Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by danabu

NATO allies refuse to join Trump's Blockade

danabu — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:40:36 +0800

PARIS/LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - NATO allies ⁠said on Monday they would not get involved in U.S. President Donald Trump's planto blockade Iranian ports, proposing to intervene only once fighting ends, in ⁠a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.

Trump saidthe U.S. military would eliminate any Iranian ships that came near the ‌blockade nL4N40W08K that began on Monday, after weekend talks failed to reach an agreement to end the six-week conflict with Iran

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/...utm_campaign=TG

Strait of Hormuz - Potential New Toll

danabu — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:20:48 +0800

US president says Washington, as the ‘winner’ of the war, has a ‘concept’ for charging a toll in strategic waterway.

President Donald Trump has suggested the United States may be looking to charge a toll in the Strait of Hormuz after the war, a move that would likely require direct US military control over the strategic waterway.

Asked on Monday whether he would accept a deal that would allow Iran to take fees from ships to traverse the strait, the US president said: “What about us charging tolls? I’d rather do that than let them have them. Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner. We won.”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/6/tru...e-amid-iran-war

Zelensky says allies asked him to scale back

danabu — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:02:02 +0800

Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's allies have urged him to scale back attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure amid the ongoing global fuel crisis - but that they would only end if Russia stopped targeting Ukraine's first.

The Ukrainian president told journalists in a WhatsApp voice message that, by launching attacks on Russia's energy system, Ukraine was only responding in kind.

It is unclear which countries he may have been referring to. China and India remain heavily dependent on Russian oil, and the EU on Russian gas.

Zelensky's comments come after a string of long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russia's energy sector, including the key oil export terminal at the port of Ust-Luga outside St Petersburg.

"We have received messages from some of our partners asking about how our responses against Russia's oil sector - the energy sector - can be reduced," Zelensky said in the voice message.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0e7lrxrelwo

Spain denies White House

danabu — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:53:41 +0800

Spain denies White House claim it agreed to cooperate with US military

Spain reiterates its opposition to war on Iran despite Trump’s threat of cutting off trade with the European country.

Spain has denied the White House’s claim that Madrid is now cooperating militarily with Washington amid the war with Iran, despite President Donald Trump’s threat to use trade to punish the authorities for their stance.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt suggested on Wednesday that the Spanish position of refusing to allow the country’s military bases in the war against Iran has changed

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/4/spa...ith-us-military

Trump announces new 10% global tariff

danabu — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:50:19 +0800

Key Points
President Donald Trump said he signed an executive order imposing a new 10% “global tariff” under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Trump was defiant following a major Supreme Court defeat, saying he will find other ways to impose global tariffs that were struck down.
Trump’s remarks vacillated between defiant and scathing. He even went after Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, whom he nominated, after they voted with the majority in the 6-3 tariff ruling.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/20/trump-globa...reme-court.html

Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Canada

danabu — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 07:40:15 +0800

(Jan 24): President Donald Trump threatened Canada with 100% tariffs against all its exports to the US if it makes a trade deal with China, escalating tensions between the US and its northern neighbour.

Trump, referring to Prime Minister Mark Carney as “Governor Carney”, said the Canadian leader was “sorely mistaken” for allowing China to increase its exports of electric vehicles into Canada. Trump has trolled Canada about his desire for it to become the 51st US state.

“China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump said in a social media post. “If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the USA.”

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/790506

US threatens to cut intel, weapons

danabu — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 21:04:30 +0800

KYIV/WASHINGTON (Nov 21): The United States has threatened to cut intelligence sharing and weapons supplies for Ukraine to press it into agreeing to the framework of a US-brokered peace deal, two people familiar with the matter said.

Washington has presented Ukraine with a 28-point plan, which endorses some of Russia's principal demands in the war, including that Kyiv cede additional territory, curb the size of its military and be barred from joining Nato.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Kyiv was under greater pressure from Washington than during any previous peace discussions, and that the US wanted Ukraine to sign a framework of the deal by next Thursday.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/781529

Export 10 mil tonnes of LNG in single month

danabu — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 06:34:13 +0800

HOUSTON (Nov 4): The US has become the first country to export 10 million metric tonnes (mmt) of liquefied natural gas in a single month, according to preliminary data from financial firm LSEG.

Europe remained the prime destination for US LNG, with 6.9 mmt, or nearly 69% of total exports, heading to the continent last month. That figure compares with 6.22 mmt in September, as Europe continued to fill storage ahead of the winter, LSEG ship tracking data showed.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/777395

26 UTAR researchers in World's Top 2% Scientists

danabu — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:00:46 +0800

PETALING JAYA: Twenty-six researchers from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) have been listed in the World’s Top 2% Scientists 2025 list by Stanford University.

Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists list, which is updated annually, is a reputable ranking that highlights influential researchers across a broad range of scientific fields.

“This prestigious milestone, marked on the global research stage, comes in two categories, namely single-year impact and career-long impact,” said UTAR in a statement on Thursday (Oct 9).

“Being in this rank highlights the university’s commitment to producing high-quality, impactful researchers who advance knowledge and benefit society alongside further strengthening UTAR’s standing as a leading global university,” UTAR added.

Unitree A2 Stellar Hunter

danabu — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 07:20:41 +0800

[YOUTUBE]ve9USu7zpLU?si=3PXKHAa-hg4EWAz1[/YOUTUBE]

Penang LRT Still waiting Transport Ministry...

danabu — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:50:47 +0800

GEORGE TOWN, July 1 — The Penang state government is still awaiting the official notice to proceed from the Transport Ministry and MRT Corporation (MRTC) before physical work can begin on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Mutiara Line project.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state hopes to receive the notice this month.

“Last month, I mentioned one or two months, so this month would be the second. We really hope it can be issued this month,” he said after officiating Penang Transportation Day at Komtar today.

He said the notice is crucial to enable SRS Consortium to commence full-scale construction works according to the planned timeline.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...minister/182412

Come PN and MCA... Do your jobs as oppo... Bash jgan tak bash...

New Moscow Metro

danabu — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 21:05:30 +0800

[YOUTUBE]K1TrH-ZyIuU?si=vPXYYaT630U3szhN[/YOUTUBE]

Boston Dynamic vs Unitree - robot dog

danabu — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 08:57:43 +0800

[YOUTUBE]t0yg-zeOmag?si=ZC9ON18LKh6a0J7f[/YOUTUBE]

Germany accuses Elon Musk of trying to influence

danabu — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 22:07:26 +0800

BERLIN (Dec 30): The German government accused US billionaire Elon Musk on Monday of trying to influence its election due in February with articles supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, even though it suggested they amounted to "nonsense".

Musk, who is set to serve Donald Trump's new administration as an outside adviser, endorsed the AfD as Germany's last hope in a guest opinion piece for the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that prompted the commentary editor to resign in protest.

"It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election" with X posts and the opinion piece, a German government spokesperson said.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/739310

Iranian threat on Trump’s life

danabu — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 07:06:00 +0800

Iran blasts Trump assassination plot claims
US media reports claim that an Iran plan to target Republican presidential hopeful is unrelated to attack in Pennsylvania.

Iran has angrily dismissed United States media reports that it has been plotting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump.

A foreign ministry spokesman on Wednesday stated that Iran rejects the “malicious” allegations that it has plotted an attack on the Republican presidential hopeful. However, Nasser Kanaani asserted that Iran aims to prosecute Trump for ordering the assassination of a senior military official in 2020.

Citing unnamed US officials, CNN reported on Tuesday that US authorities recently learned of an Iranian threat on Trump’s life. That led US secret services to beef up the former president’s security.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/17/ir...p-assassination

RIP Gonzalo Lira

danabu — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 12:02:15 +0800

https://tass.com/world/1731827?utm_source=g...rrer=google.com

Earlier US journalist Tucker Carlson said, citing Lira’s father, that the reporter, who was detained by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), has died in prison. Carlson wrote on X (former Twitter) that despite Lira’s American citizenship, the US administration "clearly supported his imprisonment and torture."

Earlier, American entrepreneur Elon Musk appealed to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky with a request to explain the arrest and detention of Lira. Musk announced his opinion on this topic in response to a publication on the social network X (formerly Twitter) by Tucker Carlson, who stated that Lira was being "tortured in a Ukrainian prison since July, for the crime criticizing Zelensky."

Thorium Reactor Powered Ship Coming

danabu — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:21:32 +0800

Chinese shipyard unveils plans for world’s first nuclear tanker powered by cutting-edge molten salt reactor

A Chinese shipyard has unveiled a design for an innovative new giant container ship powered by a reactor that one industry journal said may offer a true “zero-emissions” alternative. If built it will be one of the largest ocean-going container ships the world has ever seen – with a load capacity starting at 24,000 standard containers – and the first powered by a molten-salt nuclear reactor. Unlike the nuclear reactors found on warships powered by uranium, this new reactor is likely to use a radioactive metal called thorium, which is abundant and inexpensive in China. The reactor will not need large amounts of water to cool down, making it safer and more efficient.

However, the technology is complex, and most countries have given up on trying to develop it after decades of fruitless efforts, including the United States which looked into the possibility of using it to power a long-range bomber.

But China has carried on and, earlier this year, got the first thorium-based molten salt reactor up and running in the Gobi desert.

The scientists involved in this project have said that such reactors can be installed in almost any location, including ships, and their small size allows them to be used for many different purposes.

Most of the research carried out for the project is classified – perhaps because of the technology’s possible military uses – and little information has been made available. The design for the new container ship – known as the KUN-24AP – was unveiled by the Shanghai-based Jiangnan Shipyard at the city’s Marintec China exhibition. The unveiling suggests China now has considerable confidence in the technology and is ready to promote it to the rest of the world.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/art...en-salt-reactor

Cease Fire? You are fired!

danabu — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 12:24:47 +0800

LONDON — Rishi Sunak sacked a government aide for demanding a “permanent” cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The Conservative MP Paul Bristow — who until Monday afternoon served as Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan’s parliamentary private secretary — broke ranks with the prime minister to call for a cease-fire as he warned against “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza “for the crimes of Hamas.”

In a letter sent to Sunak last week, Bristow had urged the PM to urge a “permanent cease-fire” to “save lives and allow for a continued column of humanitarian aid [to] reach the people who need it the most.” The letter was reported by the Daily Telegraph newspaper Monday.

https://www.politico.eu/article/rishi-sunak...amas-ceasefire/

Ukraine loosing support?

danabu — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 22:19:33 +0800

[YOUTUBE]am_zfnGlIxQ?si=vOxYvnT6YBFshPiZ[/YOUTUBE]

Ukrainians Were Likely Behind Kremlin Drone Attack

danabu — Thu, 25 May 2023 17:46:49 +0800

Ukrainians Were Likely Behind Kremlin Drone Attack, U.S. Officials Say
American spy agencies do not know exactly who carried out the attack this month, but suggest it was part of a series of covert operations orchestrated by Ukraine’s security services.

U.S. officials said the drone attack on the Kremlin earlier this month was likely orchestrated by one of Ukraine’s special military or intelligence units, the latest in a series of covert actions against Russian targets that have unnerved the Biden administration

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/polit...one-attack.html