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Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
ICC believes war crimes and crimes against humanity are taking place now in Sudan's Darfur region
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The International Criminal Court believes war crimes and crimes against humanity are continuing to take place in Sudan's vast western Darfur region where civil war has raged for more than two years, the tribunal's deputy prosecutor said Thursday. Nazhat Shameem Khan told the U.N. Security Council that the depth of suffering and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur 'has reached an intolerable state,' with famine escalating and hospitals, humanitarian convoys and other civilian infrastructure being targeted. 'People are being deprived of water and food,' she said. 'Rape and sexual violence are being weaponized. Abductions for ransom or to bolster the ranks of armed groups have become common practice.' 'And yet we should not be under any illusion,' Shameem Khan warned the U.N.'s most powerful body. 'Things can still get worse.' Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including Darfur. Some 40,000 people have been killed and nearly 13 million displaced, including to other countries, according to U.N. agencies. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan told the Security Council in January that there were grounds to believe both government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force, may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Darfur. The Biden administration, just before it left office in January, determined that the RSF and its proxies were committing genocide . Karim Khan has stepped down temporarily as the ICC chief prosecutor pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct , which he categorically denies. Deputy prosecutor Shameem Khan, who is not related, said the ICC has closely tracked reports in recent weeks of the dire situation in North Darfur, whose capital El Fasher is besieged by RSF and their affiliates. The RSF, which controls the capitals of all other states in Darfur, has also attacked famine-hit Zamzam and other camps for displaced Sudanese in North Darfur. 'On the basis of our independent investigations, the position of our office is clear, we have reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been and are continuing to be committed in Darfur,' Khan told the council. This conclusion, she said, is based on documentary, testimonial and digital evidence collected by ICC investigators during the past six months, including at refugee camps in neighboring Chad. Over 7,000 items of evidence have been collected to date, she said. Khan emphasized to the council and to victims that the ICC considers the situation in Darfur 'of the utmost importance' and will not be deterred until justice is delivered to the perpetrators. Two decades ago, Darfur became synonymous with genocide and war crimes, particularly by the notorious Janjaweed Arab militias, against populations that identify as Central or East African. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes. Khan said those in Darfur now 'inflicting unimaginable atrocities on its population' should know that while they may feel a sense of impunity, Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb is currently on trial and the ICC hopes it will be the first of many. 'However, we also have a duty of confidentiality to the court,' Khan said. 'I am not able to share more details of the nature of our progress or of specific outcomes hoped for. I can only assure you that the progress we have made is concrete, positive and significant.' ___ Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NBA Cup groups announced: Which are easiest, hardest?
NBA teams now know which opponents they will face in the 2025 NBA Cup. The league announced the results of the group stage draw on Wednesday, July 9, setting three groups per conference, with five teams in each group. The drawing was made at random, based on win-loss record. Formerly known as the in-season tournament, the NBA Cup will begin Friday, Oct. 31, 10 days after the start of the 2025-26 regular season. The NBA made the announcement in a video with former NBA player and Amazon analyst Blake Griffin and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren; Amazon Prime will air 66 games next season, including all from the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. Here's everything you need to know about the NBA Cup's group stage. NBA Cup groups How does the group stage in the NBA Cup work? Group stage games will take place on designated NBA Cup nights from Oct. 31 through Nov. 28. Each squad will play one game against each of the opponents in its group. The six group stage winners will advance, as will a wild card team from each conference; wild card teams are set based on winning percentage and certain tiebreakers. From there, the teams will play in single-elimination knockout rounds. The semifinals and finals will take place Saturday, Dec. 13 and Tuesday, Dec. 16, in Las Vegas. Easiest group in the NBA Cup It's between West A and East A, but because West A has both teams that made conference final appearances, the nod goes to East A. The Cavaliers are a formidable threat for an NBA title after winning 64 games last season, best in the conference. The Hawks are much improved after a stellar offseason, though they are still largely unproven. The Wizards are in a full rebuild. The Raptors could surprise with full health, but are still likely a few pieces away from contention. The Pacers will be without star guard Tyrese Haliburton and former center Myles Turner, who signed with the Bucks. Hardest group in the NBA Cup West C is stacked. The Nuggets, Warriors and Rockets were each playoff teams, but Houston retooled and added Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade as it gears up for championship contention. Denver also improved with its trade for Cameron Johnson, while the Warriors are going to try to make another run at a title with a full season of Jimmy Butler in the Bay Area. The San Antonio Spurs won just 34 games last season, but they faced injury issues and are a potential breakout team, with Victor Wembanyama entering his third season. The Trail Blazers are the weakest team in the group, though they improved as the 2024-25 regular season progressed. Past NBA Cup champions 2024: Milwaukee Bucks2023: Los Angeles Lakers
