Free Malaysia Today
중도
기타
Student activist probe raises free speech concerns, says lawyer
UKM student Brendon Gan says the investigation centres on a statement he issued after meeting higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir and other officials.
"CERN" · 총 1,468건
필터 보기현재 지수
50.3
0 = 부정 우세
50 = 중립
100 = 긍정 우세
최근 7일 기준 79,898건을 분석한 결과, 뉴스 심리지수는 50.3(균형)입니다. 긍정 4,107건(5.1%)·중립 73,777건(92.3%)·부정 2,014건(2.5%)이며, 중립 비중이 뚜렷하게 높습니다. 성향 지수는 종합 14.6(중도 균형)입니다.
UKM student Brendon Gan says the investigation centres on a statement he issued after meeting higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir and other officials.
Rahul Gandhi criticized the Great Nicobar development project, alleging it prioritizes commercial interests over the island's ecology and local communities. He highlighted concerns about tribal land rights violations, inadequate compensation for settlers, and the potential felling of 1.5 crore trees. Gandhi proposed expanding INS Baaz as a strategic alternative and advocated for sustainable tourism and conservation.
President Donald Trump’s net popularity on -25 in latest Economist/YouGov survey, with the Iran war and economy still major concerns for voters ahead of November’s midterms
Commenting on the domestic economy, the RBI Governor said India is better placed to deal with the current phase of global uncertainty.
The threat by the US to impose additional tariffs on imports from India over forced labour supply-chain concerns is a “pressure” tactic deployed by Washington to drive a harder bargain in its trade talks with New Delhi, according to analysts. Following a Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation, the Trump administration proposed that products from India, China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Switzerland would be subject to a 12.5 per cent levy, while a 10 per cent rate would apply to...
Former selector Saba Karim believes Virat Kohli is a certainty for the 2027 ODI World Cup due to his consistent performances and fitness. In contrast, Rohit Sharma faces significant pressure to improve his fitness and batting to be considered for the tournament. Kohli's evolving strike rate and commitment impress selectors, while Rohit's recent IPL form raises concerns.
La "présomption d'innocence, c'est un principe de procédure pénale, donc ça ne concerne pas la société civile", estime Claudia, membre du collectif. Patrick Bruel est accusé par plusieurs femmes de viols.
Singh said the absence of a consolidated public record on paper leaks and the action taken was a key concern among students following the NEET-UG cancellation
The family of a former Married At First Sight producer are growing increasingly concerned after she failed to contact them for two weeks.
Anna Faris fuels concerns after ‘Scary Movie 6' red carpet appearance Anna Faris has fueled serious concerns online after her recent red carpet appearance for the premiere of Scary Movie 6. The 49-year-old actress stepped out on Wednesday for a rare public appearance alongside...
An Army captain's recent proposal to his girlfriend after passing-out parade in Nashik has sparked a debate over military protocol and security concerns,
Parents want the rollout slowed, saying the rules fail to address concerns ranging from AI’s environmental impact to its effects on children’s mental health and cognitive development.
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday announced the Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) decision, with repo rate remaining unchanged at 5.25%. The status quo reflects the RBI's cautious approach amid uncertainties arising from the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has heightened concerns over inflation and economic growth. At its previous policy review in April, the RBI had kept rates unchanged, choosing to closely monitor the evolving geopolitical situation and its potential impact on energy prices, inflation and economic activity.All six members of the rate panel, which includes three central bank officials and three external appointees, voted to hold rates. The MPC decided to continue with its "neutral" stance."The central bank's rate panel noted that the global environment has deteriorated," RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said. Also Read- RBI MPC 2026 LiveKey Policy Rates Unchanged Repo rate: 5.25% Standing Deposit Facility (SDF): 5.00% Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Bank Rate: 5.50% Stance: NeutralInflation updateThe governor said that the CPI inflation remains below the target despite the global shock, as the pass-through to domestic prices has been limited, while the baseline projections point towards headline inflation firming up towards the upper tolerance level in Q3 this year.
[SAnews.gov.za] President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa's commitment to supporting continental efforts to strengthen preparedness and response to Ebola, underscoring the importance of coordinated African action in addressing public health threats.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Environment Protection Agency during a clean-up drive on the shores of Rawal Lake on Thursday found hazardous material such as discarded syringes, hospital waste and numerous plastic items in large quantities, highlighting the severe pollution threatening the lake’s ecosystem. The clean up drive was organised in connection with the global celebrations of World Environment Day by Pak-EPA in collaboration with Nestle Pakistan. The initiative, hosted by the Small Dams Department, government of Punjab, marked a flagship activity of Environment Week, aligning with this year’s global theme: “Inspired by Nature, for Climate, for our future.” The clean-up campaign mobilised volunteers, schools and university students, civil society organisations, and the local community to systematically collect waste from the surrounding areas and the shore of Rawal Lake. The campaign focused not just on cleaning the shoreline but also on raising urgent awareness about the dangers of improper medical waste disposal, the persistence of plastic pollution in freshwater bodies, and the preservation of natural habitats. Pak-EPA said that Rawal Lake, a critical water reservoir and recreational site in the capital, faced frequent littering and contamination, making this intervention critical for public health and environmental safety. Leading the event, Director General Pak-EPA Syed Abrar Hussain, stated: “This drive is about more than collecting waste, it is about reshaping our relationship with nature. The presence of hospital waste and plastics in Rawal Lake is a stark warning. I strongly encourage our youth and all citizens to ensure that such activities are done continuously. We must move beyond one-day events to build lasting habits that protect our climate, inspired by nature itself.” Meanwhile, on World Environment Day, Senator Sherry Rehman warned that Pakistan’s environmental crisis was no longer a distant threat but an unfolding reality affecting economic stability, food systems, water security, public health, and national resilience. She said Pakistan remained among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, with the cost of inaction rising sharply. “Climate change is no longer a future concern. It is already disrupting lives and livelihoods across the country,” she noted. Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026
Si l’encyclique de Léon XIV sur l’IA a le mérite de poser le débat sur le terrain civilisationnel, plusieurs manquements, notamment concernant l’école ou le travail en limitent la portée, déplore le philosophe Eric Sadin.
PAKISTAN has one of the highest diabetes prevalence rates in the world. About one in three adults is living with diabetes here — some 33-34 million people. Shouldn’t there be public information campaigns to raise awareness about preventing/ living with diabetes? Where are these programmes in Pakistan? Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in Pakistan; it is responsible for an estimated 30-40 per cent of deaths. Pakistan’s cardiovascular disease rate is 648.6 persons per 100,000; the ischemic heart disease rate is 188 per 100,000 persons. Both are the highest in the region. Some of the leading risk factors for heart disease are diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, tobacco usage and air pollution. Around 20pc of our adult population consumes tobacco (there is a 32pc prevalence rate among men and 6-7pc among women). Other than printed warnings on tobacco products and a ban on tobacco advertisements, one does not see a significant campaign to prohibit or even discourage tobacco consumption. Around 18-26pc of our adult population is believed to be hypertensive, with some 70pc undiagnosed. Neither do we have a public awareness programme for prevention of hypertension. We don’t even have sufficient diagnostic facilities. Most people discover they are hypertensive when health complications, like heart disease, arise. Why does our healthcare system lack diabetes prevention and management programmes? Breastfeeding initiation rates are low in Pakistan as is the exclusive six-month breastfeeding rate. Pakistan still has one of the world’s highest infant mortality rates and some 40pc of its children are malnourished. Contaminated water in the feed of infants is a major contributory factor. Sadly, despite the fact that breastfeeding initiation or knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding for six months and programmes for ensuring better support for mothers are not that costly — and far cheaper than addressing child malnourishment and high infant mortality rates — we are still without a major programme to support pregnant and lactating mothers. Why are systems and markets so incomplete in these areas? If a third of our adult population has diabetes, why does our healthcare system lack diabetes prevention and management programmes? It is true that we spend very little — as a percentage of GDP — on healthcare. But awareness, prevention and management programmes are much cheaper to run than curative programmes. Why is prioritisation in public health expenditure so warped? The neglect of large preventive or management programmes in the public sector in almost all the areas mentioned here is criminal to say the least. The private sector provides much of the healthcare in the country. It makes sense for the largely profit-driven private sector to focus on curative rather than preventive programmes. Doctors, hospitals and pharmaceuticals earn a lot more if a person develops diabetes and lives with the condition for 20 to 30 years, rather than making lifestyle changes before full-blown diabetes sets in. On the other hand, much of our private health sector is not-for-profit. Yet even they lack large awareness or prevention programmes. Some of the world’s leading cardiologists are working in the country. Many are working in Pakistan as well as in the US/UK. Given the widespread prevalence of heart disease, there’s a strong demand for cardiologists here. However, no hospital, insurance company or doctor has a good prevention programme in place. I have heard a number of doctors say that if you are a South Asian man in your mid to late 50s, it is likely you already carry some of the markers of heart disease. But if this is true, should the same doctors and hospitals not invest in programmes that raise awareness for South Asian men before they reach their mid-50s? One could argue that there is no incentive for profit-focused doctors and hospitals to invest in prevention programmes. But, what is more surprising is that there are significant gaps in the provision of services even in curative care. So, you survive a heart attack. In most countries, hospitals and doctors offer programmes for rehabilitation that get you on the road to recovery by offering support for dietary and lifestyle changes, exercise, psychological and psychiatric support if needed, and of course, support for managing heart disease. But few, if any, hospitals or doctors offer such comprehensive support in Pakistan. Instead, you get a lot of hand-waving and general advice on lifestyle and dietary changes and instructions to get in touch with each specialist separately. Even where profits could be made, the services are missing. This is quite interesting. Has the market still not developed enough? The same issues exist in other areas as well. If around a third of Pakistani adults are diabetic and large numbers are genetically predisposed to obesity, hypertension and heart disease, why are food manufacturers and restaurants in Pakistan not offering better options? Just displaying ‘no added sugar’ on a food label is not enough. Just saying the burger has ‘xx calories’ is definitely not enough. Manufacturers and restaurants should be developing tasty but healthy options for people living with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, etc. But we do not see such developments even in the for-profit sector. It is not clear why this is so. It might be that the market has not caught on yet (try finding non-dairy milk options in mainstream shops) as such options do exist in other countries. Or is the market not thought to be discerning or large enough? Given the millions of people we are dealing with, I think that things are likely to change in the near future. But the near future might not be near enough for many. Much of Pakistan’s disease burden is preventable and manageable — right from the time a child is born (breastfeeding awareness and support) all the way to adulthood (heart disease, diabetes, etc). The for-profit healthcare sector and food industry are benefiting monetarily from curative services — although there are many services that are not being provided — and have no incentive to invest in awareness and preventive programmes. But the responsibility of large awareness and prevention programmes lies with the state. Sadly, the state is more focused on the curative rather than the preventive aspect of healthcare services. The writer is a senior research fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives and an associate professor of economics at Lums. Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026
The concerns emerged following a meeting of the rebel legislature bloc led by Ritabrata Banerjee, who was recently recognised as the Leader of Opposition.
ISLAMABAD: More than five years after the passage of a landmark child protection law, key provisions of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Act, 2020 — including the agency meant to issue rapid alerts for missing children — remain unimplemented, the Islamabad High Court was told on Thursday. During the hearing of a writ petition filed by Sanila Khurram against the Federation of Pakistan and others, the court took notice of data submitted by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, according to which 562 criminal cases relating to missing children and child abuse were registered in the federal capital between 2022 and 2025. The court noted that the Zainab Alert Act was enacted to protect children’s rights, including the right to life and protection from violence, abuse, neglect, abduction and exploitation, in line with Pakistan’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir observed that a careful reading of the preamble of the act showed the law’s clear intent, yet its enforcement remained elusive. The Act envisages the establishment of the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Agency under Section 3, with its powers and functions enumerated in Section 5. The court directed the Ministry of Human Rights to submit a comprehensive report addressing at least 11 specific areas of concern. These include whether the agency has been established; what standard operating procedures or rules exist for issuing alerts; what technological framework has been developed for the Zainab Alert Act database; whether real-time information is being shared by law enforcement agencies; what penal action has been taken against delinquent officials under Section 9; and whether rules have been framed under Section 18 of the Act. Sources indicated that the rules have still not been notified. The court also sought details on legal aid mechanisms for victims, the constitution of the ICT Child Protection Advisory Board and the integration of the Zainab Alert Act database with the ICT Police. The court demanded a centralised record of cases tried under the act, including the number of cases referred for prosecution, pending trial and concluded, as well as the average time taken for trial, particularly whether trials concluded within the period stipulated under Section 15 of the Act. The Ministry of Human Rights was directed to send an officer well conversant with the facts, while the director general of the authority — if such an authority exists in operation — was ordered to appear in person before the court. The ICT Police was also directed to submit its response. Justice Tahir adjourned the case until July 1, 2026. Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026
WORLD Environment Day arrives as the planet edges deeper into climatic uncertainty. New global temperature records are being set with unsettling frequency, and the World Meteorological Organisation has warned that the years from 2026 to 2030 are likely to rank among the hottest ever observed. There is a strong possibility that another record-breaking year will emerge before the decade is out, while average global temperatures are expected to remain close to or above the 1.5°C threshold that governments once hoped would help avert the worst impacts of climate change. The warning may be global, but its implications are intensely local. In May, temperatures in parts of Sindh and Balochistan climbed towards 50°C, triggering heatwave alerts and heightening concerns about pressure on already strained power, water and health systems. At the same time, scientists continue to raise the alarm about the glaciers and snow reserves that feed the Indus basin. For a country whose agriculture, food security and energy production depend heavily on the Indus basin, changes in the region’s ice reserves carry consequences that extend far beyond the mountains. Pakistan knows all too well the consequences of environmental neglect. The catastrophic floods of 2022 inundated vast areas, displaced millions and inflicted losses running into billions of dollars. Yet, despite repeated reminders of the country’s vulnerability, environmental protection continues to occupy a peripheral place in policymaking. Climate adaptation efforts move slowly, urban expansion often proceeds with little regard for sustainability, forests remain under pressure and air pollution continues to burden public health. Shrinking green spaces leave cities increasingly exposed to extreme heat, while weak enforcement of environmental regulations allows ecological degradation to continue largely unchecked. Pakistan is right to remind the world that it contributes only a tiny fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions and deserves greater international support. But that argument carries weight only if it is matched by seriousness at home. Fragmented planning, weak implementation and chronic underinvestment have left the country less prepared than it should be. World Environment Day is often marked by pledges, ceremonies and symbolic gestures. This year, it should prompt something more. As the federal budget approaches, the government has an opportunity to demonstrate that climate resilience is finally being treated as a national priority. Adequate resources must be allocated for adaptation measures, disaster preparedness, water conservation, ecosystem restoration and more livable, heat-resilient cities. Just as importantly, climate considerations must be embedded across development planning rather than confined to a handful of environmental programmes. Pakistan has received ample warning of what lies ahead. The upcoming budget should show that the state understands the scale of the challenge and is prepared to invest accordingly. Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026