Latest news with #Ir
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
1,200km of ageing water pipes to be replaced in phases, says Shahelmey
Shahelmey KOTA KINABALU (July 8): The Sabah State Government will replace 1,200 kilometres of ageing asbestos cement (AC) water pipes across the state in phases due to high replacement costs, said State Works Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya. Responding to Liawan assemblyman Datuk Annuar Ayub during the State Assembly sitting on Tuesday, Shahelmey said the State Water Department (JANS) has already appointed contractors to carry out repairs on leaking and damaged pipes since last year and is implementing pipe replacement programmes in key areas such as Sandakan, Keningau and Kota Kinabalu. 'Replacing all old pipes at once would incur a huge cost, so this effort will be implemented in stages,' he explained. Shahelmey added that under the Fifth Rolling Plan (RP5) of the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK-12), JANS is currently undertaking high-impact water supply projects: Eighteen in the West Coast, 15 in the interior, 12 in Tawau, five in Sandakan and two in Kudat. For the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK-13), the ministry is reviewing consultant appointments to conduct district-level water supply studies. These studies will prepare short-, medium- and long-term master plans, including the implementation of a statewide Water Grid strategy to ensure access to safe and treated water. Shahelmey said proposals have also been submitted to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, which include: Solving long-standing water supply issues in Tawau and Sandakan, implementing a holistic Non-Revenue Water (NRW) programme for Keningau and Beaufort, replacing old and dilapidated pipes in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan and Sandakan, and constructing pre-sedimentation tank systems at 22 water treatment plants throughout Sabah under RMK-13. Additionally, under RP5 of RMK-12, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development has approved three water supply projects in Kinabatangan, Beluran and Pitas. On alternative water sources, Shahelmey clarified that JANS is limited by Enactment 5 of the Water Supply Enactment 2003 (Amendment 2022), which restricts the department to supplying treated water to registered users only. 'That said, JANS welcomes any alternative water supply proposals and is ready to provide technical support and cooperation to any authorised agency undertaking such efforts,' he said.
Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
‘We're all in shock': Iranians react to US attack on nuclear sites
The Israel-Iran war that broke out over the past week has already upended life for Iran's 90 million people. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Follow our live coverage here. TEHRAN - The Israel-Iran war that broke out over the past week has already upended life for Iran's 90 million people, killing more than 400 and injuring more than 3,000, according to the country's Health Ministry. Countless others have fled to safety in the countryside or neighbouring states. Now, after a direct American attack on three of Iran's nuclear facilities, many Iranians said in phone interviews that they faced an uncertain and frightening future. 'We're all in shock – none of us expected that, within six or seven days, we'd reach this point,' said Peyman, a 44-year-old business executive who asked that his last name not be used because of concern over reprisals from the authorities. After Israel launched its military assault last week, a missile hit nearby on his commute to work, and he decided to escape Tehran. Now his immediate family, parents, in-laws and brother's family are all sheltering in one house in northern Iran. His primary concern is for his 9-year-old daughter. 'I grew up in war, so the sound of bombardment doesn't scare me, but I left because of my daughter,' he said. 'I fear soon we're going to have a shortage of water and food.' Iranians awoke to the news of the American attack June 22 feeling a combination of sorrow and anger. 'I really hope there's a ceasefire, because this is not OK,' said Dr Parsa Mehdipour, 29, a general practitioner in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, who flew home to Tehran for a visit in late May and has been trapped there since the war began and flights into and out of Iran were suspended. Dr Mehdipour said he had no idea how he would get back to Dubai. His options include travelling by road and then taking a ship across the Persian Gulf or crossing into a neighbouring country where he can catch a flight. 'These tensions will cause a lot of problems for civilians,' he said. 'This is honestly a breach of international law,' he said, adding that attacking nuclear facilities 'could have catastrophic consequences for the people.' One 44-year-old mother of two, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her family from reprisals, described how she and her children left everything behind after Israel began its military campaign and Iranian authorities issued an evacuation order for her neighbourhood in Tehran. They packed a few small bags, locked the door and left, travelling on a pothole-filled road to the border and crossing into Armenia, where they have been staying in hotels. By day, her sons live a normal life. But as night falls their crying and nightmares begin, and they awaken at the slightest sound, she said. When she mentioned that they were on a vacation, her 7-year-old son corrected her, saying that he knew that they had escaped from a war. The woman said that leaving Iran was the worst feeling, but that she had lived through the Iran-Iraq War and did not want her children to experience the same trauma. She does not care about the nuclear sites, she said, but feels sad for regular Iranians who are stuck between two fronts: their own government, and the countries attacking them. Since the Israeli attacks, which appeared to have involved intelligence breaches deep inside Iran's government, Iranian news media have reported that officials have cracked down on people they accuse of being 'collaborators' with Israel. Iranian authorities arrested 53 people who they said were linked to Israel and charged them with disturbing public opinion, possessing and operating drones, filming sensitive locations and sending that footage to 'hostile media outlets,' Fars, an Iranian news agency affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, reported on June 22. Iranian authorities also arrested a European citizen accused of espionage in the western province of Kermanshah, the Tasnim news agency, which is closely affiliated with the government, reported Sunday. The report did not say what country the person was from. The New York Times was not able to independently verify the Iranian news media reports. Peyman, the executive, said that he was no fan of President Donald Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – 'not at all' – but that he nonetheless found himself blaming his own government for the war and its heavy toll. 'The feeling I have is a feeling of 40 years of hatred toward this foolish government,' he said, lamenting the money that had been spent to develop Fordo, a uranium enrichment site that the United States targeted. 'All these years of slogans and chest beating, saying we have a strong defence system and that no enemy could ever attack our soil.' 'That's not even counting how much the value of our currency has dropped, how much of our human capital has fled the country, how much chaos has been created,' he added. 'The psychological, financial and cultural toll on the country is immense.' NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New Straits Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Petronas expands digital infrastructure to boost Malaysia's E&P investment
KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), through Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), yesterday formalised memoranda of understanding (MoUs) at Energy Asia 2025. These MoUs reflect Petronas' commitment to global collaboration and forward-looking innovation to enhance Malaysia's positioning as a high-value, agile and investment friendly upstream environment. The MoUs involve collaborations with Amazon Web Services, SLB, Halliburton, Microsoft, Accenture, Iraya Energies, Rystad Energy Advisory Asia Pacific and S&P Global Commodity Insights. These partnerships mark a significant step in Malaysia's upstream digital transformation journey, designed to accelerate investor's decision-making through advanced technologies focusing on Agentic artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. Senior Vice President of MPM, Datuk Ir Bacho Pilong, said, "At Petronas, we believe that by embracing digital intelligence and strategic partnerships, we are enhancing Malaysia's Exploration and Production (E&P) competitiveness, creating an investment environment anchored on pace, data-reliability and transparency. We are elevating our web-based E&P data platform, Petronas myPROdata to support future Malaysia Bid Rounds." He added, "These partnerships are also about reshaping the way we work, unlocking new value through technology, enabling better investment decisions and strengthening Malaysia's appeal to global energy players." Petronas remains committed to ensuring an optimal and sustainable energy supply, with MPM playing a pivotal role in managing petroleum arrangements and providing stewardship for upstream petroleum activities in Malaysia.
CNBC
18-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
How oil will react if U.S. bombs Iran and other scenarios, according to JPMorgan
U.S. or Israeli military action that leads to regime change in OPEC member Iran would have a profound impact on the global oil market, according to JPMorgan. "If history serves as a guide, further destabilization of Iran could lead to significantly higher oil prices sustained over extended periods," Natasha Kaneva, head of global commodities research at JPMorgan, told clients in a note published Wednesday. Pressure is mounting on Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as President Donald Trump considers joining Israel's air campaign against the Islamic Republic's nuclear sites. Trump demanded Iran's unconditional surrender on Tuesday, threatening Khamenei's life in a social media post. Israel sought to assassinate Khamenei in the opening days of its military operation, but Trump vetoed the plan, a U.S. official told NBC News. 'Profound impact' Regime change in oil-producing nations such as Iran "can have a profound impact" on the country's oil policy, production and global prices in the short and long term, Kaneva said. Iran is the third-largest producer in OPEC and exports about 1.6 million barrels of crude per day. Eight major regime changes have occurred in major oil producing countries since 1979, with crude prices spiking about 76% at their peak compared to pre-crisis levels, according to JPMorgan. Oil prices eventually stabilized at levels about 30% higher compared to before the crisis, the bank said. Supply losses in the wake of a regime change "are challenging to recover quickly, further supporting elevated prices," Kaneva said. Oil prices, for example, spiked dramatically in the wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution that overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought the Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power. Iran's crude oil exports plummeted by 4.8 million barrels per day by January 1979, according to JPMorgan. OPEC compensated for some of the lost supply from Iran but prices still rose, more than doubling to $34 per barrel by the middle of 1980 and causing a worldwide economic recession, according to JPMorgan. Today, Iranian crude oil production stands at 3.3 mbd, "significantly below the volumes seen before the revolution" of 1979. Fleeting spike The current spike in oil prices might not last in the absence of major political upheaval in Iran. Oil shocks in response to conflicts involving Israel are usually short lived, with prices returning to fair value fairly quickly, with the exception of the 1973 Yom Kippur war that led to the Arab oil embargo, according to JPMorgan. The risk of Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz is "very low" because the U.S. would consider it an act of war, according to the bank. The U.S. Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain across the Persian Gulf from Iran, tasked with protecting commercial shipping, the bank said. About one-fifth of the world's oil passes through the narrow strait between Iran and Oman. The oil market has so far remained relatively calm in response to the current Iran-Israel conflict, with prices gaining about 10% since Israel's air campaign began last Friday.
Newsweek
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Israel Says Goal Is Not Iran Regime Change as Trump Vetoes Ayatollah Strike
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in an interview with CNN on Sunday said that his country's goal is not regime change even as Israel's forces expand their strikes in Iran. The admission follows the revelation that President Donald Trump had vetoed Israel's plan to target Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Reuters. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of State for comment outside of normal business hours through submission form. Why It Matters Israel struck Iran with a wave of airstrikes overnight on Thursday U.S. time, which it described as a "preemptive" offensive based on "high-quality intelligence" that Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon. The strikes hit a variety of Iranian targets, including military personnel and nuclear scientists, in what Israeli leadership has called "Operation Rising Lion." Israel's strikes have killed at least 406 people in Iran and wounded another 654, according to a human rights group that has long tracked the country, Washington-based Human Rights Activists. Iran's government has not offered overall casualty figures. Israel has said 14 people have been killed since Friday and 390 have been wounded, the Associated Press reported. Khamenei condemned the attacks and promised to retaliate, saying Israel had "sealed for itself a bitter and painful destiny." Iran's military vowed a "crushing response," according to the state-run IRNA news agency, and fired salvos of missiles and drones at sites and cities across Israel. Iranian officials have always denied seeking a nuclear weapon. The United States and Iran have held five rounds of negotiations regarding the country's nuclear program, with a sixth round scheduled for Sunday that ultimately did not happen as Israel and Iran each continue to carry out attacks on each other. Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on June 15. Inset: Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei during the Friday prayer... Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya amid a fresh barrage of Iranian missile attacks on June 15. Inset: Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei during the Friday prayer ceremony on October 4, 2024, in Tehran, Iran. More Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images // Iranian Leader's Press Office - Handout/Getty Images What To Know Speaking with CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga, Sa'ar insisted that his country's goal is not to force regime change in Iran, saying, "The security Cabinet had decided on the objectives," and that regime change "was not one of the objectives." "This is for the Iranian people to decide," Sa'ar said. "We, Israel, don't see the Iranian people as our enemies. We had great relations with Iran until 1979 until the Islamic Revolution, when a very fanatic and barbaric regime came to power. And these are the people that chant 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel.' And they put as an objective to eliminate the State of Israel." "It's not for us to decide: That's for the Iranian people to act or to do what they want to do," Sa'ar added. "We took as an objective the nuclear program, the ballistic missiles program, the elimination program. It's all things we must stop and create the conditions for moves afterwards that also will able to achieve these objectives." When asked about what kind of advanced notice the U.S. had about the attack, Sa'ar said Israel had informed the Trump administration that "we are going to act," which occurred after the U.S. and Iran had an opportunity to reach a diplomatic solution. He accused Iran of wanting to just "waste time and continue" pushing forward their nuclear plans "even during negotiations." "Iran is in a situation of non-compliance. They breach everything they were committed to," Sa'ar said, noting that Iran's foreign minister had cancelled his interview with CNN, which would have immediately followed Sa'ar's own. "After all other options are gone, we must take care of our security and of our existence. Of course, we informed the US as friends and allies that we are going to operate," he said. Meanwhile, Trump wrote in a Saturday social media post that the U.S. "had not nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight." Iran has said it believes the U.S. is involved. Israeli officials have reportedly asked the Trump administration to join in on efforts to attack Iran, with Iran's nuclear program having long been a focal point of U.S. and Israeli concern. Trump talked to ABC News' Rachel Scott on Sunday about the matter, saying, "We're not involved in it. It's possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved." Trump Rejected Israeli Plan to Kill Khamenei Reports on Sunday from the Wall Street Journal and Reuters revealed that Israel had attempted to execute a plan to take out Khamenei, but that Trump put a stop to it. Both outlets cited unnamed senior U.S. administration officials. One of the sources told Reuters: "Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do we're not even talking about going after the political leadership," underscoring the U.S. desire to keep distance from the conflict. An unnamed U.S. official on Sunday told CNN that Trump did indeed reject the plan to assassinate Khamenei. Israel had the chance to kill Khamenei, but Trump opposed the plan, which prevented Israel from pursuing the opportunity. A second source told the outlet that Trump's opposition comes from a desire to avoid another protracted and involved war in the Middle East. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an interview on Sunday with Fox News said: "There's so many false reports of conversations that never happened, and I'm not going to get into that." He added: "But I can tell you, I think that we do what we need to do, we'll do what we need to do. And I think the United States knows what is good for the United States." Photo taken after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's two-day campaign of strikes against Iran on June 15. Photo taken after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's two-day campaign of strikes against Iran on June 15. Khoshiran/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images What People Are Saying President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP! Also, during my first term, Serbia and Kosovo were going at it hot and heavy, as they have for many decades, and this long time conflict was ready to break out into WAR. I stopped it (Biden has hurt the longer term prospects with some very stupid decisions, but I will fix it, again!). Another case is Egypt and Ethiopia, and their fight over a massive dam that is having an effect on the magnificent Nile River. There is peace, at least for now, because of my intervention, and it will stay that way! Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place. I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that's OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video address on Friday: "More is on the [Tehran] regime doesn't know what hit them. They don't know [what] will hit them." What Happens Next? Israel and Iran have shown no indication of decreasing their exchange of missiles, with more to follow as the U.S. seeks de-escalation and an end to the current conflict. This article included reporting by The Associated Press.
