Author: Press Room

“Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalms 23:4). This is one of the most beloved and well-known psalms in the Old Testament, according to faith leaders. Here, the faithful sense the doom of death along with the assurance that we are not alone as we approach the end of our lives.BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: WE’RE MADE FOR MUCH MORE THAN JUST ‘CONFORMING’ TO THIS WORLDBut what are the psalms — and why is this psalm so well-known?The…

ARAB OUTREACH Arab leaders began Thursday to converge on the Saudi capital ahead of summit meetings with Xi, the leader of the world’s number two economy, who will hold separate talks with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council before leaving on Friday. China, the top consumer of Saudi oil, has been strengthening ties with a region that has long relied on the United States for military protection but which has voiced concerns the American presence could be downgraded. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had all arrived by Thursday afternoon,…

ARAB OUTREACH Arab leaders began Thursday to converge on the Saudi capital ahead of summit meetings with Xi, the leader of the world’s number two economy, who will hold separate talks with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council before leaving on Friday. China, the top consumer of Saudi oil, has been strengthening ties with a region that has long relied on the United States for military protection but which has voiced concerns the American presence could be downgraded. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Sudan’s de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had all arrived by Thursday afternoon,…

CNN  —  Since the 2020 presidential election, Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch have been erecting the scaffolding for a decision that could transform election practices nationwide. During oral arguments Wednesday in a North Carolina case, they reinforced their positions and appeared to find some support from fellow conservative Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. The question is whether the trio’s most radical view – effectively giving state legislatures control of elections, without oversight from state judges – would prevail. “I think the worst thing we could do, although it might be attractive for some…

JAKARTA: Parts of Indonesia’s revised criminal code appear “incompatible” with fundamental freedoms and human rights, the United Nations said on Thursday (Dec 8). The sweeping overhaul includes a ban on sex outside of marriage and the cohabitation of unmarried couples, which activists have said are a major threat to the LGBTQ community’s rights in Indonesia. There are also updates to offences related to blasphemy – already a crime in Muslim-majority Indonesia – while journalists could face punishment for publishing news “that could incite unrest”. The UN “notes with concern the adoption of certain provisions in the revised Criminal Code that…

KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said his coalition’s victory in Padang Serai and narrow defeat in the Tioman state election is proof that people do not trust the unity government anchored by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN). He also claimed that people are not confident in the ability of the unity government led by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim. In a Facebook post on Thursday (Dec 8), Mr Muhyiddin said: “This is proof that the people do not trust the combination of PH and BN. They are not confident in the ability of this coalition government…

HONG KONG: The Hong Kong government said on Thursday (Dec 8) that the isolation period for COVID-19 patients and their close contacts will be cut from seven days to five. The requirement for arrivals to Hong Kong to undergo daily rapid antigen tests would similarly be reduced from seven to five days. They must, however, still take a PCR test on their day of arrival and on their third day. Current social distancing measures, including mandatory masks and the use of a contact tracing app in public buildings, bars and restaurants, will remain until Dec 28. Hong Kong’s moves come after…

Incoming Victorian Liberal MP Renee Heath says the Liberal Party needs to be the home of people who love freedom. “I am really hoping for good days ahead, I think that the best thing we can possibly do is just come back to our values to see how Menzies made that happen,” she told Sky News host Cory Bernardi. “I’ve got a good hope that we can all come together and begin to just raise the standard in our party.” Ms Heath said she thinks “over-governance” is costing Victorians “incredibly”. Source: Sky News

Travellers will face ‘significant disruption’ to their Christmas travel plans, after UK Border Force officers voted to strike over the holiday period.The industrial action will see Border Force officials walk out on eight days during the busy festive season, from 23 December to Boxing Day, and from 28 December to New Year’s Eve.This mass strike – conducted by members of the The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) union – will likely delay security checks, causing lengthy queues and knock-on disruption.Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said that the strike would cause ‘significant disruption’ – but added that rising inflation left…

Former Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer has called on the Liberal Party to “inject a sense of values and idealism” into their arguments, warning that a “managerialist political party” won’t inspire anyone.Speaking to Sky News Australia’s Chris Kenny, the Liberal Party elder said his party should be articulating its core belief in the “selfless individual” and contrasting this with the progressive left’s model of greater government control over society, “which is becoming the status quo model”.“Don’t approach policies without having a context for those policies, without having a framework for those policies,” Mr Downer said.“You’ve got to outline your values…