Section: theSun (Malaysia)
HRW slams Russia for spiralling homophobic attacks
MOSCOW: Human Rights Watch sounded the alarm Monday over the rising number of homophobic attacks in Russia, slamming Vladimir Putin’s government for “inaction” and urging a crackdown on hate crimes. The US-based rights group said homophobic attacks increased in Russia after Putin signed a hugely controversial law banning...
UN accuses Ukraine forces, pro-Russia rebels of ‘torture’
KIEV: The United Nations on Monday released a damning report accusing Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels of torturing and indiscriminately shelling civilians in the bloody conflict in the separatist east. Its global governing body believes the eight-month conflict has killed at least 4,634 and wounded 10,234 people — although...
Australia’s ‘macho’ PM points finger at sexism
SYDNEY: Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was famously accused of misogyny by former leader Julia Gillard, on Friday suggested sexism was behind criticism of his female chief-of-staff. Abbott’s office has battled falling polls in recent weeks and some within the conservative government’s ranks have complained that his...
Abbott’s ‘shirtfront’ is Australia’s word of the year
SYDNEY: “Shirtfront”, an aggressive Australian sports term used by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to challenge Russia’s Vladimir Putin, was Wednesday picked as the National Dictionary Centre’s word of the year, beating “man-bun”. Abbott in October vowed to “shirtfront” the Russian president – an...
All Australian victims of downed MH17 plane identified
MELBOURNE: All of the 38 Australians who died when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was downed in eastern Ukraine have now been formally identified, the Australian government said citing Dutch authorities. A joint statement from Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said the government’s...
Online freedom declines, amid NSA effect
WASHINGTON: Internet freedom suffered this year as a growing number of countries stepped up efforts to spy on users and censor online postings, a global survey showed on Thursday. The report by the non-government watchdog group Freedom House said online freedom declined in 36 of 65 countries surveyed. In some cases, governments use revelations...
Ashton Carter likely next Pentagon chief
WASHINGTON:The former number-two ranking official at the Pentagon, Ashton Carter (pix), will likely be named as the next US defense secretary, American media reported on Tuesday. President Barack Obama was poised to nominate Carter — a physicist turned national security policy wonk — to replace outgoing Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel,...
Mother of German MH17 victim takes Ukraine to human rights court
BERLIN: The mother of a victim of downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has begun legal proceedings against Ukraine at the European Court of Human Rights, accusing Kiev of failing to close the country’s airspace, a German daily reported Sunday. The woman, who lodged her complaint at the Strasbourg-based court “last week”, is...
Kiev charity offers a little warmth to families fleeing the east
KIEV: From food and clothing to medicines and even jobs — a charity centre in Kiev tries to offer a warm welcome to thousands fleeing the conflict in Ukraine’s east as temperatures drop below freezing. The courtyard of a decrepit former textile factory in the historic quarter of Kiev is buzzing with people. “Mothers of young children,...
Congolese doctor receives EU prize for helping rape victims
STRASBOURG, France: Doctor Denis Mukwege received the European Parliament’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize on Wednesday for his work in helping thousands of gang rape victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo. European Parliament president Martin Schulz, who presented the 59-year-old with the award at a ceremony in Strasbourg,...
