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Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein warned that three top Malaysian leaders are on the terror group Islamic State's (IS) hit list, but did not disclose the identities of said leaders.
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Singapore: American popular singer’s performance boycotted in Singapore due to his homosexuality
Adam Lambert, the American singer who is openly gay, is scheduled to perform in the Countdown 2016 concert on New Year’s Eve in Singapore. However, a group that claims to be “concerned citizens and parents” has petitioned to remove him from the line-up. They believe Lambert’s promotion on LGBT rights is contrary to the mainstream Singaporean values. The petition has so far garnered over 20,000 signatures.
LGBT rights are a divisive issue in Singapore, as technically sex between men continues to be a criminal act. Last year an issue of the Archie comic book series was banned in the country as it depicted same-sex marriage.
In addition, Lambert said in advance that in the Countdown concert, he plans to blend in his personal thoughts and emphasize on the diversity of human beings in his performance. A rival petition has also been started to support Lambert’s performance in the country.
It states, “We, the moral majority of Singapore utterly denounce and condemn the obvious sexual orientation discrimination demonstrated by the other petition.” Up to now, the appeal has obtained over 24,000 signatures.
A spokesperson for Stonewall told The Independent, “While there has been great progress for LGBT equality around the world, huge challenges still remain. Sex with some of the same sex is illegal in 76 countries and punishable by death in 10. It’s great, therefore, to see that so many spoke out in support of Adam Lambert and against discrimination.”
Photo Credit: AP
Malaysia: IS targeting three national leaders, including Prime Minister Najib Razak
Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein warned that three top Malaysian leaders are on the terror group Islamic State’s (IS) hit list, but did not disclose the identities of said leaders.
While the identities of the leaders were not made known, some reported that the trio could possibly be Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Hishammuddin himself.
“If we are not careful, what Paris and Europe are facing could happen in our country. My concern is that any fault line, whether racial, religious or political leaves a vacuum for groups like IS to exploit. No country has the answer yet how to deal with it – not America, China or the Arabs,” the Umno minister said.
Photo Credit: Reuters
Indonesia: Malfunction and human negligence blamed for the AirAsia flight 8501 crash
Indonesian investigators said the crash of AirAsia Flight 8501 last year, which killed all 162 people on board, was caused by a combination of system malfunctions and improper pilot responses.
Investigators from Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee said on December 1 that a cracked solder joint on the airplane resulted in an electrical interruption. It appeared that a member of the flight crew had reset the circuit breakers, turning off both the plane’s autopilot and auto-thrust system.
The pilots manually flew with a degraded and unfamiliar fly-by-wire system. Investigators said the crew was unable to react appropriately to “a prolonged stall condition,” and resulted in the crash.
Investigators also found that the solder problem had been noted 23 times in the previous 12 months, gaining frequency in recent months.
The Airbus A320 crashed in the sea near Borneo en route from the Surabaya to Singapore. All 162 people on board were killed, including 155 passengers and seven crew members.
Photo Credit: AP
Translated and compiled by Vic Chiang and Eric Wong
Edited by Olivia Yang
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