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THE HAGUE (AP) — The world’s top war-crimes court issued arrest warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the 13-month war in Gaza. The warrants said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and have intentionally targeted civilians in Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza — charges Israeli officials deny. The action by the International Criminal Court came as the death toll from Israel’s campaign in Gaza passed 44,000 people, according to local health authorities, who say more than half of those killed were women and children. Their count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Experts say hunger has become widespread across Gaza and may have reached famine levels in the north of the territory, which is under siege by Israeli troops. Israel says it has been working hard to improve entry of aid, though the trickle of supplies into Gaza remains near the lowest levels of the war. Netanyahu condemned the warrant against him, saying Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions” by the court. In a statement released by his office, he said: “There is nothing more just than the war that Israel has been waging in Gaza.” Gallant, in a statement, said the decision "sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare and encourages murderous terrorism.” The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects, putting them at risk of arrest when they travel abroad and potentially further isolating them . Israel and its top ally, the United States, are not members of the court. But others of Israel's allies, including some of its close European friends, are put in an awkward position. Several, including France, welcomed the court's decision and signaled they might arrest Netanyahu if he visited. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden's administration was “deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.” The warrants represent "the most dramatic step yet in the court’s involvement in the conflict between Israel and Hamas," said Anthony Dworkin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Israeli leaders, politicians and officials across the spectrum denounced the warrants and the ICC. The new defense minister, Israel Katz, who replaced Gallant earlier this month, said Thursday’s decision is “a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the international judicial system to an unprecedented low.” Human rights groups applauded the move. The warrants against both sides “break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, Balkees Jarrah, said in a statement. The decision came six months after ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested the warrants. The court issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’ armed wing, over the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza. It said it found reasonable grounds to believe Deif was involved in murder, rape, torture and the taking of hostages amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity. In the Hamas-led attack, militants stormed into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking some 250 others hostage. Around 100 Israelis remain captive in Gaza, around a third of them believed to be dead. Khan withdrew requests for warrants for two other senior Hamas figures, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh , who have both since been killed. Israel says it also killed Deif in an airstrike, but Hamas has never confirmed his death. The warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were issued by a three-judge panel in a unanimous decision. The panel said there were reasonable grounds to believe that both men bear responsibility for the war crime of starvation and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. The judges said the lack of food, water, electricity, fuel and specific medical supplies created conditions “calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza,” including the deaths of children due to malnutrition and dehydration. They also found that by preventing hospital supplies and medicine from getting into Gaza, doctors were forced to operate, including performing amputations, without anesthesia or with unsafe means of sedation that led to “great suffering.” Israeli diplomatic officials said the government is lobbying the international community to speak out against the warrants and is considering an appeal to the court. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal decision on how the government will proceed. Despite the warrants, none of the suspects is likely to face judges in The Hague anytime soon. Member countries are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no way to enforce that. For example, Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted on an ICC warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, recently visited Mongolia, a member state in the court but also a Russian ally. He was not arrested. Still, the threat of arrest now complicates any travel abroad by Netanyahu and Gallant. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the warrants are binding on all 27 members countries of the European Union. France signaled it could arrest Netanyahu if he came to its territory. Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine called it a “complex legal issue” but said France supports the court’s actions. “Combating impunity is our priority,” he said. “Our response will align with these principles.” Hamas in a statement welcomed the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant but made no mention of the one against Deif. Israel’s opposition leaders fiercely criticized the ICC’s move. Benny Gantz, a retired general and political rival to Netanyahu, said it showed “moral blindness” and was a “shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten.” Israel’s campaign has caused heavy destruction across Gaza and driven almost the entire population of 2.3 million people from their homes, leaving most dependent on aid to survive. Two days after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel, Gallant announced a total seal on Gaza, vowing not to let in food, fuel or other supplies. Under U.S. pressure, Israel began allowing a trickle of humanitarian aid to enter a few weeks later. Israel now says it puts no limit on the supplies permitted into Gaza, and it blames the U.N. distribution system. But Israel's official figures show the amount of aid it has let in has plunged since the beginning of October. The U.N has blamed Israeli military restrictions, along with widespread lawlessness that has led to theft of aid shipments. The case at the ICC is separate from another legal battle Israel is waging at the top U.N. court, the International Court of Justice, in which South Africa accuses Israel of genocide , an allegation Israeli leaders staunchly deny. Lawyers for Israel argued in court that the war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide. Associated Press journalists Raf Casert in Brussels, Mike Corder in The Hague and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.Coming as a big win for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Hemant Soren and his allies this election , the party and its allies have managed to retain the state for a second consecutive term. Hemant Soren has also won from Barhait constituency by over 39,000 votes. As of 7 PM, the Election Commission of India's website reported JMM leading in 34 seats while its ally, the Congress, was leading in 16. Jharkhand has had a history of political turmoil, fragmentation and frequent changes of Chief Ministers. JMM's Hemant was also being jailed earlier this year. BJP had banked on leveraging anti-incumbency, corruption charges against Hemant and making inroads into the tribal vote-bank. But JMM has managed to render a huge defeat to BJP and fared well in its performance. Kalpana Soren, Hemant's wife, also contributed in revitalising the party's performance on ground. She has also won from the Gandey seat in Jharkhand with over 17,000 votes. “We passed exam of democracy in Jharkhand, will finalise strategy post election results," said Hemant Soren while addressing a press conference in Ranchi. Meanwhile, Kalpana also told ANI, "This government is the Abua government, this government is the government of the people of Jharkhand. The people have expressed their unwavering faith in Hemant Soren..." But what were the reasons that led towards victory for JMM-led alliance and an electoral defeat for BJP? ADVERTISEMENT REMOVE AD Hemant Soren's Incarceration The arrest of Hemant Soren seemed to have backfired on the BJP. Earlier this year, he was jailed for 5 months for an alleged land scam case. He resigned hours after being arrested on corruption charges, but it seems the sympathy from the incarceration has struck a chord with the people of Jharkhand, especially his already established, strong connection with Adivasi voters. "Jail ke tale tut gaye, Hemant Soren chuth gaye" was the slogan raised by his supporters and JMM saw his arrest as a dent on Adivasi honor. Soren had brought up the fact that he was falsely implicated and this has inadvertently culminated into political ramifications in the election. à¤à¤3⁄4रà¤à¤à¤¡à¥ à¤à¤ à¤1à¥à¤ ठ̧à¥à¤« à¤1à¥à¤à¥¤ à¤à¤à¥ à¤à¥ ठ̈à¤3⁄4 बà¤à¤à¥à¤à¤à¥ - ठ̧िरà¥à¤«à¤1⁄4 à¤à¤à¥ बढà¤1⁄4à¥à¤à¤à¥à¥¤ pic.twitter.com/OQTkwoNxRL — Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (@JmmJharkhand) November 23, 2024 BJP's Communally Charged Campaign Failed In last elections, JMM got 30 seats while BJP settled with only 25. This time, BJP tried hard to cut into and expand their base among tribals with slogans like "Batenge toh katenge," "ek hain toh safe hain," "ghuspethiye," "love jihad" and "land jihad. " Right from Assam's chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Home Minister Amit Shah, all of them pushed the rhetoric of "Bangladeshi infiltrators." After losing Jharkhand, Sarma posted on X how the defeat was "deeply painful for him personally." The loss in Jharkhand is deeply painful for me personally, even though we secured victory in all five by-elections in Assam. I have witnessed the unwavering dedication and relentless efforts of our Karyakartas in Jharkhand, who gave their all in this election. We fought with a⦠— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 23, 2024 BJP claimed that 'maati, beti and roti' is in peril due to 'infiltrators' marrying tribal women and seizing their lands and resources. BJP had also shared a deeply anti-Muslim and hateful ad which attracted censure from The Election Commission of India. To counter this alleged outsider influx in tribal areas, BJP had also promised NRC and Uniform Civil Code that would be implemented if they would have won. JMM's 'Maiya Samman Yojana' Push The Jharkhand politics was also dominated by women welfare schemes this election as the state has an astounding 12.8 million women voters. It seems that JMM's Maiya Samman Yojana stood as a better counter to BJP's 'Gogo Didi' scheme, both aiming to woo women voters. JMM offered Rs 1,000 to underprivileged women in the scheme. In response to JMM, BJP said that through their 'Gogo Didi' scheme, they promised Rs 2,100 per month to all women in the state. BJP pledged to transfer money to beneficiaries from the first month after coming to power but it looks like it didn't work. There was also a significant turnout of women voters as it was higher than men in over 85% out of the total 81 assembly constituencies, according to ECI. à¤à¥à¤¤ ठà¤à¥ à¤à¤° à¤aà¥à¤°à¤à¤à¤¡ à¤1à¥à¤à¥à¥¤ pic.twitter.com/mk3Ie2ARui — Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (@JmmJharkhand) November 23, 2024 The Tribal Backlash There are 28 out of the 81 seats which are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and nine are for Scheduled Castes. Adivasis, who make up a quarter of the state's population, are vital to putting together a winning social collation. During the Lok Sabha polls, BJP had lost all 5 tribal-dominated seats - Khunti, Singhbhum, Lohardaga, Rajmahal, and Dumka. Most tribal concentrated regions are Kolhan, Santhal Pargana as well as South Chhotanagpur. In ST seats, JMM and Congress, both seem to have made more headway. BJP also tried to win over tribal voters by bringing back former CM Babulal Marandi and getting JMM-turncoat Champai Soren on their side. But it doesn't seem to have succeeded in countering Hemant Soren's Adivasi-centered campaign. The Jairam Mahato Factor The rise of Jairam Mahato of Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantrikari Morcha may have also affected the BJP adversely. A young OBC Kurmi leader, he is also called 'Tiger Jairam.' He contested from two seats: Dumri and Bermo. The ECI website reported, as of 7 PM that Mahato won from Dumri but lost Bermo constituency to INC's Kumar Jaimangal. Mahatos, who are Kurmis, form around 14% of Jharkhand’s population, making them the largest OBC group in the state. His party may have won over a section of Kurmis who were disenchanted with the Soren government. This vote may have otherwise gone to the BJP and its ally AJSU (All Jharkhand Student's Union). Some other key candidates such as Babulal Marandi won from Dhanwar seat, Champai Soren won from Seraikella and Irfan Ansari of Congress won against Hemant Soren's sister-in-law Sita Soren in Jamtara seat. Back in 2019, JMM won 30 seats while BJP won 25. In 2014, JMM won 19 and BJP managed to win 37 seats. While most exit polls suggested a victory for NDA, few others such as Axis My India had projected 25 seats for BJP and 53 seats for JMM-Congress alliance. The sixth Jharkhand Assembly election was held in two-phases on 13 and 20 November. It saw a record turnout of 67.74% — the highest since the state’s creation in 2000. (At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.) Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from news and politics Topics: Jharkhand Hemant Soren jharkhand electionsXAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Trust Declares its Monthly Common Shares Distribution of $0.077 per Share'Flooded with reports': Glitches as new ticketing system starts with a bump
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ALBANY, N.Y. — Christian Brothers Academy will honor and celebrate former head coach David Doemel ’71 with a special court dedication ceremony on Friday, Dec. 27, at 6:30 p.m. in the Ned McGraw Gymnasium, before the start of the Holiday Basketball Tournament Varsity game. “Christian Brothers Academy has been honored to have David Doemel ’71 as part of its faculty and coaching staff for more than 40 years,” wrote a spokesperson for the CBA athletic department, via press release, on Thursday. “Coach Doemel ’71 has played an integral role in the success of Christian Brothers Academy for over half acentury. His positive impact on thousands of students, players, and families will forever be remembered;and will have a presence in CBA history as one of our winningest coaches.” Doemel finished his varsity basketball career with 415 victories, seven Section 2 titles, and the only basketball State Championship in school history. In addition, with 248 varsity baseball victories, Doemel is second only to JimPedlow ’60 in career baseball wins. No one in the history of CBA has more combined victories at all levels than Dave Doemel. CBA will unveil the name of the basketball court; which will be known as ‘The Dave Doemel ’71 Court’, in front of Dave’s family, friends, colleagues, former students, alumni, and the entire CBA community. The celebration will continue with a reception in the CBA cafeteria, post-ceremony. The Brothers are 2-1 in 2024-25 under new, first-year head coach and program alum Galal Cancer. They’ll take on Chaminade (0-2) at 7 p.m., marking a second straight matchup against a New York Catholic High School League opponent.
Van Nistelrooy returned to United as Erik ten Hag’s assistant in the summer and had a four-game interim spell following his compatriot’s sacking. Ruud van Nistelrooy admits he was “hurt” at having to leave Manchester United last month. Van Nistelrooy returned to Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag’s assistant in the summer and had a four-game interim spell in charge following his compatriot’s sacking in October. He left the club in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s appointment but was only out of work for two weeks after being appointed Leicester’s new manager on a deal until 2027. The 48-year-old had a glittering playing career with United and was disappointed his return had to end so soon. “The moment I took over the interim job what I said was I’m here to help United and to stay to help United, and I meant it,” he said. “So I was disappointed, yeah, very much so, and it hurt I had to leave. “The only job I would take as an assistant was at United because of the bond that I have with the people in the club and the fans. “But in the end I got my head around it because I also understand the new manager. I’m in football long enough, and I’ve managed myself, that you can think of a situation, me being there, I understand. “I spoke to Ruben about it, fair enough to him, the conversation was grateful, man to man, person to person, manager to manager, and that helped a lot to move on and straightaway get into talks with new possibilities which of course lifted my spirits.” The Dutchman takes on a difficult job at the King Power Stadium as he is tasked with keeping Leicester in the Premier League. He inherits an influential dressing room, which has seen a number of managers come and go over the last few years. Van Nistelrooy revealed he has done his due diligence and also let the players know as well. “It’s the only way you can work. It’s mutual respect. I also mentioned to the players yesterday that I looked at the squad and started to make phone calls about players, because in football everyone knows everyone,” he said. “With two or three phone calls you hear stories about 20 players and for me it was important that you hear there are good characters there. That’s important, that there are good people there. “I look at the players how they play. I obviously don’t know them but I got general information and the individuals that they are a good bunch of people. That was important for me to get in.”Florida knocks No. 9 Ole Miss out of College Football Playoff contention
By ZEKE MILLER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday reached a required agreement with President Joe Biden’s White House to allow his transition staff to coordinate with the existing federal workforce before taking office on Jan. 20. The congressionally mandated agreement allows transition aides to work with federal agencies and access non-public information and gives a green light to government workers to talk to the transition team. But Trump has declined to sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration that would have given his team access to secure government offices and email accounts, in part because it would require that the president-elect limit contributions to $5,000 and reveal who is donating to his transition effort. The White House agreement was supposed to have been signed by Oct. 1, according to the Presidential Transition Act, and the Biden White House had issued both public and private appeals for Trump’s team to sign on. The agreement is a critical step in ensuring an orderly transfer of power at noon on Inauguration Day, and lays the groundwork for the White House and government agencies to begin to share details on ongoing programs, operations and threats. It limits the risk that the Trump team could find itself taking control of the massive federal government without briefings and documents from the outgoing administration. As part of the agreement with the White House, Trump’s team will have to publicly disclose its ethics plan for the transition operation and make a commitment to uphold it, the White House said. Transition aides must sign statements that they have no financial positions that could pose a conflict of interest before they receive access to non-public federal information. Biden himself raised the agreement with Trump when they met in the Oval Office on Nov. 13, according to the White House, and Trump indicated that his team was working to get it signed. Trump chief of staff-designate Susie Wiles met with Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients at the White House on Nov. 19 and other senior officials in part to discuss remaining holdups, while lawyers for the two sides have spoken more than a half-dozen times in recent days to finalize the agreement. “Like President Biden said to the American people from the Rose Garden and directly to President-elect Trump, he is committed to an orderly transition,” said White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma. “President-elect Trump and his team will be in seat on January 20 at 12 pm – and they will immediately be responsible for a range of domestic and global challenges, foreseen and unforeseen. A smooth transition is critical to the safety and security of the American people who are counting on their leaders to be responsible and prepared.” Without the signed agreement, Biden administration officials were restricted in what they could share with the incoming team. Trump national security adviser-designate Rep. Mike Waltz met recently with Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan, but the outgoing team was limited in what it could discuss. “We are doing everything that we can to effect a professional and an orderly transition,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday. “And we continue to urge the incoming team to take the steps that are necessary to be able to facilitate that on their end as well.” “This engagement allows our intended Cabinet nominees to begin critical preparations, including the deployment of landing teams to every department and agency, and complete the orderly transition of power,” said Wiles in a statement. The Trump transition team says it would disclose its donors to the public and would not take foreign donations. A separate agreement with the Department of Justice to coordinate background checks for vetting and security clearances is still being actively worked on and could be signed quickly now that the White House agreement is signed. The agency has teams of investigators standing by to process clearances for Trump aides and advisers once that document is signed. That would clear the way for transition aides and future administration appointees and nominees to begin accessing classified information before Trump takes office. Some Trump aides may hold active clearances from his first term in office or other government roles, but others will need new clearances to access classified data. Trump’s team on Friday formally told the GSA that they would not utilize the government office space blocks from the White House reserved for their use, or government email accounts, phones and computers during the transition. The White House said it does not agree with Trump’s decision to forgo support from the GSA, but is working on alternate ways to get Trump appointees the information they need without jeopardizing national security. Federal agencies are receiving guidance on Tuesday on how to share sensitive information with the Trump team without jeopardizing national security or non-public information. For instance, agencies may require in-person meetings and document reviews since the Trump team has declined to shift to using secure phones and computers. For unclassified information, agencies may ask Trump transition staff to attest that they are taking basic safeguards, like using two-factor authentication on their accounts.