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Media reports suggest the court could charge the Israeli prime minister with war crimes

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked US President Joe Biden to stop the International Criminal Court (ICC) from pursuing him and several other top-ranking Israeli officials, news publisher Axios has claimed. Several media outlets reported last week that the court could charge the Israeli leadership with war crimes over the ongoing military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Israel launched its massive offensive following the deadly October 7 incursion by the radical group’s militants, which claimed the lives of an estimated 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians.

In recent months, the severe response by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the densely populated Palestinian enclave have come under increasing scrutiny and have been broadly criticized – even by the country’s US and European allies.

According to Gaza authorities, Israeli strikes have killed more than 34,000 people, mostly civilians. In January, the United Nation’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a ruling, saying it was “plausible” that Israeli forces had committed acts of genocide in the enclave.

Read more US accuses Israeli army units of human rights violations

In its article on Monday, Axios, citing two anonymous Israeli officials, claimed that Netanyahu had phoned Biden on Sunday, asking him to wield Washington’s clout and prevent the ICC from issuing arrest warrants.

NBC News, citing an unnamed Israeli official, also claimed on Monday that the ICC could charge Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and unnamed senior military officers, along with the prime minister.

The US network quoted its source as saying that “Israel is working through diplomatic channels to try to stop the warrants being issued.” The ICC did not confirm or deny the report, telling reporters that it “has an ongoing independent investigation in relation to the situation in the State of Palestine.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu insisted on Friday that Israel “will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.” “The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Launched in 2021, the ICC’s investigation focuses on alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli military and Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank and Gaza since 2014, when Israel fought a month-long war against Hamas.

Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute and does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. However, should a warrant in Netanyahu’s name be issued, his travel could be restricted, as the 124 countries that recognize the court may consider themselves obliged to arrest him.

Last week, US President Joe Biden signed a law demanding that the platform’s Chinese owner sell it or be barred from app stores

The EU has not ruled out banning Chinese-owned TikTok, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated. The official, who is seeking another term in June, claimed that the video-hosting platform poses “a threat”, without elaborating.

Last Wednesday, US President Joe Biden signed a law demanding that TikTok’s Chinese-based owner, ByteDance, sell the platform or be barred from app stores. Over the past few years, leaders in both the US and EU have made numerous claims regarding supposed security breaches and violations on the part of TikTok, which has staunchly denied the allegations.

Asked during the Maastricht debate on Monday whether the EU would ban TikTok if the US goes ahead with the measure, von der Leyen said: “It is not excluded because the commission was the very first institution worldwide to ban Tik Tok on our corporate telephones.”

“We know exactly the danger of Tik Tok,” she added, noting that the commission has “done a lot to regulate… to make sure that the platforms take responsibility for the content they provide.”

Read more China vows retaliation against US ‘bullying’

In a statement last Monday, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said, “We suspect TikTok ‘Lite’ could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes ‘light.’”

The EU’s executive body opened a case against ByteDance over its TikTok Lite application. According to Brussels, the company had failed to submit a mandatory risk assessment report. ByteDance was given until May 3 to provide all the information requested, with a fine totaling 1% of the company’s annual income in case of noncompliance.

In February, the commission initiated another probe with regard to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, “data access for researchers,” and “risk management of addictive design and harmful content.”

Commenting on the US legislation last week, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, Michael Beckerman, denounced the bill signed by Biden as a violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of expression.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew released a statement saying: “Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok, a ban on you, and a ban on your voice... Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident that we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail.”

Last week, US President Joe Biden signed a law demanding that the platform’s Chinese owner sell it or be barred from app stores

The EU has not ruled out banning Chinese-owned TikTok, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated. The official, who is seeking another term in June, claimed that the video-hosting platform poses “a threat”, without elaborating.

Last Wednesday, US President Joe Biden signed a law demanding that TikTok’s Chinese-based owner, ByteDance, sell the platform or be barred from app stores. Over the past few years, leaders in both the US and EU have made numerous claims regarding supposed security breaches and violations on the part of TikTok, which has staunchly denied the allegations.

Asked during the Maastricht debate on Monday whether the EU would ban TikTok if the US goes ahead with the measure, von der Leyen said: “It is not excluded because the commission was the very first institution worldwide to ban Tik Tok on our corporate telephones.”

“We know exactly the danger of Tik Tok,” she added, noting that the commission has “done a lot to regulate… to make sure that the platforms take responsibility for the content they provide.”

Read more China vows retaliation against US ‘bullying’

In a statement last Monday, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said, “We suspect TikTok ‘Lite’ could be as toxic and addictive as cigarettes ‘light.’”

The EU’s executive body opened a case against ByteDance over its TikTok Lite application. According to Brussels, the company had failed to submit a mandatory risk assessment report. ByteDance was given until May 3 to provide all the information requested, with a fine totaling 1% of the company’s annual income in case of noncompliance.

In February, the commission initiated another probe with regard to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, “data access for researchers,” and “risk management of addictive design and harmful content.”

Commenting on the US legislation last week, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, Michael Beckerman, denounced the bill signed by Biden as a violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of expression.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew released a statement saying: “Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok, a ban on you, and a ban on your voice... Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident that we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the Constitution are on our side, and we expect to prevail.”

The UK-Swedish pharmaceutical company has said its jab could cause blood clots in rare cases

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has for the first time admitted that its Covid-19 vaccine could cause a rare side effect that can lead to blood clots and death, according to court documents.

The company is fighting a class action lawsuit alleging that its inoculation, which was developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, can result in death and serious injury.

The legal battle was initiated by Jamie Scott, a father of two, who suffered a blood clot that left him with brain damage after he was vaccinated in April 2021 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. He is seeking compensation over claims that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “defective” and less safe than was expected, an allegation the company denies.

In May 2023, AstraZeneca also insisted that “we do not accept that TTS [Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome] is caused by the vaccine at a generic level,” as quoted by The Daily Telegraph.

Read more Largest Covid vaccine study yet finds links to neurological conditions

TTS is a rare condition, in which a person develops blood clots which can reduce blood flow when combined with a low platelet count, prompting difficulties with stopping bleeding. TTS symptoms include severe headaches and abdominal pain.

Despite previous denials, AstraZeneca said in documents which were submitted to the UK High Court in February, that “it is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causal mechanism is not known.”

“Further, TTS can also occur in the absence of the AZ vaccine (or any vaccine),” the company added, as quoted by the Telegraph.

AstraZeneca insists the available data shows the drug has “an acceptable safety profile,” and that “regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects.”

Dozens of Western countries suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the spring of 2021 over fears it may have caused some patients to develop blood clots. At the time, the head of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) vaccines strategy, Marco Cavaleri, said that there was an evident link between AZ vaccine intake and blood clots in the brain, but maintained that the benefits still outweighed the risks.

According to World Health Organization data, the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has an efficacy of 72%. As of April 2021, over 17 million people had received the jab in the EU and the UK, with just under 40 cases of thrombosis reported, according to the company.

The UK-Swedish pharmaceutical company has said its jab could cause blood clots in rare cases

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has for the first time admitted that its Covid-19 vaccine could cause a rare side effect that can lead to blood clots and death, according to court documents.

The company is fighting a class action lawsuit alleging that its inoculation, which was developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, can result in death and serious injury.

The legal battle was initiated by Jamie Scott, a father of two, who suffered a blood clot that left him with brain damage after he was vaccinated in April 2021 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. He is seeking compensation over claims that the AstraZeneca vaccine is “defective” and less safe than was expected, an allegation the company denies.

In May 2023, AstraZeneca also insisted that “we do not accept that TTS [Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome] is caused by the vaccine at a generic level,” as quoted by The Daily Telegraph.

Read more Largest Covid vaccine study yet finds links to neurological conditions

TTS is a rare condition, in which a person develops blood clots which can reduce blood flow when combined with a low platelet count, prompting difficulties with stopping bleeding. TTS symptoms include severe headaches and abdominal pain.

Despite previous denials, AstraZeneca said in documents which were submitted to the UK High Court in February, that “it is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS. The causal mechanism is not known.”

“Further, TTS can also occur in the absence of the AZ vaccine (or any vaccine),” the company added, as quoted by the Telegraph.

AstraZeneca insists the available data shows the drug has “an acceptable safety profile,” and that “regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects.”

Dozens of Western countries suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the spring of 2021 over fears it may have caused some patients to develop blood clots. At the time, the head of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) vaccines strategy, Marco Cavaleri, said that there was an evident link between AZ vaccine intake and blood clots in the brain, but maintained that the benefits still outweighed the risks.

According to World Health Organization data, the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has an efficacy of 72%. As of April 2021, over 17 million people had received the jab in the EU and the UK, with just under 40 cases of thrombosis reported, according to the company.

Washington will continue providing unfettered military aid to West Jerusalem despite concluding that abuses were committed

The US government has determined that at least five Israeli units committed gross violations of human rights prior to the latest war with Hamas, but Washington has no plans to impose sanctions or restrict military aid to West Jerusalem.

Monday’s announcement marks the first time Washington has leveled such accusations against Israeli troops. All of the allegations stem from incidents that occurred in the West Bank long before the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza last October.

All of the accused Israeli units remain eligible for American aid, despite a law prohibiting the US from providing weapons or other assistance to groups that are found to have committed human rights violations with impunity.

The Biden administration remains in compliance with the so-called Leahy Law because Israel has taken action against most of the units accused of wrongdoing, State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington, without identifying the units by name.

“Four of these units have effectively remediated these violations, which is what we expect partners to do,” he said. As for the fifth unit, the spokesman said US officials are consulting with their Israeli counterparts on addressing the abuses. “We are engaging with them in a process, and we will make an ultimate decision when it comes to that unit when that process is complete.”

Read more Potential US sanctions on IDF ‘absurd’ – Netanyahu

The State Department offered no information on what actions were taken by the Israeli government.

Asked why the department had waited for ten days to disclose its findings against Israel, Patel cited an “ongoing process.” He added, “If at any point remediation efforts or things like that are found to be inconsistent with the standards that we find, there of course will be a restriction on applicable US assistance. We intend to be an administration that’s going to follow the laws prescribed.” 

Media reports said the abuses included “extrajudicial killings” by Israeli border police, as well as torture and rape. Another case involved an elderly Palestinian-American man who died after being bound and gagged at a West Bank checkpoint. The battalion involved in that incident, Netzah Yehuda, was formed in 1999 to accommodate ultra-Orthodox Jews and other religious nationalists in the Israeli army. It was transferred to the Golan Heights from the West Bank in 2022.

Israeli forces have come under increased international scrutiny amid the current conflict in Gaza, which has left more than 34,000 Palestinians dead, according to the enclave’s authorities. The International Court of Justice issued a ruling in January saying it was “plausible” that Israeli forces had committed acts of genocide in Gaza.

Following reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing to announce sanctions over rights abuses committed by Netzah Yehuda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would be “the height of absurdity” to punish his nation’s forces at a time when they are “fighting terrorist monsters.”

Washington will continue providing unfettered military aid to West Jerusalem despite concluding that abuses were committed

The US government has determined that at least five Israeli units committed gross violations of human rights prior to the latest war with Hamas, but Washington has no plans to impose sanctions or restrict military aid to West Jerusalem.

Monday’s announcement marks the first time Washington has leveled such accusations against Israeli troops. All of the allegations stem from incidents that occurred in the West Bank long before the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza last October.

All of the accused Israeli units remain eligible for American aid, despite a law prohibiting the US from providing weapons or other assistance to groups that are found to have committed human rights violations with impunity.

The Biden administration remains in compliance with the so-called Leahy Law because Israel has taken action against most of the units accused of wrongdoing, State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington, without identifying the units by name.

“Four of these units have effectively remediated these violations, which is what we expect partners to do,” he said. As for the fifth unit, the spokesman said US officials are consulting with their Israeli counterparts on addressing the abuses. “We are engaging with them in a process, and we will make an ultimate decision when it comes to that unit when that process is complete.”

Read more Potential US sanctions on IDF ‘absurd’ – Netanyahu

The State Department offered no information on what actions were taken by the Israeli government.

Asked why the department had waited for ten days to disclose its findings against Israel, Patel cited an “ongoing process.” He added, “If at any point remediation efforts or things like that are found to be inconsistent with the standards that we find, there of course will be a restriction on applicable US assistance. We intend to be an administration that’s going to follow the laws prescribed.” 

Media reports said the abuses included “extrajudicial killings” by Israeli border police, as well as torture and rape. Another case involved an elderly Palestinian-American man who died after being bound and gagged at a West Bank checkpoint. The battalion involved in that incident, Netzah Yehuda, was formed in 1999 to accommodate ultra-Orthodox Jews and other religious nationalists in the Israeli army. It was transferred to the Golan Heights from the West Bank in 2022.

Israeli forces have come under increased international scrutiny amid the current conflict in Gaza, which has left more than 34,000 Palestinians dead, according to the enclave’s authorities. The International Court of Justice issued a ruling in January saying it was “plausible” that Israeli forces had committed acts of genocide in Gaza.

Following reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing to announce sanctions over rights abuses committed by Netzah Yehuda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would be “the height of absurdity” to punish his nation’s forces at a time when they are “fighting terrorist monsters.”

Washington will continue providing unfettered military aid to West Jerusalem despite concluding that abuses were committed

The US government has determined that at least five Israeli units committed gross violations of human rights prior to the latest war with Hamas, but Washington has no plans to impose sanctions or restrict military aid to West Jerusalem.

Monday’s announcement marks the first time Washington has leveled such accusations against Israeli troops. All of the allegations stem from incidents that occurred in the West Bank long before the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza last October.

All of the accused Israeli units remain eligible for American aid, despite a law prohibiting the US from providing weapons or other assistance to groups that are found to have committed human rights violations with impunity.

The Biden administration remains in compliance with the so-called Leahy Law because Israel has taken action against most of the units accused of wrongdoing, State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington, without identifying the units by name.

“Four of these units have effectively remediated these violations, which is what we expect partners to do,” he said. As for the fifth unit, the spokesman said US officials are consulting with their Israeli counterparts on addressing the abuses. “We are engaging with them in a process, and we will make an ultimate decision when it comes to that unit when that process is complete.”

Read more Potential US sanctions on IDF ‘absurd’ – Netanyahu

The State Department offered no information on what actions were taken by the Israeli government.

Asked why the department had waited for ten days to disclose its findings against Israel, Patel cited an “ongoing process.” He added, “If at any point remediation efforts or things like that are found to be inconsistent with the standards that we find, there of course will be a restriction on applicable US assistance. We intend to be an administration that’s going to follow the laws prescribed.” 

Media reports said the abuses included “extrajudicial killings” by Israeli border police, as well as torture and rape. Another case involved an elderly Palestinian-American man who died after being bound and gagged at a West Bank checkpoint. The battalion involved in that incident, Netzah Yehuda, was formed in 1999 to accommodate ultra-Orthodox Jews and other religious nationalists in the Israeli army. It was transferred to the Golan Heights from the West Bank in 2022.

Israeli forces have come under increased international scrutiny amid the current conflict in Gaza, which has left more than 34,000 Palestinians dead, according to the enclave’s authorities. The International Court of Justice issued a ruling in January saying it was “plausible” that Israeli forces had committed acts of genocide in Gaza.

Following reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing to announce sanctions over rights abuses committed by Netzah Yehuda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would be “the height of absurdity” to punish his nation’s forces at a time when they are “fighting terrorist monsters.”

Washington will continue providing unfettered military aid to West Jerusalem despite concluding that abuses were committed

The US government has determined that at least five Israeli units committed gross violations of human rights prior to the latest war with Hamas, but Washington has no plans to impose sanctions or restrict military aid to West Jerusalem.

Monday’s announcement marks the first time Washington has leveled such accusations against Israeli troops. All of the allegations stem from incidents that occurred in the West Bank long before the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza last October.

All of the accused Israeli units remain eligible for American aid, despite a law prohibiting the US from providing weapons or other assistance to groups that are found to have committed human rights violations with impunity.

The Biden administration remains in compliance with the so-called Leahy Law because Israel has taken action against most of the units accused of wrongdoing, State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington, without identifying the units by name.

“Four of these units have effectively remediated these violations, which is what we expect partners to do,” he said. As for the fifth unit, the spokesman said US officials are consulting with their Israeli counterparts on addressing the abuses. “We are engaging with them in a process, and we will make an ultimate decision when it comes to that unit when that process is complete.”

Read more Potential US sanctions on IDF ‘absurd’ – Netanyahu

The State Department offered no information on what actions were taken by the Israeli government.

Asked why the department had waited for ten days to disclose its findings against Israel, Patel cited an “ongoing process.” He added, “If at any point remediation efforts or things like that are found to be inconsistent with the standards that we find, there of course will be a restriction on applicable US assistance. We intend to be an administration that’s going to follow the laws prescribed.” 

Media reports said the abuses included “extrajudicial killings” by Israeli border police, as well as torture and rape. Another case involved an elderly Palestinian-American man who died after being bound and gagged at a West Bank checkpoint. The battalion involved in that incident, Netzah Yehuda, was formed in 1999 to accommodate ultra-Orthodox Jews and other religious nationalists in the Israeli army. It was transferred to the Golan Heights from the West Bank in 2022.

Israeli forces have come under increased international scrutiny amid the current conflict in Gaza, which has left more than 34,000 Palestinians dead, according to the enclave’s authorities. The International Court of Justice issued a ruling in January saying it was “plausible” that Israeli forces had committed acts of genocide in Gaza.

Following reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing to announce sanctions over rights abuses committed by Netzah Yehuda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would be “the height of absurdity” to punish his nation’s forces at a time when they are “fighting terrorist monsters.”

Beijing has stated that legislation recently enacted by Washington “gravely infringes” on its sovereignty

Beijing has warned that legislation signed into law last week by US President Joe Biden will lead to “forceful” retaliatory steps if Washington does not reverse course.

At issue are US plans to counter Chinese influence by spending $8 billion on Indo-Pacific security initiatives, including military aid to Taiwan, as well as a new law that would ban the video-sharing platform TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company within 12 months. Biden has called for ending US reliance on Chinese materials imports and has labeled Chinese leaders as “bad folks” who will “do bad things” when they have problems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claimed on Monday that the latest US actions infringe upon China’s sovereignty. “We urge the US to respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and not to implement these negative articles concerning China,” Lin told reporters in Beijing. “Otherwise, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.”

Read more Beijing warns Washington against crossing ‘red lines’

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province – a position that the US has acknowledged, without endorsing, since the 1970s. Washington has also maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” meaning it seeks to deter a Chinese seizure of Taiwan by leaving open the possibility that it would help defend the self-governing island.

The new Taiwan aid legislation violates US-Chinese communiques on the ‘one-China principle’, Lin said. It also sends a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwanese separatists, he warned, adding that Washington has again revealed its “hegemonic and bullying nature.”

The renewed US-China tensions come on the heels of last week’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Upon returning to Washington, the top US diplomat accused Beijing of trying to manipulate American elections. Lin denied the allegation, saying it stemmed from “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

READ MORE: China threatens US with response to missile deployment

The Chinese spokesman also bristled at Blinken’s accusation that China is exporting dual-use goods to help Russia produce more weapons for use against Ukraine. He said that China has pushed for a negotiated peace agreement in Ukraine, in contrast to the US role as an instigator.

“China’s right to normal trade and economic exchanges with countries in the world, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit should not be interfered with or disrupted,” Lin said. “The US keeps pouring munitions into Ukraine while blaming our normal trade with Russia. It is pretty clear who exactly is fueling the flame and aggravating the crisis.”

READ MORE: US sets clock ticking for TikTok

Beijing has stated that legislation recently enacted by Washington “gravely infringes” on its sovereignty

Beijing has warned that legislation signed into law last week by US President Joe Biden will lead to “forceful” retaliatory steps if Washington does not reverse course.

At issue are US plans to counter Chinese influence by spending $8 billion on Indo-Pacific security initiatives, including military aid to Taiwan, as well as a new law that would ban the video-sharing platform TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company within 12 months. Biden has called for ending US reliance on Chinese materials imports and has labeled Chinese leaders as “bad folks” who will “do bad things” when they have problems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claimed on Monday that the latest US actions infringe upon China’s sovereignty. “We urge the US to respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and not to implement these negative articles concerning China,” Lin told reporters in Beijing. “Otherwise, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.”

Read more Beijing warns Washington against crossing ‘red lines’

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province – a position that the US has acknowledged, without endorsing, since the 1970s. Washington has also maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” meaning it seeks to deter a Chinese seizure of Taiwan by leaving open the possibility that it would help defend the self-governing island.

The new Taiwan aid legislation violates US-Chinese communiques on the ‘one-China principle’, Lin said. It also sends a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwanese separatists, he warned, adding that Washington has again revealed its “hegemonic and bullying nature.”

The renewed US-China tensions come on the heels of last week’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Upon returning to Washington, the top US diplomat accused Beijing of trying to manipulate American elections. Lin denied the allegation, saying it stemmed from “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

READ MORE: China threatens US with response to missile deployment

The Chinese spokesman also bristled at Blinken’s accusation that China is exporting dual-use goods to help Russia produce more weapons for use against Ukraine. He said that China has pushed for a negotiated peace agreement in Ukraine, in contrast to the US role as an instigator.

“China’s right to normal trade and economic exchanges with countries in the world, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit should not be interfered with or disrupted,” Lin said. “The US keeps pouring munitions into Ukraine while blaming our normal trade with Russia. It is pretty clear who exactly is fueling the flame and aggravating the crisis.”

READ MORE: US sets clock ticking for TikTok

Beijing has stated that legislation recently enacted by Washington “gravely infringes” on its sovereignty

Beijing has warned that legislation signed into law last week by US President Joe Biden will lead to “forceful” retaliatory steps if Washington does not reverse course.

At issue are US plans to counter Chinese influence by spending $8 billion on Indo-Pacific security initiatives, including military aid to Taiwan, as well as a new law that would ban the video-sharing platform TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company within 12 months. Biden has called for ending US reliance on Chinese materials imports and has labeled Chinese leaders as “bad folks” who will “do bad things” when they have problems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claimed on Monday that the latest US actions infringe upon China’s sovereignty. “We urge the US to respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and not to implement these negative articles concerning China,” Lin told reporters in Beijing. “Otherwise, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.”

Read more Beijing warns Washington against crossing ‘red lines’

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province – a position that the US has acknowledged, without endorsing, since the 1970s. Washington has also maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” meaning it seeks to deter a Chinese seizure of Taiwan by leaving open the possibility that it would help defend the self-governing island.

The new Taiwan aid legislation violates US-Chinese communiques on the ‘one-China principle’, Lin said. It also sends a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwanese separatists, he warned, adding that Washington has again revealed its “hegemonic and bullying nature.”

The renewed US-China tensions come on the heels of last week’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Upon returning to Washington, the top US diplomat accused Beijing of trying to manipulate American elections. Lin denied the allegation, saying it stemmed from “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

READ MORE: China threatens US with response to missile deployment

The Chinese spokesman also bristled at Blinken’s accusation that China is exporting dual-use goods to help Russia produce more weapons for use against Ukraine. He said that China has pushed for a negotiated peace agreement in Ukraine, in contrast to the US role as an instigator.

“China’s right to normal trade and economic exchanges with countries in the world, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit should not be interfered with or disrupted,” Lin said. “The US keeps pouring munitions into Ukraine while blaming our normal trade with Russia. It is pretty clear who exactly is fueling the flame and aggravating the crisis.”

READ MORE: US sets clock ticking for TikTok

Beijing has stated that legislation recently enacted by Washington “gravely infringes” on its sovereignty

Beijing has warned that legislation signed into law last week by US President Joe Biden will lead to “forceful” retaliatory steps if Washington does not reverse course.

At issue are US plans to counter Chinese influence by spending $8 billion on Indo-Pacific security initiatives, including military aid to Taiwan, as well as a new law that would ban the video-sharing platform TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company within 12 months. Biden has called for ending US reliance on Chinese materials imports and has labeled Chinese leaders as “bad folks” who will “do bad things” when they have problems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claimed on Monday that the latest US actions infringe upon China’s sovereignty. “We urge the US to respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and not to implement these negative articles concerning China,” Lin told reporters in Beijing. “Otherwise, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.”

Read more Beijing warns Washington against crossing ‘red lines’

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province – a position that the US has acknowledged, without endorsing, since the 1970s. Washington has also maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” meaning it seeks to deter a Chinese seizure of Taiwan by leaving open the possibility that it would help defend the self-governing island.

The new Taiwan aid legislation violates US-Chinese communiques on the ‘one-China principle’, Lin said. It also sends a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwanese separatists, he warned, adding that Washington has again revealed its “hegemonic and bullying nature.”

The renewed US-China tensions come on the heels of last week’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Upon returning to Washington, the top US diplomat accused Beijing of trying to manipulate American elections. Lin denied the allegation, saying it stemmed from “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

READ MORE: China threatens US with response to missile deployment

The Chinese spokesman also bristled at Blinken’s accusation that China is exporting dual-use goods to help Russia produce more weapons for use against Ukraine. He said that China has pushed for a negotiated peace agreement in Ukraine, in contrast to the US role as an instigator.

“China’s right to normal trade and economic exchanges with countries in the world, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit should not be interfered with or disrupted,” Lin said. “The US keeps pouring munitions into Ukraine while blaming our normal trade with Russia. It is pretty clear who exactly is fueling the flame and aggravating the crisis.”

READ MORE: US sets clock ticking for TikTok

Attorneys representing the US president’s son have demanded that the media outlet remove “intimate images” from its platforms

Lawyers representing Hunter Biden have accused Fox News of a “conspiracy to defame” the US president’s son, demanding that the media outlet take down nude images of their client and retract reports suggesting that the Biden family engaged in an overseas bribery operation.

Biden Jnr's attorneys have claimed that Fox unlawfully published “hacked” photos of him and knowingly reported “debunked” bribery allegations. “Fox knows that these private and confidential images were hacked, stolen, and/or manipulated digital materials,” the lawyers said in a letter to the cable news network, which was seen by CNN has obtained

CNN has obtained a copy of the letter, which indicated that President Joe Biden’s son “anticipates” suing Fox. The lawyers reportedly insisted that Fox issue corrections and on-air retractions, including statements by its top hosts admitting that “they have been sharing a debunked allegation from a source who has been federally indicted.”

Read more Nude Hunter Biden photos shown in US Congress

Media reports about the Biden family’s alleged influence-peddling scheme stemmed from files on a laptop computer that Hunter Biden left behind at a Delaware computer repair shop. He forfeited ownership of the computer and its contents when he failed to pay his bill and pick up his laptop.

When the New York Post reported on the alleged Biden family scandal in October 2020, just weeks before the presidential election, former US intelligence officials falsely claimed that the story appeared to be “Russian disinformation.” Social media outlets censored the bombshell laptop report. Several of the same major media outlets that dismissed the story as disinformation later verified key documents on the laptop – long after Joe Biden had been elected.

Fox aired a six-part mock trial of Hunter Biden on its Fox Nation streaming platform in October 2022. The report included the bribery allegations, as well as photos showing the president’s son in the nude or engaged in sexual acts.

READ MORE: Hunter Biden sues Rudy Giuliani for ‘hacking’ his laptop

Hunter Biden’s lawyers demanded that the mock trial be removed from all streaming services. They argued that Fox also published articles based on statements from FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who was indicted earlier this year for allegedly making false claims that the owner of Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid bribes to the Bidens.

“Then, in a brazen show of no remorse, rather than walk back the story and correct the record, Fox double-downed on the debunked bribery allegation and used Smirnov’s indictment to claim this is an intimidation tactic aimed at silencing whistleblowers, to blame the FBI for its credulity, and to suggest an even deeper conspiracy,” Hunter Biden’s lawyers said in the letter.

READ MORE: Hunter Biden threatens Trump with ‘legal trouble’

However, US House lawmakers continue to investigate alleged Biden family corruption, citing bank records and other evidence.

Two animals involved in the bloody stampede are recuperating after surgery, military officials have said

Two military horses that sustained injuries when they bolted through central London last week are receiving veterinary care and will recover, the British Army said in a statement on Monday. Shocking video footage showed the beasts careening into traffic, one of them soaked in blood.

Five horses belonging to the Household Cavalry were taking part in their morning exercises on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall last Wednesday when they were spooked by noise from a nearby construction site. Four of the horses threw their riders and set off at full tilt through rush-hour traffic, while one bolted but was brought back under control. 

Photos and videos shared online showed one of the horses ramming into a double-decker bus and smashing its windshield; another was seen crashing into a black taxicab. A gray horse named Vida was seen galloping through the streets covered in blood.

Two horses underwent surgery, the army said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Quaker, a Cavalry black, has shown significant improvement and progresses towards what is expected to be a full recovery,” the post read. 

Read more Blood-covered horses run amok in central London (VIDEO)

Vida “continues to make progress. He remains under close and careful professional veterinary observation as his wounds heal,” a follow-up post explained.

Four people were injured in the rampage, three of them soldiers. Two of the soldiers remain in hospital undergoing treatment, the army said, adding that both “will make a full recovery.”

The Household Cavalry carries out ceremonial duties around Buckingham Palace. Its horses are regularly exercised in the city to prepare them for the gun salutes and drumbeats of military parades.

It is unclear whether Quaker and Vida will return to duty after their recovery. In a statement on Friday, the army said that the three other horses involved in Wednesday’s incident “did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.”

Two animals involved in the bloody stampede are recuperating after surgery, military officials have said

Two military horses that sustained injuries when they bolted through central London last week are receiving veterinary care and will recover, the British Army said in a statement on Monday. Shocking video footage showed the beasts careening into traffic, one of them soaked in blood.

Five horses belonging to the Household Cavalry were taking part in their morning exercises on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall last Wednesday when they were spooked by noise from a nearby construction site. Four of the horses threw their riders and set off at full tilt through rush-hour traffic, while one bolted but was brought back under control. 

Photos and videos shared online showed one of the horses ramming into a double-decker bus and smashing its windshield; another was seen crashing into a black taxicab. A gray horse named Vida was seen galloping through the streets covered in blood.

Two horses underwent surgery, the army said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Quaker, a Cavalry black, has shown significant improvement and progresses towards what is expected to be a full recovery,” the post read. 

Read more Blood-covered horses run amok in central London (VIDEO)

Vida “continues to make progress. He remains under close and careful professional veterinary observation as his wounds heal,” a follow-up post explained.

Four people were injured in the rampage, three of them soldiers. Two of the soldiers remain in hospital undergoing treatment, the army said, adding that both “will make a full recovery.”

The Household Cavalry carries out ceremonial duties around Buckingham Palace. Its horses are regularly exercised in the city to prepare them for the gun salutes and drumbeats of military parades.

It is unclear whether Quaker and Vida will return to duty after their recovery. In a statement on Friday, the army said that the three other horses involved in Wednesday’s incident “did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.”

Two animals involved in the bloody stampede are recuperating after surgery, military officials have said

Two military horses that sustained injuries when they bolted through central London last week are receiving veterinary care and will recover, the British Army said in a statement on Monday. Shocking video footage showed the beasts careening into traffic, one of them soaked in blood.

Five horses belonging to the Household Cavalry were taking part in their morning exercises on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall last Wednesday when they were spooked by noise from a nearby construction site. Four of the horses threw their riders and set off at full tilt through rush-hour traffic, while one bolted but was brought back under control. 

Photos and videos shared online showed one of the horses ramming into a double-decker bus and smashing its windshield; another was seen crashing into a black taxicab. A gray horse named Vida was seen galloping through the streets covered in blood.

Two horses underwent surgery, the army said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Quaker, a Cavalry black, has shown significant improvement and progresses towards what is expected to be a full recovery,” the post read. 

Read more Blood-covered horses run amok in central London (VIDEO)

Vida “continues to make progress. He remains under close and careful professional veterinary observation as his wounds heal,” a follow-up post explained.

Four people were injured in the rampage, three of them soldiers. Two of the soldiers remain in hospital undergoing treatment, the army said, adding that both “will make a full recovery.”

The Household Cavalry carries out ceremonial duties around Buckingham Palace. Its horses are regularly exercised in the city to prepare them for the gun salutes and drumbeats of military parades.

It is unclear whether Quaker and Vida will return to duty after their recovery. In a statement on Friday, the army said that the three other horses involved in Wednesday’s incident “did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged the Palestinian militant group to take Israel’s latest ceasefire offer

Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal is “extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous” and should be swiftly accepted by Hamas to spare Gazans from further bloodshed, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has argued.

“The only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas,” the top US diplomat said on Monday at a special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh. “They have to decide, and they have to decide quickly. I’m hopeful that they will make the right decision.”

Blinken claimed that the latest ceasefire offer, which was unveiled over the weekend, could lead to a “fundamental change in the dynamic” after more than six months of brutal war between Israel and Hamas. The latest conflict, which was triggered by surprise Hamas attacks against southern Israeli villages on October 7, has left more than 34,000 people dead in Gaza.

Read more Hamas names terms for laying down arms

The proposal could be the last chance to bring a halt to combat operations before Israel launches a long-threatened ground offensive in Rafah, a city at the southern tip of Gaza, where about 1.4 million civilians have taken refuge. The UN has warned of a humanitarian “catastrophe” if Israel goes through with the Rafah campaign.

Like Blinken, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron described the Israeli ceasefire proposal as “generous.” The offer includes a 40-day initial pause in the fighting and the potential release of thousands of Palestinians who are jailed in Israel, he told the WEF audience.

In exchange, 33 of the approximately 130 Israeli hostages who are still believed to be held captive in Gaza would be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire. The second phase reportedly calls for a “period of sustainable calm,” which would allow for the remaining hostages to be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners.

READ MORE: Israel gives Hamas one chance to avoid Rafah invasion

Hamas has demanded a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the besieged Palestinian enclave. Israel’s compromise offer of “sustainable calm” could largely meet that condition without calling it a permanent ceasefire.

Representatives of Hamas were scheduled to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Monday in Cairo.

READ MORE: US senator wants Biden to sweeten Saudi-Israel deal

The Israeli prime minister has promised that he “will not bow” to attempts to drag him before a tribunal in The Hague

The International Criminal Court (ICC) could charge Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top officials with war crimes and issue warrants for their arrest as early as this week, NBC News reported on Monday.

Citing an Israeli official, the American network claimed that warrants could be issued for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and unnamed senior military officers. The official said that “Israel is working through diplomatic channels to try to stop the warrants being issued,” in NBC’s words.

According to Israeli media, army chief Herzl Halevi is among the military officials facing charges.

The ICC did not confirm or deny the report, telling NBC that it “has an ongoing independent investigation in relation to the situation in the State of Palestine” and has “no further comment to make at this stage.”

Read more Netanyahu reacts to possible ICC arrest warrant

The ICC’s investigation was launched in 2021, and concerns alleged war crimes by the Israeli military and Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank and Gaza since 2014, when Israel fought a month-long war against Hamas. 

The probe is separate to South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, which is currently being heard by the International Court of Juctice (ICJ). Pretoria alleges that Israeli forces have committed genocide and crimes against humanity during their ongoing operation against Hamas in Gaza.

The ICC and ICJ are both based in the Dutch city of The Hague. Under the 2002 Rome Statute, the ICC is tasked with prosecuting individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the ‘crime of aggression’. The ICJ on the other hand is an organ of the UN tasked with settling disputes between nations. 

Should the ICC issue a warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest, the Israeli PM is unlikely to be hauled to The Hague to face trial. Israel – like the US, Russia, and China – is not a party to the Rome Statute and does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction. A warrant could, however, place Netanyahu at risk of arrest if he were to travel to any of the 124 countries that recognize the court.

READ MORE: Bernie Sanders hits back at Netanyahu over anti-Semitism claims

After news of a potential war crimes charge emerged last week, Netanyahu declared on Friday that Israel “will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.”

“The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 

Beijing has no interest in meddling in US internal affairs, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian has said

China’s foreign ministry has shot down allegations by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it interferes in American elections, accusing Blinken of “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

Upon returning from a visit to China on Friday, Blinken told CNN that the US government had seen attempts by Beijing to manipulate US elections. “We have seen, generally speaking, evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere. And we want to make sure that’s cut off as quickly as possible,” he told host Kylie Atwood.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian rejected these allegations at a press conference on Monday. “Non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs is a basic principle for China’s diplomacy,” Lin told reporters.

“The US presidential election is the US’ internal affair,” he continued. “We have never had any interest and will not interfere in any way in the election. Nevertheless, we staunchly reject anyone making an issue of China and damaging China’s interests for election purposes.”

Read more Blinken accuses China of election interference

“The US needs to stop the paranoia and shadow-chasing, stop slinging mud at China to divert attention and deflect the blame, and contribute to a stable China-US relationship and the wellbeing of our two peoples,” Lin concluded.

American politicians often accuse foreign nations of interfering in US elections, with the now-debunked claim that Russia intervened to help Donald Trump clinch the presidency in 2016 spiralling into an espionage operation against Trump’s campaign and a years-long probe by the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump and President Joe Biden have both accused China of similar meddling attempts, with Biden pressing Chinese President Xi Jinping on the issue during a meeting in San Francisco in November. According to CNN, Xi promised Biden that China would not interfere in this year’s presidential election.

US spies insist that Xi’s promise was a hollow one. In a threat assessment published in February, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence claimed that Chinese operatives aim “to sow doubts about US leadership, undermine democracy, and extend Beijing’s influence” through information operations and possible election meddling.

“Even if Beijing sets limits on these activities, individuals not under its direct supervision may attempt election influence activities they perceive are in line with Beijing’s goals,” the document stated.

READ MORE: MI5 to vet British academics for Chinese spy links – media

According to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, such accusations are rooted in American insecurity over China’s rising economic and military might. Pointing to Washington’s espionage allegations, sanctions, and trade restrictions, Wang said in March that its “methods of suppressing China are constantly being renewed.”

“The challenge for the United States comes from itself, not from China. If the United States is obsessed with suppressing China, it will eventually harm itself,” Wang told reporters in Beijing.