Russian court sentences 72-yr-old for fighting in Ukraine
Moscow, Oct 7: A Russian court on Monday sentenced a 72-year-old American in a closed trial to nearly seven years in prison for allegedly fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. Prosecutors said Stephen Hubbard signed a contract with the Ukrainian military after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and he fought alongside them until being captured two months later. He was sentenced to six years and 10 months in a general-security prison. Prosecutors had called for a sentence of seven years in a maximum-security prison. Hubbard, from the state of Michigan, is the first American known to have been convicted on charges of fighting as a mercenary in the Ukrainian conflict. (AP)
N Korea sends more trash balloons
Seoul, Oct 7: North Korea again launched trash balloons toward South Korea early Monday, the South’s military said, just three days after a similar launch last week. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) raised the possibility of the balloons floating toward northern Gyeonggi Province and other parts of the Seoul metropolitan area, advising citizens not to touch them and to be careful with potential balloon drops, Yonhap news agency reported. Since late May, North Korea has sent more than 5,000 balloons across the balloon toward South Korea over 25 occasions. In its previous launch on Friday, the North sent some 320 balloons, according to the JCS. (IANS)
Nobel Prize in medicine honours duo for discovery of microRNA
Stockholm, Oct 7: The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded Monday to Americans Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, tiny pieces of genetic material that alter how genes work at the cellular level and could lead to new ways of treating cancer. The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, which awarded the prize, said the duo’s discovery is “proving to be fundamentally important for how organisms develop and function”. “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans,” the assembly said in a statement explaining the importance of their work. (AP)
Imran Khan’s sisters in police custody
Islamabad, Oct 7: A Pakistan anti-terrorism court on Monday remanded former prime minister Imran Khan’s sisters into police custody for further physical remand, while issuing arrest warrants against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in the same case. The two sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan were arrested from the D-Chowk on Friday when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had announced a demonstration at the place in the heart of the city. A case was registered against them at Kohsar Police Station of the city under terrorism charges. (PTI)