The genocide in Gaza has crossed one year; the humanitarian crisis on the ground has reached catastrophic levels, with countless lives lost and communities devastated. This tragedy has impacted various aspects of regional and global politics. Tensions with Hezbollah and Iran have reached boiling point with the assassinations of Ismail Haniyeh and Hassan Nasrallah, the Hamas and Hezbollah leaders respectively, threatening to draw neighboring Arab states into the fray. Meanwhile, Israel faces its own internal strife, with far-right extremists consolidating power amid a turbulent legal landscape. Global powers like China and Russia are cautiously navigating their roles in this volatile conflict. This article provides a concise overview of the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the growing tensions in the Middle East, and how it has influenced the actions of global superpowers over the past year.
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is often deemed to be the second most successful regional organization (RO) of the world after the European Union (EU). Yet at a time when the EU has become the battering ram of the G7 to go against China and Russia, it is not all that unbelievable that ASEAN can leapfrog over the EU for the first time in history.
IQNA – The international community has come to understand the “true nature” of the Israeli regime after a year of brutal war on Gaza, the head of a Malaysian think tank says.
Contrary to the views of some analysts that Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN will add some new variables to the regional organization (RO), while still maintaining the same trajectory of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been working since 2009, they not only are in for a rude awakening, but a reawakening all throughout 2025. How?
Early reports suggest that 80 bombs, each weighing 2000 pounds, were used by Israel to kill Hassan Nasrallah and some of his commanders when he was having a meeting underground in central Beirut.
Each of these bombs were capable of burrowing into the intended targets by 100 feet before detonating. The heavy bombardments proved that Israel need not necessarily require accurate intelligence at all. It was enough for Israel to know the area and tunnels that Hassan Nasrallah was probably in.
Notwithstanding the appearance of Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations's General Assembly to deliver his speech, one thing was clear - unlike other occasions, he was there to kill and kill again.
The script was as predictable as the sheer tenacity to lure the whole world into his web of deceit. To taunt and tempt any country, that the regime believes will bend to its coercion to go on its war footing against Iran.
In the grotesque world view of Iran, especially Netanyahu and his most right-wing Cabinet in the history of Israel, Iran is a country that will seek nuclear weapons at all cost.
While the world, including all the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), has time and again vouched for the importance of a two-state solution, it is very obvious that Tel Aviv does not get the message. Nor is that likely to change. Here is the context.
Back in 1992, the number of illegal European Jewish settlers in Gaza and the West Bank verged at a little over 100,000 emigrants. Most of them were from post-Soviet Russia anyway. Today, this number has swollen to 700,000 people; with no desire by Israel to halt the illegal occupation from ever stopping.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to invest in research and development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines across ASEAN countries. Malaysia provides a promising model for promoting medical innovation and ensuring access to life-saving treatments for all.
The mere mention of Anwar Ibrahim will conjure images of an "Islamicist." While there is validity in this optic, not unlike all things in life, there has to be a certain degree of moderation that goes into pigeon-holing a leader of a trading nation such as Malaysia.
Getting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim right, especially when he has met with the incoming President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto twice over the last few months, on both occasions in Putrajaya, is also of critical importance to Indonesia's foreign policy community.
Indeed, when all things go well, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would be attending the presidential inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto on October 20, 2024 in Jakarta.
Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, sparked by a civil war that has displaced 7.3 million people since last year, is one of the most severe tragedies that remains largely overlooked, Mohamad Hasan lamented.
The foreign minister said the country in northeast Africa had been relegated to the periphery of international consciousness.
“Has the war in Sudan and its detrimental impacts been forgotten and slipped from our collective memory?
American Jewish activist Rabbi Yisroel David Weiss has called for Malaysia to keep fighting for the cause of the Palestinians until they have their land back, which has been occupied for decades.
MENJELANG kemuncak hari wukuf di Arafah pada Sabtu ini di Arab Saudi, dijangkakan sekitar 31,000 jemaah haji Malaysia akan menyertai hampir dua juta jemaah haji seluruh dunia menunaikan Rukun Islam kelima itu.
Haji adalah ibadah sangat unik kerana mengandungi pelbagai aspek amalan berbentuk syiar dan ritual seperti berihram, tawaf, sai, wukuf, melontar jamrah dan sebagainya lebih bersifat ta'abbudi, iaitu dilakukan dengan tujuan menzahirkan ketaatan semata-mata kerana Allah SWT.
Namun pada masa sama, terdapat banyak aspek lain pengajaran dan iktibar dapat direnungi daripada ibadah haji ini. Salah satu aspek dilihat kurang diberikan perhatian hari ini ialah ibadah haji sebagai titik memupuk kesedaran solidariti umat Islam global.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan released a press statement on May 20, 2024, highlighting the filing of applications for warrants of arrest against Hamas resistance leaders allegedly for crimes of extermination, murder, and torture. Israeli Zionist leaders Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant too face accusations of starving Gazans, the inhuman treatment of civilians and attacking Gaza. However, the differing tone and specificity of these accusations raise concerns about the ICC's impartiality. Hamas leaders seem to bear a disproportionate share of the accusations, while the discovery of mass graves at al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals, indicating potential crimes against humanity and committed by the occupying regime, apparently have been dismissed.
Bruce Gilley’s ‘The Case for Colonialism’ is nothing short of a blatant controversy, which argues for the potential benefits of colonialism. It has ignited a fierce debate highlighting deep divisions within the academic community. The intense opposition to his views underscores a broader resistance to revisiting or reinterpreting colonial legacies which many view as unequivocally negative. Nonetheless, the defense by figures like Noam Chomsky suggests that, despite the prevailing condemnation, there is still support for engaging with contentious ideas.
In his article, Gilley suggests that colonialism, as a governance style or an extension of Western authority, can only re-emerge with the consent of the colonised, despite the historical trauma and resistance experienced by indigenous peoples worldwide, such as the situation in Gaza, where the Palestinians endure severe oppression, suppression and violence. As this is being written, over 36,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah following evacuation orders as Israeli forces are moving into the land to continue their decimation of the Palestinians. Yet another relentless displacement ensues.
KAZAN: Malaysia's achievements in badminton have attracted the Russian media's attention, with a request for its champions to train Russian players.
The request was made during the press conference of Professor Dr Maszlee Malik, chairman of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia, at the media centre of the 15th International Economic Forum "Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum 2024" here on Wednesday.
The International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia aims to explore collaboration opportunities with institutions in Russia and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries during its attendance at the XV International Economic Forum Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum 2024.
IAIS chairman Prof Dr Maszlee Malik, expressed his mission to promote cultural diplomacy with Russia and other participating countries during his inaugural participation at the Kazan Forum.
“There are a lot of things we can explore through the platform of cultural diplomacy. IAIS is working closely with the Embassy of Russia in Kuala Lumpur to promote cultural ties.
Once again, as a matter of routine, the US has vetoed a Palestinian request to the UN Security Council for full UN membership and, by that, prevented the only global political body with the power to bestow such a recognition from doing so.
This was a reflection of another of Washington’s contradictions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue, as its foreign policy chiefs, including President Joe Biden, are repeatedly expressing their support for a two-state solution, the logical conclusion of which is an independent Palestinian state.
However, this has not meant recognition of Palestinian statehood prior to a peace agreement with Israel, but highlighted that there is broad international support for such a recognition and brought to the fore the question of whether recognition would accelerate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, slow it down or make no difference.
The appointment of Prabowo Subianto as the new president of the Republic of Indonesia has the potential to enhance bilateral relations between Malaysia and Indonesia. The relationship between the two countries is already built on a strong foundation, with mutual interests in strengthening cooperation. Prabowo’s interactions with Malaysian counterparts, including his visit to Malaysia and meetings with officials, have highlighted the importance of defence ties and the potential for collaboration in various areas, such as security, economic development and social cooperation.
Sudah dua minggu sejak Majlis Keselamatan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) meluluskan Resolusi 2728 terbaru yang yang mendesak Israel segera melaksanakan gencatan senjata di Gaza.
Meskipun dianggap satu detik bersejarah apabila resolusi ini berjaya diluluskan dengan sekutu kuat Israel, Amerika Syarikat (AS) tunduk kepada tekanan antarabangsa dan mengambil posisi berkecuali daripada proses undian, rejim Zionis tetap berdegil dan menggiatkan lagi keganasannya terhadap rakyat Palestin.
When Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, declared on Oct 8 last year that the Palestinians were “human animals”, he and Israeli Prime Minister really seemed to have plans to literally make that a reality.
And I believe this is one of the reasons behind the vetoes by the United States of three United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza the earlier part of this year. With these vetoes, the slaughter of Palestinians trapped in the world’s largest open-air prison became much easier for the marauding occupation army. To date, more than 32,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children.