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PETALING JAYA: The emergence of the audio recording allegedly of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim having a telephone conversation about Umno continues to stir political interest. However, both the Umno president and PKR president had yet to lodge any police report over the leaked audio clip as of yesterday, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador at separate functions. “Neither Ahmad Zahid nor Anwar’s officers have lodged reports but we have received reports from other individuals. “If they did not do anything wrong, why be afraid? Just lodge a report. However, I also want to let the people know that it is an offence to lodge false reports, ” said Hamzah, who is also the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia secretary-general. On Wednesday, an audio clip of a conversation between two voices sounding like Ahmad Zahid and Anwar went viral, discussing the former’s performance at the recent Umno ... » Learn More about Hamzah: Umno, PKR chiefs yet to act on audio recording

PETALING JAYA: A defiant Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has hit back at Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan following a gag order issued by the party against him. He said the Pontian MP has no right to silence him as Umno isn't a communist party. "Is he trying to warn me against speaking? It is my own statement. "Umno is a democratic party. This is 2021, not the 1960s or 1970s where you can issue a gag order. We are not a communist party," he said when contacted Thursday (April 8). Nazri said Ahmad had sent a message to his secretary, saying that only three people were allowed to speak on behalf of Umno - party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his deputies Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Ahmad himself. "In the same message, he mentioned that whatever statement made by members does not represent the party’s stand. "So be it-lah. I never said I spoke on behalf of the party. I said it's my statement. So what is he trying to do?" Nazri asked. Commenting further ... » Learn More about Umno is not a communist party, says Nazri after gag order

ARAU (Bernama): The audio recording of a conversation purportedly between Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his PKR counterpart Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would be investigated only if a report is lodged, says Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. The Communications and Multimedia Minister said both the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and CyberSecurity Malaysia have yet to receive any report on the matter. "We will wait and if there are reports lodged, such cases will be investigated by CyberSecurity (Malaysia), and so far, there have been no reports received by us... not that easy (to act against those who spread content), if there are reports we will investigate, ” he told reporters before being granted an audience with the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail at Istana Arau here Thursday (April 8). Saifuddin was asked to comment on an audio recording of a conversation between two individuals with voices resembling ... » Learn More about No reports received over alleged Zahid-Anwar audio clip, says Saifuddin

The number of multimillionaires in Hong Kong hit a record high last year – despite the city recording its worst recession on record because of the pandemic – according to the results of a survey released by Citibank on Thursday. As many as 515,000 people in Hong Kong were estimated to have HK$10 million (US$1.28 million) each in total assets last year, up from 413,000 in 2019, according to Citibank’s Hong Kong Affluent Study 202 0, which was conducted between November last year and January this year. A multimillionaire is defined by the bank as someone who has more than HK$10 million in total net assets and at least HK$1 million in liquid assets. “The population of Hong Kong multimillionaires continues to grow unabated during the pandemic, and has even set a record high,” said Josephine Lee Kwai-chong, Citibank Hong Kong’s head of retail banking. “Even with the outbreak of the pandemic, governments around the world have taken measures to save [their economies] and stabilise the ... » Learn More about Hong Kong’s multimillionaire population hit record high last year even as its economy had its worst recession on record

FILE —  Presidential Communications Usec. Lorraine Badoy, also spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, appears before the hybrid hearing of the Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, Tuesday, December 1, 2020, on the issue of red-tagging/red-baiting of certain celebrities, personalities, institutions, and organizations. (Albert Calvelo/ Senate PRIB) MANILA, Philippines — A group of health workers on Saturday urged the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Ombudsman to probe National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy for calling their organization a communist front. The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) condemned Badoy’s “irresponsible and malicious statement,” saying it undermines their organization’s credibility as a legitimate group of health workers in the country. “We strongly urge the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Ombudsman to ... » Learn More about CSC, Ombudsman urged to probe Badoy for red-tagging health workers’ group

President Halimah Yacob has written to Britain's Queen Elizabeth, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written to Prince Charles - Prince of Wales - as well as Prime Minister Boris Johnson to convey their condolences on the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth, died aged 99 at Windsor Castle on Friday (April 9). President Halimah in her letter to Queen Elizabeth said she and her husband were deeply saddened by the news, and conveyed her condolences to Queen Elizabeth and the people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, on behalf of the people of Singapore. "The Duke of Edinburgh was an exemplary role model for the British people, and served the United Kingdom selflessly and with honour for over six decades," Madam Halimah wrote. "Singapore will always fondly remember the State Visit by Your Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh to Singapore in 2006, as well as the generosity and warmth His Royal Highness ... » Learn More about President Halimah, PM Lee convey condolences to Britain over death of Prince Philip

WE have all been understandably overwhelmed by pandemic-related news over the past couple of weeks, but there are actually a number of positive developments underway in the country that will, when we finally do reach the post-pandemic future, greatly improve economic opportunity and day-to-day convenience for Filipinos. On a personal note, finding time away from the constant mental abrasion of our shared calamity to learn about these innovations is no small relief, and hopefully people can draw some encouragement from my sharing them. Although it has demonstrated that it is all thumbs when it comes to public health management, one area in which the Duterte administration has made some substantial accomplishments is in digitalization, contributing to bringing the country into the 21st century through efforts to expand online services in government, expand the digital communications infrastructure, and especially in expanding financial services. The latter is an effort aggressively ... » Learn More about Encouraging progress in digitalization

“Las Chicas del Cable” (First of two parts) We are all forced to stay at home for a month. And yes, after more than two weeks into the Luzon-wide community quarantine imposed by the government to help curb the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we are already bored as heck.This is why Inquirer Entertainment has come up with suggestions on what you can watch to entertain yourself while stuck at home. What we did was ask some of our most awarded Filipino filmmakers to help fill up our list by making them share with us their personal favorites. We reminded them to choose only those that we could access online since we won’t be able to go out to buy copies of their suggested titles. What we discovered was that while they are all fine directors, they’re also avid cinephiles who get super excited when they see great performances, moving visuals and original concepts. Read on! Documentarist Baby Ruth Villarama said she hasn’t watched a lot of movies lately, “since I’m ... » Learn More about Filmmakers’ lockdown viewing options