Section: theSun (Malaysia)
WHO labels coronavirus a ‘pandemic’ as Europe scrambles to contain it
GENEVA: The World Health Organization called the new coronavirus outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday, issuing a grim warning that the global spread and severity of the illness was due to “alarming levels of inaction”.The call came as Europe faced a mounting number of cases — including a slew of new countries clocking first deaths —...
Russian meddling casts ‘dark shadow’ over MH17 trial: prosecutors
BADHOEVEDORP: Dutch prosecutors accused Russia on Tuesday of interfering with the probe into the downing of flight MH17 and casting a “dark shadow” over the trial of four suspects in the disaster.Moscow had tried to track down witnesses in the trial that started on Monday in the Netherlands, leaving some in fear for their lives in case they were...
Saudi releases king’s photos after purge over ‘coup plot’
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia released images of King Salman carrying out his royal duties on Sunday, after a stunning purge of at least three princes including his brother and nephew for allegedly plotting a coup.Saudi royal guards on Friday detained the trio, multiple sources told AFP, in a move that signals Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s...
Inviting rival to speech, Trump vows to ‘smash’ Venezuela’s Maduro
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to “smash” the rule of Venezuela’s leftist leader Nicolas Maduro as he welcomed his rival to his annual address before Congress.In an extraordinarily direct sign of support, Trump invited Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido — considered interim president by some 60...
After controversial trial, US Senate poised to acquit Trump
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump was on the brink of ending the darkest chapter of his tumultuous presidency on Monday as the US Senate began the final phase of his impeachment trial that will almost certainly conclude on Wednesday with his acquittal.The 100 senators will hear four hours of closing arguments split equally between Trump’s legal team...
Researchers become prime targets in Mideast power plays
PARIS: Authoritarian governments in the Middle East are increasingly willing to seize researchers and academics, who are seen as valuable bargaining chips in their joustings with Western nations, analysts warn.“The risks now facing researchers in the Middle East are unprecedented,“ said Jean-Pierre Filiu, a historian at France’s Sciences Po...
Trump sought to cheat to win re-election, Democrats charge at trial
WASHINGTON: Democrats Wednesday accused President Donald Trump at his historic Senate impeachment trial of seeking to “cheat” to ensure re-election in November, as they began laying out their detailed case for removing him from office.Adam Schiff, head of the House of Representatives’ prosecution team, took to the Senate floor to deliver...
Trump trial opens with fiery clashes over witnesses
WASHINGTON: Republicans and Democrats battled over summoning high-level White House witnesses Tuesday in a marathon first day of arguments in President Donald Trump’s trial for abuse of power.The two sides squared off in fiery exchanges that circled around the procedures for the trial and gave the Democrats an opportunity to spell out their...
Trump brief assails impeachment, demands immediate acquittal
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s lawyers submitted a trial brief Monday calling his impeachment by the House “a dangerous perversion” of the US constitution and demanding his immediate acquittal by the Senate.Almost simultaneously, House impeachment managers responded to an earlier Trump filing, saying the president had engaged in...
Bodies of Ukrainian victims of Iran plane crash returned home
KIEV: The bodies of the 11 Ukrainian citizens who died when a passenger plane was accidentally shot down by Iran this month were brought back to Ukraine on Sunday in a solemn ceremony at Kiev airport.All 176 on board the Ukraine International Airlines flight from Tehran to Kiev were killed when the Boeing 737-800 was shot down on Jan 8, at a time...
