Somali govt claims 70 Al-Shabab killed in military operation

JAKARTA: Indonesia on Wednesday launched a campaign to raise $200 million in humanitarian aid for Palestinians, as Jakarta moves to support the rebuilding of Gaza. 

A staunch supporter of Palestine, the Indonesian government and people see Palestinian statehood as being mandated by their own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism. 

The campaign, “Indonesia for Palestine: Solidarity, Real Action and New Hope,” is being organized by the Indonesian Ulema Council, Indonesia’s National Alms Agency and other NGOs with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

“We are starting this campaign with the initial target of $200 million,” Deputy Foreign Minister Anis Matta said at the campaign launch in Jakarta. 

“This is not just a mandate from our constitution and a religious obligation, but also a humanitarian emergency … We want to turn this campaign into a movement of humanitarian diplomacy.” 

The campaign comprises various programs, he said. 

“There’s an ongoing emergency program during the ceasefire period, but there will also be a program dedicated to the reconstruction of Gaza; we want to offer our assistance in the rebuilding of Gaza.” 

Since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, its military has killed more than 48,300 people and injured more than 111,000. The real death toll is feared to be much higher, with estimates published by the medical journal The Lancet indicating that as of July, it could be more than 186,000.

The Indonesian government has sent several consignments of humanitarian assistance for Gaza since 2023, while various NGOs in the country have also raised funds and coordinated support — including sending medical volunteers — for Gaza. 

Last year, Jakarta doubled its annual contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to $1.2 million, with the government pledging to contribute more. 

“This joint campaign is real evidence of Indonesia’s solidarity for Palestine,” said Abdul Kadir Jailani, director general for Asian, Pacific and African Affairs at the foreign affairs ministry. 

“We all have a responsibility to support our brothers and sisters in Palestine.” 

KUALA LUMPUR: A ship that will hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has deployed to its Indian Ocean search zone, according to Malaysia's transport minister and ship tracking data, raising hopes of solving one of aviation's greatest mysteries.
In December, Malaysia agreed to resume the search for the Boeing 777 that was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew when it vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.
Malaysia has not yet signed off on the contract to search the seabed for wreckage, however, casting uncertainty over whether a search has begun.
Contacted by Reuters, U.S. exploration firm Ocean Infinity, which conducted the last search for the plane that ended in 2018, said it had no information to provide at this stage.
Malaysia had not yet signed the contract with Ocean Infinity, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday, but he welcomed the company's "proactiveness" to deploy its ships to that area to begin the search.
"Since Ocean Infinity already started to mobilise their ships, of course we welcome it because we have given the principle approval for the search to resume and just need to finalise the contract," Loke told a press conference.
The search would not be open-ended, however, he warned.
"It is not indefinite; there is a certain timeframe given for the contract. These are the details that we need to finalise before we sign," Loke added.
Refinitiv ship tracking data shows one of Ocean Infinity's ships, Armada 78 06, began tracking on Sunday a part of the Southern Indian Ocean, about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) off Australia's west coast.
Ocean Infinity's proposal to resume the search will see it expand the previous search area by 15,000 sq km (5,790 sq miles) in an effort lasting 18 months, with the period from January to April offering the best window, Malaysia said in December.
No precise location of the new search area was given at the time.
Ocean Infinity was "very confident that the current search area is more credible ... This is the area that they have missed in the past," Loke added.

DECADE-LONG HUNT
Malaysia engaged Ocean Infinity in 2018 to search in the southern Indian Ocean, but two attempts failed.
They followed an underwater search by Australia, China and Malaysia over an area of 120,000 sq km (46,332 sq mile) of the southern Indian Ocean, based on records of automatic connections between an Inmarsat satellite and the aircraft.
MH370's last transmission was about 40 minutes after it took off from Kuala Lumpur for the Chinese capital. The pilots signed off as the plane entered Vietnamese air space over the Gulf of Thailand and soon after its transponder was turned off.
Military radar showed the plane left its flight path to fly back over northern Malaysia and then out into the Andaman Sea before turning south, when all contact was lost.
Debris, some confirmed and some believed to be from the aircraft, has since washed up along the coast of Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean.
Victims' relatives have demanded compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce and the Allianz insurance group, among others.
A 495-page report into the disappearance in 2018 said the Boeing 777's controls were probably deliberately manipulated to go off course, but investigators could not determine who was responsible and stopped short of offering a conclusion on what happened, saying that depended on finding the wreckage.
Investigators have said there was nothing suspicious in the background, financial affairs, training and mental health of both the captain and co-pilot.