Desperate Palestinians in Gaza's Rafah fear coming Israeli assault - CNA

In a call, US President Joe Biden told Mr Netanyahu that Israel should not proceed with a military operation in Rafah without a plan to ensure the safety of people sheltering there, the White House said.

The call came days after Biden said Israel's response in Gaza was "over the top".

A senior Biden administration official said negotiators working on a deal to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas had made "real progress" over the last few weeks.

There were still some "significant" gaps to close, the official said, but added: "It's pretty much there."

Before previous assaults on Gaza cities, Israel's military has ordered civilians to leave without preparing any specific evacuation plan. Aid agencies say an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic.

The war began on Oct 7 when the militant group Hamas that controls Gaza stormed the border fence with Israel, sending in fighters who killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Four months later, Gaza is in ruins. Under a massive daily bombardment, Israeli ground forces have overrun most of the enclave, smashing houses, public buildings and infrastructure with air raids, artillery fire and controlled detonations.

Palestinian health authorities say more than 28,000 people have been killed in the war, about 70 per cent of them women and children. More than 85 per cent of Gazans are homeless. A UN survey found that nearly one in 10 children under five are acutely malnourished.

Talks for a deal on a ceasefire and the release of hostages have so far failed to bring an agreement. Last week Israel rejected a Hamas proposal, saying it would not stop fighting while the group retained brigades that Israel says are hiding in Rafah.

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2024-02-11 15:28:00Z
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Netanyahu promises 'safe passage' to Palestinians ahead of Rafah operation - CNA

The Israeli premier, who contends "victory" over Hamas cannot be achieved without clearing battalions in Rafah, directed his military on Friday to prepare for the operation. His announcement set off a chorus of concern from world leaders and aid groups.

"The people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on social media platform X, adding that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a "humanitarian catastrophe in the making."

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry warned Saturday of "very serious repercussions of storming and targeting" Rafah and called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting, while UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he is "deeply concerned" about the prospective offensive.

"The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out," he wrote.

SHARPENING US REBUKE

The war in Gaza was sparked by Palestinian militant group Hamas's unprecedented Oct 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Vowing to eliminate Hamas, Israel launched a massive military offensive in Gaza that the territory's health ministry says has killed at least 28,064 people, mostly women and children.

Militants also seized 250 hostages, 132 of whom are still in Gaza, although 29 are presumed dead, Israel has said.

Netanyahu announced the plan for a ground operation in Rafah only days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel seeking a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange.

Netanyahu has rejected the proposed truce after what he called "bizarre demands" from Hamas.

But Israel's plans for Rafah have drawn sharp rebuke from main ally and military backer Washington, with the State Department warning that if not properly planned, such an operation risks "disaster".

In unusually sharp criticism, US President Joe Biden on Thursday called Israel's retaliatory campaign "over the top".

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2024-02-11 08:58:45Z
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Malaysian police searching for driver of Singapore-registered car who swung golf club at 2 men - AsiaOne

Malaysian police are searching for the driver of a Singapore-registered car after the video of what looks like a road rage incident was uploaded onto Facebook yesterday (Feb 10).

The 54-second video, taken from inside another car, shows a stationary red Mitsubishi Lancer and a black Toyota on the left lane of a highway in Johor. 

The Lancer is surrounded by two men and the person inside begins to drive off, appearing to swerve towards one of the men who then slams his hand on the windscreen.

The driver of the red car then emerges with a golf club, swinging it angrily at the two men. The video shows him hitting the back window of the Toyota, which appears to be damaged. 

The man who previously hit the windscreen then grabs the golf club and pushes the Mitsubishi driver away, while the other man holds the former back.

Other passengers emerge from the two cars and they appear to have an argument. This altercation took place on the first day of Chinese New Year (Feb 10).

Some netizens shared their disapproval in the comments, with one claiming that Singaporeans "come to Malaysia thinking they that they are big shots".

Another commented that the road rage may have been caused by the man hitting the Lancer's windscreen. They added that the alleged road rage had nothing to do with the nationality of the drivers.

The Muar District Police released a statement later that evening stating that the incident occurred on Feb 10 at approximately 1.58pm on the North-South Expressway in Pagoh, Johor.

[[nid:670823]]

"A local driver on route to Kuala Lumpur saw a red Mitsubishi Lancer driven by the suspect using the emergency lane and blocked the said vehicle," they wrote. 

"As a result of that action, a verbal argument occurred, and the suspect knocked the windows of the local man's car with a club and left the scene."

They added that they were investigating the case under Section 427 of the Malaysian penal code, pertaining to "whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of 25 ringgit (S$7) or upwards", which is punishable by two years' imprisonment and/or a fine. 

It is also being investigated under Section 233 of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act, pertaining to "offences of using network facilities to transmit communication deemed to be offensive or could cause annoyance to another person" and Section 53(1) of the Road Transport Act 1959, which stipulates driving in the emergency lane as an offence.

Muar District Police are also looking for the driver of the Mitsubishi Lancer to assist with the investigation.

They advised the public to avoid speculations "that can affect harmony and disturb public order" and added that that the police will take "strict action" according to the law and "not compromise with any criminal offenses".

[[nid:670822]]

drimac@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.

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2024-02-11 04:15:25Z
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Indonesia Elections 2024: Pollsters see Prabowo first-round knockout, but analysts say Anies, Ganjar still in the fight - CNA

Ganjar-Mahfud campaign team leader Arsjad Rasjid was quoted by Kompas as saying that the people’s voice will be heard on polling day, and not in surveys.

“We also hope that the outcome is a fair, truthful and factual one that follows the democratic process,” he said, reiterating that state apparatus should remain neutral during the hustings.

This comes amid allegations that President Joko Widodo has allowed the deployment of public officers to support Mr Prabowo's campaign and undermine that of his rivals, sparking protests from various groups. 

Jokowi, as the popular president is widely known, previously said the head of state is legally allowed to campaign, but on Wednesday told reporters he will not be doing so.

NOT IN THE BAG YET

Dr Ian Wilson, a senior fellow at Murdoch University’s Indo-Pacific Research Centre, told CNA he was wary of the latest Indikator Politik survey as it uses multistage sampling of 1,000 people.

In multistage sampling, a target population is first defined before being divided into smaller and smaller clusters until a desired sample size is achieved.

This method is often used to collect data from a large, geographically spread group of people in national surveys as it is cheaper and easier to conduct, although not the most representative.

“I'm very sceptical of accurate extrapolation using this sample size and method for a voting population of 204 million, especially when everything is so dynamic,” Dr Wilson said.

The analyst said the Prabowo campaign team would at this point have hoped for a convincing first round win “in the bag”, especially with Jokowi seen to be more overtly campaigning over the past few days.

Jokowi has been spotted dining privately with Mr Prabowo on recent occasions and has been accused of mobilising social aid programs to shore up support for the current Defence Minister.

“I think now many of them (in Prabowo’s campaign) are coming to the conclusion that it's probably going to go to a second round,” Dr Wilson added.

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2024-02-10 22:00:00Z
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Indonesia Elections 2024: Song, dance, speeches mark last campaigning day as presidential candidates go for broke - CNA

A SEA OF BLUE IN CENTRAL JAKARTA

Over in downtown Jakarta, the Gelora Bung Karno turned into a sea of light blue, the colour worn by supporters of the front runner, Mr Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Mr Gibran Rakabuming Raka. 

Thousands of supporters had been flocking to the 1.7 hectare sports complex since early morning, waiting patiently for hours for their candidate's final rally to start. 

By 11am, the arena's main stadium, where the rally was held, was at its full 77,000 spectator capacity.

But thousands of supporters continued to turn up as the day progressed, arriving in private vehicles, buses and MRT. 

Some tried to force their way in and engaged in a war of words with security guards manning the gates who tried to explain to the supporters that the stadium was full and could not accommodate them.

Nearby shopping malls were also full of Prabowo-Gibran fans looking to escape the heat, while die-hard supporters stayed on at the complex, enjoying the rally from afar through a series of giant LCD screens erected around the stadium.

One of them is housewife Hestiana Safitri, 51, who had to travel for two hours from Bekasi city, on the outskirts of Jakarta to get to the stadium only to be disappointed for not being able to enter the stadium and see her candidate of choice in person. 

"I have been a Prabowo supporter since 2019. I admire his tenacity. He tried and tried again because I believe that he sincerely wants to lead Indonesia for the better," she told CNA. 

"2014 and 2019 were not yet his time (to become president), but I believe his time is now,” she said, referring to the years when Mr Prabowo also ran as president but failed.

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2024-02-10 12:53:00Z
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Israel prepares assault on Rafah; seeks to allay fears of 'bloodbath' - CNA

GAZAN CHILDREN ACUTELY MALNOURISHED

Gaza's health ministry said at least 27,947 Palestinians had been confirmed killed in the conflict, 107 of them in the previous 24 hours, and 67,459 injured.

It has said many more could be buried under rubble from Israeli attacks since Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in the Oct 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies.

Almost one in 10 of Gazans under five are now acutely malnourished, according to initial UN data from arm measurements that show physical wasting.

The charity ActionAid said some Gazans were eating grass.

"Every single person in Gaza is now hungry, and people have just 1.5 to 2 litres of unsafe water per day to meet all their needs," it said.

Hours before Netanyahu's statement, Israeli warplanes carried out new sorties in which Palestinian health officials said at least 15 people had been killed, eight of them in the Rafah area.

"We were sleeping inside and, when the strike hit, were thrown outside. After that, another rocket hit," said Mohammed al-Nahal, an elderly Palestinian standing beside the rubble of a building that had been hit."It destroyed the entire home. My daughter was killed. My daughter, her husband, her son, all were martyred."

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2024-02-09 20:50:10Z
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What is the state of Indonesia's economy heading into elections? - CNA

INDONESIA’S NICKEL POLICY

The nickel boom comes on the back of President Joko Widodo's resource nationalism push.

Indonesia has the world's biggest reserves of nickel but exports of the metal were banned in 2020 to capture more of their value. 

The so-called “commodity downstreaming”, where natural commodities are processed onshore, is a bid to establish more domestic smelters and produce more nickel products instead of just exporting raw nickel.

Nickel is used in the making of stainless steel or batteries.

Outgoing shipments of nickel products hit US$30 billion in 2022, more than 10 times what they were in 2013, boosted by demand for batteries used in electronic vehicles (EVs). 

JOKOWI’S LEGACY

The last decade saw numerous structural reforms and changes that improved the Indonesian economy, said Ms Pranjul Bhandari, chief economist of India and Indonesia at HSBC.

In addition to the nickel policy, Mr Jokowi’s onimbus law that aimed to attract investments and create jobs, as well as mega infrastructure projects, could become part of his legacy. 

Nusantara, the nation’s planned new capital in East Kalimantan, also attracted more than US$2.6 billion worth of investment last year.

Ms Bhandari said manifestos from the main parties contesting in the election look set to continue with the current administration’s economic policies.

“Almost all the presidential hopefuls are supportive of the downstreaming strategy. Many other laws, for example the omnibus law, has now been enshrined so those benefits will continue to see the light of the day,” she said.

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2024-02-09 11:38:00Z
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