Good Thursday morning!
The International Criminal Court announced yesterday that it is opening a war crimes investigation into the activities of both Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, beginning with the 2014 Gaza War.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahucalled the decision “undiluted antisemitism and the height of hypocrisy.” The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry said the “long-awaited step serves Palestine’s vigorous effort to achieve justice and accountability.”
Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the U.S. “firmly opposes and is deeply disappointed by this decision,” adding that: “The ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter.”
Deputy Secretary of State-designate Wendy Sherman appeared beforethe Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday for a confirmation hearing. Sherman, a key negotiator in the 2015 Iran deal, told senators that the U.S. would seek a new agreement with Iran that extends and strengthens the original deal
How and Where to Travel Safely This Summer: Coronavirus Q&A Bloomberg 2/25/2021 Stephanie Baker
(Bloomberg) The coronavirus pandemic has sent shock waves through the global travel industry and the economies most reliant on tourism. Now, with vaccines rolling out, governments are looking to strike a balance between the continuing fight against Covid-19 and allowing travel to resume. I asked Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis, Gloria Guevara, chief executive officer of the industry group World Travel and Tourism Council [WTTC], and Sarah Pitt, a virologist at the University of Brighton in the U.K., about the road ahead.
Stephanie Baker: Minister Theoharis, there’s been lots of talk about vaccine passports opening up travel this summer and possibly even earlier. You’ve got an agreement with Israel to allow the vaccinated to travel freely between both countries. Will you require vaccination from travelers from other countries and, if so, when?
“I had a lot more fun with last year’s experience, because I was doing so well,” said Baker. She said she decided to enter again because she has collected Inked magazines for years, and it’s a fun competition to be part of. Baker has more ink than a year ago, because she has a black and white rose tattoo on her neck. “My family and friends are especially encouraging,” said Baker. “My friends, they share my Facebook page a lot, so it’s pretty cool.” Her first tattoo was of her boxer dog’s name on the back of her shoulder. It came when she was 18 and she kept getting more tattoos. Baker’s mother has tattoos, and Baker believe she gained her fondness for tattoos from her mother, who has been very supportive.
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Track coach David Case and protege Celine Loyer have been sentenced to 16 months each for sexually assaulting a female teen 10 years ago during a dinner party.
“A fit sentence in this matter would fully address the misuse of a woman’s body for personal gratification while acknowledging the harm done to the victim,” Superior Court Justice Patricia Hennessy said Monday in her sentencing decision. “Miss Loyer and Mr. Case co-ordinated and acted together including the digital penetration of a young, naive woman while isolated in the home of one of the perpetrators. (Case) displayed a high degree of moral blameworthiness …