External News

KABUL: Dozens of people were wounded with fatalities feared as a powerful car bomb rocked Kabul early Monday and gunmen battled special forces in an area housing military and government buildings, officials said.

The rush-hour explosion sent a plume of smoke into the air above the Puli Mahmood Khan neighbourhood of the Afghan capital and shook buildings up to two kilometres away, with an AFP reporter saying he could hear gunshots after the blast.

“At first, a car bomb took place and then several attackers took over a building. The area is cordoned off by the police special forces and (they) are bringing down the attackers,” interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

Health ministry spokesman Wahidullah Mayar tweeted that 65 wounded people, including nine children, had been taken to hospital. He warned that casualties could rise.

The area was quickly blocked off by Afghan forces and ambulances, with helicopter gunships seen overhead as firing continued.

The heavily-secured neighbourhood is home to some military and government buildings, including one shared by Afghanistan’s intelligence agency and defence ministry, as well as the Afghan Football Federation and Cricket Board.

“We were sitting inside the office when the world turned upside down on us,” Zaher Usman, an employee at a branch of the culture ministry, which he said stands just 150 metres from the blast.

He said the blast appeared to have occurred near Gulbahar Tower, which contains a shopping mall and residential units and is next to a government building.

“When I opened my eyes, the office was filled with smoke and dust and everything was broken, my colleagues were screaming,” Usman told AFP by telephone.

Brief lockdown

Police said they do not yet know the target.

Shams Amini, a football federation spokesman, told AFP that the blast occurred near their HQ gates.

“Some of our colleagues are trapped inside, we have reports of some injuries. We don’t know if the attackers have entered the building,” he said.

Nearby Shamshad TV station, which was attacked in 2017, aired images of broken glass and damage to its offices but said it was not the target.

The nearby “Green Zone” diplomatic area was briefly put on lockdown, but later opened again.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but both the Taliban and the so-called Islamic State group are active in Kabul.

The explosion came two days after the Taliban and the US began their seventh round of talks in Qatar as Washington eyes a breakthrough before Afghanistan’s September presidential election.

The negotiations have so far centred on four issues – counter-terrorism, the foreign troop presence, an intra-Afghan dialogue and a permanent ceasefire.

A potential deal would see the US agree to withdraw its troops after more than 17 years in Afghanistan, igniting deep concerns among huge swathes of Afghans who fear the militants will return to some semblance of power.

In return, the Taliban would guarantee the country would never again become a safe haven for violent extremist groups, as happened with Al-Qaeda before the September 11, 2001 attacks.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is on track to achieve high-income economy status by 2024, World Bank lead economist Richard Record said.

He said Malaysia’s gross net income per capita stood at US$10,460 as of last year.

The World Bank has set US$12,375 as the threshold level to define high-income economy status, Record said, adding that Malaysia’s target was achievable.

He was speaking at a press conference after the launch of the Kick-Off Conference on the 12th Malaysia Plan organised by the economic affairs ministry and the 20th edition of the World Bank’s Malaysia Economic Monitor report, themed Re-energising the Public Service, here today.

Record said the World Bank’s forecast that the Malaysian economy will grow by 4.7% this year was lowered by 0.1% to 4.6% because of weaker investment and export activity.

He said while private consumption was expected to continue to support domestic demand, its growth was projected to decelerate to 6.6% this year.

“This follows a robust expansion in 2018,,especially during the zero-rated Goods and Services Tax (GST) period,” he said.

Record said that in the public sector, continued rationalisation of government expenditure would continue to weigh on its contribution, with the growth rate projected to stand at 1.8% for the year.

He said the Consumer Price Index was projected to average about 1% for 2019, mainly due to the diminishing effect of changes to consumption tax policy towards the second half of the year.

On the on-going trade war between the United States and China, Record said Malaysia was benefiting from trade diversion in some export products as a result of the tension.

“Malaysia’s export of tariff-affected products to the US and China has increased in value by more than US$1 billion since the tariffs were imposed, ” he said.

ISKANDAR PUTERI, July 1 — State Islamic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Development Committee chairman Tosrin Jarvanthi today revealed that 10 per cent of Muslims in Johor practise liberalism.

He said the numbers obtained from the Johor Islamic authorities showed that according to the average figures, those practising liberalism comprise mainly intellectuals, aged between 40 and 50.

Tosrin said the findings were based on investigations conducted by a special team that was set up by the Johor Islamic Affairs Department (JAINJ) to curb the liberal movement among Muslims in the state earlier this year.

He added that although the number of Muslims professing to liberalism in the state was still under control, the state government takes the matter seriously.

Tosrin said the state government will continue to focus on intelligence gathering efforts.

“At the same time, other efforts by the state government also include regular monitoring of social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Skype in defending Johor’s Islamic faith.

“These efforts are also carried out in the collaboration with the police Special Branch department,” he said during the Johor State Legislative Assembly in Kota Iskandar here today.

Of late, both liberalism and pluralism have become the catchphrase used by Islamic authorities to target ideologies, organisations and also individuals that depart from the sanctioned religious narrative.

Religious conservatism in the country appears to be enjoying resurgence even as minority groups, including those advocating equal rights for the community, become more vocal.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — A former director of SRC International Sdn Bhd was asked to sign a circular resolution to hire Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd as SRC International’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partner even while he was seeking refuge in Bangkok, Thailand.

Datuk Suboh Md Yassin, the 42nd witness in Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s SRC International RM42 million trial, told the High Court here today how the documents were delivered to him by a Thai man identified only as Mr Koon back in 2015.

“The documents were given to me while I was in Bangkok, Thailand, after Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil (then-CEO) called me saying he had unfinished business with this CSR project, and these are the documents that need to be completed.

“So I waited because he said he would make all the arrangements, where the next day a Thai man came and brought me the documents to sign, where after I signed them I handed him (the Thai man) the documents. I recognised he used DHL services (to deliver the documents),” he said.

Suboh made the revelation during his examination in chief by Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Ishak Mohd Yusoff, when he was made to verify several directors’ circular resolutions pertaining to the appointment of Gandingan Menteri and Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd as the SRC International’s CSR partners.

Suboh also revealed how the documents that were delivered to him already featured the signature of Nik Faisal, requiring only his signature to complete the appointment process of the two companies.

He also conceded that he was not aware if the resolution documents were ever enforced after placing his signature, saying that was taken care of by Nik Faisal.

Suboh had previously testified that in 2015, a man claiming to be a Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) officer had told him to leave the country, as his cooperation in investigations into SRC International was no longer unnecessary.

He had testified how the supposed MACC officer relayed to him that there was no need to have his statements recorded, with the latter then telling him to leave the country, hence Suboh’s decision to seek refuge in Bangkok.

Suboh had said he feared his and his family’s safety at that point in time, saying he chose to leave Malaysia as he was not sure what would happen to him, considering Najib was still in power then.

Today, Suboh also detailed how the same Thai man who delivered the directors’ resolution to him, met him once more after that to hand over flight tickets bound for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“That Thai man, he then called me and handed over to me tickets to go to Abu Dhabi.

“Initially I didn’t know the reason, but after I reached Abu Dhabi, I was brought to the hotel and I only knew it was because I had to be interviewed by MACC over there,” he said, adding that he was not aware of reasons why the statement had to be recorded in the UAE.

Last June, it was reported that Suboh had been granted full witness protection by the MACC when he turned himself in to their officers in Indonesia, after supposedly being on the run for three years.

Reports also noted how Suboh had not cooperated with authorities when he was approached four years ago when Najib was still the prime minister, only having his statement recorded by the MACC after the 14th General Election.

Najib is on trial for seven charges of abuse of position, criminal breach of trust and money-laundering over RM42 million of SRC International’s funds.

During the course of the trial, witnesses have testified that the Retirement Fund (Incorporated) disbursed a total of RM4 billion in loans in 2011 and 2012 to SRC International, with money allegedly flowing through other companies before being transferred into Najib’s accounts.

At the time of the first loan application, SRC International was the wholly-owned subsidiary of 1MDB which was owned by the Finance Ministry’s Minister of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc); while SRC International was parked directly under MoF Inc by the time of the second loan application.

Najib’s trial resumes in the afternoon before High Court Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali.

BANGI: Majikan perlu berperanan dalam menangani isu pasangan suami isteri yang hidup terpisah akibat tuntutan pekerjaan, kata Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Timbalan Perdana Menteri berkata antara lain, majikan boleh mengaplikasikan waktu kerja anjal bagi pekerja yang tinggal berjauhan dengan pasangan, sekali gus memberikan mereka lebih banyak masa bersama keluarga.

Sebagai contoh, katanya pekerja terbabit boleh diberikan lebih hari bercuti, selepas mereka melaksanakan atau memenuhi tempoh waktu bekerja minimum yang diperlukan dalam seminggu.

“Katakanlah waktu bekerja itu boleh dipanjangkan tiap-tiap hari dan jika dikumpul (tempoh jam bekerja dalam seminggu) dan anda sudah melakukannya, anda boleh bercuti.

“Dengan itu, pekerja yang duduk berjauhan dengan pasangan mempunyai masa yang lebih fleksibel untuk balik kepada keluarga,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas menutup Program Khalifah Junior 2019 Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) hari ini.

Beliau mengulas laporan akhbar semalam bahawa terdapat lebih 500,000 pasangan suami isteri di negara ini hidup terpisah, atau diistilahkan sebagai “keluarga komuter” ekoran tuntutan pekerjaan.

Antara lain, laporan berdasarkan kajian Lembaga Pembangunan Penduduk dan Keluarga Negara (LPPKN) itu mendapati, golongan tersebut berisiko mengalami tekanan perasaan serta kemurungan kerana perlu menggalas tugas menguruskan rumah tangga serta keluarga sendirian, manakala yang tinggal berjauhan dan sendirian pula berdepan kesunyian.

Wan Azizah yang juga menteri Pembangunan Wanita Keluarga dan Masyarakat berkata kerajaan sememangnya mahu masalah itu ditangani tetapi bagaimana ia dilakukan terpulang kepada kebijaksanaan majikan.

Pasangan suami isteri yang tinggal berjauhan sehingga ada isteri yang menjadi isteri tahunan atau “annual wife” mengundang suasana yang tidak baik dalam perkahwinan, katanya.

AFP: “I’m just getting started,” says dancer Lil’ Buck, whose hybrid style mixing street with classical has already earned him a devoted following.

And with a documentary on him due out in autumn, he looks set to leap higher into the public eye.

He and French director Louis Wallecan were in Paris this week for a special preview of the film, “Lil’ Buck: Real Swan”, at the Champs Elysees film festival. He took time out to talk to AFP about his career.

Charles “Lil’ Buck” Riley was born in Chicago but grew up in Memphis.

He learned his first dance steps when he was 12 from his big sister – a local style known as jookin – and was quickly hooked on dance.

But he lived surrounded by poverty.

“I wasn’t happy with a lot of how I was raised and grew up, and things I have to be around, my environment. I kept myself happy with my family, my sisters and with dance.”

And dance was his way out.

“I had no plan B, no anything but what I wanted to do, my dream, my focus, my goal was to dance. So I focused 100% on it.”

His mother, seeing his growing obsession, took him out of public school at the age of 15 and into a private school dedicated to the arts.

“It was a turning point,” he says. “It changed my life because it was the first time I met people who think like me.”

In his old school, he was used to being laughed at. But in art school, “there is another energy, more creativity.

“Everybody has good energy, and it makes you want to come back to school. You want to learn.”

‘Dying Swan’ goes viral

A year later, at 16, he had joined the New Ballet Ensemble (NBE) in Memphis. “I learned hip-hop, ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary,” he recalls. “This is when I moved from street dance to dance in general.”

At 19, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career.

Then in 2011, he performed “The Dying Swan”, a dance he had developed while still at NBE in Memphis, at a private event.

Thanks to a mutual contact he was accompanied by virtuoso cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

US director Spike Jonze captured it on his phone, posted it to YouTube and his extraordinary performance went viral – to date, it has more than 3.4 million hits there.

He got increasing exposure, appearing on talks shows and music videos – and working with the likes of French choreographer Benjamin Millepied and the Cirque du Soleil.

He was even part of half-time interval show at the 2012 Super Bowl, performing with Madonna.

But as well as developing an extraordinarily diverse career, he still gives dance lessons to the young people in Memphis whenever he gets home.

“I tell them to keep yourself open to learn more about whatever is your passion,” he says.”

At 31, he is already concerned about the dangers that social media poses for younger talents trying to break through.

“With social media, it’s all different,” he says. “There are 14-year-old superstars.

“You want to be ready for the world, you want to able to be smart and wise enough to create your own path, to negotiate, to learn business, to promote yourself.

In the meantime, he has plans of his own. “I haven’t accomplished everything I want.”

He wants to be an ambassador for jookin, the Memphis style that first drew him into dance – and which he feels needs to be better known. And the city itself deserves better, he says.

“Memphis should have more opportunities. There are kids so talented but they don’t know where to go.”

Louis Wallecan’s documentary “Lil’ Buck: Real Swan” is due out on general release in the autumn.