IN BRIEF (Page 11)

China Daily | Updated: 2019-07-17 07:58

Malaysia

Govt to challenge EU palm oil curbs

Malaysia will lodge a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the European Union's plan to phase out the use of palm oil in biofuels, a minister said on Tuesday. The Southeast Asian country is the world's second biggest palm oil producer after Indonesia and would be hit hard by the EU's plan to cut its use of biofuels by 2030. "Malaysia will file a WTO complaint ... hopefully, by November," said Teresa Kok, the minister responsible for the edible vegetable oil. She said Malaysia hoped to cooperate with Indonesia in the case. Palm oil is a major ingredient in a wide range of products from food to cosmetics, but it has long been controversial as environmentalists say it drives deforestation.

South Africa

Zuma testifies in state capture inquiry

Former president Jacob Zuma on Monday testified before the state capture inquiry, saying the accusation of corruption bothered him and his family. Making his first appearance before the commission, Zuma said he believed the inquiry was "created to have me coming here and perhaps to find things on me". The inquiry stems from allegations of improper relations between Zuma and the infamous Gupta family. The Gupta family has been accused of influencing cabinet appointments in the Zuma administration. Zuma still has many supporters in the country, said Emmanuel Matambo, a researcher at the University of Johannesburg.

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(China Daily 07/17/2019 page11)