Seoul warns 'further action' if Ukraine does not apologise over prisoner-of-war row

Seoul warns 'further action' if Ukraine does not apologise over prisoner-of-war row

14 hours ago
Kelly Ng

Getty Images
President Lee Jae Myung also accused Kyiv of "attempting to provoke a war on the Korean Peninsula"


South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has threatened to take unspecified "further action" if Ukraine does not issue a public apology for revealing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been sent to the South.

Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky made the disclosure to the UN general assembly last week, angering Seoul, who said the move was meant to stay secret.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday described the situation as a "diplomatic misunderstanding", adding that Kyiv was "working" to resolve it.

Lee rejected this characterisation on X, saying it concerned "the dignity of the Korean people and the nation".

Lee's office said last week that it was Ukraine that requested for the move to be kept secret, partly to protect the North Koreans' families, and also because Kyiv wanted to avoid criticism that it had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Zelensky's office responded, saying the two countries had no such agreement to keep the move confidential, further escalating the situation.

Lee himself faced heavy criticism at home after Zelensky's disclosure, with the South Korean opposition accusing him of covering up the transfer to appease Pyongyang.

The two soldiers, who were among thousands of North Koreans supporting Russia in the Ukraine war, had earlier told local media they wanted to be sent to South Korea.

Speaking to Ukrainian media on Thursday, Sybiha, the foreign minister, said he "hopes that this situation will be resolved in the very near future".

"We are working on it. For us, South Korea is an important country. And I really hope for momentum, continuation, and concrete results that we are truly achieving with them," he said.

Lee, in response, accused Kyiv of attempting to "bring war on the Korean Peninsula".

"We express serious regret that, instead of acknowledging the facts of the agreement and apologising, they are talking about an imminent military clash between the North and South," he said in an X post.

Seoul has been sympathetic to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, but has adhered to its longstanding policy of not providing lethal weapons to any country engaged in active war.

***

Kyiv has been a snake

British paratrooper killed by explosion in Ukraine, coroner rules

British paratrooper killed by explosion in Ukraine, coroner rules

3 hours ago
Matt Spivey

Ministry of Defence
L/Cpl George Hooley


A British paratrooper was killed by an explosion while assisting Ukrainian troops in the war with Russia, a coroner has ruled.

An inquest, conducted partly in secret this week, into L/Cpl George Hooley's death found he had "sustained multiple injuries from an explosion" on 6 December 2025.

Hooley, 28, died from his injuries in a hospital in Kyiv three days later - the first British service member to die in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Darren Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire, said he had been provided with "limited evidence" about the circumstances and cause of the explosion but Hooley's death was "not suspicious".

The location of the explosion is also unknown, other than that it was away from the front line.

L/Cpl Hooley's commanding officer told military police investigators he "heard a sudden loud bang and saw a flash" shortly after they arrived to meet Ukrainian troops.

The commanding officer added he "had his back to the explosion and did not see what had caused it but could tell the bang had come from where L/Cpl Hooley was".

The coroner's report said Hooley had been transferred from at least one other hospital in Ukraine before his death in the capital.

I've seen nearly 500 executions - but never one like Christa Pike's

I've seen nearly 500 executions - but never one like Christa Pike's

3 hours ago
Sheila Flynn

Senior US Reporter


AP


Reporter Michael Graczyk has covered nearly 500 executions carried out in Texas, continuing even after his 2018 retirement from The Associated Press.

He remembers two instances where needles popped out before reinsertion for successful execution - but never one in which an inmate survived.

That's what happened this week in Tennessee, when 50-year-old inmate Christa Pike remained breathing and audibly snoring after two separate doses of pentobarbital, the barbiturate used in the state's lethal injection protocol.

Graczyk, 76, says he wasn't entirely surprised to hear of the anomaly - and had actually thought about the possibility during his decades-long career as a Texas journalist.

"It seems to me it was just a matter of time," he told BBC News.

Reuters

Tennessee administered two lethal doses to execute Christa Pike, but she lived


Tennessee's execution protocol calls for a secondary set of pentobarbital-filled syringes in case the person being put to death does not die after the first set, according to AP, but does not spell out what happens if the subject is alive after the second set.

Governor Bill Lee halted executions in the state after Wednesday night's failure, ordering an independent review into procedures. Botched executions have come under scrutiny over the past decade, since a shortage of the drugs used led some states to change the formula, or procure drugs from more questionable sources. Some states even brought back death by firing squad as an alternative.


The secret hunt for lethal drugs used in US executions

Pike is now in hospital where she is receiving "life-saving care", according to her lawyer.



What we know about Christa Pike’s condition after failed execution


It's not uncommon for lethal injections - the most frequently used form of capital punishment in the 27 US states where the penalty is legal - to be "botched". The Death Penalty Information Center, a think-tank that does not take a stance on the death penalty, describes a botched execution as one with "unanticipated problems or delays that caused, at least arguably, unnecessary agony for the prisoner or that reflect gross incompetence of the executioner". The organisation has compiled a list of 64 botched executions since 1982, 51 of them lethal injections. In at least seven of those cases, the executions were halted because the IV line could not be set.

But Graczyk has never seen an execution fail after the injection was delivered.

"That has never happened here," Graczyk said of the Lone Star State.

Graczyk, who covered a wide range of topics for the AP during his 46 years with the news service, considers his prolific attendance at executions to be an important part of the job.

"There is no [greater] authority, power, or whatever you want to call it, that state or federal government has over us than the power to take our life," he said.

There have been 1,683 executions in the US since 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre, which is when the US Supreme Court re-instated the death penalty. Texas has carried out by far the most of any state, with 602 executions. In 1982, it became the first state to use lethal injections to execute people.

Why the death penalty is on the rise in US

"I always thought it was important for someone who has no stake in the outcome of a case to be there and to see the law being carried out and to make certain that it is done properly," Graczyk said.

"That someone is there to see it and tell others: Here's what I saw. Here's what happened."

Jenevieve Robbins/Texas Dept of Criminal Justice/Handout via ReutersThe death chamber is seen from the viewing area at the Texas state penitentiary in Huntsville, where reporter Michael Graczyk has covered hundreds of executions


Although he is technically retired, he still works freelance for AP covering executions in his home state.

He feels a particular responsibility to remember victims in his coverage and it's especially disheartening when he writes a story about an execution that doesn't make big news.

"I feel bad for the victims in the case," he said. "They are the forgotten folks. They always have been."


"Today, all the emphasis is on the inmate in Tennessee," he said. "No tears are being shed, other than the victim's immediate family, for the victim … and I understand that's the business we're in, but it doesn't mean it's right."

Pike's victim was Colleen Slemmer, a 19-year-old originally from Florida who loved to roller skate, smile and help others, according to descriptions given by her friends and family. Slemmer was tortured and killed by Pike, then 18, and her then-boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, after they met her at a job training camp.

Slemmer's mother, May Martinez, was present in Tennessee on Wednesday for the execution attempt, telling NBC News afterwards that it "was a mess".

Texas, where Graczyk lives and works, does not allow observers in the execution chamber when the IV is being inserted, he said.

"So when we get into the chamber, the inmate's already hooked up."

In a lethal injection execution, the IV would typically be inserted in the crook of the person's arm, Graczyk said. But if that didn't work, sometimes it would go into the top of their hand, their leg, neck or other sites.

During successful executions, Graczyk said inmates become "visibly unconscious after just a few seconds". They are usually pronounced dead 20 to 40 minutes after the fatal dose is given, he said.

The Tennessean/Reuters

A Tennessee journalist stands near images of Pike's victim, Colleen Slemmer, 19



He still remembers the death of Jonathan Nobles, who was executed by lethal injection in Texas in 1998. He'd been handed the sentence after his conviction for the brutal 1986 stabbing murders of two Austin women, Kelley Fraquhar and Mitzi Johnson-Nalley.

Nobles sang "Silent Night" as his last words.

"He gets to 'Round yon virgin' and he stops talking," Graczyk told BBC News. "That's how long it took for the drug to kick in so he wasn't conscious anymore."

That scene has stuck with Graczyk for nearly 30 years.

"To this day, when I'm in church on Christmas, and the choir is singing Silent Night, and all the congregation is joining in Silent Night and they're all, you know, in the spirit of the season and the joy of the season, and I'm thinking of this execution, I'm sure I'm the only one in that congregation that is having that kind of recollection."

When people hear about his career covering executions, he said, they are usually curious.

"Most people don't get to watch someone die," he said.

But when people ask him about what he has witnessed, he tells them "it's not the only thing I did or do or have done".

 

FAO official says he lost his job for criticising Israeli policies in Gaza

FAO director said he was informed his contract would not be renewed because of allegedly breaching impartiality rules.

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Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians are seen amid war-damaged buildings in Gaza City, on September 23, 2026 [Jehad Alshrafi/AP]

By Al Jazeera Staff and AFP

Published On 2 Oct 20262 Oct 2026

A senior UN agency director has said that he lost his job because he criticised Israeli policies in Gaza.

Ben Davis, who had been Director of Rural Transformation and Gender Equality at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told AFP news agency on Wednesday that he was informed in July that his contract would not be renewed because he had allegedly breached impartiality rules.

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He said that he was accused of organising weekly silent protests at the Rome-based organisation.

“They accused me of organising these moments of silence on the situation of starvation and famine in Gaza,” Davis said.

Davis was also criticised for a report he worked on about food availability in Gaza and humanitarian law, published in May.

“We were told to take it down,” he said. “We weren’t allowed to make any references to humanitarian law.”

‘Game of human rights’

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu appeared to warn FAO staff on Tuesday that “we don’t allow you to play the game here of human rights”.

He was speaking in public comments made at the start of a filmed session on forestry.

“Of course, human rights is very important, but we have the human rights agency in Geneva,” he added. “If you want to take care, go there.

“That’s why some senior members play the political game here, I fire him … You should follow the FAO constitution … You are against staff regulations … But I’m a very soft person, I didn’t fire that many,” he said.

“I will fire more people if they are against the law,” he added.

Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Qu Dongyu delivers his speech during a World Food Forum meeting [File: Andrew Medichini/AP]

FAO did not respond to an AFP request for comment.

Asked if he thought the director-general’s comments were about him, Davis said “absolutely”.

“He has already scolded me in public in the past for being too political.”

Davis also said he was “concerned” about the director-general’s comments on firing more people.

Hundreds of people attended the moments of silence at their height, while now there are only 30 to 40 people coming on a weekly basis, he said.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed over 74,000 people since October 2023, and at least 1,431 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the so-called ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was agreed upon in October 2025.

US Sends Patriot Batteries To Defend Critical Gulf Energy Assets As Trump Weighs Renewed Iran Strikes

US Sends Patriot Batteries To Defend Critical Gulf Energy Assets As Trump Weighs Renewed Iran Strikes

by Tyler Durden
Friday, Oct 02, 2026 - 11:25 PM


The US has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect energy infrastructure from aerial threats, according to a new report, reinforcing the urgent need to defend allied energy infrastructure ahead of potential renewed strikes on Iran. The report came before Thursday's news that the Department of War is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group and additional Marine Corps ships to the region.

Axios reported late Thursday that one Patriot battery was sent last month to protect a key Saudi oil facility, while another was deployed to defend a natural gas plant in Qatar.



"The U.S. military transferred batteries and interceptors to the Middle East from other regional commands, raising concerns about readiness in other parts of the world," the report said.

Trump told reporters yesterday that he was considering renewing a bombing campaign in the coming weeks. "Now I have to make a decision: either Iran signs the deal, or it won't exist any longer," he warned.

The urgent need for two more Patriot batteries in the region, designed to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles, certain ballistic missiles, and one-way attack drones, comes as Iran and proxy forces have hit critical energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The latest attack on Saudi infrastructure came last month, when Iranian proxies hit the critical East-West pipeline, rendering it inoperable for weeks. Flows were restored only last week. Meanwhile, the latest Goldman data shows Hormuz crude flows have returned to pre-war levels as Tehran's grip on the critical maritime chokepoint erodes.

Also overnight, a report said the DoW is preparing to send a third aircraft carrier strike group and additional Marine Corps ships to the Middle East, adding 9,000 to 10,000 more troops to the region. That news sent Brent crude futures to nearly $104 a barrel overnight, but the oil benchmark slipped below $100 as trading moved through Asia and Europe and into the early US session.

Putin: Ready To Use 'All Weapons' Including Nuclear, If Kaliningrad Attacked

Putin: Ready To Use 'All Weapons' Including Nuclear, If Kaliningrad Attacked

by Tyler Durden
Friday, Oct 02, 2026 - 10:20 PM


Now it's no longer just high-ranking Kremlin officials saying it, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has now directly weighed in amid the ongoing nuclear threat tit-for-tat involving European officials.

Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow on Thursday, he warned the Western allies to cease their escalation in Ukraine, stressing he's willing to use "all weapons" in the Russian arsenal in the scenario that Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad comes under attack.

"The drills in the Baltic Sea, following one another… Then the attempts to arrest our ships and vessels. All this is an escalation. And then we began to hear statements regarding the Kaliningrad region," Putin said.

Kremlin file image/via Fox


"If it comes to direct attack against the Russian Federation, in this case on Kaliningrad and possibly some other territories, of course the issue of using all weapons in our country’s arsenal will inevitably and unavoidably emerge on the agenda. This is unavoidable," he asserted in a warning that includes nuclear weapons.

NATO held recent military drills near Kaliningrad which were broadly described as deterrence operations, which Putin referenced in the remarks.

Rhetoric has been running particularly hot over the exclave which is sandwiched between NATO members Poland and Lithuania all week, as Associated Press earlier described:


The warning sent to NATO echoed statements issued by several Russian embassies in Europe this week which said that Moscow has "information that NATO is preparing (an) air and naval blockade of Kaliningrad and Kaliningrad region."

The embassies in the U.K. and Ireland posted their statements on their Telegram channels, and the embassy in Belgium released it to the Tass news agency.

The ratcheting accusations from the European side have also centered on charges of a Russian sabotage campaign targeting the Baltics as well as Germany.

Moscow at the start of the week took the rare step of submitting a formal letter to NATO leadership in Brussels.

The letter accused NATO of an "unprecedented escalation of the military-political situation around Russia's region of Kaliningrad accompanied by highly provocative public statements by NATO Allies' officials."

"This dangerous and reckless course entails high risk of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict with the possibility of Russian strikes against decision-making centers of the alliance's member states right from the outset of the conflict," the letter said.

NATO was especially incensed and alarmed at this key line of Moscow's letter:


"Russia will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory, should NATO countries undertake any attempt aimed at isolating the Kaliningrad region from the rest of the country."

Apparently this most recent tense back-and-forth over Kaliningrad was initially triggered by a television show which recently aired in the UK this month.

Preview of the provocative UK series The WarGame which started airing this month. The Kremlin has vehemently condemned it, and sees in it some clear messaging and an ominous threat:

Newsweek described, "The statement follows a miniseries aired by British broadcaster Sky News last week, The Wargame, which traces a hypothetical Russian attack on the U.K. and how the country might respond—including by authorizing operations against the Baltic territory of Kaliningrad."

Prolonged Negeri crisis could potentially crack monarchical institution

Malaysia's #1 Content Aggregator


Prolonged Negeri crisis could potentially crack monarchical institution

2 Oct 2026 • 7:53 AM MYT

The Vibes






By Murray Hunter

AS of late September 2026, the constitutional and customary crisis surrounding the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan shows no sign of resolution. What began in April with a disputed proclamation by certain undangs purporting to remove Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir has escalated into a full-blown confrontation involving the palace, the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang (DKU), the state executive council, the menteri besar, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and competing claims to the throne.

No institution or individual of sufficient stature has stepped forward to mediate effectively. The Council of Rulers has largely stayed out, citing respect for state sovereignty. Courts face questions over their reach into matters of adat and succession. And the prolonged silence and institutional hesitation have created space for open challenges that strike at the heart of royal authority.

This is not merely a local succession dispute under Adat Perpatih. If allowed to fester, it risks normalising the destabilisation of royalty and weakening the broader institution of the Malay monarchy.

The January Speech That Drew a Line

The roots of the political hostility can be traced, at least in part, to Tuanku Muhriz’s birthday address on 14 January 2026 at Istana Besar Seri Menanti. In an unusually direct royal speech, the ruler expressed deep astonishment and disappointment that some continued to support individuals convicted of extremely serious corruption charges “as though such an act were acceptable and forgivable.”

He described corruption as the “foremost enemy of justice, trust and the nation’s future.” Those who backed convicted offenders, he said, showed a failure to understand how graft erodes institutional integrity and the moral foundations of society. He called for self-reflection on faith, principles and values, insisting that any tolerance of corruption was “wholly unacceptable in a nation governed by the rule of law.”



The speech was widely reported as a values-based condemnation rather than a partisan intervention. Yet its timing, months before the state election and amid national debates over high-profile graft cases made it a politically charged speech.

Analyses later linked the stance to alienation among certain political circles, particularly those associated with defending or rehabilitating convicted figures. A growing number of commentators have framed subsequent events as something approaching a political coup against a ruler who refused to normalise corruption.

Whether or not the speech was the decisive trigger, it established Tuanku Muhriz as a public defender of integrity and the rule of law. That stance collided with partisan and factional interests.

State Exco Overreach and Institutional Pushback

The latest flashpoint came in mid-September. Several BN-UMNO state executive councillors (with Perikatan Nasional members notably abstaining from amplifying it) issued a statement claiming Tuanku Muhriz had been removed with immediate effect under Article 10 of the Laws of the Constitution of Negeri Sembilan 1959. They cited the April 19 proclamation signed and sealed by the undangs and recognised Tunku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja’afar as the new Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

Sources familiar with the matter, reported across multiple outlets, noted that the state executive council lacks authority to make such a determination. The state legal adviser reportedly viewed the move as invalid. The state secretary refused to gazette it. The DKU reaffirmed that Tuanku Muhriz remains the legitimate ruler, stating that no valid process had vacated the office and that the September announcement had no effect under the Constitution or custom.

Critics, including former NSTP Group Editor-in-Chief Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan and former exco member Teo Kok Seong, questioned how an executive council could arrogate to itself the power to remove a ruling monarch, raising the spectre of potential similar moves in other states.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers has affirmed that the menteri besar and exco have no such authority. Tuanku Muhriz later revoked the appointments of the ten exco members (sparing the menteri besar) for breaching their oath of allegiance sworn before him in August. The menteri besar has contested the dismissals, deepening the standoff. These manoeuvres increasingly resemble political games played at the expense of the state constitution and the dignity of the monarchy.



Silence, Weak Enforcement, and the Danger of Behaviour Normalisation

The Council of Rulers’ reluctance to intervene is understandable on grounds of non-interference in state sovereignty. Yet prolonged silence creates a vacuum. In that vacuum, parties willing to challenge the throne through disputed proclamations, hotel ceremonies, and executive statements have gained oxygen. Some observers have described elements of the episode as treasonous or a coup attempt against the institution itself.

The police (PDRM) have been criticised for appearing weak or hesitant in protecting the crown and upholding order around these challenges. When executive councillors, customary claimants, and political actors can publicly contest the legitimacy of a sitting ruler without swift, decisive institutional response, the perception grows that royal authority is negotiable.

This is the real danger. Royal institutions in other Malay states rests on a delicate balance of adat, written constitutions, federal recognition, and public respect. If one state’s monarchy can be subjected to months of contested proclamations, rival installations, and executive overreach without clear resolution, the precedent risks spreading. Destabilising royalty could come to be seen as a viable political tactic rather than an institutional red line.



Tuanku Muhriz’s January speech framed a clear moral position: tolerance of corruption and disregard for the rule of law corrode the foundations of a just society. The September crisis has tested whether that line can be held against partisan pressure. The longer the crisis drags on without mediation, authoritative clarification, or firm defence of constitutional and customary processes, the more visible will the cracks in the monarchical institution will become.

This must be avoided at all costs.

History will judge not only the claimants and the politicians, but also the institutions that chose silence or half-measures when the dignity of the throne was under sustained challenge. The prolonged crisis in Negeri Sembilan is no longer just a state affair. It is a stress test for the monarchy itself. – October 2, 2026

Court of Appeal overturns acquittal, jails ex‑bowling coach two more years for molesting 13‑year‑old

Court of Appeal overturns acquittal, jails ex‑bowling coach two more years for molesting 13‑year‑old



A former bowling coach, already serving a prison term for sexual assault, was sentenced to an additional two years’ imprisonment by the Court of Appeal today for molesting another former Malaysia Games male athlete in 2017. — Unsplash pic


Summary

• A former bowling coach, Mat Salleh Jalani, who is already serving a six-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old male athlete in 2018, received an additional two-year sentence from the Court of Appeal for molesting another male athlete during the Malaysia Games in 2017.
• The Court of Appeal, led by Federal Court judge Datuk Azmi Ariffin, reinstated the Magistrates' Court's conviction and enhanced the sentence from 18 months to two years, disagreeing with the High Court's earlier acquittal.
• Justice Hayatul Akmal emphasized that a delay in reporting a sexual offence does not necessarily undermine the victim's credibility.

First Published: Friday, 02 Oct 2026 5:13 PM MYT


PUTRAJAYA, Oct 2 — A former bowling coach, already serving a prison term for sexual assault, was sentenced to an additional two years’ imprisonment by the Court of Appeal today for molesting another former Malaysia Games male athlete in 2017.

A three-member bench led by Federal Court judge Datuk Azmi Ariffin, sitting as a Court of Appeal judge, ordered Mat Salleh Jalani to begin serving the two-year sentence after completing his six-year prison term for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old male athlete in 2018.

The bench, which also comprised Justices Datuk Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz and Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid, allowed the prosecution’s appeal to set aside the High Court’s decision to acquit and discharge Mat Salleh of the charge.


The court reinstated the Magistrates’ Court’s conviction and increased the sentence from 18 months to two years’ imprisonment.


In delivering the unanimous decision, Justice Hayatul Akmal said the High Court judge erred in assessing the available evidence and misdirected himself in finding SP3’s (the third prosecution witness and the victim) testimony unconvincing.

He held that the victim’s credibility remained intact and that the court had carefully assessed their testimony.

He further found that the victim’s evidence could stand on its own and was corroborated by other witnesses.


“Delay in lodging a police report regarding a sexual offence does not, in itself, undermine the victim’s credibility,” said Justice Hayatul Akmal, citing a Federal Court decision which recognised that victims may be reluctant to report such incidents for various reasons.

Mat Salleh, 63, was convicted by the Magistrates’ Court on Jan 31, 2024, of outraging the modesty of the victim, who was then 13 years old.

The offence was committed in Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, at 5pm in May 2017. He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.

On Aug 22 of the same year, the High Court acquitted and discharged him of the charge, prompting the prosecution to appeal.

At today’s proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Nazneen Zulkifli urged the court to increase the sentence, submitting that this was not Mat Salleh’s first offence and that he was currently serving a prison sentence in another case.

Defence lawyer Muhammad Faris Mohamad Fauzi had earlier requested that the court retain the prison sentence imposed by the Magistrates’ Court.

On March 11 this year, the Court of Appeal upheld Mat Salleh’s six-year imprisonment sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old male athlete in 2018. — Bernama

***

The Court should re-visit the scandalous case of the bowler-with-the-bright-future who had miraculously got away from statutory rape when the judge 'miraculously' saw the case as one of consensual frigging, even though the girl involved was still a minor.

Safe return of solo Malaysian after 37 days in Nepal floods offers hope to 54 still missing

Safe return of solo Malaysian after 37 days in Nepal floods offers hope to 54 still missing



People walk past silt and sediments near damaged houses in the aftermath of the August 26 flash flood, at Betrawati Bazaar in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on September 28, 2026. — AFP pic


Summary

• A Malaysian individual, previously reported among 55 missing nationals due to floods and landslides in Nepal, has safely returned to Malaysia after reaching the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu independently.
• According to MASFIH spokesperson Dr. Manivannan Rethinam, the individual was stranded due to infrastructure damage and communication disruptions, highlighting challenges in locating disaster victims.
• This development reduces the count of missing Malaysians to 54, offering a glimmer of hope for other affected families amid ongoing uncertainties following the tragic event.

First Published: Friday, 02 Oct 2026 3:46 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — One of the 55 Malaysians reported to have lost contact following floods and landslides in Nepal last August has been confirmed safe and has returned to Malaysia.

Malaysia Solidarity: Families in Hope (MASFIH) spokesman Dr Manivannan Rethinam said the man went to the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu on his own yesterday before departing for home and arriving in the country this morning.

He said the matter was conveyed by the Foreign Ministry through the next-of-kin WhatsApp group, ‘KLN-NOK’, this morning, but the individual’s name was not disclosed.


“The individual was travelling alone and was the only solo traveller among the original list of 55 Malaysians (reported missing) who has now been confirmed safe.


“We were informed that the individual was at Nagthali Viewpoint at 3.26 pm on Aug 25, a day before the floods and landslides occurred. Nagthali Viewpoint is a highland area and is situated at a much higher elevation than the Rasuwagadhi area,” he said in a statement today.

Manivannan said based on information from the family, the man was stranded following the destruction of roads and bridges, as well as the lack of electricity, clean water and telecommunications access, which made movement difficult.

He said the development provided an important indication that disaster victims could be safe but stranded and uncontactable for an extended period due to damage to basic infrastructure and disruption to communication facilities.


He said this development means 54 Malaysians remain missing, with all of them travelling in separate groups.

“For MASFIH, this development is not merely a change in the number from 55 to 54. It is about a family finally being reunited with their loved one after 37 days of uncertainty.

“We hope his safe return will continue to be a beacon of hope for the other 54 families that their loved ones may also still be out there and may one day return to them,” he said.

The floods and debris flows on Aug 26, triggered by glacial ice and rock collapses in the upper catchment area of Lhende Khola in Tibet, were reported to have claimed more than 1,450 lives, while thousands more remain unaccounted for. — Bernama

Satanyahu's pre election kerbau

 

Refusing to ‘sit silently’, Lee Chean Chung quits as Petaling Jaya MP over PKR suspension

Refusing to ‘sit silently’, Lee Chean Chung quits as Petaling Jaya MP over PKR suspension



Petaling Jaya Member of Parliament Lee Chean Chung is seen at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur on February 15, 2023. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon


Summary

• Lee Chean Chung has announced his immediate resignation as the Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya, citing his unwillingness to receive a salary while being sidelined.
• His decision follows a formal suspension notice from PKR on September 30.
• During a press conference, Lee emphasized his refusal to remain inactive in his role, leading to his unconditional resignation.
• Further details are yet to be disclosed.

First Published: Friday, 02 Oct 2026 11:39 AM MYT
Last Modified: Friday, 02 Oct 2026 12:20 PM MYT


PETALING JAYA, Oct 2 — Lee Chean Chung has announced his immediate resignation as the member of parliament for Petaling Jaya, saying he refuses to draw a lawmaker's salary while being sidelined.

Speaking at a press conference here today, Lee said his decision followed a formal suspension notice he received from PKR on September 30.

“Should I continue accepting a salary as a member of parliament while simply sitting silently like a stump? No.


“Therefore, I, Lee Chean Chung, have today decided to resign unconditionally as the Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya,” he said.


Lee said he met Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul yesterday to submit his resignation letter.

“We met at around 3pm yesterday to hand over my duties and as a gesture of respect for our legislative institution. It takes effect today,” he said.

Lee also said he would submit his resignation from PKR by Monday.


Asked whether he would join Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli in Bersama, Lee said he had already made his decision but wanted to focus on his resignation as an MP for now.

When asked if he would contest the Petaling Jaya parliamentary seat at the next general election, Lee said: “I want to stay in PJ.”

Lee said he received his suspension letter on Wednesday evening and claimed he had not been given an opportunity to provide an explanation or attend a hearing over the past three months.

Lee said his suspension had left him unable to debate or express his position within PKR, while claiming that management of the RM3 million Petaling Jaya constituency allocation had also been taken over through a process lacking transparency.

He said he believed his outspoken positions on issues including the Urban Renewal Act (URA), foreign worker recruitment, SST, university admission for STPM holders and Selangor's RIBI guidelines were among the reasons for his suspension.

Lee also criticised the National Unity Government's direction, raising concerns over institutional reforms, high-profile DNAA cases, alleged corporate mafia links and the delay in separating the powers of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor.

He said he would continue to uphold progressive and multiracial politics and institutional reform, while the Petaling Jaya Service Centre would continue operating as usual.

Lee is the fourth PKR lawmaker to recently quit as an MP, after Rafizi, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Wong Chen.

 

PAS must clarify if it can accept Zahid as PM, says Amanah man

PAS must clarify if it can accept Zahid as PM, says Amanah man

3 hours ago

FMT Reporters

Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar says the Islamic party previously questioned Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s appointment as deputy prime minister when he was facing his corruption charges.

Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar said if PAS is prepared to accept Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the prime minister, it should explain to the public the basis for its consideration. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar has questioned whether PAS is ready to accept Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as the next prime minister despite having previously raised concerns about his appointment as deputy prime minister.

Commenting on a recent prediction by analyst Ong Kian Ming that Zahid could become the 11th prime minister with the support of Sabah and Sarawak coalitions, Mahfuz said this raised questions about whether PAS was prepared to accept a Zahid premiership.

He said PAS had previously questioned Zahid’s appointment as deputy prime minister during the early stages of the formation of the unity government when he was facing 47 charges related to the Yayasan Akalbudi case.

Mahfuz said Perikatan Nasional, of which PAS is a component party, had also criticised Zahid’s appointment over his legal issues.

“Today, the same person is being touted as a future prime minister should the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional pact win the next general election (GE16),” he said in a statement.

“Those 47 charges were an issue back then when Zahid wanted to be deputy prime minister. Are those charges no longer an issue now if Zahid is to become prime minister?

“PAS should clarify if it has changed its position. If PAS is prepared to accept Zahid as prime minister, it should explain to the public the basis for its consideration.

“If it is not prepared to do so, it should explain how Umno and PAS intend to form a government and determine who will be prime minister.”

Mahfuz also asked whether Malaysians were ready to have Zahid lead the country, noting that the legal issues surrounding the Yayasan Akalbudi case had not been fully resolved as he was only granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).

He also pointed out that the Court of Appeal had allowed the Malaysian Bar to challenge Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar’s decision to grant Zahid a DNAA.

The Federal Court is scheduled to hear on Oct 8 the applications by Zahid and Dusuki for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision allowing the Bar’s challenge.

“So the people need to ask: What standards do we want for the position of prime minister of Malaysia?

“This is not about punishing someone before the judicial process is completed. This is about trust, transparency and standards of national leadership.

“The people need to know who will lead the nation, their track record, principles and public policies, as well as the standards that will be applied in determining who is qualified for the post of prime minister,” Mahfuz said.

Zahid was granted a DNAA on all 47 charges involving alleged criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering linked to Yayasan Akalbudi, pending further investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

In January, the Attorney-General’s Chambers announced that the case had been classified as requiring no further action.