European court rules Italy not liable for Libyan Coast Guard actions in fatal 2017 boat sinking
Judges at the European Court of Human Rights ruled Thursday that Italy couldn't be held liable for the actions of the Libyan Coast Guard, rejecting a case brought by a group of migrants rescued from the Mediterranean Sea in a fatal boat sinking in 2017.
The court in Strasbourg, France, declared the case inadmissible, finding Italy didn't have 'effective control' of the expanse of waters off the coast of Tripoli where the small ship carrying around 150 people sank.
Twenty people died in the sinking. Around 45 survivors onboard the ship said they were taken to Tajura Detention Center in Tripoli where they were beaten and abused.
The judges found that the captain and crew of the Libyan vessel Ras Jadir had acted independently when they answered a distress signal in the early morning hours on Nov. 6, 2017.
Italy has supplied the Libyans with funding, vessels and training as part of an agreement to slow the numbers of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. The judges found, however, that this support didn't prove that 'Italy had taken over Libya's public-authority powers.'
A group of migrants was rescued by the humanitarian organization Sea Watch and were taken to Italy.
A ruling in favor of the 14 survivors who filed the complaint at the ECHR could have undermined international agreements made by several European Union countries with Libya, Turkey and others to prevent migrants from coming to European shores.
The ECHR handles complaints against the 46 member states of the Council of Europe. The intergovernmental organization isn't an EU institution and was set up after World War II to promote peace and democracy.
Libya isn't a member of the Council of Europe, so the court has no jurisdiction over the country's actions.
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Follow AP's coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
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Time Magazine
3 hours ago
- Time Magazine
Trump's Military Parade Overtakes Washington, and Kindles ‘No Kings' Protests Across Rest of U.S.
The contrast was stark. In the nation's capital, tens of thousands came Saturday to the National Mall to cheer on a military parade marking the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army—which also happened to fall on President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. Elsewhere around the country, in small towns and large cities, far greater numbers—organizers say millions—gathered to chant 'No Kings' and protest Trump's deployment of military might against protestors in Los Angeles, as well as his expansive use of Presidential power to intimidate elected officials and judges, purge the government of independent watchdogs, block Congressional funding to agencies and universities, and ignore Constitutional guarantees of due process. The protests unfolded first—some taking place in the morning, others midday and in the afternoon—creating the largest mass opposition to Trump since his inauguration 145 days ago. The parade kicked off in the evening, with a contingent heavy with MAGA hats and shirts lined up at the National Mall and along Constitution Avenue to watch paratoopers jumping out of an airplane and World War II fighters escorting a bomber past the Washington Monument. Through it all Trump was seated at a reviewing stand in front of the Washington Monument, alongside his wife, and much of his Cabinet, all of them behind bullet-proof glass. The parade showcased America's military history through thousands of Army troops marching past in historical uniforms—starting with the American Revolution and continuing through both world wars and on to the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The narration of the parade, which alternated between history lesson and recruiting ad for the Army, occasionally thanked private companies such as Lockheed Martin, Coinbase and Palantir. "Whenever duty calls, whatever danger comes, the American soldier will be there,' Trump said in his speech later that evening, just before a fireworks show. It's unclear if Trump viewed the event as living up to its inspiration—the Bastille Day parade he witnessed in Paris in 2017 alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, with marching troops and military vehicles parading past the iconic Arc de Triomphe toward him. The grandiose display transfixed Trump, who came back to Washington and was set on organizing his own version. But the planning proved expensive and city officials were concerned about the damage tanks and military equipment would do to the streets of the capital. In a second term where he has knocked down many of the guardrails he encountered in the first, plans for the military parade came together quickly. "It is just a day to be a proud American,' says Crystal Sykes, 58, a nurse who took the train from her home in North Carolina to be at the parade. She wore the red Make America Great Again hat that she's had since Trump's first term, with a pin attached to it that displays Trump's name and the American flag in sparkling rhinestones. "If the military doesn't have our support, nobody will want to join." The Army estimated the events, which included Army fitness demonstrations and activities on the National Mall, would ultimately cost somewhere between $25 million to $45 million. That included the costs to repair damage to Washington, D.C. streets from Abrams tanks. "I wish it cost less, but I like it,' says Joey Ink, a 19-year-old college student from Maryland, who attended "to show support for the military, the veterans.' Ink says he voted for Trump but wouldn't call himself a Trump supporter. Trump's long-sought parade proved to be an effective rallying point for hundreds of protests around the country—with estimates of 100,000 in Philadelphia, 50,000 in New York City, 30,000 in L.A. and 20,000 in Chicago. The lead organizers purposely didn't plan an event in Washington, but some protesters showed up there as well anyway. In front of the White House that afternoon, a banner read 'All Hail Commander Bone Spurs.' as a crowd of about 500 people chanted 'Trump must go now!' The location of the protest—Lafayette Park—was the same area where five years earlier, Trump had infamously used the National Guard to clear protestors so he could walk over to a nearby church and pose with a Bible. 'We have to do something or it's going to be the end of democracy,' says Jill Taylor, 60, a speech pathologist who traveled to Washington from Kansas to protest Trump's military parade. Earlier in the day on Saturday, in nearby Takoma Park, Maryland, hundreds of people packed the sidewalks of a major road holding signs reading 'No Kings' and 'F–k ICE'. Martha Dominguez, 25, a mental health professional living in nearby Landover, says she was there because of Trump's immigration policies. Federal agents pulling people from jobs and off the street has left her afraid, even though she is a U.S. citizen. 'I feel targeted every time I go out of the house,' says Dominguez. 'Trump thinks he's all that,' she says. 'He thinks he's a king. We are going against that because no one is above the law.' Even farther out from Washington and other major cities, people gathered in smaller communities like Mountainside, NJ., where roughly 500 people lined both sides of a busy, four-lane divided highway and spanned a footbridge adorned with a sign reading, 'No Kings Since 1776.' Those who braved the rain in the town of 7,000 included Lex and Sean, who brought their two kids—ages five and three—to their first protest, and Connor 25, who was visibly upset as they talked about having queer friends and a trans sister. 'People I care about are getting attacked by the administration, and that's just not something that I can live with if I sit by and do nothing.' Back in Washington, the parade was followed by a performance by country musician Warren Zeiders and Trump delivering the Oath of Enlistment to a group of soldiers. 'Welcome to the United States Army and have a great life,' Trump told them. Not far away, one of the few protesters still in downtown Washington found themselves surrounded by a small crowd chanting "Trump Trump!" A park police officer walked over and the crowd eventually dispersed.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
As Trump goes to G7 summit, other world leaders aim to show they're not intimidated
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'Many leaders still seem intimidated by Trump, but increasingly they are catching on to his pattern of bullying,' said Jeremy Shapiro, research director at the European Council on Foreign Relations. 'In places as diverse as Canada, Iran, China and the EU, we are seeing increasing signs that leaders now recognize that Trump is afraid of anything resembling a fair fight. And so they are increasingly willing to stand up to him.' In the 22 instances in which Trump has publicly threatened military action since his first term, the U.S. only used force twice, according to a May analysis by Shapiro. Ahead of the G7 summit, there are already signs of subtle pushback against Trump from fellow leaders in the group. French President Emmanuel Macron planned to visit Greenland over the weekend in a show of European solidarity. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the U.S. is no longer the 'predominant' force in the world after Trump's tariffs created fissures in a decades-long partnership between the U.S. and its northern neighbor. 'We stood shoulder to shoulder with the Americans throughout the Cold War and in the decades that followed, as the United States played a predominant role on the world stage,' Carney said this past week in French. 'Today, that predominance is a thing of the past.' The new prime minister added that with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the U.S. became the global hegemon, a position of authority undermined by Trump's transactional nature that puts little emphasis on defending democratic values or the rule of law. 'Now the United States is beginning to monetize its hegemony: charging for access to its markets and reducing its relative contributions to our collective security,' Carney said. Israel's attack on Iran has added a new wrinkle to the global picture as the summit leaders gather to tackle some of the world's thorniest problems A senior Canadian official said it was decided early on that the G7 won't be issuing a joint communiqué as it has at past summits — an indication of how hard it can be to get Trump on the same page with other world leaders. The White House said individual leader statements will be issued on the issues being discussed. Speaking last month at a conference in Singapore, Macron called France a 'friend and an ally of the United States' but pushed back against Trump's desire to dominate what other countries do. Macron said efforts to force other nations to choose between the U.S. and China would lead to the breakdown of the global order put in place after World War II. 'We want to cooperate, but we do not want to be instructed on a daily basis what is allowed, what is not allowed, and how our life will change because of the decision of a single person,' Macron said. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pushed back against Trump's agenda of levying higher tariffs on imported goods, arguing it would hurt economic growth. The Japanese leader specifically called Trump ahead of the summit to confirm their plans to talk on the sidelines, which is a greater focus for Japan than the summit itself. 'I called him as I also wanted to congratulate his birthday, though one day earlier,' Ishiba said. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the summit was an opportunity for Trump to 'mend' relationships with other countries so China would be unable to exploit differences among the G7. She said other foreign leaders are 'not intimidated' by Trump's actions, which could be driving them away from tighter commitments with the U.S. 'The conversations that I've had with those leaders suggest that they think that the partnership with the United States has been really important, but they also understand that there are other opportunities,' Shaheen said. The White House did not respond to emailed questions for this story. Having originally made his reputation in real estate and hospitality, Trump has taken kindly to certain foreign visitors, such as U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Starmer has sought to keep Trump in line with Europe in supporting Ukraine and NATO instead of brokering any truces that would favor Russia. He has echoed the president's language about NATO members spending more on defense. But in his Oval Office visit, Starmer also pleased Trump by delivering an invite for a state visit from King Charles III. The German government said it, too, wanted to send a public signal of unity, saying that while Trump's recent meeting with Merz at the White House went harmoniously, the next test is how the relationship plays out in a team setting. There will also be other world leaders outside of the G7 nations attending the summit in mountainous Kananaskis, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom Trump dressed down in the Oval Office. Italy's Meloni has positioned herself as a 'bridge' between the Trump administration and the rest of Europe. But Italy's strong support of Ukraine and Trump's threatened tariffs on European goods have put Meloni, the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration, in a difficult position. Mark Sobel, U.S. chair of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, an independent think tank, said Trump's 'trade policies, backing for right wing European movements, seeming preference for dealing with authoritarians and many of his other actions are alienating our G7 allies,' even if the U.S. president is correct that Europe needs to do more on defense. But even as other G7 leaders defuse any public disputes with Trump, the U.S. president's vision for the world remains largely incompatible with they want. 'In short, behind the curtains, and notwithstanding whatever theater, the Kananaskis summit will highlight a more fragmented G7 and an adrift global economy,' Sobel said. ___ AP reporters Rob Gillies in Toronto, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- Business Insider
Photos show the US Army's 250th anniversary parade held on Trump's birthday
The US Army held a parade in Washington, DC, for its 250th anniversary on Saturday. The display featured 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and about 6,600 troops. President Donald Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday, was in attendance with Melania Trump. President Donald Trump has long expressed interest in holding a military parade. He finally got one for his birthday. The US Army celebrated its 250th anniversary on Saturday in Washington, DC, with a parade featuring 6,600 troops, 150 vehicles, and over 50 aircraft. June 14 also marked Trump's 79th birthday. Trump attended the event accompanied by first lady Melania Trump and other family members. The president stood to salute troops as they passed his viewing box. In May, a US Army spokesperson told CNBC that the event could cost between $25 million and $45 million in total. Prior to the parade, the National Mall was lined with displays of tanks, planes, cannons, and other weaponry to educate onlookers about the US Army's history and modern capabilities. The US Army also held a fitness competition where service members competed against one another in various drills. Anti-Trump "No Kings" counterprotests, organized by the grassroots group 50501, were held nationwide ahead of the parade. Protest signs across the country condemned Trump's policies and expressed support for progressive causes. President Donald Trump attended the parade with first lady Melania Trump. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were also present. The Trump family members in attendance included Donald Trump Jr. and girlfriend Bettina Anderson, Eric and Lara Trump, and Tiffany Trump's husband, Michael Boulos. The parade featured service members dressed in historic uniforms dating back to the Revolutionary War, honoring the origins of the US Army. Historic tanks such as the Sherman tank used in World War II rolled through the streets. The Golden Knights, the US Army's parachute demonstration and competition team, leapt from planes and landed in front of the White House during the parade. Lines of uniformed service members stretched all the way down Constitution Avenue.
