AMSTERDAM: The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Monday it would refer Jordan to the UN Security Council for failing to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir when he visited Amman in March.
The court issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010 over his alleged role in war crimes including genocide in Sudan’s Darfur province. Jordan, as a member of the ICC, is obliged to carry out its arrest warrants.
Sudan is not a member of the Hague-based permanent international war crimes court, and the ICC therefore does not have automatic jurisdiction to investigate alleged war crimes there.
However, the UN Security Council referred the case to the international court in March 2005.
The Security Council has the power to impose sanctions for a failure to cooperate with the ICC, but has so far not acted on court referrals.
A diplomatic row broke out when Bashir visited South Africa in 2015 and Pretoria failed to arrest him.
South Africa’s government argued that doing so would have been a violation of the immunity Bashir enjoys as a head of state. That argument was rejected by South African courts as well as the ICC.
The ICC ultimately did not refer South Africa to the Security Council, however, saying it was not clear that doing so would have any effect.
Kenya and South Africa have threatened to withdraw from the ICC over perceived bias against African countries. Burundi, which is under ICC investigation, has actually withdrawn.
Bashir is accused by ICC prosecutors of five counts of crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape, as well as two counts of war crimes for attacking civilians and pillaging. He faces three counts of genocide allegedly committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in Darfur, Sudan, from 2003 to 2008.
ICC reports Jordan to UN Security Council for not arresting Sudan’s Bashir
ICC reports Jordan to UN Security Council for not arresting Sudan’s Bashir
Women participation in Riyadh camel racing event doubles
- The increase in the number of participating women camel riders has also contributed to a rise in the prizes
RIYADH: Women participation in the camel racing event at the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Camel Festival 2025 has increased by 100 percent compared to the first edition last year, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Encouraged by the significant development, the organizing committee has decided to add a second race, which includes 18 Saudi female camel riders.
Organized by the Saudi Camel Federation, the festival's second edition kicked off on January 27 at the Janadriyah Camel Race Track in Riyadh. The competitions will conclude on Wednesday.
The total value of prizes exceeds SAR 70 million.
During last year's edition of the festival, 15 female camel riders competed, representing nine countries: Britain, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
In this year's edition, the number of female riders has risen to 30 from 12 countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Britain, France, Germany, Oman, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, UAE, US and Yemen.
The increase in the number of participating women camel riders has also contributed to a rise in the prizes, from SAR188,000 to SAR 376,000, with the first-place female rider receiving SAR60,000, SPA said.
Pakistan anti-graft body files reference against property tycoon over illegal transfer of Karachi land
- Malik Riaz Hussain and others are accused of having over 7,000 acres of government land transferred illegally to Bahria Town Karachi
- The development comes days after National Accountability Bureau said it had initiated process to seek Hussain’s extradition from UAE
KARACHI: Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference against real estate tycoon, Malik Riaz Hussain, and 32 other individuals over illegal transfer of government lands for a mega project in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a NAB spokesperson said on Saturday.
Hussain, who currently lives in Dubai, is one of Pakistan’s wealthiest and most influential businessmen and the country’s largest private employers. He is best known as the chairman of M/s Bahria Town, which claims to be Asia’s largest private real estate developer and has projects in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and other cities.
NAB filed the reference in an accountability court in Karachi nominating Hussain, his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, former Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sharjeel Inaam Memon, then local body minister and now information minister of Sindh, among 33 people for illegally transferring government land to M/s Bahria Town for its Bahria Town Karachi project in 2013 and 2014.
“Accused persons in connivance with each other illegally transferred the government land, initialy admeasuring 7220 acres, to M/s Bahria Town,” the anti-graft body said in the reference. “The said illegal transfer of government land to Bahria Town was made under the garb of adjustment/exchange/consolidation.”
It said the accused persons acted as an “organized syndicate” to cause cumulative losses of Rs700 billion ($2.5 billion) to the national exchequer, requesting the court to try them for committing the “offenses of corruption and corrupt practices.”
The development came days after NAB said it had initiated the process to seek Hussain’s extradition from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who was also charged in another land corruption case involving former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife.
A Pakistani court last month sentenced Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife, Bushra, to seven years, in the case in which they are accused of receiving land as a bribe from Hussain through the Al-Qadir charitable trust in exchange for illegal favors during Khan’s premiership from 2018 to 2022. Khan says he and his wife were trustees and did not benefit from the land transaction. Hussain too denies any wrongdoing relating to the case.
“We have written to the Federal Investigation Agency for the extradition,” a NAB spokesman told Arab News on Wednesday, adding that the FIA would now pursue the case.
Prior to that, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that Pakistan would use its extradition treaty with the UAE to bring Hussain back.
Last month, NAB also cautioned people against investing in Hussain’s new real estate venture to build luxury apartments in Dubai.
“If the general public at large invests in the stated project, their actions would be tantamount to money laundering, for which they may face criminal and legal proceedings,” it said.
Hussain responded to NAB in a post on X, saying that “fake cases, blackmailing and greed of officers” had forced him to relocate from Pakistan because he was not willing to be a “political pawn.”
Trudeau says Canada will place 25% tariffs on $155 billion in US imports in retaliation for Trump tariffs
OTTAWA: Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday Canada would impose 25 percent tariffs on C$155 billion ($106.5 billion) of US goods in response to US tariffs.
C$30 billion would take effect from Tuesday and C$125 billion in 21 days, Trudeau told a news conference.
Trump earlier signed an executive order imposing 25 percent tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico starting on Tuesday except Canadian energy products, which will be subject to a 10 percent duty.
Trudeau warned the tariffs would hurt the United States, a long-time ally. He encouraged Canadians to buy Canadian products and vacation at home rather than in the US
He said some non-tariff measures, including some relating to critical minerals, energy procurement and other partnerships are being looked at.
Bakhashab clinches Hail Legends Rally title
HAIL: Saudi rally driver Abdullah Bakhashab and French co-driver Sebastien Delanuay stormed to a commanding victory at the second and final stage of the Legends Rally in Hail on Saturday driving their Toyota Hilux.
Bakhashab set the pace from the start, recording an impressive time of 04h.40m.10s. Their dominant performance saw them set the fastest time on each stage, underlining their control of both first and second round.
Despite Bakhashab's dramatic victory, it was Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Faisal who captured the headlines after he suffered a vehicle rollover accident just before the end of the second stage, but he overcame the rollover and continued until the end.
His unfortunate accident brought him and his co-driver Pablo Moreno of Spain to fourth place with a time of 05h.48m.24s.
Second place overall went to Essa Al-Dosari with a time of 05h.30m.53s, while third place was secured by veteran Saudi rally driver Ahmed Al-Sabban with a time of 05h.45m.05s.
During the press conference held after the race, Bakhashab expressed his happiness at winning the Legends category title which is part of this year's edition of Hail Toyota International Rally. He also indicated that he did not expect to win, especially after his absence from rallying for 15 years.
"I was following a strategy of taking my time so that I could pass Prince Khaled and the rest of my colleagues, and thank God I succeeded and was able to arrive first and win the title," he said.
Prince Khalid bin Sultan congratulated Bakhashab, saying: “Abdullah was able to win the challenge with his experience, and this is not strange for him as a champion with titles and achievements.”
On the accident that he met, Prince Khalid said, “Thank God we came out of this race safely, and I promise you that we will be crowned in the next rally. The challenge is still on with Bakhashab and the other competitors.”
Other participants in the race expressed their great happiness to participate in the special event.
CBS agrees to hand over ‘60 Minutes’ Harris interview transcripts to FCC
- The Harris interview initially drew attention because CBS News showed Harris giving completely different responses to a question posed by correspondent Bill Whitaker in clips that were aired on “Face the Nation” on Oct. 6
CBS says it will turn over an unedited transcript of its October interview with Kamala Harris to the Federal Communications Commission, part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing fight with the network over how it handled a story about his opponent.
Trump sued CBS for $10 billion over the “60 Minutes” interview, claiming it was deceptively edited to make Harris look good. Published reports said CBS’ parent company, Paramount, has been talking to Trump’s lawyers about a settlement.
The network said Friday that it was compelled by Brendan Carr, Trump’s appointee as FCC chairman, to turn over the transcripts and camera feeds of the interview for a parallel investigation by the commission. “60 Minutes” has resisted releasing transcripts for this and all of its interviews, to avoid second-guessing of its editing process.
The case, particularly a potential settlement, is being closely watched by advocates for press freedom and by journalists within CBS, whose lawyers called Trump’s lawsuit “completely without merit” and promised to vigorously fight it after it was filed.
The Harris interview initially drew attention because CBS News showed Harris giving completely different responses to a question posed by correspondent Bill Whitaker in clips that were aired on “Face the Nation” on Oct. 6 and the next night on “60 Minutes.” The network said each clip came from a lengthy response by Harris to Whitaker’s question, but they were edited to fit time constraints on both broadcasts.
In his lawsuit, filed in Texas on Nov. 1, Trump charged it was deceptive editing designed to benefit Harris and constituted “partisan and unlawful acts of voter interference.”
Trump, who turned down a request to be interviewed by “60 Minutes” during the campaign, has continued his fight despite winning the election less than a week after the lawsuit was filed.
The network has not commented on talks about a potential settlement, reported by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Paramount executives are seeking Trump administration approval of a sale of the company to another entertainment firm, Skydance.
ABC News in December settled a defamation lawsuit by Trump over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos, agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library rather than engage in a public fight. Meta has reportedly paid $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit against the company over its decision to suspend his social media accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.
