Why is the ICC in the news?

Why is the ICC in the news?
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Sey.
The sanctions can freeze assets under U.S. jurisdiction and restrict U.S.-based entities from conducting transactions with the sanctioned individuals.
This forms part of a broader U.S. confrontation with the ICC, with Washington having previously sanctioned several ICC judges and prosecutors and other individuals associated with the Court.
The development has also raised concerns about the judicial independence of the ICC and the practical impact of financial sanctions on international judicial institutions.
International Criminal Court (ICC)
Tomoko Akane is a Japanese judge who was elected President of the ICC in March 2024. She is serving alongside the Court’s judicial and prosecutorial institutions at a time when the ICC has become a major focus of international debate over accountability for serious international crimes.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the world's first permanent international criminal court. It was established under the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the Court.
Its primary purpose is to investigate and, where warranted, prosecute individuals responsible for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.
Four Core Crimes under ICC Jurisdiction
The ICC deals with:
1.    Genocide – acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
2.    Crimes against humanity – widespread or systematic attacks directed against civilian populations.
3.    War crimes – serious violations of international humanitarian law committed during armed conflicts.
4.    Crime of aggression – the planning, preparation, initiation or execution of an act of aggression by a State leadership in circumstances defined by the Rome Statute.