https://www.scmp.com/rss/314914/feed A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 airliner en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam crashed near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014 after being hit by a surface-to-air missile. Separatist pro-Russian forces and the Ukrainian government traded accusations over who is to blame for the attack on the civilian airliner that killed all 298 people on board the plane. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia has filed an appeal with the International Court of Justice over a decision deeming Moscow responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, killing 298 people, the court said on Friday. Australia and the Netherlands, the countries with the most fatalities in the disaster, had launched the case, calling for Russia to assume responsibility for the downing and pay damages. On July 17, 2014, the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326227/russia-challenges-ruling-over-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-downing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326227/russia-challenges-ruling-over-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-downing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 01:08:53 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Malaysia’s king, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, will make the first state visit of a monarch from the country to Russia, in a trip at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin that runs from Tuesday to August 10, the palace said on Saturday. “This visit also reflects the important role of the Malaysian monarchy in driving the nation’s diplomacy,” the palace said in a statement. The visit would strengthen ties and enhance cooperation in sectors including trade, education and technology, it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320524/malaysias-king-sultan-ibrahim-make-historic-russia-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320524/malaysias-king-sultan-ibrahim-make-historic-russia-state-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 04:07:20 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse An Indian police source said on Saturday that 279 bodies had been recovered from the site where a passenger jet crashed into a residential district of the city of Ahmedabad. The revised toll from a senior officer in the city, who requested anonymity to speak to the media, raises an earlier figure of 265. This increase makes the Air India crash one of the deadliest plane disasters of the 21st century. It is second only to the 298 tally from July 17, 2014, when Malaysia Airlines flight 17 was shot... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3314439/279-bodies-found-air-india-crash-site-making-it-2nd-worst-plane-disaster-century?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3314439/279-bodies-found-air-india-crash-site-making-it-2nd-worst-plane-disaster-century?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jun 2025 05:53:12 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan A joke by Russian President Vladimir Putin about Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a “second wife” has drawn mixed reactions back home – amusing social media users but angering others still mourning Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, after Russia was formally blamed for its 2014 downing during Anwar’s visit to Moscow. Anwar is on a four-day official tour to Russia at the invitation of Putin, with both sides touting closer cooperation in sectors including aerospace, artificial intelligence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310606/putins-second-wife-joke-about-malaysias-anwar-draws-laughs-and-anger-amid-mh17-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310606/putins-second-wife-joke-about-malaysias-anwar-draws-laughs-and-anger-amid-mh17-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 May 2025 06:34:39 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia’s government must seek reparations from Moscow over the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight 17, experts said on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim began a four-day visit to Russia, which has been declared responsible for shooting down the passenger jet, killing all 298 people on board. The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Monday ruled that Russia was to blame for the tragedy, after the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310254/malaysias-anwar-urged-seek-mh17-reparations-russia-during-putin-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3310254/malaysias-anwar-urged-seek-mh17-reparations-russia-during-putin-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 May 2025 03:52:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters The UN aviation council on Monday ruled that Russia was responsible for the downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine in 2014 with the deaths of 298 passengers and crew, the Dutch government said. In a statement, it said the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) would in the coming weeks consider what form of reparation was in order. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014, and was shot down over eastern Ukraine as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310066/russia-downed-malaysian-airlines-flight-mh17-2014-un-aviation-council-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3310066/russia-downed-malaysian-airlines-flight-mh17-2014-un-aviation-council-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 May 2025 18:01:46 +0000 Russian air defence systems may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner this week, a US official said on Friday after an Azerbaijani minister also suggested the plane was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor accounts. Friday’s assessments by Rashan Nabiyev and White House National Security spokesman John Kirby echoed those made by outside aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defence systems responding to a Ukrainian attack. These statements raised pressure on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3292558/azerbaijani-and-us-officials-suggest-plane-crashed-may-have-been-hit-weapons-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3292558/azerbaijani-and-us-officials-suggest-plane-crashed-may-have-been-hit-weapons-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2024 23:41:04 +0000 A string of technical issues on Malaysia Airlines flights in recent weeks has sparked customer concerns over safety as well as the management of the national flag carrier, which has slashed its network, lost maintenance staff and is struggling with the late delivery of aircraft. The latest incident involved a jet bound for the South Korean capital, which was diverted back to Kuala Lumpur mid-flight on Sunday, prompting Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke to call for an explanation from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276973/crisis-confidence-malaysia-airlines-under-scrutiny-amid-safety-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3276973/crisis-confidence-malaysia-airlines-under-scrutiny-amid-safety-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2024 06:32:52 +0000 Dressed in a white shirt and black pants, Scot Choo stepped onto a podium to read out the names of the pilots and cabin crew of the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines MH17. At a memorial service to mark the 10th anniversary of the downing of the plane, the 21-year-old Malaysian highlighted one of the four pilots who flew MH17 in his tribute: his father. All 298 passengers and cabin crew on board the flight were killed after a missile was fired at the plane by pro-Russian rebels over Ukraine on July 17,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3270981/mh17-10-years-malaysian-aspires-follow-pilot-fathers-career-tribute-crew?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3270981/mh17-10-years-malaysian-aspires-follow-pilot-fathers-career-tribute-crew?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 02:00:15 +0000 Inside the military air base of Gilze-Rijen, a municipality in the southern Netherlands, the sliding doors to a hangar open to reveal the reconstructed wreckage of Malaysia Airlines MH17 and remind the world of the killings of all 298 passengers and crew on board 10 years ago after the aircraft was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. At the MH17 National Monument at Vijfhuizen Park near Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, a tree has been planted for every... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270807/mh17-10-years-russias-lies-murdered-victims-twice-ukraine-foreign-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270807/mh17-10-years-russias-lies-murdered-victims-twice-ukraine-foreign-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 09:03:32 +0000 It’s been 10 years since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by pro-Russian separatists over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board. But a decade later, the families and victims are still grappling with unimaginable grief – slowly trying to rebuild their shattered lives in the harrowing aftermath. Disturbing images and disinformation surrounding the tragedy continue to resurface online, making it painfully difficult for the victims’ next of kin to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270614/world-has-forgotten-us-mh17-disaster-haunts-victims-families-10-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270614/world-has-forgotten-us-mh17-disaster-haunts-victims-families-10-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 00:00:10 +0000 Malaysia’s government is “morally compelled” to be more aggressive in pursuing justice over the downing of flight MH17, observers say, as closure remains out of reach for the families of the 298 passengers and crew killed on July 17, 2014. “It has been 10 years. International law or law in general shouldn’t be this slow,” Farhatul Mustamirrah Mahamad Aziz, an international law expert with Universiti Teknologi Mara, told This Week in Asia. “How long do the families of the victims have to wait?... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270551/mh17-malaysia-urged-ramp-pressure-justice-eludes-victims-families-decade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270551/mh17-malaysia-urged-ramp-pressure-justice-eludes-victims-families-decade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:00:13 +0000 Dutch King Willem-Alexander swore in former spy chief Dick Schoof as new prime minister on Tuesday, at the head of a right-wing coalition cabinet with a mission to implement the “strictest-ever” immigration policy in the country. Two hundred and twenty-three days after far-right leader Geert Wilders swept to an election victory that stunned Europe and the world, Schoof took over from Mark Rutte after 14 years in power. Schoof presented his ministers to Willem-Alexander in the ornate “Oranjezaal”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3268868/new-dutch-pm-dick-schoof-sworn-mission-implement-strictest-ever-immigration-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3268868/new-dutch-pm-dick-schoof-sworn-mission-implement-strictest-ever-immigration-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 09:18:23 +0000 Mention Malaysia Airlines and most peoples’ thoughts will turn to the enduring mystery of the disappearance of flight MH370 a decade ago and the tragic shooting down of MH17 just months later. Now, after posting its first net profit in more than 10 years, Chief Executive Officer Izham Ismail wants to write a new chapter – shedding the carrier’s troubled past and transforming it into a well-run, consistently profitable airline. “The perception from the public is that this was a laid-back... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3257781/10-years-after-mh370-vanished-malaysia-airlines-seeks-shed-troubled-past-and-rebuild-credibility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3257781/10-years-after-mh370-vanished-malaysia-airlines-seeks-shed-troubled-past-and-rebuild-credibility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Apr 2024 01:30:48 +0000 “Good Night. Malaysian Three Seven Zero.” Those six words were the last radio transmission from the cockpit of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, less than an hour after the aircraft took off late at night from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. Minutes later, the plane disappeared from air-traffic control radar screens. The huge Boeing 777 jet, almost as long as a Manhattan city block and taller than a five-storey building, had somehow managed to make itself invisible in the clear night sky.... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3253112/decade-after-malaysia-airlines-flight-370-disappeared-planes-still-risk-vanishing-map?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3253112/decade-after-malaysia-airlines-flight-370-disappeared-planes-still-risk-vanishing-map?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Feb 2024 02:30:11 +0000 The United Nations’ top court on Wednesday mostly rejected Ukraine’s claims that Russia was financing “terrorism” in eastern Ukraine, saying only that Moscow had failed to investigate alleged breaches. Kyiv had accused Moscow of being a “terrorist state” whose support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine was a harbinger of the full-fledged 2022 invasion. It wanted Russia to compensate all civilians caught up in the conflict, as well as victims from Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3250488/uns-top-court-rejects-most-ukraines-terror-case-against-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3250488/uns-top-court-rejects-most-ukraines-terror-case-against-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jan 2024 17:31:32 +0000 Jailed former separatist commander Igor Girkin said on Thursday he wanted to run for Russian president in an election next year and piled fresh criticism on leader Vladimir Putin. The 52-year-old – better known by his alias Igor Strelkov – was detained on extremism charges in July for criticising Russia’s leadership. Girkin was arrested following a series of posts critical of Putin and he faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Russia is expected to hold a presidential election in March... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3232993/jailed-russian-nationalist-declares-presidential-bid-calls-putintoo-kind-ukraine-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3232993/jailed-russian-nationalist-declares-presidential-bid-calls-putintoo-kind-ukraine-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Aug 2023 12:43:32 +0000 Russian investigators on Friday detained prominent Russian nationalist Igor Girkin, who had publicly accused President Vladimir Putin and the army top brass of not prosecuting the war in Ukraine harshly or effectively enough. The move, reported by his wife, his lawyer and the RBC news outlet, suggests the authorities have wearied of his criticism of what they call Russia’s “special military operation”. It follows an abortive mutiny last month led by another outspoken critic, Yevgeny Prigozhin,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3228557/untouchable-hardline-pro-war-putin-critic-who-had-role-mh17-incident-detained-moscow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3228557/untouchable-hardline-pro-war-putin-critic-who-had-role-mh17-incident-detained-moscow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:23:07 +0000 The Netherlands is expelling about 10 Russian diplomats, Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra told the television broadcaster NOS on Saturday. He said the move was decided because Russia was trying to secretly station employees from its intelligence services in the Netherlands. Germany, Netherlands and Denmark pledge 100 Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine The Russian trade office in Amsterdam would also have to close, he said. The Netherlands is further planning to close its consulate general in St... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3210717/russian-diplomats-expelled-netherlands-russian-trade-office-amsterdam-close?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3210717/russian-diplomats-expelled-netherlands-russian-trade-office-amsterdam-close?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Feb 2023 18:38:57 +0000 International prosecutors said on Wednesday they had found “strong indications” that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the use in Ukraine of a Russian missile system that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over eastern Ukraine in 2014. However, they said evidence of Putin’s and other Russian officials’ involvement was not concrete enough to lead to a criminal conviction, and that they would end their probe without further prosecutions. Russia has denied any involvement with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3209542/mh17-international-team-suspends-investigation-planes-downing-cites-insufficient-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3209542/mh17-international-team-suspends-investigation-planes-downing-cites-insufficient-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Feb 2023 13:06:14 +0000 A group of countries led by Canada on Wednesday called for an arbitrator to settle claims against Iran over its shooting down of a Ukrainian aircraft in January 2020. “Those who lost loved ones in the downing of PS752 deserve justice,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly tweeted on Wednesday. “We have taken an important step to advance our pursuit of that justice at the international level this week and will continue to work together to hold Iran accountable for this tragedy.” Iranian forces... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3204869/canada-led-group-seeks-arbitrator-over-2020-downing-ukrainian-plane-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3204869/canada-led-group-seeks-arbitrator-over-2020-downing-ukrainian-plane-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 18:32:50 +0000 A Dutch court convicted three men and acquitted one on Thursday over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 above Ukraine in 2014, as tensions soar over Russia’s invasion eight years later. Russians Igor Girkin and Sergei Dubinsky and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko “are found guilty” of murder and intentionally causing an aircraft to crash, while Russian Oleg Pulatov was not guilty, head judge Hendrik Steenhuis said. The first three were sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia. None of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3200018/mh17-verdict-russian-missile-brought-down-malaysian-flight-over-ukraine-2014-dutch-judges-decide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3200018/mh17-verdict-russian-missile-brought-down-malaysian-flight-over-ukraine-2014-dutch-judges-decide?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2022 14:09:51 +0000 Each night before bedtime in the small Dutch town of Vleuten, Evert van Zijtveld lights two candles at a concrete shrine next to his front door to remember his murdered children. Eight years and four months ago his daughter Frederique, 19, and son Robert-Jan, 18, died with 296 others when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot from the sky over war-torn Ukraine. Now the 67-year-old is hoping for justice and closure in a high-security Dutch courtroom on Thursday, where judges will deliver their... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3199434/verdict-4-men-trial-malaysia-airlines-mh17-disaster-be-delivered-dutch-court-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3199434/verdict-4-men-trial-malaysia-airlines-mh17-disaster-be-delivered-dutch-court-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Nov 2022 03:51:06 +0000 For the past eight years, families of the passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, shot down by pro-Russian rebels over Ukraine on July 17, 2014, have been rebuilding their shattered lives. The pain of their loved ones’ deaths when they fell from the skies onto fields of sunflowers was slowly easing. But when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, images of innocent Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian bombs and guns burst open old wounds, reigniting the senselessness of the deaths... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3185052/mh17s-anniversary-nears-families-victims-2014-tragedy-blast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3185052/mh17s-anniversary-nears-families-victims-2014-tragedy-blast?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jul 2022 01:03:26 +0000 Dutch lawyers for a suspect accused of downing Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 said prosecutors failed to prove a Russian-made missile brought down the jetliner, as they wrapped up their case on Thursday. The passenger jet was shot down while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014 killing all 298 on board, as Kyiv’s forces battled pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s war-torn east. The trial of four men, which started in March 2020, has taken on a new significance since Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3181140/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-defence-says-missile-theory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3181140/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-defence-says-missile-theory?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jun 2022 02:40:29 +0000 Australia and the Netherlands have launched legal proceedings against Russia over the downing of flight MH17, which killed 298 people in 2014. What’s so unusual about this new legal action is that it’s being brought before the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Australia, the Netherlands and Russia are all contracting parties to what is known as the Chicago Convention of 1944, which set up the ICAO to provide standards and recommended practices for international... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3170639/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-how-much-power-does-icao-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3170639/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-how-much-power-does-icao-have?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Mar 2022 05:22:58 +0000 Australia said it has begun joint legal action with the Netherlands against Russia at the International Civil Aviation Organisation over the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 eight years ago. Russia was responsible under international law for the downing of the flight, and action in the United Nations aviation council was a step forward in the fight for justice for 298 victims, including 38 Australians, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3170386/australia-netherlands-take-legal-action-against-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3170386/australia-netherlands-take-legal-action-against-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Mar 2022 08:07:57 +0000 Dutch prosecutors on Wednesday called for life in prison for four suspects on trial in absentia accused of downing Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine with a surface-to-air missile, killing 298 people. The ill-fated flight heading for Kuala Lumpur took off from Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport in July 2014, and prosecutors this week launched closing arguments in the closely watched trial. A verdict is not expected until late 2022 at the earliest. The four suspects on trial are Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3160748/mh17-flight-dutch-prosecutors-call-life-sentences-suspects-downing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3160748/mh17-flight-dutch-prosecutors-call-life-sentences-suspects-downing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Dec 2021 18:55:54 +0000 Dutch prosecutors have begun three days of closing arguments during which they will make their sentencing demands in the 20-month-trial of the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. Three Russians and a Ukrainian could face sentences of up to life imprisonment if found guilty of helping supply the missile system used to fire a rocket at the passenger jet as it flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board were killed. A sentencing demand was expected... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3160437/mh17-flight-dutch-prosecutors-start-closing-arguments-over-downed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3160437/mh17-flight-dutch-prosecutors-start-closing-arguments-over-downed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Dec 2021 10:57:30 +0000 Relatives of the 298 victims of Malaysia Airlines flight 17 on Monday accused Russia of lying about its alleged role in bringing down the plane as they began testifying in the Dutch murder trial of four suspects. International investigators concluded that the passenger plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine with a missile fired by pro-Russian rebels. Moscow denies all responsibility. “They are lying, we know they are lying and they know that we know that they are lying,” Ria van der Steen, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3147777/russia-accused-lying-malaysia-airlines-flight-17?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3147777/russia-accused-lying-malaysia-airlines-flight-17?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Sep 2021 13:57:29 +0000 Dutch judges said on Monday they wanted relatives of victims to finally have “clarity” about the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine as the trial of four suspects entered a key phase. Some relatives were in court for the start of a week in which judges will at last examine evidence against the three Russians and one Ukrainian, who are on trial in absentia over the July 2014 disaster. The trial formally began in March 2020 but has until now dealt with legal arguments, mainly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3136401/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-trial-examine-evidence-entering-key?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3136401/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-trial-examine-evidence-entering-key?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jun 2021 16:00:22 +0000 I may be a digital dinosaur, but I think I am not alone in harbouring a deep angst over the irresistible force for change that is the internet. For every moment of marvel at the knowledge and global connectivity it has brought to my fingertips, there is a sometimes-crushing anxiety about the darkness it has empowered and the privacy it has erased. We woke up on March 2 to news that Microsoft Exchange’s servers had been hacked, with perhaps 250,000 victims. In contrast to the Russian hackers that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3125339/battle-against-fake-news-bellingcat-shows-how-internet-can-be-force?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3125339/battle-against-fake-news-bellingcat-shows-how-internet-can-be-force?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Mar 2021 11:30:09 +0000 With airlines in Malaysia expected to take three years to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, observers say a major restructuring has to be on the cards for key airlines including embattled national carrier Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, the market leader by fleet size. Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong this month said the Malaysian Aviation Commission’s revised projections for passenger traffic in 2020 came in at 26.6 million, plummeting more than 75 per cent from the 109.2 million passengers... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3110741/can-airasia-and-malaysia-airlines-stay-aloft-amid-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3110741/can-airasia-and-malaysia-airlines-stay-aloft-amid-coronavirus?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2020 01:00:20 +0000 Australia on Friday joined the Netherlands in criticising Russia’s decision to withdraw from consultations over its involvement in the 2014 shooting of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine, which killed 298 people, mostly Dutch and Australian citizens. Since 2018, the three countries have held discussions aimed at uncovering the cause of the disaster, in which a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was hit by a Soviet-designed missile, killing all on board. Thirty-eight Australians and 196 Dutch... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3105786/australia-netherlands-slam-russias-move-withdraw-malaysia-airline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3105786/australia-netherlands-slam-russias-move-withdraw-malaysia-airline?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2020 05:38:36 +0000 The parent of Malaysia Airlines has warned leasing companies that state fund Khazanah will stop funding the group and force it into a winding down process if restructuring talks with lessors are unsuccessful, according to a letter seen by Reuters. The warning from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the holding company for the state carrier, raises the stakes in negotiations for a financial shake-up known as “Plan A” and sets out an alternative plan to divert funds to a sister airline unit called... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3104675/khazanah-stop-funding-malaysia-airlines-if-rescue-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3104675/khazanah-stop-funding-malaysia-airlines-if-rescue-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Oct 2020 06:56:46 +0000 One of four suspects on trial for the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 has denied any involvement with firing or supplying the missile allegedly used in its destruction, a lawyer said in court on Monday. MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a missile fired from territory held by pro-Russian rebels during fighting in eastern Ukraine, international investigators say. All 298 people on board were killed. After an investigation lasting nearly six years,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3103397/russian-suspect-downing-malaysia-airlines-mh17-denies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3103397/russian-suspect-downing-malaysia-airlines-mh17-denies?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2020 12:40:00 +0000 Privately held Golden Skies Ventures (GSV) has made a US$2.5 billion offer to fully take over the holding company of ailing state carrier Malaysia Airlines, with financing from a European bank, its executives confirmed on Monday. Malaysian firm GSV made the proposal a month ago, as airlines around the world were hammered by travel restrictions following the coronavirus pandemic. “[We have secured] in excess of US$2.5 billion from the bank. We will take about three to four months to get the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3078687/malaysian-firm-gsv-makes-us25-billion-bid-ailing-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3078687/malaysian-firm-gsv-makes-us25-billion-bid-ailing-state?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2020 16:01:21 +0000 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 identified, prosecutors said. Three Russians and a Ukranian are on trial over the 2014 crash of the Malaysia Airlines jet in rebel-held eastern Ukraine with the loss... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3074498/malaysia-airlines-mh17-trial-dutch-prosecutors-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3074498/malaysia-airlines-mh17-trial-dutch-prosecutors-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2020 13:35:35 +0000 The trial of four men charged with murder over the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 began on Monday in The Hague. The defendants did not show up in court but the sombre proceedings were watched by family members of the 298 victims who perished when the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine. “As you can see, none of the four defendants has complied with the summons by the Public Prosecution Service to appear in court today,” public prosecutor Ward Ferdinandusse said. After... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3074362/malaysia-airlines-mh17-trial-begins-hague-court-examines-atrocious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3074362/malaysia-airlines-mh17-trial-begins-hague-court-examines-atrocious?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2020 19:10:16 +0000 On the outskirts of Amsterdam near Schiphol Airport, a field of withered sunflowers lies at the entrance to the MH17 National Monument, a desolate sight on a cold spring morning. Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine six years ago by pro-Russian separatist rebels after it left Amsterdam for Kuala Lumpur. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed. Piet Ploeg, chairman of the MH17 Disaster Foundation that is backed by the Dutch government and provides support for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3074200/malaysia-airlines-mh17-trial-begins-hague-victims-families?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3074200/malaysia-airlines-mh17-trial-begins-hague-victims-families?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2020 04:28:55 +0000 United by grief across oceans and continents, families who lost loved ones when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down in 2014 hope that a trial starting next week will finally deliver something that has remained elusive ever since: The truth. A trial starts on Monday in the Netherlands for three Russians linked to their country’s security and intelligence services and a Ukrainian rebel commander. They are accused of mass murder for their alleged roles in shooting down the Boeing 777 on July... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3074028/families-downed-flight-mh17-hope-truth-emerges-unprecedented-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3074028/families-downed-flight-mh17-hope-truth-emerges-unprecedented-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2020 14:17:22 +0000 AirAsia has gone from strength to strength despite a series of controversies over the years – and while Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has thrown the government’s support behind it once again, is there now too much turbulence for the scandal-ridden Malaysian carrier to stay aloft? The budget airline last week faced bribery allegations that came to light after planemaker Airbus settled a corruption investigation into employee conduct by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office by paying US$4 billion in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3050070/airasia-one-scandal-too-many-or-too-big-mahathirs-malaysia-let?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3050070/airasia-one-scandal-too-many-or-too-big-mahathirs-malaysia-let?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2020 00:00:17 +0000 Proposals to invest in ailing Malaysia Airlines include one from Air France-KLM which wants as much as 49 per cent while Japan Airlines is looking at a 25 per cent stake, sources with knowledge of the matter said. Domestic carrier AirAsia Group and Malindo Air, the Malaysian arm of Indonesia’s Lion Air, have also submitted proposals, the sources said. “The bids from the foreign carriers are more comprehensive and strategic as both plan to capitalise on the strategic location of Malaysia for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3046996/malaysia-airlines-desperately-needs-investors-which?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3046996/malaysia-airlines-desperately-needs-investors-which?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 09:00:15 +0000 A Dutch-led investigation into the shooting down of flight Malaysia Airlines flight 17 over Ukraine in 2014 released new intercepted phone calls on Thursday between high-ranking Russian officials and suspects facing trial over the crash. Investigators said they were making a “new witness appeal” based on “recorded telephone calls between the leaders of the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic, a separatist group) and high-ranking Russian officials”. “Ties between Russian officials and DPR leaders... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3037789/investigators-release-call-records-linking-mh17-suspects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3037789/investigators-release-call-records-linking-mh17-suspects?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2019 12:47:45 +0000 Wong Kin-wah remembers clearly that terrible night five years ago. He and his children had made one of their regular video calls to his wife earlier in the evening, bidding her goodnight before she boarded her flight in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It was July 17, 2014. Wong then tucked all three kids into bed, finished his work for the night and was about to go to sleep when his in-laws called to tell him: “The plane crashed.” Wong immediately went online to check his wife’s schedule. MH17 – the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3027388/family-mh17-crash-victim-reflect-coping-tragic-death-wife-and-mother-five?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3027388/family-mh17-crash-victim-reflect-coping-tragic-death-wife-and-mother-five?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2019 21:00:32 +0000 Dutch prosecutors investigating the downing five years ago of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine want to speak to a man being held by Ukrainian authorities, calling him a “person of interest” in their probe, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The fate of Volodymyr Tsemakh could be a factor in a stalled prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine because Dutch prosecutors want him to remain in Ukraine. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that Tsemakh is on the list of prisoners that Moscow... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3025550/ukrainian-prisoner-person-interest-malaysia-airlines-mh17?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3025550/ukrainian-prisoner-person-interest-malaysia-airlines-mh17?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2019 11:14:53 +0000 Five years ago on Wednesday, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was blasted out of the sky over war-torn eastern Ukraine with the loss of all 298 people on board. The shooting down of the Boeing 777 travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur has prompted sanctions against Russia, a series of international investigations and criminal charges. What happened? About three hours after take-off on July 17, 2014 from Schiphol airport, MH17 disappeared off the radar screens as it passed over part of eastern... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3018713/malaysian-airlines-flight-mh17-five-questions-answered?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3018713/malaysian-airlines-flight-mh17-five-questions-answered?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2019 01:00:22 +0000 Plans for the future of Malaysia Airlines are being considered by the government, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told reporters on Tuesday. Four proposals have been received, mostly from local companies, who have offered to either buy a stake in the flag carrier or manage it, Mahathir said. He did not name the companies that sent in the proposals. “We must find somebody with experience,” Mahathir said. Malaysia is exploring ways to salvage the financially troubled airline. Sovereign wealth... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3017864/malaysia-airlines-future-hangs-balance-mahathir-mohamads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3017864/malaysia-airlines-future-hangs-balance-mahathir-mohamads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2019 08:34:27 +0000 Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the international community had failed to provide any evidence that Moscow was behind the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in which 298 people died. “What we’ve seen as evidence of Russia’s guilt absolutely does not suit us. We believe that there is no proof there,” Putin told reporters. On Wednesday, international investigators charged three Russians and a Ukrainian, the first people to face justice over the catastrophe in eastern... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3015437/mh17-investigation-shows-no-proof-russia-was-behind-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3015437/mh17-investigation-shows-no-proof-russia-was-behind-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2019 15:30:10 +0000 Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Thursday that Russia is being made a scapegoat for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and questioned the objectivity of the investigations into the 2014 disaster. The international investigative team set up to probe the crash said on Wednesday three Russians and one Ukrainian will face murder charges for the deaths of 298 people on board the flight that was shot down over eastern Ukraine. “We are very unhappy, because from the very... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3015363/mh17-disaster-mahathir-mohamad-claims-russia-was?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3015363/mh17-disaster-mahathir-mohamad-claims-russia-was?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2019 08:03:33 +0000