Human Rights Watch has called on the foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations – ASEAN – to make a public commitment to ensure the forthcoming ASEAN Human Rights Declaration complies with international human rights standards. The foreign ministers meet Sunday in Phnom Penh to consider a draft of the declaration. HRW’s […]
HRW Urges ASEAN to Meet International Rights Standards
Putin Orders Investigation of Flood Response
Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected a flood-ravaged area in the southern Krasnodarsky Krai region Saturday and ordered an investigation into whether a slow response by local officials could have contributed to the deaths of more than 134 people. State television showed Mr. Putin speaking with emergency ministry officials, who assured him the flood was not […]
Obama Hails Libyan Election
((summary version) U.S. President Barack Obama has hailed Libya’s first free election in decades, calling it another milestone in the country’s transition to democracy. In a written statement late Saturday, Mr. Obama extended his congratulations to Libya on behalf of the American people. Libya’s Electoral Commission put the turnout in Saturday’s election at about 60 […]
International Donors Pledge $16 Billion to Afghanistan
International donors meeting in Tokyo have pledged $16 billion in development aid for Afghanistan over the next four years. The amount is in line with the $4 billion a year that Afghan President Hamid Karzai requested at Sunday’s conference. In his opening remarks, Mr. Karzai acknowledged that endemic corruption in Afghanistan has undermined previous aid […]