France said late Monday it supported the independence of the International Criminal Court, whose prosecutor has requested arrest warrants for leaders from Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Islamist movement Hamas. «France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations,» its foreign ministry said in a statement. The ministry «condemned the anti-Semitic massacres perpetrated by Hamas» during the group's attack on Israel on October 7, which was «accompanied by acts of torture and sexual violence». It also said it had warned Israel «of the need for strict compliance with international humanitarian law, and in particular of the unacceptable level of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and inadequate humanitarian access». The International Criminal Court's prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday he had applied for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes including «wilful killing», «extermination and/or murder», and «starvation» during the war in Gaza. He said Israel had committed «crimes against humanity», and accused it «of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population». Khan also said the leaders of Palestinian militant group Hamas, including Qatar-based Ismail Haniyeh and Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, «bear criminal responsibility» for actions committed during the October 7 attack. These included «taking hostages», «rape and other acts of sexual violence», and «torture», he said. «International law and the laws of armed conflict apply to all,» Khan said. «No foot soldier, no commander, no civilian leader –- no one -– can act with impunity.» Israel rejected the accusations as a «historical disgrace», while Iran-backed Hamas said it «strongly condemns» the move. The United States, Israel's top ally, also rejected the ICC's bid, with President Joe Biden denouncing it as «outrageous» and saying «there is no equivalence -- none -- between Israel and Hamas». US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the ICC move «could jeopardise» efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza. © Agence France-Presse

South Africa's top court on Monday barred former president Jacob Zuma from running in general elections next week, but his upstart opposition party vowed to fight on to return the graft-tainted politician to office. The ruling has stoked fears of violent unrest in the run-up to the poll, already the most competitive since the advent of democracy in 1994. But Zuma's party, uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), urged supporters to remain calm and go out and vote on May 29. «This heavily flawed and conflicted judgement is not the end but rather a pivotal moment affirming that the MK Party is the right choice for the black poor and downtrodden,» it said. The top court backed an electoral commission decision that Zuma's previous conviction for contempt of court prevents him from becoming an MP, ruling that the constitution bars anyone sentenced to more than 12 months in jail. - 'Not eligible' - Zuma, who left office in 2018 dogged by corruption allegations, was convicted of contempt in 2021 and sentenced to 15 months. Rioting after his imprisonment left more than 350 people dead. He eventually served less than three months in jail, but the court ruled that this was irrelevant as the constitution refers to the sentence imposed, not served. «Mr Zuma... is accordingly not eligible to be a member of and not qualified to stand for election to the national assembly,» Justice Leona Theron said, reading the judgement. In a South African general election, the president is chosen by MPs from among their own ranks. If Zuma is not allowed to enter parliament he cannot become president, even if his newly formed party is able to muster enough seats to propose him. The electoral commission said ballot papers would not be reprinted nine days from the vote and Zuma's photo would still appear next to his party's name. «Jacob Zuma is still the party leader, Jacob Zuma is on the ballot paper of MK party and people are still going to vote Jacob Zuma in numbers,» MK secretary general Sihle Ngubane told AFP. A few dozen supporters of the firebrand ex-leader turned opposition challenger -- some sporting the military fatigues often worn by MK members -- chanted and danced as they left the court in Johannesburg after the hearing. «We are resolute,» MK party member Lindiwe Mtshali, 39, told AFP, adding she was however «very disappointed» at the ruling. MK has attempted to portray the decision as a desperate effort from its opponents to derail its electoral hopes. The party boasts it will secure a two-third majority in the National Assembly that would allow it to change the constitution and reinstate Zuma -- but that seems highly unlikely. Opinion polls suggest MK will not do well outside of Zuma's native KwaZulu-Natal province. An Ipsos survey last month estimated support at 8.4 percent nationwide. «The country is still in shackles,» prisoner rights activist and Zuma supporter Golden Miles Bhudu declared, as he protested the verdict outside the court, his arms and legs bound by chains. «This judgement is irrational,» he said. - 'Threat of violence' - Since leaving office, Zuma, who was president between 2009 and 2018, an era that for many South Africans has become synonymous with official corruption, has fought several legal battles. He assumed control of MK to challenge his successor Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC), which has won every election since the country became a democracy but is struggling in the polls and risks losing its absolute majority for the first time. Outside the court, Neeshan Balton, director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, which had joined the case to provide legal advice as amicus curiae, welcomed the ruling. «The former president clearly was not going to uphold the constitution, and we are happy that he's disqualified,» he said. If Zuma's outsider campaign cuts into the ANC's traditional support base, Ramaphosa may be forced to negotiate a coalition with one or more of the many small opposition parties to ensure he is re-elected. Political analyst Sandile Swana said that Zuma's ineligibility was not going to cost MK many votes. «What matters is that he is still able to campaign for the MK and be the face of it,» he said. The ANC was the leading political force in the struggle against the apartheid regime and many older South Africans remain loyal to it. But support has slumped amid corruption allegations and soaring crime and unemployment rates. Just under a third of the working age population is unemployed and the murder rate has reached 84 a day. Acknowledging the ruling, Ramaphosa said security forces were ready to deal with «any threat of violence». © Agence France-Presse

SINGAPORE - Covid-19 antigen rapid test (ART) kits flew off the shelves at many pharmacies over the weekend after news broke that Singapore is facing a new wave. Cases of Covid-19 have been rising in the last two weeks, a result of the Covid-19 sub-variants, which scientists have nicknamed «FLiRT,» drawing from the letters in the names of their mutations. Globally, variant JN.1 and its sub-lineages, including KP.1 and KP.2, remain the predominant Covid-19 variants. The combined proportion of KP.1 and KP.2 currently accounts for more than two-thirds of the cases in Singapore. As of May 3, the World Health Organisation has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring. There are currently no indications, globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants. Watsons has seen demand for Covid-19 test kits surge by more than 150 per cent in the past week, its Singapore managing director Irene Lau said.

One Singaporean couple was left shaken and jumpy in Johor Bahru after fending off intruders who tried breaking into their Airbnb rental. In a post on Lemon8 last Saturday (May 18), a woman with the username Lilac said that the ordeal happened when she was lounging in a condo at Mount Austin.  Her boyfriend was sleeping with silicone ear plugs at that time, she said. «Suddenly, I heard knocking at the opposite unit,» she said. «And then after a while, the knocking came to our door, which didn't stop after three repetitions.» Initially suspecting it was a security guard or a delivery rider who had gone to the wrong unit, Lilac opened the door while using her foot behind as a latch. «To my horror, there were a bunch of men dressed in open-collared black shirts and pants, like those typical gangsters you see in the movies,» said Lilac, adding that one of them tried to push the door. «Thankfully, my flight or fight mentally kicked in and I managed to slam the door shut. I put my body weight against it until I heard the lock click shut.»

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) of setting a “dangerous precedent” Read Full Article at RT.com

All EU member states will be legally forced to oblige, if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for top Israeli officials Read Full Article at RT.com

The Russian president said Moscow stood «shoulder to shoulder» with Tehran, Kazem Jalali said

Live updates from the 2024 campaign trail, with the latest news on presidential candidates, polls, primaries and more.

The GOP has more of an opening in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District after Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced she’s running for governor.

After sending reporters out of the courtroom, Justice Juan Merchan threatened to hold Robert Costello in contempt if the witness continued to stare at him.

«The ICC has no authority over Israel or the United States, and today's baseless and illegitimate decision should face global condemnation,» the speaker said

According to Vasily Nebenzya, the chances of moving the conflict into a diplomatic domain «look elusive»

The Jamaica Trade Board is advising the public that information being circulated regarding the non-approval of special permits for 2015 cars or SUVs under the registered taxi operator programme, which ended on January 2019, is false. The...

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon says the St James Municipal Corporation plans to install free public car park spaces across the Second City for the disabled who are registered members of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD...

The Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) says it is working to have payments for teachers who marked School-Based Assessments (SBA) dating back to 2022 promptly resolved. The Jamaica Teachers' Association recently expressed frustration about...

Generation 2000 (G2K), the young professional arm of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), is calling for Mark Golding to resign as opposition leader. The demand follows Golding's admission that he still holds British citizenship following public...

It was an unusual morning for Regina's Fire and Protective Services (RFPS) — a fire rescue team was called in to assist after a man became trapped in the bucket of a garbage truck.

Beijing has sanctioned military subsidiaries of Boeing, General Dynamics and General Atomics for selling weapons to Taipei Read Full Article at RT.com

House Republicans are working on a bill to sanction the ICC after its prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders Read Full Article at RT.com

The State Duma is almost done with the law that would ban most NATO countries from adopting Russian children Read Full Article at RT.com

Ukraine is a failed state run by a lawless and criminal regime, according to Dmitry Medvedev, the head of Russia’s Security Council Read Full Article at RT.com

US President Joe Biden has rejected any notion that Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza could be described as genocide Read Full Article at RT.com

«It runs counter to common sense to discuss any issues, let alone sign any documents with leaders who have lost their legitimacy,» Vasily Nebenzya said

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed the Kingdom’s solidarity with Iran and its people following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a helicopter crash on Sunday.  During a phone call with Iran’s acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Monday, Prince Faisal expressed his condolences over the deaths of the president and his accompanying delegation.

RIYADH: Saudi artist Sara Abdullah’s delicate floral sculptures find inspiration in the nuances and harmony between humanity and nature. To the artist, nature signifies creativity, inspiration and deep magical meaning, she told Arab News. “Both (art and nature) are means of exploring the deeper aspects of the human existence. As artists, we can capture and express the intangible aspects of our lives that defy simple verbal descriptions,” she said.

DHAHRAN: After a two-year hiatus, the second Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit 2024 returns to the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, this week for discussions and debates by world-leading experts. Scheduled for May 22 and 23, Ithra will be buzzing with all things that merge technology and wellness, and will feature 110 digital experts and 70 speakers from 20 countries.

RIYADH: Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi on Monday received Facundo Vila, ambassador of Argentina to the Kingdom, at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh. In separate meetings, Al-Budaiwi also met other ambassadors to the Kingdom, including Akram Karimi, ambassador of Tajikistan, and Cypriot Ambassador Michael Alexios, the council reported. During the meetings, the secretary-general and ambassadors reviewed relations, and discussed regional and international developments of common concern.  

RIYADH: The Libraries Commission recently inaugurated a Culture House in the Ahad Rafidah Governorate, Asir region. This follows a comprehensive renovation and upgrade of the public library, transforming it into a cultural hub for the area. The launch event was attended by the commission’s CEO, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Asim.

The Animal Vanuatu Association (AVA) has recently completed a week-long clinic.

The Supreme Court has ordered the landowners of Beverly Hills Primary School to remove the ‘namele’ leaves placed on the school’s entrance gate.

The Vanuatu Government will pay VT369, 385,300 as an out-of-court settlement for not following proper process in awarding a company road maintenance contract on Efate.

Ifira Black Bird FC will play AS Magenta of New Caledonia tomorrow midday and the boys need the win or will not qualify for the semi-finals of the OFC Men’s Champions League in Papeete, Tahiiti.

Ninane Construction & Earthworks and Etul Construction will be overseeing the Emalus Campus renovations that are due to be completed mid-July 2024.Media Officer of USP Laucala Campus Koroi Tadulala mentioned in a press release that 13 hostel blocks will be…

Libreville le 20 mai 2024. Ce 20 mai 2024, journée internationale consacrée aux abeilles,l'ONG Conservation Justice se joint à la célébration en mettant en avant ses actions dans le cadre de la préservation de ces pollinisateurs qui jouent un rôle essentiel dans la survie des écosystèmes et dont dépendent la reproduction des plantes sauvages à fleurs, les cultures vivrières et les terres agricoles. Si l'on peut reconnaître que l'apiculture, qui peut faire la jonction entre la (...) - AGRICULTURE ET PÊCHE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

- TRANSPORTS / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON