Conflict Archives - The Singapore Post

10Dec

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Saudi Arabia, Iran, China call for comprehensive political solution in Yemen under UN auspices

Saudi Arabia, Iran and China on Tuesday called for a comprehensive UN-sponsored political solution in Yemen, reaffirming their joint support for an internationally recognized framework to end the conflict in the Arab country. This came during the third meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian trilateral committee in Tehran to follow up on the Beijing Agreement, according to a statement by Saudi state news agency SPA. The meeting was chaired by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu. The Beijing Agreement, reached on March 10, 2023, restored diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran after China-brokered talks, ending a rupture b

“Imran Khan Is Alive”: Lawmaker Says Regime Pressuring Him To Leave Pakistan

30Nov

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

“Imran Khan Is Alive”: Lawmaker Says Regime Pressuring Him To Leave Pakistan

Earlier this week, several social media handles from Afghanistan claimed that Imran Khan had been murdered inside Rawalpindi's jail. Refuting the rumours about Imran Khan's death, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Khurram Zeeshan on Saturday said the former Prime Minister is alive and currently lodged in Adiala jail. He added that Khan is being kept in isolation as a tactic to pressure him into leaving Pakistan. Speaking to ANI from Pakistan, Khurram Zeeshan, who is affiliated with Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said the regime in the country is threatened and scared of Imran Khan's popularity, which is why they have not allowed any pictures or videos of him to be released. Earlier this week, several social media handles from Afghanistan claimed t...

When China looks to Southeast Asia, a C919 manufacturer opens a business in Singapore.

31Dec

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

When China looks to Southeast Asia, a C919 manufacturer opens a business in Singapore.

China's leading aircraft manufacturer opened an Asia-Pacific office in Singapore this week, marking a significant step towards challenging Boeing and Airbus in the international aviation market. It is hoped the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) office would become a launch pad for China's home-grown C919 narrowbody airliner and its ARJ21 regional jet in Southeast Asia. Also on Tuesday, an ARJ21 belonging to Indonesian airline TransNusa completed its maiden 2,700 kilometre flight between Manado in Indonesia and the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, which marked the longest commercial route for China's home-grown regional aircraft.TransNusa is the first overseas airline to operate the ARJ21, with three in service on routes between Indonesian islands, as well as Kuala ...

2024 is over: The year’s top political headlines and what comes next

30Dec

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

2024 is over: The year’s top political headlines and what comes next

SINGAPORE – A once-in-a-generation handover of power, court cases involving two prominent politicians, and a refresh by the ruling party ahead of its 70th anniversary – it was an eventful year for politics here, even as a much-anticipated general election has to wait for the new year. Here are six of the top political stories of 2024, and what can be expected in 2025: 4G leadership handoverMr Lawrence Wong was sworn in as Singapore’s fourth prime minister on May 15, with the transition to the fourth-generation (4G) leadership completed on Dec 4 when he was elected secretary-general of the People’s Action Party (PAP) by the party’s top body. He named his first Cabinet on May 13 with key portfolios largely unchanged, save the appointment of Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim

After his empire failed, a Singaporean oil tycoon was declared bankrupt.

29Dec

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

After his empire failed, a Singaporean oil tycoon was declared bankrupt.

Former tycoon Lim Oon Kuin has been declared bankrupt in Singapore, following the collapse of his oil trading empire. The name of the founder of Hin Leong Trading Pte and his children Lim Huey Ching and Lim Chee Meng were listed as having been issued a bankruptcy order on Dec 19, the government gazette showed. The younger Lims were both directors at the company. Leow Quek Shiong and Seah Roh Lin of BDO Advisory Pte Ltd are the trustees, according to the gazette.At its peak, Hin Leong traded a range of oil products, made lubricants and operated loading terminals and storage facilities. But the downfall of the man widely known as OK Lim came in 2020, as Covid-19 sent oil prices into freefall. Hin Leong was accused of hiding more than $800 million in losses and leaving more than 20 ...

Discussions Start Between the PTI and the Pakistani Government: Will Imran Khan Soon Be Freed?

24Dec

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Discussions Start Between the PTI and the Pakistani Government: Will Imran Khan Soon Be Freed?

In a significant political development, the Pakistan government and the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have initiated talks, sparking discussions about a potential shift in the country’s political landscape. The talks, which began on Monday, aim to ease tensions between the two factions, with the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan emerging as one of the key issues on the table. The political dialogue follows a series of events signaling a thaw in relations between the two camps. Notably, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was recently seen embracing PTI leader and Imran Khan’s aide, Ali Amin Gandapur, marking a significant shift in the relationship between the ruling government and the opposition. This gesture is especially significant as it comes just thre

Sheikh Hasina’s flight to Delhi has worsened relations between Bangladesh and India.

20Dec

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Sheikh Hasina’s flight to Delhi has worsened relations between Bangladesh and India.

For decades, Muslim-majority Bangladesh and Hindu-majority India enjoyed close ties. But earlier this year, the relationship began to fray. What started as peaceful student protests against civil service job quotas morphed into a nationwide movement to force out Bangladesh's authoritarian prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The protests, which have been described as the "world's first Gen Z revolution", resulted in her fleeing in a helicopter — and into exile in Delhi. In the following months, the arrest of a revered Hindu leader in Bangladesh and a mob attack on a consulate in India have fuelled anger between the two countries. Now, the relationship between these South Asian giants is at a low ebb and religious tensions are high. 'Violence is our enemy'Under the heavy-handed

The government of Singapore is committed to maintaining hawker centers.

19Dec

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

The government of Singapore is committed to maintaining hawker centers.

Welfare is “a dirty word” in Singapore—or so a past prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, once approvingly declared. What the city-state prizes, he explained, was not handouts, but self-reliance. Workers do not receive a state pension, but pay instead into individual retirement accounts. Health care, too, must be purchased from mandatory savings, not dispensed by a spendthrift state. There is no minimum wage, and no subsidies for staples such as rice or electricity. Oddly, though, there is one aspect of everyday life that almost no other governments get involved in but that the Singaporean authorities are not willing to leave to the vicissitudes of the market: eating out.

India Must Welcome the New Dawn in Sri Lanka While Anura Dissanayake Is in Town

16Dec

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

India Must Welcome the New Dawn in Sri Lanka While Anura Dissanayake Is in Town

One side effect of the polarising effect of nationalism and populism around the world in recent years has been a decrease in the political stability and mandate enjoyed by incumbent regimes. From the erosion of the nationalist hegemony in Malaysia or India to the rise of populism in the United States and pockets of Europe, swings in both directions have led to fragile coalitions, divided legislatures and a rise in uncertainty. One of the few silver linings to emerge from this cloud of political uncertainty was Sri Lanka’s spritely Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who, at age 55, became the youngest president elected by Sri Lankans in 30 years in a runoff to a closely contested election in October. Dissanayake, colloquially known as AKD, and his National People’s Power (NPP) went before the

Sri Lanka balances its relationship with China and India.

16Dec

By Joanne SerriehNo Comments

Sri Lanka balances its relationship with China and India.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Monday to bolster ties between the neighboring countries. Dissanayake said India's economic support is critical in realizing his vision of a prosperous Sri Lanka, as the island nation emerges from the worst economic crisis in its independent history. "Our conversations focused on strengthening Indo-Sri Lanka economic cooperation, enhancing investment opportunities, fostering regional security, and advancing key sectors such as tourism and energy," Dissanayake, who is popularly known as AKD, said in a statement. "These engagements reaffirm the commitment to deepening the partnership between our two nations." New Delhi's support amid geopolitical te...