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☆ ICC members 'deeply concerned' by Russia's decision to put prosecutor on wanted list
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, May 20 (Reuters) - The member states of the International Criminal Court on Saturday said they are "deeply concerned" by Russia's decision to place a court prosecutor and several judges on a wanted list. The ICC's British prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been added to the Russian Interior Ministry's wanted list, state-owned news agency TASS reported on Friday, citing the ministry's database. The Hague-based ICC issued a warrant for President Vladimir Putin in March, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting children from Ukraine. It said there were reasonable grounds to believe Putin and Russian child rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova bore individual criminal responsibility. "The International Criminal Court is aware and profoundly concerned about unwarranted and unjustified coercive measures reportedly taken against ICC officials," the ICC said in a separate statement on Saturday.

☆ UN official criticised after meeting Russian sought by ICC
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rights groups and the top U.S. official for global justice denounced the meeting. As a senior official, Gamba should avoid contact with persons subject to ICC warrants and that "Lvova-Belova belongs only in one place – in the dock at the ICC," Jarrah said. Ambassador for Global Justice Beth van Schaack, said on social media Friday night that such a meeting would be "deeply concerning." The United States, Britain, Albania and Malta walked out on her address. Britain and the United States had also blocked the meeting from being webcast.

☆ Ukraine and Russia face off in June at World Court over flight MH17
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

THE HAGUE, May 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia will face off before the United Nations' top court on June 6, when judges will hear Ukraine's claim that Moscow violated a U.N. treaty by supporting pro-Russian separatists who were identified by a Dutch court as being responsible for the 2014 downing of flight MH17. The Dutch ruling also found that Russia had "overall control" over the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine from mid-May 2014. The International Court of Justice, as the World Court is formally known, has set four days of hearings on June 6, 8, 12 and 14 to hear both sides in the case. This case, filed in 2017, is one of two Ukraine brought against Russia at the court. The other case, filed just after the 2022 Russian invasion, centers on Moscow's claim they invaded Ukraine to prevent genocide.

☆ Novavax surges more than 25% after company unveils job cuts, positive vaccine data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A health worker prepares a dose of the Novavax vaccine as the Dutch Health Service Organization starts with the Novavax vaccination program on March 21, 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands. The company's Covid vaccine is its lone marketed product after 35 years in business. The company reported R&D expenses of $258 million and SG&A expenses of $162 million last year. The company raced against Pfizer and Moderna to develop the first Covid vaccine early in the pandemic. Novavax's shot is the first Covid vaccine to use protein technology, a decades-old method for fighting viruses used in routine vaccinations against hepatitis B and shingles.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: New drone attack on southern Russia refinery
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 5 (Reuters) - A drone attack on the Ilsky oil refinery in southern Russia, the second in as many days, has caused a fire, TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing emergency services. FIGHTING* Ukrainian military command said in its Friday morning report that 18 out 24 drones launched by Russian forces had been shot down. * Nearly 50 Russian attacks were repelled along the main sectors of the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Thursday evening. * Record high water levels could overwhelm a major dam in southern Ukraine and damage parts of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, a Russian official told TASS news agency. DIPLOMACY/POLITICS* Technical personnel from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations will meet on Friday to discuss a deal that allows the exports of Ukrainian grains on the Black Sea, the Turkish Defence Minister said.

☆ Putin faces a deluge of bad news as Wagner says it will withdraw from frontline and Kremlin comes under attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And it will happen just after the May 9 Victory Day pomp and celebration, as, he insists, Wagner are patriots. But he has never said he will likely cripple one of Russia’s most symbolic frontlines by just walking away. Wagner forces would have to walk out of a battlefield which is – on the surface – for the most part controlled by Putin’s Ministry of Defense. Putin is absorbing a lot of bad vibes at the moment to seem that much in control. It is unlikely that any fissures at the heart of the Kremlin would be made public before they were acted upon.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Kremlin says US behind drone attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FIGHTING* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine would launch a counteroffensive soon against occupying Russian forces. * Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Russia's Wagner Group mercenary force, said the counteroffensive had already begun and his forces were observing heightened activity along the front. DIPLOMACY/POLITICS* Putin must be brought to justice for his war in Ukraine, Zelenskiy said on Thursday during a visit to The Hague, where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based. * U.S. military aid for Ukraine includes for the first time the Hydra-70 short-range air-launched rocket, taken from U.S. excess stocks. * Zelenskiy said Russia did not appear to be interested in extending the agreement beyond May 18.

☆ Dutch PM says talks on F-16s for Ukraine progressing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, May 4 (Reuters) - Talks on a potential donation of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine are progressing, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Thursday during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to The Hague, but no decision has been made. Answering a question at a press conference alongside Zelenskiy and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Rutte said "On the F-16's: no taboos." He said on Thursday said that discussions on F-16s would "take time" as did previous discussions on donating Leopard 2 tanks and armoured howitzers. "But at this moment the panzer-howitzers are in Ukraine, (and) the Leo 2s are being delivered to Ukraine," he noted. "So we will work on this diligently, on the F-16s, and clearly there is support in parliament for this government to work on that."

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits war crimes court in The Hague seeking justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Tosterling Bart H. Meijer | Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, May 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which in March issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for suspected deportation of children from Ukraine. Zelenskiy, dressed in his trademark khaki, was welcomed at the court by its president, judge Piotr Hofmanski. In his first official trip to the country, Zelenskiy was due to deliver a speech later in the morning, also in The Hague, titled "No Peace Without Justice for Ukraine". The Ukrainian leader has visited several foreign capitals including London, Paris and Washington since Russia's 2022 invasion. The ICC can prosecute genocide in Ukraine but has no jurisdiction over alleged crimes of aggression by Russia there.

Dutch government sources estimate the deal at 20 billion euros ($22 billion) or more, but German industry sources say it may be less. TenneT had a book value of 7.3 billion euros at the end of 2022, on a balance sheet of 38.5 billion euros. TenneT's German grid alone has liabilities of 21.6 billion euros, nearly three times that of the Dutch network. TenneT's 19 billion euros of outstanding bonds, issued when interest rates were lower, are another issue, the people said. Dutch pension fund PGGM, one of TenneT's bondholders, expects such an outcome in the event of a sale.

☆ Moscow says US behind Kremlin drone attack, Russian forces target Kyiv
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, without providing evidence, said Ukraine had acted on U.S. orders with the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin citadel in the early hours of Wednesday. "Attempts to disown this (attack on the Kremlin), both in Kyiv and in Washington, are, of course, absolutely ridiculous. Separately, Russia's foreign ministry said the alleged drone attack "must not go unanswered" and that it showed Kyiv had no desire to end the 15-month old war at the negotiating table. Russian emergency services quickly extinguished a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia, after a drone attack set product storage facilities ablaze, TASS news agency reported. Reporting by Kyiv, Moscow and Amsterdam buros Writing by Gareth Jones Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

LONDON, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. buyout house Blackstone (BX.N) is weighing options for Dutch merchant bank NIBC, including a possible sale, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Blackstone has also been considering potential acquisitions in the absence of a sale, one person added. The Hague-based NIBC offers financing for industries such as automotive, commercial real estate, infrastructure and shipping, as well as retail mortgages. It has been exiting non-core businesses, including deal advisory and leveraged finance, in a bid to streamline its operations. The group had 22.8 billion euros of assets on its balance sheet at the end of last year and an equity value of around 2 billion euros ($2.21 billion), according to its 2022 annual accounts, which showed a profit of 179 million euros excluding non-recurring expenses.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Zelenskiy visits war crimes court in The Hague
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FIGHTING* Zelenskiy said Ukraine would launch a counteroffensive soon against occupying Russian forces. * Russian shelling killed 23 people in and near the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Wednesday, hitting a hypermarket, a railway station and residential buildings, the regional governor said. DIPLOMACY/POLITICS* Zelenskiy will have a meeting at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on Thursday, the court said without giving further detail. * U.S. military aid for Ukraine includes for the first time the Hydra-70 short-range air-launched rocket, taken from U.S. excess stocks. * Zelenskiy said Russia did not appear to be interested in extending the agreement beyond May 18.

☆ The Conflict Over Vandalizing Art as a Way to Protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Farah Nayeri | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article is part of our special report on the Art for Tomorrow conference that was held in Florence, Italy. Seldom in the history of art have so many masterpieces been vandalized in so little time. “What is worth more, art or life?” shouted one protester, Phoebe Plummer, 21, as visitors gasped and called for security. Videos of the attacks were seen by millions of people around the world, including, no doubt, the leaders. Yet the attacks also upset many members of the public concerned about art damage, and led the directors of top world museums to issue a stern statement, raising the question of whether art actually is an effective vehicle for protest.

☆ Father of up to 600 children banned from donating sperm over fears of accidental incest and inbreeding
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A court has ruled that a man who has fathered up to 600 children must stop donating sperm. Already banned from donating his sperm in The Netherlands, Meijer must now also contact clinics abroad to have them destroy his samples. Meijer had helped father between 550 and 600 children in the 16 years he had spent donating sperm, judges said, The Guardian reported. Dutch clinical guidelines say a sperm donor should not father more than 25 children from 12 families. The Dutch News, which described Meijer as an "obsessive" sperm donor, said the Dutch gynecologists' society, NVOG, first issued a warning about Meijer in 2017.

☆ Man Who Has Fathered Hundreds Is Barred From Donating Sperm
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A man who has fathered between 550 and 600 children over the past 16 years is not allowed to donate any more sperm to prospective parents, a court in the Netherlands ruled on Friday. According to The Hague District Court, the man lied about the number of children he had already fathered, the number of sperm donations he had made and his intention to donate even more sperm. Because of Dutch privacy laws, the government has not publicly named the man, Jonathan Jacob Meijer, 41, in the court proceedings as the donor in question. “Donors must sign an agreement with their clinic that they don’t donate sperm at other clinics,” Gerrit-Jan KleinJan wrote. “The sperm donor you are writing about made this agreement as well.

Charles’ coronation is expected to be shorter than his mother’s seven decades ago. The spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster Abbey Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesWhat happens during the coronation service? Which crown will King Charles use? How is King Charles making the ceremony more inclusive? Don’t missThe coronation of King Charles III brings pageantry, revelry, and new questions – is the monarchy relevant in the modern world?

☆ Father of hundreds gets sperm donation ban from Dutch court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

THE HAGUE, April 28 (Reuters) - A Dutch court on Friday ordered a man who judges said had fathered between 500 and 600 children around the world to stop donating sperm. The 41-year-old Dutchman, identified by de Telegraaf newspaper as Jonathan Meijer, was forbidden to donate more semen to clinics, the court ruling said. The decision came after a civil case started by a foundation representing the interests of donor children and Dutch parents who had used Meijer as a donor. However, he continued to donate abroad, including to the Danish sperm bank Cryos which operates internationally. Meijer also continued to offer himself as a donor on sites matching prospective parents with sperm donors, sometimes using a different name, according to the Algemeen Dagblad daily.

☆ The best of Milan Design Week 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Milan CNN —The design world’s largest annual fair enjoyed a return to full pre-pandemic form with its 2023 showcase, transforming the city of Milan with hundreds of exhibitions, site-specific installations, pop-ups and public projects. Almost everywhere, the focus was on sustainable design, circular economy, material innovation and artistry combining craft with innovation. Some of the most interesting ideas were those that looked at waste – literally – to rethink what design can do when it uses what is already there. Shown in various stages of decomposition, the chair challenged viewers to approach products with the end of their lifecycle in mind. Top image: One of two bags design legend Gaetano Pesce created for Bottega Veneta’s Milan Design Week installation.

☆ Dutch celebrate King's Day as confidence in monarchy diminishes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands pose with their daughters, Princess Ariane and Princess Catharina-Amalia, during King's Day (Koningsdag) in Rotterdam, Netherlands, April 27, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de WouwROTTERDAM, April 27 (Reuters) - Millions of Dutch revellers took to the streets on Thursday to celebrate King's Day festivities, dressing in orange and enjoying open-air markets - even as trust in the man at the centre of the nationwide party sinks to a low ebb. These numbers had held firm at around 75% until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The historic centres of Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague have been filled with thousands of people since late on Wednesday as King's Eve parties kicked off the festivities. Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Africa, due to host Putin, rows back from pledge to quit war crimes court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ramaphosa had said on Tuesday that the ruling African National Congress would aim to repeal South Africa's membership of the Hague-based court, which hears cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Moscow denies committing war crimes including forced deportations of children, and says the ICC has no authority as Russia is not a member. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. As an ICC member, South Africa would be required to detain him. The presidency said on Wednesday that South Africa would work towards establishing an African continental criminal court that would complement the ICC as a court of last resort.

☆ South Africa to try to withdraw from ICC again - Ramaphosa
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Carien Du Plessis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responds to a parliamentary debate on his state of the nation address in Cape Town, South Africa, February 16, 2023. Only two days earlier, South Africa's parliament announced that it would abandon a seven-year-long legislative process to pull South Africa out of the ICC's Rome Statute. The process was abandoned because the governing party in December decided that South Africa should rather remain in the ICC and try to effect changes from within, a decision that has now been reversed. The international arrest warrant against Putin was issued after he had already received his invite from South Africa to the BRICS summit in August, and it would oblige South Africa to hand him over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague if he set foot in the country. "He has been invited by President Ramaphosa and Russia has indicated attendance," South Africa's official in charge of the relationship with BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries, Anil Sooklal, told Reuters.

☆ Sudan fighting resurges as UN envoy says ceasefire partly holding
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire beginning on Tuesday after negotiations mediated by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. U.N. special envoy on Sudan Volker Perthes told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the ceasefire "seems to be holding in some parts so far." The fighting has paralysed hospitals and other essential services, and left many people stranded in their homes with dwindling supplies of food and water. The U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA) said shortages of food, water, medicines and fuel were becoming "extremely acute", prices were surging and it had cut back operations for safety reasons. Since the fighting erupted, tens of thousands have left for neighbouring Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a press conference during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at U.N. headquarters on September 24, 2022 in New York City. Stephanie Keith | Getty ImagesUNITED NATIONS — When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov takes the helm of the United Nations Security Council on Monday it will be against a backdrop of mounting allegations of Russian war crimes reported across Ukraine. Since then, the war has claimed the lives of more than 8,500 civilians, led to nearly 14,000 injuries and displaced more than 8 million people, according to United Nations' own estimates. Lvova-Belova told the Security Council on April 5 that the transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia was part of a humanitarian campaign. In some cases, the commission found that Ukrainian forces committed war crimes against Russian troops, though those incidents were less frequent.

☆ UK growth hinges on more than a new pension giant
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Politicians and financiers think a consolidation of the country’s pension funds would breathe new life into its stocks, startups and infrastructure. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that UK defined-benefit pension funds, company-sponsored plans that promise a specific payment upon retirement, have moved away from UK equities. The proposals also entail creating a 100 billion pound pension fund, modelled on the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, a retirement giant with $536 billion assets under management. Overall, some 19% of these funds’ assets are in UK stocks, according to the Pensions Policy Institute. If UK assets can yield the risk-adjusted returns offered by other assets, pension funds will join in too.

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