The redeployment of US military assets from the Asia-Pacific to the Middle East has split security analysts, with some arguing that any strategic damage is largely “psychological” while others warn of a real and measurable gap opening in the region’s defences.
More than 2,000 marines and at least one amphibious assault ship have begun moving from Japan towards the Gulf as the US-Israeli war on Iran grinds on. The assault ship USS Tripoli, docked at Sasebo in Nagasaki prefecture, is expected to…
Malaysian mother furious after school punishes bullied son with caning, weeding
Not only was he punched repeatedly by a peer, a Malaysian student at a secondary school in Kuching, Sarawak, was caned and forced to write a note admitting his mistake, China Press reported.
Angered at how the case was handled, the boy’s mother shared the incident on social media and lodged a police report.
The incident took place last Thursday when another student allegedly grabbed her son’s leg and caused him to fall.
The victim’s mother said the aggressor then sat on top of her son before…
Need for broader protections highlighted as judge makes first SLAPP ruling under ECCTA
An historic ruling against a multi-million pound libel suit highlights the needs for broader speech protection laws in the UK, according to an expert.
No ships cross Strait of Hormuz for first time since conflict began, data shows
Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day since the Middle East conflict began without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction.
Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it said.
“The concentration suggests that…
Confusion over Malaysia-US trade deal as ‘null and void’ claim retracted
Malaysia’s government has been forced onto the defensive over its much-touted tariff deal with the United States, after a minister walked back an earlier claim that the agreement had been rendered “null and void” by a US Supreme Court ruling.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration signed the deal in October, promising US$240 billion in investments and purchases of American goods, including beef and aircraft, in exchange for continued access to the world’s largest consumer market at a…
Top of the world: why Indonesian workers are happiest in Asia-Pacific
A survey showing workers in Indonesia as the happiest in Asia-Pacific has prompted discussions about the factors underpinning their positive attitudes relative to their regional peers.
A workplace report published this month by employment marketplace Jobstreet by SEEK found 82 per cent of Indonesian respondents said they felt somewhat or extremely happy at work, the highest level among eight regional markets surveyed.
The headline figure inevitably begs the question: does the result reflect…
Indonesia’s Prabowo ‘surprised’ by Iran war, says US bombing won’t spark regime change
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said he was “pretty surprised” by the US-Israel war on Iran, adding that he did not see any “rationality” in the military campaign.
Prabowo, a retired general who now heads the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, said in an interview that Iran recently told him they were wary of entering into negotiations with the US to stop the war because they felt “basically they have been tricked” twice. In an asymmetrical war, he added, “they really just have to…
Iran war fallout puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire
When the alert arrives on his phone, Yashwant Deshmukh knows exactly what to do.
The Dubai-based political analyst moves away from the windows, waits for the second message confirming the missile has been intercepted, and then goes back to work.
“It has become a drill,” he said.
For the roughly 9 million Indians living and working across the Gulf, the war on Iran has shattered one of the region’s most durable illusions: that cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama would remain apart from…
More Malaysian scammers target Singapore-based victims to pass cash, gold to ‘mules’
Scam syndicates allegedly from Malaysia are increasingly relying on couriers and physical handovers when targeting victims in Singapore, as tighter banking safeguards make fraudulent online transfers harder for them to pull off, according to police and crime experts.
Recent police cases suggest some criminals are turning to cross-border transfers in which victims are pressured into handing over cash or valuables in Singapore before the proceeds are passed through “mules” working for scam…
New rights for families as Britain prepares for major changes to sensitive leave entitlements
British businesses will need to open ‘clear and compassionate’ communication with staff ahead of new rules being introduced over family-related employment rights, an expert has warned.