Nearly 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar to Bangladesh following a military crackdown last August [File: Reuters]

by Al Jazeera

The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked it to rule on whether it has jurisdiction over the deportations of Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

A ruling affirming jurisdiction could pave the way for Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to investigate the deportation of many thousands of Rohingya, a possible crime against humanity.

In a filing published on Monday, Bensouda contended that “consistent and credible reports … indicate that since August 2017 more than 670,000 Rohingya, lawfully present in Myanmar, have been intentionally deported across the international border into Bangladesh.”

Asking judges to rule whether the ICC has jurisdiction, she said: “This is not an abstract question but a concrete one, affecting whether the Court may exercise jurisdiction … to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute.”

The main reason for doubt over jurisdiction is that, while Bangladesh is a member of the court, Myanmar is not.

Bensouda argued that, given the cross-border nature of the crime of deportation, a ruling in favour of ICC jurisdiction would be in line with established legal principles.

But she acknowledged uncertainty around the definition of the crime of deportation and limits of the court’s jurisdiction.

Her request is the first of its kind filed at the court.

She asked the court to set up a special tribunal to hear her arguments, urging that it dealt with in an “expeditious” manner.

Human rights groups have welcomed Bensouda’s request, with Matthew Smith of Fortify Rights, a campaign group, calling it a “tangible path to accountability for Rohingya victims”.

“We have reason to believe this could have a preventive effect,” he added.

“This avenue to accountability could really disrupt the culture of impunity in Myanmar, and it could also prevent the next round of mass killings. It may give generals pause before ordering similar attacks.”

The magistrate assigned to consider the request, Congolese judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua, will have considerable leeway in determining how to proceed.

The United Nations said the military operation that caused the Rohingya to flee their homes into Bangladesh constitutes ethnic cleansing.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects that charge, saying its forces have been waging a legitimate campaign against a Rohingya armed group who attacked government forces.

Myanmar government regards the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh despite the ethnic minority living there for generations.

Niranjan Thomas Alva, Supreme Court advocate and husband of senior Congress leader Margaret Alva, passed away on Saturday, April 7 here.

Niranjan Alva was 78.

Son of Joachim and Violet Alva, freedom fighters and the first couple in the Indian Parliament, Niranjan was also a former Director of the State Bank of India.
Alva had played a key role in expanding the footprints of All India Catholic University Federation as its president across the country in the late 50’s.

As a Supreme Court lawyer, one of the landmark litigations he led resulted in air hostesses in Air India getting the same rights and privileges as their male counterparts, including full retirement benefits and the right to bear children.

Alva is survived by wife Margaret and children Niret, Nikhil, Manira and Nivedith.

The funeral service will take place on Sunday, April 8 at 4 pm in Bengaluru at St Theresa of Kolkata Church.

Amid opposition to IPL matches here in view of raging protests over Cauvery issue, Tamil film star Rajinikanth today said it would be good if organisers stopped the games as such a gala event would be embarrassing when the entire Tamil Nadu was agitating.

Alternatively, he suggested Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team players could play in the city wearing black bands as a mark of expressing the anguish of people who have been staging protests demanding setting up of Cauvery Management Board ..

matches here in view of raging protests over Cauvery issue, Tamil film star Rajinikanth today said it would be good if organizers stopped the games as such a gala event would be embarrassing when the entire Tamil Nadu was agitating.

Alternatively, he suggested Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team players could play in the city wearing black bands as a mark of expressing the anguish of people who have been staging protests demanding setting up of Cauvery Management Board ..

The squall and dust storm in the national capital this evening forced diversion of 29 flights, IGI airport operator DIAL said in a late night statement. A squall with a wind speed of 81 km per hour hit the city plunging it into darkness followed by light rains.

Several flights were diverted between 5.45 pm and 7.25 pm. The flights which were diverted, included one of Nepal Airlines from Kathmandu, a DIAL spokesperson said.

Twelve of the 29 flights were diverted to Amritsar and eight to Lucknow, the statement said. The airlines took to their respective Twitter handles to announce the diversions.

India’s mens hockey team will begin its campaign at the XXI Commonwealth Games with a pulsating Pool B clash against arch-rivals Pakistan here on Saturday.

For the Manpreet Singh-led Indian team, 2018 is an important year, filled with multiple high-profile tournaments, with the CWG being the first target of the year. India had lost to Australia in the finals of the 2010 and 2014 editions of the CWG and this time, their aim is again to go the full distance.

“Currently, we are not thinking about how important this year is especially with the World Cup in Bhubaneswar being held in front of home crowd. The only thing we have on our minds right now is our first match against Pakistan on Saturday,” asserted the 25-year-old Manpreet.

The Indian team is grouped in Pool B also with Malaysia, Wales and England. Chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said: “For me, it is about focusing match-by-match, which means we build our rhythm and performance improving upon the little things or areas that has concerned us. We played practice matches against South Africa and Canada and every match we were better and played with good structure.

“It was important that we manage the intensity and mind set during these matches, so we are hungry for the ball in our first match against Pakistan,” stated the 43-year-old Dutchman.

Over the past two years, an India vs Pakistan clash has lost steam from being a blockbuster encounter that it once was. India, Asia’s undoubtedly best team at the moment, has dominated in all the six encounters winning by convincing margins.

“We are not thinking about past results against any team. We are focused on our own performance and would like to play with disciplined structure and ensure zero errors,” said Manpreet on the eve of the opening match.

Though past reults don’t count, India can take confidence not only from their good recent record against Pakistan but also their desirable results in major tournaments such as the Asia Cup 2017 and the Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final 2017 where the team won gold and bronze respectively.

“To begin the tournament with a win is always crucial because it sets the right momentum going forward. We have had ideal practice sessions since our arrival in Gold Coast and are ready for a good match against Pakistan,” added Manpreet, who will play a key role in plugging India’s midfield with the forward-line.

Pakistan, on the other hand, will look to register their first win here after playing a disappointing 1-1 draw against Wales on Thursday.

The match pits India against their former chief coach Roelant Oltmans, who is credited for lifting the standard of the side after his appointment as High Performance Director in 2013. The Dutchman has a fair idea about the current Indian players and their qualities.

For India, drag-flick expert Rupinder Pal Singh will form wall of defence along with Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Kothajit Singh, Gurinder Singh and Amit Rohidas. The goalpost will be guarded by experienced P.R. Sreejesh.

India’s midfield will see skipper Manpreet in the lead role, ably supported by the experience of Chinglensana along with young blood in Sumit and Vivek Sagar Prasad.

The Indian attack will feature a combination between experience and youth as S.V. Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Gurjant Singh and Dilpreet Singh are all in the team.

Dilpreet Singh and Vivek — who made their international debuts during the New Zealand tour — have been rewarded with this opportunity for a good show where the duo scored in important games.

Indian squad:

Goalkeepers: P.R. Sreejesh, Suraj Karkera.

Defenders: Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Kothajit Singh Kadangbam, Gurinder Singh, Amit Rohidas.

Midfielders: Manpreet Singh (Captain), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (VC), Sumit, Vivek Sagar Prasad.

Forwards: Akashdeep Singh, S.V. Sunil, Gurjant Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh.

The London museum said they will consider loaning the looted treasures back to Ethiopia [Victoria and Albert Museum]

by Dereje Dessalegn, Al Jazeera

Ethiopian artifacts looted by the British colonialists in the 19th century are on a display in London, but a top Ethiopian official says the treasures belong to Addis Ababa and they need to be returned to the rightful owner.

Ethiopia hopes the display at the London’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), which will remain open to the public until June 2019, will help in the eventual return of the lost treasures.

The items, which include a gold crown, a gold chalice and a royal wedding dress, were stolen after the capture of Meqdela – the mountain capital of the then Ethiopian ruler, Emperor Tewodross II, in 1868.

“Showing the looted Meqdela artifacts to the public is positive. We hope it is going to create pressure on them [the Museum] that will help us in our efforts to return the artifacts to where they belong,” Desalegn Abebaw, the director of country’s Cultural Heritage Inventory, Grading and Inspection, told Al Jazeera.

In 2007, Addis Ababa launched a formal restitution claim to have the treasures returned back to Ethiopia.

“It’s good to show these artifacts to the public rather than locking them somewhere since the exposure is going to help us to return them back,” Abebaw said.

Loaning the treasures back to Ethiopia
In an interview with the UK’s Guardian newspaper, V&A director said the museum would consider loaning the treasures back to Ethiopia.

“The speediest way, if Ethiopia wanted to have these items on display, is a long-term loan … that would be the easiest way to manage it,” Tristram Hunt said.

But many in Ethiopia think the return of the items should not be up for negotiations.

“They took someone else’s possession. It is criminal and they should apologise for it,” Elizabeth Wolde Giorgis, director of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University, told Al Jazeera.

“No European artifacts have been looted and taken to Africa. So, why should it be ok for a British museum to have looted African treasures? And not apologise for it,” Giorgis said.

In 2005, a huge 1,700-year-old granite obelisk was returned home to Ethiopia from Italy, 68 years after it was looted by the troops of the fascist Italian leader Benito Mussolini.

The Axum obelisk is regarded as one of Ethiopia’s national religious treasures.

Italian troops seized the obelisk in 1937 and took it to Rome, where it remained until 2005, despite a 1947 UN agreement to return it to Ethiopia.

It was returned from Rome to the northern Ethiopian town of Axum, where it was greeted by thousands of Ethiopians chanting prayers and weeping with joy.

A MiG 17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force crashed near Kedarnath this morning, official sources said here.

All persons on board are safe, they said. The accident took place around 8.10 AM.

A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.