<Rawandian genocide trial
Canada’s War Crime’s and Acts Against Humanity Act–passed in 2000–will be used for the first time with the trial of Desire Munyaneza. He is accused of rape and murder during the 1994 Rwandan genocide and resumed his trial earlier this week. Munyaneza moved to Canada in 1996 after failing to achieve refugee status. He was identified as being involved in multiple murders–including a mass murder of up to 500 Tutsis–by 14 Rwandan witnesses and experts including RCMP investigators and Senator Romeo Dallaire. He is pleading not guilty to the charges. If convicted, Munyaneza could spend life in prison.
Ice melts…
The Northwest Passage has experienced a record amount of ice melt this year. The passage has opened up several times since 1998, but never as much as this season. The U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center is expecting thawing to continue for several more weeks. Melting has resulted in less permanent ice and could point towards even more melting for next year. Previous computer models predicted the Arctic to be practically ice-free by 2070, but the new rates suggest it could happen as early as 2030. As ice melts, less solar energy is reflected off of the white ice and is absorbed by the dark ocean which causes temperatures to increase at even higher rates.
While the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center uses this information to demonstrate a changing global climate, others are hopeful the lack of ice could mean easier access to the profitable oil reserves in the region.
Bush visits Iraq
President George W. Bush continued his promotion of the war in Iraq earlier this week. His eight-hour visit to Iraq on Sep. 3 was arranged to meet with Iraqi officials. Critics accused him of trying to gain support in time for a progress report to the Congress later this month. Bush did not make any concrete statements about his plans to reduce troops, but did declare it a possibility. Last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that if U.S. troops left Iraq, he would be capable of replacing them, prompting Bush to use the statement as a justification for staying in the country. He maintains his allegation that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.