TV News LIES

The office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court last month filed a secret arrest warrant application for Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, sources briefed on the matter told Middle East Eye.

Israeli media reports over the weekend claiming the prosecutor’s office had filed five applications for Israeli officials are inaccurate, MEE understands.

An evidence review took place on Wednesday last week to examine the possibility of two more warrant applications, including one for national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, but they have yet to be filed.

MEE understands that the charges against Smotrich include forced displacement as a crime against humanity and war crime, the transfer of Israel’s own population as a war crime, and persecution and apartheid as crimes against humanity.

If approved by the ICC’s pre-trial chamber the warrant for Smotrich would be the first ever issued by an international court for the crime of apartheid.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and Russia have agreed to carry out a large‑scale prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees on each side, marking a major humanitarian step amid the ongoing war.

The agreement was reached through US‑mediated negotiations, with preparations for the exchange already underway, Zelensky said on Friday in a post on Telegram.

“Ukraine is consistently working to return its people from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that humanitarian considerations remain central to Ukraine’s position.

The exchange is expected to coincide with a temporary ceasefire from May 9 to May 11, days that align with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s decisions regarding security and military posture are guided by a principle of reciprocity, but that the return of prisoners takes precedence.

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Russia’s Defense Ministry announced a unilateral truce for Victory Day, declaring a pause in fighting from May 8 to May 9, while warning it would carry out a “massive missile strike” on Kyiv if Ukraine attempts to disrupt celebrations in Moscow.

According to the BBC’s Russian service, the truce was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with the anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, marked annually on May 9, Ukrinform reported on Monday.

At the same time, Russian officials warned of retaliation if Moscow’s military parade is threatened.

The Defense Ministry said that if Ukraine tries to “implement its criminal plans to disrupt the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War,” Russian forces would respond with a missile strike on central Kyiv.

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Amnesty International said that attacks on civilian infrastructure by Israel has continued, after footage showing the destruction of solar panels in southern Lebanon by Israeli bulldozers has surfaced. 

In a post on X, the group said the incident reflects a broader pattern of damage to non-military facilities.

"Amnesty International has previously documented extensive destruction by the Israeli military along Lebanon’s border before and after the November 2024 ceasefire. We called for reparations and the investigation into this for war crimes. So far, neither has appeared," the organisation said.

Amnesty said its previous calls for such incidents to be investigated as potential war crimes have not been acted upon, adding: “Israel must stop the unlawful destruction of civilian property across southern Lebanon.”

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An American millionaire big-game hunter has died after being crushed by a group of elephants during a hunting expedition in Gabon.

Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old vineyard owner, was hunting yellow-backed duiker, an antelope species, in the central African country of Gabon when the incident occurred last Friday. While in the Lope-Okanda rainforest, he and his guide unexpectedly came across five female elephants accompanied by a calf.

Originally from Lodi, California, Dosio had built an extensive collection of hunting trophies over the years, including animals such as elephants and lions. He was reportedly a familiar name within the Sacramento Safari Club.

According to the Daily Mail, safari operator Collect Africa confirmed the death of its client. The company also reported that the professional hunter guiding Dosio sustained serious injuries during the encounter.

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On 8 April, Israel's military launched the psychopathically titled Operation Eternal Darkness against Lebanon, with predictably macabre results. In the span of a mere 10 minutes, Israel struck more than 100 sites across the country, killing more than 300 people and wounding at least 1,150.

The killing spree took place amid the regional ceasefire that had ostensibly taken hold after five weeks of cataclysmic war unleashed on Iran by the US and Israel.

Of course, Israel is not much one for ceasefires - and especially not when it comes to Lebanon. In just seven months following the so-called ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon in November 2024, Israel not only continued to occupy territory in southern Lebanon but also kept up regular air strikes on the country, killing no fewer than 250 people. And things only went downhill from there.

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