World

‘Nail-biting win’ for Anwar as Malaysians back status quo in state polls

Published

1 year ago

August 13, 2023

‘Nail-biting win’ for Anwar as Malaysians back status quo in state polls

Malaysia’s political blocs split victories in regional elections, but opposition makes gains in a a challenge for the ruling coalition.

Voters in Malaysia have backed the political status quo in pivotal regional elections, giving Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling coalition and the conservative opposition control of three states each.

The election in six of Malaysia’s 13 states on Saturday were widely seen as a referendum Anwar’s leadership and the strength of the opposition after a divisive general election in November.

Data from the Election Commission showed Anwar’s multiethnic Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance triumphing in the three states it held prior to the vote: Selangor and Penang, which are the country’s richest, as well as Negeri Sembilan.

The results also showed the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN), which includes the religious conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), keeping its hold on the heartland states of Kedah, Kelantan and northern Terengganu.

Anwar welcomed the results at a late-night press conference and appealed for unity.

“This is a decision of the people. We have to respect this decision,” the prime minister said.

“The federal government remains strong after this poll and we will continue to promote a prosperous Malaysia,” he added.

The opposition, however, called the outcome a “defeat” for the ruling coalition.

Muhyiddin Yassin, who leads the PN, noted strong gains by the opposition bloc, including in Selangor where it increased its share of seats from five in the previous election to 22 and denied the ruling coalition its two-thirds majority.

In Penang, the opposition bloc won 11 seats, up from one in the previous vote, and in Negeri Sembilan, it won five seats, up from zero in the last election.

Muhyiddin called the outcome “very encouraging” and said the “state polls are a referendum by the people rejecting the unity government led by Pakatan Harapan”.

He said Anwar and his deputy, Zahid Hamidi, should resign to “take responsibility for this defeat”.

Analysts, meanwhile, said the outcome lifted pressure on Anwar and would boost the stability of his nascent government.

The 76-year-old politician took office in November at the head of a unity government after a general election resulted in an unprecedented hung parliament.

Anwar’s PH had won the most seats but fell short of the outright majority needed to form a government. At the behest of the king, the PH and rival parties, including former foe, the corruption-tainted United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), came together to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

But analysts say this loose alliance is perceived as unstable and needs stronger support from the Malay majority.

Oh Ei Sun, an analyst at the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia think tank, said Saturday’s outcome “was a nail-biting win for Anwar after he thwarted the challenge from the powerful Islamic party PAS”.

But Anwar “must remain vigilant”, Oh said.

“There is no guarantee that his government will stay until the next general elections.”

Mustafa Izzuddin, a political analyst with consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore, told the AFP news agency that “it was in many ways a stress reliever for Anwar not to be confronted with any major political shifts that could alter the status quo”.

But the outcome was also a disappointment in that “his coalition did not make much significant inroads”, Mustafa said.

Still, Anwar “has more than enough time” before the 2027 general elections “to shore up support including the complex political bargaining that may need to happen within the coalition”, he added.

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World

Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Italian state railways plans 1.3 bln euro investment in solar plant

Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato plans to invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.36 billion) in a photovoltaic plant with an initial 1 gigawatt (GW) capacity that would cover 19% of its energy needs by 2029, the CEO said in a newspaper interview.

World

Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Published

4 hours ago

December 22, 2024

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Christmas in Puerto Rico is a 45-day celebration with caroling, festive decorations, family feasts and more

Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends far beyond Dec. 25.

The island proudly proclaims itself as having the “longest holiday season in the world,” according to the website Discover Puerto Rico.

On average, the holiday festivities in Puerto Rico last about 45 days, per the source, commencing right after Thanksgiving, and stretching all the way through mid-January.

The Christmas season in Puerto Rico typically lasts around 45 days. (iStock)

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The holiday season in Puerto Rico is full of rich traditions beloved by families.

One tradition those who visit Puerto Rico will immediately notice during the holiday season is decorations.

In Puerto Rico, decorations are typically put up by Thanksgiving, and kept up until the season concludes in mid-January, with opportune picture moments at every corner.

Parrandas, Christmas caroling, is a holiday staple.

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Carolers choose houses of family and friends to visit, typically starting around 10 p.m., performing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas songs), with not only their voices, but often with instruments as well, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

The group you begin caroling with is likely not the same group you end with.

In Puerto Rico, when carolers visit a house, they’ll often stop inside for conversation, food and drink before moving to the next residence.

Coquito is a popular beverage enjoyed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico. Coconut, vanilla and rum are among the ingredients. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group for the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

CHRISTMAS TREES IN GERMANY WERE DECORATED WITH APPLES INSTEAD OF ORNAMENTS IN THE 1600S FOR ‘ADAM AND EVE DAY’

A night of serenading loved ones can last quite a while, often stretching into the early morning hours of the following day, according to the source.

The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico actually isn’t Christmas, but instead, the night before.

In Puerto Rico, Dec. 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather for the exchange of gifts, caroling and a large feast.

Many families will also attend a midnight Mass on the day, known as Misa de Gallo.

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS REVEAL THE SURPRISING DAY TO TRAVEL AHEAD OF THE CHRISTMAS RUSH

After Christmas passes, the festivities go on in Puerto Rico.

Another big event in the holiday lineup is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico.

On the eve of the day, children fill up a shoebox with grass to be left for camels to munch on while the Three Kings leave behind gifts for them, according to PuertoRico.com.

For a particularly festive Three Kings Day, Juana Díaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico for the holiday. In Juana Díaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together over 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico.

Gifts are primarily exchanged between loved ones on Christmas Eve in Puerto Rico. (iStock)

Then, eight days later is Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate one last time for the season.

The end of the holiday season is marked with the San Sebastián Street Festival.

This festival, spanning over multiple days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is filled with live music, dancing, shopping and parades.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.

World

Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

Published

4 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Small plane crashes into Brazil town popular with tourists, killing 10

Twin-engine plane crashed in largely residential neighborhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff, authorities say.

A small plane has crashed into a tourist hotspot in southern Brazil, killing all 10 people on board and injuring more than a dozen people on the ground, officials have said.

The twin-engine Piper PA-42-1000 hit the chimney of a home and the second floor of a different house before crashing into a shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado shortly after takeoff from Canela, Brazil’s Civil Defense agency said on Sunday.

Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite told a news conference that the aircraft’s owner and pilot, Luiz Claudio Galeazzi, was killed along with nine members of his family.

Leite said that 17 people on the ground were injured, 12 of whom were still receiving treatment in hospital.

Galeazzi’s company, Galeazzi & Associados, confirmed that its CEO and Galeazzi’s wife and three daughters had died in the crash.

“Luiz Galeazzi will be forever remembered for his dedication to his family and for his remarkable career as a leader of Galeazzi & Associados,” the company said in a post on LinkedIn.

“In this moment of immense pain, Galeazzi & Associados is deeply grateful for the expressions of solidarity and affection received from friends, colleagues and the community. We also sympathize with all those affected by the accident in the region.”

Gramado, located in the Serra Gaucha mountains, is a popular destination for vacationers, especially during the Christmas season.

The crash comes a little more than a year after Brazil suffered its worst air disaster in nearly two decades when a twin-engine plane crashed in the southeastern city of Vinhedo, killing all 62 people on board.