39 Palestinians freed in first Hamas-Israel prisoner exchange deal

RAMALLAH (Bernama-Anadolu): The first batch of 39 Palestinian prisoners was released from the Israeli Ofer prison in the west of Ramallah, as part of the Hamas-Israel prisoner exchange deal. Anadolu Agency (AA) reported that Israel and Hamas on Friday (Nov 24) conducted the first prisoner exchange since the start of the conflict on Oct 7. Under the...

Faster, faster: Chinese scholar says quicker ECRL trains, speedier construction time possible

KUALA LUMPUR: A prominent Chinese scholar hopes the ECRL (East Coast Rail Link) project will be completed as two high-speed rail projects in South-East Asia have already been built. "The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail and Laos-China high-speed rail have been completed. Hopefully, the ERCL project will be completed quickly, too," said Victor Gao, the chair professor at...

Anwar holds talks with King of Jordan on sidelines of extraordinary OIC summit

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has held a meeting with the King of Jordan King Abdullah II on the sidelines of the 8th Extraordinary Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Riyadh on Saturday (Nov 11). In a Facebook post, the Prime Minister said his meeting with King Abdullah took place in a...

Open Rafah border to allow humanitarian aid into Palestine, urges UTM lecturer

JOHOR BARU: The Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt should be opened to allow more humanitarian aid to be given to the Palestinians. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia senior lecturer Dr Mohamad Darwish said the ban on entry to Gaza has also caused the hospitals to suffer a healthcare crisis. “Since there is no electricity, the hospitals have to...

PM: M’sia only recognises UN Security Council sanctions, not those of the US

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia only recognises sanctions by the United Nations Security Council and not unilateral sanctions by the United States, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said this in light of a recently introduced Bill in the US to penalise foreign countries supporting Palestinian group Hamas. ALSO READ: Govt monitoring US Bill regarding sanctions against foreign...

Anwar commends Japan’s stand on humanitarian assistance in Gaza

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has commended Japan’s stand for humanitarian assistance to be allowed into Gaza, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said Malaysia also appreciated Japan’s position on the illegal settlement by Israel into Palestine and the need for peace in the region. “Although there are differences in emphasis between Malaysia and Japan on the issue,...

Malaysia, Palestine agree on comprehensive effort to end violence in Gaza

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Palestine have agreed on the need for comprehensive efforts to end any form of violence in Gaza. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was reached during his telephone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the latest developments in Gaza. "We also hope that all parties can ensure humanitarian aid...

Human Rights Watch says Israel used white phosphorous in Gaza, Lebanon

JERUSALEM (Reuters): Human Rights Watch on Thursday (Oct 12) accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury. Asked for comment on the allegations, Israel's military said it was "currently not aware of the use...