US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to make “hard choices” with its neighbours towards a path that would see the creation of a Palestinian state. He also called upon Israel to support Palestinian leaders who are willing to live peacefully alongside one another, reported Reuters. It was also vital that Israel achieve its…
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dismissed the notion of an ongoing internal political tension on the basis that politics is pragmatic. “We can all have our own stand. But politics is pragmatic and alliances can happen between any political party,” he said. He was asked whether Umno Sabah would forgo the national alliance’s…
The government would be broadening the scope of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (SOAC). Law and institutional reform minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the proposed amendment is vital due to online sexual exploitation of children is also a cross-border issue. Under section 3 of the SOAC, Malaysians committing an offence beyond…
Laws banning the Nazi salute and the display or sale of symbols associated with terror groups came into effect in Australia today as the government responds to a rise in antisemitic incidents following the Israel-Gaza war, reported Reuters. The law makes it an offence punishable by up to 12 months in prison to publicly perform…
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim vowed to continue citing the Quran, albeit with advice from the Islamic Development Department (Jakim). “I will continue to cite other Quranic verses and their interpretations in future assemblies. “But I will refer to Jakim first so there will be no more controversy,” he said at the Prime Minister’s…
The MACC yesterday arrested the chairperson of a welfare organisation for allegedly submitting false claims of RM5,000 for a non-existent school aid programme in Terengganu. Sources said the suspect, a woman in her 40s, submitted the claims to a government-linked company, purportedly for aid distributed to students under the Back To School programme. “However, the…
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stressed that Palestinians in Gaza must not be forced to leave their home, and instead, must be allowed to return to Gaza once the conditions permit them to do so. “Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They cannot, they must not be…
Bangladesh voted today in an election guaranteed to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina her fifth term in office, after a boycott by opposition parties whose ranks have been decimated by mass arrests, reported AFP. Hasina has presided over exceptional economic growth in a country once beset by grinding poverty, but her government has been accused…
US and Europe diplomats are trying their level best to contain the war in Gaza from spilling over but find it to be a major challenge. Confrontations in the West Bank have risen sharply since Israeli forces launched their retaliatory offensive on Gaza, laying waste to the Palestinian enclave as they seek to wipe out…
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s claim that the government will collapse is meant to prevent Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs shifting their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said Kedah Pakatan Harapan chief, Datuk Mahfuz Omar. Yesterday, Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul claimed another eight MPs…
