Singapore will reconsider its position on recognising a Palestinian state if the situation continues to deteriorate, or if Israel takes further steps to extinguish a two-state solution, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan has said. Singapore has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “We will recognise the State of Palestine when […]
Read MoreIndonesia’s defence ministry put out a full-page advertisement in the country’s largest newspaper on Monday, detailing and defending key non-defence programmes being run by the military, amid criticism of the force’s increased role under President Prabowo Subianto. Since being elected as president last year, Prabowo has expanded the number of government posts for military personnel […]
Read MoreBy Alan Robles Half a century after his father declared martial law, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is confronting his own crisis: a corruption scandal of dizzying scale, coup rumours in the air and tens of thousands of Filipinos preparing to march on the streets of Manila. Adding to the pressure, Beijing has signalled a […]
Read MoreJAKARTA: A volcano in eastern Indonesia has erupted multiple times, spewing a column of ash kilometers into the sky after authorities raised its alert level to the highest, prompting a local airport to suspend operations on Saturday. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584-meter-high twin-peaked volcano on Flores island, launched into a series of eruptions Friday evening, […]
Read MoreBy Jean Iau At first glance, Gita Sjahrir is often mistaken for just another secretary or typist. It’s only when her surname is mentioned that colleagues realise she is, in fact, a managing director of one of Indonesia’s leading power companies. Earlier this year, the 43-year-old assumed responsibility for investor relations at TBS Energi, which […]
Read MoreBy Joseph Sipalan Depending on who you ask, Anwar Ibrahim is either on a mission to liberate Malaysia from decades of corruption or settling old political scores under the guise of reform. The latest target of the prime minister’s anti-graft investigators? His 100-year-old arch rival and former mentor, Mahathir Mohamad. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission recently […]
Read MoreBULACAN, Philippines: On the Philippine island of Pugad, street food vendor Maria Tamayo wakes before her grandchildren to begin the backbreaking work of removing seawater from her home scoop by scoop with a plastic dustpan. The routine has been the same ever since the rising tides of Manila Bay began swallowing the island — a […]
Read MoreBy Maria Siow India and the United States are exploring ways to tap Myanmar’s rare earth reserves, with New Delhi reportedly in talks with a powerful rebel group and Washington considering working with either opposing side of the country’s civil war, as they seek to diversify their sources for the crucial minerals. But analysts say […]
Read MoreBy Aidan Jones In Thailand, elections do not necessarily decide who governs. Over the past few weeks, that paradox has played out once more, with a prime minister ousted, the country’s best-known political dynasty sidelined and a new leader taking the reins. For young Thai activist Aitarnik Chitwiset, the endless chaos feels like it has […]
Read MoreBy Raissa Robles Coup rumours swirled in the Philippine capital over the weekend, with the military placed on “red alert” and all leave for its personnel cancelled, ahead of planned protests against corruption in state-funded flood control projects. Sources close to and within the military confirmed to This Week in Asia that certain private individuals, […]
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