KPK govt puts PKR 10 cr bounty on TTP leader Kazim
PESHAWAR, Oct 21: Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government on Tuesday announced a bounty of PKR 10 crore on the head of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Kazim, believed to be involved in the recent killing of a Lt.Col and a Major of the army. Kazim, who hails from Kurram district, was also behind attacks on military convoys heading to Parachinar and passenger vehicles belonging to the Shia community, an Official of the district administration said. He is also accused of plotting an assassination attempt on Kurram Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud. A clear and recent photograph of the wanted militant has been released for the first time, sources said. The decision to fix such a high bounty reflects the provincial government’s resolve to ensure his arrest or elimination, they added. The government has also placed heavy bounties on three other militants associated with Kazim. Meanwhile, in Bannu district, three police personnel were abducted and later recovered in separate incidents over the past three days, sparking fear among locals. (PTI)
Former French Prez Sarkozy starts 5-year prison term
PARIS, Oct 21: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been imprisoned for a 5-year sentence for a criminal conspiracy to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. He is the first ex-leader of modern France to be imprisoned. Sarkozy, along with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, left home before getting into a car and travelling to the notorious La Sante prison in Paris. He was convicted last month for criminal conspiracy in a scheme to finance his 2007 election campaign with funds from Libya. Sarkozy contests both the conviction and a judge’s unusual decision to incarcerate him pending appeal. His journey from the presidential Elysee Palace to the notorious La Sante prison has captivated France. Sarkozy’s lawyers say he will be held in solitary confinement, where he will be kept away from all other prisoners for security reasons. Sarkozy’s lawyers say he got himself “mentally prepared” to be held in solitary confinement, packing a bag with a few sweaters and earplugs for the cold and noisy conditions. (AP)
Singapore court acquits Indian-origin woman in protest case
SINGAPORE, Oct 21: Singapore’s court has acquitted three women, including one Indian-origin, of organizing a pro-Palestine procession around the presidential palace. The women, including Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, were part of a group of around 70 people who walked to the Istana’s rear gate to hand-deliver letters on the Palestinian cause to the Prime Minister’s Office. District Judge John Ng found that the prosecution failed to prove that the women ought reasonably to have known that the procession took place in a prohibited area. The area outside the Istana was a public area with no signs indicating that the public path was a prohibited area. The women had an honest and reasonable belief that they were not in breach of the law. (AP)
