Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday the country will not stop its oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea despite claims by Beijing that Malaysia was infringing on its territory.
Anwar, speaking from Russia where he is on an official trip, said Malaysia’s exploration activities were within its territory and were not intended to be provocative or hostile toward China, with whom it has friendly relations.
“Of course, we will have to operate in our waters and secure economic advantage, including drilling for oil, in our territory,” Anwar said in a televised press conference in Vladivostok.
“We have never denied the possibility of discussion (with China). But it doesn’t mean we have to stop the operation in our area.”
Malaysia’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it would investigate the leak of a classified diplomatic note from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
In the note, which was carried by a Philippine news outlet, Beijing asserted that Malaysia’s oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea breached its territory.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including parts of the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, complicating energy exploration efforts by several of those countries.
Under international law, an EEZ does not denote sovereignty, but grants a country sovereign rights to extract natural resources from those waters.
Malaysian state energy firm Petronas, or Petroliam Nasional Berhad, operates oil and gas fields in the South China Sea within Malaysia’s EEZ and has in recent years had several encounters with Chinese vessels.
Anwar said China has sent “one or two” protest notes to stop Malaysia’s oil exploration activities, without specifying details, but stressed that the government would continue to explain to Beijing its position.
“We have said that we will not transgress other people’s borders. That is our stringent policy and principles,” he said.
“They know our position.... They have claimed that we are infringing on their territory. That is not the case. We say no, it is our territory.”
“But if they continue with the dispute, then okay, we will have to listen, and they will have to listen.”
An international arbitration tribunal in The Hague in 2016 ruled China’s claim to about 90 percent of the South China Sea, made via a U-shaped “nine-dash line” on its maps, had no basis under international law, a decision Beijing does not recognize.
Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia will not stop South China Sea exploration despite China protests
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Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia will not stop South China Sea exploration despite China protests
- Malaysia’s exploration activities were within its territory and were not intended to be provocative or hostile toward China, PM says
- Leaked note reveals Beijing’s assertion that Malaysia’s oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea breached its territory
Ukraine says it’s ready to restart talks with Russia but needs clarity on Kremlin’s terms
Ukraine and its European allies have repeatedly accused the Kremlin of dragging its feet in peace efforts
KYIV: Ukraine is ready to resume direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday, a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky said, following days of uncertainty over whether Kyiv would attend a meeting proposed by Moscow.
But Ukrainian officials have insisted that the Kremlin provide a promised memorandum setting out its position on ending the more than three-year war, before the two delegations sit down to negotiate.
“Ukraine is ready to attend the next meeting, but we want to engage in a constructive discussion,” Andrii Yermak said in a statement on the website of Ukraine’s Presidential Office late Thursday.
“This means it is important to receive Russia’s draft. There is enough time – four days are sufficient for preparing and sending the documents,” Yermak said.
Ukraine and its European allies have repeatedly accused the Kremlin of dragging its feet in peace efforts, while it tries to press its bigger army’s battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land.
Kyiv’s Western partners, including the US, are urging Moscow to agree to an unconditional ceasefire, something Kyiv has embraced while the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking.
Ukraine’s top diplomat, Andrii Sybiha, also told reporters on Friday that Kyiv is waiting for Russia to clarify its proposals ahead of a next round of talks.
“We want to end this war this year. We are interested in establishing a ceasefire, whether it is for 30 days, 50 days, or 100 days. Ukraine is open to discussing this directly with Russia,” Sybiha said at a joint news conference in Kyiv with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
Sybiha and Fidan also held the door open to a future meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Vladimir Putin of Russia, possibly also including US President Donald Trump. Fidan said the ongoing peace push in Istanbul could be “crowned with” such a meeting.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday told reporters that a Russian delegation will head to Istanbul and stand ready to take part in the second round of talks on June 2.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday publicly invited Ukraine to hold direct negotiations with Moscow on that date. In a video statement, Lavrov said Russia would use Monday’s meeting to deliver an outline of Moscow’s position on “reliably overcoming” what it calls the root causes of the war. Russian officials have said for weeks that such a document is forthcoming.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Wednesday said that Ukraine isn’t opposed to further direct talks with Russia, but that they would be “empty” if Moscow were to fail to clarify its terms. Umerov said he had personally handed a document setting out Ukraine’s position to the Russian side.
Low-level delegations from Russia and Ukraine held their first direct peace talks in three years in Istanbul on May 16. The talks, which lasted two hours, brought no significant breakthrough, although both sides agreed to the largest prisoner exchange of the war. It was carried out last weekend and freed 1,000 captives on each side.
Fidan on Friday voiced a belief that the successful swap has “proved that negotiations can yield concrete results.”
“There are two paths in front of us. Either we will turn a blind eye to the continuation of the war, or we will reach a lasting peace within the end of the year,” he told reporters in Kyiv.
Philippines looks to deepen trade, business ties with UAE
- Manila is anticipating the signing of a Philippine-UAE trade deal in June
- UAE is one of Philippines’ key trading partners in the Gulf region
MANILA: The Philippines is ready to deepen its economic partnership with the UAE, Manila’s special envoy has said, as the visit of a business delegation from Dubai concluded this week.
Dubai Chambers organized a business forum in Manila on Wednesday as part of its “New Horizons” initiative. With its delegation visiting the Philippine capital, the business body had organized at least 180 bilateral meetings.
The event also saw Dubai Chambers and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry sign a preliminary agreement aimed at strengthening trade and investment ties through various efforts, including sending trade missions and organizing business-matching missions.
“The Philippines is open, ready, and eager for stronger trade and business ties with the UAE,” Kathryna Yu-Pimentel, the Philippines’ special envoy to the UAE for trade and investment, said during the forum.
“Last year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the UAE — a golden milestone. Today, we look ahead with even more optimism.”
The UAE is a key trading partner of the Philippines in the region. In 2023, non-oil bilateral trade between the Philippines and the UAE reached over $1 billion. The Gulf state also ranked as the Philippines’ top export market among the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, and its 17th largest trading partner globally.
It is also home to the second-largest Filipino diaspora after Saudi Arabia, with some 700,000 overseas Filipino workers living and working in the UAE. Many are employed in the construction, healthcare and hospitality sectors.
“This upward trend will only continue, especially with the anticipated signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the Philippines and the UAE next month,” Yu-Pimentel said.
“This will be historic in the sense that it will be our first free trade agreement with a Middle Eastern country.”
The expected development will follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first trip to Abu Dhabi in November, during which he met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
The two leaders committed “to deepening cooperation in various areas, including economy, trade and sustainability” during their meeting, which included discussions on the bilateral trade agreement.
Negotiations on the free trade deal have been underway between Philippine and UAE officials since the beginning of 2024.
Centuries-old toymaking tradition lives on in southern India
- Origins of toymaking in Channapatna can be traced back to Muslim ruler Tipu Sultan
- Today, the city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka is popularly known as ‘toy town’
NEW DELHI: For as long as he can remember, the wooden toys of Channapatna have been a part of Suhel Parvez’s life.
As family members carefully tended the centuries-old art of toy making, Parvez grew up watching unique colors and intricate designs come to life.
“I have been brought up seeing these, because in our home (in) every place they worked on this,” Parvez told Arab News.
Today, the 35-year-old is one of a few thousand local artisans working to keep the craft alive.
“I am the fifth-generation artisan, and we are continuing the legacy of our ancestors who started this,” he said.
In the southern Indian state of Karnataka, thanks to a traditional form of toy-making that can be traced back to the 18th century, Channapatna is popularly known as the “toy town,” or “gombegala ooru.” According to local artisans, the craft started in the region after Tipu Sultan, the Muslim ruler of the kingdom of Mysore, asked artists from Persia to train the locals.
From dolls to spinning tops, Channapatna’s toys are carved from local ivory wood and dipped in bright colors made from natural ingredients, such as turmeric and indigo. While they were once all hand-carved, artisans have since begun to use some machines to keep the industry competitive.
In India, the craft is protected as a geographical indication, or GI, which is a form of intellectual property under the World Trade Organization.
The toys — popular for their long-lasting quality — have also made international headlines throughout the years. In 2010 they experienced a boom after former US First Lady Michelle Obama bought some during one of her visits to New Delhi.
In 2025, as wooden toys regain popularity across the world due to their eco-friendly qualities, craftsmen like Parvez are seeing new opportunities opening up.
“Many countries are boycotting plastic material, and for child safety people are moving slowly towards wooden toys. We have good opportunities in coming years,” Parvez said.
His Bharath Arts and Crafts unit produces traditional toys the region is known for, and also more modern versions of those often used for educational purposes.
“We don’t involve any chemical process in that … right from sourcing tools (to the) end, final product, this will be a 100 percent chemical-free process,” he added, referring to the Channapatna toys.
“Apart from that we have one more (type) known as modern toys or educational toys which are made out of synthetic colors which are non-toxic.”
While Parvez and his fellow craftsmen have exported their products to the US, UK and Australia, he says the Middle East and Africa are emerging markets for the wooden toys of southern India.
“We have very good markets (in the) Middle East and African countries — these are the emerging opportunities for us,” he said.
These days, Channapatna’s toy making industry mostly comprises seasoned artisans, those who have been in the field for decades, according to local craftsman Srinivasa Kariappa.
“Those who are working in the industry have at least 15 or 20 years of experience, new people are not joining,” he told Arab News.
The 37-year-old, who runs Harsha Industries, believes that there is still time to welcome new people to preserve the tradition.
“Handwork is important in Channapatna toys,” he said. “The government should open a training center where a new set of people can come and join the toy industry. We need new families and people to join the industry and expand (it).”
Driver charged with Liverpool football parade tragedy appears in court
- Prosecutors have charged him with dangerous driving and six serious offenses alleging grievous bodily harm
- The charges are related to two boys, two women and two men who were among the 79 people injured Monday during celebrations of Liverpool’s Premier League championship
LONDON: A driver charged with multiple counts of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm for ramming into a crowd of Liverpool football fans celebrating their team’s Premier League championship was ordered held in custody Friday at his first court appearance.
Paul Doyle, wearing a black suit, white shirt and gray tie, looked emotional as he spoke only to confirm his name, address and birth date in a hearing in Liverpool Magistrates’ Court. He did not enter a plea.
Doyle, 53, faces a charge of dangerous driving and six serious offenses alleging he caused or tried to cause grievous bodily harm. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison if he is convicted.
The father of three bowed his head as the charges were read. The counts are related to the injuries of two boys, two women and two men who were among the 79 people injured Monday. The victims ranged in age from 9 to 78, police said. Seven people remained hospitalized Thursday.
District Judge Paul Healey put an order in place restricting the publication of victims’ names.
Doyle was ordered to appear later in the day in Liverpool Crown Court.
The city had been celebrating Liverpool’s record-tying 20th title when Doyle turned down a street full of fans and joy quickly turned to tragedy. Police said they believed Doyle got past a road block by following an ambulance that was trying to reach a possible heart attack victim.
Videos showed the car hit and toss a person wrapped in a red Liverpool flag into the air and then swerve into a sea of people packed on the side of the road.
At least four people, including a child, had to be freed from beneath the vehicle when it came to a halt.
The driver was believed to have acted alone and terrorism was not suspected, Merseyside Police said. They have not disclosed an alleged motive for the act.
Kremlin expects Russia and Ukraine to discuss ceasefire conditions in Istanbul
MOSCOW: The Kremlin expects Russia and Ukraine to discuss the list of conditions for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine next week in Istanbul, its spokesman said on Friday, praising the US role in mediating the talks.
Russia has proposed holding the second round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2. However, Ukraine wants to see Russia’s proposals for a peace deal before it sends a delegation to Turkiye, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian delegation would be traveling to Istanbul and would be ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning.
“At the moment, everyone is focused on the direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations. A list of conditions for a temporary truce is being developed,” Peskov told reporters. He said the details of the memorandum will not be published.
Reuters reported earlier this week that Putin’s conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards.
US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said earlier on Friday that Russia’s concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was fair and the United States did not want to see Ukraine in the US-led military alliance.
Commenting on Kellogg’s statement, Peskov said that Putin has been consistently conveying Russia’s position on the inadmissibility of NATO’s eastward expansion.
“We are pleased that these explanations by the president are understood, including in Washington. And, of course, this is quite appealing to us in terms of the mediating role that Washington continues to play,” Peskov said.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops.
