Indonesia says its Gaza peacekeepers would focus on health, infrastructure tasks
JAKARTA: Indonesia has trained up to 20,000 troops to take on health and construction-related tasks during a planned peacekeeping operation in the war-torn enclave of Gaza, the defense minister said on Friday. The world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia is among the countries with which the United States has discussed plans for a multinational stabilization […]
Read MoreIran seizes tanker in Strait of Hormuz, US official says, as tensions remain high in region
DUBAI: Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker as it traveled through the narrow Strait of Hormuz on Friday, a US official said, turning the ship into Iranian territorial waters in the first-such interdiction in months in the strategic waterway. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the seizure, though it comes as Tehran has been increasingly […]
Read MoreMalaysia’s Penang orders Chinese tourist’s panda mural removed
The Penang Island City Council has ordered the unauthorised mural at a building at Chew Jetty to be removed. In a notice dated Thursday, issued under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976 by the council’s Heritage Conservation Department, the building owner in the Malaysian state was instructed to erase and repaint the wall. […]
Read MoreSeoul’s backing of UN resolution on North Korea’s rights abuses tests limits of dialogue push
By Park Chan-kyong South Korea has thrown its weight behind a United Nations resolution condemning the North’s dire human rights record, a choice that could complicate Seoul’s push to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang, analysts have warned. The decision to co-sponsor the annual UN resolution – despite expectations that President Lee Jae-myung’s liberal government might step […]
Read MoreChina’s sovereign fund sidelines executives amid worries over US scrutiny
By Frank Tang in Washington China’s flagship sovereign wealth fund has moved three of its managing directors to new, subordinate roles, sources told the Post, with the heads of the fund’s fixed income, private equity and public relations departments all taking new non-managerial positions. All have extensive overseas work experience, and none have reached the […]
Read MoreMade In Central Asia: Leaders Eye $20 Billion Trade Milestone as Regional Cooperation Deepens
By Vagit Ismailov The first meeting of trade and investment ministers from Central Asian countries, joined by Azerbaijan, has taken place in Tashkent, where participants agreed to nearly double mutual trade to $20 billion and discussed launching a regional brand, Made in Central Asia. Opening the session, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade, Laziz […]
Read MoreKazakhstan To Join the Abraham Accords, Signaling Opportunity in Central Asia
By Samuel Ben-Ur Kazakhstan has reached out to the United States in an unprecedented fashion — by improving relations with Israel. Prior to a November summit between the United States and five Central Asia countries, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev approached Washington and reportedly expressed his desire to upgrade ties with Israel by joining the Abraham […]
Read MoreCentral Asia leaders to meet in Tashkent for regional consultative summit
Leaders from Central Asia will meet in Tashkent to discuss regional cooperation. Uzbekistan’s President Mirziyoyev calls it a key step in building trust and stability. Central Asian leaders will gather in Tashkent this weekend for the Seventh Consultative Meeting of Heads of State, with plans to adopt a package of multilateral agreements to deepen regional […]
Read MoreFugitive ex-Philippine official accuses Marcos of ordering bogus flood control projects
By Raissa Robles A fugitive former Philippine lawmaker has accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of directing him to add 100 billion pesos (US$1.7 billion) worth of dubious public works projects to the national budget, a claim that throws new fuel on the corruption scandal that has dogged his administration for months. Analysts say the explosive […]
Read MoreTurkiye, Egypt forging new axis in post-Gaza deal order
By Dr. Sinem Cengiz Since the signing of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal last month, regional countries have been working to keep Washington as engaged as possible in managing the next phase. At the same time, a new dynamic is emerging: these countries do not want to rely solely on the US for the implementation […]
Read More