“Extermination as a crime against humanity”, “torture”, “extermination and/or murder” – these were just some of the grave accusations made by International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan this week as he sought arrest warrants for several leading Israeli and Hamas figures over the October 7 attacks and the continuing war in Gaza. While accusations have hardly been in short supply when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, this development is qualitatively different.
Although Mr Khan is seeking the arrests of Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, who would be held criminally responsible for the violence meted out by Palestinian militants against Israeli civilians on October 7, the Israeli side of the charges are getting much attention. Israeli leaders are being confronted with legal charges that challenge their country's image of itself as well as its international reputation.
From a position of insisting that its military is a fundamentally righteous actor in a sea of hostile neighbours, Israel now faces legal accusations that not only cast international doubt on that claim but recast two of the country’s most important leaders – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant – as suspected criminals on the world stage.
Mr Netanyahu’s reaction was one of unbridled indignation. He accused Mr Khan of creating “a twisted and false moral equivalence between the leaders of Israel and the henchmen of Hamas”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed that sentiment, calling Mr Khan’s application “shameful”.
This argument of equivalency is a straw man – an attempt to deflect criticism of Israel’s aimless war in Gaza, and one that does not stand up to scrutiny. Mr Khan is drawing no such comparison between Israel and Hamas. The leaders of both have been charged, for the most part, with distinct crimes that reflect the distinct ways in which they have allegedly brutalised civilians. As Mr Khan himself has put it, the Prosecutor's mandate is not concerned with equivalence between alleged perpetrators – only victims. And that is precisely how the rule of law must work; would it really be better if courts were in the business of privileging the plight of one set of victims over another?
The Hamas trio, the warrant application claims, bear criminal responsibility for acts that include hostage taking, cruel treatment and inhumane acts. The laws of war apply even to non-state militant groups, and being a self-proclaimed resistance movement does not give licence to murder and terrorise innocents.
The charges against Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant, meanwhile, are significant because they call into question Israeli policy, not merely tactics. It is revealing that in his indictment of Israeli crimes, Mr Khan is seeking the arrest of politicians over military commanders. The notion that Israeli elected officials may have directed actions as grave as mass starvation and indiscriminate killing will damage the country’s standing in a way not seen before. This explains the furious reaction from an institutionally pro-Israel US leadership whose own international reputation has been deeply compromised by Washington’s confused and contradictory reaction to the months-long Gaza war.
It is also telling that Israeli objections thus far have been largely political, rather than legal, in nature. Israel has no shortage of military lawyers who might interrogate the substance of Mr Khan's allegations, but they have, it seems, been given a backseat to Mr Netanyahu's performative incredulity and grandstanding.
Despite the high-profile nature of Mr Khan’s request for international arrest warrants, there is no guarantee that a trial – let alone a conviction – will take place. For Israel’s leadership, a Trump White House in November could lead to the intensification of America’s political and legal cover for senior Israeli figures. Whatever the eventual results – and the ICC process could take years – one thing is for sure: we are witnessing a turning point not only in this conflict, but in the world's relationship with Israel, too.
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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PROFILE BOX:
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Rami Salman, Rishav Jalan, Ayush Chordia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Technology, Sales, Voice, Artificial Intelligence
Size: (employees/revenue) 10/ 100,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($800,000)
Investors: Eight first-round investors including, Beco Capital, 500 Startups, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Hala Fadel, Odin Financial Services, Dubai Angel Investors, Womena, Arzan VC
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Read more about the coronavirus
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
Ireland (15-1):
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
The biog
Name: Samar Frost
Born: Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: Singing, music and socialising with friends
Favourite singer: Adele
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Spec%20sheet
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