Amal Clooney is one of the legal experts who advised the chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and militant Hamas commanders.

The human rights lawyer and wife of actor George Clooney wrote about her involvement in a letter published Monday on the Clooney Foundation for Justice website. She stated that she and other international law experts unanimously agreed to suggest that the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan, obtain the warrants.

Amal Clooney Is One Of The Legal Experts Who Recommended War Crimes Charges In Israel-Hamas War

Khan declared his intention to do so on Monday, claiming that actions made by Israeli authorities and Hamas during the seven-month Gaza conflict constituted war crimes.

“I served on this Panel because I believe in the rule of law and the need to protect civilian lives,” stated Clooney in a letter. “The law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and it applies in every country in the world regardless of the reasons for a conflict.”

Clooney stated that the panel included specialists on international humanitarian law and international criminal law, as well as two former judges from criminal tribunals in The Hague, where the ICC is situated. She clarified that their decision was unanimous. On Monday, the panel issued an op-ed in the Financial Times outlining its recommendations.

A panel of three judges at the ICC will determine whether to issue arrest warrants and allow the case to proceed. The judges usually take two months to make such determinations.

Amal Clooney Is One Of The Legal Experts Who Recommended War Crimes Charges In Israel-Hamas Wa

In his announcement on Monday, Khan accused Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas commanders — Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh — of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel.

Netanyahu and other Israeli authorities blasted the move as disgusting and anti-Semitic. U.S. President Joe Biden also criticized the prosecution and defended Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas.

Israel is not a member of the court; therefore, even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant will not face instant prosecution. However, the possibility of arrest may make it impossible for Israeli leaders to travel abroad. The West already considers Hamas an international terrorist outfit.

The latest battle between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, when militants from Gaza crossed into Israel, killing over 1,200 people, the majority of them were civilians, and kidnapping 250 more.

Amal Clooney Is One Of The Legal Experts Who Recommended War Crimes Charges In Israel-Hamas War

Since then, Israel has launched a ruthless effort to demolish Hamas in Gaza. According to the most recent figures from Gaza health officials, more than 35,000 Palestinians have died in the war, with at least half of them being women and children.

According to U.N. officials, the war has caused a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, displacing about 80% of the population and putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk of famine.

SOURCE – (AP)

France’s Cannes  — A film that tells the narrative of Donald Trump’s beginnings and paints a harsh picture of the former president in the 1980s debuted at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, concurrent with the start of the sixth week of the Republican nominee’s hush money trial in New York.

Sebastian Stan plays Donald in the Iranian-Danish film “The Apprentice,” which was directed by Ali Abbasi. The primary bond in the film is that between Donald and Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the defense lawyer who served as lead counsel for Joseph McCarthy during the Senate hearings in the 1950s.

‘The Apprentice,’ About A Young Donald Trump, Premieres In Cannes

According to the narrative, Cohn has been Donald’s longtime mentor, teaching him the cruelty of New York City politics and commerce. Cohn initially supported the Trump Organization during a federal government lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in housing.

“The Apprentice,” a show that claims to be based on actual events, presents Donald’s interactions with Cohn as a sort of Faustian bargain that aided in his ascent to prominence in both business and politics. Stan’s Trump is a more innocent real estate aspirant at first, but Cohn’s schooling quickly changes him.

One sequence in the movie that is particularly noteworthy shows Donald raping his wife, Ivana Trump (played by Maria Bakalova). Ivana Trump claimed that Donald had sexually assaulted her in her 1990 divorce deposition. Ivana Trump later clarified that she didn’t mean it literally but rather that she had felt violated after Trump refuted the accusation.

‘The Apprentice,’ About A Young Donald Trump, Premieres In Cannes

Amidst the US presidential race, “The Apprentice” is a potentially explosive big-screen drama thanks to this and other scenes. There has yet to be a release date for the movie because it is being sold at Cannes.

Variety reported the alleged behind-the-scenes conflict surrounding “The Apprentice” on Monday. The trade magazine said, citing unnamed sources, that billionaire Dan Snyder—a former Washington Commanders owner and “The Apprentice” investor—had pressured the film’s directors to change how Donald is portrayed. Snyder has contributed to Donald’s presidential campaign in the past.

Snyder and the movie’s representatives could not be reached for comment immediately.

Abbasi, whose last film “Holy Spider” portrayed a female journalist pursuing a serial killer in Iran, stated in the movie’s press notes that he wasn’t trying to make “a History Channel episode.”

Abbasi declared, “This is not a biopic of Donald Trump.” “Every aspect of his life from point A to point Z is not interesting. We hope to present a specific story through their friendship and Roy’s relationship with him.

‘The Apprentice,’ About A Young Donald Trump, Premieres In Cannes

No matter how it affects politics, “The Apprentice” will probably be discussed a lot as a possible Oscar contender. The film, which has a grungy ’80s look, follows Strong back to a wealthy and powerful New York one year after HBO’s “Succession” ended. Strong, who plays “An Enemy of the People” on Broadway, was absent for the Cannes premiere on Monday.

“The Apprentice” is a competitor at Cannes, where it can vie for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor. The day following a film’s world premiere at Cannes, actors and directors hold press conferences. Tuesday is the press conference for “The Apprentice.”

SOURCE – (AP)

The organization announced on Sunday night the passing of Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center dubbed “Mr. Raider” for his resilience in the face of several injuries. It was his 86th birthday.

It took some time to determine the cause of death.

“The Original Raider,” the team declared in a statement shared on the social media site X. Jim’s impact on the American Football League and professional football in general is impossible to overestimate, as he personifies consistency. His leadership and perseverance distinguished the successful Raider teams of the 1960s and 1970s.

Otto continued to be associated with the Raiders following their 2020 relocation to Las Vegas. After the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos 27-14 in January to close the season, he was one of numerous former players in the locker room.

Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86

The defense ended with the Las Vegas Raiders. Otto was a “complete legend & incredible person,” according to a post made by Maxx Crosby on X.

In 1960, Jim joined the Raiders during their initial season in the American Football League and remained a regular for the following fifteen years.

He had nine knee surgeries during his playing career, although he never missed a game due to an injury. He participated in 210 straight regular-season games and 308 straight overall. 2007 saw the amputation of his right leg.

Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon famously remarked, “He’s a warrior.” “Jim comes to mind when you think of the rugged, vintage Raider.”

Considered one of the AFL’s all-time greats, Jim was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said, “Jim personified the aura and mystique of the Raiders.” He was known as “The Original Raider,” guiding a brand-new franchise from its birth through its initial golden age in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His renowned dependability—210 straight starts in the AFL and NFL—and the honors he has received bear witness to his commitment to the team and the sport.

Otto had reportedly undergone more than fifty surgeries, most of them for wounds sustained playing football. Those suffered from crippling neck and back issues, arthritis, and repeated joint replacements. 2007 saw the amputation of his right leg.

After his career, Jim also experienced two significant infections and prostate cancer.

He declared, “I can tolerate any kind of surgery in the world, with the exception of internal procedures.” Correcting your nose, knee, elbows, or anything else is insignificant if it is purely cosmetic.

Otto participated in nine AFL All-Star games and the first three AFC-NFC Pro Bowls while donning his renowned No. 00 jersey, a play on his name, “Aught-oh.” Jim was elected into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

“I always tried to stay one step ahead of everyone else in my career,” Otto once remarked. “I was the best center every day that I trotted onto the field. I desired to be that way. I kept playing at that caliber and according to those standards.

Otto played a crucial role as the Raiders rose to prominence as one of the top teams in the NFL. After losing to Green Bay in the 1967 Super Bowl, the squad finished with seven division victories in his remaining eight seasons.

Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86

He played offensive line alongside fellow Hall of Famers Gene Upshaw and Art Shell during his last seasons. Those Raiders dominated their opponents on the physical level.

“Some intimidation was present,” he claimed. “The football team and Oakland’s fan base made it difficult for teams to visit.

The Raiders were known for their intense partying and impressive play. Players would reportedly arrive before bed check at 11 p.m. and then leave again.

“They were all at practice the next morning, regardless of what had happened the previous evening,” Otto remarked.

Otto was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, on January 5, 1938. He was raised in extreme poverty and briefly lived with his family in a chicken coop. He departed to play football at the University of Miami, where he excelled as a linebacker and center.

In 1959, he was not selected by the NFL, but instead, he signed with the Raiders of the newly formed AFL the following year. Of the players who participated in the AFL for all ten years, he was one of only twenty.

Otto most recently served as the group’s director of special projects. In addition to making public appearances for the team, he arranged get-togethers for past players and fan gatherings in the luxury boxes.

Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider’ And Pro Football Hall Of Famer, Dies At 86

He also significantly impacted the negotiations to return the franchise to Oakland from Los Angeles prior to the 1995 campaign. In 2020, the Raiders moved from the Bay Area to Las Vegas.

My wife Sally, son Jim Jr., daughter-in-law Leah, and fourteen grandchildren (Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman, and Ellie) survive Otto.

SOURCE – (AP)