Connect with us

Published

on

Joe Biden has said “what is happening in Gaza is not genocide” following an arrest warrant request by the International Criminal Court prosecutor for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US president branded the warrant request as “outrageous,” adding “whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas.”

“What’s happening in Gaza is not genocide. We reject that,” Mr Biden said at a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House.

He said American support for the safety and security of Israelis is “ironclad”.

International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan KC has applied for arrest warrants to be issued for Israel’s prime minister and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar over alleged war crimes.

He is also seeking arrest warrants for Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant – and other top Hamas leaders Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri, more commonly known as Deif (commander-in-chief of the military wing of Hamas, known as the al Qassam Brigades), and Ismail Haniyeh (head of Hamas’s political bureau).

Analysis: Netanyahu given a label he will never shake

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant. Pic: Reuters

Mr Netanyahu said: “As prime minister of Israel, I reject with disgust the Hague prosecutor’s comparison between democratic Israel and the mass murderers of Hamas.

“With what audacity do you compare Hamas that murdered, burned, butchered, decapitated, raped and kidnapped our brothers and sisters and the IDF soldiers fighting a just war.

“No pressure and no decision in any international forum will prevent us from striking those who seek to destroy us.”

In a statement, Mr Khan outlined the reasons his office was applying for the arrest warrants.

“Now, more than ever, we must collectively demonstrate that international humanitarian law, the foundational baseline for human conduct during conflict, applies to all individuals and applies equally across the situations addressed by my office and the court,” he said.

Pic: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.
Image:
Yahya Sinwar Pic: Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock.


“This is how we will prove, tangibly, that the lives of all human beings have equal value.”

Read more:
Israeli war cabinet member threatens to resign
Analysis: President’s death a perilous moment that Iran must handle carefully

On the Hamas leaders, he said he has reasonable grounds to believe they “bear criminal responsibility” for “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

He outlined a list of alleged crimes, including murder, taking hostages and rape and other acts of sexual violence.

“We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Israel by Hamas and other armed groups pursuant to organisational policies. Some of these crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day,” he said.

On Mr Netanyahu and his defence minister Mr Gallant, Mr Khan said he has reasonable grounds to believe they too “bear criminal responsibility” for “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

He outlined a list of alleged crimes, including “starvation of civilians” and “intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population”.

“We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population pursuant to state policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day,” he said.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Benny Gantz, a former military chief and member of Israel’s war cabinet, harshly criticised Mr Khan’s announcement, saying Israel fights with “one of the strictest” moral codes and has a robust judiciary capable of investigating itself.

South Africa, which has been leading a genocide case against Israel, welcomed the news Mr Khan was seeking the arrest of Israeli and Hamas leaders.

“The law must be applied equally to all in order to uphold the international rule of law,” the office of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said.

France and Belgium each released statements supporting the request for arrest warrants.

“France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations,” its foreign ministry said in a statement late Monday.

It came around the same time Belgium’s foreign minister Hadja Lahbib posted on X: “Crimes committed in Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of the perpetrators.”

Continue Reading

US

Cards Against Humanity sues SpaceX for $15m over claims Elon Musk’s firm illegally trespassed on land

Published

on

By

Cards Against Humanity sues SpaceX for m over claims Elon Musk's firm illegally trespassed on land

The maker of the popular party game Cards Against Humanity is suing SpaceX for $15m over claims Elon Musk’s company trespassed and damaged a plot of its land.

A lawsuit filed in Texas alleges SpaceX treated a plot of land owned by Cards Against Humanity as essentially its own for at least the past six months.

The company purchased a plot of land in Cameron County in 2017 as part of a stunt to prevent then president Donald Trump from building a border wall in the area between the US and Mexico.

It was purchased after 150,000 subscribers paid $15 to their Cards Against Humanity Saves America campaign.

The lawsuit said Cards Against Humanity – referred to as CAH in legal filings – “acquired the Property for the sole purpose of ensuring that it would stay that way” and added: “SpaceX’s abuse of this Property has not only destroyed its natural condition, but has also caused even greater harm to CAH by virtue of the damage it has caused to CAH’s relationship with its paying supporters.”

Cards Against Humanity purchased a plot of land in Cameron County, Texas, to protest Donald Trump's border wall in 2017.
File pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court
Image:
Cards Against Humanity purchased a plot of land in Cameron County, Texas, to protest against Donald Trump’s border wall in 2017.
File pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court

SpaceX allegedly trespassed and abused the property for at least six months without Cards Against Humanity's knowledge
Pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court
Image:
SpaceX allegedly trespassed and abused the property for at least six months without Cards Against Humanity’s knowledge
Pic: Cards Against Humanity / Cameron County District Court

In a statement through their Saves America campaign, Cards Against Humanity said SpaceX “f***ed” the land and alleged Mr Musk “figured he could just dump his shit all over our gorgeous plot of land without asking”.

The Chicago-based company then claimed “SpaceX gave us a 12-hour ultimatum to accept a lowball offer for less than half our land’s value” after they noticed the alleged trespass on their land. They said they declined the offer before filing the suit.

More on Elon Musk

On a website – titled elonowesyou100dollars – the card company said it was seeking $15m in damages and offered the original subscribers to the Save America campaign $100 should they win the claim.

Read more:
Musk set ‘to be the first trillionaire’
White House attacks Musk’s assassination post
Trump vows to reach Mars if elected

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

They also referenced a Reuters news agency report into SpaceX’s rapid development in the south Texas areas where it operates, in which some locals criticised the company for unfair and unchecked property and government dealings.

SpaceX started operating in Texas in 2003. In recent months, Mr Musk has stated he would move more of his businesses to the state.

Neither SpaceX nor Mr Musk have commented publicly on the matter. Sky News has contacted SpaceX for comment.

Continue Reading

US

Second boat boarded by FBI after Baltimore bridge collapse

Published

on

By

Second boat boarded by FBI after Baltimore bridge collapse

FBI agents have boarded a boat managed by the same company whose cargo ship crashed into a Baltimore bridge and caused it to collapse.

The two companies in charge of the ship “recklessly cut corners” and ignored electrical problems on the vessel before the crash in March, alleged the US Justice Department on Wednesday.

Three days later, FBI agents boarded the Maersk Saltoro, a second ship managed by the same company, although authorities did not offer further details on the operation.

Six construction workers were killed when the Dali ship had a power outage and crashed into a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Read more: Could the Baltimore Bridge disaster happen again?

The Justice Department alleged that mechanical and electrical systems on the massive ship had been improvised and improperly maintained which led to the power outage.

The Singapore-flagged container ship 'Dali' after it collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.
Pic:  Harford County MD Fire & EMS/Reuters
Image:
The Dali after it collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Pic: Harford County MD Fire & EMS/Reuters

Authorities are seeking to recover more than $100 million the government spent to clear the underwater debris and reopen the city’s port, which was only fully reopened in June.

It could become the most expensive marine casualty case in history and the two Singapore-based companies, Synergy Marine Group and Grace Ocean, are trying to limit their legal liability.

Read more US news:
Harris says anyone breaking into her home is ‘getting shot’
Parents die on Hawaii ‘babymoon’ holiday
Sheriff charged with shooting judge dead inside courthouse

The Justice Department said it will vigorously contest that limitation, arguing that vessel owners and operators need to be “deterred from engaging in such reckless and exceedingly harmful behaviour”.

Darrell Wilson, a Grace Ocean spokesperson, confirmed that the FBI and Coast Guard boarded the Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore on Saturday morning.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Mr Wilson has previously said the owner and manager “look forward to our day in court to set the record straight” about the Justice Department’s lawsuit.

The Dali, which was stuck amid the wreckage of the collapse for months before it could be extricated, departed Virginia on Thursday afternoon en route to China on its first international voyage since the March 26 disaster.

Continue Reading

US

Well-fitted suits, pearls and ‘the same’ red tie: What Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s fashion tells us about them

Published

on

By

Well-fitted suits, pearls and 'the same' red tie: What Donald Trump and Kamala Harris's fashion tells us about them

The style choices of politicians have long been scrutinised by voters and the media.

Women have historically been subject to more inspection for their looks than men.

But all politicians are communicating through their style, according to two experts.

“We receive most of our information, many of us, through screens and through the visuals,” says Hazel Clark, professor of design and fashion at the Parsons School of Design in New York.

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has been leaning into trouser suits.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to board Air Force Two at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Image:
Ms Harris arrives to board Air Force Two in New York. Pic: AP

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a debate with Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Image:
Ms Harris during a debate with Mr Trump. Pic: AP

“The well-fitted suit, the more masculine suit, is telling voters that she is not a politician’s wife, she is not the president’s wife, she is the president,” says Deirdre Clemente, professor of history at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.

She wore a dark suit to make her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

Pic: AP
Image:
The presidential hopeful wore a dark suit to make her acceptance speech at the DNC. Pic: AP

The look “gives that sense of the legal profession, judges and authority. I think it was just saying ‘I’m here to be taken seriously, I can be your leader’,” says Ms Clark.

Many of the audience were wearing white, thought to be a reference to the suffragettes, who fought for women to have vote.

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris embraces her husband, second gentleman of the U.S. Doug Emhoff, following her acceptance speech on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Mike Blake     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Image:
Many DNC audience members wore white as Kamala Harris made her acceptance speech. Pic: Reuters

Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris celebrates with her husband, second gentleman of the U.S. Doug Emhoff, and vice presidential nominee Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his wife Gwen, following her acceptance speech on Day 4 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 22, 2024. REUTERS/Vincent Alban
Image:
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris wore a dark navy or black suit to make her acceptance speech at the DNC. Pic: Reuters

“I think there’s a lot of weight in the choice of white in the audience of the DNC that night and her choice of a black suit was a power move,” Ms Clemente said.

Donald Trump has had a consistent style for many years – he’s known for his dark blue suit and silky red tie.

With wife Melania and daughter Tiffany at his 2017 inauguration. Pic: AP
Image:
Donald Trump at his 2017 inauguration. Pic: AP

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept.10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Image:
Donald Trump speaks during a presidential debate with vice president Kamala Harris. Pic: AP

“He seems to have been wearing the same red tie since the 1970s. It seems to have gotten longer,” said Ms Clemente.

“It is his way of projecting power, confidence and stability.”

And his vice presidential pick JD Vance seems to have adapted his style to match.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, pray during the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Image:
Donald Trump with Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance at the Republican National Convention. Pic: AP

“It’s putting on a uniform to say we are all one, we are all following this person. I think sameness, perhaps, with the party as well,” said Ms Clark.

“With Trump it’s almost become like a costume now.”

Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance
Image:
Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have been seen wearing similar clothing. Pic: Reuters

Harris often wears a pearl necklace, a reference to her college sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, which was founded by black women at Howard University.

California Attorney General candidate Kamala Harris arrives for a campaign rally at the Los Angeles Public Central Library in Los Angeles, Monday, Nov. 1, 2010. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Image:
Kamala Harris wearing a pearl necklace in 2010. Pic: AP

“Her wearing of the necklace is absolutely a shout-out to all the women who have supported her and that sorority is central to that,” said Ms Clemente.

The vice president is also known for her love of Converse shoes.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign event, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Greensboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Image:
Vice president Kamala Harris wearing Converse shoes as she arrives to speak at a campaign event. Pic: AP

The trainers, which are associated with American basketball culture, “are a powerful cultural tool because what she’s saying is these shoes are just like the ones you have in your closet”.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris..arrives to speak on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Image:
Vice president Kamala Harris speaks on the final day of the Democratic National Convention. Pic: AP

Mr Trump and his supporters often wear the instantly recognisable red Make America Great Again baseball cap.

“The MAGA hat has an incredible amount of power, especially here in battleground states,” said Ms Clemente. “You see MAGA hats all around.”

Wearing a MAGA hat in March 2016 in Arizona. Pic: AP
Image:
Donald Trump wearing a red MAGA hat in 2016 in Arizona. Pic: AP

Baseball caps are “ubiquitous in being used to signify something, it’s like having a slogan on your t-shirt”, says Ms Clark.

One accessory all US politicians are rarely seen without is an American flag pin badge on their lapel, which can be used to show patriotism.

It may also project a message that “we are all fighting for the same team” despite political differences, said Ms Clemente.

Continue Reading

Trending