Congolese rebel Bosco 'Terminator' Ntaganda guilty of war crimes: International Criminal Court

THE HAGUE (AFP) – International Criminal Court judges on Monday (July 8) convicted Congolese rebel warlord Bosco “Terminator” Ntaganda of war crimes, including directing gruesome massacres of civilians, rape and sexual slavery.

Finding him guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity after a three-year trial in The Hague, head judge Robert Fremr said Ntaganda was a “key leader” who gave orders to “target and kill civilians” in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri region in 2002 and 2003.

Iran says it has passed the uranium enrichment cap set in 2015 nuclear deal

GENEVA (REUTERS) – Iran has passed the 3.67 per cent uranium enrichment cap set by its landmark 2015 nuclear deal and may enrich at even higher levels, the spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, Mr Behrouz Kamalvandi, said on Monday (July 8) according to the IRIB news agency.

Iran said on Sunday it would shortly boost uranium enrichment above the cap, prompting a warning to be careful from US President Donald Trump, who has pressured Teheran to renegotiate the pact.

EU calls on Iran to stop any steps against international nuclear deal

BRUSSELS, July 8 (Reuters) – The European Union is “extremely concerned” about Iran’s announcement on enriching uranium above internationally-approved levels and calls on Tehran to “stop and reverse” any action that goes against the world powers’ nuclear deal with the Islamic republic, a spokeswoman said on Monday. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Alaskan glaciers melt at fastest pace in centuries

In Alaska there are signs of trouble for some of the state’s most iconic sights.

The US State of Alaska is in the middle of an unprecedented heatwave, however scientists say there are more alarming signs of global warming.

The state’s glaciers are melting at a rate not seen in hundreds of years.

Glaciers play an important role in providing fresh water, but melting glaciers can contribute to rising sea levels.

Al Jazeera’s Andy Gallacher reports from Portage Valley, Alaska.

EU calls on Iran to stop any steps against international nuclear deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is “extremely concerned” about Iran’s announcement on enriching uranium above internationally-approved levels and calls on Tehran to “stop and reverse” any action that goes against the world powers’ nuclear deal with the Islamic republic, a spokeswoman said on Monday.

U.K. hunts culprit behind leak of envoy’s frank ‘dysfunctional’ Trump missives

The British government is hunting for the source of a leak of diplomatic cables from Britain’s ambassador in Washington that branded President Donald Trump’s administration “dysfunctional” and “inept.”

British officials are embarrassed by the publication of Kim Darroch’s unflattering assessment — but more alarmed that sensitive confidential information has been leaked, possibly for political ends.

The leak embarrasses outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May, who has sometimes clashed with Trump.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Monday that his department was seeking the culprit. He said the ability to communicate frankly was “fundamental” to diplomacy.

After Darroch’s assessments were published in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Trump said the ambassador “has not served the U.K. well, I can tell you that. We are not big fans of that man.”

Ten People Killed In Small Plane Crash In Dallas

All the ten passengers on board an aircraft died as it crashed during take-off at the suburban airport in Dallas. The small plane failed to gain altitude as it took off from the airport, and plunged to a vacant hangar. The flight was fully destroyed in the crash.

The twin engine Beechcraft BE – 350 King Air plane was on its destination to St. Petersburg in Florida. The National Transportation Safety Board officials have not yet revealed the identities of the two crew members and eight passengers.

The Dallas County authorities said they have set up a family assistant center for those affected in the crash.

The small plane with a length of 46′ 8″ could carry up to 11 people. It could operate from field length of 3,300 feet and could fly up to an altitude of 35,000 feet.

Oil Prices Edge Up In Cautious Trade

Oil prices rose on Monday, although the upside remained capped by renewed concerns about a slowing global economy.

Benchmark Brent crude edged up 0.25 percent to $64.38 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were up 0.1 percent at $57.55 a barrel.

Prices remain somewhat supported by robust U.S. jobs report released last week and a flare up in geopolitical tensions.

The latest jobs report showed that U.S. employment surged up by 224,000 jobs in June, the most in five months, after a gain of 72,000 jobs in May. Economists had expected employment to increase by about 160,000 jobs.

Geopolitics continue to remain in focus after Iran said on Sunday it would boost its uranium enrichment, in breach of a cap set by a landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

The announcement prompted a warning ‘to be careful’ from U.S. President Donald Trump, who pulled out of the pact last year.

On the flip side, the lack of concrete progress in resolving the acrimonious trade war between the United States and China has dampened prospects of global economic growth and oil demand.

As top U.S. and Chinese officials organize a resumption of talks for this week to try to resolve a year-long trade war, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan warned against “protectionism in the name of national security”, and called major powers to make more contributions to global peace and stability.