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Malaysian King has confirmed that Ismail Sabri will become Malaysia 9th Prime Minister
The Istana Negara (National Palace) has confirmed that the Bera MP, Ismail Sabri will be Malaysia’s 9th Prime Minister. The swearing-in ceremony is slated to be held tomorrow (21 August 2021) at 2.30pm. However, the large swats of the Malaysian internet reacted with #kerajaangagal (failed government / government failure) upon hearing the news of the…
[ The Independent Singapore ] Who is Ismail Sabri Yaakob? A look at UMNO vice-president, now frontrunner for Malaysia’s premiership
Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob has emerged as next in line to be Malaysia’s new Prime Minister, with Mr Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation last Monday (Aug 16). Mr Muhyiddin, however, is staying on as caretaker premier until his successor is named. Support for the UMNO vice president was confirmed by the party’s secretary-general, Mr Ahmad Maslan, who tweeted, “only…
[ MalaysiaKini ] Palace instructs MPs to vote on new PM in writing
Istana Negara has instructed members of the Dewan Rakyat to submit their choice of prime minister in writing. The MPs will have until 4pm tomorrow to do so. Their letters have to be certified as true. This instruction – sighted by Malaysiakini – was sent by Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun to all MPs this morning.…
Muhyiddin resigns, but status quo remains, likely to stay on as the Prime Minister for at least another year
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin tendered his resignation to the King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, on Monday (Aug 16). But while he stays on as caretaker premier for now, there appears to be no clear candidate for his successor. Mr Muhyiddin’s ouster – the Constitution obliges him to resign as there is no provision for a minority government – looks set to throw the nation…
[ MEMO ] Lebanon premier blames corruption for fuel tank explosion
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab has blamed corruption for Sunday’s fuel tanker explosion, describing the incident as a “humanitarian tragedy”, reports Anadolu Agency. At least 28 people were killed and 79 others injured when a fuel tanker exploded in Akkar region in northern Lebanon early Sunday. “What happened in Talali town in Akkar is a humanitarian…
[ Middle East Eye ] ‘Our children are fuel for war’: Village sons leave Yemen countryside for the battlefield
Source: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-war-taiz-village-sons-leave-countryside-battle-saleh Thousands of Yemenis from far-flung provinces fighting under the leadership of Tareq Saleh, the nephew of late Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have joined battles against Houthi rebels on the country’s western coast. These fighters and their families have rented homes in the Taiz countryside, providing an unexpected source of income for cash-strapped villagers. But while…
[ SCMP ] Hong Kong experiences ‘alarming’ population drop, but government says not all 90,000 leaving city because of national security law
Number of people in city now estimated to be 7.39 million, a 1.2 per cent drop in a year Social administration expert Professor Paul Yip says officials should try and address the concerns of those going elsewhere Nearly 90,000 residents have left Hong Kong amid a wave of emigration in the year after the national security…
The Myanmar military junta had denied responsibility for the alleged assassination plot on Myanmar’s UN Ambassador
According to the report by Reuters on the statement by the Myanmar military-led government on state television MRTV, the junta had denied responsibility for the uncovered assassination attempt on the Myanmar’s United Nations ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, dismissing it as a domestic U.S case. “The event is a domestic case in the United States. Judgment…
[ SCMP ] China sticks with zero Covid-19 approach, leaving borders closed for now
Beijing is set to stick to its zero-tolerance Covid-19 strategy, in a sign that mainland China’s borders will not be opening to Hong Kong or the outside world any time soon. While some experts – including leading epidemiologist Zhang Wenhong, known as “China’s Dr Fauci” – are suggesting the country will need to live with…
[ CNN ] China’s spiraling Delta variant outbreak hits Wuhan, as country introduces mass travel restrictions
China’s spiraling Delta variant outbreak has reached Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic, prompting citywide coronavirus testing as authorities scramble to contain the city’s first reported local infections in more than a year. China is grappling with its worst outbreak in months, with more than 300 cases detected in more than two dozen cities across the…
[ The Vibes ] RM114 mil in seized assets returned to Najib, Umno
Assets totalling RM114 million, seized from Pavilion Residences on May 17, 2018, have been returned to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Umno. This comes after the prosecution decided to not file for an appeal in the forfeiture suit after it was dismissed by high court judge Datuk Muhammad Jamil Hussin. Deputy public prosecutor Faten…
[ National Interest ] India Proves Critics Wrong on Kashmir
Thursday marks the second anniversary since India’s President Ram Nath Kovind revoked Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of India’s constitution. In effect, the move ended Kashmir’s autonomy and turned Kashmir into a union territory equal in status to Delhi or the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Diplomats may have condemned the change to the status quo but, as legal specialist Kelly Buchanan noted for the nonpartisan Library of Congress noted,…
[ Dawn ] Pakistan Cabinet gives the green light to cyber security policy
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the National Cyber Security Policy 2021 that allows establishment of a national cyber security response framework as the government constituted the Cyber Governance Policy Committee to implement the policy. As per the policy, a cyberattack on any institution of Pakistan will be considered an act of aggression against…
[ Reuters ] Myanmar shadow government condemns army ruler for taking PM role
Members of a shadow government set up by opponents of Myanmar’s coup condemned on Monday the country’s military ruler for taking on the role of prime minister in a caretaker government and said the move was designed to try to win legitimacy. “The transition from a military council to a caretaker government is a reflection…
[ The Irrawaddy ] COVID-19 Rips Through Myanmar Military: Soldiers
The State Administrative Council (SAC), the governing body of the military regime, has imposed a news blackout on COVID-19 deaths in the military, despite widespread infections. The infected junior personnel and their families do not receive treatment at military hospitals until their conditions are serious. Until then they are ordered to isolate in their accommodation,…
Copying the 2014 Thailand coup d’etat, Myanmar military coup leader, Min Aung Hlaing declares himself Prime Minister, reneging on his 1 year election promise
In a dramatic, yet unsurprising, turn of event, the Tatmadaw leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing declared himself the Prime Minister in a speech broadcasted on national tv on Sunday, reneging on his 1 year election promise – extending it by 2 years till August 2023. The State Aministration Council (SAC) will now be replaced…
[ NY Times ] Top Myanmar General Says Military Rule Will Continue Into 2023
Six months after seizing power, the junta’s leader on Sunday extended a state of emergency for two more years. Protesters said they would persevere.
[ CSMonitor ] ‘Coup’ in Tunisia: Why Arab Spring’s last light is dimming
With a single announcement, the last embers of the once-blazing Arab Spring were dimmed by what some are calling a constitutional coup in the Arab world’s lone democracy. On Sunday, Tunisia’s populist president, Kais Saied, seized emergency powers for what he pledged would be a 30-day interim period. He dismissed the prime minister and defense…