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Hello Jammu News at 11:20:00 PM 0
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 27 :  Malaysia banned visitors from the Chinese city of Wuhan and its surrounding Hubei province on Monday, in a bid to contain the spread of a deadly virus.

A statement by the prime minister's office said the authorities will temporarily halt all issuance of visas for Chinese citizens from the area with immediate effect.

"The government has decided to suspend temporarily all immigration facilities ... to all China nationals from Wuhan city and the surrounding Hubei province," it said.

Malaysia has reported four confirmed cases of the flu-like virus which started in the central-Chinese city and has spread worldwide.

All four, including two children, are in stable condition.

They are tourists from Wuhan who entered Malaysia for a holiday via neighbouring Singapore.

The virus, similar to the SARS pathogen, has claimed at least 81 lives -- all of them in China.

Malaysia welcomed 2.94 million visitors from China last year and is aiming to raise this to 3.48 million this year.

The prime minister's office said the ban will be lifted when the situation returns to normal.

Meanwhile, a campaign by Malaysians on petition website change.org urging the government to bar Chinese nationals from entering the country has gathered more than 383,000 signatures of the 500,000 target as of Monday evening.

"The government should think more of the health of Malaysians," the petition said.

"Don't wait until there is death among Malaysian people then only the government wants to take some preventive action.
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Hello Jammu News at 6:43:00 PM 0
Malaysia sends back trash, says won't be world's waste bin


Penang, Jan 20 :  Malaysia has sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 mainly rich countries since the third quarter last year, with the environment minster warning on Monday that those who want to make the country a rubbish bin of the world can "dream on".

Shipments of unwanted rubbish have been rerouted to Southeast Asia since China banned the import of plastic waste in 2018, but Malaysia and other developing countries are fighting back.

Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said another 110 containers are expected to be sent back by the middle of this year.

Yeo said the successful repatriation of a total 3,737 metric tonnes (4,120 US tons) of waste followed strict enforcement at key Malaysian ports to block smuggling of waste and shuttering more than 200 illegal plastic recycling factories.

Of the 150 containers, 43 were returned to France, 42 to the United Kingdom, 17 to the United States, 11 to Canada, 10 to Spain and the rest to Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Portugal, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Lithuania, her ministry said.

She said the Malaysian government didn't pay a single cent, with the costs of sending back the waste fully borne by the shipping liners and companies responsible for importing and exporting the waste.

Yeo said talks were ongoing with US authorities to take back another 60 containers this year. Canada also has 15 more containers, Japan 14, the UK 9 and Belgium 8 from 110 more containers that are still being held at Malaysian ports, she said.

"If people want to see us as the rubbish dump of the world, you dream on," Yeo told reporters during inspection at a port in northern Penang state.

Yeo said the government will launch an action plan on illegal plastic importation next month that will help the different agencies coordinate enforcement and speed up the process of returning the waste.

"Our position is very firm. We just want to send back (the waste) and we just want to give a message that Malaysia is not the dumping site of the world," she added.
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Hello Jammu News at 1:49:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 4: Rosmah Mansor, the luxury-loving wife of Malaysia's former prime minister, was Thursday charged with money laundering linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped bring down his government.

The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of money laundering at a court complex where her husband Najib Razak was also making a separate appearance in connection with the alleged plunder of state funds.

Rosmah was allowed to post bail of two million ringgit ( 483,365) and ordered to surrender her passport. She was also barred from contacting any witness.

Prosecutors had sought 10 million ringgit in bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, which could result in Rosmah having to spend the rest of her life in prison.

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told the court that Rosmah "had approached a witness with a request to give a statement in her favour".

In the first charge sheet, prosecutors said "you engaged directly in a transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful activity" in violation of laws against money laundering.

Prosecutor Gopal told court Rosmah's alleged offences were "very serious" as he justified the high bail amount sought.

Defence lawyers sought bail of 250,000 ringgit.

Rosmah, wearing an orange dress and scarf, arrived under heavy security at the court complex after being arrested Wednesday and held overnight at the headquarters of the country's anti-corruption agency, which had subjected her to three rounds of questioning.

At court on Thursday, she sat quietly in the dock and did not look at the gallery, where her family members were seated.

Rosmah's love of designer handbags, jewellery and other trappings of wealth became a target for critics ahead of last May's election, won by a disparate coalition led by former leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Rosmah became reviled for her profligate spending and imperious manner while her husband was prime minister for nine years.

While she was being charged on Thursday, her husband -- also out on bail -- made a separate court appearance in connection with some of the more than two dozen charges lodged against him.

Najib, 65, has denied any wrongdoing despite revelations that hundreds of millions of dollars ended up in his personal bank accounts.

A central issue in the May election that ousted Najib was that his family and cronies looted billions of dollars from 1MDB in a fraud ring that stretched from Singapore to Switzerland.

After the election loss, a stash of cash, jewellery and hundreds of designer handbags worth as much as 273 million was seized from properties linked to the couple in raids around Kuala Lumpur.

Rosmah is often compared to Imelda Marcos, who left behind more than a thousand pairs of shoes after her husband, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in a popular uprising in 1986.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93, who came back from retirement to challenge Najib, has launched a crackdown against corruption involving people in the previous government. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:48:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 3: The wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday was being grilled by the anti-graft agency for the third time over a massive graft scandal involving the 1MDB state investment fund.

Rosmah Mansor smiled at reporters but didn't speak as she was escorted into the agency's building. Her presence at the agency for the second time in a week fueled speculation that she could soon face criminal charges like her husband.

At the same time Wednesday, Najib turned up at the police commercial crime office, where he was summoned to answer further questions relating to the 1MDB scandal. He dodged reporters waiting for him outside the building.

Najib has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, corruption, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust over the scandal and will face trial next year. Rosmah was first summoned by the agency on June 5 and again on Sept. 26, when she was questioned for nearly 13 hours.

Malaysia's anti-graft chief, Mohamad Shukri Abdull, said last week that the agency had completed its probe of Rosmah and had submitted its investigation report to the attorney general's office for further action. It's unclear why she was being questioned again. Local media have reported that she could face up to 20 charges.

Rosmah, 66, is widely reviled for her opulent lifestyle and penchant for expensive jewelry and designer Birkin bags that led to her being compared with former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos and her extravagant collection of shoes.

Police found hundreds of luxury handbags, jewelry and cash worth more than USD 266 million during raids on apartments linked to the family shortly after Najib's shocking electoral defeat in May. Seized were 567 handbags, 423 watches and 12,000 pieces of jewelry, including 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,800 pairs of earrings and 14 tiaras. Najib has said the items were mostly gifts to his family.

In a biography in 2013, Rosmah said it was common for a prime minister's wife to receive expensive jewelry and gifts. She also said she had earned millions of ringgit from her own music album, which wasn't released to the public but was bought by government ministers who were fans of her singing talent.

Najib set up the 1MDB fund when he took power in 2009, but it accumulated billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries. US investigators say Najib's associates stole and laundered USD 4.5 billion from the fund from 2009 to 2014, some of which landed in Najib's bank account.

They say USD 27.3 million was used to buy a rare diamond necklace for Rosmah.

Public anger over the scandal eventually led to the ouster of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections that ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.

New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reopened investigations into 1MDB that were suppressed under Najib's rule. He has also banned the couple from leaving the country.

Police have said investigations show that USD 972 million was transferred into Najib's bank accounts from three companies linked to 1MDB. Najib, 65, has accused Mahathir's government of seeking political vengeance against him and his family.  (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:28:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 20: Police and Malaysia's anti-graft agency say detained former Prime Minister Najib Razak will face at least two dozen fresh charges of abuse of power and money laundering over the multimillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund.

Najib will be brought to court Thursday. Police have taken custody of him after he was detained by the anti-graft agency Wednesday over the transfer of 681 million into his bank account.

National deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said 21 of the charges involve the receiving, using and transferring of illicit funds.

The anti-graft agency said Najib will face charges under a section of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act that involves abuse of power. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:04:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 13: A top Malaysian lawyer for former Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged Thursday with receiving 9.5 million ringgit (USD 2.3 million) in ill-gotten wealth from his client, who is himself accused of money laundering and corruption.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was arrested and brought to court, where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of money laundering and another two counts of evading taxes by making false declaration of his income tax.

According to the charge sheets, he received proceeds from illegal activities of 4.3 million ringgit (USD 1.04 million) from Najib's personal bank account in September 2013 and another 5.2 million ringgit (USD 1.26 million) in February 2014.

Shafee is the main defence lawyer for Najib, who faces charges of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption linked to the multibillion dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund months after his electoral defeat.

"This is victimisation," Shafee told reporters.

He was released on bail.

Shafee last week admitted he received the money but denied it was payment as a reward for him to prosecute then opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in his sodomy trial.

He said the payment was for legal services previously done for Najib's Malay party and then-ruling coalition, and that he had no knowledge of the source of the money.

He had expressed concern he was being victimised to discourage him from defending Najib.

Public anger over the 1MDB scandal led to the stunning ouster of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 national polls and ushered in the first change of power since independence from Britain in 1957.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

The new government reopened investigations stifled under Najib's rule and barred him and his wife from leaving the country.

Police also seized jewellery and valuables estimated at more than 1.1 billion ringgit (USD 273 million) from properties linked to Najib.

Najib, 65, has accused Malaysia's new government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of seeking political vengeance and vowed to clear his name in his trial. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:28:00 PM 0

Beijing, Aug 21: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad confirmed during a visit to Beijing today that three China-backed projects totalling USD 22 billion will be cancelled until his country can find a way to pay its debts.

The projects include a railway connecting Malaysia's east coast to southern Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, and two gas pipelines.

"I explained to (the Chinese leaders) why we can't have the ECRL (East Coast Rail Link)," Mahathir told Malaysian reporters at the end of his five-day visit.

"It's about borrowing too much money, which we cannot afford, we cannot repay, and also because we don't need those projects for Malaysia at this moment... our problem now is how to solve our financial deficit."

Mahathir is trying to reduce Malaysia's national debt, which has ballooned to some USD 250 billion.

After meeting Premier Li Keqiang yesterday, Mahathir said he believed China would help Malaysia resolve its fiscal problems.

The Malaysian leader also warned against "a new version of colonialism happening because poor countries are unable to compete with rich countries just in terms of open free trade".

The USD 20 billion rail project was contracted with China's largest engineering firm, China Communications Construction Company, and mostly financed by a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China.

Malaysia's finance ministry said in July that 88 percent of the cost of two gas pipeline projects costing 9.4 billion ringgit ( 2.32 billion) had been paid to the Chinese contractor despite only 13 per cent of the work being completed.

One pipeline is in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island and the other runs from Malacca in peninsular Malaysia to the northern state of Kedah.

In May Mahathir shelved separate plans to build a high-speed railway between Singapore and Malaysia which had been agreed several years ago, saying it was too costly.

Despite the threat to revise China-linked contracts, Mahathir sought to strengthen business ties with Beijing during the trip.

China is the top trading partner of Malaysia, which is home to a substantial ethnic Chinese minority.

Relations were warm under the previous government of Prime Minister Najib Razak, and Chinese investment in the country surged as Beijing signed deals for major infrastructure and construction projects.

But critics said there was often a lack of transparency and the terms, such as interest rates on loans, were unfavourable to Malaysia, fuelling suspicions about Najib's real motives.

Najib and his cronies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from a sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB. Najib, who has been charged over the scandal, denies any wrongdoing. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:28:00 PM 0


Shah Alam (Malaysia), Aug 16 A Malaysian court ruled today that the murder trial of two women accused of assassinating the half-brother of North Korea's leader in a hit that shocked the world can proceed.

"I must accordingly find that the prosecution had made out a prima facie case against the accused persons and I must therefore call upon them to enter their defence on their respective charges," judge Azmi Ariffin told the Shah Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur.

The ruling means the prosecution, which has been presenting its case for several months, has shown that there is sufficient evidence to support a murder charge against the women. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:54:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 8: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged with three counts of money laundering related to the alleged multibillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund, adding to his troubles just three months after his stunning electoral defeat.

Najib stood calmly in the dock today as the charges were read to him. Last month he pleaded not guilty to abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust.

Najib, 64, has accused Malaysia's new government of seeking "political vengeance" and has vowed to clear his name in his trial.

All of the charges against him involve the transfer of 42 million ringgit (USD 10.3 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund that international investigators say was looted of billions by Najib's associates. Each of those charges has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Each money-laundering count carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the sum laundered.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 for the stated purpose of promoting economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

After leaked documents exposed the scandal, Najib sacked critics in his government, muzzled the media and quashed investigations.

Public anger led to the defeat of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections and ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government reopened investigations into 1MDB that were stifled under Najib and barred him and his wife from leaving the country. Police have also seized jewelery and valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit (USD 270.2 million) from properties linked to Najib. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:27:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Jul 31: Malaysia's civil aviation chief said today he has resigned to take responsibility after an independent investigative report highlighted shortcomings in the air traffic control center during Flight 370's disappearance four years ago.

The report released yesterday raised the possibility that the jet may have been hijacked even though there was no conclusive evidence of why the plane went off course and flew for over seven hours after severing communications.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the report didn't blame the civil aviation department for the plane's loss but found that the Kuala Lumpur air traffic control center failed to comply with operating procedures.

"Therefore, it is with regret and after much thought and contemplation that I have decided to resign as Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia," he said in his statement, adding he has served his resignation and will step down in two weeks.

The jet carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished March 8, 2014, and is presumed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean. The investigative report, prepared by a 19-member international team, said the cause of the disappearance cannot be determined until the wreckage and the plane's black boxes are found.

However, the report said the investigation showed lapses by air traffic control, including a failure to swiftly initiate an emergency response and monitor radar continuously, relying too much on information from Malaysia Airlines and not getting in touch with the military for help.

New Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Tuesday the government has formed a committee to investigate and take action against any misconduct based on the report findings.

The report said there was insufficient information to determine if the aircraft broke up in the air or during impact with the ocean.

Scattered pieces of debris that washed ashore on African beaches and Indian Ocean islands indicated a distant remote stretch of the ocean where the plane likely crashed. But a government search by Australia, Malaysia and China failed to pinpoint a location. And a second, private search by U.S. company Ocean Infinity that finished at the end of May also found no sign of a possible crash site.

Malaysia's government has said it will resume search if credible evidence on the plane's location emerges. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:52:00 PM 0

Putrajaya(Malaysia), Jul 30: Relatives of people aboard Flight MH370 said today they hoped a long-awaited report into the plane's disappearance might give them answers about one of the world's most enduring aviation mysteries.

The family members were being given the official investigation team's report in the morning at the Malaysian transport ministry and were set to be briefed by officials, and it was due to be released publicly in the afternoon.

The Malaysia Airlines jet vanished in March 2014 with 239 people -- mostly from China -- on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

No sign of it was found in a 120,000-square kilometre (46,000-square mile) Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year.

US exploration firm Ocean Infinity resumed the hunt at the start of this year on a "no find, no fee" basis, using high-tech drones to scour the seabed. But that search was called off after failing to find anything.

Malaysia's new government, which took power in May, has pledged total transparency and says the final report by the official safety investigation team -- a 19-member body which includes international investigators -- will be released unedited.

Arriving at the transport ministry to receive the report, Nurlaila Ngah, whose husband Wan Swaid Wan Ismail was an MH370 crew member, said she was hoping for a "solid answer" about what happened that could give relatives some closure.

"In the airline industry, tragedies happen but there are clues as to what could have happened," she told AFP.

"It makes no sense if they (the investigators) say there are no hints as to what could have happened." But Calvin Shim, whose wife was a stewardess on the flight, was sceptical the report would tell families anything new after more than four years of fruitless searching.

"I do not expect any fresh revelations from this report," he said."The black box has not been found. The plane wreckage has not been found."

He said however he hoped the government would try to find new clues and consider resuming the search.

Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon.

There have been a host of theories about why the plane disappeared, ranging from an accident to a hijacking or even a terror plot. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:16:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, July 4: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged with corruption today for allegedly accepting millions of dollars in bribe money, in a stunning fall from grace just months after his shock election defeat.

Najib, the first ex-premier in Malaysia to appear in front of a judge, is accused of pocketing 42 million ringgit (USD 10.4 million), and three counts of criminal breach of trust.

Each charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in jail.

The unprecedented court appearance came the day after the 64-year-old was arrested at his luxury home by officers probing how billions of dollars of state funds disappeared on his watch.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind the shock election loss in May of Najib's long-ruling coalition to a reformist alliance headed by his 92-year-old former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

Today's court hearing was the latest step in a quick-moving investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Najib, his family and many of his close political and business allies.

"Najib is the first (former) prime minister ever to be charged in court in the history of Malaysia," said Tian Chua, vice president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a key political party in the current ruling coalition.

"It signals a new era where no one in public office will be immune from punitive action if they abuse power," he added.

State prosecutors asked that the case be transferred to the High Court because of the severity of the charges. Najib is expected to enter a plea there later today.

According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, USD 10.6 million originating from SRC International Sdn Bhd, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts, a fraction of hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB that was allegedly funnelled to him.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Since the election loss Najib has been banned from leaving the country.

"We pray Datuk Seri Najib gets a fair trial. It is a test from Allah," the former leader's daughter-in-law Nur Sharmila Shaheen told AFP, using an honourific title, adding her father-in-law was "calm".

A press statement issued by Najib's camp late yesterday said the impending charges and other investigations "are politically motivated and the result of political vengeance" under Mahathir.

It vowed that Najib "will contest these charges and clear his name in court".

Najib and his allies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from the 1MDB to buy everything from US real estate to artworks.

Shortly after his downfall, a treasure trove of valuables was seized in raids on properties linked to Najib and his family -- including cash, jewellery and luxury handbags -- worth up to USD 273 million.

He and his luxury-loving wife Rosmah Mansor were questioned by investigators, as were his stepson Riza Aziz, whose firm produced the hit 2013 movie "The Wolf of Wall Street", and his former deputy Zahid Hamidi. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:47:00 PM 0
Kuala Lumpur, Jun 25 : Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday he wants to renegotiate a "ridiculous" water supply agreement with Singapore, the latest sign of fraying ties between the neighbours since last month's shock election.

The 92-year-old returned for a second time as premier after his opposition alliance scored an unexpected victory at the polls, toppling a long-ruling coalition that Mahathir himself once headed.

During his first stint in charge of the country from 1981-2003, Malaysia had famously stormy ties with Singapore - and Mahathir has wasted no time in taking aim at the tiny city-state again.

In his latest salvo, he said it was "manifestly ridiculous" that Kuala Lumpur sells water for three Malaysian cents (less than one US cent) per thousand gallons to its resource-poor neighbour.

"That was okay way back in the 1990s or 1930s. But now what can you buy with three sen (cents)? Nothing," he told Singapore broadcaster Channel NewsAsia in an interview.

Asked about plans to renegotiate the long-standing water supply agreement, he said: "We are studying the case properly and we'll make a presentation." The Singapore government did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

A large amount of Singapore's water comes from Malaysia's southern state of Johor. Under a 1962 agreement, Singapore can draw up to 250 million gallons of water per day from the Johor River.

The neighbours have had a difficult relationship since Singapore was expelled from the Malaysian Federation in 1965 over ethnic issues after a short-lived, stormy union.

Relations in subsequent decades were punctuated by occasional bickering, on many occasions over the water supply issue, but were largely warm under the last Malaysian government, led by scandal-mired Najib Razak.

However ties already look rocky since Mahathir's return to office.

In just a few weeks, he has put a planned high-speed rail line linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on hold, and announced that Malaysia wants to develop an island on rocks at the entrance to the Singapore Strait, an area of great strategic importance to the city-state.  AFP
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Hello Jammu News at 12:23:00 PM 0
Singapore, Jun 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and discussed bilateral ties.

Modi, who arrived here yesterday on a three-day visit, also called on Singapore President Halimah Yacob. 

After his arrival at the presidential palace Istana, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome.

"Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival at Istana - Presidential Palace of Singapore. Millennia old ties now powered by partnership in innovation and technology," said Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Modi received a 'guard of honour' at the palace. 

During his talks with Singaporean leaders, Modi discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. 

Modi is in Singapore on the last leg of his three-nation tour. He earlier visited Indonesia and Malaysia.PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:22:00 PM 0
Panaji, May 30 :  A Kerala-based man, who was kept under observation at a hospital in Goa after showing symptoms of Nipah virus, has tested negative for the deadly infection.

The blood samples of the patient, sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, have come out negative for the virus, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said today.

"The tests of the patient's samples by molecular and serological methods are negative for Nipah," Rane added.

The man, who was passing through Goa in a train and heading to Uttar Pradesh, had fallen unconscious at the coastal state's Thivim railway station on Monday, following which he was admitted to the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

The patient initially showed symptoms of the Nipah virus because of which he was kept in the isolation ward of GMCH, located near here in the North Goa district.

The virus has so far claimed 13 lives in Kerala.

The outbreak of the Nipah virus infection, a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans, is suspected to be from an unused well at Perambra in Kerala's Kozhikode district which was infested with bats.

The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.

So far there is no vaccine against the virus, which was first identified in 1998 at Kampung Sungai Nipah in Malaysia.PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 6:31:00 PM 0

TOKYO, May 15: Newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday that he may remain premier for one or two years and would play a role in the background even after he steps down.
Mahathir, whose coalition won a shock victory over former leader Najib Razak, also said reformist politician Anwar Ibrahim would be released from jail on Wednesday. He added that Anwar would play the same role in the coalition as leaders of the other three parties in the alliance, except Mahathir himself as prime minister.
Mahathir was speaking by live video link from Kuala Lumpur to a Wall Street Journal conference in Tokyo. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 1:31:00 PM 0


Kuala Lumpur, May 12: Ex-Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been banned from leaving the country, immigration officials say, according to a BBC News report on Saturday.
This comes after Mr Najib said that he and his wife were planning to go on an overseas holiday on Saturday.
Earlier this week, Mr Najib's long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition suffered a shock electoral defeat.
Mr Najib has been accused of diverting $700m (£517m) from a state investment fund in 2015, but has since been cleared by the authorities.
On Thursday, Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as Malaysia's new prime minister, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at 92.
Dr Mahathir came out of retirement and defected to the opposition to take on and beat former protege Najib Razak.
In a tweet (in Malay), he said he had been informed by the immigration authorities that he and his family would not be allowed to travel abroad.
He gave no reasons for the authorities' decision, but said he would abide by it.
Mr Najib, 64, had said earlier that he and his wife Rosmah Mansor would go on a holiday on Saturday and would return next week.
He had faced accusations of corruption and mismanagement over the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The scandal has gripped the country for years.
1MDB, set up by Mr Najib in 2009, was meant to turn Kuala Lumpur into a financial hub and boost the economy through strategic investments.
But it started to attract negative attention in early 2015 after it missed payments for some of the $11bn it owed to banks and bondholders.
Then the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported it had seen a paper trail that allegedly traced close to $700m from the fund to Mr Najib's personal bank accounts.
Mr Najib has consistently denied taking money from 1MDB or any public funds.
After being sworn in as new prime minister, Dr Mahathir said he would seek the return of millions of dollars lost in the scandal. UNI


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Hello Jammu News at 12:08:00 PM 0


KUALA LUMPUR, May 12: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his name was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning.
"After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years," Najib said in a tweet.
Najib lost to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in this week's general election. Mahathir has vowed to investigate a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib.
Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB.
The Wall Street Journal, citing people close to Mahathir, reported earlier on Saturday that Najib would be prevented from leaving the country. Reuters was unable to verify the report.
The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, as the only two passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier.
A source in Mahathir's government told Reuters that Najib would be taking a holiday. Malaysiakini, a news portal, cited an unnamed source close to Najib as saying that he would take a two-day break in Indonesia.
Mahathir, previously prime minister for 22 years, was once Najib's mentor but turned against him over the 1MDB scandal and led the opposition challenge to him in this week's election, defeating the coalition that had ruled Malaysia for six decades.
Mahathir has vowed to return billions of dollars lost from 1MDB.
He is expected to announce his cabinet line-up later on Saturday. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 12:04:00 PM 0


KUALA LUMPUR, May 12: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his names was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning.
The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife as passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier.
"After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years," Najib said on Twitter.
Najib lost to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in this week's elections. The new prime minister has vowed to investigate a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib.
Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 4:44:00 PM 0

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10: Mahathir Mohamad, who pulled off a stunning general election win, will not be sworn in as the new prime minister of Malaysia on Thursday, a spokesman for the King's palace said, but gave no reason for the change in schedule.
Mahathir had said shortly after declaring victory that the King would sign his letter of appointment as prime minister of Malaysia's constitutional monarchy during a ceremony at the royal palace in the capital, Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
But palace authorities said there would be no such event and a spokesman for Mahathir, the 92-yer-old veteran former prime minister, said he had not heard from the palace and had no plan to go there.
Mahathir's opposition alliance won the simple majority it required to form a new government in Wednesday's polls, a stunning result that will end six decades of rule by a coalition he once led.
Malaysians celebrated Mahathir's unexpected victory over Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose popularity had plunged over rising living costs and in the wake of a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Mahathir led the Southeast Asian nation for 22 years and his unexpected return to the prime ministership ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.
"We are not seeking revenge ... what we want is to restore the rule of law," Mahathir said of Najib's scandal-plagued rule.
Mahathir appeared jubilant and sprightly at a news conference claiming victory overnight.
Najib began an address to media in the late morning. A member of his cabinet said they would accept the will of the people.
The stunning election outcome was expected to ruffle financial markets that were expecting a comfortable win for Najib and the BN.
Malaysia's currency weakened in offshore trading on Thursday, with the ringgit one-month non-deliverable forward falling 1.7 pct. The U.S.-traded iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF fell 6 percent.
The national stock market was closed on Thursday and Friday after Mahathir declared a public holiday, but the ringgit currency weakened in offshore trading.
Mahathir's alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, had hoped the veteran Malay leader would win over voters usually loyal to BN. That strategy appeared to have paid off.
Official results showed that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule. Najib's BN coalition only managed 79 seats.
Mahathir has promised to reverse a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib during his first 100 days in power and review foreign investments.
Global ratings agency Moody's said some of his campaign promises, including the GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit negative for Malaysia's sovereign debt rating.
Mahathir was once Najib's mentor but they clashed after differences over the 1MDB graft scandal, in which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off to foreign countries.
The scandal is being investigated by at least six countries, although Malaysia's attorney general cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.
Mahathir vowed to investigate the scandal if elected and to bring the funds back to Malaysia.
Asked on Thursday if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: "If anybody breaks the law, and that includes a journalist, they will be brought before the court."
Mahathir must now manage a fractious alliance of four parties and make way for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister, another former protege with whom he split acrimoniously before reuniting to topple Najib.
"I have to manage presidents of four different parties. It's going to be a headache," Mahathir told reporters. REUTERS
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