Author: Jafar Marzooq

London, Dublin (1/11 – 66) Hamas is sheltered in a sea of civilians. Ostensibly a Palestinian political and military organization established in 1987, Hamas “governs” on the basis of having won a majority in the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections – defeating Fatah, another Islamist terror combine – before forming a government in the Gaza Strip, described as “…the world’s largest open-air prison” for its Palestinian inhabitants. So why don’t the Palestinians, having been robbed of their ancient lands, simply up and move somewhere else? It is telling that none of the Islamic nations surrounding Israel care to admit any more…

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government is donating RM300,000 to the Palestine Peace Fund, while another RM355,000 has been collected from various agencies and organisations in the state to help the cause. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor (pic) announced the donation during a humanitarian gathering for Palestine at the Wisma Muis on Saturday (Oct 28). He said Sabah supported the move by Palestine to fight for their freedom of land and peace from war. “This gathering here today is also a show of our solidarity and support for peace and love for harmony,” he said. Hajiji said all acts of…

SE Asian governments stake out divergent positions on Hamas assault on Israel, underscoring the bloc’s rising polarization “The Philippines conveys its deepest sympathies and condolences to those who have lost family members and loved ones in recent attacks,” the Philippine presidential palace said in a statement following the latest round of conflict in the Middle East. “The Philippines condemns the attacks, especially against civilian populations,” the Southeast Asian nation added, referring to the unprecedented attacks by the militant Hamas organization across Israel which has claimed hundreds of lives including civilians. In stark contrast to the position of the Philippines, neighboring Malaysia reaffirmed…

Director General of the Indo-Pacific Region, Gabriel Chartier of the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie, made the statement at a seminar to evaluate investment potential in Việt Nam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region held in Canada this week. Director General of the Indo-Pacific Region, Gabriel Chartier of the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie, made the statement at a seminar to evaluate investment potential in Việt Nam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region held in Canada this week, as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on September 15. Themed “Việt…

KUCHING (Oct 7): The Sheraton Kuching Hotel, located at the city’s ‘Golden Triangle’, is now operational following its soft opening today. The soft opening ceremony, which featured lion dances and lighting of firecrackers, was attended by hotel owner Tan Sri Yee Ming Seng, family members and business associates. Easily distinguishable by its iconic curved architecture, the construction of the hotel had been fully completed recently and has 22 floors and 378 rooms although at the moment, only few floors and facilities are available for guests access until the grand opening. Ming Seng (fourth left) in a photo with family members…

Vienna, Brussels (26/9 – 36) David McCallum – the British actor who played as Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard, a pathologist on hit CBS TV program NCIS, has died aged 90 on Monday (25/09/2023). McCallum died on Monday of natural causes, surrounded by his family, at New York Presbyterian Hospital, CBS said in a statement. NCIS executive producers Steven D. Binder and David North shared their memories of working with McCallum. “For over twenty years, David McCallum endeared himself to audiences around the world playing the wise, quirky, and sometimes enigmatic, Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard,” they shared in a statement. “But…

10 members and prospective 11th, Timor Leste, will conduct non-combat exercises around Indonesia’s Batam. All 10 ASEAN states will begin a joint military exercise Tuesday in Indonesia, the first time such an event will involve only the bloc’s members even as Beijing asserts its sweeping claims in the disputed South China Sea. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has held joint drills with other countries, including the United States and China, but this ASEAN-only exercise is a sign of growing cooperation and unity on maritime security, analysts told BenarNews, an online news agency affiliated with Radio Free Asia. The 10…

KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) will continue to work with the Sarawak state government to develop its oil and gas resources, said president and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz today. He said the national oil firm is keen to develop fields beyond the commercial settlement agreement executed on Dec 7, 2020, which also addressed areas around upstream participation. “We wish to emphasise again as we work (on) the five discoveries off Sarawak. We recognise the prolific nature of the reserves there and we make the commitment to work with the state government to…

Fishery stocks are resources of wildlife with limited capacity of replenishment. The sustainable use of these resources requires management regimes to be science-based and well enforced, and uncertainties should be taken into account. Generally, international law including UNCLOS has provided legal basis for such cooperation. Among them, one is that states bordering an enclosed or semi-enclosed sea should cooperate with each other in the exercise of their rights and in the performance of their duties to coordinate the management, conservation, exploration and exploitation of the living resources of the sea. Another is that before maritime delimitation disputes have been settled,…

The 43rd ASEAN Summit will continue discussions on strengthening the bloc’s capacity and institutional effectiveness to help the organization respond to challenges in the next 20 years. ASEAN chair Indonesia is set to host the summit and related meetings in Jakarta from September 5–7, 2023. The Director-General of ASEAN Cooperation at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sidharto Suryodipuro, said that Indonesia aims to lay the foundation for ASEAN cooperation to address current and future challenges. “To achieve that, we must strengthen our institution (ASEAN) and its working mechanisms,” he said during a virtual press briefing on Friday. He informed that there…