US Supreme Court strikes down swath of Trump’s global tariffs

FMT:

US Supreme Court strikes down swath of Trump’s global tariffs

The Supreme Court's decision affirms earlier findings by lower courts that tariffs US President Donald Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were illegal

US President Donald Trump has made unprecedented use of emergency economic powers to slap duties on virtually all US trading partners. (Presidential Press Service/EPA Images pic)

WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court ruled Friday that Donald Trump exceeded his authority in imposing a swath of tariffs that upended global trade, blocking a key tool the president has wielded to impose his economic agenda.

The conservative-majority high court ruled six-three in the judgment, saying the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) “does not authorise the President to impose tariffs”.

While Trump has long used tariffs as a lever for pressure and negotiations, he made unprecedented use of emergency economic powers upon returning to the presidency last year to slap new duties on virtually all US trading partners.


These included “reciprocal” tariffs over trade practices that Washington deemed unfair, alongside separate sets of duties targeting major partners Mexico, Canada and China over illicit drug flows and immigration.

The court on Friday noted that “had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs” with IEEPA, “it would have done so expressly, as it consistently has in other tariff statutes.”

The ruling does not impact sector-specific duties that Trump has separately imposed on imports of steel, aluminum and various other goods. Formal probes which could ultimately lead to more such sectoral tariffs remain in the works.

The Supreme Court’s decision affirms earlier findings by lower courts that tariffs Trump imposed under IEEPA were illegal.

A lower trade court had ruled in May that Trump overstepped his authority with across-the-board levies and blocked most of them from taking effect, but that outcome had been put on hold as the government sought an appeal.

Must Read for Indians: Understanding the Root Cause of Our Decline in Malaysia

OPINION | Must Read for Indians: Understanding the Root Cause of Our Decline in Malaysia


20 Feb 2026 • 5:00 PM MYT



TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image credit: Mystical Temples of Malaysia


In a previous article of mine, where I talked about how the troubles afflicting our temples are a sign that the Indian race in Malaysia is heading towards extinction, some Indians commented that, other than losing temples, the problems that require immediate attention are low enrolment in Tamil schools, casteism, the fragmentation of the Indian identity into subgroups (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalee, Kannadiga, etc.), high numbers of our youths involved in gangsterism, and the lack of political leadership.


These problems, however, in my humble opinion, are merely symptoms of what truly ails the Indian community. While we must address the symptoms of a disease to a certain extent, the more important task is to address the root cause. Until the root cause is addressed, the symptoms will keep appearing, no matter how many times we attempt to deal with them.


And what is the root cause of all the problems facing the Indian community?


Our core problem is weakness.


Weakness in what sense?


Weakness in the sense that the Indian community is currently so weak that we are unable to provide a pathway for a large number of our people to pursue success or happiness in life.


Let me explain further.


Imagine that Peninsular Malaysia is composed of 60 percent Muslims, 30 percent Chinese, and 10 percent Indians.


Ideally, in this scenario, Indians should receive around 10 percent of the resources, opportunities, access and platforms that the Peninsular has, in order to provide members of our community with a feasible pathway to pursue success in their life. If our members could pursue success, then the likelihood that they be able to pursue happiness and inner peace will also increase.



If we received 10 percent and still had problems such as gangsterism, loss of temples, fragmentation, and so on, then we would be entirely to blame for these problems.


But the problem is that we are not getting that 10 percent.


Why?


Because we are weak.


No group will ever be satisfied with what it has. Everybody will always try to obtain more than they already possess.


For that reason, we cannot blame the Chinese or the Muslims, who make up 90 percent of the non-Indian population in the Peninsular, for trying to increase their share of resources, wealth, and access in a manner that exceeds their population share.


We cannot blame them, because if we were in their shoes, that is exactly what we would do too.


The problem is that in the competition to secure a greater share for one’s group, it is usually the bigger groups that have the advantage. Size itself is a factor of strength. The smallest group tends to be the weakest, and when you are the weakest, you are often the one that must suffer losses in order to satisfy the desires and ambitions of the bigger groups.



Being the bigger identity groups, suppose the Muslims and the Chinese are able to leverage their advantage to add two percent more resources, positions, opportunities, and access to their communities. This would mean that the Chinese and Muslims would now have 32 percent and 62 percent respectively.


This is good for them, but it is bad for us, because in all likelihood their gain would come at our expense.


For them to each gain an additional two percent, the Indians would lose four percent. That would mean that 10 percent of us will now only have access to 6 percent of the nation’s resources, opportunities, and platforms.


When we only have 6 percent but our population is 10 percent, the first thing that happens is that we will lose confidence to compete externally. Losing our confidence, we will then begin to focus on competing internally in order to find success in life.


As a rule, when the amount of resources and opportunities you have is commensurate with or larger than your population, you will cooperate with your own people in order to compete with external identity groups, in order pursue and find success in life.


But when what you have is noticeably smaller than your population, you begin competing with your own people in order to survive or pursue success in life.


And when you compete rather than cooperate with your own people, the competition often turns nasty and vicious, because there is a sense of betrayal and ingratitude underlying it.


This explains why there is a widespread belief that Indians are the most violent or aggressive identity group in the Peninsular. Indians are not intrinsically criminal, aggressive or subject to such negative habits as alcoholism or violence. We likely only became so because 10 percent of us are competing among ourselves for 6 percent. If 60 percent of Muslims had to compete for only 40 percent of the Peninsular’s resources and opportunities, or if 30 percent of Chinese had to compete for only 20 percent of its platforms and access, they too might become as more criminal, aggressive, addicted and violent.



Other than increased aggression, often directed at our own people, another consequence of having fewer resources than our population share is that cooperation becomes difficult.


When we find it difficult to cooperate with each other while finding ourselves pushed to compete in a more and more desperate and vicious fashion amongst ourselves, we will drive ourselves to become even weaker, and thus make it even easier for other groups to take even the little that we have left.


The most damning sign that our weakness has reached a crisis point is that our sacred identity markers have now become vulnerable.


Indians have already largely lost our political parties and meaningful representation. Today, we do not have strong Indian leaders, parties, or ministers representing us.


We have mostly lost the estates and plantations, which once formed both our economic base and our communal home.



We used to be highly represented in respected professions such as medicine and law, but that too is no longer the case.


If you call a call center today, you will likely only have options to choose English, Malay or Mandarin as your language of preference. Tamil used to be one of the options, but today, it no longer is.


Now to to top it all, we might even be in a state where we are in danger of losing our sacred identity markers, or temples. At this juncture, if we still don't wake up, we are going to find ourselves crossing the point of no return within one or two more generation.


Remember, once we have lost our ability to pursue success, the more it will affect our ability to pursue happiness.


Indians were not always an angry, bitter, violent, or suspicious people. The so-called “Indian crab mentality” is not an intrinsic feature of our identity. These qualities are emerging because prolonged failure in achieving success has deeply affected our collective pursuit of happiness.



Identity groups do not exist in and of themselves. They exist because conditions allow them to exist.


An identity group will only survive and thrive to the extent that it is able to provide a meaningful pathway towards success and happiness for its members.


When it weakens to the point where most of its members are structurally unable to find success, and its population have become so unhappy, that anger, violence, self-loathnig or addiction becomes their defining features, then that identity group is in an existential crisis.


If its weakness extends to the point where even its sacred markers — such as temples — become vulnerable, then it is certainly on the path to extinction.


It is on this basis that I am saying that the fact that the continuous existence of many of of our temples is now being called to question, is a clear sign that our identity is on a path toward extinction.



I am not merely going to diagnose the problem, by the way. I also have suggestions on how we can move forward — either to prevent our extinction, or at least, ensure that we head to extinction in a dignified fashion.


I will put forward these ideas in future articles.


After I put it forward, eI hope you will pay some mind to it.


On of the problem that exacerbates our decline and deterioration is that we do not build a comprehensive understanding of our condition. We only react to it emotionally, when such events like the demolition or relocation of a temple occur.


These firefighting responses may provide emotional relief. They allow us to lash out and temporarily release existential frustration. But sustainable, long-term solutions can only come through rational responses, not emotional ones.


To do that, we must first take time to rationally and objectively increase our awareness of what is truly happening — what are the causes and origins, which are the symptoms and which are root causes, what our limitations are, what we must be willing to sacrifice, what we must change, what we must preserve and what we must act upon and what we must accept as inevitable.


Remember, it is the mind that moves first before the world can be moved.


So first, let us prepare our minds.


Let us increase our awareness, come to a common understanding, and be on the same page.


I will do my part to raise awareness by pointing to what I believe ails us. I hope you will also do your part to examine it and discuss it in a rational and objective manner, so that more light can be shed upon it and we can eventually agree on how to move forward.

***

Nehru matey, allow me to voice my humble opinion:

Malay poor will be taken care of by the Government;

Chinese poor will in general be taken care of by some Chinese philanthropists (admittedly not a perfect system but philanthropy in Chinese society has long (centuries old) been a tradition) or even the Chinese society herself;

Indian poor ...???

From my observation Indian philanthropy is minimal matey, minimal - your society needs to develop this.

The Bloomberg Allegations – It’s the Prime Minister Who Is Now On Trial

 

Dennis Ignatius

 

~ Provoking discussion, dissent & debate on politics, diplomacy, human rights & civil society.

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The Bloomberg Allegations – It’s the Prime Minister Who Is Now On Trial

16MondayFeb 2026

Posted by Dennis Ignatius in corruption, good governance, Politics

≈ Comments Offon The Bloomberg Allegations – It’s the Prime Minister Who Is Now On Trial

Tags

Anwar Ibrahim, Azam Baki, Bloomberg, MACC

[1] The damning allegations by Bloomberg[1]  that the MACC may be part of what it described as a “corporate mafia” involved in taking over companies – claims that, if proven, would rank among the most serious accusations ever levelled against the MACC – has understandably created an uproar. Hundreds turned up at a rally last night to demand the resignation of Azam Baki, the MACC chief.

[2] But it is now no longer just about Azam Baki’s reputation; the credibility of the prime minister and the entire government is now on the line.

[3] Instead of expressing shock (like most Malaysians) and quickly ordering a thorough and independent investigation, the prime minister took evasive action, defending the indefensible, offering half-hearted measures and strained justifications. 

[4] He swiftly defended Azam, a man whose contract he has repeatedly extended despite his controversial profile. He praised Azam for doing his job, took his explanation on the shares issue at face value and carefully avoided any mention of the more serious allegations against him. 

[5] Subsequently, in what appeared to be a minimal attempt to ally public concern, he appointed a trio of senior civil servants – officials who owe their positions to him, serve at his pleasure, and ultimately report to him –  to investigate Azam. Even then, he carefully limited the scope of the investigation to exclude the most damaging elements of the Bloomberg report.[2]

[6] Surely, these are the actions of someone more focused on managing the political fallout and containing an explosive situation than on uncovering the truth.

[7] Astonishingly, cabinet spokesman Fahmi Fadzil had the temerity to claim that the cabinet’s decision demonstrated the government’s commitment to ensuring “transparency and integrity in the investigative process.”[3] Such statements stretch credibility and confirm that this is a government that doesn’t even understand the meaning of words like transparency and integrity. 

[8] Meanwhile, Azam Baki remains defiant, in office and with his power and influence intact. While the generals he recently investigated for corruption were promptly placed on leave, he is allowed to remain at his post even while under investigation. This is a glaring double standard, something that again reflects badly on the prime minister.

[9] There are other troubling signs as well. Instead of investigating Azam, Bukit Aman quickly launched a criminal investigation against Bloomberg over its report on Azam’s share ownership.[4] Soon after, reports emerged that records of Azam’s shareholdings listed with the Companies Commission of Malaysia were no longer publicly accessible.[5]

[10] The prime minister’s tepid response raises an obvious question: why does he continue to protect a man he once demanded be suspended over an earlier shareholding scandal?[6] Why avoid an independent commission of inquiry? What is he afraid of? Is he concerned that such a probe might reveal deeper systemic failures –  that the rot extends far beyond a single individual?

[11] Malaysia has paid dearly in the past for delays, denials and defensive reflexes when confronting allegations of misconduct at the highest levels. The lesson should have been clear: early transparency prevents long-term damage. Instead, we are seeing a familiar pattern of hesitation.

[12] The prime minister should have no illusions – the longer this drags on, the more it damages his own credibility and integrity. It is no longer merely about Azam Baki; it is about his weak leadership and an unconvincing commitment to reform. Despite the rhetoric about fighting corruption, his reluctance to act decisively when the situation clearly warrants it, suggests an unwillingness to truly clean house.

[13] The cabinet, too, cannot avoid their responsibility. Instead of demanding a proper investigation, some ministers appear to be conveniently outsourcing whatever concerns they may have to  subordinates while hiding behind collective responsibility. What happened to all the moral indignation, the passion for justice, the demand for reform that once animated them?

[14] This is a  crisis that strikes at the very heart of public trust in government and in the cabinet itself. Nothing less than a Royal Commission of Inquiry led by someone with unimpeachable credentials, some who has the absolute trust of the people – former  Chief Justice Tengku Maimun immediately comes to mind – can restore confidence. Nothing less will suffice to redeem the government’s honour, credibility and integrity.

[Dennis Ignatius |Kuala Lumpur | 16 February 2026]

Alien files incoming: Trump orders government release of UFO records

Alien files incoming: Trump orders government release of UFO records

By Nandita Bose and Trevor Hunnicutt

February 20, 2026

8:49 AM GMT+11, Updated 10 hours ago


Summary

• Trump says there's strong public interest in the topic
• Trump says he does not know if aliens are real
• Accuses Obama of releasing classified material related to aliens

WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would direct federal agencies to begin releasing government files related to aliens and unidentified flying objects, pointing to what he described as strong public interest in the issue.

In a social media post, Trump said he would order Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and other agencies to release the information, calling the matter "extremely interesting and important."

Earlier in the day, Trump, without providing evidence, accused former President Barack Obama of improperly disclosing classified information when discussing aliens publicly, saying Obama "made a big mistake."

"He took it out of classified information ... He's not supposed to be doing that," Trump told reporters while traveling to Georgia.

During an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen released on Saturday, Obama was asked if aliens were real.

"They're real, but I haven't seen them, and they're not being kept in ... Area 51. There's no underground facility unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States," Obama said.

Area 51 is a classified Air Force facility in Nevada that fringe theorists have speculated holds alien bodies and a crashed spaceship. CIA archives released in 2013 said it was a test site for top-secret spy planes.

A parking sign at the Little A'Le'Inn near Area 51, in Rachel, Nevada, U.S. September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

PENTAGON INVESTIGATIONS

There was no indication in Obama's remarks that the former president released classified information. Obama's office did not respond to a request for comment.

"I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!" Obama said in an Instagram post on Sunday.

In the post, Obama explained his belief that aliens exist by saying the statistical odds of life beyond Earth were high because the universe is so vast. He added that the chances of extraterrestrial life visiting Earth were low given the distance.

Following his comments on Obama, Trump added that he had not seen evidence that aliens exist, saying, "I don't know if they're real or not."

In recent years, the Pentagon has investigated reports of UFOs, and senior military leaders said in 2022 they found no evidence to suggest that aliens had visited Earth or crash-landed here.

A 2024 Pentagon report said U.S. government investigations since the end of World War Two had found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology and most sightings were misidentified ordinary objects and phenomena.

The website of the National Archives and Records Administration says it has records related to UFOs across numerous collections.

Police search royal mansion as investigation into king's brother goes on

Police search royal mansion as investigation into king's brother goes on

By Phil Noble, Kate Holton and Michael Holden

February 20, 2026

7:34 PM GMT+11, Updated 12 mins ago

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, younger brother of Britain’s King Charles, formerly known as Prince Andrew, leaves Aylsham Police Station on a vehicle, on the day he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office, after the U.S. Justice Department released more records tied to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in Aylsham, Britain. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Summary

• Police arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday
• Former prince was released after being held for 10 hours
• Police investigating suspicion of misconduct in public office
• King Charles says law must take its course
• Reuters photograph carried on newspapers around the world

SANDRINGHAM, England, Feb 20 (Reuters) - British police were searching the former mansion of King Charles' younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Friday after a photograph of the royal emerging from a police station was splashed on newspapers around the world.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he sent confidential government documents to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein when he was a trade envoy.

The former prince was released under investigation after being held by police for more than 10 hours. He has not been charged with any offence but looked haunted in a Reuters photograph after his release, slumped in the back of a Range Rover, eyes red and with a look of disbelief on his face.

The photograph of a man who was once a dashing naval officer and reputed favourite son of the late Queen Elizabeth was carried on the front page of newspapers in Britain and around the world, accompanied by headlines such as "Downfall".

The first 15 pages of Friday's Daily Mail were dedicated to the story, while Charles' demand that "the law must take its course" was the headline of five British newspapers. News of the arrest also dominated the front pages of other newspapers around the world, including Australia, where Charles is head of state, Europe and the United States.

KING SAYS THE LAW MUST TAKE ITS COURSE

Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who took his own life in 2019, and said he regrets their friendship. But the release of millions of documents by the U.S. government showed he had remained friends with Epstein long after the financier was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.

Those files suggested Mountbatten-Windsor had forwarded to Epstein British government reports about investment opportunities in Afghanistan and assessments of Vietnam, Singapore and other places he had visited as the government's Special Representative for Trade and Investment.
The arrest of the senior royal, eighth in line to the throne, is unprecedented in modern times. The last member of the royal family to be arrested in Britain was Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649 after being found guilty of treason.

😂😂😂👍👍👍😂😂😂


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King Charles, who stripped his brother of his title of prince and forced him out of his Windsor home last year, said on Thursday he had learned about the arrest with "deepest concern".

"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," the king said. "What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities."

The news broke early on Thursday morning that six unmarked police cars and around eight plain-clothed officers had arrived at Wood Farm on the king's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, where Mountbatten-Windsor now resides.

Thames Valley Police officers also searched the mansion on the king's Windsor estate west of London where Mountbatten-Windsor had lived before being forced out amid anger at the Epstein revelations.


POLICE SEARCHES AT WINDSOR CONTINUE

Officers said late on Thursday that Mountbatten-Windsor had been released under investigation. They said the searches at Sandringham had concluded but the searches in Windsor were continuing.

While being arrested means that police have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed and that the royal is suspected of involvement in an offence, it does not imply guilt.

A conviction for misconduct in a public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and cases must be dealt with in a Crown Court, which handle the most serious criminal offences.

Thames Valley's Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement on Thursday that officers had now opened a full investigation into the offence of misconduct in public office.

Any investigation could take months as the police will likely have to work with the British government, and its embassies around the world, along with Buckingham Palace to establish what records remain.

The misconduct investigation is not the only accusation against Mountbatten-Windsor into which police are looking.

Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic has reported him over allegations he was involved in the trafficking of a woman to Britain for sex in 2010. Thames Valley Police said it was assessing allegations that a woman had been taken to an address in Windsor, where the former prince lived until recently.

In 2022, the king's brother settled a civil lawsuit brought in the United States by the late Virginia Giuffre who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at properties owned by Epstein or his associates.

Mountbatten-Windsor has denied ever meeting Giuffre.

Exclusive: US tariff revenue at risk in Supreme Court ruling tops $175 billion, Penn-Wharton estimates

Exclusive: US tariff revenue at risk in Supreme Court ruling tops $175 billion, Penn-Wharton estimates

By David Lawder

February 20, 2026

10:02 PM GMT+11, Updated 2 hours ago

Shipping containers are seen at the port of Oakland, as trade tensions continued over U.S. tariffs with China, in Oakland, California, U.S., May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Summary

• U.S. Supreme Court could rule as early as Friday on Trump's emergency tariffs
• Penn-Wharton estimate based on forecasting model using tariff rates by country, product import data
• Refunds of $175 billion could top annual outlays of Transportation, Justice departments

WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - More than $175 billion in U.S. tariff collections are at risk of having to be refunded if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against President Donald Trump's broad emergency tariffs, Penn-Wharton Budget Model economists said on Friday.

Their estimate, produced at a request from Reuters, was derived from a ground-up forecasting model that uses tariff rates by product and country for specific duties imposed by Trump, including those under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), said Lysle Boller, senior economist for Penn-Wharton Budget Model (PWBM), a non-partisan fiscal research group at the University of Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Supreme Court could rule on the legality of the IEEPA-based tariffs as early as Friday. If they are struck down, importers are expected to scramble for refunds from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency on import duties paid over the past year.

Trump has touted the revenue generated by all of his tariffs, estimated by the Congressional Budget Office at about $300 billion annually over the next decade, but the estimates show that a substantial amount may need to be refunded if the court rules against Trump.

Refunds of $175 billion would exceed the combined fiscal 2025 outlays from the Department of Transportation at $127.6 billion and the Department of Justice at $44.9 billion.


ALTERNATIVE CALCULATIONS

Boller said the PWBM model, built for long-term revenue forecasts, cross-references U.S. Census Bureau import data on around 11,000 product import categories based on eight-digit tariff codes across 233 countries, and applies statistical forecasting methods to come up with about $500 million in IEEPA-based revenue collected daily. As of Thursday, that model estimated $179 billion in total receipts under IEEPA since Trump began imposing tariffs under that law in February 2025.

PWBM also extrapolated past CBP IEEPA customs duty assessment data, opens new tab as a share of continuing U.S. Treasury customs receipts and came up with a similar estimate of $175 billion to $176 billion, he added.

CBP last published its customs assessments under IEEPA-based tariffs and other trade remedy duties on December 14, at that time showing an at-risk total of $133.5 billion since the first duties under the law were imposed. Net duty collections are typically slightly lower because the tariff assessments are subject to adjustments and corrections that result in refunds.

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The PWBM model also makes quick adjustments for sometimes-abrupt tariff changes by Trump, including from trade deals that cut import duty rates for goods from certain countries. South Korea, for example, saw its U.S. tariff rate drop to 15% from 25% in November.
It also has captured changes in punitive duties under IEEPA, such as the imposition last August of a 40% tariff to punish Brazil over the prosecution of Trump ally and former President Jair Bolsonaro, and the removal of duties on Brazilian coffee, beef and cocoa in November.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters in January that the Treasury can easily cover any tariff refunds, though he is confident that the Supreme Court will uphold the IEEPA tariffs. The Treasury is continuing to plan for large cash balances in its borrowing plans, $850 billion at the end of March and $900 billion at the end of June.

The Treasury has been reporting large gains in customs receipts in recent months, up roughly $20 billion a month from prior-year periods before Trump imposed the duties, with about $27.7 billion in total customs receipts in January. Trump administration officials say they will switch to alternative tariff authorities to restore tariffs if the court declares IEEPA tariffs illegal.

Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show

Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show


Exclusive: approximately 350-acre compound planned as base for multinational force, according to records reviewed by the Guardian


Aram Roston and Cate Brown

Thu 19 Feb 2026 21.00 AEDT



The Trump administration is planning to build a 5,000-person military base in Gaza, sprawling more than 350 acres, according to Board of Peace contracting records reviewed by the Guardian.

The site is envisioned as a military operating base for a future International Stabilization Force (ISF), planned as a multinational military force composed of pledged troops. The ISF is part of the newly created Board of Peace which is meant to govern Gaza. The Board of Peace is chaired by Donald Trump and led in part by his son-in-law Jared Kushner.


The plans reviewed by the Guardian call for the phased construction of a military outpost that will eventually have a footprint of 1,400 metres by 1,100 metres, ringed by 26 trailer-mounted armored watch towers, a small arms range, bunkers, and a warehouse for military equipment for operations. The entire base will be encircled with barbed wire.


The fortification is planned for an arid stretch of flatlands in southern Gaza strewn with saltbush and white broom shrubs, and littered with twisted metal from years of Israeli bombardment. The Guardian has reviewed video of the area. A source close to the planning tells the Guardian that a small group of bidders – international construction companies with experience in war zones – have already been shown the area in a site visit.

The Indonesian government has reportedly offered to send up to 8,000 troops. Indonesia’s president was one of four south-east Asian leaders scheduled to attend an inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington DC on Thursday.

The UN security council authorized the Board of Peace to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza. The ISF, according to the UN, will be tasked with securing Gaza’s border and maintaining peace within the area. It’s also supposed to protect civilians, and train and support “vetted Palestinian police forces”.

It is unclear what the ISF’s rules of engagement would be if there is combat, renewed bombing by Israel, or attacks by Hamas. Nor is it clear what role the ISF is meant to play in disarming Hamas, an Israeli condition to proceed with Gaza’s reconstruction.


While more than 20 countries have signed up as members of the Board of Peace, much of the world has stayed away. Although it was set up with the UN’s approval, the organization’s charter appears to grant Trump permanent leadership and control.


Major European allies decline to join first meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace


“The Board of Peace is a kind of legal fiction, nominally with its own international legal personality separate from both the UN and the United States, but in reality it’s just an empty shell for the United States to use as it sees fit,” said Adil Haque, a professor of law at Rutgers University.

Experts say the funding and governance structures are murky, and several contractors have told the Guardian that conversations with US officials are often conducted on Signal rather than over government email.

The military base contracting document was issued by the Board of Peace, according to a person familiar with the process, and prepared with the help of US contracting officials.

The plans say there is to be a network of bunkers each 6 metres by 4 metres and 2.5 metres tall, with elaborate ventilation systems where soldiers can go for protection.

“The Contractor,” says the document, “shall conduct a geophysical survey of the site to identify any subterranean voids, tunnels, or large cavities per phase.” This provision is likely referencing the large network of tunnels Hamas has built in Gaza.

One section of the document describes a “Human Remains Protocol”. “If suspected human remains or cultural artifacts are discovered, all work in the immediate area must cease immediately, the area must be secured, and the Contracting Officer must be notified immediately for direction,” it says. The bodies of about 10,000 Palestinians are believed to be buried under the rubble in Gaza, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.

It is unclear who owns the land where the military compound is set to be built, but much of the south Gaza area is currently under Israeli control. The UN estimates that at least 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced during the war.

Diana Buttu, a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former peace negotiator, called building a military base on Palestinian land without the government’s approval an act of occupation. “Whose permission did they get to build that military base?”

Officials from US Central Command referred all questions about the military base to the Board of Peace.

A Trump administration official declined to discuss the military base contract: “As the President has said, no US boots will be on the ground. We’re not going to discuss leaked documents.”

DAP MCA ELECTION PACT - CHINESE OPERA KAH?

 

OutSyed The Box

Friday, February 20, 2026

DAP MCA ELECTION PACT - CHINESE OPERA KAH?

 

It looks like it is now the turn of the PH to start cracking up. 
First here is a strange piece of news:

Special Congress Review: DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook has announced that approximately 4,000 delegates will vote at a special congress on July 12, 2026, to decide whether party leaders should resign from their government and GLC positions while continuing to support the unity government in Parliament.

My Comments: Why does Anthony Loke look so worried?

But why waste time with special congress? 

And why wait until July 12, 2026? 

So far away. 

If you want to resign, then go ahead and resign today. 

Do it now. 

No one is going to believe you when you say you will resign in July or December. Why not just postpone until July 12, 2037? 

to decide whether party leaders should resign from their government and GLC positions ??

So basically you are telling the Type M fellows, 'We are giving you six months notice. Maybe ah, just maybe, possibly, if the wind is blowing from the right direction, if the lalang is bending in the right direction, then maybe only lah - we will resign from our gomen and GLC positions in July'.

Do you seriously think the Type M fellows care about this type of 'no cojones' behaviour ka? If you want to quit from gomen positions, quit from GLC position, quit from PH just go ahead and do it now. Otherwise nobody is going to believe you. They will know you are just bullshitting.

No need to bullshit about wait until July lah, wait until 4,000 members come for Congress lah. 

The Type M fellows are really laughing at this type of strange behaviour.

You really have no cojones. Telur Saiz D pun tak ada.

From what I hear the Chinese people are even more upset with the DAP. They really dont like all this gangster and mafia stories about Iceberg, Hamburg and Bloomberg. Not only the victims are Chinese businessmen but the mafia also are Type C gangsters. 

Last time the Fei Low Kuey Teow seller used Bossku to steal our money - public funds. 

Now the Type C gangsters are using the Type M to extort money from Chinese businessmen. 

Well according to Bloomberg - 'allegedly'.

Ini macam pun boleh kah?

The Chinese people are really upset.

DAP lost 8-0 in the Sabah elections. 

Now you are going to lose 40-0 in the General Elections 

(which now people are saying will likely be in November this year). 

Just last week the PH  were crowing that PN is weakening because Bersatu has broken up into pieces. Well it looks like now the PH is also cracking up. Otherwise why did Anthony Loke make this strange announcement?

Other stories floating around say that Anthony Loke recently had a meeting with the MCA seniors. (Who is the fellow wearing the red shirt?). Anthony wants the MCA and DAP to 'cooperate' in the general elections. Election pact? From what I hear the MCA senior told Anthony Loke to go and talk to Wee Ka Siong.

Actually the PH is weaker than ever before. Ok lah the US Dollar came down to RM3.89. Now it is at RM3.90. The stock market is nothing to shout about. 'Index counters' are moving around. 

Other than that nothing much is happening in the economy. 

But all these corruption accusations and 'allegations' are going quite crazy. The Chegubard allegations about the army and navy corruption, the Agong's disappointment at all these allegations, now this iceberg, hamburg and Bloomberg stories all have one thing in common - they all started after 2022.

And just like Abdullah Badawi 2003 - 2009, Najib 2009 - 2018, Dr M 2.0 2018 - 2020 and until today TIME IS NOT ON THEIR SIDE. TIME IS THEIR WORST ENEMY. 

Because the more time passes, the more they are screwing up. This screwing up started going bad from 2008 - eighteen years ago. It has not stopped. 

2008 - they lost the 2/3 majority.

2018 they got kicked out.

2022 all of them lost. Hung Parliament.

2023 - they got their butts kicked in SIX state polls.

2025 they got their butts kicked in Sabah. DAP lost 8-0.

So you see TIME IS THEIR ENEMY. 

Bcause they never asked you or me (Syed Akbar Ali)

What is it that you are unhappy about? 

What can we do for you?

Instead I was listening to one of these dunggus saying he wants to widen the tax base. Collect more taxes. Burden the people more. 

WHY?  To fund more corruption, fund more Type C mafia gangsters, to fund more generals and admirals siphoning public funds. That is how I see it. So do 34 million other people.

So my advise to Anthony Loke is go ahead and 'cooperate' with the MCA. 

Do a Chinese unity 'opera'. 

My view is unity is always good for the country. 

I would rather see the Chinese people united than divided into factions. 

I would rather see the Indians united than being divided into factions. 

I would rather see the Malays united than being divided into factions. 

The same for the Dayaks and the Kadazan folks.

The less division in the country the less tensions and unhappiness.

The less division in the country the better chance of something good happening.