Search for doomed MH370 resumes 11 years after disappearance
Earlier SEARCH , In December, Loke had said the new research would be on the similar” no find, no charge” rule as Ocean Infinity’s earlier search, with the state just paying out if it finds the plane. According to Loke, the agreement was for 18 months, and Malaysia had receive US$Continue Reading
Taliban’s ‘gender apartheid’ could be its undoing – Asia Times
Last week, the Taliban announced it was withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), rejecting the court’s authority and accusing it of political bias.
In a public statement, the Taliban claimed it had no obligation to the ICC because it was incompatible with the regime’s interpretation of Islam, and that it was being unfairly targeted after the court’s failure to address accusations of war crimes committed by United States-led forces between 2001 and 2021 in Afghanistan.
This comes after ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants in January for Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for crimes against humanity committed against women in Afghanistan.
Khan claimed Taliban leaders were responsible for persecuting Afghan women and girls since the group’s return to power in August 2021. This includes the severe deprivation of physical integrity and autonomy, freedom of movement and expression, education, private and family life and freedom of assembly.
The Taliban undeniably treats Afghan women and girls abysmally, denying them an education and most jobs. According to the United Nations, 2.5 million school-age girls have been denied their right to education.
Women have even been banned from working with aid organizations, leaving many Afghan women out of work or unable to access lifesaving humanitarian assistance.
The Taliban have also instituted “vice and virtue” laws forbidding women from showing their faces in public, looking at other men or taking transport without a male chaperone. This comes after the Taliban banned women from using beauty parlours and visiting national parks last year, completely removing women from public spaces.
The situation for women has gotten so bad that the UN declared it the “worst globally” last year, while the UN’s representative in Afghanistan – Richard Bennet – labeled the Taliban’s actions “gender apartheid.”
Khan’s request for warrants is the latest attempt to hold the Taliban accountable for its treatment of women and girls.
In January, the United Kingdom joined several other countries in referring the regime to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging it had violated the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Twenty-four countries have now threatened to refer the Taliban to the courts.
While the regime can and has easily rejected the authority of the world’s courts, it does pose a problem for the Taliban.
The Taliban needs legitimacy to remain in power over the long term and craves recognition that would validate its strict interpretation of Islam. But despite some countries informally recognizing the regime – such as China – the broad consensus has been a refusal to accept the Taliban as the official government until it treats women and girls more humanely.
The Taliban has hoped the world would run out of patience and meekly accept its hardline regime, but United States President Donald Trump’s recent aggressive rhetoric against the Taliban makes this scenario unlikely.
Indeed, if the Taliban wants to take its place in the community of nations, it needs to play by the world’s rules. This includes the ICC, which Afghanistan joined in 2003 under then President Hamid Karzai, giving the court clear jurisdiction over crimes committed in Afghanistan.
But when the Taliban accuses the court of double standards, it has a point. No American politician or soldier has been handed a warrant for war crimes against Afghan civilians. Trump’s recent sanctions against the ICC in response to arrest warrants for Israeli leaders for crimes in Gaza also highlights the unequalness of the international “rules-based order.”
But this does not absolve the regime for how it treats women, and international law is something the Taliban will need to accept if it wants to officially represent Afghanistan at the United Nations.
The warrants have also exacerbated tensions within Taliban ranks. In January, Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Abbas Stanikzai publicly demanded an end to the ban on women’s education, calling it a “personal choice” and rebuking the regime’s claim its position on women was consistent with Sharia law.
The warrants also come at a time when the Taliban is under significant pressure. Islamic State continues to carry out deadly attacks throughout Afghanistan, claiming responsibility for the assassination of Taliban minister and powerbroker Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani in December.
The regime’s relationship with former ally Pakistan is also fraught, leading to border skirmishes and air strikes on Afghan soil that have humiliated the regime. All in all, the Taliban looks weak and arrest warrants for its leaders have only worsened its position at home and abroad.
Stanikzai gets what many Taliban do not: that the world is not just budging on how the regime treats women and girls; rather, it is doubling down on demands for better treatment.
Oppressing 20 million Afghan people is neither sustainable, nor is it consistent with any tenets of Islam. The Taliban’s treatment of women and girls is about power, but that power is now fracturing from within. And disunity is death in Afghan politics.
Make concessions on women and girls and the Taliban will get its coveted seat at the table and the international legitimacy it craves.
This would be a boon for the regime and enable it to work with the international community to solve the myriad of problems Afghanistan faces, particularly on terrorism and the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The alternative is isolation and a reliance on cruelty, both of which brought on the Taliban’s last downfall in 2001.
85-year-old man to be charged over offensive Facebook posts about Islam
SINGAPORE: An , 85-year-old man will be charged in court on Wednesday ( Feb 26 ) over Facebook posts that , contained offensive remarks about Islam, the police said on Tuesday. The gentleman posted pictures of offensive Facebook posts from five years ago on April 21, 2021, on Instagram.  , The officersContinue Reading
ASEAN has to maintain centrality amid rising global tensions, security threats: Observers
GEOPOLITICAL Advances
In a media conference on Tuesday, Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin outlined a number of pressing issues that he will be discussing with his ASEAN counterparts in light of the dynamic political landscape.  ,
These include establishing a humanitarian relief committee to deal with organic disasters brought on by climate change, improving regional security, and advancing the country’s military supply chain.
Malaysia is currently leading ASEAN this time.  ,
Regarding maritime security, Mr. Khaled warned against regional militarization and urged nations with overlapping claims to solve problems diplomatically.  ,
There is a need for everyone to assure freedom of navigation, adhere to international laws, and make an effort not to make this region a superpower-friendly environment, he added.
Southeast Asia faces many challenges, particularly with conflicts rising between China and the United States, said spectators.
Member states have found themselves veering off in a variety of guidelines, putting strain on efforts to come to a discussion on political issues.
Mr. Khaled made the claim earlier this month that ASEAN’s centrality, particularly in the South China Sea, is “very essential,” stressing the idea that the group should continue to play a major role in local cooperation and diplomacy.
The only way to overcome any difficulties that are confronting this area and the rest of the world is through this, he continued.
The world is in” a really remarkable period of advances” with ongoing issues, and how some relationships are breaking down while new people are coming up, said Ms Sharon Seah, representative of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s ASEAN Studies Centre.
Southeast Asia, for example, has to maintain its relationship with the US under the uncertain Trump presidency.  ,
According to Ms. Seah,” I believe a very reasonable and logical assessment is required.”  ,
Cinema operators turn to live events, niche film festivals to woo moviegoers back
” MORE NICHE” EXPERIENCES
Through partnerships with regional movie theaters like The Projector and Shaw Theatres, The Singapore Film Society has also seen a 10 % to 15 % increase in footfall for its programs.
The non-profit is the country’s largest administrator of film festivals, holding situations like the Singapore Chinese Film Festival and European Union Film Festival.
In order to keep viewers invested in its programs and attend the theatre more frequently, it’s vice-chair and development director Eternality Tan said it is holding half as many screenings as it does before COVID days.
Mr Tan said its goal has always been to show “more business” pictures alongside so-called separate art-house movies, such as movies about climate change or marginalised communities.
” We have imported films like Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom,” according to the company. These are Bhutanese movies that are not available in the theaters below. It’s these kinds of more market activities that we try to offer”, he said.
He added that it is about providing in-person activities, like director Q&, As, to strengthen viewers.
” There could be little gems here and there, out there, that just somehow no one has ( and are ) not on anyone’s radar”, he noted.
” I’m sure people would want to travel in and watch the movie if we are able to do it on the large screen and we promote it in a proper way.”
Large crowds expected at columbaria, Choa Chu Kang cemetery during peak visiting days in March and April
Traveling, PARKING ARRANGEMENTS
The , completely shuttle bus services that are available on top time throughout the time period are a good idea for visitors to the Choa Chu Kang and Mandai Columbaria, according to NEA.
Yew Tee MRT place will be the location of the Choa Chu Kang Columbarium shuttle bus, and Khatib Station will be the location of the Mandai Columbarium pickup point.
Additionally, customers are even advised to use public transportation to get to the Choa Chu Kang and Mandai columbaria, NEA said.
People who intend to travel by car and garden in the Choa Chu Kang and Mandai columbaria may make an appointment online.
At Choa Chu Kang Columbarium, e-bookings are required for sessions between 6am and 4pm on Hari Raya Puasa, Qing Ming, Great Friday and the 10 Saturdays and Sundays between Mar 22 and Apr 20.
For Mandai Columbarium, this applies to all sessions between 6am and 6pm from Mar 22 to Apr 20.
Online reservation of session games in two-hour intervals starts at 10am on March 10.
Visitors are required to present proof of effective tickets before using the facility, according to NEA.
” As appointment games are limited, customers may make their bookings in improve”.
Online reservations are not necessary for cars entering the Choa Chu Kang and Mandai Columbaria without entering the designated dates and times, nor for customers taking public transportation or those who are just dropping off customers.
During this time, you can access real-time information about the circumstances at the Columbaria online.
All held areas in Choa Chu Kang Columbarium may become accessed, NEA said. The agency also urged visitors to stay away from the stored areas as the museum’s ongoing renovations took place.
First batch of trainees complete Malaysia’s revamped national service training programme as minister lauds its success
Malaysia’s Deputy Defense Minister Adly Zahari praised the success of the first batch of trainees from Malaysia’s revamped National Service Training Programme ( PLKN 3.0), which came to an end on Tuesday ( Feb 25 ).
The chancellor acknowledged, however, that the program may be improved.
116 trainees completed their 45-day education on Tuesday, despite the failure of another four.
At a ceremony marking the first batch of trainees ‘ completion, Adly was quoted as saying,” Since January 12, the trainees have undergone various training modules consisting of aspects of nationhood and military training.”
” We think it was a success because the first shipment consisted of individuals of all races and backgrounds,” said the company.
Adly added that he was convinced that the 116 recruits, which are made up of 73 men and 43 ladies and are between the ages of 18 and 25, would be able to build a better prospect with the knowledge and skills they had acquired from the program.
According to reports, Adly said,” I hope they will be able to get better people and a good example for the younger generation.”
In addition, he noted that two of the four who did not finish the program had health issues, and another was chosen to represent Malaysia in a silat competitors. Instead of continuing the program, the third chose to pursue further learning.
” The well-being and wellbeing of the employees are often our priority”, Adly said, according to The Star.
The secretary also assured the minister that his organization would continue to address any issues relating to the PLKN 3.0, including a rumored lack of military fatigues.
” We will make sure there are enough clothes for upcoming games. According to New Straits Times, he was quoted as saying that the clothes from Series 1/ 2025 will be used for Series 2/ 2025, which may run from May 11 to Jun 24 and Series 3/ 2025, which will move from Sep 7 to Oct 21.
There will be 500 employees for the second and third consumption of PLKN 3.0 both.
Singapore introduces guidelines to minimise disruptions to cloud services and data centres
The Infocomm Media Development Authority ( IMDA ) released a list of advisory guidelines on Tuesday ( Feb 25 ) to reduce instances of disruptions to cloud services and data centers.  ,
These recommendations may help cloud service providers and data centers employ threat assessment measures, business impact analysis, business continuity preparing, and security protocols by drawing on existing global and industry standards.  ,
They also aim to address challenges to sky services and data centres, such as issues in professional settings, natural hazards like fires, water leaks and cooling systems, as well as cyberattacks.  ,
In October 2023,  , DBS and Citibank were hit by an interruption lasting more than 12 days. Customers were unable to use PayLah!, PayLah!, or the banks ‘ softwares for online banking. and Give Today. ATM companies were even down at various locations.
A blaze broke out at the Digital Realty data center in Loyang in September last year, causing problems for tech firms like Lazada, Bytedance, and Alibaba Cloud.
Problems to such services can lead to major inconveniences and affected effect Singapore’s market, IMDA said.  ,
The country’s digital economy , contributed 17.7 per cent to the country’s gross domestic product ( GDP ) in 2023, overtaking the finance and insurance sector.  ,
” With the right practices, quite destructive occurrences can be minimised, and services may be restored immediately when a disturbance occurs”, said the expert.  ,
Recommendations FOR Sky Solutions AND DATA CENTRES ,
The actions that are suggested for cloud service providers, among others, may encourage them to utilize, among other things, appropriate data governance and disaster recovery plans.  ,
The guidelines will focus on seven categories of measures: Cloud management, sky network security, cloud operations control, cloud services management, cloud service customer access, tenancy and customer isolation, and cloud resilience.  ,
The new recommendations will provide a framework for data centers to implement techniques that can help assure business stability and reduce service problems.  ,
According to IMDA,” this includes instructions on implementing company continuity policies, controls, and processes, as well as continually reviewing and improving them,” adding that measures may also tackle cybersecurity risks in data centers.  ,
IMPROVING SINGAPORE’S DIGITAL SECURITY ,
These guidelines provide an “additional step” to improve the resilience and security of cloud services, according to IMDA, adding that they would also complement the upcoming new Digital Infrastructure Act ( DIA ).  ,
As scientific developments progress, the rules introduced will also be updated.  ,
The organization stated that” a whole-of-ecosystem approach is required to ensure that our society and economy continue to benefit from digitalization while being prepared for online outages.”
Zoo confirms Moo Deng’s good health, denies exploitation claim
PUBLISHED: 25 Feb 2025 at 16: 54
The secretary of natural solutions refutes claims made by international animal rights organizations that Thailand is using famous pygmy hippo Moo Deng for profit in unethical ways.  ,
On Tuesday, Chalermchai Sri-on claimed that the care given to the younger crocodile was completely up to international norms.
Last week, the Born Free Foundation and the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) in the United States urged tourists to avoid seeing the 7-month-old hippo at Chon Buri’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo. They claimed the park was using its fresh sun and had failed to meet her requires naturally.
Mr. Chalermchai claimed that Narongwit Chodchoy, the park’s chairman, confirmed that it complied with all international regulations for dog happiness.
” Especially Moe Deng’s family”, he said. ” She has given birth to seven calf, confirming that she is healthy”.
He invited the two parties over to see the park and see for themselves how well cared the animals are. Their false claims may adversely affect hospitality, he said.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand awarded Moo Deng and the park an honor on Monday in recognition of their contributions to Thailand’s tourism industry.
The meeting was the park in Sri Racha city of Chon Buri, and the award was presented by Apichal Chatchalermkit, TAT’s lieutenant governor of local advertising.
A slew of raw veggies are fed to Moo Deng and her family Jona. ( Photo: Khamoo and the Gang Facebook page )
5 men given jail, caning over fatal Orchard Road brawl
In 2023, five men who were involved in a fight at the Concorde Hotel and Shopping Mall along Orchard Road were given sentences ranging from two to three years in prison and caned for participating in a rebellion that resulted in the death of a previous boy.  ,
The five gentlemen and their words are:  ,
- Sridharan Elangovan - , 36 times ‘ prisons and six breaths of the wood  ,
- Manojkumar Velayanatham , - , 30 times ‘ prisons and four stroke
- Sashikumar Pakirsamy , - , 24 weeks ‘ prisons and two stroke
- Puthenvilla Keith Peter , - , 26 times ‘ prison and three breaths
- Raja Rishi , - , 30 times ‘ prisons and four stroke
Each had previously admitted guilt to a violence charge.  ,
Sridharan, 30, Manojkumar, 32, and Sashikumar, 34, were people of a secret society class.  ,
Another man, Asvain Pachan Pillai Sukumaran, 30, was earlier handed a death command after he allegedly killed the original boy, 29-year-old Mohammad Isrrat Mohd Ismail. His situation is pending.  ,
Six other gentlemen, between 25 and 33 years older, were named in court papers as co-accused who took part in the mob. The other five people who were named in the records were close friends with this class.  ,
Former Club Rumours bouncers Muhammad Shahrulnizam Osman, 30, and Isrrat’s companion and a secret world member, Muhammad Shahrulnizam, 30, were also involved.  ,
THE Event
On Aug 19, 2023, from about 11pm, a group of at least 10 persons, including several of the accused, started drinking at different venues.  ,
They ended up eating at Concorde Hotel and Shopping Mall’s Club Rumours.  ,
At 4.46am, Isrrat and his companion Shahrulnizam arrived. Isrrat had wanted to pass his bride offer cards to club team, and they , sat near the entrance of the team, opposite the accused people.  ,
By that point, the club’s chief boy was on call because he discovered that members of the accused’ team were members of secret societies. He made this known to the other bouncers who were on the move, and they later armed themselves with knives. Isrrat did also.  ,
At about 6am, as the team was closing, Isrrat shouted a vulgarity at the accused’s party. After a short verbal change, the accused people confronted Isrrat and Shahrulnizam, during which , Isrrat punched Asvain.
Between the accused people and Isrrat and Shahrulnizam, shoving and pushing occurred. Before Isrrat and Shahrulnizam ran up into Concorde, the fight moved towards a small, undeveloped place along Kramat Lane. They were chased by several team members who kicked and punched Isrrat.  ,
As Isrrat was running up in, he stabbed someone in the face.  ,
While Shahrulnizam was able to reclaim the club, the accused’s team chased Isrrat near, hitting and kick him near an indoor escalator, and escaped.  ,
Isrrat was later caught by group members at a glass door exit, where they punched and kicked him before he rose and fled to an outside area.
As the assault continued,  , Asvain picked up a small blade that Isrrat had dropped, and stabbed him several times. Isrrat was kicked once more by Sudharan as a result of another person’s stomp on him.  ,
After the party fled, Club Rumours workers called for an ambulance for Isrrat, who was bleeding heavily. He was taken to a hospital where he was later declared deceased at 6.59 am.  ,
Asvain left in a vehicle with four others, including Sridharan and Manojkumar. He suggested that the five of them get their passports , and escape to Johor Bahru to evade imprisonment.
All of them were arrested at the Woodlands Checkpoint.
In the end, the remaining accused were likewise detained. Two of them- Sashikumar and Raja, 28, surrendered to the officers while Puthenvilla, 26, was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint.  ,
32 injuries were discovered in Isrrat’s system, as well as eight stab wounds to his lower back and stomach, according to an autopsy on him.  , The cause of suicide was stab wounds to his neck.  ,
Shahrulnizam was previously ordered by the court to serve 12 wood strokes and two years and nine months in prison.  ,
District Judge Eddy Tham, who handed down the sentence, said that the court considered violence with violence serious because it could result in varying degrees of harm that “goes to the intense.”  ,
The determine noted that group violence could rise naturally and quickly in the heat of the moment, being encouraged by one another, and continue without restraint or control.  ,
In this instance, Judge Tham described the connection to secret societies as “tenuous,” as the accused were among companions celebrating a day.  ,
He found the button to have been Isrrat shouting obscenities.  ,
Rioting carries a prison term of up to seven times, and punishment.  ,