The US should not co-operate with the “illegitimate” International Criminal Court, former national security John Bolton has said in a stinging rebuke of the body as prosecutors began to gather in London.
Mr Bolton, 74, made the comments during a visit to London on Monday as justice ministers from around the world gathered in the city to how they can support the ICC in holding war criminals to account for atrocities in Ukraine.
Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, warned the court would not hesitate to take action against possible war crimes in Ukraine as he issued a call for more funding for investigations.
Mr Bolton, who served as US ambassador to the UN in George W Bush’s administration and national security adviser to Donald Trump, said the multilateral institution had no jurisdiction.
“I believe, as I have for many years, [that] the International Criminal Court is fundamentally illegitimate,” he told Sky News. “It’s not something the United States should co-operate with.”
While Mr Putin’s actions against the Ukrainian people cannot be excused, it is not the ICC’s place to prosecute him for alleged crimes that had happened during the conflict, he said.
Ukraine or “a free Russia” would be better placed to try the Russian leader on war crimes charges, Mr Bolton said.
“The International Criminal Court is illegitimate because it is an exercise of governmental power in a vacuum, without any constitutional framework or restraint. And it’s a very dangerous institution,” Mr Bolton said.
“I think the conduct of the International Criminal Court is potentially threatening at this point to a diplomatic solution in Ukraine.”
ICC judges issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian commissioner for children's rights, on war crimes charges of illegally deporting Ukrainian children following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Mr Bolton dismissed the warrant for Mr Putin's arrest and said “nothing will happen”.
Justice ministers from more than 40 countries gathered at Lancaster House, on the edge of St James’s Park, on Monday morning to discuss building support for the ICC as it probes possible war crimes in Ukraine.
Britain pledged £1 million ($1.2m) this year for the court, based in The Hague in the Netherlands.
An additional package of about £400,000 was put forward by London to pay for witnesses and victims of crimes to receive psychological support, and also equip the ICC with British expertise.
Other countries are tipped to commit to render financial and practical assistance.
UK Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Dominic Raab is hosting the high-level talks.
“We are gathering in London today, united by one cause, to hold war criminals to account for the atrocities committed in Ukraine during this unjust, unprovoked and unlawful invasion,” he said.
“The UK, alongside the international community, will continue to provide the International Criminal Court with the funding, people and expertise to ensure justice is served.”
Ukraine’s Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska and the country’s top prosecutor Andriy Kostin would be attending.
Mr Khan, who is also on the guest list, last December called on the international community to double down on its support for the court, which requires vast amounts of financial and technical resources to conduct its investigations.
Speaking before the conference opened, Mr Khan said the ICC had a standard that it had to meet in terms of criminal prosecutions.
“We can't do everything at once,” he told BBC radio. “We don't have unlimited resources.”
However, if reliable evidence has been gathered and “there's no exonerating evidence that mitigates or reduces the criminal responsibility, we won't hesitate to act”, he said.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
Torque: 220Nm
Price: Dh98,900
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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
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Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
MEYDAN CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
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8.50pm The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
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10pm Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Majestic Thunder
7.05pm Commanding
7.40pm Mark Of Approval
8.15pm Mulfit
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10pm Midnight Sands
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
RACE CARD
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 (PA) Listed Dh230,000 1,600m
6.30pm: HH The President’s Cup (PA) Group 1 Dh2.5million 2,200m
7pm: HH The President’s Cup (TB) Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh70,000 1,200m.
Neymar's bio
Total club appearances 411
Total goals scored 241
Appearances for Barca 186
Goals scored for Barca 105
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates