Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has called on Christians around the world to oppose the Trump administration’s “deal of the century”, saying the proposal intended to solve the Israel-Palestine issue would end any hope of a two-state solution. Haniyeh, speaking at a closed-door meeting with NGOs in Malaysia’s administrative capital of Putrajaya on Saturday, said Christians were as much victims of Israeli policies as Muslims and were equally fervent in their opposition to the occupation. “Israeli…
Chinese Muslims: how Indonesia’s ‘minority within a minority’ celebrate Lunar New Year
As he does every year, ethnic Chinese Indonesian Purnama celebrated Lunar New Year on Saturday at a dinner with his extended family of more than 50 in Jakarta where they exchanged traditional red envelopes containing money.But the 49-year-old Purnama, who uses one name, is unlike most of his ethnic Chinese family: he is a Muslim.At the dinner, he and his immediate family were at a table where all the food was halal, while the rest of the tables featured non-halal dishes for the non-Muslims. But…
China coronavirus: Singapore and Malaysia both report fourth confirmed cases
Singapore and Malaysia both reported their fourth confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection late on Saturday night.The new pneumonia-like illness originated in Wuhan in central China in December and has killed at least 41 people so far, with over 1,300 cases in mainland China.It has spread to other parts of Asia, with seven confirmed cases in Thailand, four in Australia, three in Japan, two in South Korea, two in Vietnam and one in Nepal.Singapore’s Ministry of Health said in a statement…
US navy helicopter crashes in Philippine Sea, crew of five rescued
All five crew members on board a US navy helicopter that crashed in the Philippine Sea have been rescued, the 7th Fleet said on Saturday.Three of the crew members were transported by Japanese helicopter to the naval hospital in Okinawa for evaluation, while the other two were able to return to the USS Blue Ridge vessel, the 7th Fleet added in a statement.The MH-60 helicopter “went down while conducting routine operations,” it said.The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, Japanese Coast Guard, two…
Irish court approves extradition of 2 men charged with manslaughter in deaths of 39 Vietnamese people found in London truck
An Irish court on Friday approved the extradition of one of the two Northern Irish men charged with manslaughter in the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people found in the back of a truck near London last year.British authorities are seeking Eamonn Harrison, 23, on charges of human trafficking and immigration offences, as well as the 39 offences of manslaughter in a case that has shone a light on the illicit human smuggling trade.Judge Donald Binchy deferred ordering Harrison’s handover to Britain…
Singapore PM: ‘one country, two systems’ may not last unless Hong Kong’s housing crisis is fixed
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the “one country, two systems” principle that governs Hong Kong may not last unless the government makes progress on protester concerns over the lack of affordable housing in the Asian financial hub.Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Lee said he sympathises with Hong Kong protesters, but does not see how their methods – which have included violent rallies, petrol bombs and vandalism – will resolve their problems.Hong…
China coronavirus: Singapore confirms first case from Wuhan; second case suspected
Singapore on Thursday confirmed its first case of the China coronavirus that has so far infected more than 600 and killed 17.The ministry of health (MOH) said a Chinese national who arrived in Singapore on January 20 with his family had tested positive for the virus.The patient, a 66-year-old man, was warded in an isolation room in the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). He was in a stable condition.The man was a resident of Wuhan, a Chinese city of 11 million that is ground zero of the outbreak…
International court orders Myanmar to create laws to protect Rohingya Muslims
The International Court of Justice on Thursday ordered Myanmar to take urgent measures to protect its Rohingya Muslim population from persecution and atrocities, and preserve evidence of alleged crimes against them.In a unanimous ruling by a panel of 17 judges, the court said Myanmar must now take all steps within its power to prevent serious harm to Rohingya, and report back within four months.The court’s president, Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, said the ICJ was “of the opinion that the…
Singapore PM’s estranged nephew Li Shengwu will not ‘participate’ in contempt case, will unfriend cousin on Facebook
A grandson of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew says he will no longer take part in a contempt of court case brought against him by the city state’s Attorney General’s Chambers.Li Shengwu in a public Facebook post on Wednesday said the AGC had recently sought to strike out parts of his defence affidavit and this meant part of his court filings would not be considered at the trial. The AGC also wanted those parts to be sealed in the court record and not made public, he claimed.“This is…
Wuhan virus: North Korea bans tourists as Asia braces for Lunar New Year rush
North Korea’s decision to ban all foreign visitors as a precaution against China’s coronavirus outbreak will hit its economy hard as tourists from the mainland account for 85 per cent of its 100,000 tourists each year, analysts say.Tourist earnings contribute US$45 million to Pyongyang’s economy, which has limited sources of foreign exchange due to sanctions over its nuclear programme.“This is bad news for North Korea but I suspect the greater concern is the public health risk,” said Daniel…