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Spain joins South Africa’s case at UN top court on Gaza: minister

Spain joins South Africa’s case at UN top court on Gaza: minister
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares shake hands after a joint press conference in Madrid, Spain. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 06 June 2024
AFP
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Spain joins South Africa’s case at UN top court on Gaza: minister

Spain joins South Africa’s case at UN top court on Gaza: minister
  • Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, earlier recognized the state of Palestine, sparking Israeli fury
Updated 06 June 2024
AFP
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MADRID: Spain said on Thursday that it will join South Africa’s case at the UN’s top court in which Pretoria has accused Israel of “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
“Our sole goal is to put an end to the war and to advance on the road of applying the two-state solution,” Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said at a press conference.
His statement came a week after Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, recognized the state of Palestine, sparking fury from Israel.
South Africa brought the case before the International Court of Justice last year, alleging that Israel’s Gaza offensive, launched in retaliation for an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel, breached the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
Israel has strongly denied the accusation.
Set up after World War II, the Hague-based ICJ rules in disputes between states.
The ICJ on Friday ordered Israel to ensure “unimpeded access” to UN-mandated investigators to look into allegations of genocide.
In a ruling on January 26, the ICJ also ordered Israel to do everything it could to prevent acts of genocide during its military operation in Gaza.
But South Africa has since returned several times to the ICJ arguing that the dire humanitarian situation in the territory compels the court to issue further fresh emergency measures.
On May 24, the court ordered Israel to “immediately” halt its military offensive in the city of Rafah and keep open the key border crossing there for “unhindered” humanitarian aid.
It also called for the “unconditional” release of hostages taken by Palestinian militant group Hamas during its October 7 assault that sparked the war.
ICJ rulings are legally binding but the court has no concrete means to enforce them. For example, it ordered Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine, to no avail.

Topics: War on Gaza International Court of Justice (ICJ) Spain

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Declassified files show UK anger at Chirac over Iraq

Declassified files show UK anger at Chirac over Iraq
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP
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Declassified files show UK anger at Chirac over Iraq

Declassified files show UK anger at Chirac over Iraq
  • Blair expressed “sorrow, regret and apology” for mistakes made in planning the conflict, while his influential press chief at the time of the war, Alastair Campbell, said the decision would “weigh heavily on him”
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP

LONDON: Newly-declassified UK government documents published Tuesday reveal the frustrations of then-prime minister Tony Blair and his government with French leader Jaques Chirac for blocking UN-backed military action in Iraq in 2003.
Minutes of an emergency cabinet meeting on March 17, 2003 — a week after Chirac said he would veto any resolution approving military action — showed UK ministers agreed “the French attitude had undermined the mechanism of the UN to enforce the will of the international community.”
“We had tried our utmost” but the French “were not prepared to accept that if President Saddam Hussein of Iraq did not comply with UN obligations, military action should follow,” Blair told the meeting, according to files released by the National Archives.
Britain joined the US-led military action to oust Saddam in 2003, despite fierce opposition across the country, with Blair highlighting allegations that the Iraqi dictator had stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.
The WMD accusations fueled by the administration of then president George W. Bush were later proven to be false.
According to the files, then foreign minister Jack Straw told cabinet “effectively, one member of the UN Security Council had torpedoed the whole process,” and accused Chirac, who died in 2019, of deciding to “open up a strategic divide between France and the UK.”
In a meeting three days later, Straw said Chirac “appeared to be positioning himself ... (to) become leader of one side of the bi-polar world he advocated,” in contrast to a US-dominated world.
By contrast, ministers were told in the March 17 meeting that the Labour government “was motivated by a world view which promoted justice, good governance and pluralism and this set it apart from other governments of the industrialized world.”
The final minute of the meeting read: “Summing up, the prime minister said that the diplomatic process was now at an end; Saddam Hussein would be given an ultimatum to leave Iraq; and the House of Commons would be asked to endorse the use of military action against Iraq to enforce compliance, if necessary.”

The UK joined the US-led invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, despite around one million people marching in London to protest against military intervention.
The invasion and subsequent war severely dented Blair’s popularity, culminating in the independent Chilcot inquiry, which concluded in 2016 he had deliberately exaggerated the threat posed by the Iraqi regime.
Blair expressed “sorrow, regret and apology” for mistakes made in planning the conflict, while his influential press chief at the time of the war, Alastair Campbell, said the decision would “weigh heavily on him.”. “for the rest of his days.”
Campbell was also caught up in controversy when the BBC reported he had “sexed up” a dossier on Iraq’s military capabilities, claims he has denied.

 

Topics: Iraq war Former UK prime minister Tony Blair French President Jaques Chirac George W. Bush

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US soldier dies in non-combat incident in Iraq

US Army soldiers stand outside their armored vehicle on a joint base with the Iraqi army, south of Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2017.
US Army soldiers stand outside their armored vehicle on a joint base with the Iraqi army, south of Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2017.
Updated 31 December 2024
AP
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US soldier dies in non-combat incident in Iraq

US Army soldiers stand outside their armored vehicle on a joint base with the Iraqi army, south of Mosul, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2017.
  • In September, the US announced an agreement with the Iraqi government to wrap up the American-led coalition’s military mission against the Daesh group in Iraq by 2025
Updated 31 December 2024
AP

WASHINGTON: A 34-year-old soldier serving with the Indiana National Guard in Iraq has died in a non-combat incident, the Army said Monday.
Capt. Eric Richard Hart, 34, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died Saturday in Iraq, the Army National Guard said in a statement. Hart was assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion of Indiana’s 38th Infantry Division in Iraq. His death is under investigation.
While all combat operations have ceased for US forces in Iraq, the US maintains a presence of 2,500 troops to assist the Iraqi military in counter-Daesh operations and training. Those forces have repeatedly come under attack in the 14 months since Hamas attacked Israel, spurring a wider, deadly response from Tel Aviv.
During the last year, Iranian-backed forces have launched one-way attack drones, rockets and missiles at US facilities in Iraq in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
In September, the US announced an agreement with the Iraqi government to wrap up the American-led coalition’s military mission against the Daesh group in Iraq by 2025. US troops have departed some bases that they have long occupied during a two-decade-long military presence in the country.
Washington has had a continuous presence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. Although all US combat forces left in 2011, thousands of troops returned in 2014 to help the Iraqi government defeat Daesh.
Since the extremist group lost its hold on the territory it once seized, Iraqi officials have periodically called for a withdrawal of coalition forces, particularly in the wake of a US airstrike in January 2020 that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis outside the Baghdad airport.
Before Monday’s announcement, a total of 4,419 troops had died in Iraq since the beginning of the 2003 Operation Iraqi Freedom military campaign, including 3,482 combat deaths and 937 non-combat deaths, according to the latest Defense Department data. A total of 31,993 troops were wounded in action in Iraq.
The Defense Department’s summary does not include all of the forces who returned from war with wounds that surfaced later, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or toxic exposure.

 

Topics: Iraq US Capt. Eric Richard Hart

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Bad weather set to hit UK New Year celebrations

Bad weather set to hit UK New Year celebrations
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP
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Bad weather set to hit UK New Year celebrations

Bad weather set to hit UK New Year celebrations
  • Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party was canceled on public safety grounds
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP

LONDON: Adverse weather on Monday looked set to hit UK New Year festivities, as the organizers of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party canceled the event on public safety grounds.
The Edinburgh celebrations, a major tourist draw which last year attracted some 30,000 people, had been due to feature a fireworks display and a concert headlined by Scottish band Texas.
But organizers said it would not be safe to go ahead with preparations for outdoor events scheduled for Monday and New Year’s Eve on Tuesday due to “ongoing high winds and inclement weather.”
Planned New Year fireworks in the holiday resort town of Blackpool in northwestern England were also canceled due to a forecast of high winds, the local council said.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) issued a rare severe flood warning of “danger to life” for parts of Scotland.
It said a heavy downpour was expected to burst riverbanks in Aviemore in northern Scotland and nearby areas of the Scottish Highlands.
“Due to persistent and heavy rainfall, river levels on the River Spey will rise throughout Monday night and into Tuesday morning causing serious flooding,” it said.
“Extensive flooding to properties and businesses is expected in and around Aviemore.”
The UK’s Met Office, meanwhile, said heavy rain and strong winds could be expected in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England.
Some snow was also forecast for parts of Scotland.
“A series of low-pressure systems will track across the UK over the next couple of days bringing some potentially disruptive weather,” said Met Office meteorologist Steve Willington.
“Almost the entire UK is covered by at least one weather warning” over the coming week, he added.
A Met Office amber warning for rain and snow — the second most severe weather notice, meaning there is a potential risk to life — is in place for Scotland.
A number of less severe yellow warnings for rain, wind and snow were also in place for Scotland and northern England.

Topics: UK

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US Treasury says was targeted by China state-sponsored cyberattack

US Treasury says was targeted by China state-sponsored cyberattack
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP
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US Treasury says was targeted by China state-sponsored cyberattack

US Treasury says was targeted by China state-sponsored cyberattack
  • Breach accessed Treasury workstations and some unclassified documents
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP

WASHINGTON: The US Treasury Department said Monday that a China state-sponsored actor was behind a cyber breach resulting in access to some of its workstations, according to a letter to Congress seen by AFP.
The incident happened earlier this month, when the actor compromised a third-party cybersecurity service provider and was able to remotely access the Treasury workstations and some unclassified documents, a Treasury spokesperson added.
Treasury contacted the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency after it was alerted of the situation by its provider BeyondTrust, and has been working with law enforcement partners to ascertain the impact.
“The compromised BeyondTrust service has been taken offline and there is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to Treasury systems or information,” the department’s spokesperson said.
In its letter to the leadership of the Senate Banking Committee, the Treasury said: “Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a China state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor.”
An APT refers to a cyberattack where an intruder establishes and maintains unauthorized access to a target, remaining undetected for a sustained period of time.
The department did not provide further details on what was affected by the breach, but said more information would be released in a supplemental report at a later date.
“Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our systems, and the data it holds,” the Treasury spokesperson added.
The official said that the department would continue working to protect the US financial system from threats.
Several countries, notably the United States, have voiced alarm in recent years at what they say is Chinese-government-backed hacking activity targeting their governments, militaries and businesses.
Beijing rejects the allegations, and has previously said that it opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyberattacks.
In September, the US Justice Department said it had neutralized a cyber-attack network that affected 200,000 devices worldwide, alleging it was run by hackers backed by the Chinese government.
In February, US authorities also said they had dismantled a network of hackers known as “Volt Typhoon.”
The group was said to be targeting key public sector infrastructure like water treatment plants and transportation systems at the behest of China.
In 2023, tech giant Microsoft said Chinese-based hackers seeking intelligence information breached the email accounts of a number of US government agencies.
The group, Storm-0558, had breached email accounts at approximately 25 organizations and government agencies.
Accounts belonging to the State Department and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo were among those hacked in that breach.

Topics: China US

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Argentine judge orders arrest of Nicaragua’s Ortega over human rights violations

Argentine judge orders arrest of Nicaragua’s Ortega over human rights violations
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP
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Argentine judge orders arrest of Nicaragua’s Ortega over human rights violations

Argentine judge orders arrest of Nicaragua’s Ortega over human rights violations
  • The warrant, lawyer Dario Richarte said, also applies to Ortega’s wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo
Updated 31 December 2024
AFP

BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine judge has ordered the arrest of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega over his alleged “systematic violation of human rights,” a lawyer who filed a case against the leader told AFP on Monday.
The warrant, lawyer Dario Richarte said, also applies to Ortega’s wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, and is based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows for nations to prosecute crimes against humanity outside their country of origin.
Federal Judge Ariel Lijo has also ordered the arrest of a dozen other people linked to Ortega’s rule.
The crimes Ortega and his wife are accused of include murder, forced disappearances, torture and “deportation or forced transfer of population,” Richarte said.
The complaint had been filed in 2022 by a group of prosecutors from the University of Buenos Aires.
Ortega, a 79-year-old ex-guerrilla, has engaged in increasingly authoritarian practices since returning to power in 2007, seizing control of all branches of the state.
His government has targeted critics, shutting down more than 5,000 non-governmental organizations since a crackdown on 2018 protests that the United Nations said left more than 300 people dead.
Most independent and opposition media now operate from abroad.
Around 450 politicians, businesspeople, journalists, intellectuals, human rights activists and religious figures have been stripped of their nationality since February 2023 under accusations of “treason.”
Amnesty International’s Americas director Ana Piquer warned earlier this month that nobody in Nicaragua was safe from Ortega’s “repressive machinery.”
“From indigenous leaders, journalists, human rights defenders and anyone seen as a risk to government policies, the authorities continue to consolidate the climate of fear,” she said.

Topics: Argentina

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