On 3 July, a joint action day in France, Bulgaria and Germany resulted in searches of more than 20 locations and the arrest of 10 pimps.The pimps had been operating since 2015, promising young Bulgarian women legal employment in France. The women were transported first to Germany and then to Strasbourg and Annecy, where they were forced into prostitution. The women were compelled to give their earnings to the pimps, who kept the women under close watch.Eurojust held two coordination meetings, which led to the signing of a joint investigation team (JIT) agreement between France and Bulgaria. Eurojust also provided funding for the JIT.The joint action day was carried out by authorities from JIRS Nancy, the Bulgarian Prosecutor General and the Prosecutor’s Office of Oryahovo. The pimps were arrested in France, Bulgaria and Germany, charged with pimping, trafficking in human beings, organised crime and money laundering.At the time of the arrests, several prostitutes were put in contact with support groups and organisations to help them return safely to their country.
The world-renowned general Julius Caesar may have been rather less heroic than we imagine, in terms of victories as well as physique. Caesar was largely bald and had a deformed skull, resulting from difficulties during his birth.
As for military campaigns, he suffered his greatest defeat in the Low Countries, possibly near the Dutch city of Maastricht, according to new research suggesting that he fought a substantial proportion of the Gallic Wars in the northern part of Gaul. These findings emerged from the research conducted by the archaeologist and author Tom Buijtendorp on Caesar’s activities in the Low Countries, in response to the mounting pile of clues for his presence here.
Buijtendorp’s research was recently published in the book Caesar in de Lage Landen (Caesar in the Low Countries). His findings about Caesar’s countenance in combination with one of the oldest portraits of Caesar from the collection of the Dutch national museum of antiquities (the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden), were the basis for an alternative ’new’ face. The reconstruction of this face is currently on show in the museum. www.rmo.nl
The face of Julius Caesar
Recently, on 22 June 2018, a lifelike interpretation of the general’s ‘new’ face was presented at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, in which the asymmetric shape of the skull and the receding hairline differ significantly from the traditional images. According to Buijtendorp, Caesar’s head displays clear signs of a difficult birth – a new fact in Caesar’s biography.
The specific skull abnormality enabled Buijtendorp to identify the so called Tusculum bust (Museo Archeologico, Turin) as the most authentic portrait of Caesar, which differs markedly from the marble posthumous busts that are most commonly displayed, and fits well with Caesars contemporary coin portrait.
Subsequently archaeologist and physical anthropologist Maja d’Hollosy was asked to make an alternative, more lifelike ‘Caesar of the Low Countries’, so to speak, based on one of the Caesar portraits from the collection in Leiden. Sources as the Tusculum bust and the coin portrait were used to add the missing features. Furthermore Buijtendorp’s research gave instructions about skin and eye colour, and hair.
The result is a mix between the three sources, with the museum bust as base. Since a 100 percent reliable sources were lacking, a major aim was to make Caesar more alive, not creating the ultimate Ceasar bust. According to Buijtendorp, this reconstruction of Caesar’s portrait reminds us that the traditional image of Caesar is unrealistic, but also shows the remaining uncertainties about details like the eyes: ‘Though the new version likewise does not represent an absolute truth, it does provide a more credible alternative to the existing picture, rejecting the symmetric head of hair image we got used to’.
The Hague, 11 July 2018– As part of the commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, today, the Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Mr. Olufemi Elias, paid his respect to the victims and delivered remarks during the commemoration ceremony at the Potočari memorial in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
In his address, Registrar Elias highlighted the importance of ensuring accountability for the genocide that occurred in Srebrenica in 1995 and delivering justice to victims. He noted that while the Mechanism continues the remaining work, including some important cases it inherited from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), it also provides assistance to national authorities in the former Yugoslavia who are now dealing with the remaining war crimes.
Registrar Elias further emphasized the role that the Mechanism has in promoting and carrying forward the legacy of the ICTY and its contribution in uncovering what happened in Srebrenica 23 years ago. In this regard Registrar Elias stated: “The cases tried by the ICTY have contributed in a profound way to establishing what happened in Srebrenica in July 1995, how the genocide was committed and who is responsible for it. The Mechanism, as the Tribunal’s successor, is dedicated to ensuring that the ICTY’s legacy is not forgotten or disregarded after its closing, but that it remains impactful and that it provides a meaningful platform for the processes of facing the past in Srebrenica, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire region of the former Yugoslavia.”
He also noted that the archive of the ICTY, for which the Mechanism is responsible, including thousands of documents, artefacts, photographs and videos related to genocide in Srebrenica will enable the future generations to better understand these events, and hopefully learn from them and never again allow such evil to be repeated.
Registrar Elias concluded that “the Mechanism will do its part to ensure that the events of Srebrenica will not be forgotten and cannot be denied, that the perpetrators are held accountable, and that the memory of the victims is preserved.”
Registrar Elias attended the commemoration in Srebrenica as part of his first official visit to BiH since his appointment as Registrar of the Mechanism in January 2017. This was also the first of a series of planned visits by Registrar Elias to the countries of the former Yugoslavia this year.
Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: Deputy Mayor of Hamburg and Senator Katharina Fegebank, in charge of the portfolios of Science, Research, and Equal Rights, welcomed to the historic City Hall, H.E. Ambassador Nabijon Kasimov of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who paid his courtesy visit to the Hamburg Senate after being accredited to Germany on 27 November 2017.
Previous to taking office as ambassador to Germany, Nabijon Kasimov served as chairman of the association of private tourism organisations.
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By Bentley Motors.
10 July 2018, Crewe, England, UK: Bentley Motors, founded on 10 July 1919, is entering its 100th year of creating the world’s most iconic Grand Tourers, and the British luxury brand is honouring decades of innovation, achievement and craftsmanship by releasing a short film ‘Together we are Extraordinary: The Story of Bentley Motors.’
From W.O. Bentley himself, right up to the new Continental GT, the film touches upon the extraordinary characters, sporting achievements and successful models through the decades.
The film uses a striking combination of 3D-scanned actors turned into digital ‘metal’ sculptures; stylised archive imagery; and Hollywood-grade motion graphic technology to tell the Bentley story.
Shot using 4k ALEXA Mini camera technology and bespoke rigs, the film was produced by Oscar-winning visual effects company, The Mill.
It begins with W.O. Bentley touching an aluminium paperweight (the inspiration for his revolutionary aluminium piston design) to a wall which then comes to life, taking the viewer on an engaging journey across Bentley’s near-century of innovation and success.
The legendary Bentley Boys and Girls star, as do the Le Mans-winning ‘Blower’ and Speed 8, alongside Woolf Barnato during his famous race against the ‘Blue Train’. The film is also inspired by the shapes, surfaces and luxurious materials that have made Bentley the enduring automotive brand it is today.
‘Together we are Extraordinary: The Story of Bentley Motors’ can be viewed at www.BentleyMotors.com/100Years
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Picture by Leonard Freier – Bentley
FIFA President Gianni Infantino & Minister of Tourism of Egypt, Rania Al Mashat – Picture by Travel Egypt.
June 2018: The Arab Republic of Egypt is the offical African Regional Supporter for the 2018 FIFA World Cup; to mark the partnership FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the Egyptian Minister of Tourism H.E. Rania Al-Mashat met in Cairo for a signing of a memorandum of understanding.
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Today, 13 July 2018, Beijing Normal University won the final round of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot Court Competition, Chinese version, held in ICC Courtroom II in The Hague (Netherlands). Soochow University and Liaoning University won, respectively, second and third place. The Best Speaker award went to Yiwei Guo of the Beijing Normal University.
Sitting on the bench this year were ICC Judge Chang-ho Chung and ICC legal officers Eleni Chaitidou and Anthony Abato. The teams competed on a fictitious case, presenting oral arguments during an appeals hearing in the roles of Prosecution, Defence and Legal Representatives of the Victims.
After a break for deliberations, the jury announced the bench’s decision and an awards ceremony was held for all participants. The finalists’ peers attended the event in the Court’s public galleries and the event was web streamed live on the Court’s website.
This year, 48 universities participated in the competition, where students put to the test their knowledge of the applicable law and jurisprudence of the ICC. After the main rounds and semi-final, the three top teams came to The Hague for a six-day study visit before the final competition at the ICC.
The study visit offered the students a unique opportunity to gather in an exciting setting and to meet with eminent personalities of the international law scene. The students visited several international institutions and organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, the International Development Law Organization, the T.M.C. Asser Institute, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Anne Frank House, and the Leiden University. This version of the ICC Moot Court Competition is organised by the Chinese Initiative on International Criminal Justice (CIICJ).
In the context of its Academic Programme, the ICC supports the organisation of ICC Moot Court Competitions in Chinese, English, Russian and Spanish, with a view to also support Arabic and French versions in the future. These initiatives play a critical role in galvanising interest in the Court’s work with academic communities as well as in enhancing promotion and respect for international criminal law.
EU at NATO Summit July 2018 – Picture by European Union.
Wednesday, 11 July 2018, Brussels: NATO leaders agreed to invite Macedonia to begin accession talks to join the Western alliance.
Macedonia would become NATO’s 30th member state, though its people must first back the deal with Greece in a referendum to change the country’s name to ‘Republic of North Macedonia’.
The invitation to the small Balkan state of two million people comes despite opposition from Russia.
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