Malaysian PM Najib Razak announces dissolution of parliament for tough election

Agencies

April 6, 2018

Kuala Lumpur, Apr 6: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak Friday announced the dissolution of parliament for a general election that will pose one of the sternest-ever tests for his ruling coalition, due to a massive financial scandal and a challenge from former leader Mahathir Mohamad.

After laying out the Barisan Nasional coalition's recent achievements in a 25-minute speech on state television, Najib announced that parliament would be dissolved Saturday to pave the way for the hotly-anticipated poll.

"We have delivered and we will continue to deliver," he said. "I seek your mandate for Barisan Nasional to rule for another five years."

Following the dissolution, the election commission will announce the date for the polls in the coming days.

The coalition has been in power since independence from Britain in 1957 but its support has been dropping in recent years. A scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB that captured global headlines has added to its problems.

Billions of dollars were allegedly looted from the fund in an audacious campaign of fraud and money-laundering which is being investigated in several countries, and it is claimed that large sums ended up the personal bank accounts of Najib.

The leader and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the main coalition party, has clung on to power by pushing policies that favour the Muslim Malay majority. It was already struggling after losing the popular vote in the 2013 election for the first time in history.

Voters had become increasingly disillusioned over recurring graft scandals, divisive racial politics in the country which is home to substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, and the rising cost of living.

Despite the problems, the 64-year-leader is tipped to win another five-year term at the head of the coalition after weathering the 1MDB scandal, sacking critics inside government and launching a crackdown that has seen opponents arrested.

Najib has also been helped by an improving economic picture in recent times, and has been seeking to ensure victory by announcing generous handouts to low-income groups, civil servants and farmers.

His government stoked further criticism last week by pushing a controversial redrawing of the electoral map through parliament which critics say will tilt the poll in Najib's favour. MPs also passed a law banning "fake news" that could see offenders jailed, which some fear could be used to crack down on dissent.

Mahathir upends race

Victory is however less certain due to the comeback of Mahathir, 92, who has turned on his former protege Najib over the 1MDB scandal.

In a stunning political volte-face, he was named the prime ministerial candidate in the opposition coalition Pact of Hope, which is filled with parties he crushed during his 22 years in power.

Mahathir has long championed the Malay cause and the opposition hopes he can win over Muslim voters disillusioned with BN, to add to their support base of urban voters and ethnic minorities, particularly the Chinese.

The ex-leader's political rebirth has raised eyebrows, however, particularly his reconciliation with former nemesis Anwar, a key leader in the opposition.

Anwar was heir apparent to Mahathir until the premier sacked him in 1998 over political differences, and he was then jailed on charges of sodomy and abuse of power. He was jailed again in 2015 on charges his supporters say are trumped up.

While 1MDB has captured global headlines, key issues in the Malay heartland in the country of 32 million people are rising living costs and the economy.

The government lost a vital two-thirds parliamentary majority, needed to amend the constitution, in the 222-seat parliament at the 2008 election and is hoping to win it back. Some 14.9 million people are registered to vote.

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Powerful solar storm hits earth; will it disrupt communication, power grids?

News Network

May 11,2024

Washington, May 11: The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth on Friday, triggering spectacular celestial light shows from Tasmania to Britain -- and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids as it persists into the weekend.

The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) -- expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun -- came just after 1600 GMT, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center.

It was later upgraded to an "extreme" geomagnetic storm -- the first since the "Halloween Storms" of October 2003 caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa. More CMEs are expected to pummel the planet in the coming days.

Social media lit up with people posting pictures of auroras from northern Europe and Australasia.

"We've just woken the kids to go watch the Northern Lights in the back garden! Clearly visible with the naked eye," Iain Mansfield in Hertford, England, told AFP.

That sense of wonder was shared in Australia's island state of Tasmania.

"Absolutely biblical skies in Tasmania at 4 am this morning. I'm leaving today and knew I could not pass up this opportunity," photographer Sean O' Riordan posted on social media platform X alongside a photo.

Authorities notified satellite operators, airlines, and the power grid to take precautionary steps for potential disruptions caused by changes to Earth's magnetic field.

Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite internet operator has some 5,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, described the solar storm as the "biggest in a long time."

"Starlink satellites are under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far," Musk posted on his X platform.

Unlike solar flares, which travel at the speed of light and reach Earth in around eight minutes, CMEs travel at a more sedate pace, with officials putting the current average at 800 kilometers (500 miles) per second.

The CMEs emanated from a massive sunspot cluster that is 17 times wider than our planet. The Sun is approaching the peak of an 11-year cycle that brings heightened activity.

'Go outside tonight and look'

Mathew Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, told AFP that how far the effects would be felt over the planet's northern and southern latitudes would depend on the storm's final strength.

"Go outside tonight and look would be my advice because if you see the aurora, it's quite a spectacular thing," he said. People with eclipse glasses can also look for the sunspot cluster during the day.

In the United States, this could include places such as Northern California and Alabama, officials said.

NOAA's Brent Gordon encouraged the public to try to capture the night sky with phone cameras even if they couldn't see auroras with their naked eyes.

"Just go out your back door and take a picture with the newer cell phones and you'd be amazed at what you see in that picture versus what you see with your eyes."

Spacecraft and pigeons

Fluctuating magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic storms induce currents in long wires, including power lines, which can potentially lead to blackouts. Long pipelines can also become electrified, leading to engineering problems.

Spacecraft are also at risk from high doses of radiation, although the atmosphere prevents this from reaching Earth.

NASA has a dedicated team looking into astronaut safety and can ask astronauts on the International Space Station to move to places within the outpost that are better shielded.

Following one particularly strong flare peak, the US Space Weather Prediction Center said users of high-frequency radio signals "may experience temporary degradation or complete loss of signal on much of the sunlit side of Earth."

Even pigeons and other species that have internal biological compasses could also be affected. Pigeon handlers have noted a reduction in birds coming home during geomagnetic storms, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Officials said people should have the normal backup plans in place for power outages, such as having flashlights, batteries, and radios at hand.

The most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history, known as the Carrington Event after British astronomer Richard Carrington, occurred in September 1859.

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