Section: Indonesia
Prominent Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov shot dead
Boris Nemtsov, a charismatic former deputy prime minister turned Russian opposition leader, was shot and killed in Moscow Saturday, officials said.Nemtsov’s death comes just a day before a planned protest against President Vladimir Putin’s rule. The Kremlin said that Putin will personally oversee the investigation.Nemtsov, who was 55,...
World Response to Armed Groups Like IS ‘Shameful’: Amnesty
London. World leaders have proved “shameful and ineffective” in failing to protect civilians from groups like Islamic State, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, calling 2014 a “catastrophic” year. In its 415-page annual report detailing abuses in 160 countries, the group accused governments of “pretending the protection of civilians is...
Report: Cluster bombs have been used in Ukraine conflict
Amnesty International says illegal weapons such as cluster bombs have been used in Ukraine.The organization’s senior director for research, Anna Neistat, says it has been difficult to determine, but “taking into account everything we understand for now” cluster bombs were used by both sides.In its annual report, released early...
Ministers urge strict implementation of Ukraine truce
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany on Tuesday called for a ceasefire deal to be strictly implemented in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has persisted since the accord came into effect. In a joint statement read by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius after talks in Paris, the minister urged parties to “start with...
Foreign ministers meet in Paris on Ukraine crisis
Foreign ministers from Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany were meeting in Paris Tuesday in a bid to salvage a ceasefire deal which has failed to halt fighting in eastern Ukraine. The meeting comes as pro-Russian separatists kept up their attacks on the key port town of Mariupol and Kiev accused Moscow of torpedoing the deal. Germany on Monday...
OSCE says Ukraine cease-fire has lowered military exchanges
The head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said Monday that the latest cease-fire in Ukraine has “very significantly” lowered the level of military exchanges between government and separatist forces but violations are still taking place and must end.Lamberto Zannier told a group of reporters that OSCE monitors...
British Ex-Ministers Accused in Undercover Sting
London. An undercover report on Sunday accused two British former foreign ministers of offering to use their positions to help a private company in exchange for payment. The allegations against senior Conservative party lawmaker Malcolm Rifkind and top Labor party MP Jack Straw come just months before a general election and echo “cash for access”...
US-Cuba thaw good for stability
Better relations between Cuba and the United States could lead to more regional stability and prove that Cold War tensions are finally starting to ease, according to a leading political analyst. “The Cold War has long been over and many adversaries during the Cold War are now cooperating with each other,” said Dewi Fortuna Anwar, an expert in...
First Ukraine war prisoner exchange completed
Ukrainian military and separatist representatives exchanged dozens of prisoners under cover of darkness at a remote frontline location Saturday evening, kicking off a process intended to usher in peace to the conflict-ridden east.One hundred and thirty nine Ukrainian troops and 52 rebels were exchanged, according to a separatist official...
Moody’s Downgrades Russia Debt to ‘Junk’ Level
Washington. Moody’s cut Russia’s debt rating by one notch into ‘junk’ territory Friday, saying the Ukraine crisis and the fall in oil prices and the ruble will further undermine Russia’s economy. Just over one month since its last downgrade of Moscow’s credit rating, Moody’s said Russia “is expected to...
