Tender for consultant on KL-S'pore HSR called
KUALA LUMPUR • MyHSR Corp will call a tender for the appointment of a commercial advisory consultant for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) project review exercise today.
According to a statement by MyHSR, the tender looks to address the commercial aspects of the project in line with the Malaysian government's review.
"The appointed consultant will be required to develop a new business model that will produce the optimal project life-cycle cost, as well as, develop updated ridership forecasts, and update the benefits assessment that the project will bring to Malaysia," it said.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Pope passes measure on reporting sex abuse
VATICAN CITY • Pope Francis yesterday passed a measure to oblige those who know about sex abuse in the Catholic Church to report it to their superiors, following a global clerical paedophilia scandal.
Every diocese in the world will now be obliged to have a system for the reporting of abuse under a new law published by the Vatican, but the requirement will not apply to secrets revealed to priests in the confessional.
It is time to learn from the "bitter lessons of the past", Pope Francis said in the text of the legal decree.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
BBC radio host fired over offensive tweet
LONDON • A BBC radio broadcaster was fired yesterday after posting a picture of a baby chimpanzee when tweeting about the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's son, Archie Harrison.
Mr Danny Baker, who until yesterday was a broadcaster for BBC's 5Live, was accused of making fun of the Duchess' mixed-race heritage. He apologised following a backlash online and said he had meant to compare the royals to circus animals.
Mr Baker tweeted the offending image shortly after Prince Harry and Meghan presented Baby Archie to the world in his first photo-call.
WASHINGTON POST
Experts warn of ISIS 'academies' in Iraq jails
BAGHDAD • As Iraq tries thousands of locals and foreigners accused of joining the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militant group, experts warn its jails could once again become "academies" for Islamist militants.
Prison was a pivotal moment for many prominent Islamist militants - not least of them Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS' Iraqi supremo who remains at large despite the collapse of his "caliphate" in March.
Baghdadi was held at Camp Bucca, a sprawling US-run complex in the southern Iraqi desert, where it is thought he essentially came into his own as a terrorist leader.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
