cent of oceanic shark and ray species are now listed as either endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global database for threatened species.

And while sharks may instil trepidation in Australia’s waters, official data shows drowning is a far bigger risk, killing 357 people in the 12 months to June this year. — AFP

KALINIGRAD (Russia), Oct 30 — As the Moscow-Kaliningrad train approached Lithuania, the car attendant beckoned to passengers in Russian: “I’m closing the entire carriage, the toilets are out of action.”

The 19-hour, 1,000-kilometre (650-mile) journey is the only land route between mainland Russia and its coastal exclave of Kaliningrad, wedged on the Baltic Sea between EU and Nato members Poland and Lithuania.

In echoes of the Cold War, passengers on the “Yantar”, the Russian word for amber, are locked inside for the three hours it spends traversing Lithuania.

The Baltic state has been one of Europe’s most pro-Kyiv voices, pushing for a hard line against Russia since it ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow sees it as a hostile state.

Doors and windows are sealed – to prevent Russians jumping off and escaping, Vilnius says. 

The toilets are only open for use while the train is speeding along, not when it stops.

“The border with Lithuania is in 30 minutes,” the assistant shouted to rouse slumbering passengers.

Though the train is half-empty, sleeping quarters are cramped and heating is blasted to the max.

Russian citizens need a visa for the EU’s Schengen zone or a special transit permit for the journey, even if they cannot set foot outside the train.

“Sometimes there are even fewer passengers. Travelling has become complicated since 2022,” one attendant, speaking anonymously, told AFP on a recent journey.

“Neither EU citizens nor Russian citizens are allowed to leave the transit train,” except in “urgent humanitarian reasons,” like if a passenger falls seriously ill, Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service told AFP in written comments.

For that reason, “the doors and windows are sealed,” an agent of the EU’s Frontex border force told AFP at a checkpoint en route.

“In the past, Russians found ways to get off the train and vanish into the wild,” the agent, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media, told AFP as he went between compartments checking documents.

‘Hot war’ 

On board, Nikolai was keeping an eye on a package slid under his bunk.

“It’s for my mum, she lives in Kaliningrad,” he told AFP.

He opted for the train to save money – 4,000 rubles ($50), compared to 10,000 ($125) for a flight – despite the hassle.

“It’s a little similar to the Cold War. But now it’s more of a hot war with the West,” he said.

The Russian train, named ‘Yantar’ (Amber in Russian) takes 19 hours to travel more than 1,000km from Moscow to Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave wedged between Lithuania – a Nato member and supporter of Ukraine – and Poland, passing through Russia and Belarus. — AFP pic

From the Russian perspective, Kaliningrad, home to around one million people, has become something of a front line in its standoff with the West.

It is the headquarters of the Russian Baltic fleet and hosts Iskander nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.

To fly between the exclave and the Russian capital, planes are forced on an hours-long detour northwards, through the Gulf of Finland, due to a ban on Russian commercial planes using EU airspace.

Lithuania earlier this month issued a diplomatic protest at Moscow over an alleged brief incursion into its airspace by two military planes stationed in Kaliningrad. Moscow has also bristled at what it calls threats by Vilnius to cut off land transit routes.

And Baltic neighbour Estonia said in September that Russian jets had violated its airspace for 12 minutes, prompting US President Donald Trump to say Nato should shoot down Russian planes that encroach members’ airspace.

‘Do you agree?’ 

Undergoing border checks at the Kena station, Lithuania also makes sure the Russians onboard have no doubt about its allegiances.

“Putin is killing Ukrainian civilians. Do you agree with it?” a poster facing into the train reads in Russian.

A train conductor is seen in a Yantar (amber) train carriage en route from Moscow to Kaliningrad on October 14, 2025. — AFP pic

Photos of destroyed Ukrainian cities plaster the platform fence.

Two years ago, Lithuanian media were reporting several cases of Russians using the stop as their “window to Europe”.

The toilets are reopened as the train leaves Kena, only to be locked again a few hours later at the Kybartai border checkpoint, the exit point from Lithuania.

Russian border guards embark, subjecting non-Russian passengers to a barrage of questions.

“It’s their job to be curious,” said Vladimir, a retiree travelling with his wife, Irina. “Especially with foreigners.”

As the Yantar pulled into its final stop in Kaliningrad, and the doors unsealed for the final time, he puffed up: “We fear nothing. We are brave.” — AFP

SYDNEY, Oct 29 — They came, they saw, and they squandered a year’s worth of lessons on Roman history.

Australian schools were Wednesday investigating how a curriculum blunder ended with pupils mistakenly studying Augustus instead of Julius Caesar.

The high school students only realised they had brushed up on the wrong Roman ruler when they crossed the Rubicon to sit down for their final-year exams.

Queensland state education minister John-Paul Langbroek said the mishap was anything but ancient history for at least 140 traumatised students across nine schools.

“For all of us, as parents or students who have been through situations like this, it would have been extremely traumatic,” he told reporters.

“And I want to reassure those students, and their parents, and the teachers affected, that we’ll be making every investigation into how this happened.”

Queensland students were in 2024 taught about Augustus Caesar, the adopted son of Julius and the first emperor of Rome.

But the curriculum changed in 2025 to focus on Julius Caesar instead – although it appeared not every school got the memo.

“I’m very unhappy about the situation developing, for the stress that it will have caused everyone,” said Langbroek.

Langbroek said education officials were looking at ways to ensure the fiasco did not ruin the students’ grades.

Queensland’s school curriculum authority said it was checking with all 172 of the state’s schools to confirm they were not impacted. — AFP

THE HAGUE Oct 29 — The Dutch headed to the polls Wednesday for a snap election seen as a litmus test for the strength of the far right, which has made powerful gains across Europe.

Polls suggest anti-immigration and anti-Islam firebrand Geert Wilders is narrowly on course to repeat his stunning election success from two years ago with his far-right Freedom Party (PVV).

But with half the electorate still undecided, the result is too close to call, and a pack of three other parties has been closing the gap in recent days.

“It is impossible to tell right now who might win the elections because there are four parties tied for first place,” Sarah de Lange, professor of Dutch politics at Leiden University, told AFP.

“And on top of that, over 50 percent of Dutch voters are still undecided,” she added.

One thing is virtually certain: Wilders will not be prime minister whatever the result.

He sparked the election by collapsing the previous government in a row over immigration, pulling the PVV out of a fractious four-way coalition.

All mainstream parties have ruled out a partnership with him again, finding him unreliable or his views too unpalatable.

The fragmented Dutch political system means no party can reach the 76 seats needed to govern alone, so consensus and coalition-building are essential.

“The future of our nation is at stake,” Wilders told AFP in a pre-election interview.

“Like all over Europe, people are fed up with mass immigration and the change of culture and the influx of people who really do not culturally belong here,” said Wilders, sometimes known as the “Dutch Trump.”

His score in the Netherlands, the European Union’s fifth-largest economy, will be seen as a measure of far-right power as similar parties top polls in France, Germany, and Britain.

‘Democracy will be dead’ 

The main campaign issues have been immigration and a housing crisis that especially affects young people in the densely populated country.

As other parties have already ruled out Wilders, the leader who polls second will most likely become prime minister.

That is currently Frans Timmermans, an experienced former European Commission vice-president who touts himself as a safe pair of hands after months of chaos.

“This is one of the richest countries on the planet, and still, self-confidence is very low,” Timmermans, who heads the Green/Labour left-wing alliance, told AFP in an interview.

“We need to bring that back because there’s no issue that we can’t solve,” said Timmermans, 64, a former foreign minister who speaks six languages.

Momentum is with Rob Jetten and his centrist D66 party, which has shot up the polls thanks to 

the strong media performances of the fresh-faced 38-year-old.

Jetten is campaigning on a positive and optimistic message, seeking to turn the tide on the past two years of Wilders-inspired chaos.

Also running on a stability ticket is centre-right rising star Henri Bontenbal, head of the Christian Democrats (CDA) party.

“I really believe that the Dutch people are not extreme on either side,” Bontenbal told AFP.

“Most Dutch people want moderate policies from the political centre,” added the 42-year-old, who has not flown privately since 2006 for climate reasons.

The campaign has been marred by violence and disinformation.

Demonstrators against shelters for asylum-seekers have clashed with police in several cities, and an anti-immigration protest in The Hague last month turned violent.

Wilders was forced to apologise to Timmermans after two party members created AI-generated images to discredit the leftist leader.

While the outcome is uncertain, what is clear is that coalition horse-trading will take months – the last government required 223 days.

Until then, outgoing Prime Minister Dick Schoof will run the country – reluctantly. “I wouldn’t wish it on you,” he told one MP in parliament.

Wilders has warned “democracy will be dead” if he wins again but cannot be prime minister.

“I think all hell will break loose if he is ignored again,” factory worker Piet Verhasselt told AFP at a recent Wilders rally.

“You can’t ignore two and a half to three million votes.” — AFP

PARIS, Oct 29 — French senators are on Wednesday expected to back a bill defining rape as any non-consensual sexual act, making France the latest European country to pass a consent-based law.

The final vote comes after members of France’s lower house, the National Assembly, approved the bill Thursday by 155 votes to 31, paving the way for its adoption by the Senate.

The measure defines rape as any “non-consensual act”, enshrining the principle of consent into the definition of the crime.

The text signals a move “from a culture of rape to a culture of consent”, said centrist lawmaker Veronique Riotton after the bill she co-sponsored passed the lower house last week.

Consent, the text says, must be “free and informed, specific, prior and revocable”, and evaluated in light of the circumstances, noting that it cannot be inferred from “silence or lack of reaction”.

“There is no consent if the sexual act is committed through violence, coercion, threat or surprise, whatever their nature,” it states, incorporating wording already used in France’s current legal definition of rape.

Advocacy groups welcomed the reform, while stressing it must be accompanied by deeper societal change.

“This is a historic step forward, following in the footsteps of several other European countries,” Lola Schulmann, advocacy officer at Amnesty International France, told AFP.

“But it is only one step, because we know that there is still a long way to go to end impunity for gender-based and sexual violence,” she added.

Women’s rights group CIDFF called for the reform to be accompanied by improved sex education, training for justice and police officials, and increased resources for support groups.

Consent-based rape laws already exist in several European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

‘A real yes’ 

The bill comes after the case of Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot reignited a debate over consent in the country.

Her ex-husband was convicted of drugging her and inviting dozens of strangers to rape her during their marriage.

Only far-right lawmakers, who criticised the changing definition of consent as “subjective, shifting and difficult to grasp”, opposed the bill in the lower house.

National Rally lawmaker Sophie Blanc said the change would put the focus on the victim’s actions, “not the violence of the perpetrator”.

But supporters of the reform say it will shift the burden onto offenders to prove there was consent, said centre-right lawmaker Emilie Bonnivard.

“When it’s not no, it doesn’t mean yes,” said Green lawmaker Marie-Charlotte Garin, co-sponsor of the bill, after it passed.

“When it’s yes, it must be a real yes... giving in will never again be consent,” she said. — AFP

TOKYO, Oct 29 — A Japanese travel agency announced on Tuesday that it will launch a point-to-point transport service in the 2030s, which could connect Tokyo and United States (US) cities such as New York in just 60 minutes via outer space.

According to Kyodo news, Nippon Travel Agency Co plans to offer the service in partnership with a reusable rocket development startup, with a round trip expected to cost around 100 million yen (US$657,000) per customer.

The transport vehicle would be launched from an offshore site and could connect any two points on Earth within an hour, according to the companies. They hope to link Tokyo and the US initially.

“We hope this business will be a new starting point to connect space travel and tourism,” Nippon Travel President Keigo Yoshida said at a news conference in Tokyo.

Advance applications will be accepted starting in fiscal 2026.

The project will proceed in stages, beginning with space-food tastings and tours of ground facilities related to space in fiscal 2026, followed by a service in the 2040s that will offer stays in orbit.

Under the partnership, Nippon Travel will design and market related products. Kojiro Hatada, president of the Tokyo-based startup Innovative Space Carrier Inc, said his company aims to reduce travel costs by increasing the number of flights each vehicle can make in its lifespan. — Bernama-Kyodo

THE HAGUE, Oct 29 — A Dutch volleyball player convicted in 2016 of raping an underaged girl has been denied a visa to Australia to compete in next month’s Beach Volleyball World Championships, authorities said Monday.

Steven van de Velde, now 31, was 19 when he was found guilty of sex with an underaged girl.

He served part of his sentence in Britain and was then transferred to the Netherlands, where he was eventually released and took up volleyball again in 2017.

“We were aware this could happen,” said the Dutch Volleyball Association in a statement, given Australia’s strict policy on issuing visas to people with convictions.

The association said it submitted all the documents to the Australian authorities and explained why they believed he should be allowed to play.

“Unfortunately, we have now been informed that the decision has been made not to grant the visa. We regret this, but we have no choice but to accept the decision,” said technical director Heleen Crielaard.

Van de Velde’s inclusion in the Dutch team for the Paris 2024 Olympics focused attention on whether sportspeople with historic sex abuse conviction should be allowed at the Olympic Games.

Some fans booed him when he made his first appearance and he was separated from other Dutch athletes, meaning he did not stay at the athletes’ village.

The 31-year-old has previously admitted to making “the biggest mistake of (his) young life,” adding: “I cannot go back, so I will have to bear the consequences.”

He said in a statement that he had accepted the Australian authorities’ decision.

“This outcome is not only acceptable to me, but also to the rest of the team with whom we have been working closely all year,” he said.

The Beach Volleyball World Championships will be held in Adelaide from November 14 to 23. — AFP