Asean issues and challenges 2021

As ASEAN marks its 55th anniversary, its midyear foreign ministers’ meeting (AMM) of 3 August 2022 was as usual accompanied by two important ministerial meetings of ASEAN-centric bodies. The AMM was followed by the 12th East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers meeting and the 29th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting — both on 5 August. These meetings were chaired by the current ASEAN chairman, Cambodia, through Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. India was represented by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar had attended the ASEAN-India meeting on 3 August. The ASEAN Regional Forum in this set of meetings is most important because it meets only at the ministerial level. The EAS FMs report into the EAS summit which is held along with the ASEAN summit in November annually. The ARF is mainly a security-related institution and … [Read more...] about The Taiwan Tangle: How US-China Tensions Have Pushed ASEAN into A Corner

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Kerala government on an appeal filed by Nagaland challenging the Kerala High Court’s order which upheld the state government’s power to regulate lotteries from other states. The division bench of the high court upheld the amendments brought to Kerala Paper Lotteries (Regulation) Rules in 2018 and said it was within the legislative competence of the State government. The division bench had set aside a single judge’s judgement restraining the Kerala government from interfering with the marketing and sale of lottery tickets of the Nagaland government in the State. An apex court bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy issued notice to the Kerala government and others on Nagaland’s appeal challenging the May 21, 2021 order of the high court. Respondent-State may file counter affidavit within a period of three weeks, the bench said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Nagaland, submitted that the issue broadly … [Read more...] about SC Notice to Kerala on Plea Challenging Power of State Govt to Regulate Lotteries from Other States

Republican Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney lost her Tuesday primary challenge from Harriet Hageman, less than a year-and-a-half after she was removed from House GOP leadership for her continued criticisms of former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Cheney was one of ten Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and one of two Republicans appointed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to sit on the Select Committee investigating the riot. She is the fourth Republican who voted to impeach Trump to lose their primary, joining South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice, Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, and Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler. (RELATED: Pro-Impeachment Rep. Dan Newhouse Skates Past Trump-Endorsed Primary Challenge) Elections forecasters called the race at 9:30 pm Eastern time, half-an-hour after voting ended, and with only five percent of votes officially counted . Polls consistently showed Hageman leading … [Read more...] about Rep. Liz Cheney Loses Primary To Trump-Backed Challenger Harriet Hageman

A senior U.S. Navy officer described China as a "gorilla in the room" on Tuesday as he argued for pushback against Chinese military drills that would soon create a new status quo around Taiwan. Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, who commands the Seventh Fleet, said Beijing threatened busy commercial shipping lanes around Taiwan when it launched ballistic missiles earlier this month, some of which traveled over the democratically governed island, landing in its surrounding waters. The move was a stated response, which the White House has called an overreaction, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 's recent visit to Taiwan. At least five of the projectiles —Taipei said it detected 11 in total—landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, drawing protests from the U.S. treaty ally that is also home to tens of thousands of American troops. Speaking in Singapore ahead of the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training naval exercise, commonly known as SEACAT, Thomas said: "It's very important … [Read more...] about U.S. must challenge “gorilla” China over Taiwan missile tests: Official

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday reviewed ongoing bilateral initiatives, including defence collaboration projects and cooperation in civil nuclear energy. During their telephonic conversation, they also discussed important geopolitical challenges, including those related to global food security, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said. India and France have been expressing concern about the risk to global food security and nutrition in light of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In his conversation with Macron, Prime Minister Modi conveyed his solidarity to him for the ongoing drought and wildfires in France, the statement said. The leaders reviewed ongoing bilateral initiatives, including defence cooperation projects and cooperation in civil nuclear energy. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the depth and strength that the India-France Strategic Partnership has acquired in recent years and agreed … [Read more...] about PM Modi, French Prez Macron Discuss Geopolitical Challenges, Cooperation in Civil Nuclear Energy

Actor Ezra Miller has broken his silence after months of reports alleging he engaged in violent, criminal behavior, The Flash star telling Variety that he will be seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues” and apologized for “past behavior,” which includes allegations of choking a woman, verbally assaulting a female friend, and grooming a teenage girl. “Having recently gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment,” Miller said. “I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior. I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life.” Variety made sure to note that Ezra Miller identifies as “non-binary and uses they and them pronouns.” The actor’s apology comes as Warner Bros. faces a difficult decision regarding the fate of his already-completed $200 million project The Flash . … [Read more...] about ‘The Flash’ Star Ezra Miller Vows to Seek Treatment for ‘Complex Mental Health Issues’ After Multiple Arrests

The story so far: On August 13, Sri Lanka approved the arrival of a Chinese satellite-tracking vessel to its southern Chinese-funded Hambantota port. It was the second approval from the island nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after it first cleared the visit on July 12. In the weeks in between, India raised concerns over the ship’s visit with President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and officially commented on it, while Indian media splashed headlines of a “Chinese spy ship” hovering in the Indian Ocean. Caught in a delicate diplomatic and geopolitical spot, Colombo gave its nod after “extensive consultations” with “all parties”. What is the vessel? Yuan Wang 5 was described by the Sri Lankan government as a “scientific research ship”. The BRISL (Belt & Road Initiative Sri Lanka), a Colombo-based organisation studying China’s ambitious connectivity project, was the first to draw attention to the visit in a Twitter post late July. It said that the Yuan Wang 5 will conduct … [Read more...] about Explained | Why is the visit of a Chinese vessel to Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port controversial?

Members of President Joe Biden’s administration, his voter base and Congressional Democrats are jumping off Biden’s sinking ship of poll numbers in the months leading up to the November midterms. Poll after poll shows the majority of American people disapprove of the way Biden is handling the presidency, including minority voters, who have historically made up a large percentage of the Democratic Party’s voter base. Polled voters say they are concerned about the economy in the U.S. far more than any other issue. The president’s approval ratings have hit the 30s, with a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Tuesday showing Biden’s public approval rating at 39% in the third straight weekly decline. Among party lines, 74% of Democrats said they approved of Biden, amounting to an 11% drop from August, according to Reuters. Just 11% of Republicans said they approved. His lowest approval numbers were in April, according to a Quinnipiac University poll, sitting at 33%. The Tuesday … [Read more...] about Why People Near Biden Are Jumping Ship Before The Red November Wave

BREAKING: BORDER ENCOUNTERS HIT HIGHEST MONTHLY TOTAL ‘IN RECORDED HISTORY’ … LUKE BARR, ABC : The total monthly encounters of migrants along the southern border in April, were 234,088, according to an overnight court filing, the highest total in recorded history. EARTH’S BORDER GETS A HEARING TODAY… CNN : House panel to hold highly anticipated public hearing on UFOs A House panel is set to hold a public hearing on Tuesday on “unidentified aerial phenomena,” popularly known as UFOs, a high-profile moment for a controversial topic that has long been relegated to the fringes of public policy. The hearing, which is slated to begin at 9 a.m. ET and will be livestreamed, has been convened by the House Intelligence Committee’s Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation subcommittee, a panel chaired by Democratic Rep. André Carson of Indiana. As part of the proceedings, Ronald Moultrie, under secretary of defense for intelligence and security, and Scott … [Read more...] about Editor Daily Rundown: Border Encounters Hit Highest Monthly Total ‘In Recorded History’

PRO-ABORTION TERRORISTS PROMISE TO ESCALATE ATTACKS… ‘The Leash Is Off’: Abortion Activists Behind Attacks On Pro-Lifers Issue New Threats, Urge Others To ‘Burn’ A statement that appears to be from the violent pro-abortion group Jane’s Revenge was posted online Tuesday, saying “the leash is off” for attacks on pro-life operations and declaring violence until pro-life groups shut down. The statement was posted to Abolition Media, an “online news source for revolutionary movements,” and promised violent attacks on pro-life organizations such as crisis pregnancy centers. “We promised to take increasingly drastic measures against oppressive infrastructures,” the statement said. “Rest assured that we will, and those measures may not come in the form of something so easily cleaned up as fire and graffiti. Sometimes you will see what we do, and you will know that it is us. Sometimes you will think you merely are unlucky, because you cannot see the ways which we interfere in your … [Read more...] about Editor Daily Rundown: Pro-Abortion Terrorists Promise To Escalate Attacks