KUALA LUMPUR: The phase one payments for the Special Covid-19 Aid (BKC) will be made in stages from Sept 6, for the B40 recipients and Sept 9, 2021 for M40 recipients, according to Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. He said the allocation involved RM3.1bil, benefiting 4.4 million households, 1.1 million senior citizens who were single or without partner and 4.5 million single individuals. “The BKC payments are scheduled for September, November and December 2021,” he said while presenting the 66th Implementation and Coordination Unit Between National Agencies (Laksana) report yesterday. “Telecommunication companies will offer additional benefits, especially additional free data worth RM1.5bil, and this brings the total benefit of the Prihatin Network Programme to RM3.5bil,” he said. “As of Aug 20, subsidies worth RM412.6mil had been successfully utilised by 3.1 million BPR recipients,” he added.

PETALING JAYA: Some 10 million Malaysians will begin receiving their Covid-19 Special Assistance from Sept 6, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. He said the special aid payments would be credited to the accounts of recipients under the first phase beginning Sept 6 and would be fully disbursed by Sept 10. The special aid is an initiative under the Pakej Perlindungan Rakyat dan Pemulihan Ekonomi (Pemulih), which was announced by the government in January. The second and third phases of the special aid payments would be in November and December. The Prime Minister’s Office in a statement on Monday said that Ismail Sabri was undergoing self-quarantine from Monday after being in close contact with a Covid-19 patient.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Kashmir veteran separatist politician Syed Ali Shah Geelani died on Wednesday night in Srinagar, prompting authorities to deploy troops around the city and shut down the internet as a precautionary measure, police said. "Troops are being deployed at sensitive places in Srinagar and other major towns and no vehicular movement is being allowed," a police official said. Geelani was the most senior separatist leader in Kashmir. The roads leading to Geelani's residence in Srinagar were sealed, another official said. Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between India and neighbouring Pakistan, which claim the region in full but rule only parts.

Here are five facts about the U.S. EV charging network:CHARGER TYPESEV chargers are classified in three categories: Level 1, Level 2 and DC fast chargers. CHARGING STANDARDSWhile Level 1 and Level 2 charging uses a standard connector that works with all EVs, there is no such standard for fast charging. U.S. EV charging stations per 100,000 people U.S. EV charging stations per 100,000 people https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-INFRASTRUCTURE/EVCHARGING/lbvgnnzbxpq/chart.pngFor a graphic on per-capita charging stations, click here: https://tmsnrt.rs/3jk8MsIThe European Union currently has nearly 275,000 EV charging ports, according to data by the European Alternative Fuels Observatory, or around 62 charging points per 100,000 inhabitants. CHARGING INDUSTRYThere are more than 300 EV charging companies globally, including nearly 100 in North America. Many charging stations are also subsidized or run by local governments or electric utilities.

(Reuters) -CD Projekt is working on a first expansion of Cyberpunk 2077, Chief Executive Adam Kicinski said after the Polish video games maker reported a first-half beat on its net profit. Along with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Cyberpunk drove CD Projekt's revenue 29% higher in the first half of the year to 470.6 million zlotys ($124 million). CD Projekt said its net profit was 105 million zlotys, which was 28% lower compared to last year but above the 71 million expected by analysts. Its selling costs rose to 131.2 million from 72.1 million zlotys a year before. The video games maker plans to release next generation versions of Cyberpunk and The Witcher 3 late this year.

PETALING JAYA: Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris will not be appealing against Umno's decision to suspend him from the party for six years. "I will not appeal against this decision because before this I was not summoned by the disciplinary board. I will leave it to the grassroots and the party leadership to judge Umno," he said on Wednesday (Sept 1). Wan Muhammad also said Umno needed to regain public trust and confidence. In April, a group of Umno members from the Wangsa Maju division lodged a police report to the party's disciplinary board, calling for Wan Muhammad to be suspended from the party.

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 1): A task force has been set up to coordinate the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) in managing the national agenda to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, says Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussien. He said the task force would be led by his deputy, Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz. Hishammuddin said this also took into account the National Recovery Plan, the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme and the Greater Klang Valley Special Task Force, besides assisting the efforts undertaken by the National Security Council. In this regard, Hishammuddin said the existing assets of Mindef and MAF such as Armed Forces Hospitals, field hospitals, as well as schools in MAF camps could be utilised to meet the needs of the national agenda. Also present were Chief of Defence Force Gen Tan Sri Affendi Buang, Army chief Gen Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zin, Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Mohd Reza Mohd Sani and Air Force chief Gen Tan Sri Ackbal Abdul Samad.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. auto safety regulators on Wednesday said they had identified a 12th crash involving Tesla Inc vehicles using advanced driver assistance systems in incidents involving emergency vehicles and demanded the automaker answer detailed questions about its Autopilot system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Aug. 16 said it had opened a formal safety probe into Tesla driver assistance system Autopilot after 11 crashes. The probe covers 765,000 U.S. Tesla vehicles built between 2014 and 2021. Tesla says Autopilot enables vehicles to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within their lane. The company could face civil penalties of up to $115 million if it fails to fully respond to the questions, NHTSA said.

The trailblazing septet have reached global superstardom, with their single Dynamite entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number one last year, making them the first South Korean act to top the US chart. They are credited with generating billions for the South Korean economy, and last year their label HYBE made a high-profile stock market debut. A video released in August showed the group's 26-year-old leader RM eating a bowl of noodles with a book titled Early Death on the table next to him. The boy band's fans, who are known as ARMY, besieged the book's publisher Hyohyung Books trying to obtain copies, and within days the firm announced a re-publication. Sales have soared and it was the bestselling book in the art category last week, according to South Korea's largest bookstore chain Kyobo Book Centre.

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Former Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) board of directors member, Datuk Noor Ehsanuddin Mohd Harun Narrashi, has been acquitted and discharged of 29 bribery charges after the prosecution withdrew all the charges against him. His counsel Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican, when contacted, said the prosecution had informed the court on the withdrawal of the 29 charges during the case proceeding before Sessions Court judge Suzana Hussin last May 21. "Actually, the date (May 21) was set for continuation of the case hearing but the prosecution informed the court on withdrawing all the charges against the accused. "Therefore, the prosecution withdrew the charges against my client (Noor Ehsanuddin) and the court then acquitted and discharged him of all 29 charges,” said the lawyer on Wednesday (Sept 1). The cases in Johor Baru and Shah Alam were heard together with the case in the Sessions Court here.

(Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday vowed to help Manchester United win major trophies again, calling his return to the club "the best decision" and the beginning of a new chapter. I want to carry on again, to make history, to try to help Manchester achieve great results, to win trophies and number one of them, to win great things," the 36-year-old told the club website. Ronaldo hailed his relationship with current United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who he played alongside for four seasons at the club. Ronaldo is away on international duty with Portugal, who take on Ireland in a World Cup qualifier later on Wednesday. He is expected to make to his debut for United in a home game against Newcastle United on Sept. 11 after the international break.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia can expect to move from the Covid-19 pandemic into an endemic phase by the end of October, says Khairy Jamaluddin. The Health Minister said with 80% of the population expected to be vaccinated by then, it is about time that the country learnt to "live with the virus." "We will wait for the next two months, when 80% of the population are vaccinated. "In the case of Labuan and to a lesser extent, Sarawak – they are already in an endemic phase. Khairy said being in an endemic phase would see more sectors reopened with new Covid-19 norms being practised.

PETALING JAYA: The Immigration Department has detained 26 foreigners following a series of enforcement operations that began on National Day. "Operations were conducted in Pudu, Puchong and Cyberjaya. He said during the raid, several foreigners tried to flee but were apprehended. "One of the men tried to escape by jumping into a lake. "All of those detained have been taken to the Semenyih Immigration Detention Depot for further action under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom), Immigration Act, Passport Act and Immigration Regulations 1963," he said.

The company is expected to unveil the new line – known as the Apple Watch 7 – in the coming weeks. It wouldn’t be the first time an Apple Watch has hit snags coming out of the factory. But since Apple hasn’t yet announced the release date for the Apple Watch 7, it has options. Nikkei reported earlier that production of the device has been delayed due to the complexity of the new watch. This will be the second time that the company has increased the display size, following the Apple Watch Series 4 three years ago.

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI pulled back below 1,600 points on Wednesday as sellers dominated the market amid profit taking activities. The 30-stock KLCI fell 14.49 points, or 0.9% to 1,586.89, its intra-day low after rising to a high of 1,604.98. Genetec fell 68 sen to RM30.42, Hartalega shed 26 sen to RM7.12, Hong Leong Bank declined 26 sen to RM18.92 and Petronas Gas fell 26 sen to RM16.54. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Opec+ revised up its 2022 oil demand forecast ahead of a meeting of the oil-producing group on Wednesday. Brent crude added 65 cents to US$72.28 a barrel while US crude oil was up 60 cents to US$69.10 per barrel.