Argentina orders 61 Brazilians arrested over 2023 Brasilia coup attempt

World

November 17, 2024

BUENOS AIRES (AFP) – Argentina’s justice system has ordered the arrest of 61 Brazilians in the country who are facing prison sentences at home related to last year’s coup attempt in Brasilia, a judicial source told AFP.

The order, issued by Judge Daniel Rafecas, was requested by Brazil’s Supreme Court to round up the Brazilian nationals in Argentina who are subject to an extradition request and have been sentenced to prison terms, the source said.

Brazilian police have arrested hundreds of suspects in the January 2023 attack by thousands of supporters of former far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro on the country’s presidential palace, Congress and the Supreme Court.

Claiming electoral fraud, they demanded the armed forces intervene to depose newly elected left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Brazil announced on June 10 that it had requested Argentina’s help in locating more than 140 fugitives linked to the assault.

“Two people have already been arrested,” the judicial source said on Friday. “Wherever they are identified or located in Argentina, they will be arrested and turned over to judicial authorities to begin the extradition process.”

Extradition decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court. Once that process plays out, the matter passes to the executive branch, which can accept the extradition, grant refugee status, or take other recourse, thereby avoiding extradition. However in October, Argentina amended its refugee law so that people accused or convicted of crimes in their native countries would no longer be eligible.

Argentine President Javier Milei has meanwhile distanced himself from Lula, expressing favour for strongman Bolsonaro, whose supporters carried out the attacks.

The first suspect to be arrested in Argentina was Joelton Gusmao de Oliveira, a 47-year-old man sentenced in absentia in Brazil in February to 17 years in prison.

US airline says plane hit by gunfire on Dallas runway

World

November 17, 2024

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Southwest Airlines said one of its planes was apparently hit by gunfire while preparing for takeoff at an airport in the United States (US) city of Dallas.

The plane “taxied safely back to the terminal at Dallas Love Field after a bullet apparently struck the right side of the aircraft just under the flight deck”, the airline said in a statement.

The incident happened as the crew was preparing for takeoff, it said. No one was injured and the plane has been removed from service, the airline added. The incident happened at around 8.30pm on Friday (0230GMT yesterday), with the flight headed from Dallas, Texas to Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Southwest Airlines flight was taxiing for takeoff when it was “reportedly struck by gunfire near the cockpit”.

The plane returned to the gate where passengers disembarked the Boeing 737-800, it added.

Preschooler sets record naming 47 dialling codes in 60 seconds

Southeast Asia

November 17, 2024

Aaryn Eliseus Ng earned a Malaysia Book of Records title for identifying the most international dialling codes in 60 seconds. PHOTO: ERICA NG JOE YIN

ANN/THE STAR – Two years ago, at just 24 months old, Aaryn Eliseus Ng was thought to have a speech delay. Today, at three years and 11 months, the preschooler from Malaysia has secured her place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) for the ‘Most International Dialling Codes Identified by a Child in One Minute’.

Aaryn successfully identified the country calling codes of 47 countries in under 60 seconds.

Her mother, Erica Ng Joe Yin, 35, expressed her excitement and pride over her daughter’s remarkable accomplishment.

“I’m incredibly proud of Aaryn for achieving this record. It’s an unexpected milestone, and I’m glad to see her potential shine through despite her challenges with articulation,” said Ng in a recent phone interview.

Country dialling codes, also known as international or country calling codes, are numerical prefixes that connect calls to different nations. Each country has its own unique code, which is dialled before the local phone number when making an international call. For instance, Malaysia’s code is +60, while Britain’s is +44. These codes ensure calls are accurately routed to their respective destinations.

Last year, Aaryn’s twin sibling Aavyn Eliseus Ng earned a place in the MBR for recognising 40 flags within 60 seconds. The young boy was two years and four months when he was first exposed to the Malaysian flag, followed by India’s national flag. Five months later, he secured the record. “I am equally proud that both my twins now hold an MBR,” the businesswoman shared proudly.

Aaryn developed an interest in country codes when Ng trained Aavyn to recognise flags on flash cards last year. Back then, Aaryn did not speak much.

“Early this year, Aaryn began to develop better communication skills. Two months ago, she suddenly pointed at a flag and named it.

“I tested her with all the flags, and to my surprise, she knew them all. I could not believe she could read, so I gave her a book that same night, and I found out she knew how to read words.

“That was when I decided to challenge her with country codes by writing them next to the country names. I then transferred the codes to the iPad and practised with her. Surprisingly, she managed to name them without looking at the country names.”

Two weeks prior to the MBR attempt, Aaryn had practised memorising flags three times a day, about five minutes each time, Ng explained.

“I didn’t provide much formal training since Aaryn secretly learned alongside her brother. I only had her sit beside her brother when I introduced him to flags last year and read them storybooks at night. That’s all.

“In fact, she was the one who led me to discover her talent, which encouraged me to introduce more things to her, including country codes.

“Credit should be given wholly to her for being eager to learn whenever I introduced something new. I learned a lot from and through her as well.”

Ng added that the MBR officials initially tested her daughter using a computer screen, but she was not used to it, so they switched to the iPad, and she nailed it.

Ng believes that early intervention is crucial for children with speech delays. Addressing the issue at an early age can significantly reduce long-term challenges and improve their ability to communicate effectively.

“As a parent, you have to trust the process, even when things feel uncertain.”

MACC freezes 30 Maple funds owned by FashionValet founders

Southeast Asia

November 17, 2024

A FashionValet outlet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PHOTO: THE STAR

ANN/THE STAR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has frozen funds belonging to 30 Maple Sdn Bhd in its investigation into e-commerce platform FashionValet.

The company is also owned by Datin Vivy Yusof and Datuk Fadzaruddin Shah Anuar, the FashionValet founders.

MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said investigations into the MYR43.9million losses suffered by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd were ongoing.

“In addition to confiscating FashionValet’s account, we have also frozen 30 Maple’s account.

“The investigation is ongoing and will be completed within two weeks,” Sinar Harian reported Azam as saying during a press conference yesterday at an event in conjunction with MACC’s 57th anniversary celebrations.

He also said investigating officers have been told to speed up their probe in the FashionValet case.

“So far a total of 14 witnesses have had their statements recorded, with four more to be called.

“After that, everything is expected to be completed and (the papers) will be submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor,” he said.

Myanmar airstrikes indiscriminately target civilians, says rights group

Southeast Asia

November 17, 2024

Debris of a school building destroyed by an army airstrike in Bilin township in Mon state, Myanmar. PHOTO: AP

AP – Myanmar’s military has consistently targeted civilians and their communities as a form of collective punishment in the country’s southeast since the army seized power in early 2021, a rights group said in a report.

Documented airstrikes on villages examined by researchers from the Karen Human Rights Group based in Myanmar’s southeast, are emblematic of a broader assault on civilians across the war-torn nation, said the Bangkok-based chief of the Myanmar team of the United Nation’s (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights James Rodehaver, He spoke in an online panel discussion accompanying the release of the new report.

Military officials were not immediately available for comment on the report, but in the past has said it attacks only legitimate targets of war, accusing the resistance forces of being terrorists.

Myanmar is racked by violence that began when the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and brutally suppressed nonviolent protests. That triggered armed resistance and combat in many parts of the country, with the military increasingly using airstrikes to counter the opposition and secure territory.

The army is on the defensive against ethnic militias in much of the country as well as hundreds of armed guerrilla groups collectively called the People’s Defense Forces, formed to fight to restore democracy.

Rights organisations and UN investigators have found evidence that security forces indiscriminately and disproportionately target civilians with bombs, mass executions of people detained during operations and large-scale burning of civilian houses.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which tallies political arrests and attacks, at least 540 people, including 109 children, have been killed by the army’s airstrikes across the country between January and October this year.

The Karen Human Rights Group identified 227 airstrikes on villages, schools and medical facilities in seven districts in the country’s southeast where guerrilla fighters from the main ethnic Karen fighting force have battled the military.

A self-proclaimed Karen state there also includes towns in the nearby region of Bago, the southern Mon state and Tanintharyi region.

Ringgit to see tight trading amid cautious mode

Business

November 17, 2024

BERNAMA – The ringgit is expected to trade within a tight range next week following the US dollar’s recent rally amid anticipation of slower United States (US) interest rate cuts, according to Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd Chief Economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid.

He said the local currency is likely to hover between 4.45 and 4.46 against the greenback in the upcoming week, while investors remain wary of the global economic outlook.

“The currency market will continue to remain in cautious mode as the uncertainties surrounding the US economic policies increase,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, on the home front, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said the ringgit appreciated by 14.9 per cent against the US dollar in the third quarter of 2024 (3Q 2024) and 3.1 per cent year to date as at November 13.

Speaking at a press conference, he said the ringgit’s performance in Q3 was mainly driven by the US Federal Reserve’s shift towards a monetary policy easing, including the cumulative 75-basis points federal funds rate cut in September and November. At the same time, BNM also announced that the Malaysian economy expanded by 5.3 per cent in Q3 2024, driven by strong investment activities and continued improvement in exports.

For the week just ended, the ringgit was traded mostly lower against the US dollar amid upside momentum following improved sentiment towards the greenback.

On a Friday-to-Friday basis, the ringgit depreciated against the US dollar to 4.4715/4780 from 4.3800/3850 a week ago.

It also traded mostly lower against other major currencies.

The local note eased versus the euro, closing at 4.7224/7292 against 4.7212/7266 a week earlier and declining vis-a-vis the Japanese yen to 2.8774/8818 from 2.8763/8798.

However, it strengthened against the British pound to 5.6573/6656 versus 5.6765/6830 previously.

Meanwhile, the ringgit was traded mostly lower against ASEAN currencies. It slid versus the Philippines’ peso to 7.61/7.63 from 7.51/7.53 at the end of last week, slipped against the Singapore dollar to 3.3330/3381 from 3.3149/3190 on Friday last week and went down vis-a-vis the Indonesian rupiah to 281.6/282.2 compared to 279.4/279.9 previously.

However, the local note appreciated against the Thai baht to 12.8307/8541 versus 12.8710/8925 previously.

Philippines vehicle sales rise 1.2pc in October, slowest in 2024

Business

November 17, 2024

ANN/INQUIRER.NET – Automotive sales in the Philippines saw their slowest growth of the year in October, rising by just 1.2 per cent, according to data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc (Campi) and the Truck Manufacturers Association.

Vehicle sales for the month reached 40,003 units, a slight increase from 39,542 units in September. Despite the slowdown, Campi President Rommel Gutierrez expressed optimism, noting the sector’s modest growth amid challenges from recent storms impacting businesses.

“The increase can be attributed to good sales and good stock availability, neutralising the effect of Severe Tropical Storm ‘Kristine’ on the operations of dealers nationwide last month,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Commercial vehicles continued to dominate the market with 29,959 units sold in October, while light commercial vehicles came second with 21,813 units.

Passenger car and Asian utility vehicle segments followed with 10,044 and 7,089 sold units, respectively.

The October number brought total sales at the end of 10 months to 384,310 units, nine per cent higher than the 352,971 units logged in the same period last year. Commercial vehicles and light commercial vehicles remained the growth drivers, based on the joint report.

GM cuts 1,000 jobs to reduce costs in auto market

Business

November 17, 2024

GMC Hummer at the General Motors Factory ZERO electric vehicle assembly plant in Michigan, United States. PHOTO: AFP

AP – General Motors (GM) is laying off about 1,000 workers worldwide, shedding costs as it tries to compete in a crowded global automobile market.

The workers, mostly white collar, were notified about the decisions early Friday. The company confirmed the layoffs in a statement but gave few details.

“We need to optimise for speed and excellence,” the statement said. “This includes operating with efficiency, ensuring we have the right team structure and focusing on our top priorities.”

GM and other automakers have been navigating an uncertain transition to electric vehicles both in the United States (US) and worldwide, trying to figure out where to invest capital and how fast the switch will happen. The company has had to develop and update gas-powered models while investing in electric vehicle (EV) battery and assembly plants as well as minerals and other parts for the next generation of EV.

Through September, US new EV sales are up 7.2 per cent to about 936,000, according to Motorintelligence.com.

That’s slower growth than the 47 per cent increase in 2023.

But EV sales this year are likely to surpass last year’s record of 1.19 million, and the EV share of new vehicle sales this year is 7.9 per cent, up from 7.6 per cent last year.

GM has about 150,000 employees worldwide, with the largest group at its technical centre in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan. The company had 76,000 white-collar workers worldwide at the end of last year.

Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson said last month that GM is on track to reach its goal of cutting USD2 billion in fixed costs by the end of this year.

Last April, about 5,000 GM white-collar workers at GM took the company’s buyout offers, which the automaker said at the time was enough to avoid layoffs.

The company offered buyouts to white-collar workers with at least five years of service, and global executives who have been with the company at least two years.

At the time GM said it couldn’t completely rule out layoffs in the future, saying that “involuntary separations are not a consideration at this point”.

Moody’s downgrades Mexican government’s debt outlook to ‘negative’

Business

November 17, 2024

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. PHOTO: AP

AP – Mexico’s president lashed out at Moody’s ratings service, after it downgraded the Mexican government’s debt outlook to “negative”.

Moody’s said it had downgraded the government’s debt outlook from “stable” to “negative” because newly approved laws in Mexico could weaken the judiciary branch and checks and balances. It reaffirmed Mexico’s Baa2 overall credit rating, but said increased government debt represented a risk for Mexico.

It also mentioned the possibility that the government will have to transfer more money to shore up the highly indebted state-owned oil company, Pemex.

“Deteriorating debt affordability and further government spending rigidity make fiscal consolidation challenging, following this year’s widening in the government deficit,” Moody’s wrote, “a deviation from a longstanding track record of low deficits regardless of economic pressures”.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said that ratings agencies often have a “bias of origin” against the economic policies her party adopted under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who took office on December 1, 2018.

“Many times these ratings agencies are aimed at issuing evaluations starting from an economic model,” Sheinbaum said.

“Starting in 2018, the economic model in our country changed. Many times these ratings have this bias of origin.”

Under López Obrador, who was Sheinbaum’s political mentor, the government began transferring large amounts of money to the state-run oil company, started large building projects and implemented cash handout programmes.

That led to federal budget deficits of about six per cent of Mexico’s gross domestic product in 2024. Sheinbaum ruled out enacting new taxes next year and said she would rely on increasing tax collection from existing sources. But in the 2025 federal budget submitted by her administration to Congress on Friday, it was clear that sizable budget deficits would continue for some time.

Mexico’s treasury department said it would aim to reduce the deficit to 3.9 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2025, but it was unclear if it could achieve that: López Obrador left behind a lot of unfinished train and oil refinery projects, and Sheinbaum has expanded benefit programmes for the elderly. “The government will only gradually narrow the deficit in coming years,” Moody’s wrote.

The 2025 budget said Mexico’s outstanding federal debts would finish 2025 at around 51.4 per cent of GDP. But that doesn’t include a lot of government oil company and pensions debts. It also predicted the economy would grow by between two and three per cent in 2025, something analysts say is optimistic, given that Mexico’s GDP grew by only 1.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2024.

The government is also expecting the exchange rate to improve to MXN18.70 to USD1 and inflation to fall to 3.5 per cent, both of which also seem highly optimistic.

The Mexican peso has dropped in value to about 20.40 to USD1 in recent days.

The election of Donald Trump in the United States (US) may also weigh on Mexico’s economy, given his past threats to close the border and impose tariffs.

Moody’s said Mexico has been benefitting from “nearshoring” investments by companies seeking to move production closer to the US market. But it noted “additional downside risks to investment dynamics could emerge ahead of the revision of US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in 2026, particularly if modifications to the agreement’s rule of origins, labour specifications and other US trade policies towards Mexico changed in a way that durably limit the country’s exports”.

“Lower economic growth and, consequently, government revenue would undermine fiscal consolidation efforts,” it continued.

Perhaps most importantly, Sheinbaum has continued López Obrador’s push to implement changes to the judiciary that will make all federal judges stand for election in 2025 and 2026.

US finalises up to USD6.6B funding for chip giant TSMC

Business

November 17, 2024

AFP – The United States (US) will award chip giant TSMC up to USD6.6 billion in direct funding to help build several plants on US soil, officials said, finalising the deal before Donald Trump’s administration enters the White House.

“Today’s final agreement with TSMC – the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductors – will spur USD65 billion of private investment to build three state-of-the-art facilities in Arizona,” said President Joe Biden in a statement.

The Biden administration’s announcement comes around two months before President-elect Trump takes office.

Trump recently criticised the CHIPS Act, a major law passed during Biden’s tenure aimed at strengthening the US semiconductor industry and reducing the country’s reliance on Asian suppliers.

While the US government has unveiled over USD36 billion in grants through this act, including the award to TSMC, much of the funds remain in the due diligence phase and have not been disbursed.

But once a deal is finalised, funds can start flowing to companies that have hit certain milestones.

TSMC is the second company after Polar Semiconductor to finalise its agreement.

“Currently, the US does not make on our shores any leading-edge chips, and this is the first time ever that we’ll be able to say we will be making these leading-edge chips in the US,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters.

“I want to remind everyone that these are the chips that run artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

“These are the chips that are in sophisticated military equipment,” Raimondo added.

Making these chips in the US, she noted, helps address a national security liability.

Borneo Bulletin OnlineThe Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak

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