The International Criminal Court announced on Tuesday that arrest warrants had been issued against Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, and former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The warrants, issued on Monday and made public on Tuesday, allege their involvement in directing attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure deemed as war crimes.

These actions include targeting civilian sites and causing disproportionate harm to civilians, along with committing inhumane acts considered crimes against humanity in Ukraine, according to the ICC statement.

The ICC warrants mark the latest developments in the court’s actions related to the Ukraine conflict, which notably include an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

ICC judges stated that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the two suspects are responsible for missile strikes conducted by the Russian armed forces on Ukrainian electrical infrastructure between October 10, 2022, and March 9, 2023.

According to the court, these strikes targeted civilian objects, and even when the targets could be considered military, the civilian casualties were deemed disproportionate to any anticipated military advantage.

Ukraine welcomed the decision, with President Volodymyr Zelensky describing it as significant.

He expressed hope that the suspects would be apprehended and emphasized that the decision underscores the inevitability of justice for Russian actions against Ukrainians.

Russia has dismissed the warrants as “insignificant,” with the country’s security council stating that the ICC’s jurisdiction does not extend to Russia and labeling the decision as part of the West’s hybrid warfare against Russia.

The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, lacks its own enforcement mechanism for arrest warrants and instead depends on its 124 member states’ justice systems to execute them.

In practice, individuals under an ICC warrant are theoretically barred from traveling to any ICC member state due to the risk of arrest.

Controversial Wikileaks Founder, Julian Assange has left the UK under a deal with US authorities, marking the conclusion of a protracted legal saga.

The 52-year-old Assange was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, a case centered on Wikileaks’ release of classified documents related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

However, after spending five years in a British prison battling extradition to the US, Assange has been freed and is expected to admit guilt to violating US espionage laws.

It is being speculated that this agreement could pave the way for his return to Australia, his home country.

Assange was captured on video boarding a flight at London’s Stansted airport on Monday evening, and his departure was confirmed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

The chartered flight VJT199 made a stop in Bangkok for refuelling, according to officials at the Thai airport.

Reports suggest Assange is en route to a sentencing hearing on the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands which is scheduled for 9am local time on Wednesday (11pm GMT on Tuesday).

Albanese noted that Assange was accompanied by Australia’s high commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, during his journey.

“Regardless of the views that people have about Julian Assange and his activities, the case has dragged on for too long, there is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia,” Albanese said on Tuesday.

Under the proposed deal, which awaits judicial approval, Julian Assange is likely to receive credit for the five years he has already served and may not face additional prison time.

A senior Justice Department official explained in a letter to a federal judge in the Northern Mariana Islands that Assange was being transferred to Saipan due to its proximity to his home country.

Following the sentencing hearing there, it is expected that Assange will continue on to Australia.

Wikileaks reported that Assange departed Belmarsh prison on Monday morning after spending 1,901 days there.

During his time at the prison, Assange reportedly endured solitary confinement in a small cell measuring 2×3 meters for 23 hours a day.

Cyril Ramaphosa was inaugurated for his second term as President of South Africa on Wednesday in Pretoria, following a coalition agreement by his party, the African National Congress (ANC).

The swearing-in ceremony, conducted by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo at the Union Buildings, was attended by lawmakers, foreign dignitaries, and a diverse array of supporters.

“In the presence of everyone gathered here, and fully aware of the significant responsibility I undertake as President… I, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, solemnly pledge my allegiance to the Republic of South Africa,” President Ramaphosa affirmed during his oath.

Last week, lawmakers re-elected the 71-year-old with a decisive vote after the May 29 general election, which did not produce a clear winner.

The event was graced by the presence of numerous heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Angola’s Joao Lourenco, Congo Brazzaville’s Denis Sassou Nguesso, and Eswatini’s King Mswati III.

Guests arrived early at the Union Buildings, adorned in formal attire despite the winter chill, with VIPs and dignitaries gathered in the amphitheater while others watched from the lawn, where cultural performances and patriotic displays took place.

The ceremony concluded with the national anthem, accompanied by a 21-gun salute and a flyover by military helicopters carrying large South African flags, underscoring the significance of the occasion as President Ramaphosa embarks on another term at the helm of South Africa’s leadership.