SENATOR TOM COTTON WANTS TO INVADE THE NETHERLANDS 'COZ ICC ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU

Thanks 'MF':

https://t.me/SGTnewsNetwork/80330

⚠️BREAKING: SEN TOM COTTON WANTS TO INVADE THE NETHERLANDS?!

Sen Tom Cotton criticized the ICC over its arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant, calling it a “kangaroo court” and calling prosecutor Karim Khan a “deranged fanatic.”

Cotton: "The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic.

Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants.

Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it."

The Hague Invasion Act, passed in 2002, authorizes the U.S. to use force to free Americans or allies detained by the ICC.
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al Jazeera:

How US politicians responded to Netanyahu’s ICC arrest warrant

Biden administration ‘fundamentally rejects’ decision as lawmakers issue threats and call for sanctions against court.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, July 24, 2024 [Craig Hudson/Reuters]

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 21 Nov 202421 Nov 2024

Washington, DC – When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in front of the United States Congress earlier this year, the lawmakers stood up and clapped for him dozens of times.

Now that he is a formally suspected war criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the adoration he received in Washington, DC, in July from US politicians is turning into anger and threats against the Hague-based tribunal.

Keep reading

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list 1 of 3

Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant issued ICC arrest warrants: What’s next?

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Israel bombards Gaza as the US blocks another ceasefire

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World reacts to ICC arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant

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ICC pre-trial judges issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for charges of using starvation as a method of warfare as well as the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.

The court found that there were reasonable grounds that the Israeli siege of Gaza “created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population”.

With a few exceptions, US politicians from both major parties expressed outrage at the court’s decision, with many questioning the court’s legitimacy.

White House ‘rejects’ warrants

The administration of President Joe Biden was quick to voice opposition to the ruling.

“We fundamentally reject the court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

“We remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision.”

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She did not identify the alleged errors.

The Biden administration raised eyebrows earlier this month when it said that Israel had not violated a deadline to allow humanitarian assistance to Gaza, contradicting the findings of top aid organisations.

Jean-Pierre also reiterated the US argument that the ICC has no jurisdiction over Israeli officials because Israel is not a party to the court.

But the court has rejected that rationale, asserting that it has jurisdiction on the matter because Palestine – where the suspected crimes occurred – accepts the court’s authority.

US officials have previously argued that Palestinians do not have a state, and therefore cannot enter the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court. But Palestine, which joined the ICC in 2015, is a non-member observer state of the United Nations.

Asked about calls for sanctioning court officials, Jean-Pierre told reporters: “We are in consultation with our partners, which include Israel, about our next steps.”

A recent Brown University study found that the Biden administration spent $17.9bn on security assistance to Israel over the past year – funds that were vital to the US ally’s devastating war on Gaza.

Call for sanctions

While the outgoing Democratic administration rebuked the ICC, Republicans were even more forceful in condemning The Hague-based tribunal and demanding penalties against its officials.

Senator Lindsey Graham, an ally of President-elect Donald Trump, said it is time for the US government to sanction the ICC for its warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

The US House of Representatives passed a bill in June to impose sanctions on court officials, but the measure has not been considered by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer “needs to pass the bipartisan legislation that came from the House sanctioning the Court for such an outrage and President Biden needs to sign it”, Graham wrote in a social media post.

In 2021, the Biden administration removed sanctions on ICC officials that had been imposed by Trump, who will be sworn in for a second term on January 20.

Incoming Trump aide warns of ‘strong response’

Congressman Mike Waltz, who is set to serve as Trump’s national security adviser, slammed the court over arrest warrants.

“The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the US government,” Waltz wrote in a social media post.

“Israel has lawfully defended its people [and] borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC [and] UN come January.”

Senator threatens ICC with ‘Hague Invasion Act’

Sanctions are not enough for Tom Cotton, a Republican senator known for calling for the use of military force, even against domestic protesters.

Rebuking the ICC, Cotton invoked a US law that authorises the US president to use “all means necessary and appropriate” to free Americans or allied individuals detained at the request of the court.

Congress in 2002 passed the American Service-Members’ Protection Act, which is informally known as “The Hague Invasion Act” because it greenlights military force against the ICC.

“The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic,” Cotton wrote in a social media post.

“Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants.”

Video Duration 1 minutes 14 seconds1:14

Democrats condemn court

As it often does, support for Israel – even against allegations of horrific war crimes – brought key figures from both major parties together.

Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman used profanity and an Israeli flag emoji to make his views known. “No standing, relevance, or path. F*** that,” he wrote in a social media post.

Florida Congressman Jared Moskowitz accused the ICC of “antisemitic double standard”, and Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen urged Biden to “use his authority to swiftly respond to this overreach”.

For his part, New York Congressman Ritchie Torres accused the ICC of criminalising self-defence.

Numerous rights groups have concluded that Israeli atrocities in Gaza, which UN experts have described as a genocide, are war crimes that do not fall under the right of self-defence.

“The ICC should be sanctioned not for enforcing the law but for distorting it beyond recognition,” Torres wrote in a social media post.

Tlaib hails ‘historic’ arrest warrants

The Palestinian American congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, was a rare voice of dissent in welcoming the ICC’s decision.

Tlaib called on the Biden administration to end “complicity” in Israeli abuses.

“The International Criminal Court’s long overdue decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity signals that the days of the Israeli apartheid government operating with impunity are ending,” Tlaib said in a statement.

“Since this genocide began, the United States has provided more than $18bn in weapons to the Israeli government. The Biden Administration can no longer deny that those same US weapons have been used in countless war crimes.”

She added that Washington must immediately halt all arms transfers to the “Israeli apartheid regime”.

“Today’s historic arrest warrants cannot bring back the dead and displaced, but they are a major step towards holding war criminals accountable,” the congresswoman added.

Mayor says his city would arrest Netanyahu

Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which has a large Arab American population, said the city would enforce the ICC warrants against Gallant and Netanyahu.

“Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu [and] Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits,” Hammoud wrote in a social media post.

“Other cities should declare the same. Our president may not take action, but city leaders can ensure Netanyahu [and] other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States.”

The US does not recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction on its soil, so it is not clear whether its municipalities have the authority to arrest Netanyahu.

Still, Hammoud’s threat highlights the legal perils Netanyahu and Gallant will face across the world as formally accused war criminals.

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Idiotic Ma-Cai

AC switch blows up in Marang man’s face, causes burns and damages two houses

AC switch blows up in Marang man’s face, causes burns and damages two houses



People stand outside homes damaged by a short circuiting air-conditioner switch in Marang, on Nov 21, 2024. — Bernama pic

Friday, 22 Nov 2024 9:18 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — A 37-year-old man from Marang was burned on his face and hand when an air-conditioner switch exploded due to an electrical short.

According to the New Straits Times, Marang district police chief Superintendent Mohd Sufian Redzuan said the victim had just returned from work before the accident.


“We are in the process of recording the victim's statement,” he was quoted as saying.

The man, who was alone during the explosion, is now receiving treatment at Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah in Kuala Terengganu.


His wife, Norlimasaida Jusoh, 38, said she learned of the accident through photos and a message sent by her brother-in-law.


The explosion caused severe damage to the couple’s home, including structural cracks and a collapsed ceiling.

Neighbor Amira Husni Talib, 35, described hearing a loud explosion while at home with her sons before discovering Noor Izwan injured.

The blast also caused cracks in Amira’s ceiling, leaving her and her family deeply shaken by the incident.

Planning to get a home insurance in Malaysia? Let us guide you on coverage, policies, and what’s included

Planning to get a home insurance in Malaysia? Let us guide you on coverage, policies, and what’s included



Insurance companies worldwide are facing higher claims from natural catastrophes, industry sources say, which they attribute to the effects of climate change and to a rise in building in areas exposed to extreme weather. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Friday, 22 Nov 2024 7:00 AM MYT


GEORGE TOWN, Nov 22 — Recent changes in global weather patterns have triggered flash floods across various parts of Malaysia, causing billions of ringgits in property damage.

While natural disasters such as floods and landslides cannot be predicted, there are ways to mitigate losses, particularly through property insurance.


Many remain unaware of home insurance policies that offer coverage for damage to properties.

In Malaysia, there are three main types of home insurance: fire policies, homeowner policies, and householder policies.


Here’s a closer look at what these policies cover.


Fire Policy

As the name suggests, this policy provides coverage for fire, lightning, and explosions caused by domestic gas usage.

It is a common insurance policy that many homeowners purchase to protect against losses and damage to their residential property. However, it is important to note that this policy does not cover the contents within the house.

Policyholders have the option to include additional coverage, at a higher premium, for other risks such as flood damage, storm damage, subsidence, landslips, vehicle or animal impacts on the building, falling trees, burst water tanks or pipes, riots, strikes, and malicious damage.

This policy compensates based on the actual value of the damages to the property or the cost to rebuild it if it is completely destroyed.

It also covers the costs of removing debris, disposing of damaged materials, and providing alternative accommodation while the property is being repaired or rebuilt.

Homeowner Policy

This insurance covers damage to your property caused by risks such as fire, explosions, floods, impacts, lightning, and theft involving violent or forcible entry.

In essence, this policy compensates for the cost of replacing or repairing physical damage to your property, including walls, gates, fixtures, fittings, and roofs, resulting from the covered incidents.

However, basic policies typically do not include coverage for the contents within the property, such as furniture, electronic items, personal belongings, or jewellery.

The policy will specify the perils it covers. For additional risks such as subsidence, landslips, riots, strikes, or malicious damage, policyholders may need to purchase add-on protection.

Some policies also offer coverage for temporary housing and living expenses if the property becomes uninhabitable due to a covered incident, though this depends on the insurer.

Additionally, you may opt to include personal liability and medical payment coverage, which provide financial protection and cover medical expenses if someone is injured on your property. This feature is also subject to the insurer’s terms.



A householder policy would compensate for losses from fire, lightning, explosions, and natural disasters. — Picture by Farhan Najib



Householder Policy

Also known as personal property insurance or a home content policy, this insurance protects the contents of your property, including furniture, built-in fixtures, documents, appliances, jewellery, and valuable artwork.

The policy compensates for losses arising from damage to your property’s contents due to incidents such as fire, lightning, explosions, natural disasters, impact, or theft involving forcible entry.

It also covers the loss of use of insured items and offers options to include personal liability and personal accident coverage.

However, policyholders must list the items they wish to insure. Compensation may not always reflect the full value of these items, as depreciation is often factored in.

To facilitate claims, proof of ownership and item values, such as receipts and photographs, are required.

Each policy specifies the perils it covers and typically excludes risks such as subsidence, landslips, riots, strikes, and malicious damage. Adding these risks requires paying an extra premium.

For properties at risk of natural disasters like floods, investing in home insurance is essential to help rebuild after a catastrophe.

Some insurers in Malaysia offer comprehensive policies that combine homeowner and householder insurance, providing broader coverage under a single plan. These policies may include benefits such as emergency cash relief, death benefits, and landlord benefits to compensate for rental income losses.

Additional variations of property insurance include:

Mortgage Loan Instalment Protection: Covers monthly mortgage payments if the property becomes uninhabitable due to an insured event or the policyholder’s death.

Landlord Insurance: Covers malicious damage by tenants, runaway tenants, or legal fees for issuing demand letters. Premiums for home insurance policies range from as low as RM50 to several hundred ringgits annually, depending on factors such as the property’s value, risk levels (e.g., flood-prone areas), and the extent of coverage.

It is crucial to read the fine print of each policy to ensure it meets your needs, including compensation amounts, emergency relief provisions, and coverage for specific perils.

Oversubscription of $2 billion bonds in Saudi Arabia reflects appeal of Chinese economy

Thanks 'MF':

Arnaud Bertrand

@RnaudBertrand

The story around China issuing USD-denominated sovereign bonds in Saudi Arabia is generating an enormous amount of buzz in China, and could potentially be immensely important. I strongly suspect it's a message to the upcoming Trump administration. Let me explain what seems to be going on. On the face of it, it's not a major story: China issued $2 billion in USD-denominated sovereign bonds in Saudi Arabia, which means that investors lent USD to the Chinese government that they promised to pay back. That's what a bond is. So far, relatively boring. The first somewhat interesting aspect of it is that the bonds were oversubscribed by almost 20x (meaning $40+ billion in demand for $2 billion worth of bonds), which is far more demand than usual for USD sovereign bonds. Typically US Treasury auctions see oversubscription rate between 2x to 3x so there obviously seems to be very strong market appeal for China's dollar-denominated debt. The second interesting aspect is that the interest rate on the bonds was remarkably close to US Treasury rates (just 1-3 basis points higher, i.e. 0.01-0.03%), which means that China is now able to borrow money - in US dollars (!) - at virtually the same rate as the US government itself. That's the case for no other country in the world. As a benchmark, countries with the highest credit ratings (AAA) typically pay at least 10-20 basis points over US Treasuries in the rare instances when they issue USD bonds. The third interesting aspect is the venue itself for this bond sale: Saudi Arabia. This is unusual since sovereign bonds are typically issued in major financial centers, not in Riyadh. The choice of Saudi Arabia and the fact that the Saudis agreed to this is particularly significant given its historical role in the global dollar system, the so-called 'petrodollar' system which I don't need to explain... By issuing dollar bonds in Saudi Arabia that compete directly with US Treasuries, and getting essentially the same interest rate, China is demonstrating it can operate as an alternative manager of dollar liquidity right in the heart of the petrodollar system. For Saudi Arabia, which holds hundreds of billions in dollar reserves, this creates a new option for investing their dollars: they can invest it with the Chinese government instead of the US government. Ok, that's all interesting but still not the main reason why Chinese social media is abuzz. The reason why is because they postulate that this is trial round by China to demonstrate to the US that they can effectively use their own currency against them, with potentially dramatic consequences. How? First of all, think it through, imagine if China scales this up and instead of issuing $2 billion worth of bonds, they start issuing 10s or 100s of billions worth of it. What this means for the US is that China would effectively be competing with the US Treasury in the global dollar market. Instead of countries like Saudi Arabia automatically recycling their dollars into US Treasury bonds, they could put them into Chinese dollar bonds that pay the same rate. This would create a parallel dollar system where China, not the US, controls part of the flow of dollars. The US would still print the dollars, but China would increasingly manage where they go. Imagine that... Another critical aspect is that every dollar that goes into Chinese bonds instead of US Treasuries is one less dollar helping to finance US government spending. At a time when the US is running massive deficits and needs to constantly sell Treasury bonds to fund itself, having China emerge as a competing dollar bond issuer that can match Treasury rates could pose immense financing problems for the US government. It could effectively end the US's so-called “exorbitant privilege”. But wait, you might ask yourself, what's the point of China having so many dollars? Don't they transfer the problem to themselves: they too need to find a place to invest all these dollars, don't they? You'd be right, the last thing China needs is more US dollars: in 2023 it ran a US dollar trade surplus of $823.2 billion, and for 2024, it's expected to be $940 billion. China is already absolutely awash with dollars. But that's where the beauty of the Belt & Road Initiative comes in. Out of the 193 countries in the world, 152 of these countries are part of the BRI. And a very common characteristic many of these countries have is: they owe debt in USD, to the US government or other Western lenders. This is where China's strategy could become truly clever. China could use its US dollars to help Belt & Road countries pay off their dollar debts to Western lenders. But here's the key: in exchange for helping these countries clear their dollar debts, China could arrange to be repaid in yuan, or in strategic resources, or through other bilateral arrangements. This would create a triple win for China: they get rid of their excess dollars, they help their partner countries escape dollar dependency, and they deepen these countries' economic integration with China instead of the US. For BRI countries, this is attractive because they can escape the trap of dollar-denominated debt (and the threat of US financial sanctions) and get likely better conditions with China, which will help their development. In effect this would China placing itself as an intermediary at the heart of the dollar system, where the dollars still eventually make their way back to the US - just through a path that builds Chinese rather than American influence and progressively undermines the US's ability to finance itself (with all the consequences this has on inflation, etc.). At this stage you probably tell yourself "come on, there's no way China can do that, the US government surely has tools at its disposal to prevent this stuff". And the answer, surprisingly, is that there is actually little the U.S. can do that doesn't undermine them in some shape or form. The most obvious response would be to threaten sanctions against countries - like Saudi Arabia - or institutions that buy Chinese dollar bonds. But this would further demonstrate that dollar assets aren't actually safe from US political interference, further encouraging countries to diversify, compounding the problem. The dollar's strength partly comes from network effects - everyone uses it because everyone else uses it - but as we've seen with Russia sanctions create a coordinating moment for countries to move away together, weakening these network effects. Another option would be for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to make US Treasuries more attractive. But this would be self-defeating: it would increase the US government's own borrowing costs at a time when they're already struggling with massive deficits, potentially triggering a recession. And China, getting similar rates as the US, could simply match any rate increase. The US could also go for the "nuclear option" of restricting China's ability to clear dollar transactions but this would effectively immediately fragment the global financial system, undermining the dollar's role as the global reserve currency - exactly what the US wants to avoid. And with China being the most important trading partner of the immense majority of the world's countries, nothing is less sure that the U.S. would win at this game... In short this seems to be like some sort of Tai Chi 'four ounces moving a thousand pounds' (四兩撥千斤) move by China, using minimal force to redirect the dollar's strength in a way that benefits China. Like I wrote at the beginning however, at this stage this is most likely just a message by China to the upcoming Trump administration: "we can do this so maybe think very carefully about all the nasty things you have in mind for us..." The beauty of this move is how strategically elegant it is: it costs China almost nothing to demonstrate, but forces Washington to contemplate some very uncomfortable possibilities.

Last edited2:59 pm · 21 Nov 2024

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Global Times:

Oversubscription of $2 billion bonds in Saudi Arabia reflects appeal of Chinese economy

By Wang Yi

Published: Nov 21, 2024 02:26 PM




Illustration: Tang Tengfei/GTChinese banks including the Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China recently announced that they assisted the Ministry of Finance of China in the issuance of $2 billion in sovereign bonds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


This is the first Chinese sovereign bond issued and traded in the Middle East.

The bonds received an enthusiastic market response, with international investors actively subscribing the assets. The total subscription amount reached $39.73 billion, which is 19.9 times the issuance amount, according to an announcement seen on the Ministry of Finance's website.

The successful issuance and oversubscription of the bonds not only demonstrate the openness and vitality of China's financial sector but also reflect the strong appeal of the Chinese economy and the international investors' positive outlook on China.

The strong demand for the bonds highlights international confidence in China's economic resilience and its significant role in the global economy, even amid rising global economic uncertainties. This confidence is driven by the steady recovery momentum of the Chinese economy, a stable policy environment, and the country's substantial market potential.

The issuance of this sovereign bond marks a milestone in enhancing international financial cooperation. It diversifies China's financing channels and optimizes its debt structure. Additionally, it enables China to share the benefits of its economic development with investors in the international capital market, fostering mutual benefit and win-win outcomes for all parties involved.

This issuance also highlights China's financial market's growing internationalization and its global influence. By issuing dollar-denominated bonds in the international market again, China has not only strengthened its position in the global financial system but also has contributed to global economic development.

Moreover, the issuance of the bonds will strengthen economic cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia, promote the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, and foster infrastructure and energy cooperation.

In recent years, China has made significant strides in high-standard opening-up and expanding financial cooperation with a growing number of countries, allowing foreign institutions in China to engage more deeply in China's financial market.

Foreign financial institutions are actively investing in the Chinese bond market mainly because they are optimistic about the prospects of China's economic growth. In the context of global economic uncertainty, the investment value and safe-haven attributes of Chinese bonds have become more prominent, making the Chinese bond market more accessible for worldwide investors.

By the end of 2023, China's bond market had become the world's second-largest, with the accumulated value exceeding 158 trillion yuan ($22 trillion), according to data from the People's Bank of China.

Currently, overseas investors hold more than 4 trillion yuan in Chinese bonds, a nearly tenfold growth since the Bond Connect system commenced trading in July 2017, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Given improvements in China's economic fundamentals and structural upgrades, the nation is well-positioned for steady growth despite external pressures. There remains substantial room for policy adjustments, which positions China to bolster and maintain the confidence of international investors.

In an ever-evolving global trade and economic landscape, Chinese market's appeal continues to attract foreign investors. Investment institutions have shown strong confidence in the long-term growth potential of China.

The strong resilience of China's economy underscores a commitment to fostering a robust economic environment capable of thriving amid global uncertainties. Despite challenges in its transformation phase, China consistently presents significant long-term opportunities for global investors.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn