Briefly

UNITED NATIONS

Top court wins support against US sanctions

Seventy-two countries at the United Nations on Monday offered strong support for the International Criminal Court as two of its officials face sanctions from the United States. Since its creation, Washington has refused to recognize the authority of the ICC, a special multilateral court set up to try cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. However on Sept 2, the US government of President Donald Trump took the unprecedented step of sanctioning its chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, along with another senior ICC official. The signatories, all from countries that signed the Rome Statute that set up the ICC, vowed "to preserve its integrity and independence undeterred by any measures or threats against the Court, its officials and those cooperating with it".

LIBYA

Warring sides discuss enforcing cease-fire

Military leaders from Libya's warring sides met on Monday in the oasis town of Ghadames, the United Nations said, for the first face-to-face talks inside Libya since last year's monthslong attack on the capital by the country's east-based forces. The discussions are also the fifth round of UN-brokered talks, less than two weeks after the two sides inked a permanent cease-fire in Geneva on Oct 23, a move the UN billed as historic after years of fighting that has split the North African country in two. The UN mission in Libya said the meetings would last through Wednesday and discuss implementing and monitoring the Geneva cease-fire, along with details on how to verify possible violations.

RUSSIA

'Sausage King' killed by crossbow in sauna

Several intruders broke into a sauna at the home of a Russian meat tycoon known as the "Sausage King" outside Moscow on Monday, tied him and a woman up and demanded money before killing him with a crossbow. The woman managed to escape the attack in the Moscow region and alert the police but the businessman was dead when officers arrived at the scene, investigators said. They did not name the deceased man in its statement, but REN TV and other Russian media identified him as Vladimir Marugov, owner of the "Ozyorsky sausages" and "Meat Empire" sausage factories.

UNITED KINGDOM

Johnny Depp loses 'wife beater' libel case

Johnny Depp lost his high-stakes libel case on Monday against The Sun tabloid newspaper for labeling him a "wife beater", as a judge said he believed the actor had abused ex-wife Amber Heard to such an extent that she frequently feared for her life. In a decision widely cheered by campaigners against domestic abuse, Justice Andrew Nicol said the defendants proved during the trial in London that their allegations against Depp were "substantially true." Historically, Britain's libel laws have been seen as favoring public figures and for being tough on media outlets and publishers, so Depp's defeat may prompt anyone considering legal action to think again.

Agencies via Xinhua