Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte made his first appearance by video link at the International Criminal Court on Friday on charges of crimes against humanity related to his deadly war on drugs.
Presiding judge Iulia Antoanella Motoc said Mr Duterte had been allowed to participate in his first ICC hearing by video link because he had just come off a long flight. He had “a long journey with considerable time difference”, she said.
Mr Duterte was taken to hospital for observation on arrival in The Hague, where the ICC is based, because he is “hard of hearing and poor of sight”, his lawyer Salvador Medialdea said. He described the way his client was brought to the Netherlands as “pure and simple kidnapping”.
Mr Duterte, wearing a jacket and tie, spoke briefly to confirm his name and date of birth in the landmark case for the world body. He faces murder allegations related to his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers in the Philippines that rights groups say killed tens of thousands of people.
The date of Mr Duterte's confirmation of charges hearing was set for September 23. Judges will then assess whether there is enough evidence to proceed to a full trial, which could take years. If Mr Duterte is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Mr Duterte was arrested in Manila on Tuesday and then flown to The Hague. As he landed in Europe, the former leader appeared to accept responsibility for his actions, saying in a Facebook video: “I have been telling the police, the military, that it was my job and I am responsible.”
Judge Motoc said Mr Duterte had been judged “fully mentally aware and fit” by the court's doctor and had been informed of his rights.
Unprecedented pressure
The high-profile case comes at a critical moment for the ICC as it faces unprecedented pressure. It has been criticised for its slow trials and relatively low number of convictions. In two decades, prosecutors have won six convictions for the court's core crimes, all of them against former African militia leaders.
The ICC has no police force and relies on its 125 member states to detain fugitives. Its top suspects remain at large. Outstanding arrest warrants for political and military leaders include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir. Sudan has slammed the ICC as a neocolonialist court.
Last month, US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court over what he said were “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel”. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.
The ICC is also facing a UN-led investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by its chief prosecutor Karim Khan, allegations that he denies.
Mr Khan hailed Mr Duterte's arrest as a key moment for victims of the Philippine drug war and for international justice.
“Many say that international law is not as strong as we want, and I agree with that. But as I also repeatedly emphasise, international law is not as weak as some may think,” Mr Khan said in a statement following Mr Duterte's arrival in ICC custody. “When we come together … when we build partnerships, the rule of law can prevail. Warrants can be executed.”
At the initial hearing, a suspect can request interim release pending a trial, according to ICC rules. Following that first hearing, the next phase is a session to confirm the charges, at which point a suspect can challenge the prosecutor's evidence. Only after that hearing will the court decide whether to press ahead with a trial.
“It's important to underline, as we now start a new stage of proceedings, that Mr Duterte is presumed innocent,” said Mr Khan.
Mr Duterte is the first Asian former head of state to appear before the court. His arrest came amid a meltdown in relations between his family and the ruling family of current President Ferdinand Marcos. The pair had previously joined forces to run the Philippines.
Mr Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte – Rodrigo's daughter – are at loggerheads, with the latter facing an impeachment trial over charges including an alleged assassination plot against Mr Marcos. Sara Duterte is in the Netherlands to support her father, after labelling his arrest “oppression and persecution”.
The Philippine war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept Mr Duterte to power in 2016. During his six years in office, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, by the police's count. Activists say the real toll was far greater.
Mr Duterte has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the crackdown, repeatedly telling his supporters he was ready to “rot in jail” if it meant ridding the Philippines of illicit drugs.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMay%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHusam%20Aboul%20Hosn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDIFC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%E2%80%94%20Innovation%20Hub%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%20funding%20raised%20from%20family%20and%20friends%20earlier%20this%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
