Geo Politics

MALAYSIA: De facto law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has said that a new anti-party switching Bill will be filed in Malaysia’s parliament on Monday (Jul 18) and that if enacted, the law could come into effect by September. A draft of the anti-party jumping law was finalized and studied on Wednesday by the bipartisan select committee appointed to look …

SRI LANKA: He was known as “The Terminator” for his role in ending Sri Lanka’s long-running civil war, but he’s now a wanted man and the country’s economy is in ruins. From 2005 to 2015, Rajapaksa served as Sri Lanka’s defense secretary, one of four brothers who have dominated recent Sri Lankan politics. His tough-guy image was bolstered by reports …

UKRAINE: Ukrainian officials announced on Tuesday that they had launched a long-range rocket strike against Russian army and military equipment in southern Ukraine, which they claim they are intending to reclaim with hundreds of thousands of troops in a counter-offensive. The settlement of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region was attacked by an airstrike that killed 52 people, according to …

THAILAND: During a visit to Thailand on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed to keep up the pressure on Myanmar’s regime, and said China should do the same. On the other hand, Blinken met with the Thai government and praised it for its support of the reinvigorated American effort in Southeast Asia, a vital region of competition with China. …

US: Asked about his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, US President Joe Biden said he wants to “strengthen our strategic cooperation,” but also reiterated his commitment to “basic American principles.” “Many people think I made a mistake by going to Saudi Arabia. Fundamental freedoms are always on my agenda when I travel, as they will be on this trip. My …

UKRAINE: Mechanic-turned-soldier Artchk helps shore up defenses in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk against an expected Russian onslaught while adjacent farmer Vasyl Avramenko bemoans the loss of crops replaced by mines. Kramatorsk and its twin, Sloviansk, are being bombarded with artillery shells as Moscow continues its onslaught in the heavily industrialized Donbas region. Their defenders are outgunned, but Ukrainians …

INDONESIA: An Indonesian Foreign Ministry official urged the G20 to assist end the Ukraine conflict on Friday (Jul 8) at a summit that brought together some of the most vocal critics and Russia’s top ambassador. It’s been “business as usual” in the run-up to the Bali forum, with top Western and Japanese officials underlining that the war and its impact …

NORTH KOREA: On Thursday, official media stated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted an extraordinary meeting aimed at strengthening the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea’s “monolithic” leadership across society (Jul 7). The first-of-its-kind meeting aimed to “realize the organizational and ideological convergence of the Party ranks in every way” and “enhance the party’s leadership position,” according to state …

WASHINGTON: The White House said on Tuesday (Jul 5) that President Joe Biden’s team is still considering whether to reduce tariffs on Chinese imports in an effort to reduce inflation. As of late Tuesday, the US Trade Representative’s office had received more than 400 petitions to maintain tariffs in place on Chinese imports. This complicates Biden’s decision-making. A group of …

MANILA: Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos, said on Tuesday (July 5) that he wanted relations with Beijing to be about more than just their dispute over the South China Sea, and he emphasized the importance of multilateral engagement in dealing with problems. Before Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Southeast Asia, Marcos told a …