Netanyahu: ‘There Will Not Be a Palestinian State,’ Even At Cost of Ties With Saudis

 

Netanyahu Brushes Off Saudi F-35 Deal, Says US Will Ensure Israel’s Military Edge

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio guaranteed him that Israel’s “qualitative military edge” will remain intact in a phone call following US President Donald Trump’s announcement this week that he would sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia.

Israel is the only Middle East country operating the F-35, regarded as the most advanced warplane in the world. US law guarantees Israel a “qualitative military edge” in the region.

“Regarding the F-35, I had a long conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who reiterated his commitment that the United States will continue to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge in everything related to supplying weapons and military systems to countries in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said in a lengthy Hebrew-language interview with “Abu Ali Express,” a popular account on the Telegram messaging app.

Netanyahu said that Rubio assured him the US is “committed to maintaining Israel’s qualitative edge in all areas, including Israel’s advantage regarding the supply of F-35 aircraft,” noting that the advantage is legally guaranteed.

“Beyond that, I prefer not to elaborate,” he added. – The Times of Israel

AND

Netanyahu: ‘There Will Not Be a Palestinian State,’ Even At Cost of Ties With Saudis

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that there will not be a Palestinian state, even at the cost of normalization with Saudi Arabia, during an interview aired on Thursday evening.

“There will not be a Palestinian state. It’s very simple: it will not be established,” the premier said in the wide-ranging interview with Abu Ali Express, a popular local Telegram channel.

Asked by the interviewer if his opposition holds even if it jeopardizes normalization with Riyadh — which insists on a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood in exchange for such ties – Netanyahu said: “The answer is: a Palestinian state will not be established. It is an existential threat to Israel.”

Asked about what has prevented normalization with the Saudis, Netanyahu said the war in Gaza strained progress, but that “the conditions could develop” now that the war is winding down. – The Times of Israel

Our Take:

So while I didn’t quite stick the landing with the call on the Qualitative Military Edge (QME), I did anticipate that it was going to become a headline. I remain skeptical that this story is even true— that we are effectively sabotaging the F-35 planes going to Saudi so that Israel maintains a strategic advantage over them in a potential conflict. I will be very disappointed if this story is true.

But the fact that this is now a story and something that the Republicans have to explain— as they are in the midst of defending against claims that they are all puppets of Israel— is absolutely fantastic. Watching these scumbags squirm as they justify these ridiculous moves makes all the song and dance worthwhile.

As for the Saudi normalization, we addressed that, too, on Tuesday’s Badlands Daily.

Netanyahu and his cohorts have done everything they can to leverage the things that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants (F-35’s, a nuclear deal, a defense agreement) to force him to capitulate and normalize relations with Israel without the condition of Palestinian Statehood. And for years, every analyst in the world assumed that at some point, the Saudis would relent and sell out the Palestinians.

But this is a new age, and a new Saudi Arabia. The men running this country practice and observe First Principles, and were therefore steadfast enough in their negotiations that they were able to achieve all of their goals without compromising on their main condition. Netanyahu must now understand this, which is why he is putting out this bravado rhetoric.

Objective observers must see that the Arabs are not the problem in the Middle East. They are not the ones actively seeking conflict or the ones trying to subvert the peace process. In fact, it is the Arabs who have become the arbiters of peace for conflicts around the world.

Which leaves us with Israel. What are we going to do about this problem? This major liability? How can we enter the Golden Age when we have a country like Israel demanding more war and more conflict?

[Clip Link 1, Clip Link 2] – GhostofBasedPatrickHenry

Stop meddling in border dispute, Thai protesters tell Anwar

Stop meddling in border dispute, Thai protesters tell Anwar


Published: Nov 22, 2025 7:10 PM
Updated: 11:46 PM



Protesters gathered in front of the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok today to demand that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar stop “interfering” in Thailand’s handling of its border dispute with Cambodia.

According to the Bangkok Post today, the protesters are also planning to visit the US Embassy, as they believe Washington has unfairly linked trade negotiations with Thailand’s sovereign right to protect its territory.

The rallies were organised by a nationalist coalition called United Power of the Land to Protect Sovereignty, known in Thai as “Ruam Palang Phaen Din Pok Pong Athipatai”.

Prominent figures who attended the rally included activist Pichit Chaimongkol, former senator Kaewsan Atibodhi, former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan, and lawyer Nitithorn Lamlua.

The group waving Thai national flags and banners arrived at the Malaysian Embassy on Sathon Road with a truck equipped with loudspeakers.

They accused Anwar, in his previous capacity as the Asean chair, of meddling in Thailand’s efforts to safeguard its sovereignty.

They also demanded that he refrain from pressuring Thailand to negotiate with Cambodia over disputed border areas.

Peace accord in jeopardy?

On Oct 26, Thailand and Cambodia signed a joint declaration on a peace deal dubbed the “KL Peace Accord”, marking a formal step toward halting hostilities and restoring peace along their disputed border.

The agreement was signed by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet, on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

The signing was witnessed by Anwar and US President Donald Trump.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul


However, the agreement unravelled after Anutin decided to postpone it, following a landmine explosion along the Thai-Cambodia border that reportedly injured several Thai soldiers.

Subsequently, Anwar said Chief of Defence Forces Nizam Jaffar has been tasked to resume negotiations on the matter.


Political interference

Pichit further accused Anwar of overstepping his role as Asean chair by ordering Thailand to stop border operations.

He also accused Anwar of “political interference”, claiming Malaysia and the US were attempting to unduly influence Thailand’s decisions.

Kaewsan, on the other hand, accused Malaysia of having large investments in Cambodian casino operations and that Anwar was using the peace dialogue as a political tool despite corruption problems at home.

He called on Asean to ensure Anwar “has no place in the regional bloc”.

US wants Seoul’s subs to counter China

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David Armstrong

US wants Seoul’s subs to counter China – Asian Media Report

November 22, 2025


In Asian media this week: 

• Washington sees global role for South Korean navy;
• the military cements government control in Pakistan;
• Palestine is an obstacle to Trump’s new Middle East plan;
• Japan prepares for drawn-out dispute with China;
• why South Korea is turning its back on coal power; and
• boot camps for beauty queens.

The US has told South Korea it wants its future nuclear-powered fast attack submarines to be used in joint efforts counter China.

It also sees a future global role for the South Korean navy.

US chief of naval operations, Admiral Daryl Caudle, said the submarine would inevitably deepen US-South Korean strategic co-operation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Donald Trump at a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung late last month approved Seoul’s ambition to build a nuclear-powered submarine.

Caudle said on a recent visit to Seoul: “Utilisation of that submarine to counter China, I think, is a natural expectation. With that type of capability, the United States would expect that partnership – working as an alliance – to meet our combined goals on what the United States considers our pacing threat, which is China. I think to a large extent Korea shares our concerns with China as well.”

The Korea Herald reported Caudle said the difference between a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine and a conventional one was significant. Nuclear-powered submarines were much more capable.

“A nuclear-powered submarine is truly worldwide deployable,” Caudle said. “As they say in the move Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility. I think there will be a responsibility for Korea to deploy those submarines globally, to move away from just being a regional navy to a global navy.”

An analytical article in The Korea Times said that Lee, in his pitch to Trump, explicitly cited China, alongside North Korea, as his reason for pursuing nuclear-powered submarines.

Lee had been thought to be sympathetic to Beijing and his sudden naming of China as a security challenge had raised eyebrows, the story said. It quoted retired navy captain Park Bum-jin as saying this was calculated messaging aimed at securing US approval.

“He intentionally mentioned China, along with North Korea, because he knew Washington is pre-occupied with China,” Park said.

North Korea said South Korea’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines would trigger a nuclear domino effect, The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said. It reported the state news agency KCNA as saying the agreement showed the true colours of the confrontational will of Washington and Seoul to remain hostile to Pyongyang.

A commentary in Global Times, an official newspaper in China, said the submarine development would trigger a chain reaction of military competition and strategic instability in the region.

New law destroys Pakistan’s rule of law

Two judges of Pakistan’s Supreme Court resigned late last week, just hours after a new constitutional amendment was signed into law. They said the amendment was an affront to the judiciary and the constitution. The 27th constitutional amendment placed a new federal constitutional court above all other courts.

The amendment also elevated the army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir to the new position of chief of defence forces and granted lifetime immunity from all legal action to Munir (and future five-star ranked officers) and the president.

Dawn newspaper supported the resignation of senior justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Athar Minallah. It said in an editorial critics argued the Supreme Court had been reduced to a glorified district court. “Given the extensive powers handed over to [the new court], that assessment is not off the mark,” it said.

Zahid Hussain, a Dawn senior columnist, said the amendment amounted to the demolition of the independence of the judiciary and the surrender of even the semblance of civilian rule.

The new amendment would provide constitutional cover for the country’s march towards becoming a military state. “It is unprecedented in a democratic country not to hold leaders and state officials to account for their actions,” Hussain said. ”This is not only a negation of democratic norms but also of the rule of law.”

An article in The Indian Express said the amendment smashed Pakistan's current constitutional framework. The article, written by Bashir Ali Abbas, a strategic affairs researcher, said the amendment had fulfilled Asim Munir’s ambition to make Pakistan a “hard state”, allowed the military to cement the country’s hybrid model of governance, where the country retained a civilian administration but the military were in charge, and institutionalised the military’s central role in foreign policy.

“It is already evident that the army chief has formally cemented the pre-eminence of his office over the civilian leadership,” Abbas said.

Saudi Arabia wants pathway to two-state solution

The evolution of Saudi Arabia’s relations with the US is at an inflexion point.

The two countries’ close ties date back 80 years, when Abdulaziz Ibn Saudi, the founder of the modern kingdom, and President Franklin Roosevelt forged a partnership based on American access to Saudi oil and American security guarantees to the House of Saud.

This week’s meeting between Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (known as MbS) and Donald Trump was aimed at rebooting the partnership and reaching a new grand bargain, says a commentary in _The Indian Expres_s newspaper.

The agenda, says international affairs academic and contributing editor C Raja Mohan, covered building a broad economic and technological relationship, strengthening security ties and re-ordering the Middle East.

MbS also wants Trump’s support for his looming succession, Mohan says. King Salman, 89, is frail and Saudi successions are rarely straightforward. “American endorsement could be critical,” he says.

Equally important for MbS is strong backing for this Vision 2030 agenda – transforming Saudi Arabia from an extractive state to a diversified, globally competitive economy and a more open society.

Saudi Arabia remains an indispensable US partner. Washington needs Riyadh’s co-operation in stabilising the Middle East and continuing US primacy. Trump also wants Saudi recognition of Israel and expansion of the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states.

Palestine, however, present an obstacle to Trump’s plans. Riyadh insists on a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood as a pre-condition but Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure to avoid any gesture towards Palestinian statehood. Trump is pressing him to show some flexibility.

“A Saudi-Israel normalisation and expanded Abraham Accords could herald a different political architecture for the Middle East,” Mohan said. “Yet Israel’s reluctance to concede even minimally on Palestinian statehood, and the resistance of its supporters in Washington to any American grand bargain with MbS, mean expectations of a dramatic breakthrough must be tempered.”

An Al Jazeera explainer notes that Trump recognised Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, joining 19 other countries (including Australia) and gaining expedited access to US military hardware. Trump said he would authorise the sale of F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia and said they would not be downgraded in a way that would ensure Israel’s regional military superiority – a departure from previous policy.

The report quotes MbS as saying Saudi Arabia wants to be part of the Abraham Accords. “But we also want to be sure that we secure a clear path [to a] two-state solution,” he said.


Diplomatic row the worst for years

The diplomatic row between China and Japan over Taiwan has now continued for two weeks and Japanese media are expressing concern that it might drag on longer.

Nikkei Asia, the online politics and business magazine, said concerns were growing that the rift might descend into a drawn-out crisis, similar to the dispute more than a decade ago over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

In 2012, Tokyo decided to nationalise the Islands, claimed by China as the Diaoyu Islands. High level talks were frozen until Xi Jinping met Japan’s then-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, in 2014.

The row this time is over remarks by new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that Chinese military action against Taiwan might constitute a “survival-threatening situation” and trigger Japan’s right to self-defence.

Beijing, which sees Taiwan as part of China, retaliated by warning Chinese people against travelling to Japan, or against studying in Japan, and re-instating a ban on Japanese seafood, imposed over the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant. In reporting the revived ban, The Japan Times said officials were preparing for a prolonged dispute.

China has launched a war of words against Japan. Global Times, an English-language official paper reprinted from the People’s Daily a Zhong Sheng (Voice of China) commentary. The column is regarded as an authoritative expression of the Communist Party’s views.

The commentary said Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan were akin to invoking the spirit of militarism. “Historically, Japan’s militarism has often used the so-called existential crisis as a pretext for external aggression,” it said.

Japan sent a senior diplomat to Beijing to try to smooth things over – but later downplayed the importance of his visit.

A commentary written by Japanese academic Hiroaki Kato and published in The Diplomat, said Takaichi’s remarks did not represent a departure from previous government positions. “What followed was an overreaction to a hypothetical statement about the Japanese government’s range of potential responses to a situation that may never occur,” he said.

But an article written by Wenran Jiang, a Chinese academic living in Canada, and published in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, said her remarks were a strategic pivot away from Japan’s post-war pacifist ethos. “They reflect a calculated alignment with containment strategies aimed at curtailing China’s rise,” he said.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said in an editorial Takaichi’s comments went beyond parliamentary statements and official positions of past Cabinets, including that of Shinzo Abe.

“Now there is a need to stop the situation from worsening further and end the unproductive confrontation,” the editorial said.


Drive to restore pledge to phase out fossil fuels

An international commitment to move away from fossil fuels did not appear in a UN climate declaration until the COP28 conference in 2023. Last year, at COP29, hosted by Azerbaijan, an economy that depends on fossil fuels, the pledge went missing from the final text.

This year, Brazil, the host of COP30, was determined to place phasing out fossil fuels at the centre of discussions, Singapore’s The Straits Times reported. Before the conference started, Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, called on world leaders to draw up road maps to cutting dependence on fossil fuels. Momentum against their use had grown, the paper said.

This was the international context of South Korea’s decision, announced at the start of the second week of COP30, to join a global coalition aimed at phasing out the use of coal.

The domestic context was that a week earlier Seoul had decided on its greenhouse gas targets. The Korea Herald said the goal was to reduce emissions by 53-to-61 per cent from 2018 levels by 2035. Transport and power generation faced the steepest cuts.

In a later story, the Herald reported South Korea had joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a significant step in the country’s shift toward a cleaner energy future. The alliance, of 180 national and sub-national participants, seeks to phase out unabated coal power (coal-fired electricity generation without emissions-reduction technologies). South Korea is the second Asian nation to join, after Singapore.

South Korea’s electricity system was still dominated by fossil fuels, the paper said. The country operated the world’s seventh-largest coal-power fleet, by capacity.

The Government had announced plans to retire 40 coal power station units by 2040. A plan for a further 20 plants would be unveiled next year after public discussions of environmental and economic considerations.

As COP30 neared its conclusion, both President Lula and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived at the conference, the Herald said, quoting Greenpeace as saying this was a sign they meant business.

And scores of countries, rich and poor, were pushing for a detailed road map on how to phase out fossil fuels, the paper said.

Why beauty contests create a buzz in developing world

International beauty contests are viewed by many in the West, aside from former Miss Universe owner Donald Trump, as sexist and passe. But in many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, they are seen as a key to a golden, glamorous future.

In the Philippines, a country whose women have won more beauty competitions (known as “pageants”) than any other, winners are a symbol of national pride. The business of beauty contests is taken so seriously, says Nikkei Asia, that “boot camps” for beauty queens, offering intensive training in how to become a champion, have turned that country into a powerhouse of the beauty contest world.

“Oh my God! You literally have to train here,” said Sanne-Esmee Walstra, from the Netherlands. She was training with boot camp owner Rodin Flores, preparing for a contest called Miss Earth. With her was Divine Ekimini Nelson, a student pilot and computer scientist from Nigeria. “I’m here to get new knowledge,” she said.

Miss Earth is one of the ‘Big Four’ competitions, along with Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss International. The industry’s self-estimate is that it is worth US$1 billion (A$1.54 billion) globally.

In the West, beauty contests have faced criticism since the rise of feminism decades ago. “Beauty pageants are a patriarchal enterprise,” Sofie Zeruto wrote in 2023 in America’s Brown Political Review. “The notion of ranking women based on attractiveness, even with the added modern categories of personality and intelligence, is dehumanising.”

Boot camp operator Flores told Nikkei Asia he has scientific way of producing winners, a holistic system of training. Gerry Diaz, another boot camp manager, said: “We operate like a car assembly plant.” His curriculum involved perfecting a range of skills, such as fitness, poise, mental fortitude and speech and diction.

Criticism within the Philippines is rare, the article said. The success of a Filipina on the international beauty stage, it said, is celebrated with the fervour typically reserved for Olympic gold medallists.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.

David Armstrong

David Armstrong is a reporter, editor and media executive with more than four decades of experience in Australia and Asia. He lives in Bangkok

Indira’s lawyer urges home minister to censure IGP

Indira’s lawyer urges home minister to censure IGP

Dania Kamal Arif
Published: Nov 22, 2025 8:34 PM
Updated: 11:34 PM



M Indira Gandhi’s lawyer, N Rajesh has urged Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to censure Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Ismail for his failure to adhere to court judgements, which have ruled Indira’s daughter to be returned to her.

Speaking to Malaysiakini outside the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today, Rajesh also criticised Khalid’s absence at today’s solidarity march.

Earlier, Indira and supporters initially planned to deliver her long-lost daughter Prasana Diksa’s teddy bear to the IGP in a symbolic gesture.

However, the IGP failed to show up, despite protesters waiting for nearly four hours, and giving prior notice of today’s gathering.

“It is very disturbing that a member of the public, like Indira, whom everyone knows has suffered for 16 years, despite all the court victories and the 2018 landmark judgement, that the IGP cannot even spend 15 minutes to meet her. (Why) You need the intervention of a cabinet member to set an appointment?

“You serve the public, you are paid by taxpayers, and you have an obligation to address grievances of the public. So for you to sit on your high and mighty horse and refuse to come and meet Indira, even to give an appointment, reflects very badly, not only on the police, but on the IGP personally.

“This is quite unacceptable, and we hope that IGP will be censured by the home minister. The home minister must call the IGP and tell him that you cannot do things like this, it’s completely unacceptable,” he said.

Prasana Diksa’s teddy bear.

Earlier, Rajesh had also communicated with the Dang Wangi district deputy police chief, Nuzulan Mohd Din, who initially said he would liaise with his colleagues to arrange a meeting for Indira and the IGP.

However, Nuzulan later said that the police were not able to schedule the meeting.

Despite this, police said they would allow Indira to continue sitting on the road in front of Bukit Aman and would not take any action against her as there was no obstruction to public safety.

‘Why can’t the IGP explain why he refuses to see me?’

While seated on the road, a teary-eyed Indira had also informed the crowd that they were not protesting against anyone, but only wanted her daughter to be returned.

“We are not against the police, we actually want to work with the police. But we just want to find Prasana. What happened today is very disgraceful for the police, because they haven’t done anything,” she stressed.

Further, Indira criticised the police’s failure to give reasons why the IGP was unable to meet her today, despite prior communication and issuing an advanced notice regarding today’s march.

“I am just a plain citizen who wants to meet the IGP. What’s so difficult about this? I am not even asking for money or anything from him. I only want him to give an answer. Why can’t he see me? He did not even give me reasons why he was not able to meet me today,” she said.

Indira also stressed that she had already said how she is willing to be flexible with her timing, and would still be happy to meet the IGP at a fixed date which suited his convenience.

“If he said something as simple as, ‘I cannot meet you today,’ but will be able to meet you on another specific date, everything could have been resolved very easily.

“We all could have gone home much earlier today. But the IGP will not even bother to give me a date, and he still refuses to answer why he refuses to meet me,” she cried.

Earlier, Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) chairperson Arun Dorasamy said he was informed that the IGP had been at KLCC around noon, before he would head to the Bukit Aman police headquarters to meet Indira and her supporters.

However, by 2.30pm Khalid did not show up, and the protesters escalated by sitting on the road, refusing to leave until the IGP showed up.

They later dispersed around 4pm, after being reassured by Kulasegaran that he would help Indira schedule a meeting with the IGP within these next few weeks. The deputy minister also pledged that he would be present during the meeting.

Arun reprimanded the IGP for his absence, and reminded him to act according to obligations outlined under the Police Act.

He also urged the police to take action before Prasana’s 18th birthday in April next year.

“This case needs to be resolved by April 8, 2026. Failing to do so, this civil case will turn into a criminal case. And it will become (a nationwide scandal) exactly like FAM, and all the details I will only reserve until April 9, 2026. So it is within the best interests of the Madani government to bring back Prasana,” he said

“We do not want to be confrontational, but we are firm in exercising our rights,” he added.

***

IGP has inexcusably not shown himself at the meeting but he has shown himself to be a moral coward. Not fit to be IGP lah

China takes spat with Japan over Taiwan to UN, vows to defend itself

China takes spat with Japan over Taiwan to UN, vows to defend itself



Beijing views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the island. — Reuters pic

Saturday, 22 Nov 2025 3:39 PM MYT


BEIJING, Nov 22 — China has taken its widening spat with Japan to the United Nations, accusing Tokyo of threatening “an armed intervention” over Taiwan and vowing to defend itself in its strongest language yet in the two-week-old dispute.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi committed “a grave violation of international law” and diplomatic norms when she said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo, China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong wrote in a letter yesterday to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.


“If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression,” Fu wrote, according to a statement from China’s UN mission. “China will resolutely exercise its right of self-defence under the UN Charter and international law and firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Biggest bilateral crisis in years

Beijing views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the island. Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s claims and says only the island’s people can decide their future.


Japan’s Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office could not immediately be reached on Saturday for comment on Fu’s letter, the strongest criticism of Takaichi yet from a senior Chinese official in the biggest bilateral crisis in years.

Takaichi, a conservative nationalist who took office last month, ditched the ambiguity that Japan and the US have long used regarding Taiwan when she told a questioner in parliament on November 7 that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan - which lies just over 100 km (60 miles) from Japanese territory - could be deemed “a situation threatening Japan’s survival”.


That is a legal designation that allows a Japanese prime minister to deploy the nation’s military.

Takaichi’s remarks sparked the tit-for-tat dispute with China that has spilled beyond diplomacy in recent days, with China saying it has “severely damaged” trade cooperation, while concerts of Japanese musicians in China have been abruptly cancelled.

Fu demanded that Japan “stop making provocations and crossing the line, and retract its erroneous remarks”, which he said were “openly challenging China’s core interests”.

Ahead of this year’s 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War Two defeat, Beijing has increasingly invoked Tokyo’s wartime atrocities and China’s postwar role in setting up the UN as it criticises its Asian neighbour and seeks to reshape the international governance system.

China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has repeatedly emphasised two postwar declarations envisioning that Taiwan and other territories that had been occupied by Japan would be “restored” to Chinese rule.

The Potsdam and Cairo declarations form the basis for China’s legal claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, though many governments view them as statements of intent, not legally binding accords.

Moreover, the declarations were signed by the Republic of China government, which fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists. Taiwan held China’s UN seat until 1971, when it was transferred to the Beijing government of the People’s Republic of China. — Reuters

UKRAINE ARMY COLLAPSES, CEASEFIRE LOOMING, OIL PRICES COLLAPSES BELOW US$60

 

OutSyed The Box

Saturday, November 22, 2025

UKRAINE ARMY COLLAPSES, CEASEFIRE LOOMING, OIL PRICES COLLAPSES BELOW US$60

 

 

West Texas Crude has collapsed below US$60 per barrel. It was US$57 per barrel yesterday. The Dow Jones, NASDAQ and the S&P went positive too.

The Army of Ukraine is collapsing. Every night, for the past weeks late at night when Ukrainian civilians are safely at home, the Russians have been striking military and infrastructure targets all over Ukraine at the rate of 500 to 700 strikes every night. 

The Russians are using their highly successful and quite unstoppable Geran drones, the Khinzal and Iskandar missiles and the devastating FAB 3000 guided bombs. Here is the interesting part - there have been no or very few civilian casualties despite making hundreds of strikes every night.

This is the first time in the history of modern aerial warfare that the civilian casualties are either zero or they are less than the number of strikes carried out. 

The cities of Pokrovsk, Kupiansk have fallen and Siversk is also almost run over by the Russians. Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered because they are out of ammunition, supplies and logistics.

President Trump's special Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg is quitting his job because he has failed to put an end to the war in time. He will leave his post in January 2026.

The United States is scrambling for a  ceasefire now but most clearly Mr Putin and Russia hold the upper hand. As part of the ceasefire Mr Putin wants all western sanctions against Russia removed. Russian reserves and other financial assets frozen in the West to be returned. Ukraine will be demilitarised or its military capacity seriously degraded.

The NATO donkeys are putting up silly obstacles. They want Ukraine to have at a 600,000 man army. They have agreed that NATO troops will not be stationed in Ukraine but individual NATO countries can station their troops in Ukraine.  How stupid can they get.

But as Mr Putin said the matter will be resolved on the battle field. Which is happening. Over the past two months the Russians have taken about 2,000 sq km of Ukrainian territory. Russian forces are now making advances up to 20 km in one day. More sadly for Ukraine the Russians are advancing with little Ukrainian resistance. 

The financial and world markets are reading the situation well - oil prices are dropping in anticipation of peace breaking out soon. Lets see what happens. 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY LITE CARTOONS

 

OutSyed The Box

Saturday, November 22, 2025

SATURDAY LITE CARTOONS

 

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST SATIRE OK. 

Satire is a genre of art, typically literature or performance, that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. The intent is often to spur improvement or reform through amusement - Google.

• THESE ARE JUST COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGES OK. 
• NOT REAL PEOPLE OR REAL EVENTS. 
• NO ROMAN SHIPBUILDERS OK.

1. THE SHOCKERS 

 

 

2. WHERE THEY BEGAN? 

 

UTM Rulebook - Here’s How Not to Exist Culturally

OPINION | UTM Rulebook - Here’s How Not to Exist Culturally


22 Nov 2025 • 9:00 AM MYT


Fa Abdul
FA ABDUL is a former columnist of Malaysiakini & Free Malaysia Today (FMT)

Photo credit: Free Malaysia Today


Many people seem absolutely jaw-dropped by UTM’s newly revealed culture and arts rules. Confused. Shocked. Speechless. Some are even wondering if they accidentally clicked on a rulebook from 1950. So, in the spirit of clarity, transparency, and good old Malaysian efficiency - here’s a simple list to help everyone understand what UTM really expects from its students.


Remember:


Diversity is welcome at UTM - as long as it all looks, sounds, and moves exactly how the Vice-Chancellor imagines it.


If you’re performing music:


Please ensure it is soft, Malay in rhythm, and preferably emotionally dead. Anything resembling fun, groove, or actual cultural expression may trigger a moral audit or an emergency meeting with your lecturer.


Mixed-gender performances are strictly prohibited.


Men and women on the same stage? Preposterous. The temptation to harmonise, smile, or breathe near each other


could destabilise campus morals and lead to… interaction.


Female performances must be watched by females only.


Because apparently the sight of a woman playing the violin is too erotic for the male species.


Foreign culture is not allowed.


“Foreign” means whatever they decide it means this week. Please check for updates before accidentally clapping in a foreign way.


Your performance must reflect ‘high moral standards.’


These standards are invisible and shifting - and they will not be explained. You will simply know you’ve broken them when someone looks disappointed.



Avoid dancing too happily.


Excessive joy is considered subversive. Even a discreet toe-tap may require a formal moral investigation.


Do not express yourself freely.


UTM encourages creativity, as long as you creatively suppress it entirely.


If your performance idea involves innovation, culture, or actual artistic expression:


Stop. Turn around. Pretend you never had the thought.


Before any event, ask yourself:


“Does this reflect the values of UTM?” If you are even slightly unsure, it’s forbidden. Congratulations, you now understand the policy perfectly.


All external cultural groups require approval from the Vice-Chancellor.


Yes, even if they’re just here to play kompang. You never know which kompang rhythms are secretly foreign.


If anyone asks why these rules exist:


The correct answer is: “Because diversity must be protected… from diversity.”


If you feel confused about what’s allowed:


That’s normal. The policy is also confused.


Please focus on your academic excellence.


Ignore critics claiming academic standards are declining. The university is too busy policing drumbeats to deal with that.


Lastly:


When in doubt, please perform nothing. Say nothing. Exist quietly. At least nothing cannot be morally corrupt.


At the end of the day, UTM just wants to create a wholesome, morally upright environment where nothing foreign, joyful, expressive, mixed-gender, rhythmic, innovative, or remotely fun can accidentally occur. We hope this guide helps you navigate campus life safely - and remember, when in doubt, just stand still, hum quietly, and avoid being cultural.

Tun M backs Kedah’s RM100mil annual claim on Penang, citing soaring land prices

Tun M backs Kedah’s RM100mil annual claim on Penang, citing soaring land prices





FORMER prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has thrown his weight behind Kedah’s demand for RM100mil in annual “lease royalty” from the federal government for Penang, arguing that the figure is modest given today’s soaring land prices.


Speaking in a podcast on Friday (Nov 21), Dr Mahathir said the federal government inherited Britain’s obligation to pay Kedah for Penang, which began at RM100,000 yearly before rising to RM10mil in 2018.


“If valued by current land prices – around RM7,000 per square foot – RM100mil is realistic. Kedah could ask for far more,” the 100-year-old statesman said, stressing that Kedah has no intention of reclaiming administrative control over Penang.

Meanwhile, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Nor announced the state is in the final stage of appointing a legal team to take the Penang “lease” dispute to court.

Tabling the 2026 state budget on Thursday (Nov 20), Sanusi said a special task force of historians and legal experts completed its report in April 2025, following a 2023 directive from the Kedah Sultan Tuanku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, to clarify the historical status of Penang and Seberang Perai.


The report has been presented to the state executive council, assemblymen and MPs, with court action expected within one to two months. Sanusi insisted the move is not a constitutional challenge but an effort to restore Kedah’s historical rights, claiming the territories were only leased to the British East India Company in 1791 for 10,000 Spanish dollars annually.

Penang maintains the areas were permanently ceded after independence, and some historians note no formal lease document has ever been found. — Nov 22, 2025

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O Dear! What will we Malaysians do without Mahathir's succinct advice?