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☆ The ICC Is the Wrong Way to Beat Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

There’s no doubt that Russia has committed horrific war crimes in Ukraine, and the perpetrators deserve to be punished. But Friday’s decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and another Russian official is the wrong way to do it. The ICC, an international institution separate from the United Nations and based in The Hague, didn’t disclose the details of the warrants even as it announced them. But they appear to be aimed at the deportation of children to Russia from Ukraine by Russian forces since the invasion. The Kyiv government says some 16,000 children have been taken to Russia from Ukrainian territory, and only 307 have been returned.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Biden says Putin war crime charges justified
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PUTIN WARRANT* U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin has clearly committed war crimes and the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for him was justified. * The ICC move obligates the court's 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory. * It provoked a furious reaction in Moscow, ranging from dismissal of the court's jurisdiction to vows to protect Putin from arrest. FIGHTING, POLITICS* In eastern Ukraine, Kyiv's forces continued to withstand Russian assaults on the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut. * A commander of Ukrainian ground forces said Russian forces were trying to break through Ukrainian defences in several directions in an attempt to fully encircle Bakhmut.

US President Joe Biden said an international arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin was "justified." The warrant was issued by the International Criminal Court, which the US and Russia don't recognize. On Friday, the ICC released a report accusing the Russian president of "war crimes," declaring him an international pariah by issuing an arrest warrant against him. Russia does not recognize the ICC, and the US's relationship with the court has been fraught, according to Human Rights Watch. We support accountability for perpetrators of war crimes," the spokesperson added.

Putin is just the third head of state to be indicted by the International Criminal Court while still in power. The ICC accuses Putin of responsibility for the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children - at least hundreds, possibly more - to Russia. TRAVEL ABROADThe ICC's 123 member states are obliged to detain and transfer Putin if he sets foot on their territory. Kenya's President William Ruto and his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta were both charged by the ICC before they were elected. Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, one of Milosevic's adversaries in the 1990s Balkan wars, left office after being indicted for war crimes by the Kosovo war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

☆ The war in Ukraine has created more refugees than the world has seen since WWII, according to a new UN report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The UN has released a new report describing crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The report details war crimes including torture and rape of civilians, and deportation of children. The invasion has created more refugees and displaced more people than the world has seen since WWII. More people have fled Ukraine or been displaced within the country since the start of the war than the world has seen since WWII, according to the United Nations. A State Department spokesperson told Insider "there is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable."

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has clearly committed war crimes and the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for him was justified. "He's clearly committed war crimes," Biden told reporters, referring to Putin. The United States separately has concluded that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine and supports accountability for perpetrators of war crimes, a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "There is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities (in) Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable," the spokesperson added. The Kremlin said on Friday the ICC arrest warrant against Putin was outrageous, but meaningless with respect to Russia.

☆ Factbox: What is the International Criminal Court?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, March 17 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of responsibility for the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or on the territory of member states by other actors. It has 123 member states. * The ICC website says there have so far been 31 cases before the court, with some cases having more than one suspect. * The ICC has convicted five men of war crimes and crimes against humanity, all African militia leaders from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Uganda.

☆ International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged Ukraine war crimes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the social and economic development of Crimea and Sevastopol, via videolink in Moscow, Russia March 17, 2023. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on Friday for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes committed during his invasion of Ukraine. The court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights. The court wrote in a statement that Lvova-Belova is "allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation" of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Earlier in the week, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

☆ Russia has committed 'wide range' of war crimes in Ukraine, U.N inquiry finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A flag is seen on a building during the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland February 27, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File PhotoGENEVA, March 16 (Reuters) - Russia has committed wide-ranging war crimes in Ukraine such as wilful killings, torture and the deportation of children, a U.N.-mandated investigative body said in a report published on Thursday. "Russian authorities have committed numerous violationsof international humanitarian law and violations of international human rights law, in addition to a wide range of war crimes...," the report said. Russia denies committing atrocities or targeting civilians in Ukraine. Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Emma Farge; Editing by Anthony Deutsch and Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A new Pentagon map shows how China is beefing up what a top US general calls its 'dangerous position' in the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China and several of its neighbors have claimed parts of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The map also gives rough locations for seven Chinese outposts, including three airfields, and 63 other outposts in the Spratlys. China's outposts "are capable of supporting military operations" and "have supported non-combat aircraft," the Pentagon report says. Recent action by those forces around Taiwan, as well as ongoing Chinese activity in the South China Sea, have worried US commanders. The Spratly IslandsFilipino fishermen sail by a Chinese coast guard ship near Scarborough Shoal on February 5.

But an international war crimes prosecution could deepen Moscow's diplomatic isolation and make it difficult for those accused to travel abroad. Russia denies deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, saying its attacks are all intended to reduce Kyiv's ability to fight. Kyiv says thousands of deported Ukrainian children are being adopted into Russian families, housed in Russian camps and orphanages, given Russian passports and brought up to reject Ukrainian nationality. Asked if the ICC charges against the Russian officials could include genocide, the source said: "It looks that way." U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters aboard Air Force One that Ukraine had not confirmed a call between Xi and Zelenskiy.

☆ Dutch farmers, climate activists get ready for pre-election protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Farmer say the government plans to limit nitrogen pollution would lead to the closure of many livestock farms and reduced fertilizer use. Similar protests were held by farmers in Belgium this month against a regional government plan to limit nitrogen emissions. Police said in a statement they had begun intercepting farmers attempting to enter the city on tractors and turning them away. The Farmers Defence Force group leading the farmers' demonstration, which has city approval, has encouraged people to arrive by bus. Environmentalists led by the climate activist group Extinction Rebellion say they plan to block traffic on a thoroughfare near parliament in an unauthorised demonstration likely to lead to arrests.

[1/5] An employee works at the Chisinau-1 gas distribution plant of Moldovatransgaz energy company in Chisinau, Moldova March 4, 2023. REUTERS/Vladislav CuliomzaCHISINAU, March 10 (Reuters) - A coup attempt, bomb hoaxes, internet hacks, fake conscription call-ups, mass protests: Moldova says it's had them all in the past year. Moldova hosts the breakaway statelet of Transnistria - a sliver of land running along its eastern border with Ukraine that's controlled by pro-Russian separatists and garrisoned by Russian troops. FAKE CONSCRIPTION NOTICESMounting tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine have raised the temperature in Moldova. RUSSIAN TROOPS IN TRANSNISTRIAAn estimated 1,500 Russian troops are stationed in Transnistria, most of them recruited locally from Transnistrians with Russian passports.

☆ Dutch trade minister: China protest over export rules is 'understandable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM/AMSTERDAM, March 9 (Reuters) - The Netherlands' Trade Minister said a Chinese protest over the Dutch decision to impose restrictions on computer chip technology exports was "understandable", but on Thursday said she expected diplomatic relations would remain good. Liesje Schreinemacher was speaking in Stockholm after the Netherlands said on Wednesday it would follow the U.S. in imposing stricter export rules. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the Dutch rules would "limit normal economic and trade exchanges between Chinese and Dutch companies". Asked whether Dutch restrictions, which are expected to be in place by this summer, will actually be more lax than comparable U.S. restrictions imposed on its own companies last year, she avoided the comparison. Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Writing by Toby Sterling; Editing by Alex Richardson and Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine, Neighbors Sign Pact on Prosecuting the Crime of Aggression
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Ian Lovett | Oksana Grytsenko | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

International prosecutors including U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, third from left center, met to discuss the international response to aggression against Ukraine. LVIV, Ukraine—Representatives from seven countries agreed Saturday to establish an international center for prosecuting the crime of aggression, which they hope will be a first step toward going after the top Russian officials responsible for invading Ukraine. At a summit in Lviv that brought together leaders from across the Western world, officials from Ukraine, the Baltic states, Poland, Romania and Slovakia signed the agreement to create the new center in The Hague.

☆ Novavax shares plunge as company raises doubts about its ability to remain in business
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) 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. Covid-19 vaccine maker Novavax on Tuesday raised doubts about its ability to remain in business and announced plans to slash spending as it works to prepare for a fall vaccination campaign. The company lost $182 million, or $2.28 per share, in the fourth quarter on weaker-than-expected sales of $357 million. "We're in the process of assessing the global footprint of Novavax, rationalizing our supply chain, rationalizing the portfolio and rationalizing the company structure and our infrastructure," he said. In the U.S., where the Novavax vaccine was authorized in July 2022, only around 80,000 of its shots have been administered.

☆ ICC's top prosecutor in Ukraine to probe Russian attacks on power grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Mike Collett-White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and ICC Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan QC meet, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 28, 2023. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said. Andriy Kostin, Ukraine's Prosecutor General who accompanied Khan to the bomb site, praised the cooperation between his offices and those of the ICC. Kostin's office said that tens of thousands of Russian attacks had been launched on infrastructure and civilians which had no military justification.

They were eventually forced to retreat, and in early April media images of the carnage they left behind shocked the world. The bodies of civilians littered pavements and roads, some with hands tied behind their backs. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of war crimes in Bucha, an allegation the Kremlin denies. You try to understand what that person is thinking; if that person can actually feel," she said in her home in Bucha. The mayor of Bucha has said more than 400 civilians were killed there by Russian forces, including dozens whose bodies lay untended for weeks on and alongside Yablunska, or Apple Street.

WHO IS INVESTIGATING WAR CRIMES IN UKRAINE? Ukrainian war crimes prosecutors are working with mobile justice teams supported by international legal experts and forensic teams. A total of 296 individuals have been charged with war crimes. War crimes can be defined under customary international law or national law. A number of mostly European states have universal jurisdiction laws that allow them to prosecute Ukrainian war crimes.

[1/4] Cast member John Malkovich attends a photocall to promote the movie 'Seneca' at the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 20, 2023. "Seneca - On the Creation of Earthquakes" seeks an answer to this question, both very contemporary and eternal, in the last night of the first-century Roman philosopher's life, after he learns the Emperor Nero has ordered his death. "He talks a lot," said Malkovich. "And sometimes it was hard not to think, OK, but die and, you know, be quiet." He asks his young wife, played by an ethereal Lilith Stangenberg, to die with him to lend theatrical weight to his death and his dictums.

☆ Russia targets Netherlands' North Sea infrastructure, says Dutch intelligence agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

THE HAGUE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Russia has in recent months tried to gain intelligence to sabotage critical infrastructure in the Dutch part of the North Sea, Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD said on Monday. A Russian ship has been detected at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea as it tried to map out energy infrastructure, MIVD head General Jan Swillens said at a news conference. The vessel was escorted out of the North Sea by Dutch marine and coast guard ships before any sabotage effort could become successful, he added. "We saw in recent months Russian actors tried to uncover how the energy system works in the North Sea. "Russia is mapping how our wind parks in the North Sea function.

☆ World-first ideas unveiled at MWC 2023 by UK telecoms innovators
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With The Uk'S Department For Business | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

At the upcoming Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, collaboration and convergence will be priorities. MWC is a 'Digital World Congress' that will see more worldwide digital innovation from the UK and across the world." Attocore, recently awarded a grant for accelerating Radio Access Network (RAN) intelligence, sits alongside mobile giants Ericsson and Samsung in advancing the security of UK mobile networks. With 5G networks, an estimated £173 billion of incremental UK GDP will be added to the UK economy by 2030. MWC and scaling UK technologyMobile World Congress is also a great opportunity for big ideas to reach an even bigger audience.

"We started making a film on the last war in Europe and then a new war broke out," Sicin-Sain told reporters. "It's about the resilience of all of us and that's a wonderful thing to put out into the world, particularly now," Damon told Reuters. His production company is in the early stages of researching a film about the war in Ukraine, he added. Footage of Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic - now serving a life sentence for genocide - denying war crimes makes the parallels with today's war inescapable. Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Additional reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/5] Former tennis player Boris Becker attends a news conference to promote documentary 'Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker' at the 73rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, February 19, 2023. "You have to be a bit crazy to cross the line and do things nobody else has ever achieved before." "You expect world champions in a sport to be like everyone else but we aren't," he told a news conference. "What I liked about Boris is that unlike many athletes he is a great storyteller," Gibney said.

☆ President Marcos says Philippines 'will not lose an inch' of territory
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Philippines to uphold territorial sovereignty -MarcosChina's actions insufficient to invoke defence treaty with U.S.MANILA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Saturday that the country "will not lose an inch" of territory, his remarks coming on the heels of continuing maritime tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea. "This country will not lose an inch of its territory. We will continue to uphold our territorial integrity and sovereignty in accordance with our constitution and with international law. However, Marcos sees the laser pointing incident as insufficient to invoke a mutual defence treaty with United States, a longstanding ally. China's recent actions came just a month after Marcos' state visit to Beijing, where the two countries pledged to handle disputes peacefully and boost cooperation.

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