'From the river to the sea'
He was being prodded by the media about Nick Adams - a pro-Israel Australian-American influencer - being nominated by US President Donald Trump as the country's next ambassador to Malaysia.
Fahmi, who is the communications minister, initially played coy...
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New Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
UK, 24 allies urge immediate end to Gaza war
LONDON: Britain and 24 Western allies, including Australia, Canada, France and Italy, declared on Monday that the war in Gaza "must end now", arguing that civilians' suffering had "reached new depths." "We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," the grouping added in a joint statement. "Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this." The signatories – which also included Japan, several EU countries, Switzerland and New Zealand – added they were "prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire." The wide-ranging statement branded the controversial Israeli-supported relief effort in Gaza as "dangerous" and said it deprives Gazans of "human dignity." "We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food," the statement said. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable," it added, urging Israel to "comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law." The statement called for the Israeli government "to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively." The UN said last week that it had recorded 875 people who had been killed in Gaza while trying to get food via the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). It has replaced UN agencies as the main distributor of aid in the territory. The 25-nation statement also condemned the continued detention of hostages in Gaza by Hamas, demanding "their immediate and unconditional release" and noting a negotiated ceasefire "offers the best hope of bringing them home." Meanwhile, the signatories said they "strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories" and said an Israeli plan to shift Palestinians into a so-called "humanitarian city" was unacceptable. "Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law," they warned.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Venezuela releases 48 detainees under prisoner swap deal
FILE PHOTO: Relatives of political prisoners hold balloons during a vigil outside the headquarters and detention centre of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) known as "Helicoide", in Caracas, Venezuela April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gaby Oraa/File Photo CARACAS (Reuters) -Forty-eight Venezuelans detained by their own government have so far been released under the terms of a prisoner exchange agreed with the United States, legal rights advocacy group Foro Penal said on Monday. The U.S. said last week that 80 people would be released from Venezuelan jails as part of the prisoner exchange, which saw the return home of over 200 Venezuelans detained in a notorious El Salvador prison. A total of 57 people it classes as political prisoners have been released from Venezuelan jails, Foro Penal said on X, including 48 Venezuelans and nine Americans or U.S. permanent residents. A tenth American released in the swap had not been counted as a political prisoner, the NGO added. "We regret the absence of an official list that allows us to verify with more precision," the group said, adding that some lists in circulation have included people not classed as political detainees, people who had already been released and even prisoners who have died. "At Foro Penal we remain in coordination with families working to verify other cases." The communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment about who is set to be released and whether any of them will be subject to house arrest or other alternatives to detention. The main opposition coalition in Venezuela has cheered the release of the prisoners. But the coalition said on Sunday nearly 1,000 people remain jailed in Venezuela for political reasons and 12 others have been arrested in recent days, in what it called a "revolving door" for political prisoners. The Venezuelans who had been detained in El Salvador were sent there from the United States in March after U.S. President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without normal immigration procedures. The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties. The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday, where some reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes. Yajaira Fuenmayor, the mother of former El Salvador detainee Alirio Guillermo Belloso, said on Sunday afternoon from her home in Maracaibo that she was preparing him arepas, traditional corn cakes, as a welcome. "I can't stop thinking of the hunger my son went through. I have a salad ready, some grilled arepas because he loves them, and there is fish in the refrigerator to fry," she said. The government has said the men will be medically evaluated and interviewed about their time in El Salvador before being released. (Reporting by ReutersWriting by Julia Symmes CobbEditing by Rosalba O'Brien)
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Jho Low reportedly living in luxury in China under unofficial protection
KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, is reportedly living in luxury in China under unofficial protection, according to fresh claims by investigative journalists Bradley Hope and Tom Wright. Speaking in their podcast, Finding Jho Low, which aired on Friday, the authors of Billion Dollar Whale revealed that Low is allegedly residing in Shanghai's upscale Green Hills neighbourhood and operating under a forged Australian passport using the alias "Constantinos Achilles Veis." They claimed that former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had allegedly advised Low to flee the country as scrutiny of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal intensified, prompting him to escape to China where he had familial ties in the Chiuchow region. "Despite being a fugitive, he is living comfortably, driving luxury cars and accompanied by Chinese security guards. It appears he is not under house arrest but enjoying an unrestricted life," Hope said in the podcast. Hope and Wright, who spent years tracking Low's global movements, also alleged that Malaysia lost as much as US$6 billion (RM28 billion) in Belt and Road Initiative-linked projects that were engineered with Low's involvement, mirroring the pattern of financial manipulation seen in the 1MDB scandal. Among the most revealing claims was that Low had allegedly cultivated ties with high-ranking Chinese political figures and intelligence officers, positioning himself as a "shadow broker" who influenced Malaysia's foreign policy tilt towards Beijing. The podcast also highlighted how Low allegedly played a role in corrupt infrastructure deals such as the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project, which involved bribes to Chinese officials, including former deputy public security minister Sun Lijun, who was later jailed for corruption. A turning point in the investigation came in 2019 when a photo of Low at Shanghai Disneyland surfaced. Analysts said the image helped identify his close-knit circle and added weight to claims that he is under unofficial protection by Chinese authorities. Hope and Wright suggested that Low has rebranded himself in China as a "dark arts coordinator," helping Chinese companies navigate complex regulatory environments, especially when dealing with the United States. "He is not just hiding. He is actively helping Chinese entities operate in hostile geopolitical terrain. That makes him valuable," Wright said. The journalists also claimed that Low had maintained an office at the Shanghai World Financial Centre, further suggesting he was actively engaged in financial or strategic work, rather than merely evading law enforcement. Much of the information shared in the podcast came from undisclosed documents and confidential sources, which the journalists said they could not reveal due to safety concerns. These revelations challenge earlier assumptions that Low was under house arrest or moving covertly from one location to another. Instead, they paint a picture of a man who remains influential and protected within a powerful foreign system. Law enforcement agencies, including those in Malaysia and the United States, may now have to recalibrate their approach in seeking Low's return as calls grow louder for accountability in the multibillion-dollar corruption scandal.
