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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Critics express anger at Switzerland for hosting Russia ‘war criminals'
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ms Valentina Matvienko, speaker of Russia's Upper House of Parliament, delivering a speech at a three-day gathering of global parliamentarians in Switzerland. PARIS - More than 200 Kremlin critics and former political prisoners have expressed outrage at the visit of a high-ranking Moscow delegation to Switzerland, accusing Europe of hosting 'war criminals' despite the invasion of Ukraine. Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin fear that more than three years into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, the West might be ready to start bringing Russia in from the cold and revive relations with the Kremlin. An open letter signed by Kremlin critics – including former political prisoners Vladimir Kara-Murza, Oleg Orlov and Ilya Yashin – accused Switzerland of hosting some top Putin allies, including the speaker of the Upper House of Parliament, just as the Kremlin presses ahead with its war against Ukraine. A delegation led by Ms Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the Upper House of Parliament, arrived in Geneva on July 24 to take part in a three-day gathering of global parliamentarians that began on July 25. The delegation featured a dozen figures including Mr Pyotr Tolstoi, deputy speaker of the Russian Parliament's Lower House, and Mr Leonid Slutsky, head of the Lower House's international affairs committee. Ms Matvienko, Mr Tolstoi and Mr Slutsky are under EU and international sanctions. The trip appears to be the highest-profile visit to Europe by Russian parliamentarians since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Water supply issues during Toa Payoh blaze affected firefighting operations; SCDF investigating Singapore 3 taken to hospital after fire in Marsiling flat Singapore School, parents on alert after vape peddlers approach primary school pupil Singapore Tampines, Toa Payoh BTO flats most popular among first-time home buyers in July HDB launch Sport Leon Marchand sets first world record at World Aquatics C'ships in Singapore Singapore Jail, fine for man linked to case involving 3 bank accounts that received over $680m in total Singapore Provision shop owner who raped 11-year-old gets more than 14 years' jail Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made 'While Geneva hosts war criminals Matvienko, Tolstoi, and Slutsky, Russian troops continue to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. Civilians, children, and women are dying,' the letter's signatories said. The letter also said that Italy helped facilitate the visit by authorising the flyover of the delegation's plane. Ms Matvienko, Mr Tolstoi and Mr Slutsky are 'key figures of the Putin regime, directly responsible for unleashing the aggressive war against Ukraine, destroying democratic institutions, and large-scale repressions within Russia', it said. 'Their participation in international events in Switzerland should have been prohibited, and they themselves detained.' The Kremlin critics demanded to know how and why Mr Putin's allies had been allowed to participate in events in Geneva. They also called for an investigation to determine whether Swiss laws were violated. 'We are convinced that neutrality is not an excuse,' the signatories said. Separately, the team of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny called the visit a 'disgusting creeping lifting of sanctions'. 'All efforts to put pressure on Putin's regime and isolate those who incite and profit from the war could be rendered meaningless if Europeans do not realise what is happening right now,' Navalny's team said on X. AFP
The Star
4 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Amendments to the Education Act passed, secondary school education now compulsory
KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat passed the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025, which expands the definition of 'compulsory education' under the 1996 Education Act to include secondary schooling. The amendment also introduces a new provision, Section 32A, empowering the Education Minister to designate secondary education as mandatory for all Malaysian children residing in the country. It states that parents are legally required to enrol their children in both primary and secondary institutions, unless officially exempted. Under the new Section 32A(4), parents who fail to do so may face a fine of up to RM5,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both upon conviction. The amendment further outlines penalties for non-compliance and authorises the minister to make additional regulations related to enforcement and exemptions. It also revises provisions related to primary school registration, requiring parents to enrol children who have reached the age of six by Jan 1 of any given academic year. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek told the Lower House on Wednesday (July 30) that the legislation aims to strengthen educational responsibility rather than introducing punitive measures. 'The spirit of this amendment is not about punishment, but about education - to ensure that no child falls behind. 'The government's priority is to foster a sense of responsibility among parents and guardians to ensure their children are enrolled in school, in line to uphold every child's right to education,' she said. She added that the ministry is also taking steps to improve awareness among communities and enhance support systems to address issues of dropout and absenteeism. During the debate earlier, Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) welcomed the amendment, calling it 'bold, progressive and long overdue.' However, he urged the government to clarify whether the law would apply to children of mixed-nationality parents, non-citizen children and those in private, Chinese independent or homeschool settings. In response, Fadhlina said homeschooling will be considered for exemption on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs of each child. 'I'm open to exploring how we can ensure the justification, space and opportunity for these children without any form of discrimination,' she said. On enforcement, Cha proposed focusing on awareness and outreach rather than punishment. 'If enforced well, this could boost SPM participation rates and reduce dropout gaps between lower and upper secondary levels,' he added. Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) called on the Education Ministry to address the root causes of student dropouts before enforcing amendments to make secondary education compulsory. 'Many students leave school due to poverty, family problems or lack of interest in academics,' she said. Kok warned that penalising low-income parents is unjust and burdensome. She also questioned how the law would apply to homeschooled children, slow learners and those in private institutions. 'Reform should focus on curriculum and school improvements, not just legal punishment,' she said, adding that slow learners should be allowed to repeat a year to catch up. On concerns about poverty, Fadhlina Sidek stressed that the ministry had taken the matter into account and would prioritise support over punishment. 'Punitive measures are not the core of this bill - our focus is on providing assistance, including 18 forms of aid such as scholarships and school-related support like uniforms, to ensure children remain in school,' she said. Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) called for clarity on how the amendment will affect students in unregistered private institutions, including pondok and tahfiz schools. 'Will these students automatically be exempted under Section 32A(3), or must parents apply individually?' he asked, referring to a provision that allows the minister to exempt any pupil or group of pupils from compulsory education, either fully or conditionally, by gazetting an official order. On this, Fadhlina said all registered private institutions, including religious schools, are subject to the provisions of the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025. 'We are engaging with unregistered institutions to encourage them to register so we can implement a standard curriculum and address issues like bullying - if they remain unregistered, the legal responsibility will fall on parents, and that's a concern we're working to resolve,' she said.
The Hindu
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Parliament Monsoon session Day 8 LIVE: Jaishankar, Nadda to address Rajya Sabha on Operation Sindoor
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday affirmed in the Lok Sabha that no leader of any country asked India to stop Operation Sindoor but lamented that while the nation got support from the entire world the Congress and its allies could not stand behind the valour of the nation's soldiers. Responding to the two-day debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor in the Lower House, he said no country in the world stopped India from taking action in its defence against terrorism. Also Read | Parliament Monsoon Session July 29, 2025 updates Meanwhile, the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, asked the Union government to explain why the country had accepted a ceasefire with Pakistan when Pakistan had been on the backfoot. The 'political leadership' of the country had failed to defend the 'military leadership', and no effort had been made to expose the 'Pakistan-China nexus' at global forums, Opposition members alleged. They also questioned the silence of the BJP over a Madhya Pradesh Minister's controversial comments on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and the social media attack on Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his daughter.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Operation Sindoor symbol of government's failure: Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) asked the government in Lok Sabha to fix responsibility for the "intelligence failure" that led to the Pahalgam terror attack, saying it cannot get away after such incidents by merely admitting to a lapse. Parliament Monsoon Session: Follow LIVE updates on July 29, 2025 Participating in the debate on Operation Sindoor in the Lower House, Mr. Yadav raised questions on India ending the conflict with Pakistan abruptly and asked, 'Under whose pressure was the ceasefire done?' The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also claimed that India's foreign policy has 'completely collapsed' and called China a 'monster' that will 'gobble up our land and market'. 'Who will take responsibility for the intelligence lapse in the Pahalgam attack?' Mr. Yadav said, adding the tragic incident should never have happened. Also Read | Talked of Nehru, my mother's tears but did not answer why war was stopped: Priyanka Gandhi slams govt The "lapse" has cost precious lives and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's border strategy, he said. 'The launch of Operation Sindoor post Pahalgam attack is itself a symbol of the government's failure,' he said. Mr. Yadav claimed the country was isolated globally on key issues. "During Operation Sindoor, no country stood by us. This is a dark phase for India's foreign diplomacy," he said. Also Read | Owaisi seeks answers on fighter jet squadrons, accuses Centre of failing to make use of internal unity during Operation Sindoor Mr. Yadav also questioned the government's handling of relations with neighbouring countries. 'Our neighbouring nations are either attacking us or not supporting us. China is increasingly aggressive and poses as much of a threat as terrorism from Pakistan,' he said. He warned that China would not only snatch India's territory but also dominate its market. "Our threat is not from Pakistan. The bigger threat is China, which is capturing both our land and our economy," Mr. Yadav asserted. Also Read | Three terrorists who carried out Pahalgam terror attack killed: Amit Shah He alleged that the government's policies were inadvertently helping China's commercial interests while undermining India's sovereignty. On the halting of military action against Pakistan, the SP chief said, 'We had hoped that the government would take the lead in ceasefire negotiations, but it seems they asked their friends to make the announcement instead. Why did the government agree to a ceasefire through a third party? What pressure were they under?' He said the situation in Pahalgam proved that negligence could cost lives. Also Read | Ceasefire between India and Pakistan had no linkage with U.S. trade: Jaishankar in Parliament 'Tourists who visited the area went there trusting the government's assurance of safety post Article 370 abrogation. But the government failed them,' he added. Mr. Yadav also asked, 'What concrete steps is the government taking to ensure there is no repeat of Pahalgam, Pulwama and similar incidents? If this was an intelligence failure, who is accountable? This is not the first time.' 'The biggest question is who is responsible for the intelligence failure... I hope that the government will respond,' he said, adding, 'you cannot just say every time that there was a lapse'. Also Read | Congress raises questions on security lapses which led to Pahalgam attack Referring to the treatment of victims' families, Mr. Yadav said, 'It is shameful how the wives of the victims were treated. We approached the National Commission for Women for a probe, but no action was taken.' Mr. Yadav accused the BJP of politicising the issue. He also questioned the timing of the encounter in which the terrorists involved in the Pahalgam terror attack were killed. The SP chief criticised the government's response to the Galwan standoff in eastern Ladakh. "Even today, the situation has not returned to what it was before Galwan. And yet, we see all engines of this government united when it comes to covering up the truth," he alleged. Criticising the Agnipath recruitment scheme, Mr. Yadav said, "We expect the government to withdraw the Agniveer scheme. The people posted at the borders need long-term security and commitment."
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Country Wanted "Operation Tandoor", Not Sindoor: Samajwadi Party MP In Lok Sabha
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Ramashankar Rajbhar on Monday said in Lok Sabha that the country wanted "Operation Tandoor" after the Pahalgam terror attack to roast the terrorist responsible for it, and not Operation Sindoor. Speaking during the special debate in the Lower House on the Pahalgam terror strike and Operation Sindoor, he accused the government of failing to act decisively and questioned the "delay" in the operation, saying that a mission that should have been initiated in three days was carried out after 17 days. "The country was so angry (over the Pahalgam attack) that by the third day, people wanted not Operation Sindoor, but Operation Tandoor, that is to throw the terrorists into that tandoor. But instead, the operation happened 17 days later." "Were those who carried out the Pahalgam attack among the 100 terrorists (killed during the operation)? That's the real question," he said. Rajbhar went on to praise the unity shown by Indians across religious lines, saying, "Terrorists wanted to incite riots in India, but Hindus and Muslims together foiled the enemy's plan." Referring to statements by former US President Donald Trump, Rajbhar said Trump had publicly claimed multiple times that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan was achieved due to US intervention. "Trump said at least 26 times that he facilitated an India-Pakistan ceasefire, even crediting arms deals for it. These are serious claims," Rajbhar said, adding, "If Trump was telling the truth, then where do we stand?" "The real Vishwaguru was sitting in the White House," he said.
