UNITED NATIONS: A key UN General Assembly committee adopted a resolution late Friday paving the way for negotiations on a first-ever treaty on preventing and punishing crimes against humanity after Russia dropped amendments that would have derailed the effort.
The resolution was approved by consensus by the assembly’s legal committee, which includes all 193-member UN nations, after tense last-minute negotiations between its supporters and Russia that dragged through the day.
There was loud applause when the chairman of the committee gaveled the resolution’s approval. It is virtually certain to be adopted when the General Assembly puts it to a final vote on Dec. 4.
“Today’s agreement to start up negotiations on a much-needed international treaty is a historic achievement that was a long time coming,” Richard Dicker, Human Rights Watch’s senior legal adviser for advocacy, told The Associated Press.
“It sends a crucial message that impunity for the kinds of crimes inflicted on civilians in Ethiopia, Sudan, Ukraine, southern Israel, Gaza and Myanmar will not go unheeded,” he said.
The resolution calls for a time-bound process with preparatory sessions in 2026 and 2027, and three-week negotiating sessions in 2028 and 2029 to finalize a treaty on crimes against humanity.
Dicker said Russia’s proposed amendments left in question whether treaty negotiations would have been completed.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Maria Zabolotskaya said Russia withdrew the amendments “in a spirit of compromise.” But she said Russia “dissociates itself from consensus.”
“This, of course, does not mean that we are not ready to work on this crucial convention,” Zabolotskaya told the committee.
The International Criminal Court was established to punish major perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide and it has 124 countries that are parties to it. The ICC says crimes against humanity are committed as part of a large-scale attack on civilians and it lists 15 forms including murder, rape, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, sexual slavery, torture and deportation.
But the ICC does not have jurisdiction over nearly 70 other countries.
There are global treaties that cover war crimes, genocide and torture — but there has been no specific treaty addressing crimes against humanity. And according to sponsors of the resolution, led by Mexico and Gambia and backed by 96 other countries, a new treaty will fill the gap.
Kelly Adams, legal adviser at the Global Justice Center, also called the resolution “a historic breakthrough” after many delays.
Pointing to “the proliferation of crimes against humanity around the world,” she expressed hope that a treaty will be “strong, progressive and survivor-centric.”
Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard expressed disappointment that the timeline had been extended until 2029, but said, “What’s important is that this process will deliver a viable convention.”
“It is long overdue and all the more welcome at a time when too many states are intent on wrecking international law and universal standards,” she said. “It is a clear sign that states are ready to reinforce the international justice framework and clamp down on safe havens from investigation and prosecution for perpetrators of these heinous crimes.”
After the resolution’s adoption, Gambia’s Counselor Amadou Jaiteh, who had introduced it hours earlier, called its approval “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference,” to hope for a world without crimes against humanity, “and a world where voices of victims are heard louder than their perpetrators.”
Key UN committee adopts resolution paving the way for a first-ever treaty on crimes against humanity
https://arab.news/wzvuc
Key UN committee adopts resolution paving the way for a first-ever treaty on crimes against humanity
- The International Criminal Court was established to punish major perpetrators of war crimes
- ICC has 124 countries that are parties to it
Air India crash adds to Boeing’s recent troubles
The Air India 787 went down in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad with more than 240 people aboard shortly after takeoff, authorities said. It was the first fatal crash since the plane, also known as the Dreamliner, went into service in 2009, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Boeing shares fell more than 5 percent in pre-market trading.
The 787 was the first airliner to make extensive use of lithium ion batteries, which are lighter, recharge faster and can hold more energy than other types of batteries. In 2013 the 787 fleet was temporarily grounded because of overheating of its lithium-ion batteries, which in some cases sparked fires.
737 Max
The Max version of Boeing’s best-selling 737 airplane has been the source of persistent troubles for Boeing after two of the jets crashed. The crashes, one in Indonesia in 2018 and another in Ethiopia in 2019, killed 346.
The problem stemmed from a sensor providing faulty readings that pushed the nose down, leaving pilots unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded worldwide until the company redesigned the system.
Last month, the Justice Department reached a deal to allow Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading US regulators about the Max before the two crashes.
Worries about the plane flared up again after a door plug blew off a Max operated by Alaska Airlines, leading regulators to cap Boeing’s production at 38 jets per month.
Financial woes
Boeing posted a loss of $11.8 billion in 2024, bringing its total losses since 2019 to more than $35 billion.
The company’s financial problems were compounded by a strike by machinists who assemble the airplanes plane at its factories in Renton and Everett, Washington, which halted production at those facilities and hampered Boeing’s delivery capability.
For the first three months of 2025, Boeing reported a narrower loss of $31 million compared with the previous year. CEO Kelly Ortberg said Boeing made progress on stabilizing operations during the quarter.
Orders and deliveries
The stepped-up government scrutiny and the workers’ strike resulted in Boeing’s aircraft deliveries sliding last year.
Boeing said it supplied 348 jetliners in 2024, which was a third fewer than the 528 that it reported for the previous year.
The company delivered less than half the number of commercial aircraft to customers than its main rival Airbus, which reported delivering 766 commercial jets in 2023.
Still, Boeing’s troubles haven’t turned off airline customers from buying its jets. Last month the company secured big orders from two Middle Eastern customers. The deals included a $96 billion order for 787 and 777X jets from Qatar, which it said was the biggest order for 787s and wide body jets in the company’s.
Air India crash leaves UK’s Indian community ‘deeply shocked’
- MP who campaigned to open direct flights between Ahmedabad, London praises Gujarati community
- Former PM Rishi Sunak, who recently watched IPL final in the city, sends prayers to families of victims
LONDON: The Indian community in the UK has been left in deep shock after an Air India airplane bound for London Gatwick crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people burst into flames when it hit buildings in Gujarat state’s largest city shortly after takeoff.
Among those on board were 53 British passengers and 169 Indian nationals, many of whom would have been on their way to visit relatives in the UK.
The former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he and his wife Akshata Murty were “deeply shocked and distressed” by the tragedy.
Sunak and Murty were in Ahmedabad earlier this month to watch the Indian Premier League cricket final at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Sunak said on X: “There is a unique bond between our two nations and our thoughts and prayers go out to the British and Indian families who have lost loved ones today.”
The High Commission of India in London said it was “deeply saddened by the tragic crash,” and that “thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this devastating incident.”
It urged those affected to follow official updates from India’s civil aviation ministry and added that High Commission staff would assist the next of kin of the victims in the UK.
With the UK and India’s deep historic, political and trade ties, the Indian community in the UK is thought to number around 1.8 million. At least 600,000 are part of the diaspora from Gujarat, the state where the Air India plane crashed.
MP Bob Blackman, whose constituency of Harrow East is home to one of the largest Gujarati communities in the UK, said almost all the Indian nationals on board would have been on their way to visit relatives in Britain.
“The community is shocked by what’s happened,” he told BBC radio. “A third of my constituents come from Gujarat originally, and they will all have family and friends there. It’s a very close community and so they’ll all be affected by this.”
Blackman had campaigned to get direct flights set up between Ahmedabad and the UK.
The route was among the promises made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — who is from Gujarat — during a visit to the UK in 2015. Air India finally opened the route to Gatwick in 2023.
Blackman said: “It’s taken a long time to get these flights underway and that’s also what makes it even more of a tragedy: that one of these should crash and so many people have unfortunately lost their lives as a result.”
The MP praised the Gujarati community in the UK, saying that wherever they go throughout the world they bring improvements to education and the economy.
He added: “They’re hard-working people who look after their families and make sure everyone is protected, so when something like this happens it's a tragedy that’s felt by the whole community.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the scenes of the crash in Ahmedabad as “devastating.”
He added: “My thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time.”
King Charles III said he was “desperately shocked” by the tragedy.
“Our special prayers and deepest possible sympathy are with the families and friends of all those affected by this appallingly tragic incident across so many nations, as they await news of their loved ones,” he said.
The crash comes a month after the UK and India signed a trade deal in the latest boost to their historic economic ties.
The accident stunned the business community operating between the two countries.
The UK India Business Council said it was deeply saddened by the crash.
“Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy,” it said.
The UK branch of the Friends of India Society International said: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those on board.”
Student who stabbed Labour MP in east London in 2010 to be freed from prison, says Parole Board
- Roshonara Choudhry was 21 when sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for stabbing Stephen Timms twice in the stomach
- Choudhry, now 36, participated in programs to understand her extreme beliefs, behavior was ‘exemplary,’ says panel
LONDON: A student who attempted to murder Labour MP Stephen Timms in May 2010 can be released from prison following a Parole Board decision.
Roshonara Choudhry was 21 when she was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years for stabbing Timms twice in the stomach, and was also charged with two counts of possessing an offensive weapon.
Choudhry, a former King’s College London student, was radicalized after watching lectures by an Al-Qaeda cleric, and her attack was believed to have been the first Al-Qaeda-inspired attempt to assassinate a politician on British soil.
Choudhry attacked the East Ham MP, the minister of state for social security and disability in the current UK government, while he held a constituency surgery at the Beckton Globe community center in east London. Following her arrest, she told police the stabbing was “punishment” and “to get revenge for the people of Iraq.”
During a Parole Board hearing on May 20, a panel decided to release her from prison. It added that her imprisonment “was no longer necessary for the protection of the public.”
Choudhry, now 36, participated in programs while in prison to understand her extreme beliefs, and her behavior was described by the panel as “exemplary.”
It added: “Ms Choudhry was assessed as having shown a very high level of insight and understanding of herself.
“She would no longer be likely to be influenced by other people with strong negative views, having developed the ability to critically evaluate information and to seek help from professionals if she needs it.”
The panel recommended Choudhry’s release on license, with conditions to live at a designated address, follow a curfew, and avoid contact with Timms.
Indonesian president to meet Putin on first Russia visit next week
- Prabowo will meet Putin in St. Petersburg, where he will address an economic forum
- He referred to Russia as ‘great friend’ when he visited Moscow as defense minister last year
JAKARTA: Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will meet Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg next week, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, as the leader of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy is set to make his first visit to Russia since taking office.
Prabowo will begin his three-day visit on June 18, during which he will also attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“This visit is to fulfill the invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin for a bilateral meeting,” Rolliansyah Soemirat, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters in Jakarta.
“This visit is also part of the 75-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries … (and) is expected to include discussions on the progress of bilateral cooperation as well as an exchange between the leaders on regional and global issues of common concern.”
Indonesia is also hoping to sign new agreements with Russia during the upcoming visit, he added without specifying details.
Prabowo last met Putin in July, during a trip to Russia as Indonesia’s defense minister that took place months before he was inaugurated as the country’s new president. He called Russia a “great friend” at the time and said he wanted to develop nuclear energy cooperation with Moscow.
The two countries held their first joint naval drills on Java in November. It was followed by talks between Indonesia’s Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, in Jakarta in February, during which they discussed ways to strengthen defense ties.
Indonesia also became a full member of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies in January, a geopolitical forum that was co-founded by Russia.
Since taking office, Prabowo has visited over a dozen countries, including China, the US and the UAE.
The 73-year-old leader has committed to maintaining the country’s long-standing “free and active” foreign policy. Under the non-aligned approach, Jakarta has refused to take sides over Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.
Bangladeshi women break driving taboo on male-dominated roads
- Country’s largest development organization opened all-female driving school in 2012
- Most of its graduates now employed by NGOs, international organizations
DHAKA: When Sharmin Akter Pinky sat behind the steering wheel for the first time, it was because of her aunt, who encouraged her to venture into a field which, in Bangladesh, had traditionally been dominated by men.
“She used to inspire me to be an independent woman and to do something with my own abilities,” Pinky told Arab News.
Her aunt saw women learning to drive at a school in Dhaka and convinced the rest of the family that it would be the right path for her niece as well.
“She kept insisting that if the other girls could do it, I would also be able to do the same,” Pinky said.
“This is how I stepped into this driving career, with the support of my parents, uncle, and aunt.”
Pinky was 20 at the time. Now, eight years later, she is a professional driver working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
The all-female driving school she enrolled in was opened by BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee), Bangladesh’s largest development organization, in 2012. Each year, more and more women have been taking the classes — making the wheel their tool for earning a livelihood and building a career.
“There was a time when people had a very negative mindset about girls entering the driving profession, but things have improved a lot since then. I would encourage more women to take it up. Girls should be independent and explore the world around them,” Pinky said.
For her, it also comes with a personal mission to help empower others who may not have had as much support from their families as she did.
In Pinky’s village, it was not widely accepted that women could work.
She said: “In the early days, when I went back to the village during holidays, people would say things like ‘This isn’t a respectable job,’ or ‘You’ll have trouble getting married,’ or ‘You might fall in with the wrong crowd.’
“But my father always stood by me. He told me not to listen to what people around us said. He encouraged me to focus on being a good human being, doing honest work, and helping others improve their lives.
“Later, I brought two other girls from my village, arranged driving training for them, and helped them find jobs. Now, people admit that driving can be a good job for women too. I feel proud I have started something.”
For Sharmina Akter Banu, who now also works at FAO, driving offered a means of survival.
When her father and husband passed away, she was left alone caring for her 18-month-old child, younger siblings, and mother.
“I received an offer from the BRAC Driving School to take driving training. I completed the training over a period of three months. After that, I got a job as a professional driver,” she said.
“At that time all of my siblings were still attending school. With the income from my driving job, I took on the responsibility of supporting my younger siblings. Thanks to that, all of them were able to complete their education.”
Banu’s younger brother is now pursuing his honors degree, and her son is completing high school.
The job has become a source of pride for her. She has a stable profession, is financially independent, has been able to support her family, and feels like an equal member of society.
“I’m surrounded by many male drivers and, among them, I am the only female. It’s a matter of pride for me, because as a woman I’ve been able to work in this challenging profession alongside men,” she said.
“Wherever I notice a female driver, it fills my heart with joy. More and more girls are coming into this profession. And they are doing well.”
Banu and Pinky are among more than 3,500 professional women drivers trained by BRAC. They come from various parts of Bangladesh and different backgrounds.
“We have BRAC’s network in the remotest parts of the country … We receive applications from minorities and underprivileged women,” Abdul Quddus, who is in charge of the organization’s driving schools, told Arab News.
“After receiving training, the female drivers start working at different organizations, especially with international NGOs … To date, all the women who received professional driving training from us are doing well at their workplaces.”
They are contributing not only to the workforce and efforts to change social norms, but also to improving road safety in a country where traffic accidents are common.
“The society has now mostly overcome the stereotype that driving is mostly a male job,” Quddus said.
“Women can play a significant role in ensuring road safety. They don’t get involved in risky driving like men, and they are more respectful of the traffic rules.”
