Argentina’s Milei faces impeachment calls over alleged massive crypto scam

The Argentine president deleted his $LIBRA endorsement post on X after several hours, stating he "was not aware of the details of the project" and had "no connection whatsoever" with the controversial initiative. / WEFFacebook

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By bne IntelliNews February 16, 2025

Argentina's President Javier Milei could be subjected to impeachment proceedings after facing widespread criticism for promoting a cryptocurrency that spectacularly crashed hours after his endorsement, wiping billions from its value.

The libertarian president posted a message on X on February 14 evening, endorsing a novel "private project" called $LIBRA, which purported to stimulate Argentina's economy by financing small businesses. The token's value surged to nearly $5,000 per coin, reaching a market capitalisation of $4.6bn – comparable to a major Argentine bank – before plummeting to under $1 within hours.

Argentina's fintech chamber has acknowledged the possibility that the incident represents a "rug pull" – a fraud scheme where token creators attract investors before rapidly cashing out. According to crypto intelligence firm Lookonchain, insider wallets linked to the project extracted more than $107mn in liquidity, including 57.6mn USD Coin and 249,671 Solana tokens worth $49.7mn, Cointelegraph reported.

Javier Smaldone, a crypto influencer known for uncovering pyramid schemes, confirmed these estimates and dubbed the short-lived operation a "global scam” in an X post.

"So far, it has been discovered that the profit made is around $107mn, maybe more," he told AFP.

Blockchain analysts had warned about the project's murky structure even before the meltdown. Analysis firm Bubblemaps, cited by Cointelegraph, revealed that 82 per cent of the supply was unlocked and sellable from the start, with two accounts controlling 70 per cent of the token's total supply – a red flag for potential price manipulation.

Before backtracking, the self-described “anarcho-libertarian” leader lashed out at his critics slamming them as "filthy rats of the political caste" seeking to take advantage of the situation.

Milei deleted his $LIBRA endorsement post on X after several hours, stating he "was not aware of the details of the project" and had "no connection whatsoever" with the private enterprise. His personal lawyer, Francisco Onato, defended him, arguing his actions did not constitute a crime due to “lack of criminal intent.”

After the backlash, the presidential office announced on February 15 that Milei had requested the Anti-Corruption Office to investigate potential misconduct by any government official, including himself. The office’s statement confirmed the president had met with representatives of KIP Protocol, the platform behind $LIBRA, in October 2024, and with crypto entrepreneur Hayden Davis in January at Casa Rosada, but denied the latter’s direct involvement with Milei.

"All the information gathered in the investigation will be handed over to the courts to determine whether any of the companies or individuals linked to KIP Protocol’s project committed a crime," the statement said

In response, Davis released a statement on February 16 claiming that Milei and his team had reneged on previous agreements by withdrawing their support and deleting their social media endorsement.

The saga deepened after Charles Hoskinson, co-founder of cryptocurrency Ethereum, alleged that organisers of a tech forum where Milei met KIP Protocol representatives had solicited payments in exchange for access to the president, La Nacion reported. Hoskinson claimed he rejected the request as it would violate US foreign corrupt practices law.

"I think there are some people in that circle around Milei who took advantage of his lack of knowledge of our industry," Hoskinson said while defending the president's intentions. "They used the President of Argentina to basically make a bunch of money."

Embittered opposition lawmakers are now moving to launch impeachment proceedings. "This scandal, which embarrasses us on an international scale, requires us to launch an impeachment request against the president," said opposition lawmaker Leandro Santoro, as quoted by Reuters. Former Peronist president Cristina Kirchner, meanwhile, branded Milei a "crypto-scammer".

This is not the first time Milei has come under scrutiny over crypto mishaps. Opposition leader Martín Lousteau noted that in 2021, while serving as a national deputy, Milei promoted the CoinX platform, which is now under investigation for alleged fraud.

The episode comes as Milei's government struggles to attract foreign investment despite implementing business-friendly reforms and wide-reaching cost-cutting programmes, which have been praised by the IMF.

“We recognise the enormous progress that Argentina has made in reducing inflation, stabilising the economy, returning to the path of growth and with poverty finally beginning to decline,” IMF Spokesperson Julie Kozack recently said while announcing “good progress” on talks over a much-needed new loan programme.

The country, still plagued by currency controls set to be lifted next year, faces additional headwinds from blanket tariffs being imposed by the Trump administration despite Milei’s close relationship with the US president.

Milei’s $LIBRA controversy follows a recent surge in politically-linked cryptocurrency launches, most notably the Official Trump ($TRUMP) memecoin, which returning US President Donald Trump launched in January on the Solana network ahead of his inauguration, followed by First Lady Melania Trump's Melania Meme (MELANIA) own token.

 

INTERVIEW: UNIFIL's Deputy Spokesperson in Lebanon, Kandice Ardiel

Tensions Escalate in Lebanon Following UN Convoy Attack / bne IntelliNews

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TwitterLinkedInTelegramFlipboard\FeedlyBy Josiane Hajj Moussa for bne Beirut bureau February 17, 2025A series of interconnected events has heightened tensions in Lebanon this weekend, beginning with a violent attack on United Nations peacekeepers that has drawn international condemnation.The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that their deputy force commander sustained injuries when their convoy was "violently attacked" while en route to Beirut airport on February 14 evening. Lebanese authorities detained more than 25 individuals from Hezbollah in connection with the incident, which potentially dragged the country back into strife following a denial of landing rights of an Iranian airliner.

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State Department officials claimed Hezbollah supporters orchestrated the attack, an allegation the Iran-backed organisation staunchly denied in a statement issued two days later. However, video from the night showed people waving Hezbollah flags.

"We express our firm rejection of any targeting of UNIFIL forces," the group declared, distancing itself from the assault.

In an interview with bnm IntelliNews, UNIFIL's Deputy Spokesperson in Lebanon, Kandice Ardiel, discussed the convoy attack and its implications for the peacekeeping mission.

The attack on a UNIFIL convoy last week was both shocking and unacceptable. Ardiel stated that what should have been a routine administrative movement transporting personnel to the airport escalated into a violent assault that left the force commander injured.

This incident represents a severe violation of UN Resolution 1701 and directly undermines the peacekeeping mission, which has played a vital role in regional stability since 2006. She added that UNIFIL has launched a thorough investigation to determine who is responsible and hold them accountable.

In response to the attack, UNIFIL is intensifying efforts to ensure justice is served. Any attack on peacekeepers directly challenges international peace efforts and the principles the mission upholds.

Despite this aggression, Ardiel stated that UNIFIL remains committed to its mandate in South Lebanon, maintaining a significant presence to support stability and security. The organisation will not be deterred from its mission and will continue to operate with resilience and determination.

Since its deployment in 2006, UNIFIL has worked closely with local communities, providing essential support and assistance. The mission's primary goal remains to stabilise South Lebanon, ensuring peaceful conditions for residents on both sides of the border.

This work is fundamental to maintaining regional security, and the dedication of peacekeepers to this cause remains unwavering.

Operating in such a volatile environment presents inherent risks. Given the nature of peacekeeping, military personnel are deployed with the expectation of encountering security challenges. UNIFIL continually assesses and adapts its security measures and protocols to address evolving threats.

Ardiel said that the safety of peacekeepers is paramount, as their protection is essential to fulfilling the mission’s broader objective of sustaining peace and stability in the region.

UNIFIL has strongly condemned the attack, stressing that any violence against peacekeepers is an attack on peace itself. Ardiel stated that the mission’s presence in the region benefits all communities, and such incidents only serve to jeopardise collective efforts toward stability.

Despite these challenges, she concluded that UNIFIL remains steadfast in its commitment to peace, with the unwavering support of the international community in condemning acts of violence against those dedicated to preserving stability.

Britain rejects resettlement requests from 2,000 former Afghan commandos: Report

• by Habib Mohammadi   AMU TV

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The British Ministry of Defense (MoD) has confirmed that it denied resettlement requests from more than 2,000 former Afghan commandos, despite credible evidence of their service in British-backed units in Afghanistan, the BBC reported.

According to the report, these forces were trained, funded, or directly supported by British troops before the Taliban takeover in 2021.

The revelation contradicts previous MoD claims that Afghan nationals who served alongside British forces were eligible for relocation under the U.K.’s resettlement policies.

Mike Martin, a British MP and member of the Defense Select Committee, called the decision “deeply concerning.”

“It appears that British special forces have blocked Afghan special forces’ applications because they may have witnessed alleged war crimes committed by the U.K.,” Martin told the BBC, referring to an ongoing investigation into Britain’s military conduct in Afghanistan.

He added that if the MoD fails to provide a clear explanation, the matter should be formally investigated.

The MoD’s rejection of more than 2,000 resettlement cases surfaced during a recent court hearing, as part of a legal challenge filed by a former member of British special forces earlier this month.

The American Fog and Iranian Year

Ghassan Charbel
Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper


Monday - 17 February 2025The diplomat is familiar with Washington and its hallways where decisions are made. He used to visit at the beginning of presidential terms and return with as many answers and expectations as possible to report to his superiors.

This time, however, he found himself confronted with a difficult task. He came across a Washington that was shrouded in heavy fog and with the world focused on the return of the “strongman” to the White House. Fog covered the whole of the United States and the diplomat came back with more questions than answers.

There is a feeling at the White House that the country is at a major turning point. Donald Trump will not make do with changing the furniture at the White House, but he is dreaming of changing the country’s political and economic features.

The diplomat said that the new American compass is so shaky that it has confused allies and enemies alike. Going along with Trump is like driving on a bumpy road in an almost impenetrable fog. He returned with the impression that he wanted to end the Russia-Ukraine war, not only because he has his sights set on the Nobel Peace Prize, but to reserve a place for himself in the history books. He seems to be relying on his old friendship with Vladimir Putin to achieve that goal as it appears that the war had not soured ties between them.

The diplomat also sensed that Washington was insistent on firmly tackling the Iranian file on the basis of preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb and from mobilizing its “parallel armies” to destabilize the region. It doesn’t take a lot to realize that Trump wants to make peace in the Middle East. The diplomat paused, however, at Benjamin Netanyahu’s success in securing a close and influential alliance with the Trump administration.

Ever since he returned to the White House, Trump bombarded the world with a series of statements and posts that have created confusion across the world. He is on the brink of launching a trade war, is tackling the Ukraine file by recognizing the reality on the ground imposed by the Russian war, and created disarray by outrageously suggesting that Gaza’s residents be removed from the enclave so that it can be transformed in a beautiful riviera.

This confusion and fog appear to be absent when it comes to the Iranian nuclear file, where the Trump administration is not backing down from its positions.

Fog enveloped Europe when JD Vance, speaking from Munich, rebuked European countries for their alleged “stifling of freedoms”, criticizing them for their approach towards the far-right. Europe seemed to panic at the possibility of the Ukraine war being decided without it and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Vance seemed to echo Trump’s past remarks that the US will not forever continue to pay the price of protecting Europe.

Trump had made that statement back in 1987 when he was real estate developer far removed from the world of politics. That year, he visited Moscow and admired the opportunities available there. He declared that Europe can cover the costs of defending itself.

As the Europeans become preoccupied with the fate of the war in Ukraine, the people of the Middle East will be preoccupied with not only peace, but with what will happen with Iran. This is unquestionably Iran’s year. Trump had categorically declared that Iran will not be allowed to possess a nuclear bomb. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that position from Israel on Sunday after meeting Netanyahu, who shared his stance.

The prevailing impression is that there can be no new deal with Iran that does not cover its rocket arsenal and destabilizing role in the region. The question is: Will the Iranian supreme leader agree to make such huge concessions over Iran’s role, especially in wake of its losses in Syria and Lebanon?

Important deadlines are approaching in the Palestinian territories, Iran and Ukraine amid the dense American fog. Syria, Lebanon and Iraq are also concerned with the fog and the choices America will make. A deep and detailed dialogue is necessary with the Trump administration because protesting is not a form of policy and does not protect stability and rights. An Arab vision for peace based on the two-state solution is necessary. This is the only way to end this chronic conflict.

With its political and economic weight, Saudi Arabia is the leading Arab and Islamic country capable of playing a role to that end. Its hosting of American-Russian meetings ahead of a summit is a testament to that role. It is also recognition by Washington and Moscow of Saudi Arabia’s Arab, Islamic and international standing. The current consultations to prepare an alternative plan to Trump’s Gaza proposal reflect this standing. Moreover, Saudi Arabia can benefit from the strong ties it has forged with heavyweights China and India, as well as the European Union.

We must be prepared for the Iranian year. An American-Iranian agreement will mark a major turning point in the region. Israel’s destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities - with American support - will be another major and dangerous development that we must prepare for. The heavy fog should not be an obstacle to safe navigation if countries are prepared, use their strengths and hold dialogue with the Trump administration based on mutual interests, the benefits of stability and revenues from investments and prosperity.

'Whoops!' Trump mocked after report he 'accidentally fired people in charge of nukes'

David McAfee
February 16, 2025

Donald Trump (ALLISON ROBBERT/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)

Donald Trump is being ridiculed after an Associated Press report that the President "has reversed the firings of all but 28 of the nuclear weapons workers that" Elon Musk's team "blindly cut."

Tara Copp, Pentagon Correspondent at Associated Press, which is currently embroiled in its own dispute with Trump over White House access and the Gulf of Mexico, dropped the report Sunday.

"One of the hardest hit plants was Pantex -- near Amarillo, Texas -- where 30 percent of the cuts took place," Copp wrote on X. "The nuclear weapons role of those workers and the feds who oversee it is one of the most sensitive missions in the US."

Columnist and political analyst Molly Jong-Fast said, "Accidentally firing the people in charge of the nukes! Whoops!"

The writer then added, "Probably fine thou!"

Defend Our Constitution, a self-described Army veteran, said, "Trump and Musk are making America weaker not stronger."

"I never seen an incompetent team in the Oval Office like this. It’s embarrassing to be an American in front of the whole world," they added.

Political humorist Jesus Freakin Congress said, "The Trump administration fired 300-400 nuclear employees since they didn’t know what their job was… and now they are scrambling to get them to come back."

"So, if anyone was questioning if our enemies are infiltrating our government from the inside, the answer is yes… since they would be jumping on this if not," the user added.

Trump administration tries to bring back sacked nuclear weapons workers

Mon, 17 Feb, 2025 - 

Tara Copp and Anthony Izaguirre, AP

The Trump administration has halted the sackings of hundreds of US federal employees who worked on America’s nuclear weapons programmes.

The U-turn has left workers confused and led experts to warn that blind cost-cutting by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will put American communities at risk.

US officials said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) were abruptly laid off late on Thursday, with some losing access to email before they learned they had been dismissed. Some tried to enter their offices on Friday morning, only to find they were locked out.

One of the hardest hit offices was the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, which saw about 30% of the cuts.

Those employees work on reassembling warheads, one of the most sensitive jobs across the nuclear weapons enterprise, with the highest levels of clearance.

The move has sparked protests (AP)

The hundreds let go at NNSA were part of a DOGE purge across the Department of Energy that targeted about 2,000 employees.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, referencing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team, said: “The DOGE people are coming in with absolutely no knowledge of what these departments are responsible for.

“They don’t seem to realise that it’s actually the department of nuclear weapons more than it is the Department of Energy.”

By late on Friday night, the agency’s acting director, Teresa Robbins, issued a memo rescinding the firings for all but 28 of those hundreds of fired staff members.

“This letter serves as formal notification that the termination decision issued to you on February 13 2025 has been rescinded, effective immediately,” said the memo, which was obtained by the AP.

The accounts from the three officials contradict an official statement from the Department of Energy, which said fewer than 50 National Nuclear Security Administration staffers were let go, calling them “probationary employees” who “held primarily administrative and clerical roles”.

Many workers were reinstated after being dismissed (AP)

But that was not the case. The firings prompted one NNSA senior staffer to post a warning and call to action.

Deputy division director Rob Plonski posted to LinkedIn: “This is a pivotal moment. We must decide whether we are truly committed to leading on the world stage or if we are content with undermining the very systems that secure our nation’s future.

“Cutting the federal workforce responsible for these functions may be seen as reckless at best and adversarily opportunistic at worst.”

While some of the Energy Department employees who were fired dealt with energy efficiency and the effects of climate change, issues not seen as priorities by the Trump administration, many others dealt with nuclear issues, even if they did not directly work on weapons programmes.

This included managing massive radioactive waste sites and ensuring the material there does not further contaminate nearby communities.

That incudes the Savannah River National Laboratory in Jackson, South Carolina; the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington state, where workers secure 177 high-level waste tanks from the site’s previous work producing plutonium for the atomic bomb; and the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, a Superfund contamination site where much of the early work on the Manhattan Project was done, among others.

US representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and US senator Patty Murray of Washington, both Democrats, called the firings last week “utterly callous and dangerous”.

The NNSA staff who had been reinstated could not all be reached after they were fired, and some were reconsidering whether to return to work, given the uncertainty created by DOGE.

Many federal employees who had worked on the nation’s nuclear programmes had spent their entire careers there, and there was a wave of retirements in recent years that cost the agency years of institutional knowledge.

It is now in the midst of a major 750 billion dollar (£595 billion) nuclear weapons modernisation effort – including new land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, new stealth bombers and new submarine-launched warheads. In response, the labs have aggressively hired over the past few years. In 2023, 60% of the workforce had been there five years or less.

Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the firings could disrupt the day-to-day workings of the agency and create a sense of instability over the nuclear program both at home and abroad.

He said: “I think the signal to US adversaries is pretty clear: throw a monkey wrench in the whole national security apparatus and cause disarray.

White House says some employees
who accepted buyout offer fired by mistake: Report

'Some employees who responded to the buyout offer ahead of the deadline last week may have received termination notices by mistake,' official says

Muhammed Enes Çallı

17.02.2025 -

 TRT/AA

ISTANBUL

The White House said some government employees who accepted the buyout offer were fired by mistake, according to a report on Monday.

"President Donald Trump's administration acknowledged on Sunday night that some federal government employees who took the 'Fork in the Road' buyout offer were also, subsequently, fired or let go — and that this was an error," ABC News reported.

"An Office of Personnel Management official told ABC News that some employees who responded to the buyout offer ahead of the deadline last week may have received termination notices by mistake but, for those personnel, the buyouts agreements would be honored," it added.

Nick Detter told ABC News that he is one of the workers affected.

Detter, a natural resource specialist with the US Department of Agriculture, said he was fired on Thursday, despite having already accepted the administration's buyout offer, which should have ensured he was paid through September.

Despite the OPM's explanation, Detter claims he has not received any direct guidance. He added that his supervisors in Kansas, where he is based, told him they had no information.

"I frankly find it pretty insulting and chaotic and disorganized," Detter told ABC News.

NAKBA 2.0

Watchdog says plans advancing for nearly 1,000 more settler homes in West Bank

Peace Now accuses government of operating ‘on steroids’ to establish facts on the ground even as hostages languish in captivity in Gaza

By AP and ToI Staff

Today

View of Efrat and its surroundings on a winter day, in Gush Etzion, in the West Bank on January 18, 2021. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

Israel issued a tender for the construction of nearly 1,000 additional settler homes in the West Bank, an anti-settlement watchdog said Monday.

Peace Now said the development of 974 new housing units would allow the population of the Efrat settlement to expand by 40 percent and further block the development of the nearby Palestinian city of Bethlehem. The project, approved last year, will increase the land area of Efrat by 644 dunams (160 acres), Peace Now said, expanding the settlement’s footprint by about 10%.

Hagit Ofran, who leads the group’s settlement monitoring, said construction can begin after the contracting process and issuing of permits, which could take another year at least.

The left-wing Peace Now, which favors a negotiated two-state solution to the Iraeli-Palestinian conflict, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of pressing ahead with settlement construction while dozens of hostages captured in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion languish in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

“While the people of Israel (set) their sights on the release of the hostages and an end to the war, the Netanyahu government is operating ‘on steroids’ to establish facts on the ground that will destroy the chance for peace and compromise,” it said in a statement.

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian terror group Hamas led thousands of terrorists to invade southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, abducting 251 as hostages to Gaza, and triggering war.

A complex and fragile three-stage ceasefire that began last month includes the release of hostages.

View of houses in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, south of Jerusalem. October 25, 2021. (Gershon Elinson/Flash90)

Last year the Civil Administration’s High Planning Subcommittee approved 3,500 new settlement homes across the West Bank including 694 in Efrat.

In its statement, Peace Now claimed there would be also be an additional 280 units for assisted living.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, in the 1967 Six Day War. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state and view the settlements as a major obstacle to peace, a position with wide international support. According to Peace Now, Efrat juts into territory that would be needed by the Palestinians for a contiguous state in the northern and southern West Bank.

Israel has annexed East Jerusalem and sees it as part of its unified capital.

US President Donald Trump lent unprecedented support to the settlements during his previous term and also moved the US embassy to the capital. Israel has also steadily expanded settlements during Democratic administrations, which were more critical but rarely took any action to curb them.

JEP’s Ruling: The Unresolved Dilemma of Armed Groups and Environmental Impact


17.02.25 | Opinio Juris

[Carolina Trejos (LLM in Public International Law) is a consultant at the Special Jurisdiction of Peace, on macro-case 07 regarding child recruitment. She was a legal fellow at the Center for Reproductive Rights and interned at Women’s Link Worldwide and the Inter-America Commission of Human Rights.]

Introduction

On February 2023, the Special Jurisdiction of Peace (JEP), the transitional justice tribunal in Colombia, released Rule 01 of 2023. This groundbreaking decision criminalises environmental harms committed by the former guerrilla Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) as war crimes. The judgment is a valuable opportunity for International Criminal Law (ICL) to start listening to the different affectations of crimes against nature and to evaluate the complex relationship of Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) with the environment.

This post questions specific aspects of the decision, particularly emphasizing the need for a clear definition of environmental crimes. It argues that a distinction must be made between acts linked to armed conflict and those constituting ecocide as a separate offence from war crimes. The post concludes with a brief reflection on the characterization of NSAGs solely as “ecocides,” highlighting that in some regions, these groups have also played a crucial role in conserving resources for civilian populations.

Questionable Points of the JEP’s Decision

In its decision, the JEP recognises that the FARC was the “State” in the zones of Cauca North and Valle del Cauca South at the time of the facts. It even acknowledges that they exercised dual power, on the one hand, military and, on the other hand, social, economic and political power over the civilian population. In the norm, they considered themselves a type of “green rebel governance”. However, the JEP argues that from a real-life approach, such guerrilla either actively supported or turned a blind eye to illegal mining and the unlawful expansion of the agricultural frontier (P. 489-502).

The judgment relates the main three activities as war crimes: First, illegal and legal mining activity with severe impacts on primary forests using backhoe loaders. The prosecutor mentioned that they recollected a tax to allow these activities in the zone. Secondly, the alteration of land for the cultivation of illicit drugs occurred without adherence to any environmental regulations. Finally, the attacks and invasion of the Páramo zones (protected areas in Colombia) with camp setups and the installation of antipersonnel mines caused significant disruption and environmental harm.

The Tribunal made no significant distinction among the three acts as war crimes during the judicial qualification. Instead, it lumps them into the “anti-green” package of conducts in Section G.2.37. The decision states that those activities were the economic motor of violence to the extent that capturing their revenues was a strategic objective of the guerrilla. However, the Tribunal does not clarify where the funds were directed or what specific purposes they served.

The Nexus Dilemma

The decision’s discussion of the nexus is vague. It consists of four paragraphs in the general part of the judgment without further specifying why the three conducts mentioned are related to the armed conflict (Para 781-784). As this decision pioneered criminalising crimes against nature, the nexus dilemma should have been evaluated thoroughly.

War crimes are grave breaches of IHL and thus are conducts “closely related to the conflict”. The Elements of the Crime of the Rome Statute defines them as acts which “took place in the context of and were associated with an international armed conflict”. Associated suggests that the conduct is in relation to the conflict but not necessarily in the middle of the battlefield. As stated by the ICTY in the Kunarac case, “a violation of the laws or customs of war may therefore occur at a time when and in a place where no fighting is actually taking place”.

Some of the widely known elements to define the nexus requirement in Kunarac Appeals Judgment include that the perpetrator is a combatant, the victim is a noncombatant, and the fact that the victim is a member of the opposing party. However, a commonly overlooked element, as in the JEP’s decision, is that the conduct serves the ultimate goal of the military campaign. Rule 01 of 2023 does not specify how the recollection of taxes for legal and illegal mining or the high deforestation produced to cultivate illicit crops is connected to a series of military operations.

It’s reasonable to state that military activities that the FARC-Ep took inside the Páramos are closely related to the conflict, and in fact, they can amount to war crimes if other criteria are met. The nexus requirement is fulfilled if the conducts are “directed towards the actual war-fighting capabilities of a party to the conflict” (P.340). Nevertheless, illegal mining and cultivation of illicit crops, as much damage as they caused, could only indirectly sustain the war effort. And yet, this is still conditional on the JEP’s ability to demonstrate that these activities were indeed financing military actions and were not aimed at supporting daily life activities in the controlled territory.

In that sense, the decision’s major drawback is accurately distinguishing between actions that cause significant environmental damage due to hostilities or military campaigns, those indirectly financing war efforts, and those resulting from everyday activities in guerrilla-controlled territories. In the second category, there is the majority of conduct that JEP described under the section on war crimes.

Ecocide: Autonomous from War Crimes but Near to IEL

One of the JEP’s main strengths is the diversity of national and international sources it can use to define conduct related to the conflict. The Legislative Act 01 of 2017 provides that the Tribunal may base charges on the Criminal National Code, International Human Rights Law, IHL, and ICL. Unfortunately, there is no mention of International Environmental Law (IEL), but this does not imply that it cannot be utilised as an interpretive tool.

The JEP could have based its assessment on national legislation and used the category of “crimes against nature” in the Criminal Code instead of focusing only on the category of war crimes. In particular, former Article 328 of the Criminal Code, applicable at the time of the conduct, punishes the unlawful use of natural resources. Activities causing significant environmental damage to support the economic revenue of armed groups’ military operations may be prosecuted under these domestic rules.

Moreover, in 2022, it was introduced into national law the crime of Ecocide, which aims to punish any severe impact on the natural environment or the natural resources, disassociating it from war effort activities. The JEP cannot use this provision since it is outside the time of the facts under its jurisdiction. Nonetheless, it still has an important deterrence effect for armed groups currently operating in some zones. Most notably, the “seriousness” of the consequences stemming from the damage can be evaluated through international environmental frameworks, offering a clearer and more predictable application of the norm.

One key element that IEL can contribute to prosecuting NSAG for “anti-green” crimes is precisely evaluating their capabilities to avoid, predict, or mitigate environmental damage. As Sassoli pointed out, the aim is not to impose unrealistic rules on NSAGs or to punish them for failing to comply with impossible standards designed mainly for States. On the contrary, IEL instruments look into the abilities of the party to carry out a harm analysis rather than imposing a unique standard. Thus, to evaluate the wrongfulness of the NSAG’s conduct, it’s crucial to consider their limitations based on the adaptability provided by IEL.

Beyond the Criminalisation towards Green Rebel Governance

Regarding the governance of NSAGs, there’s no definitive right or wrong answer concerning their environmental conduct. In other words, labelling all utilisation of natural resources in their territorial control as ecocide or internationally criminalised overshadows the substantial range of different legal and social responses. Therefore, it would have been worthwhile for the JEP to explore the relationship between FARC’s governance and the territory beyond criminalisation.

IHL does not have rules about regulating natural resources in non-international armed conflicts (NIACs). This is because States couldn’t conceive that NSAGs had access to the State’s resources or implemented government tasks in the territory under their control. Arguably, one may apply Article 4(2)(g) of Additional Protocol II about the prohibition of pillage to hold NSAGs responsible for exploiting conflict resources. Indeed, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Armed Activities on the territory of Congo Judgment, took this approach about the exploitation of natural resources by the conflict’s parties. However, this provision was not designed to cover situations where such exploitation goes beyond the self-interest of NSAGs and for the benefit of the civilian population under their control.

From a purely policy perspective, regulating natural resources should contemplate their sustainable exploitation by NSAGs, mainly when intended to benefit the civilian population. In this regard, Dam-de Jong argues that not all exploitation of natural resources by NSAGs should be deemed illegal. She states, “an exception can be envisaged for small-scale natural resources exploitation that would enable armed groups to ensure the continuation of daily life in the territories under their control” (P.184). She supports her argument by relying on the Namibia Advisory Opinion by the ICJ, which considers the legality of acts conducted by illegal regimes based on the welfare of the civilian population under their control.

There is a range of contradictions regarding the environment and the activities of the former FARC. In the case under JEP’s jurisdiction, egregious acts against nature have highly impacted the population, especially indigenous communities who have a special link with the Páramo Territories. For example, military activities in specially protected areas, contamination of water sources, and widespread deforestation for illicit crops are activities that should undoubtedly be prosecuted as ecocide (or war crimes, if the required nexus is met).

Nonetheless, these acts are not enough to define the relationship between the FARC-Ep and the exploitation of natural resources. According to the Crisis Group, in numerous regions, the FARC implemented explicit regulations accompanied by corresponding penalties for transgressions, aiming to curb deforestation and other detrimental practices. Some local FARC commanders also perceived a responsibility to safeguard the environment for the welfare of small-scale farmers (P.5). Moreover, they also took actions viewed as restorative, such as planting food crops in relation to coca cultivation. In those last cases, it may be worth exploring if the Namibia principle may be applica

South Korea bans new DeepSeek AI downloads

João da Silva
Business reporter

BBC ASIA



South Korea has banned new downloads of China's DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, according to the country's personal data protection watchdog.

The government agency said the AI model will become available again to South Korean users when "improvements and remedies" are made to ensure it complies with the country's personal data protection laws.

In the week after it made global headlines, DeepSeek became hugely popular in South Korea leaping to the top of app stores with over a million weekly users.

But its rise in popularity also attracted scrutiny from countries around the world which have imposed restrictions on the app over privacy and national security concerns.



South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission said the DeepSeek app became unavailable on Apple's App Store and Google Play on Saturday evening.

It came after several South Korean government agencies banned their employees from downloading the chatbot to their work devices.

South Korea's acting president Choi Sang-mok has described Deepseek as a "shock", that could impact the country's industries, beyond AI.

Despite the suspension of new downloads, people who already have it on their phones will be able to continue using it or they may just access it via DeepSeek's website.

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China's Deepseek rocked the technology industry, the markets and America's confidence in its AI leadership, when it released its latest app at the end of last month.

Its rapid rise as one of the world's favourite AI chatbots sparked concerns in different jurisdictions.

Aside from South Korea, Taiwan and Australia have also banned it from all government devices.

Italy's regulator, which briefly banned ChatGPT in 2023, has done the same with DeepSeek, which has been asked to address concerns over its privacy policy before it becomes available again on app stores.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the US have proposed a bill banning DeepSeek from federal devices, citing surveillance concerns.

At the state-government level, Texas, Virginia and New York, have already introduced such rules for their employees.

DeepSeek's "large language model" (LLM) has reasoning capabilities that are comparable to US models such as OpenAI's o1, but reportedly requires a fraction of the cost to train and run.

That has raised questions about the billions of dollars being invested into AI infrastructure in the US and elsewhere.

Additional reporting by Jean Mackenzie in Seoul

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un triggers huge explosion in capital for construction project

The development in the Hwasong suburb of Pyongyang aims to build 10,000 flats, part of a five-year project to construct 50,000 new apartments.

THEY DON'T HAVE NUKES BUT THEY DO HAVE ULTRA HIGH EXPLOSIVES

Monday 17 February 2025 08:39, UK

A huge blast, detonated by Kim Jong Un, created enormous clouds of dust and smoke. Pics: Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)


North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has detonated explosives creating a massive blast during a groundbreaking ceremony at a construction site in the capital, state-run media has reported.
Footage showed Mr Kim making a speech in Pyongyang on Sunday, surrounded by enthusiastically cheering crowds, before twisting a switch to ignite explosions.
The blast threw enormous clouds of dust and smoke into the air.

Mr Kim addressing crowds of people, reportedly construction workers

The project in the Hwasong suburb aims to build 10,000 flats, part of a five-year plan to construct 50,000 new apartments.

He addressed hundreds of people, reportedly construction workers, who were standing in coordinated sections.

They had been assembled with matching hard hats to create colourful sections in the crowds.

Enthusiastic crowds waved flags, clapped and cheered as Mr Kim arrived for the groundbreaking ceremony

"The Hwasong area will soon become more famous not only as a cradle of the happy and civilised life of the people but as a land of history, which tells new miraculous tales of indomitable socialist Korea," Mr Kim said in a speech translated by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Canadian warship in Taiwan Strait ‘undermines peace: China

 GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY & NATO IMPERIALISM

TEHRAN, Feb. 17 (MNA) – A Canadian warship passing through the Taiwan Strait “undermines peace” in the sensitive waterway, China’s military said Monday.

Beijing views self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province and claims jurisdiction over the body of water that separates the island from the Chinese mainland, AFP reported.

The Canadian vessel passed through the strait on Sunday and was the first to do so this year, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said, coming days after two US ships made the passage.

Canada’s actions “deliberately stir up trouble and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Li Xi, a spokesperson for the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said in a statement.

The army had dispatched its naval and air forces to monitor and guard the passage of the ship, Li said, adding that the troops will “resolutely counter all threats and provocations.”

The United States and its allies regularly pass through the 180-kilometer (112-mile) strait to reinforce its status as an international waterway, angering China.

A US destroyer and an ocean survey ship traveled through the strait starting on February 10, drawing criticism from China’s military, which said it sent the “wrong signal and increased security risks.”

Washington’s latest passage through the strait was the first since US President Donald Trump took office in January.

Taiwan’s defense ministry, meanwhile, said it recorded 41 Chinese aircraft and nine warships near the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 am on Monday.

Beijing has never ruled Taiwan, but it claims the island as part of its territory and has threatened to bring it under its control by force.

SD/

News ID 228451

 

China says Canada 'deliberately stirred up trouble' with warship sailing in Taiwan Strait

Canadian ship was monitored and warned by naval and air forces, China says

Thomson Reuters · Posted: Feb 16, 2025

China's military on Monday condemned the sailing of a Canadian warship in the Taiwan Strait, saying its air and naval forces had monitored and warned the ship. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)Social Sharing

China's military on Monday condemned the sailing of a Canadian warship in the Taiwan Strait, saying its air and naval forces had monitored and warned the ship, a mission that came just a few days after U.S. navy ships made a similar mission.

The U.S. navy, and occasionally ships from allied countries like Canada, Britain and France, transits the strait about once a month. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, also says the strategic waterway belongs to it.

Canada's actions "deliberately stirred up trouble" and undermined peace and stability in the strait, the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement.

"Theatre forces maintain a high level of alert at all times and resolutely counter all threats and provocations," it added.

There was no immediate response by Global Affairs Canada to the Chinese statement.

HMCS Ottawa approaching the Taiwan Strait in September 2023. Both the Chinese and Taiwanese governments identified the ship that recently sailed in the Taiwan Strait as the Ottawa. (Lyzaville Sale/CBC)

Both the Chinese and Taiwanese governments identified the ship as HMCS Ottawa.

Taiwan's Defence Ministry said on Sunday that the ship had sailed in a northerly direction, adding that Taiwanese forces also kept watch.

• China lodges complaint after Canadian warship passes through Taiwan Strait in 2024

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the sailing.

"Canada has once again taken concrete actions to defend the freedom, peace and openness of the Taiwan Strait and has demonstrated its firm position that the Taiwan Strait is international waters," it said on Sunday.

Last October, a U.S. and a Canadian warship sailed together through the strait, less than a week after China conducted a new round of war games around the island.

Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.

Canadian warship’s Taiwan Straits transit

sends wrong signals but poses little threat:

expert

By Liu Xuanzun

 Feb 17, 2025 

GLOBAL TI MES CH.

A view of the Taiwan Straits is seen from Xiamen port, in East China's Fujian Province. Photo: IC

The island of Taiwan's external affairs authority said that a Canadian frigate sailed through the Taiwan Straits on Sunday while its defense authority claimed it detected 24 Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft conducting joint training with PLA vessels on the same day. A Chinese mainland expert said on Sunday that the Canadian warship sent wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, but posed little military threat.

Taiwan's external affairs authority said in a statement that the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa sailed through the Taiwan Straits on Sunday, AFP reported.

Citing the island's defense authority, AFP further claimed that 24 PLA aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, were detected carrying "joint combat readiness patrols" with military vessels around the island.

During the Canadian warship's passage, the PLA radioed the ship and warned it to change course, AFP reported, citing media on the island of Taiwan.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese mainland military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that the Canadian warship's Taiwan Straits transit has sent wrong signals to Taiwan authorities, creating the illusion that they can rely on external countries in seeking "independence."

The Taiwan question concerns China's core interests, Song said, noting that China is fully capable of resolving the Taiwan question, and no one can prevent its resolution.

The HMCS Ottawa has been operating in waters near China since the beginning of the year. Canadian news outlet CTV National News reported that PLA warships tracked the Canadian frigate in the East China Sea and the South China Sea in January.

Song noted that a single Canadian warship poses little threat to China in military terms, and it is normal and legitimate that the PLA monitors its movements on China's doorsteps.

Less than a week earlier, the PLA announced that it monitored the transit of two US warships through the Taiwan Straits.

From February 10 to Wednesday, the US destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch transited the Taiwan Straits. The PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed naval and air forces to monitor the entire passage of the US vessels, effectively responding to and managing the situation, said Senior Captain Li Xi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, on Wednesday.

The US' actions sent wrong signals and increased security risks. The Eastern Theater Command remains on high alert, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability, Li stressed.