The International Criminal Court on Wednesday denounced new US sanctions on its officials, calling them a "flagrant attack" on its independence.
The measures broaden Washington's confrontational strategy to thwart the court's war crimes cases involving Israel.
Those named in the sanctions are judges Kimberly Prost of Canada and Nicolas Yann Guillou of France, along with deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.
“The United States has been clear and steadfast in our opposition to the ICC’s politicisation, abuse of power, disregard for our national sovereignty, and illegitimate judicial overreach,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
“The court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel.”
He added that those named in the sanctions directly engaged in efforts by the ICC “to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of either nation”.
"These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution," the court said in a statement.
The ICC said it stood "firmly behind its personnel and victims of unimaginable atrocities".
With the imposition of the sanctions, the financial assets and property of those named will be frozen.
The US has long rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction over its citizens and Israeli officials. US President Donald Trump on Friday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska even though Mr Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant, which has stopped him from travelling more widely since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
The new measures follow sanctions imposed in June against four judges over their efforts to investigate or arrest American and Israeli citizens.
Mr Rubio denounced the Hague-based tribunal as a “bankrupt institution” and welcomed sanctions previously imposed on its top prosecutors for pursuing cases against Israeli leaders.
He said Ms Prost is being designated for ruling to authorise the ICC’s investigation into US personnel in Afghanistan.
Mr Guillou, a veteran jurist who worked for several years in the US assisting the Justice Department with judicial co-operation during Barack Obama's presidency, is being designated for ruling to authorise the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of defence Yoav Gallant.
Deputy prosecutors Khan and Niang are being designated for continuing to support “illegitimate” ICC actions against Israel, including upholding the court's arrest warrants for Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant since they assumed leadership of the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor.
The ICC condemned the announcement, saying it “stands firmly behind its personnel”.
“These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all regions,” the ICC said.
“They constitute also an affront against the court’s States Parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world.”
Mr Netanyahu, however, welcomed the decision.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
![US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised the ICC’s 'politicisation, abuse of power [and] disregard for our national sovereignty'. Bloomberg](https://www.thenationalnews.com/resizer/v2/VXQCF74S3TD7X2OKZBCFYY7UEY.jpg?smart=true&auth=2ad595e1825c364cc3a3dd692aca3eb6189e66f0800923b7e47159356f0ce408&width=800&height=450)
