PASIR PUTEH, June 7 — Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students who survived a bus crash in Gerik, Perak, on June 9 last year are still recovering from their trauma, thanks to the continued support of their families, friends and the university.

A crash survivor, Abdul Wafiy Kamaruddin, 24, said he has managed to deal with the trauma of using public transport, even though he had trouble being inside vehicles following his ordeal, thanks to the university’s continuous counselling support for survivors.

“Initially, I was afraid when getting into vehicles and would worry, but Alhamdulillah I’m getting better in stages and now I don’t have trouble taking the bus or public transport.

“The UPSI counsellors always follow up on those of us who survived the crash and that really helped our emotional recovery,” he told reporters during a UPSI gathering for students and families involved in the crash in Tok Bali today.

He recounted how he saw many of his fellow students staggering around injured right after the crash, while he was fortunate to sustain only minor injuries.

“I was sitting in the last back seat on the right side. When I regained consciousness after the crash, I saw many of my friends injured and wanted to help them, but I was not physically able to do so.

“I could only help those near me, and this has haunted me for almost two to three months before I managed to slowly recover,” Abdul Wafiy said.

He also pointed out that many survivors have improved emotionally after receiving various forms of support.

“So far, 27 survivors are more stable and are recovering emotionally. This shows how vital families, friends and educational institutions are in helping victims like us carry on with life after facing tragedies,” he said.

He admitted that the June 9 crash, which killed 15 UPSI students, would remain with him for the rest of his life.

Everyone on the bus was in a festive mood because of Aidilfitri, he recalled, with laughter and smiles all around.

“But in the blink of an eye, 15 of us were killed and for those of us who survived, our lives have changed forever,” he said.

Besides focusing on his recovery, Abdul Wafiy also shares his experience and views on road safety on various platforms, having appeared as an invited panellist at the Road Safety Congress in November last year. — Bernama

Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contest

Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine.

Victory on Tuesday caps a remarkable rise for a candidate who has never held elected office and whose campaign was shadowed by negative headlines that might have ended a more conventional political career.

PETALING JAYA, June 4 — All 18 affiliates of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) unanimously approved amendments to the FAM Statutes proposed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at the FAM Extraordinary Congress here today.

The approval was reached after delegates debated several provisions in the draft statutes before AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John and AFC deputy secretary-general Vahid Kardany provided clarification on issues raised.

Earlier, Windsor said the AFC-proposed draft statutes comprised 94 articles following an audit of FAM’s administration, aimed at strengthening governance and ensuring positive reforms within the national football governing body.

Among the key proposals are the abolition of the deputy president’s post, the reduction of vice-presidential seats to three, and the restructuring of the FAM Executive Committee (Exco).

The 77-page draft statutes also propose an expansion of FAM’s affiliate membership, including granting Super League clubs automatic affiliate status and voting rights at congresses, subject to the condition that they are separate entities from state football associations.

In addition, club representatives from the Amateur Football League (AFL), the National Women’s League and the Malaysia Premier Futsal League, as well as the Professional Footballers Association of Malaysia (PFAM) and the Referees Association, are also proposed to become FAM affiliates.

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Honorary President Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin (2nd left) together with Secretary-General of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John (2nd right) speaking at a press conference after the 2026 FAM Extraordinary Congress in Kuala Lumpur June 4, 2026. — Bernama pic

Under the proposed new Executive Committee (Exco) composition, seven seats will be allocated, with three reserved for representatives of state associations, including the Malaysian Malay Football Association, Royal Malaysia Police Football Association, Malaysian Armed Forces Football Association, Malaysian Indian Sports Council and Malaysian Chinese Football Association.

Two additional seats will be allocated to club representatives, one seat to a women’s representative and one expert seat to be represented by either the Football Coaches Association of Malaysia (PJBM), PFAM or the Referees Association.

Meanwhile, FAM affiliates also unanimously approved the Electoral Code and Organisational Regulations of the national football governing body.

Today’s Extraordinary Congress was chaired by AFC secretary-general Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John and attended by FAM honorary president Tan Sri Hamidin Mohd Amin, FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman, 35 delegates representing all 18 affiliates, as well as Fifa and AFC representatives and observers.

In January, all members of the FAM Executive Committee (Exco) for the 2025-2029 term announced their collective and voluntary resignation.

The decision was made unanimously in consideration of their responsibility to the organisation without regard to personal interests or positions. It was also described as a prudent and principled move in light of public attention surrounding issues related to heritage players and to safeguard FAM’s integrity. — Bernama

More Americans than ever think the environment is in bad shape, and they want the government to do something about it. According to a new Gallup poll released last week, only 35% of U.S. adults rate the overall quality of the environment as good or excellent. That’s the lowest number Gallup has recorded since it started asking the question in 2001.

It’s not just one or two things people are worried about. Drinking water, rivers and lakes, climate change, air pollution, endangered species. Concerns are on the rise across the board.

What People Are Most Worried About

Water is the top concern, and it has been for over two decades. More than half of Americans — 56% — say they worry “a great deal” about drinking water pollution. Another 53% say the same about the country’s fresh water supply. Half are deeply worried about pollution in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.

Climate change isn’t far behind. A companion Gallup climate report finds that 44% of Americans worry “a great deal” about global warming, close to the all-time high of 46% recorded in 2020. Two out of three Americans say they worry at least “a fair amount.”

The poll also found that 57% of Americans now think the government is doing too little to protect the environment. That’s up from 50% just a year ago, a significant jump in a short time and in the face of an administration dedicated to dismantling U.S. environmental regulations.

While Democrats worry more than Republicans on nearly every issue, independent voters — often the key swing group in elections — have shifted sharply toward deep concern about the nation’s direction: 61% now say the government isn’t doing enough, up from 52% last year.

So What Has Congress Actually Done?

While public concern has been rising, the 119th Congress, which took office in January 2025 with Republicans in control of both chambers, has been rolling back environmental protections at a record pace.

The main tool has been the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a law that lets Congress cancel recently issued regulations with a simple majority vote. In 2025 alone, Congress passed 22 CRA resolutions into law, more than the total number of successful CRA rollbacks in the entire prior history of the law. Most targeted the EPA.

Among the protections eliminated: a rule charging oil and gas companies for methane pollution, standards regulating hazardous air emissions from rubber tire manufacturing, and California’s authority to set stricter vehicle emissions standards, overturned despite a determination by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office that those waivers weren’t even legally subject to repeal.

Meanwhile, pro-environment bills have gone nowhere. The Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act, which would require fossil fuel companies to pay into a $1 trillion climate fund, has gone undebated in committee since January 2025. The Clean Competition Act, a bipartisan carbon border adjustment that would reward cleaner American manufacturers, has also stalled.

The public says it wants more action on the environment. Congress has delivered less.

Tell Your Lawmakers How You Feel

The good news: this is exactly the kind of issue where public pressure can matter. Here’s how to make your voice heard:

• Find your senators and representative and contact them by phone or email.
• Check your lawmakers’ environmental voting records at the League of Conservation Voters Scorecard.
• Ask specifically whether they support fully funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund and passing the Clean Competition Act.
• Share the Gallup poll results with friends, neighbors, and on social media. Public awareness drives political action. Take a stand for the environment you want.

The post Most Americans Are Worried About the Environment. Is Congress? appeared first on Earth911.