February 12, 2025

Erdogan visits Malaysia, Indonesia & Pakistan under Türkiye’s ‘Asia Anew Initiative’ "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on an official visit to Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan as part of Türkiye’s Asia Anew initiative, aimed at deepening economic, political, and strategic ties in the region. Discussions focused on cooperation in trade, defence, technology, education, disaster management, media, and post-conflict rehabilitation. The Asia Anew policy, launched in 2019, seeks to expand Ankara’s engagement across Asia." Gaza rebuild plan without expelling residents in place — Jordan "Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi announced a joint Arab, Egyptian, and Palestinian plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its residents. Speaking to Al Mamlaka TV, he emphasized the need to maintain aid flow and uphold the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Safadi did not share specific details on the reconstruction plan but reaffirmed Jordan’s stance: ""Jordan is for Jordanians, and Palestine is for Palestinians.""" At least 118 Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza since ceasefire: official "At least 118 Palestinians have been killed and 822 wounded in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19, according to the Health Ministry in the enclave. Director-General Munir al-Bursh said that the toll includes those killed in direct Israeli attacks, those who succumbed to injuries, and victims of unexploded ordnance. Of the total deaths, 92 resulted from direct Israeli assaults." Ukraine ready to offer territory swap with Russia — Zelenskyy "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested offering a territorial swap with Russia in any future peace negotiations to end their nearly three-year war. Speaking to the UK's Guardian, Zelenskyy said Ukraine could propose exchanging land, including territory seized in Russia’s Kursk region six months ago. However, he emphasised that ""all our territories are important, there is no priority.""" Modi’s BJP fuels extremism as anti-Muslim speech surges in India - report "Hate speech targeting religious minorities in India saw a ""staggering"" rise in 2024, according to a report by US-based think tank India Hate Lab. The report links the surge to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the broader Hindu nationalist movement. Critics and civil rights groups have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of escalating anti-Muslim rhetoric during last year’s national elections to mobilise the Hindu majority."