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The Hague Tribunal: An Overview of Key Cases and Their Significance

The Hague Tribunal, also known as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), is a United Nations-affiliated international court established in 1993 to prosecute serious crimes committed during the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s. The Hague Tribunal operates under the principle of complementarity, meaning that it only takes cases where the relevant national jurisdiction is unwilling or unable to do so. The Hague Tribunal has prosecuted some of the most notorious figures from the Balkans conflict, including former Serbian President Slobodan Milošević, Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladić, and Croatian General Ante Gotovina. The following are some of the most significant cases handled by the Hague Tribunal: The Trial of Slobodan Milošević: The former Serbian President was charged with 66 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in connection with the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. The trial, which lasted from 2002 until Milošević’s death in 2006, was the first time a former head of state was tried for war crimes before an international tribunal. The Trial of Ratko Mladić: The former Bosnian Serb military leader was charged with 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, including the massacre of over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995. Mladić was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison in 2017. The Trial of Ante Gotovina: The former Croatian General was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in a military operation that led to the forced expulsion of Serb civilians from the Krajina region of Croatia in 1995. Gotovina was initially convicted and sentenced to 24 years in prison, but his conviction was later overturned on appeal and he was acquitted in 2012. These trials, along with many others conducted by the Hague Tribunal, have been instrumental in bringing to light the extent of the atrocities committed during the Balkan conflicts and in holding those responsible accountable for their actions. The legacy of the Hague Tribunal continues to be felt today, as it has set a precedent for international criminal justice and helped to establish the principle that no one, regardless of their position or power, is above the law. The Trial of Slobodan Milošević: A Milestone in International Criminal Justice The Trial of Slobodan Milošević was one of the most significant cases in the history of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The former Serbian President was charged with 66 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in connection with the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. The trial, which lasted from 2002 until Milošević’s death in 2006, was the first time a former head of state was tried for war crimes before an international tribunal. Milošević was accused of orchestrating a campaign of ethnic cleansing aimed at driving out non-Serbs from large parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. The prosecution presented evidence of mass killings, rape, and forced deportations of non-Serb civilians. Milošević was also accused of implementing a widespread campaign of terror and violence to maintain his grip on power in Serbia and of supporting the Bosnian Serb army in its pursuit of territorial gains and the extermination of Bosnian Muslims. The trial was widely seen as a test of the international community’s commitment to holding leaders accountable for serious crimes, and it attracted widespread media attention. Despite the high-profile nature of the case and the significance of the charges, the trial was marked by a number of difficulties, including the unavailability of key witnesses, the slow pace of proceedings, and the death of Milošević before a verdict could be reached. Despite these challenges, the Trial of Slobodan Milošević remains a landmark case in the history of international criminal justice. It demonstrated the principle that no one, regardless of their position or power, is above the law and that those who commit serious crimes will be held accountable for their actions. The legacy of the trial continues to be felt today, as it has set a precedent for international tribunals and reinforced the importance of holding those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity to account. In conclusion, the Trial of Slobodan Milošević was a significant event in the history of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and a landmark case in the history of international criminal justice. It marked the first time a former head of state was tried for war crimes before an international tribunal and set a powerful precedent for holding those responsible for serious crimes accountable for their actions.
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Who invented vaping? The history of vaping

The history of vaping can be traced back to the early 1960s when a scientist named Herbert Gilbert patented a “smokeless non-tobacco cigarette,” which heated a flavored nicotine solution to produce vapor instead of smoke. However, this invention did not gain widespread commercial success and was largely forgotten until the 1990s, when a Chinese pharmacist named Hon Lik developed a similar concept using ultrasonic technology. In 2003, Hon Lik’s company, Ruyan, began marketing the first commercially successful electronic cigarette, known as the “e-cigarette.” The device used a battery to heat a nicotine solution, which was then inhaled as a vapor. The e-cigarette quickly gained popularity as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, and the vaping industry has grown rapidly ever since. Over the past two decades, vaping technology has continued to evolve and improve. With the development of more advanced devices and a wider variety of e-liquids, vaping has also become a cultural phenomenon, with a growing community of “vapers” and an increasing number of vape shops and events. However, the safety and health effects of vaping are still being studied. There is ongoing debate and controversy about the risks and benefits of vaping compared to smoking. Nevertheless, vaping remains a popular and rapidly growing industry and is likely to continue to evolve and change in the years to come.
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What is Bitcoin and how does it work?

What Is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a digital currency that was created in January 2009. It follows the ideas set out in a whitepaper by the mysterious and pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. The identity of the person or persons who created the technology is still a mystery. Bitcoin offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms and, unlike government-issued currencies, it is operated by a decentralized authority. Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency. There are no physical bitcoins, only balances kept on a public ledger that everyone has transparent access to. All bitcoin transactions are verified by a massive amount of computing power. Bitcoins are not issued or backed by any banks or governments, nor are individual bitcoins valuable as a commodity. Despite it not being legal tender, Bitcoin is very popular and has triggered the launch of hundreds of other cryptocurrencies, collectively referred to as altcoins. Bitcoin is commonly abbreviated as “BTC.” Understanding Bitcoin The bitcoin system is a collection of computers (also referred to as “nodes” or “miners”) that all run bitcoin’s code and store its blockchain. Metaphorically, a blockchain can be thought of as a collection of blocks. In each block is a collection of transactions. Because all the computers running the blockchain has the same list of blocks and transactions, and can transparently see these new blocks being filled with new bitcoin transactions, no one can cheat the system. Anyone, whether they run a bitcoin “node” or not, can see these transactions occurring live. In order to achieve a nefarious act, a bad actor would need to operate 51% of the computing power that makes up bitcoin. Bitcoin has around 12,000 nodes, as of January 2021, and this number is growing, making such an attack quite unlikely. But in the event that an attack was to happen, the bitcoin miners—the people who take part in the bitcoin network with their computer—would likely fork to a new blockchain making the effort the bad actor put forth to achieve the attack a waste. Balances of bitcoin tokens are kept using public and private “keys,” which are long strings of numbers and letters linked through the mathematical encryption algorithm that was used to create them. The public key (comparable to a bank account number) serves as the address which is published to the world and to which others may send bitcoins. The private key (comparable to an ATM PIN) is meant to be a guarded secret and only used to authorize bitcoin transmissions. Bitcoin keys should not be confused with a bitcoin wallet, which is a physical or digital device that facilitates the trading of bitcoin and allows users to track ownership of coins. The term “wallet” is a bit misleading, as bitcoin’s decentralized nature means that it is never stored “in” a wallet, but rather decentrally on a blockchain. Peer-to-Peer Technology Bitcoin is one of the first digital currencies to use peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments. The independent individuals and companies who own the governing computing power and participate in the bitcoin network—bitcoin “miners”—are in charge of processing the transactions on the blockchain and are motivated by rewards (the release of new bitcoin) and transaction fees paid in bitcoin. These miners can be thought of as the decentralized authority enforcing the credibility of the bitcoin network. New bitcoin is released to the miners at a fixed, but periodically declining rate. There are only 21 million bitcoin that can be mined in total. As of January 30, 2021, there are approximately 18,614,806 bitcoin in existence and 2,385,193 bitcoin left to be mined. In this way, bitcoin other cryptocurrencies operate differently from fiat currency; in centralized banking systems, currency is released at a rate matching the growth in goods; this system is intended to maintain price stability. A decentralized system, like bitcoin, sets the release rate ahead of time and according to an algorithm. Bitcoin Mining Bitcoin mining is the process by which bitcoins are released into circulation. Generally, mining requires the solving of computationally difficult puzzles in order to discover a new block, which is added to the blockchain. Bitcoin mining adds and verifies transaction records across the network. For adding blocks to the blockchain, miners are rewarded with a few bitcoins; the reward is halved every 210,000 blocks. The block reward was 50 new bitcoins in 2009. On May 11th, 2020, the third halving occurred, bringing the reward for each block discovery down to 6.25 bitcoins. A variety of hardware can be used to mine bitcoin. However, some yield higher rewards than others. Certain computer chips, called Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), and more advanced processing units, like Graphic Processing Units (GPUs), can achieve more rewards. These elaborate mining processors are known as “mining rigs.” One bitcoin is divisible to eight decimal places (100 millionths of one bitcoin), and this smallest unit is referred to as a Satoshi. If necessary, and if the participating miners accept the change, bitcoin could eventually be made divisible to even more decimal places. History of Bitcoin 18.08.2008: The domain name bitcoin.org is registered. Today, at least, this domain is “WhoisGuard Protected,” meaning the identity of the person who registered it is not public information. 31.10.2008: A person or group using the name Satoshi Nakamoto makes an announcement on the Cryptography Mailing list at metzdowd.com: “I’ve been working on a new electronic cash system that’s fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party. This now-famous whitepaper published on bitcoin.org, entitled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System,” would become the Magna Carta for how Bitcoin operates today. 03.01.2009: The first Bitcoin block is mined, Block 0. This is also known as the “genesis block” and contains the text: “The Times 03.01.2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks,” perhaps as proof that the block was mined on or after that date, and perhaps also as relevant political commentary. 08.01.2009: The first version of the bitcoin software is announced on the Cryptography Mailing list. 09.01.2009: Block 1 is mined, and bitcoin mining >>Read more
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Auto insurance basics—understanding your coverage

The basic personal auto insurance mandated by most U.S. states provides some financial protection if you or another driver using your car causes an accident that damages someone else’s car or property, injures someone or both. But to make the best decisions about purchasing other types of auto insurance coverage you might need, you’ll want to understand what’s covered, what’s not covered and what’s optional. In addition to understanding types of coverage, you’ll also want to consider coverage amounts. Why? Because state-required minimums may not cover the costs of a serious accident, so it’s worth considering purchasing higher levels of coverage. Here’s a rundown of the types of coverage available—some are required; others are optional; all are priced individually (a la carte) to let you customize coverage amounts to suit your exact needs and budget. Mandatory coverage Nearly every state requires car owners to carry the following auto liability coverage: Bodily Injury Liability — This covers costs associated with injuries and death that you or another driver causes while driving your car. Property Damage Liability — This coverage will reimburse others for damage that you or another driver operating your car causes to another vehicle or other property, such as a fence, building or utility pole. Frequently required coverage Many states require that you carry the following coverage: Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) — Provides reimbursement for medical expenses for injuries to you or your passengers. It will also cover lost wages and other related expenses. Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Reimburses you when an accident is caused by an uninsured motorist—or in the case of a hit-and-run. You can also purchase under insured motorist coverage, which will cover costs when another driver lacks adequate coverage to pay the costs of a serious accident. Even if these types of coverage are optional in your state, consider adding them to your policy for greater financial protection. Optional coverage While basic, legally mandated auto insurance covers the cost of damages to other vehicles that you cause while driving, it does not cover damage to your own car. To cover this, you need to purchase the following optional auto insurance coverages: Collision — This optional coverage reimburses you for damage to your car that occurs as a result of a collision with another vehicle or other object—e.g., a tree or guardrail—when you’re at fault. While collision coverage will not reimburse you for mechanical failure or normal wear-and-tear on your car, it will cover damage from potholes or from rolling your car. Comprehensive — This provides coverage against theft and damage caused by an incident other than a collision, such as fire, flood, vandalism, hail, falling rocks or trees and other hazards—even getting hit by an asteroid! Glass Coverage — Windshield damage is common, and some auto policies include no-deductible glass coverage, which also includes side windows, rear windows and glass sunroofs. Or you can buy supplemental glass coverage. Mind the gap… insurance If you lease or finance your vehicle, auto dealers or lenders will likely require you to purchase collision and comprehensive. But keep in mind that collision and comprehensive only cover the market value of your car, not what you paid for it—and new cars depreciate quickly. If your car is totaled or stolen, there may be a “gap” between what you owe on the vehicle and your insurance coverage. To cover this, you may want to look into purchasing gap insurance to pay the difference. (Note: For leased vehicles, gap coverage is usually rolled into your lease payments.) Who is covered—and when? Your auto policy will cover you and other family members on your policy, whether driving your insured car or someone else’s car with permission. Your policy also provides coverage if someone not on your policy is driving your car with your consent. Your personal auto policy only covers personal driving, whether you’re commuting to work, running errands or taking a trip. Your personal auto policy, however, will not provide coverage if you use your car for commercial purposes—for instance, if you deliver pizzas or operate a delivery service. Note, too, that personal auto insurance will generally not provide coverage if you use your car to provide transportation to others through a ride-sharing service such as Uber or Lyft. Some auto insurers, however, are now offering supplemental insurance products (at additional cost) that extend coverage for vehicle owners providing ride-sharing services.
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What are the different types of term life insurance policies?

Term insurance comes in two basic varieties—level term and decreasing term. These days, almost everyone buys level term insurance. The terms “level” and “decreasing” refer to the death benefit amount during the term of the policy. A level term policy pays the same benefit amount if death occurs at any point during the term. Common types of level term Yearly- (or annually-) renewable term 5-year renewable term 10-year term 15-year term 20-year term 25-year term 30-year term Term to a specified age (usually 65) Renewable term policies Yearly renewable term, once popular, is no longer a top seller. The most popular type is now 20-year term. Most companies will not sell term insurance to an applicant for a term that ends past his or her 80th birthday. If a policy is “renewable,” that means it continues in force for an additional term or terms, up to a specified age, even if the health of the insured (or other factors) would cause him or her to be rejected if he or she applied for a new life insurance policy. Generally, the premium for the policy is based on the insured person’s age and health at the policy’s start, and the premium remains the same (level) for the length of the term. So, premiums for 5-year renewable term can be level for 5 years, then to a new rate reflecting the new age of the insured, and so on every five years. Some longer term policies will guarantee that the premium will not increase during the term; others don’t make that guarantee, enabling the insurance company to raise the rate during the policy’s term. Some term policies are convertible. This means that the policy’s owner has the right to change it into a permanent type of life insurance without additional evidence of insurability. “Return of premium” In most types of term insurance, including homeowners and auto insurance, if you haven’t had a claim under the policy by the time it expires, you get no refund of the premium. Your premium bought the protection that you had but didn’t need, and you’ve received fair value. Some term life insurance consumers have been unhappy at this outcome, so some insurers have created term life with a “return of premium” feature. The premiums for the insurance with this feature are often significantly higher than for policies without it, and they generally require that you keep the policy in force to its term or else you forfeit the return of premium benefit. Some policies will return the base premium but not the extra premium (for the return benefit), and others will return both.
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