The conflict in Ukraine entered a courtroom in The Hague on Monday as Kyiv and its allies seek a verdict that Russia’s invasion was based on spurious claims of genocide.
Lawyers for Russia and Ukraine will go head-to-head in five days of hearings at the International Court of Justice to decide whether the case can proceed despite Moscow’s objections.
Representatives from more than 30 countries including Britain, France and Germany will address the court after judges handed Ukraine a preliminary win by allowing allies to intervene.
Ukraine is asking for a declaration that the February 2022 invasion was based on a “false claim”, namely that Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine were the victims of “genocide”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used the term in his address announcing the invasion, saying the “purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide” by Ukraine.
Kyiv says this claim has “no factual basis” and wants judges to find that Russia “cannot lawfully take any action”, such as attacking Ukraine or prising away eastern territory, based on the genocide narrative.
Russia, which has also tried to justify its invasion under the UN Charter by claiming self-defence against a Nato-backed country on its borders, is moving to have the case thrown out. Judges will have to decide on that issue this month before turning to the merits of the argument at a later date.
Beginning three hours of submissions on Monday, Russian representative Gennady Kuzmin said the case fell outside the scope of the 1948 Genocide Convention and therefore the court’s jurisdiction.
“Ukraine is not accusing Russia of committing genocide,” he told the court. "Ukraine is also not accusing Russia of failing to prevent or punish genocide. On the contrary, Ukraine insists no genocide has occurred.
“Ukraine seems to claim that the Genocide Convention provides some kind of right to use force, which Russia allegedly abused. But the convention of course provides no such right, nor has Russia ever claimed it does.”
Mr Kuzmin repeated Kremlin talking points before the court by claiming a “Russophobic, neo-Nazi regime” in Ukraine had “promoted hatred against ethnic Russians”.
He said the comments about genocide by Mr Putin and other senior Russian officials were “unsurprising” in light of Ukraine’s alleged actions.
Ukraine will reply on Tuesday before Germany begins the interventions by 32 nations on Wednesday. Both warring countries will have an opportunity for a second round of legal arguments next week.
Judges sided with Ukraine in a provisional ruling in March last year that said Russia should “immediately suspend” its invasion but the full case will take much longer to decide.
Verdicts by the court are legally binding but it has limited power to enforce its rulings and Russia has a veto on the UN Security Council, which could authorise action. However, a ruling could affect future claims of reparations.
Some western politicians including US President Joe Biden have flipped the accusation around by suggesting Russia is committing genocide against Ukrainians.
The International Criminal Court, also based in the capital of the Netherlands, has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Putin over the alleged deportation of children to Russia from occupied parts of Ukraine.
The legal wrangling comes as Kyiv’s armed forces try to regain territory in a counter-offensive that is now more than 100 days old. Ukraine reported further incremental gains on Monday.
It also said Ukrainian air defence systems had brought down a swarm of attack drones and nearly 20 cruise missiles in Russia's latest aerial barrage. Moscow’s attacks on civilian infrastructure have been described as war crimes.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
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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
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
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- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
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