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ABC News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Russia responsible for downing of MH17 over Ukraine, ECHR rules
Europe's top human rights court has ruled unanimously that Russia was responsible for downing Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 (MH17), killing all 298 passengers and crew on board. MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014 as it flew eastern Ukraine on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Among those killed were 38 Australian citizens and residents. Russia has always denied responsibility, disputing findings from official investigations that the Russian military had supplied the surface-to-air missiles to Ukrainian separatists. On Wednesday, the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Russia was responsible for downing MH17. The ECHR ruled that Russia had failed to conduct an adequate investigation into the incident, to cooperate with requests for information or provide legal remedies for survivors. Its lack of cooperation and continued denial of any involvement has caused additional suffering for the victims' relatives, the court said. The court also found that Moscow had repeatedly and systematically violated human rights in Ukraine by performing indiscriminate military attacks, summary executions of civilians, torture including the use of rape as a weapon of war, unjustified displacement and transfer of civilians and other violations. The ECHR is an international court of the Council of Europe from which Russia was expelled in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine. Russia's parliament then voted in 2023 to end the ECHR's jurisdiction in the country. Australia and European nations have long blamed Russia for the shooting down of MH17, the second aircraft lost by Malaysian Airlines in 2014. In 2022, a Dutch court tried and convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian for murder over the shooting down of MH17. The offenders were tried in absentia, meaning they remain at large, and it is unlikely they will ever serve their life sentences. And in May this year, the United Nations's International Civil Aviation Organization ruled Russia was responsible and broke international law by using weapons against a civil aircraft. Responding to Wednesday's ECHR ruling, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said: "Nothing can take away this suffering and grief, but I hope the verdict offers a sense of justice and recognition." A majority of those on the airliner were Dutch. Ukraine's Justice Ministry, in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, hailed the ECHR ruling as "one of the most important in the practice of interstate cases". Ahead of Wednesday's ruling, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia would not abide by any court decisions. "We consider them null and void," he said. Reuters/ABC
SBS Australia
02-07-2025
- Climate
- SBS Australia
SBS News in Easy English 2 July 2025
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . Almost 200 properties have been flooded and thousands more are without power thanks to wild weather on Australia's east coast. The State Emergency Service says homes on Burrill Lake on the New South Wales south coast have been inundated. Meanwhile Endeavour Energy says more than 17,000 homes and businesses from western Sydney down to the Illawarra are without power. Several flights have also been cancelled from Sydney Airport for the second consecutive day. Helen Reid, from the Bureau of Meteorology, says the impacts will continue into the evening. "There is a severe weather warning for damaging and damaging winds and heavy rainfall, which extends across the New South Wales coastal fringe from Foster to Bega into the alpine areas of parts of the southern tablelands and the northern tablelands as well. Damaging winds remain possible today across the warning areas. Most likely this morning, with average gale force wind gusts around 60 to 70 kilometres an hour with gusts getting up to 90 to 110 kilometres an hour." Five Australian citizens have flown out of Iran as a ceasefire between the country and Israel continues to hold. The group have travelled on a commercial flight from Mashhad to Dubai with Australian government assistance. More than 50 other Australians have successfully crossed the border by land and have been met by Australian officials. More than 150 people have received border codes for Azerbaijan. The Israeli military has acknowledged Palestinian civilians have been killed at controversial aid distribution points in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry estimates more than 500 have died seeking aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites. Local medics and witnesses say 11 people died in the latest incident. Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, says he disputes the number of casualties. "Unfortunately, there were a few incidents. But I can tell you one thing for sure, the numbers that were reported by Hamas were not correct - they were lies. They try to create the impression that it's not safe and people should not go there." Foreign Minister Penny Wong has met her U-S counterpart on the sidelines of a meeting of the Quad alliance in Washington. Senator Wong says she made the case for a tariff exemption for Australia, as well as discussing defence arrangements. Some have speculated AUKUS could be in the firing line after the US launched a review of the agreement in June. But the Minister says such reviews are not an unusual step for a new US administration to take. The Senator has told Channel 9 she remains confident in the AUKUS arrangements and Australia's place in the QUAD. "We're back here again, and it was an excellent meeting this morning. It reminded us of how much our four nations share, how we can work together to meet the urgent challenges we face." Australia's first truth-telling inquiry has found Victoria's Aboriginal people were victims of crimes against humanity and genocide during the state's colonisation. An internal rift however has marred the release of the final report from the Yoorrook Justice Commission. Three of the five commissioners declined to approve of the inclusion of the key findings. But Commission chair Eleanor Bourke has said she lived through many of the policies described in the pages. South Australia is launching a review of education services that are outside of the state's mainstream school system. Those services are education and support programs for children and young people unable to attend mainstream sites for a variety of reasons. Those reasons might include disability, geographical isolation, or other complexities. About 10,000 students engage in non-mainstream programs in South Australia. A WARNING, THIS STORY INCLUDES CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTRESSING FOR SOME LISTENERS Victorian premier Jacinta Allan says the state will change its Working with Children Check laws, after the charging of a childcare worker with more than 70 sex offences. It follows revelations the 26 year old man, who had worked for about 20 childcare centres over about eight years, held a valid Working with Children Check. "I'm sickened by these allegations of abuse. They are shocking and distressing and my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent's worst nightmare." Victoria Police say the accused was not known to them until the start of the investigation. They also say there were no formal complaints against the accused.
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- News.com.au
Indonesian police have arrested two people over the Bali shooting of Melbourne men Zivan Radmanovic and Sanar Ghanim
Indonesian police have arrested two people over the shooting of two Australians in Bali that killed Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic. Mr Radmanovic, 32, was shot dead at a villa at the Badung Regency north of Kuta on Saturday. His wife was in the villa but not physically injured. A second Melbourne man Sanar Ghanim, 34, was also shot during the attack. An image shows Mr Ghanim being tended to by paramedics while his feet and face are covered in blood. Media organisation Nusa Bali reported one of the alleged offenders was arrested in Jakarta, while another person was captured abroad and was being taken to the Indonesian capital. Indonesian National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo held a press conference in Bali on Tuesday at the Jembrana Police Headquarters. 'Regarding the shooting involving Australian citizens, I have received a report from the Bali Police Chief. One suspect has been secured in Jakarta, and another is on the way from overseas,' the police chief told media. 'A more detailed statement will be released by Bali Police. 'What I can say for now is that this case was solved through co-operation between our Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), Immigration, and the Australian Federal Police (AFP),' he added. General Sigit did not release any information about identity of the alleged shooters, but told media Bali Regional Police would provide more detailed information. It was reported there were two alleged offenders who might be Australian and the gunmen used firearms during the attack. It was not clear what the motive was behind the attack which is being investigated by authorities.
