Malaysia – Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, the president of the PAS, has accused war-torn Ukraine of being a Zionist state, and has characterized the conflict between them and invading Russia as a ruse to drive Jewish Ukrainians to seek asylum in Israel in order to strengthen the Jewish state. At the same time, the leader of the Islamist party …

Malaysia – According to a World Bank assessment, Malaysia’s economy is predicted to rise 5.5 percent this year, owing to improved domestic demand, more exports, and the reopening of borders. It stated that the external industry is expected to continue to assist, particularly in the areas of electrical and electronic products (E&E) and medical rubber gloves. However, it warned that …

Malaysia – The wife of former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, who is accused of conspiring to steal and launder money from 1MDB and is on trial in the United States, is certain that “truth” will prevail and save her husband. Lim Hwee Bin, the last defense witness, asserted that the US$35 million (RM147 million) the US government claimed was …

Myanmar – According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Myanmar’s army committed genocide and crimes against humanity in its violence against the Rohingya minority, and that no one in the country is safe as long as the junta is in power. Blinken claimed the assaults on Rohingya were “widespread and systematic” and that evidence amounted to a clear goal …

Malaysia – Tim Leissner, a former Goldman Sachs partner, confessed to accepting US$60 million in bribes, lying to the bank about his unethical dealings, and faking divorce paperwork twice to take on new spouses before a US court. Despite his history of deception, prosecutors are pleading with jurors to trust Leissner in the trial of Roger Ng, a former Goldman …

Malaysia – A former Goldman Sachs banker testified on Tuesday that a fugitive Malaysian financier received backing from associates of former US President Donald Trump for a potential settlement of an inquiry into the misappropriation of funds from the 1MDB investment fund. On the sixth day of his evidence in the trial of Roger Ng, another former Goldman banker, Tim …

ASEAN – President Joe Biden of the United States stated that his government is looking forward to working with Cambodia as the ASEAN chair, and that the US expects that ASEAN-US ties will continue to improve. “Under Cambodia’s chairmanship, the United States wants to both expand our partnership with ASEAN and continue to pursue our common interests in the region,” …

ASEAN – According to her office, Ingrida Simonyte, who is the Lithuanian Prime Minister had a meeting with the Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday in order to have a dicussion on the topic of the United States’ assistance for Lithuania in the face of Chinese economic pressure. The Chinese government has downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania last month …

Taiwan – Taiwan would develop economic relations with Lithuania in a “cycle of goodwill” despite pressure from Beijing, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US said on Wednesday. Following Taiwan’s establishment of a representative office in Lithuania’s capital in November, Beijing severed relations with the Baltic state, and according to diplomatic sources, 19 Lithuanian embassy workers and their dependents had …

Malaysia – US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah spoke candidly and productively as part of the senior US official’s first visit to Malaysia. “Our conversations covered a wide range of topics, and our bilateral connections have been robust,” Saifuddin said during a meeting with hearing-impaired singer Jeshurun Vincent, who has been to …