Author: Ruwaid Waddaah

Toronto, Atlanta (22/10 – 66) A recent, and eminently reasonable, proposal to pause the military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine was presented by Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto during the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, held in Singapore on June 3, 2023. Minister Prabowo, a retired and much-decorated General, suggested the two sides declare a ceasefire, to be followed by the creation of a demilitarized zone on the battlefield. The proposed truce would be monitored by United Nations peacekeeping forces, followed by a UN-monitored referendum to determine which country the disputed territories should join. Most third-world participants – and those from…

KOTA KINABALU: Some RM14mil has been allocated for cultural development in Sabah, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. The Chief Minister said of the amount, RM9.5mil was set aside by the state government for the Sabah Cultural Board (LKNS) while the rest came from the Federal Government under the 12th Malaysia Plan. He said the state has set seven priorities in cultural development, to be carried out between 2021 and 2030. “The priorities are arts and culture digitalisation (eCulture), integrated cultural tourism, preservation of culture, strengthening of ethnic relations, protection of intellectual property, research and documentation as well as expansion of…

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 7): Sabah will see the development of two new industrial parks in an effort to stimulate further the state’s economic growth and industries in line with the current state government’s investor-friendly approach. Chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said one of the parks will be developed in Kimanis for the oil and gas industry while the other, to be located in the Kota Marudu-Kota Belud area, will be a general industrial park. He said the move follows the two existing industrial parks — the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park and Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park — almost…

The world is encountering changes unseen in a century, and once again stands at a historical crossroad. On the one hand, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is gaining momentum, and the aspiration for win-win cooperation among the economies has grown even stronger. On the other hand, the international and regional landscapes are undergoing profound transformation, with instability and uncertainties, to some extent, on the rise. The concerns over power shift have led to growing geopolitical tensions. Global governance sustains risks of fragmentation and bloc confrontation. The Ukraine crisis is still dragging on, severely affecting global security…

Israel has not only been the victim of a vicious and despicable terrorist attack. It is also the victim of a brazenly cynical move to disrupt the international stage and subvert tranquility in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian powder keg conveniently served to add yet another full scale crisis putting even further pressure on a global order already strained to breaking point. Although no concrete evidence exists of any involvement in the attacks, Russia stands to gain the most from this extra flash point on the world map, as violence and war in the Middle East distracts from Putin’s unjustified…

The Philippines posted the fastest motor vehicle production and sales growth in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region in January to July, according to the latest data from the Asean Automotive Federation (AAF). Data from AAF showed that only the Philippines recorded annual increases of more than 30 percent in terms of sales and production of motor vehicles during the 7-month period. The country’s motor vehicle output in January to July rose by nearly 37 percent to 65,934 motor vehicles from the previous year’s 48,166 units. AAF data indicated that Thailand produced 1,071,221 motor vehicles in January to…

Frankfurt (22/09 – 58.33) Since May 2022, the Tajikistani authorities have stepped up their ongoing crackdown on Pamiris, an ethnic, linguistic and religious minority originating from the Pamir mountains in Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast of Tajikistan. They have arbitrarily detained hundreds of Pamiris, including civil society activists and human rights defenders, and imprisoned over 200 of them after convictions in unfair trials, in a campaign aimed at stripping the local communities of their leadership and dismantling their civil society. The authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Pamiri civil society activists, journalists and human rights defenders who have been detained solely…

The meeting welcomed the adoption of six work plans on cooperation to combat transnational crime, as well as the Labuan Bajo declaration on improving law enforcement cooperation. PHNOM PENH – ASEAN leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing collaboration with dialogue partners and external parties to address transnational crime and strengthen border security in the region. The commitment was made at the 17th ASEAN ministerial meeting on transnational crime (AMMTC) in Indonesian fishing town of Labuan Bajo on August 21. Ministry of Interior secretary of state Sok Phal led the Cambodian delegation to the meeting. “We exchanged views and reaffirmed our…

Berlin (21/08 – 50) A small community of bird enthusiasts in Astana have been setting ecological trends, advocating for ethical observation practices and environmental responsibility, and fostering camaraderie through shared sightings and insights. Ruslan Urazaliev, researcher and photographer, Kulyanda Tulebaeva, birdwatcher and photographer, and Vera Voronova, the executive director of the Association for Biodiversity Conservation of Kazakhstan (ASBK), shared their experiences supporting the city’s avian residents. Astana’s rough climate does not deter avian species, making it an unexpected winter haven for colorful birds like bullfinches, goldfinches, and snow buntings. As winter wanes, migratory birds stop in urban parks to recharge…

An Indian lawmaker has called for “surgical strikes on China” after Beijing released a new map suggesting ownership of territory also claimed by New Delhi. The new “standard map,” released on Monday by Beijing’s Ministry of Natural Resources, includes the territories of Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as part of China, along with Taiwan. It also indicates Chinese sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, which is contested by a number of neighboring countries. China and India dispute sovereignty over a number of regions along their shared border, which has sparked violent incidents over the past several years. Twenty Indian border guards and…