
Chinese state news outlet Xinhua is reporting that the government has landed two more planes on a landing strip illegal constructed in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea, days after Vietnam and the Philippines filed a formal complaint over a similar incident.
by Frances Martel6 Jan 2016, 9:01 AM PST0

The governments of Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan have all condemned China for landing a plane on an artificial island in the South China Sea, constructed in what is widely regarded as sovereign Vietnamese territory. China rejects international claims in the sea and has begun constructing military facilities in the Spratly Islands.
by Frances Martel4 Jan 2016, 7:57 AM PST0

Israeli athletes dropped out of an international windsurfing competition in Malaysia after the organizers refused to let them compete with the Israeli flag and national anthem.
by Deborah Danan30 Dec 2015, 5:53 AM PST0

A patriotic organization opposed to Chinese imperialism in the Philippines has made a voyage to the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has begun constructing numerous military facilities in violation of international law.
by Frances Martel29 Dec 2015, 8:38 AM PST0

Rayani Air of Malaysia, described as the country’s first Islamic-compliant airline, has begun offering cabin service compliant with sharia law.
by John Hayward22 Dec 2015, 9:47 AM PST0

JERUSALEM – In recent weeks, at least twenty members of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the so-called “military wing” of Hamas, have traveled abroad from the Gaza Strip to participate in combat training, according to a Palestinian security source.
by Aaron Klein and Ali Waked15 Dec 2015, 3:12 AM PST0

The Foreign Desk’s editor-in-chief, Lisa Daftari, launched the MyTreedom campaign on Facebook this week to give Christians celebrating Christmas in regions where they face intense persecution a platform to showcase their proud Christmas decor.
by Mary Chastain11 Dec 2015, 9:23 AM PST0

As the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague prepares to hear the territorial dispute among nations framing the South China Sea – and the Chinese government vows to ignore any verdict – experts suggest a ruling against China could significantly hamper China’s construction of illegal artificial islands and military facilities there.
by Frances Martel2 Dec 2015, 8:57 AM PST0

Contents: China blocks Miss World Canada from attending Miss World pageant; ASEAN leaders harshly criticize China over South China Sea actions; Occupied Crimea declares state of emergency after electricity is cut
by John J. Xenakis23 Nov 2015, 6:10 AM PST0

“We will not give in to fear, or start turning on each other, or treating some people differently because of religion or race or background,” Obama said during a press conference in Malaysia. “That wouldn’t just be a betrayal of our values, it would also feed ISIL’s propaganda.”
by Charlie Spiering23 Nov 2015, 4:57 AM PST0

President Obama is using his visit to a refugee center in Malaysia to highlight the plight of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar and remind the world that he’s committed to bringing more refugees to America.
by Charlie Spiering21 Nov 2015, 5:39 AM PST0

(Reuters) China has shown “great restraint” in the South China Sea by not seizing islands occupied by other countries even though it could have, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday ahead of two regional summits where the disputed waterway is likely to be a hot topic.
by Reuters17 Nov 2015, 6:16 AM PST0

After announcing that the U.S. presence in the South China Sea would become “routine” as a challenge to Chinese territorial claims this month, the Pentagon announced Thursday it had flown two strategic bombers in the region, which were contacted by Chinese authorities but flew through without incident.
by Frances Martel13 Nov 2015, 9:21 AM PST0

The European Union made its strongest call yet for China and other Asian nations to resolve their dispute over the South China Sea, a position Brussels insists is neutral but that the United States is likely to welcome after pressing the bloc to speak up.
by Reuters6 Nov 2015, 7:50 AM PST0

After 70 years, three U.S. airmen are finally coming home from Malaysia for a proper burial and resting spot.
by Mary Chastain5 Nov 2015, 11:26 AM PST0

After stating last week that, despite Chinese objections, American naval ships will “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter personally made good on that promise by joining the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the South China Sea today.
by Frances Martel5 Nov 2015, 7:58 AM PST0

An American defense official said this week that the U.S. Navy is planning to navigate through disputed waters in the South China Sea “about twice a quarter or a little more than that,” activity likely to irritate China, which claims complete control over the sea, even further.
by Frances Martel3 Nov 2015, 8:10 AM PST0

The New York-based Human Rights Watch has published a report blasting the Malaysian government for clamping down on free speech in order to silence critics.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.27 Oct 2015, 8:51 PM PST0

The Chinese government is warning the United States and its allies to stop “adding fuel to the flames” in the longstanding territorial dispute in the South China Sea, following a joint announcement by America and Australia that the nations fully intend to exercise their right to navigate the body of water, which China claims entirely for itself.
by Frances Martel14 Oct 2015, 9:04 AM PST0

The Philippine Navy denied reports that wreckage from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been found in the island nation.
by Mary Chastain12 Oct 2015, 1:01 PM PST0

Chinese state media is working hard to portray President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States as a success, but even in a column intending to herald bilateral talks as a step in the right direction, Xinhua asserts that it is the United States which is prompting states to be “aggressive” in the South China Sea.
by Frances Martel28 Sep 2015, 8:44 AM PST0

A rally of thousands of ethnic Malays froze the city of Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, with police resorting to water cannons to subdue the group. The Malay majority organized to show support for Prime Minister Najib Razak as he faces a corruption probe but had clear ethnic undertones as many chanted anti-Chinese slogans.
by Frances Martel16 Sep 2015, 7:20 PM PST0

Malaysian authorities on Monday announced the arrest of three suspects—two Malaysians and a Pakistani national—in connection with the August 17 terrorist bombing of the Erewan shrine in Bangkok, in which 20 people were killed.
by John Hayward14 Sep 2015, 7:37 PM PST0

American Airlines’s decision to drop their Philadelphia to Tel Aviv, Israel, flight was not “strictly financial” as the airline claimed last week.
by Adelle Nazarian27 Aug 2015, 8:07 PM PST0

China is attempting to strongarm the countries forming the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) not to discuss its aggressive expansion of control in the South China Sea, issuing statements arguing that the venue is “improper” for such a topic. The Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore, all who object to China’s expansion, strongly disagree.
by Frances Martel4 Aug 2015, 10:18 AM PST0