Law Today

Category: World

  • Ben van Beurden , Pekka Vauramo Nominated for Election to Barrick Board of Directors

    Ben van Beurden , Pekka Vauramo Nominated for Election to Barrick Board of Directors

    Barrick Gold Corporation has nominated Ben van Beurden and Pekka Vauramo for election to its Board of Directors at the company’s Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders on May 6, 2025.

    Ben van Beurden, former chief executive of Shell, brings four decades of global experience in the energy and natural resources sectors. At Shell, he led the company’s strategic transformation from an oil-focused business to a diversified energy leader, with a strong emphasis on natural gas and renewable energy investments. This transformation placed Shell among the top quartile of investors in energy transition. Mr. van Beurden is recognized for his strategic decision to simplify Shell’s shareholding structure and consolidate the company’s headquarters in London, benefiting shareholders and streamlining the organization. In addition to his leadership at Shell, Mr. van Beurden currently serves as senior advisor of energy transition investments at KKR, is an independent member of the Board of Supervisors of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and was recently elected chairman of Clariant, a Swiss listed multinational specialty chemicals company.

    Pekka Vauramo brings a wealth of leadership experience from the mining, logistics and services sectors. Most recently he served as chief executive of Metso, where he played a key role in the successful merger with Outotec in 2020, creating a leader in sustainable technologies for the aggregates, minerals processing and metals refining industries. Under his leadership, Metso Outotec strengthened its market position by divesting non-core assets, acquiring competitors and focusing on improving culture, customer satisfaction and profitability. Mr. Vauramo also served as CEO of Finnair, where he oversaw a significant financial turnaround and expanded the airline’s reach into new Asian markets. His experience spans leadership roles at Cargotec, Sandvik and Outokumpu, where he honed his expertise in the mining sector, particularly in base metals. Additionally, Mr. Vauramo has extensive board experience, currently serving as chairman of the boards of Huhtamaki Oyj and Valmet Oyj, and as a member of the board of Nokian Renkaat Oyj, all Finnish listed companies.

    Barrick chairman John Thornton said Messrs. van Beurden and Vauramo would bring valuable insights to the Board’s deliberations. “Both bring exceptional leadership, a global perspective and deep industry knowledge that will be instrumental in driving Barrick’s strategy forward. Their expertise in sustainable business practices, operational excellence and global market understanding will support our commitment to delivering long-term value to shareholders, while maintaining our leadership in responsible mining.”

  • 77 Trucks Carrying Aid Cross from Türkiye to Idlib in Two Days, UN Spokesperson

    77 Trucks Carrying Aid Cross from Türkiye to Idlib in Two Days, UN Spokesperson

    “Over the past two days, 77 trucks carrying UN aid have crossed from Türkiye to Idlib through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated.

    The trucks transported as many as 1,600 metric tonnes of food from the World Food Programme (WFP), along with health supplies, blankets, and essential items provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

    Briefing reporters on Friday Dujarric said nearly 200 aid trucks have crossed into Syria from Türkiye since the start of the year, “more than triple the amount compared to the same time last year.” The uptick in aid coincides with an increased effort by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to assess conditions on the ground.

    “OCHA is increasing the weekly assessment and monitoring missions in Syria,” Dujarric said. Recent missions to Tal Refaat and Nubul in Aleppo Governorate, as well as to villages in Suran, Hama Governorate, revealed “a significant scale of destruction of homes and infrastructure.”

    Returnees often arrive from displacement camps with minimal possessions to find healthcare facilities and basic services either “limited or nonexistent.” Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that since December, approximately 270,000 Syrian refugees have returned home.

    Dujarric reminded that “many of the six million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries are weighing the momentous decision as to whether or not to return to Syria.” On the political front, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen is attending the Munich Security Conference following his participation in the recent Paris Conference on Syria. In a joint statement, conference participants reiterated their “commitment to a free, inclusive, and sovereign Syria” in line with Security Council Resolution 2254.

    They also called for a “clear timeline for constitutional reform and free elections” while expressing support for the UN’s mediation efforts. During a bilateral meeting with Syria’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani, Pedersen reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to facilitating the country’s political transition.

  • US Imposes Sanctions on ICC Prosecutor for Israel Indictments

    US Imposes Sanctions on ICC Prosecutor for Israel Indictments

    The US sanctioned International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan as a result of President Donald Trump’s executive order to go after the court for “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting American and our close ally Israel.”

    Reacting to the sanctions ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane stated, “I note with deep regret the issuance by the United States of an Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on the officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC, Court), harm the Court’s independence and its impartiality and deprive millions of innocent victims of atrocities of justice and hope”.

    Trump signed an executive order last week to sanction the ICC for its decision to issue indictments and arrest warrants for embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

    “The ICC’s recent actions against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel, including active service members of the Armed Forces, by exposing them to harassment, abuse, and possible arrest,” read Trump’s executive order.

    The EO called the ICC’s moves “malign conduct” that “threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States Government and our allies, including Israel.”

  • Trump Orders US Withdrawal from UN Bodies

    Trump Orders US Withdrawal from UN Bodies

    President Trump has signed an executive order pulling the U.S. out of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

    “I’ve always felt that the U.N. has tremendous potential. It’s not living up to that potential right now,” he said Tuesday afternoon at a White House signing ceremony. During his first term as president, Trump also cut ties with the UNHRC, an organization that U.S. leaders from both parties have long said has a bias against Israel.

    The order also cut future funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides aid to Palestinians. The Biden administration paused funding to UNRWA while the war between Israel and Hamas was ongoing, after accusations from Israel that some staffers from the agency had ties to Hamas.

    But an independent review found that there was no evidence to back that up. UNRWA is the main agency providing relief to Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes statements at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday, ahead of his visit to Washington, D.C., where he will meet with President Trump this week.

    The new executive order comes the same day that Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House, marking Trump’s first meeting with a foreign leader since being sworn in last month.

  • Darfur: ICC Prosecutor Urges Immediate Action to Address Atrocities

    Darfur: ICC Prosecutor Urges Immediate Action to Address Atrocities

    While briefing UN Security Council in New York on the situation in Darfur, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) , Karim Khan highlighted the urgent need for justice and accountability as violence and humanitarian suffering escalate.
    UN News reported, “Criminality is accelerating in Darfur. Civilians are being targeted, women and girls are subjected to sexual violence, and entire communities are left in destruction,” Karim Khan said. “This is not just an assessment; it is a hard-edged analysis based on verified evidence.”
    Violence in Darfur has displaced thousands of families and devastated the region, with vital civilian infrastructure attacked, civilians killed and communities suffering from famine and disease.
    Deepening crisis
    The gravity of the situation in the wider region was underscored by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who condemned a 24 January attack on the Saudi Teaching Hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur. At least 70 patients and their relatives were reportedly killed, and dozens more injured.
    “This appalling attack which affected the only functioning hospital in Darfur’s largest city comes after more than 21 months of war have left much of Sudan’s health care system in tatters,” Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said in a statement.
    The Secretary-General reiterated that international humanitarian law mandates the protection of medical facilities and personnel and that the deliberate targeting of such facilities may constitute a war crime.
    He also renewed his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustainable, inclusive political dialogue to end the conflict.

    Echoes of past crimes
    Mr. Khan urged the 15-member Council to recommit to the principles outlined in resolution 1593, adopted 20 years ago, which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC.
    “We hear those echoes that gave rise to the original referral,” he said, warning that a new generation is suffering the same atrocities endured by their parents. The ICC Prosecutor announced that his office is preparing applications for new arrest warrants tied to alleged crimes committed in West Darfur.
    He emphasised that these applications would only proceed with robust evidence to ensure a realistic prospect of conviction, reinforcing the ICC’s commitment to justice for victims.
    Mr. Khan also stressed the need for greater cooperation in transferring ICC fugitives, including former President Omar al-Bashir and other high-ranking officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
    Deja vu
    The ICC Prosecutor also painted a grim picture of Darfur’s humanitarian and security landscape.
    “The same communities targeted 20 years ago are suffering today, with crimes being used as weapons of war,” Mr. Khan stated, stressing that such acts violate international humanitarian law and demanded an immediate halt to the violence.
    The trial of Ali Kushayb
    Mr. Khan also highlighted the significance of the ICC trial of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, addressing crimes committed in 2003 and 2004.
    This trial has shown the people of Darfur that they are not forgotten and “not airbrushed out of public consciousness” he said, highlighting the efforts made by Darfuris themselves to ensure justice and accountability.
    Mr. Khan concluded by emphasising the moral and legal responsibility of the international community to deliver justice.
    “The people of Darfur are in danger, and they have a right to justice. It is time to deliver on the promise of resolution 1593,” he said. “It is time for us collectively to join hands and deliver on that promise to prevent this constant cycle of despair that generations of Darfuris have suffered.”

  • WHO launches $1.5 billion appeal to tackle global health crises

    WHO launches $1.5 billion appeal to tackle global health crises

    In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for $1.5 billion through its 2025 Health Emergency Appeal, to deliver life-saving health interventions worldwide. 

    The appeal, unveiled on Thursday by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, outlines the urgent priorities for addressing 42 ongoing health emergencies, including 17 requiring immediate and coordinated action.

    “Conflicts, outbreaks, climate-related disasters, and other emergencies are no longer isolated or occasional – they are relentless, overlapping, and intensifying,” said Tedros.

    “This appeal is not just about providing resources; it is about enabling WHO to save lives, protect the right to health and offer hope where there is often none,” he added.

    A world in crisis

    The appeal comes at a time when WHO has recorded unprecedented levels of attacks on health care infrastructure. In 2024 alone, there were 1,515 attacks on health facilities across 15 countries, resulting in hundreds of deaths and severely disrupting critical services.

    WHO’s response extends across some of the world’s most fragile settings, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan and Ukraine.

    In these regions, WHO provides emergency medical care, supports vaccination campaigns to prevent disease outbreaks, offers mental health services for trauma-affected communities and addresses malnutrition and maternal health needs.

    In Ukraine, WHO has installed modular clinics to replace destroyed health facilities, ensuring that displaced populations continue to receive essential care.

    In Gaza, over one million polio vaccines were administered in 2024 despite significant logistical and security challenges, preventing a catastrophic outbreak among children.

    Building resilience

    Beyond immediate relief, the organization focuses on empowering “communities to protect themselves, prioritise equity, and build a legacy of preparedness,” explained Tedros.

    By addressing root causes and ensuring access to health care even in the most challenging environments, WHO seeks to break the cycle of vulnerability and build a stronger foundation for global health security.

    Supporting the Health Emergency Appeal is not only about addressing immediate crises but also about safeguarding the future of global health.

    Protecting health, saving lives

    Tedros framed the appeal as a call to global solidarity, urging donors to act decisively. In 2024, funding for the health sector in humanitarian responses met only 40 percent of identified needs, forcing difficult decisions about who could be reached.

    Without immediate financial support, millions will remain at risk and the world’s most vulnerable populations will bear the brunt of this shortfall. The Appeal is an investment in equity, resilience and the shared principle that health is a fundamental human right.

    With the funds raised, WHO aims to continue its vital work on the frontlines, from delivering critical care in conflict zones to addressing the health impacts of climate disasters, ensuring that no one is left behind.

     

  • Nobel Peace Prize Winners Urge Youth to Fight Nuclear Weapons

    Nobel Peace Prize Winners Urge Youth to Fight Nuclear Weapons

    A Japanese atomic bomb survivors’ group has urged young people to take up the fight for a nuclear-free world while accepting this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of survivors of the 1945 nuclear bombings of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, is campaigning for a world free of nuclear weapons using witness testimony.

    ABC News reported Nihon Hidankyo’s ranks are dwindling with every year.  The Japanese government lists around 106,800 survivors of the bombings, also known as “hibakusha”, still alive today. Their average age is 85.

    “Ten years from now, there may only be a handful of us able to give testimony as firsthand survivors,” Terumi Tanaka, 92, told the audience. “From now on, I hope that the next generation will find ways to build on our efforts and develop the movement even further.

    Mr Tanaka’s group had “undoubtedly” played a major role in creating the worldwide standard that it was unacceptable to use atomic weapons, or ‘nuclear taboo’, he said. But he warned that standard was being weakened.

    “In addition to the civilian casualties, I am infinitely saddened and angered that the ‘nuclear taboo’ risks being broken,” he said.

    Nihon Hidankyo was also represented at the ceremony by its two other co-chairs, Shigemitsu Tanaka, 84, and Toshiyuki Mimaki, 82.

    An estimated 210,000 people died, either immediately or over time, as a result of the bombs dropped in August 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today’s nuclear weapons are far more powerful than those used at that time.

    Mr Tanaka was 13 years old at the time of the Nagasaki bombing, and although he survived the explosion almost unharmed at his home some 3km from ground zero, he lost five family members and recalled the harrowing experience.

    “The deaths I witnessed at that time could hardly be described as human deaths. There were hundreds of people suffering in agony, unable to receive any kind of medical attention,” Mr Tanaka told the audience.

    Mr Tanaka expressed concern over threats to use nuclear weapons in the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza. “There still remain 12,000 nuclear warheads on Earth today, 4,000 of which are operationally deployed, ready for immediate launch,” Mr Tanaka said.

    In 2017, 122 governments negotiated and adopted the historic UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, but the text is considered largely symbolic as no nuclear power has signed it.

    While all ambassadors stationed in Oslo were invited to Tuesday’s ceremony, the only nuclear powers in attendance were Britain, France, India, Pakistan and the United States. Russia, China, Israel and Iran were not present, the Nobel Institute said.

    Expressing concern about the world entering “a new, more unstable nuclear age”, Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes warned that “a nuclear war could destroy our civilisation”.

    “Today’s nuclear weapons … have far greater destructive power than the two bombs used against Japan in 1945,” Mr Frydnes said.  “They could kill millions of us in an instant, injure even more, and disrupt the climate catastrophically.”

  • US Judges Make Unusual Hill Push for Bill on Overwhelmed Courts

    US Judges Make Unusual Hill Push for Bill on Overwhelmed Courts

    A trio of federal judges visited Capitol Hill to advocate for legislation expanding the judiciary, assuming a somewhat unfamiliar role as lawmakers weigh whether to add federal trial court seats for the first time in decades, Bloomberg reported.

    The current and former chief judges met with members of Congress and their staff in support of the bill (S. 4199), which would add more than 60 judgeships to understaffed district courts across the US.

    Their visits mark the latest effort by federal judges to generate support for the bill, which faces a fast-shrinking congressional calendar to get a floor vote.

    “Talking to members of Congress about legislation is a little bit out of our comfort zone,” said Judge Timothy Corrigan, the most recent past chief judge of the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida who attended the trip last week.

    However, Corrigan said he felt that, as chief judges, speaking to members of Congress about the legislation would be “in the interest of both the due administration of justice and in helping to provide access to the court.”

    Judges can’t discuss politics to maintain independence. However, this legislation is “really a structural issue,” said Chief Judge Troy Nunley of the Eastern District of California, also in attendance.

    His six-judge court, with locations in Sacramento and Fresno, had, as of 2023, the highest number of residents per active judge of any federal trial court. Its most recent past chief judge, Kimberly Mueller, urged Congress in 2021 to authorize more judgeships.

    “The only thing we can do as judges is simply let Congress know what our situation is,” Nunley said. “That’s all we can do.”

    It is “kind of unusual” for judges to travel to the Capitol for a specific issue like this, as opposed to general congressional outreach, said Chief Judge Randy Crane of the Southern District of Texas. He said a judge’s role in talking to lawmakers is to educate members about issues like this bill, rather than advocate for any specific law.

    Jeremy Fogel, executive director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute and a former California federal judge, said judges do sometimes speak directly with lawmakers on issues that affect administration of justice.

    “It’s not common, but in this case, in my opinion, is appropriate,” Fogel said of their advocacy. “And I’m not surprised, because this is the farthest that a judgeship bill has gotten in a very long time.”

    Judgeship Bill

    The legislation, which passed the Senate unanimously in August, would add 63 permanent and three temporary judgeships to federal district courts across 14 states, handed out in tranches through 2035, or to the next three presidential administrations.

    Congress hasn’t broadly expanded the courts, which have more than 660 district judgeships, since 1990, and it hasn’t added a single new judgeship in more than two decades. In the meantime, caseloads have ballooned, leaving some benches dwarfed by the size of the districts they cover.

    The problem is particularly acute in California’s Eastern District, as well as for courts near the Southwest border, which have seen high levels of immigration-related cases, and in Delaware, a hub for patent and business litigation.

    Prior to the presidential election, the bill got broad bipartisan support in both chambers. Under the Senate-passed version, district courts in states with two Democratic senators would receive 37 permanent judgeships, and courts in states with two Republican senators would get 26 permanent judgeships and three temporary seats.

    But some House Democrats have begun to waver in their support since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said last week he’d vote against the bill, after previously co-sponsoring a version.

    House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has said he hopes to clear the Senate-passed version soon and “wouldn’t know why” Democrats would be against the legislation.

    “They were all for it before,” Jordan said in an interview last week. “The American people deserve it, so they can get justice in a timely fashion. So, I wonder why they wouldn’t be for it.”

    All three judges said they met with Republican and Democratic House offices over the course of three days.

    Crane said the judges met with Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), the Democratic sponsor of the House bill. He said he also met with members of the Texas delegation, including Rep. Chip Roy (R), who has threatened to vote against the judgeship bill if the courts’ administrative office pursued binding action on judge-shopping. Texas’s district courts became a hub for conservative litigants challenging Biden administration policies, with some filing in the state’s single-judge divisions with the hopes of having certain jurists rule in their favor.

    Crane also said they had meetings with staffers for Nadler and for Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), chair of the Rules Committee.

    The House has three weeks left in its legislative calendar before the new Congress comes in Jan. 3 with Republican majorities in both chambers.

    “Our parting message is, if not now, when? This is the time to do it,” Corrigan said. “And we’re hopeful that this message will resonate.”

  • Pam Bondi: Next U.S. Attorney General

    Pam Bondi: Next U.S. Attorney General

    Hours after his first pick to run the nation’s top law enforcement agency dropped out, President-elect Donald Trump named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new choice to run the Justice Department.

    CNN reported that Trump made the announcement in a post on social media Thursday evening – the same day that former Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom the president-elect had selected for the role last week, withdrew from consideration.

    “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again. I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”

    Bondi had been under consideration for the role before Trump tapped the former congressman, a person with knowledge of the deliberations told CNN, and some considered Bondi to be one of the president-elect’s favorite lawyers.

    Gaetz’s selection had quickly faced trouble as his prospects for Senate approval narrowed amid growing pressure from lawmakers, including some in his own party, for the release of a House Ethics Committee investigative report into him.

    The report, which has not yet been made public by the committee, details the panel’s investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and other alleged crimes by Gaetz. The Florida Republican has vehemently denied the allegations investigated by the committee and the Justice Department, including the claim that he had sex with a woman in 2017 when she was a minor. He has not been charged with a crime.

    Ultimately, Trump called Gaetz Thursday and said that he did not have the votes in the Senate to win confirmation, CNN reported, and the former congressman subsequently said on social media that he would be declining the nomination. He applauded Trump’s latest pick as “a stellar selection.”

    Bondi’s name began being circulated almost immediately after Gaetz removed his name from consideration for the role, with one source familiar with conversations saying they began hearing Trump was leaning toward announcing her selection early Thursday afternoon.

    While Trump has always like Bondi, she also has close ties with others in his orbit, including his incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles and his legal counsel Boris Epshteyn.

    Trump met in person with Bondi at Mar-a-Lago before officially offering her the job, a source familiar told CNN. The president-elect informed her of the selection Thursday evening at the resort, two sources familiar with the discussion told CNN.

    Trump Allies Breathe Sigh of Relief:

    Bondi’s selection will be subject to Senate approval once she is formally nominated, but allies of the president-elect swiftly expressed relief at the pick.

    As of Thursday evening, there was a broad feeling among those working on the president-elect’s transition that Bondi would have a much easier confirmation process than Gaetz, given her background as the attorney general of Florida and her relationships with those on Capitol Hill.

    One person close to Trump called Bondi “a solid choice” and said they “feel much better about her chances.”

    Trump first considered Bondi for a post in his administration in 2018 after firing then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, CNN has reported. Trump said at the time that he’d “love to have her in the administration.”

    But there were concerns over whether Bondi would be able to secure confirmation in the Senate because of a controversial $25,000 contribution that Trump’s foundation gave to Bondi’s political action committee during her 2014 reelection bid.

    Democratic lawmakers accused Bondi of declining to pursue an investigation into Trump University fraud allegations after receiving the donation. A Florida ethics panel cleared Bondi of wrongdoing in the matter.

    Bondi stayed in Trump’s orbit, working in the White House as a legal advisor and defending the president-elect during his first Senate impeachment trial. She is also listed as the chair for the Center for Litigation at the pro-Trump think tank America First Policy Institute, where she has helped lead some of their work against the so-called “weaponization” of the Justice Department.

    Bondi practiced law in Florida for over a decade — first as a prosecutor in Tampa and then for eight years as the state attorney general — where she had a reputation for being a media savvy and effective litigator.

    Elected as Florida’s top prosecutor in the conservative tea party wave, she grew increasingly partisan during her two terms in office, making regular appearances on Fox News and then becoming a top Florida surrogate for Trump during his 2016 campaign.

    Bondi’s history in court at times touched hot-button issues, repeatedly landing her in the news. She led a failed effort to overturn Obamacare in 2012, and shortly after the deadly shooting at Pulse nightclub in 2016, Bondi defended herself in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper for fighting to preserve Florida’s ban on gay marriage.

    “I talked to a lot of gay and lesbian people here who are not fans of yours and who thought you were being a hypocrite,” Cooper said during the interview of Bondi’s assertions in the aftermath of the shooting that she was advocating for the LGBTQ community. “You said in court that gay people, simply by fighting for marriage equality, were trying to do harm to the people of Florida.”

    Bondi said she was simply upholding the Florida Constitution, and that the ban is “not a law.”

    “That was voted into the state constitution by the voters of Florida,” Bondi said. “That’s what I was defending. … I never said I don’t like gay people.”

    After leaving the Florida attorney general’s office, Bondi joined Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm with deep ties to Trump and Wiles. There, she represented the country of Qatar from 2019 to 2020, according to documents submitted to the federal government by the firm under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

    Most recently, Bondi joined a group of pro-Trump lawyers who filed an amicus brief to a federal appeals court in the special counsel’s classified documents case against Trump. The brief was in support of Trump’s claim that special counsel Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed – a claim that led to Judge Aileen Cannon dismissing all charges against the president-elect earlier this year.

    Bondi has also reportedly been in the hotseat as the subject of a legal case: a custody battle with a Louisiana family over their St. Bernard, Master Tank, who went missing after Hurricane Katrina. The family told The Tampa Bay Times that Bondi stole the dog, while Bondi accused the family of neglect.

    That case was settled before trial and Master Tank returned to his family.

  • French Court Acquits Lebanese Militant After 40 Years of Incarceration for Paris Killings

    French Court Acquits Lebanese Militant After 40 Years of Incarceration for Paris Killings

    A French court on Friday ordered the release of pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, jailed for 40 years after being convicted over the killing of two foreign diplomats, prosecutors said.

    The court said Abdallah, first detained in 1984 and convicted in 1987 over the 1982 murders, would be released on December 6 on the condition that he leaves France. French anti-terror prosecutors said in a statement to The National that they would appeal within 24 hours.

    The founder of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF), which was an offshoot of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Abdallah is the face of a violent period in France when attacks related to the Middle East were perpetrated regularly.

    The 11 requests for release he has made since 2001 have mostly been rejected as a result of his refusal to repudiate the killings or compensate the victims’ relatives, and because his return to Lebanon would spark new upheavals.

    An inmate of the Lannemezan prison in south-west France, Abdallah, now 73, has always acknowledged his involvement in the murders of US military attache Charles Robert Ray and Israeli diplomat Yacov Barsimantov in Paris. Throughout he has insisted he is a “fighter” who battled for the rights of Palestinians and not a “criminal”.

    Born the son of a Lebanese army officer in Qoubaiyat, a village in the north, Abdallah became a secondary school teacher. Revolutionary politics took over and after a series of attacks attributed to his group he was arrested in Lyon collecting the deposit on a property in October 1984. The search of properties under the nom de guerre Abdel Kader Saadi turned up radio transmitters and automatic weapons.

    Initially sentenced to four years for possession of arms, the pressure on the authorities to press for a life sentence was immense. A bombing campaign thought to be led by Abdallah’s brother Emile in 1986 led to 10 more deaths. A new trial opened in 1987.

    Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati asked France on a visit for the authorities to release him and described Abdallah as “a political prisoner” in 2012. He had been eligible to apply for parole since 1999 but all his previous applications had been turned down, except in 2013 when he was granted release on the condition he was expelled from France.

    After a phone call lobbying the French government from Hillary Clinton, then US Secretary of State, the interior minister Manuel Valls refused to go through with the order and Abdallah remained in jail.

    Abdallah’s current lawyer, Jean-Louis Chalanset, said Friday’s decision was “a legal and a political victory”. His legal team maintains that Abdallah has spent the longest time in prison in the world for acts related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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