03/06/2026

WEDNESDAY | JUNE 3, 2026

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California governor primary goes down to the wire

South Korea drops gender-neutral hospital room plan SEOUL: South Korea has scrapped a proposal to end mandatory gender segregation in hospital inpatient rooms after public backlash over safety. Several countries such as Japan and Canada have introduced gender-neutral facilities, a move that has sparked debate and pushback from critics who argue privacy concerns, as well as safety risks including sexual misconduct in shared spaces. The Health Ministry unveiled the plan last month as part of broader regulatory reforms to make it easier for family members and couples to share hospital rooms. “Gender segregation will be maintained as under the current system,” a Health Ministry official said yesterday. Exceptions to intensive care units, in which patients require close monitoring regardless of sex, and two-bed rooms occupied by family members would remain in place, the ministry said. Under the now withdrawn proposal, hospitals would no longer have been required to separate patients by gender in inpatient rooms, a rule enforced and punishable by up to 15 days’ suspension for violations. The ministry had proposed the change, arguing that some hospitals already allowed married couples to share two-bed rooms and that the regulation was no longer necessary. It said the decision to withdraw comes after reflecting on the response from the public. The proposal drew strong opposition with more than 4,000 comments posted on the government’s legislative notice website. “There could be a possibility of sex crimes targeting women,” one commenter wrote. Another described the proposal as an “ignorant bill that disregards the fear and anxiety of female patients”. – AFP Tropical storm injures 9 in Japan TOKYO: A severe tropical storm battered southwestern Japan yesterday, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes, grounding hundreds of flights and injuring nine people. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of high waves, landslides and flooding as storm Jangmi , which was downgraded from a typhoon, rumbles northwards after bearing down on Okinawa. The entire population of Miyazaki city on the island of Kyushu, around 390,000 people, were urged to evacuate their homes. Torrential rain and strong winds that felled a 10m tree in Okinawa were seen in images reported by local media. Some 17,000 households on the island and more than 30,000 in the southwestern Kagoshima region were without power yesterday. Government spokesman Minoru Kihara said Jangmi had also injured nine people in Okinawa. Public broadcaster NHK reported that injuries had been caused by Jangmi blowing objects into cars and strong winds causing people to lose their footing. Kihara warned that public transport in Tokyo and nearby cities could face disruptions today as the storm approaches. “For those of you who are living in areas likely to be affected by the storm, please pay attention to evacuation information issued by your municipalities, and stay mindful of early evacuation,” Kihara told a news conference. “Please remain vigilant and make sure you take action to protect your life.” – AFP

o J‘ ungle primary’ pits all comers against each other

LOS ANGELES: Californians go to the polls today in the first round of voting for a new governor, with a tight three-way race for two run-off spots, while people in Los Angeles will also be voting for a new mayor. The state’s so-called “jungle primary” pits all comers against each other, regardless of party, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the November general election to replace term-limited Governor Gavin Newsom. More than 60 names appear on the lengthy ballot papers that have been mailed out to all registered voters in the heavily Democratic state of 40 million people. The latest polls show a three-way split, with former president Joe Biden’s health secretary Xavier Becerra in the lead. Duking it out for second place and the chance to take on Becerra in November are Democrat Tom Steyer and Donald Trump backed Republican Steve Hilton. Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager, has spent more than US$200 million (RM793 million) of his own money on an insurgent campaign advocating higher taxes on rich people and lower utility bills for California’s squeezed middle class. Hilton, a former British political strategist and Fox News commentator, has spent most of his campaign lashing out at Democrats who have a stranglehold on California’s levers of power, insisting that they cannot fix what ails the state because they created its problems. Those problems are legion, and whoever wins in November will have a towering inbox. Despite its huge economy – California would have the world’s fourth largest if it were a country – and its pockets of unbelievable wealth, America’s most populous state is disgruntled. While the tech bros of Silicon Valley enjoy fabulous homes, the soaring cost of houses, and an almost pathological aversion to building new ones, leaves millions struggling to pay the rent. Eye-watering utility bills and the nation’s priciest gas, coupled with high taxes and crumbling public services, add to the general sense of unfairness. There’s also the very visible, and seemingly intractable, problem of homelessness, which inflicts misery on the thousands who suffer it and scars the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco. The high stakes and the wall-to-wall

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman arrives for a press conference. – GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/ AFPPIC

A well-received response to federal immigration raids in the fiercely diverse city somewhat righted the ship, but she remains vulnerable, and the latest polling suggests she is neck and neck with council member Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist. Bringing up the insurgent rear is Spencer Pratt, a one-time reality TV villain whose house burned down in the devastating fires. Pratt has channelled widespread anger over the slow rebuild process, LA’s potholed roads, drug-addled homeless and a city hall seen as inefficient and in thrall to special interests. His message, like Hilton’s in the gubernatoral, is public safety and tough-on crime, and is resonating, even with some traditional Democrats. There are around a dozen other candidates, but none is expected to trouble the headline writers. If anyone secures 50% of the votes on Tuesday, they win outright; anything less means the top two candidates go through to the Nov 3 general election. – AFP

television advertisements notwithstanding, the race has never really caught fire, and the public has seemed decidely unenthusiastic even if the vote could have national implications. Incumbent Newsom is believed to have his eyes on the White House in 2028, following in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan, who occupied the governor’s mansion from 1967 to 1975. Voters in Los Angeles are also voting in the city’s mayoral primary. Incumbent Karen Bass, who is making her case for a second term, is sandwiched between a challenge from the left by a former ally on the city council, and one from the right in the form of a pugnacious reality TV star. Bass, an ex-US congresswoman and Democratic Party stalwart, had an unremarkable start to her stint at the helm of America’s second biggest city, and seemed headed for a quasi-automatic re-election in the liberal city. But her flat-footed handling of the huge fires that tore through the city in January last year left her in trouble.

Australia orders platforms to not sell magnetic toys SYDNEY: Australia’s competition watchdog has sent takedown requests to Amazon, eBay, Kogan and Fruugo after finding listings for banned magnetic chess-style toys whose magnets can cause life-threatening injuries if swallowed by children. customers and prevent relisting. Amazon, Kogan and Fruugo have provided or offered refunds, it said. A Kogan spokeswoman said the company prioritises product safety and compliance across its storefronts, including through monitoring of ACCC, state regulator, recall and product ban notices.

The regulator said it would continue to investigate and consider enforcement action. The action comes days after the regulator sued Amazon’s Australian unit over alleged breaches of button-battery warning rules for children’s backpacks, its first Federal Court case against an online marketplace over product safety standards. “Customer safety is our top priority,” an Amazon spokesperson said in an email, adding the company has banned magnetic chess games from its store, regardless of whether such products could be sold in Australia.

eBay said listings found to breach its product safety policy were promptly removed after review. Fruugo could not immediately be reached. ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe urged consumers to stop using affected products, keep them away from children and seek refunds. She also called on online and bricks-and mortar retailers to review toys and games and recall any non-compliant products. – Reuters

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said yesterday it is investigating the supply of banned toys and games containing small high-powered magnets, including magnetic chess and magnetic battle chess products. Australia prohibits loose or separable magnets in certain toys, games and jewellery. The ACCC said the marketplaces have agreed to remove affected listings, contact