Malaysia strengthens global ties through diplomatic meetings with world leaders
Leaders and senior representatives from Australia, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Palestine, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the European Union, and the United Kingdom held discussions with Anwar. These talks explored new avenues for collaboration in trade, education, technology, humanitarian efforts, and regional stability.
'These meetings open up new areas of cooperation in trade, education, technology, humanitarianism and regional peace, which reflect Malaysia's commitment as a principled and trusted partner on the international stage,' Anwar stated in a post on X.
The discussions reinforced Malaysia's position as a key player in both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. The Prime Minister's engagements underscored the nation's dedication to fostering strong international relationships while addressing global challenges. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysiakini
an hour ago
- Malaysiakini
Anwar: Tabling FOI Bill soon, to provide clarity on govt decisions
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament later this year. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the tabling of the bill is crucial to gain public confidence and provide clarity on government decisions. 'This is an important step in...
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
West Bank Christian village prays for help after Israeli settler attacks
TAYBEH, Palestinian Territories: Clerics and diplomats walked as if in a religious procession through the streets of Taybeh, a small Christian village in the occupied West Bank where residents blame Israeli settlers for a spate of recent attacks. In cassocks and suits respectively, they answered the call from the local town hall and priests to meet residents affected by the violence and to see for themselves the arson damage on the remains of a Byzantine church. "It became every day more clear that there is no law. The only law is power," said Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa. "Israeli authorities have a role to play in conducting the necessary investigations to find the perpetrators and charge them," French Consul General in Jerusalem Nicolas Kassianides said. As he walked through the village on Monday, a resident thanked the French diplomat for his presence at the previous olive harvest -- a common practice for Israeli activists and foreigners hoping their presence will deter settler attacks on Palestinians. The European Union's representative in the Palestinian Territories, Alexandre Stutzmann, pointed to the sanctions imposed by the bloc on certain settlers and their organisations, and said attacks were "undermining the process for peace". DAILY PROVOCATIONS The United Nations keeps a record of the routine violence committed by some of the nearly half a million Israeli settlers who live in the West Bank, excluding annexed east Jerusalem. Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are deemed illegal under international law. From July 1-7, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, documented at least 27 settler attacks against Palestinians. In the villages and communities around Taybeh, Palestinian authorities reported that settlers had killed three people and damaged or destroyed multiple water sources in the past two weeks alone. The July 7 arson attack on the remains of the Church of Saint George, which date back to the 5th century, was the last straw for many villagers. "We struggle with daily provocations," said Father Bashar Basiel as he described the damage done to village lands by the settlers' livestock, or the aggressive visits by young hardliners. "How long will these attacks last?" he asked. On the sidelines of the visit, residents and officials exchanged photographs and videos of recent attacks and the damage done. Many questioned how the situation could have got so bad in a quiet village known more for its beer festival and picturesque alleyways than political activism or confrontations with the Israeli army. "We want peace," local elders recited like a mantra from the sidelines of Monday's procession. SETTLER VIOLENCE Yet few harbour hope that Monday's visit will change the direction in which Taybeh seems headed. Daoud Khoury, Taybeh's mayor for eight years, asked the foreign guests how they could combat settler violence "in concrete terms" and "protect Christians". "In my opinion, the answer is that they can't do much", Khoury said later in the visit. He said he feared the worsening security situation would prompt more local families to emigrate abroad, severing the connection between Palestinians and their land. "What do people need? They need a roof over their head and they need a job," said Khoury, who is now in his seventies. "That's what I expected from the patriarchs. You know, trying to create jobs, trying to build houses." Like most of Taybeh's elderly residents, he has no plans to leave but feels powerless in the face of gradual settler expansion. "This is something that's been going on for a while but right now it's expanding... they're just going everywhere, even closer, very close to the houses," he said. Implicit is the fear that few residents dare to speak out loud -- the potential disappearance of the village. From a corner of the local cemetery that was also damaged by a fire blamed on settlers, Qassam Muaddi pointed to the latest Israeli settlements on the horizon. The young journalist was irritated by the day's formalities and said he felt like the situation had reached a deadend. "The message that we are getting (from the international community) is that we don't matter... and that whether or not we still exist in the coming 50 years doesn't change anything," he said. - AFP
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Trump announces Indonesia 'deal' after tariff threats
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he had struck a deal with Indonesia – without providing specifics of the agreement – a week after threatening steeper tariffs on the Southeast Asian country. "Great deal, for everybody, just made with Indonesia," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying that he worked with the country's president directly. "DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!!" The Trump administration has been under pressure to finalise trade pacts after promising a flurry of deals, as countries have sought negotiations with Washington to avoid Trump's tariff threats. But the US president has so far only unveiled deals with Britain and Vietnam, alongside an agreement to temporarily lower tit-for-tat levies with China. Last week, Trump renewed his threat of a 32 per cent levy on Indonesian goods, saying in a letter to the country's leadership that this level would take effect August 1. It remains unclear what Indonesia's new tariff level will be under the latest deal with Washington, Indonesia's former vice minister for foreign affairs, Dino Patti Djalal, told a Foreign Policy event Tuesday. But he added that insiders from the Indonesian government indicated they were happy with the new deal, adding that he expected further information in the coming hours. Trump, in April, imposed a 10 per cent tariff on almost all trading partners, while announcing plans to eventually hike this level for dozens of economies, including the European Union and Indonesia. However, just days before the steeper duties were due to take effect, he pushed the deadline back from July 9 to August 1. This marked his second postponement of the elevated levies. Instead, since the start of last week, Trump began sending out letters to partners, setting out the tariff levels they would face come August. The levy he cited to Indonesia last week was unchanged from the figure first unveiled in April. To date, Trump has sent more than 20 such letters to partners including the EU, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Canada and Mexico – both countries that were not originally targeted in Trump's "reciprocal" tariff push – also received similar documents outlining updated tariffs for their products. However, existing exemptions covering goods entering the United States under a North American trade pact are expected to remain in place. Analysts have warned that without trade agreements, Americans could conclude that Trump's strategy to reshape US trading ties with the world has not worked. "In the public's mind, the tariffs are the pain, and the agreements will be the gain. If there are no agreements, people will conclude his strategy was flawed," William Reinsch, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, previously told AFP.
