Latest news with #Hooters
The Star
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Who's afraid of ‘alpha male' Adams?
YOU know that guy whom President Donald Trump has nominated as his ambassador to Malaysia, Nick Adams? Prior to his nomination announced on July 9, I doubt many Malaysians had heard of him. I hadn't. But we sure learned fast and what we found out, like from his March 13, 2023, tweet that went viral, caused much consternation: 'I go to Hooters. I eat rare steaks. I lift extremely heavy weights. I read the Bible every night. I am pursued by copious amounts of women. I am wildly successful. I have the physique of a Greek god. I have an IQ over 180. I am extremely charismatic.' Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Full access to Web and App. RM 13.90/month RM 9.73 /month Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter. RM 12.39/month RM 8.63 /month Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Trump's Controversial Pick for Malaysia Envoy to Get Anwar's ‘Due Consideration'
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government will give 'due consideration' to President Donald Trump's pick as ambassador, seeking to balance relations with Washington and domestic ire over some of the potential envoy's political commentary. Anwar has faced pressure to reject the nominee, Nick Adams, an Australian-American commentator and a self-described 'alpha male' Trump supporter. Critics within the Muslim-majority country have labeled him Islamophobic, citing his social media posts supporting Israel, and pointed to his enthusiasm for racy restaurant chain Hooters as out of sync with its cultural norms. 'The government will give it due consideration while maintaining good relations between Malaysia and the United States,' Anwar told reporters Friday, state-run Bernama reported. He added it was too early to comment further. Rejecting Adams risks complicating Malaysia's efforts to negotiate with the Trump administration to lower its threatened 25% levy, scheduled to start Aug. 1. The Southeast Asian nation is also seeking to ease Washington's concerns over suspicions it's been used to divert sensitive technology to China, circumventing US regulations. Adams has sought to assuage concerns, addressing Malaysians in an X post last week, saying 'I can't wait to experience your noble culture and learn much from you.' His appointment still needs to be confirmed by the US Senate, where Trump's Republican party holds a slim majority. He could face a rocky hearing there, where the president's pick to serve as ambassador to neighboring Singapore struggled to answer questions about the city-state and its ties to Washington. Malaysian government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil has said that the country has the right to reject the ambassador, but that it hasn't received an official notice regarding the nomination, according to Bernama. 'Malaysia deserves better,' Kasthuri Patto, a Malaysian lawmaker in the ruling Democratic Action Party, allied with Anwar, said in a statement Wednesday, accusing Adams of 'sexism, misogyny and religious bigotry.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
US ambassadors wanted: Diplomatic experience optional
IN diplomacy, it's not always what you know – it's who you serve. The White House has tapped a self-professed Hooters fan and an orthopaedic surgeon for two key postings in South-East Asia, a front line in the battle for influence between the United States and China. The inexperienced candidates for Singapore and Malaysia are raising eyebrows in a region Washington is already alienating with its trade war. In the short term, a political appointee close to US president Donald Trump could be positive. Longer term, Washington risks losing out on decades of carefully crafted diplomacy and relationship-building that have served to advance American interests. The nominations came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio made his first official visit to Asia, where he attended the 10-member Asean gathering in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month. His trip also coincided with the renewal of tariff threats on regional economies, which Trump would impose on Aug 1, Rubio confirmed, if countries don't strike agreements by that deadline or shortly after. An ambassador who has the president's ear could – in theory – help carve out a better deal. But are bonhomie and being a golf buddy all that matter? Diplomacy is a blend of analytical thinking, meticulous attention to detail, and historical knowledge – along with many other attributes. Anyone watching the often-comical exchange between Singapore envoy-nominee Anjani Sinha and Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois at his recent confirmation hearing would've struggled to find these qualities. Sinha, who has been described as 'a friend of President Trump for over a decade,' couldn't answer Duckworth's questions about trade surpluses, military exercises or tariff rates. Videos of the exchange have gone viral in South-East Asia, with the senator chastising him for not doing his 'homework,' and accusing him of treating Singapore like a 'glamour posting.' Despite the pushback, Republicans hold the majority in the Senate and have enough votes to approve the nomination. But probably the more contentious nomination is that of Nicholas Adams, Trump's pick as ambassador to Malaysia. The 40-year-old, originally from Australia, became a US citizen in 2021. In his native country, Adams courted some controversy: He was the youngest-ever deputy mayor when he served on a council in Sydney's inner western suburbs, where he made headlines for calling for the eradication of pigeons and proposing DNA testing dog poo. The right-wing influencer has a strong conservative following, many of whom adore him for his alpha-male persona. 'Nick is an incredible Patriot and very successful entrepreneur, whose love of, and devotion to, our Great Country is an inspiration,' Trump wrote in a June 10 Truth Social post. 'Nick graduated from the University of Sydney and, since then, has made it his life's mission to extol the Virtues of American Greatness. Congratulations Nick!' In his enthusiasm, the president may have overlooked Adams's history of Islamophobic remarks, which is already raising concern in Muslim-majority Malaysia. His nomination has to go through the Senate confirmation process before the appointment can be formalised, but many in Malaysia are calling for Adams to be rejected because he's viewed 'as an insult to the country's dignity and foreign policy.' The decision is being seen as a broader erosion of American soft power in the region, Shahril Hamdan, a former visiting fellow with the Malaysia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and host of a popular podcast, told me. 'It reinforces the perception that South-East Asia remains an afterthought in Washington's strategic calculus – which only plays into the hands of its great rival, China.' Political appointees aren't unusual in US diplomacy. It's been common practice for decades for presidents to fill roughly 30% of chief-of-mission positions with them – far higher than any developed country. (The last ambassador to Singapore, appointed by the Biden administration, was Jonathan Kaplan, a wealthy businessman with no prior foreign policy experience.) That's despite research showing that career officials are on average more effective leaders who oversee higher performance. If confirmed, Adams will replace Edgard Kagan, a seasoned diplomat who has only served in the position for about 16 months. This decision comes at a difficult time for US-Malaysian relations, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim criticising Trump's long-threatened tariffs as 'sharpened instruments of geopolitical rivalry.' South-East Asia has long been wary of being caught in the geopolitical power play between the US and China. These nominations will cement the view that Beijing is a better partner – notwithstanding concerns over the muscle it's been flexing in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea. So far, the reactions from Asian capitals have been restrained. But privately, some diplomats have expressed no small degree of bewilderment. Ultimately, the choices reflect the priorities of the White House. In the Trump era, it's not expertise in a region that lands you the job – it's access to the man at the top. — Bloomberg Opinion/TNS
Business Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Times
Trump's controversial pick for Malaysia envoy to get Anwar's ‘due consideration'
[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government will give 'due consideration' to President Donald Trump's pick as ambassador, seeking to balance relations with Washington and domestic ire over some of the potential envoy's political commentary. Anwar has faced pressure to reject the nominee, Nick Adams, an Australian-American commentator and a self-described 'alpha male' Trump supporter. Critics within the Muslim-majority country have labelled him Islamophobic, citing his social media posts supporting Israel, and pointed to his enthusiasm for racy restaurant chain Hooters as out of sync with its cultural norms. 'The government will give it due consideration while maintaining good relations between Malaysia and the United States,' Anwar told reporters on Friday (Jul 18), state-run Bernama reported. He added it was too early to comment further. Rejecting Adams risks complicating Malaysia's efforts to negotiate with the Trump administration to lower its threatened 25% levy, scheduled to start Aug 1. The South-east Asian nation is also seeking to ease Washington's concerns over suspicions it's been used to divert sensitive technology to China, circumventing US regulations. Adams has sought to assuage concerns, addressing Malaysians in an X post last week, saying 'I can't wait to experience your noble culture and learn much from you.' His appointment still needs to be confirmed by the US Senate, where Trump's Republican party holds a slim majority. He could face a rocky hearing there, where the president's pick to serve as ambassador to neighbouring Singapore struggled to answer questions about the city-state and its ties to Washington. Malaysian government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil has said that the country has the right to reject the ambassador, but that it hasn't received an official notice regarding the nomination, according to Bernama. 'Malaysia deserves better,' Kasthuri Patto, a Malaysian lawmaker in the ruling Democratic Action Party, allied with Anwar, said in a statement on Wednesday, accusing Adams of 'sexism, misogyny and religious bigotry.' BLOOMBERG
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
The anti-vaxx conspiracists have blood on their hands
Scotland's own Neil Oliver, for instance, was a middling TV presenter until he parlayed vaccine conspiracy into international celebrity. Donald Trump's current pick for US ambassador to Malaysia is a publicity-seeker called Nick Adams. He achieved Twitter "fame" by endlessly claiming he's 'Alpha Male', telling parents to 'take your kids to Hooters', and cheering on those refusing the Covid vaccine. Finding the sweet spot where anti-vaxx messaging meets politics is a guaranteed passage to money, fame and power. Just ask GB News. The right-wing channel aired the US conspiracist Naomi Wolf comparing the vaccine rollout to 'mass murder'. When that future history of this era is written, after the chapter on the rise of the idiot, the next section should recount the consequences of their reign. Read more by Neil Mackay We see some of the profound real-world results in Britain today: a child has died in Liverpool's Alder Hey hospital after contracting measles. They were the second child to die in Britain since 2023; 17 children have been treated at Alder Hey since June. It's an agonising truth, but such deaths were all but unavoidable given the damage caused by widespread dissemination of anti-vaccine conspiracy in Britain. Millions of children worldwide are at risk of death and illness due to declining vaccination rates, according to the World Health Organization and Unicef. Britain has the worst vaccine level for MMR – against measles, mumps and rubella – in the G7. The required rate is 95%. In Britain, only 89% of children received the jab in 2024. In Germany, it was 96%. In France, Italy and Japan 95%. Even in America, where Covid conspiracy runs riot, rates were higher at 92%. Rates for the second MMR dose fall to 85% in Britain. In the pre-Covid years, around 93% got their MMR jab. The picture of vaccine take-up in Britain is complex, and differs depending on vaccine. There's wide regional variation. For the six-in-one vaccine – covering diphtheria, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type B, polio, tetanus and whooping cough – London is nine per cent lower at 86.2% than the highest coverage in north-east England with 95.2%. Scotland and Wales have better coverage with the six-in-one, hitting the 95% target in some cases. However, overall Scotland has witnessed long-term declines in the uptake of all primary and booster childhood vaccinations, Public Health Scotland says. The journal Community Practitioner, which covers issues related to the work of community practitioners and health visitors, reported in March last year that in Scotland there had been 'declines in MMR, both the 5-in-1 and 6-in-1, rotavirus, MenB, PCV [pneumococcal], and Hib/MenC. 'For MMR 2 by age five, only two regions (Angus and East Dunbartonshire) hit the 95% uptake target, and the lowest uptake was in Aberdeen with 83.1%. Two (unrelated) cases of measles were reported last year [2023], in October.' With MMR, Britain never recovered from the Andrew Wakefield scandal. Wakefield was the doctor behind false claims linking MMR to autism. The claims were given front page treatment by gullible journalists. Wakefield was eventually struck off in 2010. The scandal left Britain extremely vulnerable to anti-vaccine conspiracy. Many journalists who amplified Covid conspiracies had pushed Wakefield's nonsense to the top of the news agenda in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Back then, however, the media landscape was radically different. A few foolish hacks regurgitating nonsense were as nothing compared to the tsunami of conspiracy which would wash across the internet during Covid. Donald Trump, who rode to power on the back of conspiracies related to Covid and QAnon, installed the vaccine conspiracist Robert Kennedy Jnr as his Secretary of State for Health. This month, there's around 1,300 Americans infected with measles. Three have died. Joe Rogan, whose podcast has a global audience of around 15 million, has pushed anti-vaxx nonsense. Remarkably, this former mixed martial arts commentator and comedian is one of the most influential media figures on Earth. As I said: in the age of idiocracy, idiots rule. Rogan has made comments including: 'If you're like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I'll go no.' He once claimed his show had been cancelled in Vancouver because Canada required proof of vaccination during Covid for live events. 'I'm not gonna get vaccinated. I have antibodies, it doesn't make sense,' he said. When Rogan contracted Covid, he told the world that he was taking the drug invermectin, used to treat parasite infection and proven to be ineffective against the virus. At one stage, 270 scientists wrote to Spotify, which distributes Rogan's show, citing 'false and societally harmful assertions'. They asked Spotify to 'establish a clear and public policy to moderate misinformation'. A child with a measle rash (Image: PA) Before the US election, JD Vance appeared on Rogan's show and voiced scepticism about the Covid vaccine. When the most powerful people on the planet speak on the most widely listened-to show on Earth run by the most significant media figure in the world, then real-life consequences are inevitable. We can see that now, with deaths and disease which could have been prevented if vaccine conspiracists hadn't fed unfounded fears. It's important to note that often those suffering in current outbreaks are themselves at no fault – indeed many are victims of the conspiracists. Renae Archer, from Manchester, died in 2023 after complications from contracting measles as a baby. Her mother Rebecca now campaigns for parents to have their children vaccinated. 'If other people were vaccinated, Renae might not have got the measles in the first place,' she said. 'She was only five months old.' At such an age, Renae was too young for her vaccination when she was infected by others. Once the future history of this era is written, after the chapter on the rise of the idiots and the real-life consequences of their reign, one hopes the book closes with an account of how these fools were called to a reckoning for what they did in pursuit of fame, money and power. Every unnecessary death is on them. Neil Mackay is The Herald's Writer at Large. He's a multi-award-winning investigative journalist, author of both fiction and non-fiction, and a filmmaker and broadcaster. He specialises in intelligence, security, crime, social affairs, cultural commentary, and foreign and domestic politics.
