Malaysia to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations as new infections surge

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is planning to set up more mega vaccination centers and get private doctors to join immunization efforts, after five consecutive days of record daily coronavirus infections.

Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told a virtual news briefing on Sunday that the government will set up another five mega vaccination centers around the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and are considering two in the northern state of Penang and in the southern state of Johor.

The government will also train general practitioners to administer COVID-19 vaccines, he said, noting some vaccines need to be handled and stored differently than usual vaccines.

"Before this, there was no need (to involve the private healthcare sector) because the vaccine supply was not a lot. As the supply increases, we want to facilitate private clinics, (general practitioner) clinics, private hospitals to roll out the vaccines via our program, for free," he said.

The private vaccination centers could administer a total of 40,000 doses a day, he said, adding that the government aims to raise daily vaccinations to 150,000 doses. It has reached 107,000 doses a day this week.

Nearly 6 percent of the country's 32 million people have been vaccinated, according to the website of the governmental Special Committee for Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Supply.

Khairy said the government is also looking to allow drive-through vaccination centers in the country, after guidelines are firmed up.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Friday announced a nationwide total lockdown from June 1-14 in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

Malaysia reported 6,999 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total infections in the country to 565,533.

New cases and deaths rose to records on Saturday.

(Reporting by Liz Lee; Editing by Kim Coghill)

-reuters

US intelligence community acknowledges 2 theories of COVID-19 origin

WASHINGTON—The US intelligence community on Thursday acknowledged its agencies had two theories on where COVID-19 originated, with two agencies believing it emerged naturally from human contact with infected animals and a third embracing a possible laboratory accident as the source of the global pandemic.

"The US Intelligence Community does not know exactly where, when, or how the COVID-19 virus was transmitted initially but has coalesced around two likely scenarios," the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said, adding that the majority believes there is not "sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other."

The ODNI statement did not identify which two of the 17 agencies constituting the U.S. intelligence community believed that the virus had originated with infected animals and which agency believed it originated with a laboratory accident.

In both cases, however, ODNI said the agencies which did lean to one or the other explanation did so with "low or moderate confidence" - which in spy jargon means they believe the evidence supporting their view is far from conclusive.

Officials declined to discuss which agencies had voiced tentative views on the virus' origin, but stressed that a large majority of U.S. agencies believe information is insufficient to determine that one scenario for the virus' origin was more likely than the other. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Mark Hosenball; Editing by Richard Chang)

-reuters

Supermoon shines bright over Christ the Redeemer

The Super Flower Blood Moon shines over the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday. Astronomy enthusiasts on Wednesday were treated to a rare sight as a total lunar eclipse coincided with a super blood moon as in the past 10 years, there have only been 10 total lunar eclipses. 

-reuters

Vietnam expands lockdown measures as COVID-19 infections hit record

HANOI - Vietnam widened lockdown measures in its industrialized north on Tuesday to combat its biggest COVID-19 outbreak so far, as authorities reported a daily record in new cases that was more than double the previous high.

The health ministry announced 457 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the biggest jump since the 190 cases seen on May 16, driven by clusters in factory zones in two northern provinces.

Bac Ninh, home to production facilities of Samsung Electronics, started a curfew and other travel restrictions from Tuesday, state media reported.

That followed the temporary closure of four industrial parks, including three with Foxconn facilities, by authorities in neighboring Bac Giang province.

The outbreak could be a big challenge for Vietnam, which successfully contained earlier, smaller outbreaks and avoided the level of economic damage suffered by many of its neighbours.

Bac Ninh and Bac Giang are the epicenter of the new outbreak that has infected more than 2,800 people since late April, including hundreds of factory workers.

Authorities say the outbreak, which accounts for nearly half of Vietnam's overall cases, has spread to more than 30 of its 63 cities and provinces.

The capital Hanoi on Tuesday shut down restaurants and banned gatherings at public areas, including physical exercises in parks. Hanoi has recorded 220 cases since late April.

Most of cases on Tuesday were at factories in Bac Giang, where authorities said testing had been ramped up and all workers' dormitories put in isolation.

Vietnam has reported at least 5,860 infections in total, with 44 deaths.

It has yet to start mass inoculations against the coronavirus, with about 1 million doses of vaccines administered so far, mainly to frontline workers. 

-reuters

Simone Biles returns to competition with historic vault

LOS ANGELES -- US gymnastics superstar Simone Biles returned to competition with a bang Saturday, completing an historic vault to launch her final run to the Tokyo Olympics.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist, who hadn't competed since winning five golds, including a fifth all-around title, at the 2019 World Championships, delivered on the vault she's been preparing -- a Yurchenko double pike -- at the US Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The vault, featuring a roundoff onto the springboard and back handspring into a piked double backflip, had never before been done in women's competition.

Biles sailed through it with so much power that she over-rotated slightly and stepped back on the landing.

"I was just thinking, do it like training," she said of her mindset as she took off down the runway.

"Don't try to overdo anything, because I have a tendency as soon as I raise my hand to kind of overpower things. I did a little bit, but at least I still was on my feet and it's a new vault."

Posts of Biles completing the vault in practice had set social media sites buzzing. NBA superstar LeBron James had retweeted a video of Biles landing it.

"It's nice to see all the support," Biles said, adding that she was "feeling confident" heading into the US championships June 3-6.

They'll be followed by the US Olympic Trials June 24-27, where the top two finishers will book Tokyo berths, along with two other gymnasts named by USA Gymnastics selectors.

Biles wasn't perfect on Saturday. In addition to her step back on the vault landing she had a bobble on her floor routine and on the asymmetrical bars.

But she won the all-around competition with a score of 58.400, with Jordan Chiles second on 57.100 points and Kayla DiCello third on 56.100.

"I'm just happy to be back out here on the competition floor in an arena with all of the girls, especially after the long year and time off we've had," Biles said.

Agence France-Presse

US Treasury seeks reporting of cryptocurrency transfers

WASHINGTON - The Biden administration's tax enforcement proposal would require that cryptocurrency transfers over $10,000 be reported to the Internal Revenue Service and would more than double the IRS workforce over a decade, the US Treasury said on Thursday.

The plans were part of a Treasury report detailing the Biden Administration's proposal to invest some $80 billion into the US tax agency through 2031 to improve compliance an revenue collections.

"As with cash transactions, businesses that receive cryptoassets with a fair market value of more than $10,000 would also be reported on," the Treasury said in the report, which noted that these assets, are likely to grow in importance over the next decade as a part of business income.

Cryptocurrency assets currently have a market capitalization of about $2 trillion.

The Treasury disclosure blunted a rally in the dollar value of bitcoin on Thursday - to a 6% gain from an earlier 10% rise. The gains came a day after bitcoin fell as much as 30% and number two digital currency ether fell 45%.

The Treasury's report said the proposed IRS investments would add a total of more than 86,000 full-time equivalent employees to the agency's ranks over the next decade, reversing a long-term decline and more than doubling the 2019 IRS workforce of 73,554 full-time equivalent positions.

It said the investment plan would allow for the hiring of least 5,000 additional enforcement personnel over the decade.

SHRINK THE GAP

The Treasury said its proposal would shrink by about 10% the "tax gap" that it estimates at about $7 trillion or 3% of US economic output over the next decade, raising some $700 billion in a "conservative" estimate.

The tax gap - the difference between taxes legally owed and those collected by the IRS - was estimated at $584 billion in 2019, according to the policy paper.

By the second decade, it estimated that the investments would yield $1.6 trillion in additional revenue, as revenue agents hired in prior years gain experience in dealing with highly complex tax returns filed by wealthy individuals.

The IRS investment plan also would replace the Treasury's 1960s-era computer architecture with new machine-learning-capable systems that will be better able to detect suspect tax returns. IRS is the only federal agency with computers that run on the antiquated Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) system, Treasury said. 

-reuters

Japan Q1 GDP shrinks 1.3 percent, hit by virus restrictions

TOKYO - Japan's economy contracted 1.3 percent in the three months to March after the government reimposed virus restrictions in major cities as infections surged, data showed Tuesday.

The quarter-on-quarter fall came after the world's third-largest economy grew for two quarters to December, but the expansion was stopped in its tracks by a winter increase in coronavirus cases.

The government imposed new virus states of emergency in January in response, urging people to stay at home and calling for restaurants to close earlier.

The measures slowed consumption, hitting growth despite the relative strength of the manufacturing sector.

The 1.3 percent contraction was largely in line with economist expectations.

"Personal consumption has been particularly hard hit by the Covid-19 emergency measures," Naoya Oshikubo, senior economist at SuMi TRUST, said in an analysis issued before the release of the official data.

"On a positive note, private capital investment is expected to continue to pick up as the manufacturing industry as a whole remains strong," Oshikubo said.

Economists warn that the slowdown is likely to continue, with the government forced to impose a third state of emergency in several parts of the country -- including economic engines Tokyo and Osaka -- earlier this month.

The emergency measures are tougher than in the past, and have been extended to the end of May and expanded to several other regions in recent days.

Further complicating the growth picture is Japan's comparatively slow vaccine rollout, said Marcel Thieliant, senior Japan economist at Capital Economics.

"With the medical situation still worsening and the vaccine rollout too slow, it will take until the end of the year for output to return to pre-virus levels," he said in a note.

Agence France-Presse

Sex workers back in business as Dutch COVID-19 curbs ease

AMSTERDAM - Sex workers will go back to work in the Netherlands this week under an easing of COVID-19 curbs, health minister Hugo de Jonge said on Monday.

Authorities will also let parks, zoos, gyms and outdoor swimming pools reopen on Wednesday, after the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations eased pressure on hospitals, the minister told reporters.

Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands, but the government barred it in mid-December under restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Sex workers protested in Amsterdam in March, saying they were being discriminated against as the authorities allowed other "contact businesses" including hairdressers and masseurs to reopen.

During the lockdown, the government offered limited financial support to sex workers who had a valid working contract and could prove that the pandemic had cost them at least 20% of their revenue.

De Jonge said vaccination and infection levels had now reached a point where the government could go ahead with plans for a measured easing of restrictions.

Public libraries will reopen on Thursday and further steps, including reopening museums and allowing indoor service at restaurants, are expected in the next three weeks, he added.

"This a responsible step at this moment, but we have to stay very careful", De Jonge told reporters, referring to the broader relaxation.

"We see a significant contribution from vaccinations. But we're not there yet," he added.

Coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have dropped by more than a quarter this month, after climbing to their highest levels of the year in April.

This has cut the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals by more than 10% in the past week, as new admissions fell more than 20%.

Since the start of the pandemic, around 1.6 million coronavirus infections have been confirmed in the country of 17 million people, with more than 20,000 deaths.

-reuters

Bars in Taiwan's capital to close as COVID-19 infections spread

TAIPEI - Taiwan reported a record rise in domestic COVID-19 cases on Friday with 29 new cases and will close bars and nightclubs in the capital, Taipei, as community transmissions in part of city spread.

While Taiwan has reported just 1,291 cases, mostly imported from abroad, out of a population of some 24 million, a recent small rise in domestic infections has spooked residents and the stock market.

Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told a news conference that of the 29 new domestic infections many were connected with an outbreak in Taipei's Wanhua district, a mix of old temples, trendy shops and hostess bars.

Chen called on people who think they may have had contact with infected patients to go to rapid testing stations the government is setting up around Wanhua.

"The sooner testing happens, the sooner the chain of transmission can be broken," he added.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said that bars, nightclubs, saunas and karaoke halls would close from Saturday.

The presidential office said a member of staff was in quarantine after meeting family members who had eaten with someone who later tested positive, but added that President Tsai Ing-wen had not had contact with the person and was in good health.

The cluster of infections has been linked by DNA sequencing to an earlier outbreak at an airport hotel and pilots at Taiwan's largest carrier, China Airlines Ltd.

Premier Su Tseng-chang, writing on his Facebook page, said there was no need to raise the island's COVID-19 alert level for the time being.

Comments by Chen on Wednesday that the alert level could soon be raised, which would potentially close all non-essential businesses, prompted a steep fall on the stock market, and officials have since downplayed the chances of that happening.

Taiwan has never gone into full lockdown. 

-reuters

Israeli troops mass at Gaza border amid rocket fire

GAZA/JERUSALEM - Israeli troops massed at Gaza's border on Thursday and Palestinian militants pounded Israel with rockets in intense hostilities that have caused international concern and touched off clashes between Jews and Arabs in Israel.

Days of violence between Jewish Israelis and the country's Arab minority worsened overnight, with synagogues attacked and fighting breaking out on the streets of some communities.

With concern growing that the violence that flared on Monday could spiral out of control, the United States is sending an envoy, Hady Amr, to the region. But efforts to end the worst hostilities in years appear so far to have made no progress.

In renewed air strikes on Gaza, Israel struck a six-storey residential building in Gaza City that it said belonged to Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Palestinian enclave.

At least 83 people have been killed in Gaza since violence escalated on Monday, medics said, further straining hospitals already under heavy pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are facing Israel and Covid-19. We are in between two enemies," said Asad Karam, 20, a construction worker, standing beside a road damaged during the air strikes. An electricity pole had collapsed by the road, its wires severed.

In the latest Palestinian rocket attacks, one rocket crashed into a building near Israel's commercial capital of Tel Aviv, injuring five Israelis, police said. Sirens blared in cities across southern Israel, sending thousands running for shelters.

Seven people have been killed in Israel, its military said.

"All of Israel is under attack. It's a very scary situation to be in," said Margo Aronovic, a 26-year-old student, in Tel Aviv.

Israel has prepared combat troops along the Gaza border and was in "various stages of preparing ground operations", a military spokesman said, a move that would recall similar incursions during Israel-Gaza wars in 2014 and 2008-2009.

Health authorities in Gaza said they were investigating the deaths of several people overnight who they said may have inhaled poisonous gas. Samples were being examined and they had yet to draw any final conclusions, they said.

U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped fighting "will be closing down sooner than later". A British minister urged Israel and Hamas to "take a step back" from the escalation.

'OPEN-ENDED' CONFRONTATION

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "continue acting to strike at the military capabilities of Hamas" and other Gaza groups. Hamas is regarded as a terrorist group by the United States and Israel.

On Wednesday, Israeli forces killed a senior Hamas commander and bombed several buildings, including high-rises and a bank, which Israel said was linked to the faction's activities.

Hamas signalled defiance, with its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, saying: "The confrontation with the enemy is open-ended."

Israel launched its offensive after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in retaliation for Israeli police clashes with Palestinians near al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Turkey, whose hosting of Hamas leaders in Istanbul in recent years has contributed to a falling out with Israel, called on Muslim countries to show a united and clear stance over the Israel-Gaza violence.

In the fighting inside Israel, where some in the 21% Arab minority have mounted violent pro-Palestinian protests, attacks by Jews on Arabs passing by in ethnically mixed areas have worsened.

One person was in critical condition after being shot by Arabs in the Arab-Jewish town of Lod, where authorities imposed a curfew, police said.

Over 150 arrests were made overnight in Lod and Arab towns in northern Israel, police said.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called for an end to "this madness".

"We are endangered by rockets that are being launched at our citizens and streets, and we are busying ourselves with a senseless civil war among ourselves," said the president, whose role is largely ceremonial.

FLIGHTS CANCELLED

A number of foreign carriers have cancelled flights to Israel because of the unrest.

The fatalities in Israel include a soldier killed while patrolling the Gaza border and six civilians, including two children and an Indian worker, medical authorities said.

Gaza's health ministry said 17 of the people killed in the enclave were children and seven were women. The Israeli military said some 400 of 1,600 rockets fired by Gaza factions had fallen short, potentially causing some Palestinian civilian casualties.

The conflict has led to the freezing of talks by Netanyahu's opponents on forming a governing coalition to unseat him after Israel's inconclusive March 23 election.

Although the latest problems in Jerusalem were the immediate trigger for hostilities, Palestinians are frustrated by setbacks to their aspirations for an independent state in recent years.

These include Washington's recognition of disputed Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a U.S. plan to end the conflict that they saw as favorable to Israel and settlement building.

-reuters