cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/50832517

Marco Rubio targets ICC’s Tomoko Akane and Abdoulaye Seye, who was investigating Israeli war crimes in Gaza

The US has sanctioned the president of the international criminal court (ICC) and a prosecutor tasked with investigating crimes committed by Israel during its war on Gaza.

The new sanctions designations were unveiled by Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, who called the Hague-based ICC a “corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate”, in a statement.

Rubio announced that the US would sanction Tomoko Akane of Japan, the ICC president, and Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, an ICC senior trial lawyer, because they had “directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction”.

US Imposes Sanctions on President of International Criminal Court

The United States has imposed new sanctions on two officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. One is the court’s president, Japanese judge Tomoko Akane. The other is Senegalese Abdoulaye Seye, a member of the prosecution team.
“These individuals are directly involved in attempts to investigate, arrest, detain, and prosecute officials from countries that do not submit to the court’s jurisdiction,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Sanctions Target Financial Access

The sanctions mean Akane and Seye will lose access to any US-based bank accounts they may hold. More significantly, they will be cut off from the US financial system, which is used by nearly all internationally operating banks.

US Rejects ICC Authority

The US does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. The country fears that one day, American military personnel or allies could be charged with war crimes or crimes against humanity—a scenario that is not unrealistic. In 2016, the ICC launched an investigation into possible war crimes by US military personnel, the CIA, the Taliban, and other armed groups in Afghanistan. That investigation was dropped in 2019 after judges concluded it would not succeed due to lack of cooperation.

Netanyahu and Gallant Trigger Escalation

The Trump administration’s aggressive stance follows the ICC’s 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—both US allies. The court seeks to prosecute them for war crimes and crimes against humanity related to their roles in the Gaza war. Seye was part of the prosecution team that issued these arrest warrants. Last year, shortly after taking office, Trump announced sanctions against individuals and entities assisting the ICC in investigations involving US citizens or their allies. One of those sanctioned was Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who lost access to his US bank accounts and Microsoft email. Last month, Secretary Rubio warned that this was only the beginning. If necessary, he said in The Wall Street Journal, the US would dismantle the ICC “brick by brick.”

Translated article: https://nos.nl/artikel/2627436-vs-legt-sancties-op-aan-president-internationaal-strafhof

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring African states to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to sources close to the Court in The Hague, as reported in an exclusive article by Le Monde published on August 4.

According to the sources, the U.S. is employing two forms of pressure in this campaign.

First, Washington is allegedly spreading disinformation. The U.S. claims that the authorities of the targeted countries themselves risk being prosecuted by the ICC.

"Chad, which was recently criticized by NGOs for its support of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, reportedly felt vulnerable as a result. However, the likelihood of such prosecutions being initiated is considered 'unlikely,'" the sources stated.

The second method the U.S. is using, according to the report, is threatening to terminate security agreements with countries that refuse to leave the ICC. Le Monde reports that multiple African ICC member states are targets of this American campaign.

"At the end of July, several African ICC member states received phone calls, visits, and letters from the United States. For example, Uganda received a letter on July 24 containing an ultimatum to leave the Court, or face consequences," one of the sources explained.

Autistic youth often end up outside the labour market, according to Italian entrepreneur Nicola Acampora. That's why he started PizzAut in Monza: a restaurant where only people with autism work. The concept is a hit: Acampora now runs two popular restaurants that are always fully booked. If you want to eat there on the weekend, you’ll need to reserve weeks in advance.

'Currently, it is estimated that around seven million people in Europe are on the autism spectrum. Yet, the autistic community remains greatly underemployed: while the overall employment rate in the EU currently sits at 73%, estimates show that for the autistic population, this figure can drop to below 10%.'
https://www.autismeurope.org/blog/what-we-do/utism-spectrum-pathways-2023-2025-inclusivity-beyond-formative-education-and-in-the-workplace/

Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir abuses and terrorizes handcuffed Gaza flotilla activists for days | BBC News

That israeli minister Ben-Gvir posted the abuse on his own twitter account: https://xcancel.com/itamarbengvir/status/2057046925417824697#m

If they do this to human rights activists in broad daylight, imagine what they do to Palestinians when none is looking...

When journalists, aid workers, and civilians seeking to provide humanitarian aid are detained, mistreated, or intimidated, the international community must not remain silent.

Human rights are not a selective principle that applies only when it is politically convenient. It is precisely in difficult times that the rule of law must be upheld.

The question is not only what happened, but also why so many governments and politicians continue to look the other way as more and more testimonies come to light.

History will judge not only those who committed injustices, but also those who remained silent while it was happening.

Dutch News reporter who joined Flotilla shares his experience: https://youtube.com/shorts/iBEddBAuDR0

Injuries: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskBalkans/comments/1tk8ebb/turkish_flotilla_activists_have_finally_arrived/

BBC video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRwBcbuubU

Why is Trump protecting Israels abuse and terror from European sanctions? Americans cant be bothered to force trumps hand with strikes? Meanwhile Europeans: (who also strike for way less)

Authorities brought 20 police cars, five SWAT officers, and drones to her house

https://www.twitch.tv/grammacrackers/clip/CharmingSolidNoodleKevinTurtle-CCpMMy7EX_W4v7_S

update: Found this video from local news https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGeb3cuqLxE

https://apnews.com/article/trump-prayer-gathering-conservative-christians-nationalism-c677a4c43070e9da261f4ec5ebcf62a4

https://www.whitehouse.gov/freedom250/america-prays/

The gathering has been organised by the White House as part of a programme of celebrations for America's 250th birthday and, in a video message inviting Americans to attend, Hegseth said it was an opportunity to "rededicate this republic to God and country".

Muscular Christian nationalism has enjoyed a prominent platform since Trump's return to power, and evangelicals form a core element of the president's support base.

I thought America was a secular state?
A secular state is an idea pertaining to secularity, whereby a state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion.[1] A secular state claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen based on their religious beliefs, affiliation or lack of either over those with other profiles.

Update/correction: Merz said exchange of words with Trump not reason for American withdrawal

There is no connection between the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops from Germany and the public exchange of words between US President Trump and German Chancellor Merz. Merz stated this in an interview with the German broadcaster ARD.

https://nos.nl/artikel/2611716-meta-blokkeert-opnieuw-tientallen-queer-accounts-op-instagram

Translation:
Tech giant Meta has once again removed dozens of Instagram accounts belonging to queer organizations and individuals, among others. Accounts of the Dutch organizations The Queer Agenda, Club Church, and gay sauna Nieuwezijds have also been taken offline. In December, Meta also blocked dozens of accounts without explanation. Following objections from users, some of them came back online, but those accounts have now been removed again.

The American organization Repro Uncensored, which maps censorship on social media worldwide, documented more than seventy cases in recent weeks, many of which were in the European Union. "These cases demonstrate a broader pattern targeting LGBTI communities, content about women's and sexual health, artists, cultural spaces, and even music festivals," the organization writes on Instagram.

Important marketing tool

Samuel King, one of the owners of the Amsterdam nightclub Tillatec, received a notification on Saturday morning that the nightclub's Instagram account had been deactivated. He says he received no prior warning. It was also unclear which posted message violated the terms of service. According to the notification King received after filing an objection, he would be contacted by Meta after 24 hours. That did not happen. The Instagram account with 40,000 followers, Tillatec's most important marketing tool, has now been permanently deleted. "The majority of our audience consists of Gen Z and millennials, who use these platforms to stay up to date," says King.

Queer icon

Jan Hoek, artist and founder of the inclusive art space No Limits! Art Castle in Amsterdam, explains that his eight accounts were blocked after a single post. After he filed an objection, some of his accounts were restored. Other accounts have been permanently deleted. "It seems totally random when that does and doesn't happen," says Hoek.

The post in question was a call for an exhibition in which the word "hooker" was used. That word was the culprit, Hoek suspects. He made the post in collaboration with Canadian filmmaker Bruce LaBruce, "a queer icon" with 135,000 followers on Instagram. His account was also deleted after the post. "He has lost his entire follower base," says Hoek.

Hoek is holding discussions with other affected users about switching to alternatives and next steps. He has already swapped WhatsApp for Signal, but there is no good alternative for Instagram yet, he says. "We don't just want our account back, but also for something to change structurally; otherwise, we will be stuck in a kind of circle forever."

Different course after Trump's return

According to Lotje Beek of the activist group Bits of Freedom, which advocates for the right to privacy and freedom of communication, the action fits the course Meta has taken since President Trump returned to power. "We have seen that for the past year and a half, progressive voices have been more frequently affected by content moderation on Meta," says Beek. Shortly after Trump's inauguration, Instagram users on the platform were temporarily unable to search for terms such as 'Biden' and 'Democrats'.

Beek says that the American tech giant often hides behind "technical errors," but Meta's actions appear to be in violation of European law. "Meta is not allowed to remove accounts because they belong to queer people; that is discrimination," says Beek.

Meta is allowed to set its own rules, however, as long as they are in line with the law. For example, child pornography may not be shared on platforms. And if Meta decides to block accounts, this must be well-justified and there must be an opportunity to object.

At the moment, neither of these conditions appears to be guaranteed, according to Beek. "There is a very big case pending here before the European Commission, the regulator of the Digital Services Act (DSA)." An investigation by the European Commission into the terms of use of Instagram and Facebook has been ongoing for two years.

Hate-mongering agenda

The accounts that have been removed again have not escaped the attention of GroenLinks-PvdA MEP Kim Sparrentak either. "This is a direct attack on our democratic freedoms and our online public debate," she says. "Those tech-ligarchs like Zuckerberg (CEO of Meta, ed.) talk a lot about censorship and freedom of speech, but systematically exclude queers from public debate themselves. This is not a mistake, but a pattern that fits into Trump's hate-mongering radical right-wing agenda," says Sparrentak. "The Commission must strike back hard."

In a response, a spokesperson for Meta stated that it is investigating the accounts brought to the tech company's attention. The spokesperson also emphasized that Meta encourages anyone whose account may have been blocked in error to appeal.

Other sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/11/meta-shuts-down-global-accounts-linked-to-abortion-advice-and-queer-content

"Member States should refrain from taking measures that may increase fuel consumption, limit the free flow of petroleum products or disincentivize EU refinery output," Jørgensen said. He added that countries should consider the cross-border impact of national measures to preserve "EU-wide coherence."

To avoid a shortage ig. So no tax cuts or benefits also probably?

Trump doesn't read. No reports etc he doesn't want to be prepared and has no clue what's going on or what reports say, so they make a daily video for trump with a compilation of the biggest bombings of that day in Iran. And that's where trump bases all his assumptions on xd Bruh

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-receives-daily-video-montage-briefing-iran-war-rcna263912

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/43268429

Shorter version: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OnXBDts8nbs

Europe Correspondent Saskia Dekkers Spoke With Gerald Knaus, Architect of 2016 Turkey Deal who Warns of Failure in Europe’s Migration Pact, he says it could trigger the ultra right to demand an ICE-like force

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/29640

President Donald Trump pledged Thursday that the United States would provide $10 billion in funding for his so-called Board of Peace—without specifying where the money would come from or how it would be used.

"Totally illegal," US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote in response to Trump's remarks at the inaugural meeting of the president's board, where attendees—from far-right Argentine President Javier Milei to FIFA president Gianni Infantino—were given MAGA-style red hats.

Trump said during the gathering that "the United States is going to make a contribution of $10 billion to the Board of Peace."

"We've had great support for that number," the president said, without saying from whom. "And that number is a very small number when you look at that compared to the cost of war. That's two weeks of fighting. It's a very small number. Sounds like a lot, but it's a very small number, so we're committed to $10 billion."

Trump also said that member nations of the board have pledged $7 billion total for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which Israel has obliterated with the help of US weaponry. (The United Nations has estimated that Gaza reconstruction would cost more than $70 billion over the course of several decades.)

Watch Trump's remarks:

Trump's vow to provide $10 billion in US funds for a board he created and leads intensified concerns that the entire project is another grift by a president who has been described as the most corrupt leader in US history, openly using the power of his office to enrich himself and his family.

"Can’t help but notice that this insane attempted theft is the same sum he’s trying to steal from the Treasury, disguised as damages for the disclosure of his tax records," wrote journalist Brian Beutler, referring to the $10 billion lawsuit Trump filed last month against the US Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service.

"Probably a coincidence, which is worse, because it implies double stealing," Beutler added.

Nancy Okail, president and CEO of the Center for International Policy, warned in an op-ed for The Hill on Wednesday that the Board of Peace is part of the Trump administration's "the monetization and privatization of foreign policy for personal enrichment."

"Initially presented as a mechanism to oversee a Gaza-Israel peace process, it has been widely chided as just another unserious Trump vanity project," Okail noted.

David Corn of Mother Jones wrote earlier this month that Trump is "essentially cooking up a global slush fund over which he will exert complete control."

"Countries that get in early—while he’s president—will certainly be in a strong position to request preferential treatment in state affairs. The opportunities for graft and grift are immense. He will probably ask Congress to kick in the $1 billion pay-to-play membership fee to guarantee he’ll have a pot of money to spend (or pocket) at his fancy."

---

From Common Dreams via This RSS Feed.

Same article but no paywall: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/ousted-south-korean-president-faces-death-penalty-in-insurrection-case/ar-AA1WB1sO

South Korea, the country of K-pop, Kia and Samsung, a stable democracy for decades. More than a year ago, on 3 december 2024 the conservative president Yoon announced a state of siege live on television and plunged South Korea into chaos for 6 hours. Yoon seemed to be radicalized by the idea that North-Korea was on the break of attacking South-Korea and he wanted to save South Korea himself from this.

Yoon's seizure of power eventually ended in prison. And for the first time, a democratically elected president is now facing the death penalty. Yoon never showed remorse.

The documentary 'The Seoul Guardians' about the coup just premiered by a South-Korean filmmaker at the International Rotterdam Film Festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4IetUt0yPQ

Short clip of a woman trying to grab a soldiers gun during the coup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhxnvVn0IVw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbzIULf6Im8

https://apnews.com/article/meta-tiktok-snap-discord-zuckerberg-testify-senate-00754a6bea92aaad62585ed55f219932

Translated dutch article https://nos.nl/artikel/2602945-rouwende-ouders-wachten-op-verklaring-zuckerberg-in-socialemediazaak

Grieving Parents Await Zuckerberg’s Testimony in Social Media Case

Merijn Westerhoff Washington Bureau

In the high-profile American lawsuit against social media companies, all eyes today are on Mark Zuckerberg. The founder of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is set to testify in a California courtroom.

The case is part of a broader civil proceeding in which more than 1,600 plaintiffs, parents and families taking legal action, argue that the platforms knowingly cause mental harm to young people.

Zuckerberg’s appearance is seen as a pivotal moment in the trial. It is rare for the head of a major tech company to testify in person in a civil case of this scale.

Parents who have lost children to the consequences of social media, ranging from deadly drug deals to bullying that led to suicide, are traveling from across the country to California in the hope of looking the Meta CEO in the eye.

Online Blackmail

Mary Rodee traveled from New York to Los Angeles to see Zuckerberg testify. In 2021, she lost her 15-year-old son to suicide after he became a victim of sextortion, a form of online blackmail in which perpetrators threaten to release intimate material.

Rodee blames tech companies for exposing her child to an unsafe platform they knew was harmful.

Because only a handful of seats are available to the public, entry is limited to those who line up early. Earlier this week, Rodee and other grieving relatives waited outside the courthouse all night. She managed to secure a seat then, but expects her chances of seeing Zuckerberg today to be slimmer.

Still, she believes it is her duty to ensure the gallery is filled with parents. “We need to show ourselves,” she says. “It changes the energy in the courtroom.”

Two years ago, Zuckerberg testified at a hearing in the U.S. Congress. He apologized to grieving families in the audience who had brought photos of their deceased children.

This lawsuit is groundbreaking because the companies are not being sued over specific content, but over the design of their platforms. Features such as infinite scroll and constant notifications allegedly make it nearly impossible not to become addicted.

“Move Fast”

Meta disputes the allegations. “We have made countless decisions to keep teens safe,” the company said in a statement. The case originally also targeted TikTok and Snapchat, but those companies reached settlements.

In Europe, policymakers are closely watching the proceedings. Potential legal breakthroughs in the United States could influence future regulations and liability issues surrounding digital platforms.

For years, Facebook’s motto was “Move fast and break things,” a slogan meant to reassure employees that innovation came first, even if it caused damage.

“The Bullying Never Stopped”

Erin Popolo has no doubt that social media use can cause harm. She lost her 16-year-old daughter, Emily, to suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emily’s mental health deteriorated sharply as her social media use increased and online bullying intensified. “She used to be able to escape the bullying when she was home,” her mother recalls, “but online it continued 24 hours a day.”

Popolo now campaigns against the harmful effects of social media on young people. She was also present in the California courtroom last week.

During that hearing, an internal 2016 email was discussed in which Zuckerberg wrote about the launch of Facebook’s live video feature. In it, he suggested that informing parents and teachers might undermine the product’s success.

For Popolo, the testimony is painful to hear. “It’s hard to learn that these people were making decisions while already knowing the damage it causes to children.”

Harassment During the Funeral

She also argues that anonymity on social media changes how people treat one another. Even during her daughter’s virtual funeral, streamed because of COVID restrictions, the bullying continued. A minor broke into the Zoom session and posted insulting messages about her daughter.

The incident underscores the seriousness of online abuse. “Parents often underestimate that social media not only gives their child access to the world, but gives the world access to their child.”

A verdict is expected in March. Popolo hopes it will bring meaningful change. Tech companies, she says, are driven by profit. “Move fast and break things,” she says. “And unfortunately, it’s our children who have been broken.”

--

imo the american government is too intertwined and too dependant on big tech companies so they will protect them, I mean they were all at the inauguration and stuff. The american government cares more about those big tech companies than the safety of children or peoples privacy. Clearly.

Shorter version: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OnXBDts8nbs

Europe Correspondent Saskia Dekkers Spoke With Gerald Knaus, Architect of 2016 Turkey Deal who Warns of Failure in Europe’s Migration Pact, he says it could trigger the ultra right to demand an ICE-like force

The three men have no medical licenses. The US ambassador wants the investigation to stop, so he wants people without medical licenses performing medical procedures cause that is religious freedom? ...
Dutch news video

White also demanded an apology from the Belgian 'Vooruit' party leader Conner Rousseau over a video in which he compared Trump to Hitler, and threatened a U.S. travel ban. Rousseau refused to apologize.