Xi Jinping tells leaders at Central Asia summit to 'resist external interference' - CNA

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told leaders at a Central Asia summit in the Kazakh capital Astana on Thursday (Jul 4) to "resist external interference", state media reported.

"We should join hands to resist external interference, firmly support each other, take care of each other's concerns ... and firmly control the future and destiny of our countries and regional peace and development in our own hands," Xi told a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The SCO, which encompasses a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing, includes around half the world's population and on Thursday will welcome its 10th member, Belarus.

Its other permanent members are this year's host Kazakhstan, India, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and, as of last year, Iran.

"The world stands again at a crossroads," CCTV reported Xi as saying.

"It is extremely important to the world that the SCO stands on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice."

On Wednesday, Xi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who told the Chinese leader that the Shanghai alliance was strengthening its role as "one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order".

The SCO's main thrust is fostering economic ties between member countries and developing giant projects to link China and Europe via Central Asia.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine - which China has refused to condemn - has increased major powers' interest in the region. Moscow is seeking to maintain its traditional sway there, but Beijing now has strong ties through its flagship Belt and Road infrastructure project, while the West is also vying for influence.

According to CCTV, Xi told leaders on Thursday: "We must safeguard the right to development, adhere to inclusiveness, jointly promote technological innovation, maintain the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains, stimulate the endogenous power of the regional economy, and promote the realisation of common development goals".

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL2Vhc3QtYXNpYS9jaGluZXNlLXByZXNpZGVudC14aS1qaW5waW5nLXRlbGxzLWxlYWRlcnMtY2VudHJhbC1hc2lhLXN1bW1pdC1zY28tcmVzaXN0LWV4dGVybmFsLWludGVyZmVyZW5jZS00NDU3MjMx0gEA?oc=5

2024-07-04 09:26:00Z
CBMikQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGFubmVsbmV3c2FzaWEuY29tL2Vhc3QtYXNpYS9jaGluZXNlLXByZXNpZGVudC14aS1qaW5waW5nLXRlbGxzLWxlYWRlcnMtY2VudHJhbC1hc2lhLXN1bW1pdC1zY28tcmVzaXN0LWV4dGVybmFsLWludGVyZmVyZW5jZS00NDU3MjMx0gEA

Biden rejects growing pressure to abandon his presidential campaign, vows to stay 'to the end' - The Straits Times

US President Joe Biden met with Democratic governors and the mayor of Washington DC on July 3 to reassure them he is up to the job. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden vowed to stay in the 2024 presidential race during calls with campaign staff and meetings with Democratic lawmakers and governors on July 3, as he sought to shake off calls for him to drop out after his shaky debate performance last week.

Mr Biden dialled in to a call with worried members of his campaign team and told them he wasn’t going anywhere, according to two sources familiar with the call.

“No one is pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end,” Mr Biden said in a separate e-mail blast by his campaign, urging supporters to “pitch in a few bucks” to help defeat his Republican rival Donald Trump in the Nov 5 US presidential election.

The US President met virtually and in person with 24 Democratic governors and the mayor of Washington DC on the evening of July 3 to reassure them he is up to the job of standard-bearer for the party after the faltering debate performance.

Only three of the governors – the leaders of New York, Minnesota, and Maryland – met with reporters afterwards, vowing to stand with Mr Biden after what they called an honest discussion about his bad performance in last week’s debate.

“The President has always had our backs. We’re going to have his back as well,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said Mr Biden’s June 27 night debate performance against former US president Trump was bad, but added that he felt Mr Biden was fit for office.

Concerns about Mr Biden’s age and mental acuity exploded after June 27’s debate with Trump, in which the US President mumbled under his breath, lost his train of thought at times and, at one point, talked of beating Medicare.

The US President has said that he was tired after two foreign trips, and the White House has said he had a cold.

Asked on July 3 if Mr Biden was considering stepping down, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Absolutely not.”

A Wall Street Journal survey found Trump beating Mr Biden by a margin of 48 per cent to 42 per cent, up one percentage point, while a New York Times/Siena poll found Trump’s lead over Mr Biden had widened by three points to 49 per cent to 43 per cent.

In a call among House Democrats on July 3, Arizona’s Raul Grijalva called for Mr Biden to drop out of the race, while Representative Seth Moulton from Massachusetts pointed to Mr Biden’s age as a liability.

“The unfortunate reality is that the status quo will likely deliver us president Trump,” Mr Moulton said in a statement. “President Biden is not going to get younger.”

While the campaign has highlighted fund-raising successes with grassroots donors and held damage control calls with donors, Mr Reed Hastings, a major Democratic Party donor and a co-founder of streaming platform Netflix, called for Mr Biden to step aside.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris has meanwhile gained support as his potential replacement.

Mr Dmitri Mehlhorn, an adviser to LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, told Reuters his team would “enthusiastically support a ticket led by our tough and savvy Vice-President if Biden were to step aside for any reason”.

Mr Melhorn said Ms Harris was the only serious national contender who had already been subjected to major attacks by Trump’s Make America Great Again supporters.

“We would lose Joe’s superpower brand, but we would gain other benefits and would still be competitive,” he said.

Remote video URL

More On This Topic

Biden tells allies he knows he has only days to salvage US president candidacy

Democrats go public with panic about Biden amid fears of an electoral debacle

Governors as alternatives?

Democrats and donors concerned about Mr Biden’s viability in the November election will be closely watching an interview with ABC News expected to be taped and aired on July 5 during a campaign visit to Madison, Wisconsin.

The White House said Mr Biden has spoken with Democratic leaders in Congress as well as Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn, who was instrumental in Mr Biden’s 2020 win.

Mr Clyburn, who has said he would back Ms Harris as the presidential candidate if Mr Biden stepped aside, told CNN on July 3 that the party should hold a “mini-primary” if Mr Biden steps aside. He is the first senior party member to talk publicly about how replacing Mr Biden as a candidate could work.

Remote video URL

Some of the governors who met with Mr Biden on July 3 could be potential rivals if pressure for him to step aside were to increase, but many of them also speak on Mr Biden’s behalf on the campaign trail.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear have all been mentioned as possible replacements to Mr Biden. REUTERS

More On This Topic

US President Biden’s lapses said to be increasingly common and worrisome

Joe Biden and the tragedy of liberal denialism

• US presidential election 2024
• Joe Biden
• US politics
• US Democratic Party

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vd29ybGQvYmlkZW4tdm93cy10by1zdGF5LWluLXByZXNpZGVudGlhbC1yYWNlLXNjcmFtYmxlcy10by1yZWFzc3VyZS1kZW1vY3JhdHPSAQA?oc=5

2024-07-03 18:35:35Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vd29ybGQvYmlkZW4tdm93cy10by1zdGF5LWluLXByZXNpZGVudGlhbC1yYWNlLXNjcmFtYmxlcy10by1yZWFzc3VyZS1kZW1vY3JhdHPSAQA

China supports Kazakhstan joining BRICS, President Xi says - CNA

BEIJING: China's President Xi Jinping said he supports Kazakhstan joining the BRICS bloc, Chinese state media reported on Wednesday (Jul 3), as the group of developing nations mulls further expansion to rival a Western-dominated world order it sees as outdated.

Speaking to the press alongside Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following a meeting in the Central Asian state's capital, Xi encouraged Kazakhstan to "play the role of a middle power on the international stage and make its due contribution to global governance", while endorsing Astana's accession.

China and Russia are pushing for the expansion of the BRICS grouping, which also includes Brazil, India and South Africa, as they seek to counter Western economic dominance.

Originally an acronym coined by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in 2001, the bloc was founded as an informal four-nation club in 2009 and added South Africa a year later.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9jaGluYS1zdXBwb3J0cy1rYXpha2hzdGFuLWpvaW5pbmctYnJpY3MtcHJlc2lkZW50LXhpLXNheXMtNDQ1NDI2MdIBAA?oc=5

2024-07-03 09:16:00Z
CBMiZmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9jaGluYS1zdXBwb3J0cy1rYXpha2hzdGFuLWpvaW5pbmctYnJpY3MtcHJlc2lkZW50LXhpLXNheXMtNDQ1NDI2MdIBAA

China becomes key player in Iraq's oil industry as the Middle Eastern country rebuilds - CNA

IRAQ STILL WANTS US PARTICIPATION

Baghdad still wants US participation in its oil industry.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani visited Texas in April and personally invited oil companies to buy licences this year, but in vain. 

“Oil is geographically widespread. It’s being produced in ever more countries all the time. So they (the US) might be comparing Iraq with places like Suriname, or Tanzania, or Mozambique, or Papua New Guinea, or Guyana,” said Dr Krane, who is also co-director of the Middle East Energy Roundtable. 

“(These are) relatively risky locales, where they’re going to be looking for a generous production service contract with some potential upside into it.”

In Iraq’s latest licensing round, it was mostly so-called technical services contracts for sale under which oil majors get a flat fee per barrel of oil they extract.

US giants typically want a production-sharing contract, which allows them to make bigger profits.

While Chinese companies are similarly driven by profit, there is also a national imperative to extract oil - China needs to buy foreign oil to meet domestic demand and has been importing nearly half of Iraq’s oil. 

But the US is a net exporter of oil and does not share this need. 

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL2lyYXEtb2lsLWNoaW5hLW9pbC1saWNlbmNlLXVzLWV4eG9ubW9iaWwtc29sYXItZW5lcmd5LTQ0NTQzNDHSAQA?oc=5

2024-07-03 09:37:05Z
CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL2lyYXEtb2lsLWNoaW5hLW9pbC1saWNlbmNlLXVzLWV4eG9ubW9iaWwtc29sYXItZW5lcmd5LTQ0NTQzNDHSAQA

UK election: Youths urge their peers to vote, as right-wing Reform Party gains popularity - CNA

REFORM PARTY GAINING POPULARITY

The youngest voters in the UK are likely unable to remember a government other than one helmed by the Conservative Party, which has been in power for 14 years. 

But the ruling Tories are not expected to win their support in the current atmosphere of uncertainty and pessimism.

This has been apparent outside urban centres, like in the coastal town of Clacton-on-Sea on England’s east coast.

A relatively new political force has been capturing the attention of youngsters there – the right-wing Reform Party led by Nigel Farage, who is running for a parliamentary seat in Clacton.

This is particularly notable in a country where the young tend to vote for left-wing parties.

Farage has called the “rapidly growing” support among young voters “truly remarkable”. 

While the party’s social media campaign has convinced many young voters, it is Farage himself who seems to have struck a chord. The 60-year-old has the highest number of followers by far on TikTok among UK politicians.

In one TikTok video, he told his audience: “If you're wondering why you can’t get a house, why rents are up 20 per cent in the last three years, if you're wondering why your granny can’t get a (medical) appointment – it's because we have a population explosion … The most affected group are the young people of this country.”

Farage and his party have also based their campaign around the fact that Brexit was not properly implemented, which is the “elephant in the room”, said Paul Pickering, professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at Australian National University.

He told CNA’s Asia First programme: “A lot of other commentators would say that a lot of the problems that the British economy is now facing – its labour market and so forth – are as a result of Brexit, but it's just no one really wants to go there again. 

“That's something that no one's really prepared to talk about."

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdWstZWxlY3Rpb24teW91dGgtdm90ZXJzLXVyZ2UtcGVlcnMtcmlnaHQtd2luZy1yZWZvcm0tcGFydHktbmlnZWwtZmFyYWdlLTQ0NTM2MDHSAQA?oc=5

2024-07-03 02:21:56Z
CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdWstZWxlY3Rpb24teW91dGgtdm90ZXJzLXVyZ2UtcGVlcnMtcmlnaHQtd2luZy1yZWZvcm0tcGFydHktbmlnZWwtZmFyYWdlLTQ0NTM2MDHSAQA

Malaysia court dismisses jailed ex-PM Najib's bid to serve sentence under house arrest - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian court dismissed jailed former prime minister Najib Razak's legal bid to obtain a document that he said would allow him to serve his remaining prison sentence under house arrest, his lawyer said on Wednesday (Jul 3).

In a judicial review application filed on Apr 1, Najib said an "addendum order" issued by the former king had accompanied a pardons board's decision in February to halve his 12-year jail sentence for graft in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

Najib had sought for the court to compel the government to reply to or confirm the existence of the royal order, which he said would entitle him to serve the remainder of his term under house arrest, and to execute the order if it existed. 

The Kuala Lumpur High Court found there was no merit to the former premier's bid and that the government had no legal duty to respond to the application, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters.

Najib planned to appeal the decision, he said.

"In terms of ethics, the government should have responded," he said.

The attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The pardons board that halved Najib's term was chaired by King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, whose five-year reign as head of state ended in January.

Najib was found guilty in 2020 of criminal breach of trust and abuse of power for illegally receiving funds misappropriated from a unit of state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. The verdict was upheld by Malaysia's top court in 2022.

Malaysian and US investigators estimate US$4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB and more than US$1 billion channelled to accounts linked to Najib.

The pardons board in February said Najib was expected to be released in August 2028, six years after he began serving his sentence. It also reduced fines imposed on the ex-premier, sparking uproar in Malaysia.

Najib, who is also considering filing a new petition for a full pardon, remains on trial for corruption in several other 1MDB-linked cases.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS8xbWRiLW5hamliLWJpZC1ob3VzZS1hcnJlc3Qtc2VydmUtc2VudGVuY2UtamFpbC1jb3VydC00NDUzNjU20gEA?oc=5

2024-07-03 02:20:00Z
CBMiYmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS8xbWRiLW5hamliLWJpZC1ob3VzZS1hcnJlc3Qtc2VydmUtc2VudGVuY2UtamFpbC1jb3VydC00NDUzNjU20gEA

China's Xi in Kazakhstan for state visit, SCO summit; Modi to skip annual huddle - CNA

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CCAiCzg3UzJIQ3ZOdzlZmAEB?oc=5

2024-07-02 12:15:24Z
CCAiCzg3UzJIQ3ZOdzlZmAEB

Citigroup: Malaysia’s spending in first five months of 2024 makes fuel subsidy cuts urgent - Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Malaysia’s fiscal spending in the first five months of 2024 highlights a pressing need to reform fuel subsidies to meet the country’s deficit target for next year, according to Citigroup Inc.

In a news report on Bloomberg today, Citigroup’s chief Malaysian economist, Wei Zheng Kit, noted on Monday that government spending from January to May reached 53.9 per cent of the full-year target, surpassing the spending levels of the same periods in previous years.

He said as soon as this month, Malaysia may start to roll back blanket subsidies for RON95 fuel, the country’s most widely used gasoline, following the recent shift towards targeted diesel assistance in June.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim aims to reduce Malaysia’s budget deficit to 4.3 per cent of GDP from last year’s 5 per cent by phasing out broad subsidies, in a bid to attract more investments into the country, reported Bloomberg.

Advertisement

In 2023, Malaysia allocated approximately RM81 billion to subsidies, with fuel assistance comprising the majority.

Citi estimates that the government could save an additional RM3 billion to RM4 billion this year if a 30 sen per litre increase for RON95 is implemented in July, said Bloomberg.

Authorities have indicated that the targeted diesel assistance alone could save about RM4 billion annually.

Advertisement

However, officials are proceeding with caution, and some analysts believe the RON95 subsidy cuts may be postponed to the end of 2024.

Anwar today said the government’s current focus is to ensure the smooth implementation of diesel reforms, following a 56 per cent overnight price hike last month that faced public backlash.

The prime minister told Parliament that there is currently no policy framework in place for a swift removal of RON95 subsidies.

“Targeted subsidies are hard to implement. If you ask me, we should have done it for RON95 a long time ago, but it’s not easy,” he was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYWxheW1haWwuY29tL25ld3MvbWFsYXlzaWEvMjAyNC8wNy8wMi9jaXRpZ3JvdXAtbWFsYXlzaWFzLXNwZW5kaW5nLWluLWZpcnN0LWZpdmUtbW9udGhzLW9mLTIwMjQtbWFrZXMtZnVlbC1zdWJzaWR5LWN1dHMtdXJnZW50LzE0MjUzMNIBlgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYWxheW1haWwuY29tL2FtcC9uZXdzL21hbGF5c2lhLzIwMjQvMDcvMDIvY2l0aWdyb3VwLW1hbGF5c2lhcy1zcGVuZGluZy1pbi1maXJzdC1maXZlLW1vbnRocy1vZi0yMDI0LW1ha2VzLWZ1ZWwtc3Vic2lkeS1jdXRzLXVyZ2VudC8xNDI1MzA?oc=5

2024-07-02 09:26:36Z
CBMikgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYWxheW1haWwuY29tL25ld3MvbWFsYXlzaWEvMjAyNC8wNy8wMi9jaXRpZ3JvdXAtbWFsYXlzaWFzLXNwZW5kaW5nLWluLWZpcnN0LWZpdmUtbW9udGhzLW9mLTIwMjQtbWFrZXMtZnVlbC1zdWJzaWR5LWN1dHMtdXJnZW50LzE0MjUzMNIBlgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5tYWxheW1haWwuY29tL2FtcC9uZXdzL21hbGF5c2lhLzIwMjQvMDcvMDIvY2l0aWdyb3VwLW1hbGF5c2lhcy1zcGVuZGluZy1pbi1maXJzdC1maXZlLW1vbnRocy1vZi0yMDI0LW1ha2VzLWZ1ZWwtc3Vic2lkeS1jdXRzLXVyZ2VudC8xNDI1MzA

At least 3 tour bus drivers found without licence as Malaysia tightens checks - The Straits Times

Malaysia's enforcement officers inspecting tour buses and vans in Gombak, Selangor, on July 2. PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) seized two tour buses after their drivers were found to have no driving licences as at 9.30am on July 2.

JPJ senior enforcement director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan said the two tour buses were temporarily seized during a crackdown on tour bus companies that began on July 2.

“The bus companies were contacted and told to send replacement drivers before they were allowed to leave at about 9.30am,” he said, adding that the companies would be issued summonses.

Mr Muhammad Kifli added that a tour bus driver, in his 30s, was also detained after failing a drug test.

A check on the drivers of a further 16 tour buses and five express buses came back negative for drug use.

Some 70 officers from the JPJ, police, National Anti-drug Agency and Tourism Ministry were involved in the joint operation, which took place from 6am till 12pm on July 2.

Mr Muhammad Kifli also said that Johor JPJ officers had temporarily detained a tour bus entering Malaysia after it was found that the Singaporean driver did not possess a licence.

Embed Facebook

Facebook

The crackdown on tour bus companies may be extended beyond July 31, said Mr Muhammad Kifli.

“If we are still not satisfied with the situation, the operations will carry on till a directive is issued by the (transport) minister,” he told reporters at the JPJ Enforcement Centre in Gombak, Selangor.

On July 1, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced a major crackdown on tour bus and van operators following a fatal accident involving a tour bus.

On June 29, a tour bus carrying 21 people overturned while descending from Genting Highlands, killing two Chinese tourists.

Initial investigations revealed that the 32-year-old bus driver had 27 previous traffic summonses for various offences and did not have a licence.

The company was found to be operating without a permit for four months, using 15 permits for tour buses and 18 for factory buses.

The driver has since been remanded for further investigations.

Mr Loke said he had instructed the Land Public Transport Agency to take stern action against the company, including suspension and revocation of its operating licence, if it is found to have violated regulations. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

More On This Topic

Genting bus crash: Tour bus owners could face $144,000 fine and jail time

Two Chinese tourists dead after tour bus overturns in Genting Highlands; driver did not have licence

• Accidents - traffic
• Malaysia
• Traffic/Road rules

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvc2UtYXNpYS9hdC1sZWFzdC0zLXRvdXItYnVzLWRyaXZlcnMtaW5jbHVkaW5nLWEtcy1wb3JlYW4tZm91bmQtd2l0aG91dC1saWNlbmNlLWFzLW1hbGF5c2lhLXRpZ2h0ZW5zLWNoZWNrc9IBAA?oc=5

2024-07-02 06:17:07Z
CBMijAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvc2UtYXNpYS9hdC1sZWFzdC0zLXRvdXItYnVzLWRyaXZlcnMtaW5jbHVkaW5nLWEtcy1wb3JlYW4tZm91bmQtd2l0aG91dC1saWNlbmNlLWFzLW1hbGF5c2lhLXRpZ2h0ZW5zLWNoZWNrc9IBAA

Malaysia, Indonesia ready to send peacekeeping forces to Gaza, says Anwar - CNA

SINGAPORE: Malaysia stands ready to cooperate with Indonesia to send peacekeeping forces to Gaza if given a mandate by the United Nations (UN), Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on social media after a phone call with Indonesia president-elect Prabowo Subianto on Monday (Jul 1).

Such a peacekeeping collaboration could expand to a regional level involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Mr Anwar suggested in his Facebook post following the call. 

The duo had a three-minute conversation and exchanged views on issues including Mr Prabowo’s representation of his country on the world stage, Mr Anwar added.

“I also welcomed the idea of cooperation in the Malaysia-Indonesia international peacekeeping mission and the possibility of expanding this collaboration to the ASEAN regional level,” he wrote.

In their call, Mr Anwar also wished Mr Prabowo a speedy recovery after a leg surgery, which he underwent last month.

TRACK RECORD OF PEACEKEEPING 

Malaysia and Indonesia are no strangers to peacekeeping efforts. According to the UN, Malaysia has 862 uniformed personnel involved in UN peacekeeping operations as at end-April. Some 825 of them are troops.

Since 1960, the country has participated in over 38 peacekeeping operations, including in Lebanon, said Colonel Shamsuri Noordin, military advisor at the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the UN, in a speech in February.

Indonesia has 2,715 uniformed personnel deployed in UN peacekeeping operations as at end-April, according to the UN.

Mr Anwar has been a staunch and vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has defended Malaysia’s relationship with the militant group Hamas.

In the wake of Israel’s war in Gaza, which began after Hamas’ cross-border assault on Oct 7, he has voiced concerns about the reluctance of the United States and the West to apply pressure on Israel.

The war has killed over 37,000 people in Gaza, according to the local health ministry.

Mr Anwar has also spoken about redoubling efforts to further strengthen ASEAN as a key platform in managing regional affairs. Malaysia will take over as the bloc’s rotating chair in 2025.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1hbndhci1wZWFjZWtlZXBpbmctZ2F6YS1pbmRvbmVzaWEtYXNlYW4tNDQ1MDk2NtIBAA?oc=5

2024-07-02 06:55:00Z
CBMiXWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vYXNpYS9tYWxheXNpYS1hbndhci1wZWFjZWtlZXBpbmctZ2F6YS1pbmRvbmVzaWEtYXNlYW4tNDQ1MDk2NtIBAA

US Supreme Court rules Trump has immunity for official, not private acts - CNA

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court for the first time on Monday (Jul 1) recognised that ex-presidents have immunity from prosecution for certain actions taken in office, as it threw out a judicial decision rejecting Donald Trump's bid to shield himself from criminal charges involving his efforts to undo his 2020 election loss.

The court ruled 6-3 that while former presidents enjoy immunity for actions they take within their constitutional authority, they do not for actions taken in a private capacity. The ruling marked the first time since the nation's 18th century founding that the Supreme Court has declared that former presidents may be shielded from criminal charges in any instance.

Chief Justice John Roberts announced the landmark ruling on behalf of the court's six-justice conserverative majority. The court's three liberal justices dissented.

The decision came in Trump's appeal of a lower court ruling rejecting his immunity claim. The court decided the case on the last day of its term.

Trump is the Republican candidate challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov 5 US election in a rematch from four years ago. The court's slow handling of the blockbuster case already had helped Trump by making it unlikely that any trial on these charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith could be completed before the election.

Trump had argued that he is immune from prosecution because he was serving as president when he took the actions that led to the charges. Smith had opposed presidential immunity from prosecution based on the principle that no one is above the law.

During Apr 25 arguments in the case, Trump's legal team urged the justices to fully shield former presidents from criminal charges - "absolute immunity" - for official acts taken in office. Without immunity, Trump's lawyer said, sitting presidents would face "blackmail and extortion" by political rivals due to the threat of future prosecution.

The court's 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices Trump appointed. Smith's election subversion charges embody one of the four criminal cases Trump has faced.

Trump, 78, is the first former US president to be criminally prosecuted as well as the first former president convicted of a crime.

In the special counsel's August 2023 indictment, Trump was charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, corruptly obstructing an official proceeding and conspiring to do so, and conspiring against the right of Americans to vote. He has pleaded not guilty.

Trump's trial had been scheduled to start on Mar 4 before the delays over the immunity issue. Now, no trial date is set. Trump made his immunity claim to the trial judge in October, meaning the issue has been litigated for about nine months.

In a separate case brought in New York state court, Trump was found guilty by a jury in Manhattan on May 30 on 34 counts of falsifying documents to cover up hush money paid to a porn star to avoid a sex scandal before the 2016 election. Trump also faces criminal charges in two other cases. He has pleaded not guilty in those and called all the cases against him politically motivated.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdXMtc3VwcmVtZS1jb3VydC1ydWxlcy10cnVtcC1oYXMtaW1tdW5pdHktb2ZmaWNpYWwtbm90LXByaXZhdGUtYWN0cy00NDQ5MTIx0gEA?oc=5

2024-07-01 15:02:00Z
CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vd29ybGQvdXMtc3VwcmVtZS1jb3VydC1ydWxlcy10cnVtcC1oYXMtaW1tdW5pdHktb2ZmaWNpYWwtbm90LXByaXZhdGUtYWN0cy00NDQ5MTIx0gEA

China offers foreign permanent residents of Hong Kong, Macao five-year visas - CNA

BEIJING: Foreigners who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macao and are looking to visit mainland China can apply for multiple-entry travel visas with a validity of five years, China's National Immigration Administration said on Monday (Jul 1).

From Jul 10, foreign permanent residents of the two Chinese-ruled cities will be eligible to apply for such visas to enter the mainland, according to the administration.

Each stay shall not exceed 90 days.

Foreigner permanent residents intending to work, study, or engage in news reporting on the mainland, must apply for other visas or residence permits, the administration said.

The move announced on the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Chinese from British rule, is one of many steps taken since China reopened its borders post-COVID to woo back foreign tourists and business travellers.

The special travel permit is also a reward for foreigners who are permanent residents in Macao and more so for Hong Kong, whose international appeal has waned due to criticism over the city's handling of the pandemic and Beijing's crackdown on street protesters in 2019-2020.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL2NoaW5hLW9mZmVycy1mb3JlaWduLXJlc2lkZW50cy1ob25nLWtvbmctbWFjYW8tZml2ZS15ZWFyLXZpc2FzLTQ0NDgxNTHSAQA?oc=5

2024-07-01 07:12:29Z
CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vZWFzdC1hc2lhL2NoaW5hLW9mZmVycy1mb3JlaWduLXJlc2lkZW50cy1ob25nLWtvbmctbWFjYW8tZml2ZS15ZWFyLXZpc2FzLTQ0NDgxNTHSAQA