ICC prosecutor issues warning on Bedouin village demolition by Israelis

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah visits a school in Khan Al-Ahmar on Thursday. (AP)
Updated 19 October 2018
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ICC prosecutor issues warning on Bedouin village demolition by Israelis

  • Israel's Supreme Court recently rejected a final appeal against plans to demolish the village, Khan Al-Ahmar.
  • Israel says Khan Al-Ahmar was built illegally and has offered to resettle its residents a few kilometers away

THE HAGUE: The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has issued a warning that if Israel goes ahead and destroys a Palestinian Bedouin village in the West Bank that could constitute a war crime.

Israel's Supreme Court recently rejected a final appeal against plans to demolish the village, Khan Al-Ahmar.

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a written statement that "evacuation by force now appears imminent."

She added: "It bears recalling, as a general matter, that extensive destruction of property without military necessity and population transfers in an occupied territory constitute war crimes" under the Rome Statute treaty that established the ICC.

Israel says Khan Al-Ahmar was built illegally and has offered to resettle its residents a few kilometers away. Palestinians and other critics say the demolition aims to displace Palestinians in favor of Israeli settlement expansion.

The ICC has been conducting a preliminary inquiry since 2015 in the Palestinian territories, including Israel's settlement policy and crimes allegedly committed by both sides in the 2014 Gaza conflict. Israel is not a member of the court and does not accept its jurisdiction. 

 

Israeli crimes

However, Israeli forces could face charges if they are suspected of committing crimes on Palestinian territories as the court has accepted the "State of Palestine" as a member.

Bensouda's written statement also said she is "alarmed by the continued violence, perpetrated by actors on both sides, at the Gaza border with Israel." 

There have been weeks of escalating violence along the border.


Speaker lineup for World Tourism Day in Riyadh revealed

During the event, tourism leaders will deliver speeches and panel discussions will focus on three UNWTO core themes.
Updated 7 min 9 sec ago
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Speaker lineup for World Tourism Day in Riyadh revealed

  • Over 500 officials, leaders, and experts from 120 countries will attend, highlighting the importance of the day in shaping the future of global tourism

RIYADH: The speaker lineup for this year’s World Tourism Day in Riyadh on Sept. 27-28 has been revealed.

Over 500 officials, leaders, and experts from 120 countries will attend, highlighting the importance of the day in shaping the future of global tourism.

The diverse range of speakers reflects the industry’s commitment to celebrating achievements and finding solutions to key challenges.

The speaker lineup includes Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al Falih and Saudi Deputy Tourism Minister Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud.

Other notable speakers are South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, Croatian Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy, Spanish State Secretary Rosa Ana Morillo Rodriguez, World Travel and Tourism Council CEO Julia Simpson, Global Tourism Economy Forum Secretary-General Pansy Ho, Saudia CEO Ibrahim Koshy, MSC Cruises CEO Pierfrancesco Vago, Travelport CEO Greg Webb, Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch, and OYO CEO Ritesh Agarwal.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “Tourism is a powerful force for progress and mutual understanding. But in order to deliver its full benefits, this force must be protected and nurtured.

“On this World Tourism Day, we recognize the vital need for green investments to build a tourism sector that delivers for people and planet. So let us all do more to harness the full potential of sustainable tourism. Because investing in sustainable tourism is investing in a better future for all.”

World Tourism Day will be held under the theme “Tourism and Green Investments” with the aim of fostering global collaboration in examining investment opportunities to strengthen the resilience of the tourism industry and steer the sector toward an investment-led and sustainably focused future.

During the two-day event, tourism leaders will deliver keynote speeches and panel discussions will focus on three UNWTO core themes: people, planet and prosperity.

Participants will explore the power of tourism and the sector’s role in bridging cultures, preserving the environment, and promoting a more harmonious and interconnected world.

At the two-day event, Saudi Arabia will hand over the chair to Georgia, which will host the event next year.


UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly

Updated 24 September 2023
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UAE FM meets UN secretary general on sidelines of UNGA assembly

  • Discussions focused on partnerships in humanitarian aid, renewable energy, climate action

LONDON: UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Emirates News Agency reported.

Discussions focused on UAE-UN partnerships in a variety of sectors, including humanitarian aid, renewable energy, climate action and sustainable development.

Sheikh Abdullah and Guterres reviewed the outcomes of the UAE’s membership of the UN Security Council from 2022 to 2023, as well as its contributions to international peace and security, and humanitarian response operations and initiatives aimed at tackling global challenges.

The meeting discussed the UAE’s preparations for hosting the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in November in Dubai.

Sheikh Abdullah said that the UAE recognized the need to expedite the global response to climate change to achieve peace and security, and that the country looked forward to leveraging climate challenges into opportunities that drove sustainable and economic development.

The two officials also addressed developments in the Middle East, exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as challenges to international peace and security.

Guterres thanked the UAE for its strengthened engagement with the UN and its hosting of COP28.

The meeting was attended by several UAE officials, including Reem bint Ibrahim Al-Hashimy, minister of state for international cooperation, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, permanent representative to the UN, Mohamed Issa Abu Shehab, deputy permanent representative to the UN, and Majid Al Suwaidi, special representative of COP28.

 


All 120 workers rescued after Nile cruise ship accident in Egypt

Nile cruise ships and feluccas are moored off the river bank of Egypt’s southern city of Luxor. (File/AFP)
Updated 24 September 2023
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All 120 workers rescued after Nile cruise ship accident in Egypt

  • There were no guests on board the ship, which was heading to Luxor Governorate in the south of Egypt

CAIRO: All 120 workers on board a Nile cruise ship that partially sank after it collided with a bridge have been rescued. 

The collision caused a hole in the lower right side of the Tivoli Nile ship in Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt, officials said.

There were no guests on board the ship, which was heading to Luxor Governorate in the south of Egypt.

The Public Prosecution is investigating the incident.

Authorities said they were working with the company that owns the floating hotel, while Mohammed Amer, head of the Department of Hotel Establishments, Shops, and Tourist Activities at the ministry, said the ship’s tourism operating license expired last May and had not been renewed.

It was recently at a workshop in Helwan, south of Cairo, for necessary repairs and maintenance work to allow it to operate during the upcoming winter season, starting next month.

Amer said that, after completing all maintenance work, the management of the vessel obtained a passage permit from Cairo to Luxor for the necessary inspections by Ministry of Tourism officials to renew its license in preparation for the start of October.

The River Transport Authority said that it granted a temporary permit for the ship to leave the repair shop to its own berth on Aug. 23 until it obtained the rest of the necessary licenses from the other relevant authorities.


Jordan, UK delegations review bilateral cooperation

Updated 24 September 2023
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Jordan, UK delegations review bilateral cooperation

  • Jordanian MPs advocated for increasing British investment in Jordan, medical tourism promotion

LONDON: The Jordanian-British Parliamentary Friendship Association met a UK delegation of Conservative MPs on Sunday in Amman to discuss opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, Jordan News Agency reported.

Dina Bashir, the association’s president, emphasized the strength of Jordanian-British relations, which she attributed to the country’s respective leaderships.

Bashir underscored Jordan’s commitment to political, economic and administrative modernization under the leadership of King Abdullah II, with the goal of improving Jordanians’ lives in a range of sectors.

Bashir expressed Jordan’s position on the Palestinian cause while applauding the king’s efforts to resolve the conflict on local, regional and international levels. She also emphasized the importance of Jordanian custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem in sustaining the historical coexistence of Muslims and Christians.

Highlighting Jordan’s long-standing tradition of welcoming refugees, Bashir noted the influx of Syrian refugees and its impact on the host country’s infrastructure. She urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities toward Jordan so it could continue to play its humanitarian role.

Bashir campaigned for the expansion and marketing of Jordanian products in the UK, as well as boosting economic and tourism collaboration.

Several Jordanian MPs also advocated for increasing British investment in Jordan, medical tourism promotion, and British tourists visiting the country.

The UK delegation highlighted the need to strengthen bilateral ties in the economic, commercial, agricultural and tourism sectors. They also acknowledged Jordan’s critical role in the refugee crisis as well as its efforts to ensure regional security and stability.

 


Saudi authorities foil drug-smuggling attempts

Updated 24 September 2023
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Saudi authorities foil drug-smuggling attempts

  • Initial legal procedures have been taken against the suspects

RIYADH: Saudi authorities have arrested several people and seized large quantities of illegal drugs in operations carried out across the Kingdom, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested a citizen, two residents and a Yemeni national in Jeddah for selling 10 kg of hashish, as well as three citizens in the Asir region for selling 15 kg of hashish.

Initial legal procedures have been taken against the suspects and they will be referred to the public prosecution office.

Meanwhile, land patrols in the Al-Dair governorate of the Jazan region also thwarted an attempt to smuggle 120 kg of qat.

Saudi security forces are appealing to the public to report information concerning drug smuggling or dealing by calling 911 in the Makkah, Riyadh and Eastern Province regions, and 999 in the rest of the Kingdom.

Members of the public can also contact the General Directorate of Narcotics Control on 995 or via email at [email protected]. All reports will be treated with strict confidentiality.