A court in Vietnam on Thursday upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a prominent blogger convicted of publishing propaganda against the state, her lawyer said, the latest move in a crackdown on critics of the one-party state.

Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness towards social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam&#39;s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.

In recent months, it has targeted critics whose voices have been amplified by social media in a country that ranks among Facebook&#39;s top ten, in terms of users.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vietnam-woman-blogger-sentenced-to-10-year-prison-over-a-facebook-post-18318">Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as &quot;Me Nam&quot; (Mother Mushroom)</a>, who gained prominence for blogging about environmental issues and deaths in police custody, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports.

A court in the central city of Nha Trang upheld Quynh&#39;s sentence, one of her lawyers said.

&quot;This sentence is not objective and is unfair,&quot; Ha Huy Son told Reuters by telephone. &quot;Quynh said she is innocent and she carried out her right as a citizen.&quot;

Her mother was denied access to the hearing, he added. The mother could not immediately be reached for comment.

In March 2009, Quynh spent nine days in police detention for receiving funds from Viet Tan, a California-based activist group which Vietnam calls a terrorist group, to print T-shirts with slogans against a major bauxite project, police said.

Quynh has also spoken out against a subsidiary of Taiwan&#39;s Formosa Plastics Corp that caused one of Vietnam&#39;s biggest environmental disasters in April.

On Monday a prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh said the bar federation in the southcentral province of Phu Yen had revoked his licence to practice law just days before Quynh&#39;s appeal hearing.

Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports

A court in Vietnam on Thursday upheld a 10-year jail sentence for a prominent blogger convicted of publishing propaganda against the state, her lawyer said, the latest move in a crackdown on critics of the one-party state. Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness towards social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism. In recent months, it has targeted critics whose voices have been amplified by social media in a country that ranks among Facebook's top ten, in terms of users. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom), who gained prominence for blogging about environmental issues and deaths in police custody, was found guilty in June for distributing what police called anti-state reports. A court in the central city of Nha Trang upheld Quynh's sentence, one of her lawyers said. "This sentence is not objective and is unfair," Ha Huy Son told Reuters by telephone. "Quynh said she is innocent and she carried out her right as a citizen." Her mother was denied access to the hearing, he added. The mother could not immediately be reached for comment. In March 2009, Quynh spent nine days in police detention for receiving funds from Viet Tan, a California-based activist group which Vietnam calls a terrorist group, to print T-shirts with slogans against a major bauxite project, police said. Quynh has also spoken out against a subsidiary of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Corp that caused one of Vietnam's biggest environmental disasters in April. On Monday a prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh said the bar federation in the southcentral province of Phu Yen had revoked his licence to practice law just days before Quynh's appeal hearing.

Vietnam court upholds prominent blogger's 10-year jail term, lawyer says

The United Nations judges, on Wednesday, commenced their verdict over appeals of the six former Bosnian Croat political and military leaders for war crimes done during the break-up of Yugoslavia.&nbsp;

One of the leaders, Slobodan Praljak, 72, was up before the court - who was previously charged with 20 years imprisonment in 2013.&nbsp;

According to reports, Praljak, during his hearing, stood up and swallowed a glass of liquid which was later found to be poison.&nbsp;

After hearing his final verdict, on Wednesday, Praljak announced that he had consumed poison.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I just drank poison,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am not a war criminal. I oppose this conviction.&rdquo;

Following the incident, the judges immediately called off the proceedings, media reports said.&nbsp;

An ambulance was immediately called to the court.&nbsp;

Reports said Slobodan Praljak was being treated by medics and he was alive.

It was the last judgement by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), established by the United Nations in 1993, before it closes next month

The United Nations judges, on Wednesday, commenced their verdict over appeals of the six former Bosnian Croat political and military leaders for war crimes done during the break-up of Yugoslavia. One of the leaders, Slobodan Praljak, 72, was up before the court - who was previously charged with 20 years imprisonment in 2013. According to reports, Praljak, during his hearing, stood up and swallowed a glass of liquid which was later found to be poison. After hearing his final verdict, on Wednesday, Praljak announced that he had consumed poison. “I just drank poison,” he said. “I am not a war criminal. I oppose this conviction.” Following the incident, the judges immediately called off the proceedings, media reports said. An ambulance was immediately called to the court. Reports said Slobodan Praljak was being treated by medics and he was alive.

Watch: Croatian war crimes suspect consumes poison in court

Cambodia&#39;s Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party on Thursday, dealing a devastating blow to a party that had been poised to challenge the long-term rule of Prime Minister Hun Sen in an election next year.

&quot;The Supreme Court has decided to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party and ban 118 individuals... from doing political activities for five years starting from the day of this verdict announcement,&quot; a judge said.

The CNRP was accused of plotting to topple the government - which it denied.

The opposition party did not send lawyers to Thursday&#39;s court session.

Critics see the verdict as the culmination of months of pressure on the opposition, civil society and independent media by the ruling Cambodian People&#39;s Party (CPP) in an attempt to quell the opposition ahead of the 2018 general election, which was expected to be Hun Sen&#39;s biggest challenge to his more than 30-year rule.

There were no signs of protest outside the court following the verdict.

'The Supreme Court has decided to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party and ban 118 individuals ... from doing political activities for five years starting from the day of this verdict announcement,' a judge said

Cambodia's Supreme Court dissolved the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party on Thursday, dealing a devastating blow to a party that had been poised to challenge the long-term rule of Prime Minister Hun Sen in an election next year. "The Supreme Court has decided to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party and ban 118 individuals... from doing political activities for five years starting from the day of this verdict announcement," a judge said. The CNRP was accused of plotting to topple the government - which it denied. The opposition party did not send lawyers to Thursday's court session. Critics see the verdict as the culmination of months of pressure on the opposition, civil society and independent media by the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP) in an attempt to quell the opposition ahead of the 2018 general election, which was expected to be Hun Sen's biggest challenge to his more than 30-year rule. There were no signs of protest outside the court following the verdict.

Cambodian Supreme Court dissolves main opposition party

The Allahabad high court has stayed the arrest of five of six members of Mohammad Akhlaq&#39;s family. Akhlaq had been beaten to death by a mob in the village of Dadri in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh because he was thought to have eaten beef.&nbsp; 
 
Many Hindus in India think of the cow as sacred and the killing of cows is banned in a number of states.&nbsp; 
 
The court however refused to stay the arrest of Akhlaq&#39;s brother, saying he&nbsp;&quot;could have been involved in the alleged act alongside his deceased brother&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
The family had moved the Allahabad High Court against a recent lower court order that a police case be filed against them for storing and consuming beef under the Cow Slaughter Act. The lower court order came on the heels of a&nbsp;forensic report which said that the meat found inside Akhlaq&#39;s home was that &quot;of cow or its progeny&quot;. 
 
Maulana Amir Rahsadi Madni, national president of the Rashtriya Ulama Council, however&nbsp;alleged that the evidence in the infamous Dadri lynching had been &quot;tampered&quot; with and also raised questions over the conflicting Dadri and Mathura lab reports on the sample of meat sent for examination. 
 
&quot;First of all, the meat recovered was more than 150 metres away from Akhlaq&#39;s house,&quot; he said. 
 
The court order that a police case be filed against them came 10 days ago following a petition by a neighbour in Akhlaq&#39;s village Bisada. The petition was backed by the persons accused of Akhlaq&#39;s murder. In the petition, the neighbour has claimed that on September 26, Akhlaq and his son Danish were seen beating the calf. Later, the petition said, a villager saw Akhlaq holding down the calf while his brother killed it. 
 
(WION, this story first appeared on the DNA website)

The arrest of five of 6 members of the family has been stayed. But the court said his brother 'could have been involved in the alleged act'

The Allahabad high court has stayed the arrest of five of six members of Mohammad Akhlaq's family. Akhlaq had been beaten to death by a mob in the village of Dadri in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh because he was thought to have eaten beef. Many Hindus in India think of the cow as sacred and the killing of cows is banned in a number of states. The court however refused to stay the arrest of Akhlaq's brother, saying he "could have been involved in the alleged act alongside his deceased brother". The family had moved the Allahabad High Court against a recent lower court order that a police case be filed against them for storing and consuming beef under the Cow Slaughter Act. The lower court order came on the heels of a forensic report which said that the meat found inside Akhlaq's home was that "of cow or its progeny". Maulana Amir Rahsadi Madni, national president of the Rashtriya Ulama Council, however alleged that the evidence in the infamous Dadri lynching had been "tampered" with and also raised questions over the conflicting Dadri and Mathura lab reports on the sample of meat sent for examination. "First of all, the meat recovered was more than 150 metres away from Akhlaq's house," he said. The court order that a police case be filed against them came 10 days ago following a petition by a neighbour in Akhlaq's village Bisada. The petition was backed by the persons accused of Akhlaq's murder. In the petition, the neighbour has claimed that on September 26, Akhlaq and his son Danish were seen beating the calf. Later, the petition said, a villager saw Akhlaq holding down the calf while his brother killed it. (WION, this story first appeared on the DNA website)

India: Court stays arrest of family of man lynched on suspicion of eating beef

Israel&#39;s Supreme Court has ruled that Franz Kafka&#39;s manuscripts are the property of the National Library of Israel, ending a lengthy legal battle, judicial sources said in Monday. 
 
The nation&#39;s top court on Sunday rejected an appeal by the heirs of Max Brod, a friend of Kafka and the executor of his estate to whom he had willed his manuscripts after his death in 1924. 
 
Kafka had instructed Brod to burn the manuscripts after his death but his friend did not honour that request and took them with him when he fled the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and emigrated to Palestine. 
 
On his death in 1968, Brod bequeathed the papers to his secretary Esther Hoffe, with instructions to give them to the &quot;Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the municipal library in Tel Aviv or another organisation in Israel or abroad.&quot; 
 
But Hoffe, who died in 2007, instead kept them and shared them between her two daughters -- sparking multiple legal battles. 
 
In the trial against Hoffe&#39;s heirs, which began in 2009, the state of Israel demanded they hand over all the documents, which included unpublished writings, arguing it was Brod&#39;s last will. 
 
Hoffe&#39;s daughters refused, however, saying the papers -- estimated to be worth millions of dollars -- had been given to their mother by Brod and therefore she could dispose of them any way she wanted. 
 
 
 
Hoffe had during her lifetime sold the original manuscript of &quot;The Trial&quot; -- considered by some to be one of Kafka&#39;s best work -- for $2 million. 
 
The Hoffe family kept the bulk of the collection locked away in bank safety deposit boxes in Israel and Switzerland and over the years sold some papers to collectors. 
 
(AFP)

The top court rejected an appeal by the heirs of Max Brod, a friend of Kafka's whom he had willed his manuscripts to after his death in 1924

Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that Franz Kafka's manuscripts are the property of the National Library of Israel, ending a lengthy legal battle, judicial sources said in Monday. The nation's top court on Sunday rejected an appeal by the heirs of Max Brod, a friend of Kafka and the executor of his estate to whom he had willed his manuscripts after his death in 1924. Kafka had instructed Brod to burn the manuscripts after his death but his friend did not honour that request and took them with him when he fled the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and emigrated to Palestine. On his death in 1968, Brod bequeathed the papers to his secretary Esther Hoffe, with instructions to give them to the "Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the municipal library in Tel Aviv or another organisation in Israel or abroad." But Hoffe, who died in 2007, instead kept them and shared them between her two daughters -- sparking multiple legal battles. In the trial against Hoffe's heirs, which began in 2009, the state of Israel demanded they hand over all the documents, which included unpublished writings, arguing it was Brod's last will. Hoffe's daughters refused, however, saying the papers -- estimated to be worth millions of dollars -- had been given to their mother by Brod and therefore she could dispose of them any way she wanted. Hoffe had during her lifetime sold the original manuscript of "The Trial" -- considered by some to be one of Kafka's best work -- for $2 million. The Hoffe family kept the bulk of the collection locked away in bank safety deposit boxes in Israel and Switzerland and over the years sold some papers to collectors. (AFP)

Israeli Supreme Court says Kafka's manuscripts are property of National Library

A Chinese human rights activist was on Friday given a three-year suspended prison sentence for subversion, state media said, the fourth such case this week as authorities crack down on dissent. 
 
Christian activist Gou Hongguo had gone abroad to be trained in &quot;subverting state power&quot;, the Second Intermediate People&#39;s Court in the northern city of Tianjin said Friday on a verified social media account. He also sought to turn public opinion against the government and attempted to overthrow the socialist system, among a litany of other offences, it said. 
 
He was given three years in prison, suspended for three years, the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that he had pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal. 
 
The sentence is relatively light by the standards of dissident trials in China, where the courts are controlled by the ruling Communist party. Gou, who had protested against forced evictions, was one of more than 200 activists and lawyers involved in cases the Communist party considers sensitive who were detained in the so-called &quot;709 crackdown&quot;, named for its main date in July 2015. 
 
Gou&#39;s trial was the fourth at the Tianjin court this week&nbsp;and followed that of high-profile rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng,&nbsp;whose Fengrui law firm, known for taking on cases of dissident scholars, victims of sexual abuse and members of banned religious groups has been at the centre of the 709 crackdown. 
 
Zhou was on Thursday given seven years in prison for subversion. Activist Zhai Yanmin was on Tuesday handed a three-year suspended sentence for crimes that included waving banners and shouting slogans, while Hu Shigen, a Christian campaigner who was a member of the same underground church as Gou, was jailed for seven and a half years on Wednesday. 
 
Campaign groups have condemned the trials, and US State Department spokesman Mark Turner said the charges were &quot;vague and apparently politically motivated&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s troubling that Chinese authorities denied these defendants access to their chosen counsel and family members as well,&quot; he said. &quot;We urge China to release all the lawyers and activists who were detained on July 9th, 2015, and remove restrictions on their freedom of movement and professional activities.&quot; 
 
Authorities insist the Tianjin trials are open, with the court stating that about 40 people including politicians, legal scholars, and &ldquo;civilian representatives from all walks of life&rdquo;, as well as mainland and foreign media outlets, were present at Gou&#39;s proceedings. But family members of those detained, particularly their wives, complain of being constantly surveilled and forcibly being kept away from the court or barred from seeking further information. 
 
Gou&#39;s wife Fan Lili went to the courthouse earlier this week, falling to the ground outside the building weeping, saying she had not been informed of her husband&#39;s trial date and had not been allowed in. Watched by scores of police and plainclothes officers, she reportedly pleaded for him to come home and meet his 16-month-old son for the first time. 
 
(AFP)

Campaign groups condemned the trials. US State Department spokesman Mark Turner said they were 'vague and apparently politically motivated'

A Chinese human rights activist was on Friday given a three-year suspended prison sentence for subversion, state media said, the fourth such case this week as authorities crack down on dissent. Christian activist Gou Hongguo had gone abroad to be trained in "subverting state power", the Second Intermediate People's Court in the northern city of Tianjin said Friday on a verified social media account. He also sought to turn public opinion against the government and attempted to overthrow the socialist system, among a litany of other offences, it said. He was given three years in prison, suspended for three years, the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that he had pleaded guilty and said he would not appeal. The sentence is relatively light by the standards of dissident trials in China, where the courts are controlled by the ruling Communist party. Gou, who had protested against forced evictions, was one of more than 200 activists and lawyers involved in cases the Communist party considers sensitive who were detained in the so-called "709 crackdown", named for its main date in July 2015. Gou's trial was the fourth at the Tianjin court this week and followed that of high-profile rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng, whose Fengrui law firm, known for taking on cases of dissident scholars, victims of sexual abuse and members of banned religious groups has been at the centre of the 709 crackdown. Zhou was on Thursday given seven years in prison for subversion. Activist Zhai Yanmin was on Tuesday handed a three-year suspended sentence for crimes that included waving banners and shouting slogans, while Hu Shigen, a Christian campaigner who was a member of the same underground church as Gou, was jailed for seven and a half years on Wednesday. Campaign groups have condemned the trials, and US State Department spokesman Mark Turner said the charges were "vague and apparently politically motivated". "It’s troubling that Chinese authorities denied these defendants access to their chosen counsel and family members as well," he said. "We urge China to release all the lawyers and activists who were detained on July 9th, 2015, and remove restrictions on their freedom of movement and professional activities." Authorities insist the Tianjin trials are open, with the court stating that about 40 people including politicians, legal scholars, and “civilian representatives from all walks of life”, as well as mainland and foreign media outlets, were present at Gou's proceedings. But family members of those detained, particularly their wives, complain of being constantly surveilled and forcibly being kept away from the court or barred from seeking further information. Gou's wife Fan Lili went to the courthouse earlier this week, falling to the ground outside the building weeping, saying she had not been informed of her husband's trial date and had not been allowed in. Watched by scores of police and plainclothes officers, she reportedly pleaded for him to come home and meet his 16-month-old son for the first time. (AFP)

China puts activist on trial, 4th case in 4 days

An Indian court today sentenced a Bollywood director to seven years in jail for raping an American research scholar last year, the victim&#39;s lawyer said. 
 
Mahmood Farooqui, best known for co-directing the popular 2010 satire Peepli Live on farmer suicides, was convicted on Saturday after a fast-track court in New Delhi found him guilty of the March 2015 attack. 
 
The victim, then aged 35, had travelled to India to seek Farooqui&#39;s assistance with her research when the assault took place at his home in an upscale area of the capital.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The court sentenced him to seven years (of imprisonment), which is the minimum jail term for this offence,&quot; the victim&#39;s lawyer, Vrinda Grover, told AFP. 
 
Grover, who had argued for the maximum term of life imprisonment, said the court had also imposed a 50,000 Rupee ($747) fine. 
 
Farooqui, who pleaded not guilty, was taken into custody at the weekend. 
 
The woman returned to the US shortly after the incident but came back to report the matter to police. 
 
&quot;Peepli Live&quot;, which explores the divide between urban and rural India, was produced by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. 
 
Farooqui co-directed it with his wife, Anusha Rizwi. 
 
India introduced tough laws against sex offenders in the wake of the fatal gang-rape of a Delhi student in the capital in December 2012 that sparked mass street protests. 
 
But high levels of sexual violence against women continue. 
 
(AFP)

The victim had travelled to India to seek Mahmood Farooqui's assistance with her research when he assaulted her at his home

An Indian court today sentenced a Bollywood director to seven years in jail for raping an American research scholar last year, the victim's lawyer said. Mahmood Farooqui, best known for co-directing the popular 2010 satire Peepli Live on farmer suicides, was convicted on Saturday after a fast-track court in New Delhi found him guilty of the March 2015 attack. The victim, then aged 35, had travelled to India to seek Farooqui's assistance with her research when the assault took place at his home in an upscale area of the capital. "The court sentenced him to seven years (of imprisonment), which is the minimum jail term for this offence," the victim's lawyer, Vrinda Grover, told AFP. Grover, who had argued for the maximum term of life imprisonment, said the court had also imposed a 50,000 Rupee ($747) fine. Farooqui, who pleaded not guilty, was taken into custody at the weekend. The woman returned to the US shortly after the incident but came back to report the matter to police. "Peepli Live", which explores the divide between urban and rural India, was produced by Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan. Farooqui co-directed it with his wife, Anusha Rizwi. India introduced tough laws against sex offenders in the wake of the fatal gang-rape of a Delhi student in the capital in December 2012 that sparked mass street protests. But high levels of sexual violence against women continue. (AFP)

India court jails 'Peepli Live' director for 7 years over rape

Former Pakistani dictator General Pervez Musharraf owned more properties under defence housing schemes than previously thought, a media report said on Tuesday, days after a top court ordered authorities to confiscate his bank accounts and property. 
 
The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) confirmed three bungalows were named after the 72-year-old former president, who is currently said to be in Dubai for purported medical treatment. 
 
The DHA wrote a letter to the district and session court confirming their presence, Geo News reported. 
 
According to details in the letter, Musharraf has a 2000-yard bungalow in Phase 8, Defence. He also owns two plots in DHA phase 8, DHA stated.&nbsp;However DHA has remained silent over a bungalow in Army Housing Scheme which is considered one of the main properties of the former military dictator. 
 
Quoting sources in DHA, the report said that Musharraf in fact has two properties in Army Housing Scheme, something that even the court was unaware of. 
 
District Judge South (Karachi) Nazir Amin Memon had initiated action based on the Special Court judge&#39;s ruling on July 19, in which the court had ordered freezing of Musharraf&#39;s assets and properties. 
 
The district judge had ordered seizing of four bungalows belonging to the former president for not appearing before it during proceedings of a high treason case despite repeated notices. 
 
The district judge in a letter had asked the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to take action and submit a response in three days over the matter. 
 
Musharraf flew to Dubai in March for purported medical treatment after the Supreme Court lifted the ban on his foreign trips and it is believed that he may never return to face a slew of several high-profile cases against him. 
 
The Special Court in one of its previous rulings had declared ex-president Musharraf a &#39;proclaimed offender&#39;. 
 
In March 2014, Musharraf was formally indicted over treason charges for imposing emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order on November 3, 2007. 
 
Musharraf came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Facing impeachment following elections in 2008, he resigned as president and went into self-imposed exile in Dubai. 
 
He returned in 2013 to contest elections but was implicated in several high-profile cases. He is facing trial in illegal detention of judges in 2007. Musharraf has also been charged in connection with the 2007 assassination of prime minister Benazir Bhutto.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

A Special Court's ruling on July 19 had ordered freezing of Musharraf's properties for failing to appear in a high treason case

Former Pakistani dictator General Pervez Musharraf owned more properties under defence housing schemes than previously thought, a media report said on Tuesday, days after a top court ordered authorities to confiscate his bank accounts and property. The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) confirmed three bungalows were named after the 72-year-old former president, who is currently said to be in Dubai for purported medical treatment. The DHA wrote a letter to the district and session court confirming their presence, Geo News reported. According to details in the letter, Musharraf has a 2000-yard bungalow in Phase 8, Defence. He also owns two plots in DHA phase 8, DHA stated. However DHA has remained silent over a bungalow in Army Housing Scheme which is considered one of the main properties of the former military dictator. Quoting sources in DHA, the report said that Musharraf in fact has two properties in Army Housing Scheme, something that even the court was unaware of. District Judge South (Karachi) Nazir Amin Memon had initiated action based on the Special Court judge's ruling on July 19, in which the court had ordered freezing of Musharraf's assets and properties. The district judge had ordered seizing of four bungalows belonging to the former president for not appearing before it during proceedings of a high treason case despite repeated notices. The district judge in a letter had asked the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to take action and submit a response in three days over the matter. Musharraf flew to Dubai in March for purported medical treatment after the Supreme Court lifted the ban on his foreign trips and it is believed that he may never return to face a slew of several high-profile cases against him. The Special Court in one of its previous rulings had declared ex-president Musharraf a 'proclaimed offender'. In March 2014, Musharraf was formally indicted over treason charges for imposing emergency and the Provisional Constitutional Order on November 3, 2007. Musharraf came to power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Facing impeachment following elections in 2008, he resigned as president and went into self-imposed exile in Dubai. He returned in 2013 to contest elections but was implicated in several high-profile cases. He is facing trial in illegal detention of judges in 2007. Musharraf has also been charged in connection with the 2007 assassination of prime minister Benazir Bhutto. (PTI)

Musharraf owns more properties than known: Report

A twenty-year-old &quot;low-caste&quot; Dalit student was allegedly gang-raped again by five men in north India&#39;s Haryana state last week, police said today. 
 
The incident happened in Rohtak city on Wednesday.&nbsp;The victim, a student of Rohtak&#39;s IC College, was earlier gang-raped by the same accused in Bhiwani in 2013. Police had then arrested the two accused who were granted bail by a local court. 
 
The accused waylaid the woman from outside the college and raped her. She was found unconscious in bushes in Sukhpura Chowk locality after which she was rushed to a government hospital. 
 
Haryana deputy superintendent of police Pushpa Khatri said the student, who is still in hospital, has identified all five men - two of whom are currently on bail awaiting trial for raping her in 2013.&nbsp;&quot;We have formed several teams to arrest the accused.&quot; 
 
&quot;I was coming out of the college. These five accused - two were outside and three were inside the car. I was scared seeing them. They took me in the car,&quot; the victim said from her hospital bed. 
 
The victim&#39;s family alleged that she was gang-raped again because they refused to accept a settlement amount of about $74,480 offered by the accused. 
 
The woman&#39;s brother said the accused were threatening them to reach an out-of-court settlement.&nbsp;The family also alleged they were forced to move to Rohtak district in the state from a neighbouring district after the 2013 attack because of harassment by the accused. 
 
&quot;These five accused had raped her in 2013 also. They gang-raped and threatened her. Among the five, only two were arrested and the rest three are out. We had even got the high court to issue summons to them. We left Bhiwani out of fear,&quot; said the victim&#39;s brother. 
 
He said his sister wanted to become a lecturer, but this horrifying incident had shattered her. 
 
Members of the Dalit caste held small protests in Rohtak on Sunday to demand justice for the victim. 
 
Rohtak city woman police station house officer, Garima, said a case has been registered against the accused and a manhunt has been launched to arrest them. 
 
&quot;We have received information that a girl has been hospitalised and she has been raped. On this basis, we have recorded her statement. Girl is a student of IC college. She was picked up from outside the college in a car and five persons raped her,&quot; said Garima. 
 
The fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in 2012 shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of violence against women in India.&nbsp;It also led to major reform of India&#39;s rape laws, including speeding up of trials and increased punishments for offenders, but horrific attacks continue to be reported in the media on a daily basis. 
 
Violence against women is common in India, with rapes, acid attacks, domestic violence dowry and deaths being reported frequently. 
 
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, India registered 337,922 incidents of crimes against women in 2014, up by 9 per cent since 2013. Out of those, 36,735 were incidents of rape. 
 
(Agencies)

The 20-year-old has identified all five men, two of whom are on bail awaiting trial. Police say they have formed teams to arrest the accused

A twenty-year-old "low-caste" Dalit student was allegedly gang-raped again by five men in north India's Haryana state last week, police said today. The incident happened in Rohtak city on Wednesday. The victim, a student of Rohtak's IC College, was earlier gang-raped by the same accused in Bhiwani in 2013. Police had then arrested the two accused who were granted bail by a local court. The accused waylaid the woman from outside the college and raped her. She was found unconscious in bushes in Sukhpura Chowk locality after which she was rushed to a government hospital. Haryana deputy superintendent of police Pushpa Khatri said the student, who is still in hospital, has identified all five men - two of whom are currently on bail awaiting trial for raping her in 2013. "We have formed several teams to arrest the accused." "I was coming out of the college. These five accused - two were outside and three were inside the car. I was scared seeing them. They took me in the car," the victim said from her hospital bed. The victim's family alleged that she was gang-raped again because they refused to accept a settlement amount of about $74,480 offered by the accused. The woman's brother said the accused were threatening them to reach an out-of-court settlement. The family also alleged they were forced to move to Rohtak district in the state from a neighbouring district after the 2013 attack because of harassment by the accused. "These five accused had raped her in 2013 also. They gang-raped and threatened her. Among the five, only two were arrested and the rest three are out. We had even got the high court to issue summons to them. We left Bhiwani out of fear," said the victim's brother. He said his sister wanted to become a lecturer, but this horrifying incident had shattered her. Members of the Dalit caste held small protests in Rohtak on Sunday to demand justice for the victim. Rohtak city woman police station house officer, Garima, said a case has been registered against the accused and a manhunt has been launched to arrest them. "We have received information that a girl has been hospitalised and she has been raped. On this basis, we have recorded her statement. Girl is a student of IC college. She was picked up from outside the college in a car and five persons raped her," said Garima. The fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in 2012 shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of violence against women in India. It also led to major reform of India's rape laws, including speeding up of trials and increased punishments for offenders, but horrific attacks continue to be reported in the media on a daily basis. Violence against women is common in India, with rapes, acid attacks, domestic violence dowry and deaths being reported frequently. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, India registered 337,922 incidents of crimes against women in 2014, up by 9 per cent since 2013. Out of those, 36,735 were incidents of rape. (Agencies)

2013 rape survivor gang-raped again by same men in north India

The Delhi High Court has said it was &quot;unfortunate&quot; that India was still following British era recruitment process and selecting police personnel on basis of only physical strength and fitness, and advised devising of a procedure which would include criteria like emotional maturity and psychological tests. 
 
&quot;What we find in India is that the only screening done is with respect to the moral character and integrity, physical strength and (that the person is) free from medical disease.&nbsp;No evaluation pertaining to the emotional maturity, ability to remain calm in emotionally charged situations, ability to handle difficult situations and be responsive and the ability of initiative in work is conducted,&quot; a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani said. 
 
The bench said it was &quot;unfortunate&quot; that India was &quot;not marching ahead in the comity of nations&quot;, where psychological tests are also conducted to ascertain suitability of a candidate commensurate to the nature of job they are being inducted to. 
 
It advised the Centre to devise a selection procedure under which those who are desirous of joining police forces would be tested with regard to not only their integrity, physical strength and fitness but also with respect to their emotional maturity, ability to be calm in charged situations, ability to exercise initiative in their work, dependability and good judgement. 
 
The observations came on a man&#39;s plea challenging the order withdrawing his appointment to post of constable in the CISF on the ground that he was an accused in a criminal case, even though he was acquitted by the trial court. 
 
It noted there were &quot;no rules to guide the authorities in Delhi Police as to in what cases despite acquittal, the person can be kept out of service or can be deprived of employment&quot;. 
 
With regard to the criteria of criminal background of a candidate, the court said it would be a violation of the Constitutional right of a person if &quot;trivial offences&quot; by him would justify the government &quot;shutting its eyes and denying employment&quot;. 
 
It said it was &quot;high time&quot; that the executive made a policy for not treating summary or ordinary conviction as a bar to entry or retention in government service, including the police force. 
 
Noting that his acquittal was &quot;honourable&quot; as it came after the prosecution led all its evidence, the high court set aside his rejection and directed that he be inducted into service as a Constable with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). 
 
It also said that &quot;he would be entitled to all benefits of seniority and continuity into service with effect from the date the person immediately beneath the petitioner in the empanelled list was made to join&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

The Delhi High Court said it was 'unfortunate' India still followed British era recruitment, selecting police only by strength and fitness

The Delhi High Court has said it was "unfortunate" that India was still following British era recruitment process and selecting police personnel on basis of only physical strength and fitness, and advised devising of a procedure which would include criteria like emotional maturity and psychological tests. "What we find in India is that the only screening done is with respect to the moral character and integrity, physical strength and (that the person is) free from medical disease. No evaluation pertaining to the emotional maturity, ability to remain calm in emotionally charged situations, ability to handle difficult situations and be responsive and the ability of initiative in work is conducted," a bench of justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani said. The bench said it was "unfortunate" that India was "not marching ahead in the comity of nations", where psychological tests are also conducted to ascertain suitability of a candidate commensurate to the nature of job they are being inducted to. It advised the Centre to devise a selection procedure under which those who are desirous of joining police forces would be tested with regard to not only their integrity, physical strength and fitness but also with respect to their emotional maturity, ability to be calm in charged situations, ability to exercise initiative in their work, dependability and good judgement. The observations came on a man's plea challenging the order withdrawing his appointment to post of constable in the CISF on the ground that he was an accused in a criminal case, even though he was acquitted by the trial court. It noted there were "no rules to guide the authorities in Delhi Police as to in what cases despite acquittal, the person can be kept out of service or can be deprived of employment". With regard to the criteria of criminal background of a candidate, the court said it would be a violation of the Constitutional right of a person if "trivial offences" by him would justify the government "shutting its eyes and denying employment". It said it was "high time" that the executive made a policy for not treating summary or ordinary conviction as a bar to entry or retention in government service, including the police force. Noting that his acquittal was "honourable" as it came after the prosecution led all its evidence, the high court set aside his rejection and directed that he be inducted into service as a Constable with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). It also said that "he would be entitled to all benefits of seniority and continuity into service with effect from the date the person immediately beneath the petitioner in the empanelled list was made to join". (PTI)

Indian police recruitment to vet for emotional maturity, other psychological tests

A US army soldier who participated in a scheme to buy guns and send them to a security detail for the president and vice president of Indonesia plead guilty to several charges in federal court. 
 
Audi Sumilat pleaded guilty Tuesday and will be sentenced in October, the US attorney&#39;s office in New Hampshire said yesterday. 
The 36-year-old faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. 
 
One of Sumilat&#39;s co-conspirators also has been charged and is scheduled to be tried on July 19.&nbsp;Assistant US Attorney Bill Morse said there have been cases in New Hampshire and other states involving international firearms trafficking to countries including Ghana, Canada and Mexico.&nbsp;&quot;But this is the first case that I&#39;m aware of in which the intended beneficiaries of the trafficking were representatives of a foreign government,&quot; Morse said. 
 
Authorities said Sumilat joined a conspiracy to buy guns in Texas and New Hampshire for members of the Indonesian Presidential Guard, who are tasked with providing security to the president and vice president but could not lawfully buy the weapons themselves. 
Sumilat admitted he and three guard members came up with a plan in 2014, when they were stationed together for training in Fort Benning, Georgia. 
 
Sumilat said he bought guns in Texas and shipped them to a co-conspirator in New Hampshire, who delivered them to guard members on visits to Washington DC, and to the UN General Assembly in New York. The guns were to be smuggled out of the United States. 
Sumilat pleaded guilty to making false statements in records required to be kept by federal firearms dealers for telling gun dealers the weapons were for him and for smuggling firearms from the US. 
 
To have legally exported the guns, Sumilat was required to get an exporter&#39;s license and a license covering the specific guns exported. No licenses were issued. 
 
New Hampshire US Attorney Emily Gray Rice said the consequences of international gun trafficking can be grave.&nbsp;&quot;Firearms exported overseas illegally can easily end up in the wrong hands,&quot; she said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;International gun trafficking will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible to protect innocent individuals, both American and foreign, from the criminal use of US weapons abroad.&quot; 
 
(AP)

Sumilat pleaded guilty in federal court, and faces a sentence of five years in jail and a $250,000 fine

A US army soldier who participated in a scheme to buy guns and send them to a security detail for the president and vice president of Indonesia plead guilty to several charges in federal court. Audi Sumilat pleaded guilty Tuesday and will be sentenced in October, the US attorney's office in New Hampshire said yesterday. The 36-year-old faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. One of Sumilat's co-conspirators also has been charged and is scheduled to be tried on July 19. Assistant US Attorney Bill Morse said there have been cases in New Hampshire and other states involving international firearms trafficking to countries including Ghana, Canada and Mexico. "But this is the first case that I'm aware of in which the intended beneficiaries of the trafficking were representatives of a foreign government," Morse said. Authorities said Sumilat joined a conspiracy to buy guns in Texas and New Hampshire for members of the Indonesian Presidential Guard, who are tasked with providing security to the president and vice president but could not lawfully buy the weapons themselves. Sumilat admitted he and three guard members came up with a plan in 2014, when they were stationed together for training in Fort Benning, Georgia. Sumilat said he bought guns in Texas and shipped them to a co-conspirator in New Hampshire, who delivered them to guard members on visits to Washington DC, and to the UN General Assembly in New York. The guns were to be smuggled out of the United States. Sumilat pleaded guilty to making false statements in records required to be kept by federal firearms dealers for telling gun dealers the weapons were for him and for smuggling firearms from the US. To have legally exported the guns, Sumilat was required to get an exporter's license and a license covering the specific guns exported. No licenses were issued. New Hampshire US Attorney Emily Gray Rice said the consequences of international gun trafficking can be grave. "Firearms exported overseas illegally can easily end up in the wrong hands," she said in a statement. "International gun trafficking will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible to protect innocent individuals, both American and foreign, from the criminal use of US weapons abroad." (AP)

US soldier smuggles guns for Indonesian President's security detail

US actor John Malkovich took French daily Le Monde and two of its journalists to court on Friday for defamation over a report alleging that he held a secret Swiss bank account. 
 
Dangerous Liaisons star Malkovich is suing the paper over two articles published in February about the tax evasion scheme run by British banking giant HSBC out of its Swiss affiliate. 
 
Malkovich, 62, was among several celebrities listed by Le Monde among the &quot;elite tax evaders&quot; to have had a secret Swiss account between 2005 and 2007 - a claim Malkovich has rejected. 
 
&quot;Not only did John Malkovich not defraud tax authorities&quot;, he &quot;never had an account with HSBC&quot;, Julia Minkowski, one of his lawyers, told a Paris court. 
 
The only Swiss account he ever had was a securities portfolio with a bank that was later bought by HSBC, Minkowski added. 
 
The actor had declared that account to US tax authorities before closing it on November 30, 1999, a month before the creation of HSBC&#39;s Swiss private banking arm, she said. 
 
Herve Temime, another of the actor&#39;s lawyers, said Le Monde&#39;s linking of the actor to the Swissleaks revelations was &quot;shameful&quot;, calling his client a &quot;man of great integrity&quot;. 
 
Prosecutor Annabelle Philippe rapped the two journalists who authored the report, and who were absent from the proceedings, for not having the &quot;decency to come and recognise the lack of professionalism of their investigation&quot;. 
 
Le Monde&#39;s lawyer Christophe Bigot, for his part, accused Malkovich of &quot;creating a fuss&quot; despite having had an account &quot;in a discreet little bank in a country (that was) uncooperative&quot; with other countries on tax matters. 
 
The court will rule on the case in October. 
 
(AFP)

The Hollywood actor took two journalists to court for alleging he held a secret Swiss bank account

US actor John Malkovich took French daily Le Monde and two of its journalists to court on Friday for defamation over a report alleging that he held a secret Swiss bank account. Dangerous Liaisons star Malkovich is suing the paper over two articles published in February about the tax evasion scheme run by British banking giant HSBC out of its Swiss affiliate. Malkovich, 62, was among several celebrities listed by Le Monde among the "elite tax evaders" to have had a secret Swiss account between 2005 and 2007 - a claim Malkovich has rejected. "Not only did John Malkovich not defraud tax authorities", he "never had an account with HSBC", Julia Minkowski, one of his lawyers, told a Paris court. The only Swiss account he ever had was a securities portfolio with a bank that was later bought by HSBC, Minkowski added. The actor had declared that account to US tax authorities before closing it on November 30, 1999, a month before the creation of HSBC's Swiss private banking arm, she said. Herve Temime, another of the actor's lawyers, said Le Monde's linking of the actor to the Swissleaks revelations was "shameful", calling his client a "man of great integrity". Prosecutor Annabelle Philippe rapped the two journalists who authored the report, and who were absent from the proceedings, for not having the "decency to come and recognise the lack of professionalism of their investigation". Le Monde's lawyer Christophe Bigot, for his part, accused Malkovich of "creating a fuss" despite having had an account "in a discreet little bank in a country (that was) uncooperative" with other countries on tax matters. The court will rule on the case in October. (AFP)

John Malkovich a 'man of integrity', French court told lawyer in defamation case

An Egyptian court on Tuesday quashed a government decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, judicial sources said, over-ruling a deal that had sparked public outrage.&nbsp; 
 
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the controversial accord in April during a visit to Cairo by Saudi King Salman.&nbsp; 
 
A judge told AFP that the decision by the State Council, Egypt&#39;s highest administrative court, &quot;cancels the signing&quot; of the deal, which put two islands in the Straits of Tiran under Riyadh&#39;s control.&nbsp; 
 
The handover prompted an outcry from many Egyptians and sparked protests against Sisi.&nbsp; 
 
A court last month sentenced 51 people to two years in jail for taking part in protests against the accord. 
 
In the lead-up to the protests, police already made dozens of arrests to discourage a repeat of a large rally on April 15 at which demonstrators chanted for the &quot;fall of the regime&quot;. 
 
Egypt&#39;s appeals court in May overturned five-year jail terms for 47 people convicted of taking part in non-authorised protests, but upheld fines of more than $11,000 each. 
&nbsp; 
Tuesday&#39;s ruling on the islands deal is not final and may be challenged by the government. 
 
Lawyer Khaled Ali, who brought the case, told AFP the court&#39;s verdict &quot;shows that the two territories are Egyptian... and cannot be given away&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Saudi Arabia is one of Sisi&#39;s main regional backers, and the kingdom has provided Egypt with billions of dollars worth of aid and investment since the former army chief took power. 
 
Although generations of Egyptians have grown up believing the islands belonged to Egypt, Cairo insists they have always been Saudi territory, which was leased to it in 1950 following a request by Riyadh. 
 
Many Egyptians view Tiran and Sanafir with patriotic fondness because of the islands&#39; association with the four wars Egypt fought with Israel between 1948 and 1973.&nbsp; 
 
Lying at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, the islands can be used to control access to the Israeli port of Eilat. They were captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war before being returned to Egypt under the 1979 Camp David Accords. 
 
Cairo says the transfer agreement was based on a presidential decree issued by now ousted leader Hosni Mubarak who in 1990 even informed the United Nations about the matter. 
 
Critics accuse Sisi of &quot;selling&quot; the islands in return for Saudi investments. 
 
The judge, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Tuesday&#39;s verdict stressed that the two territories remain &quot;Egyptian&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

The islands,Tiran and Sanafir, have a patriotic significance for many Egyptians and the accord to handover the islands had sparked protests

An Egyptian court on Tuesday quashed a government decision to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, judicial sources said, over-ruling a deal that had sparked public outrage. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the controversial accord in April during a visit to Cairo by Saudi King Salman. A judge told AFP that the decision by the State Council, Egypt's highest administrative court, "cancels the signing" of the deal, which put two islands in the Straits of Tiran under Riyadh's control. The handover prompted an outcry from many Egyptians and sparked protests against Sisi. A court last month sentenced 51 people to two years in jail for taking part in protests against the accord. In the lead-up to the protests, police already made dozens of arrests to discourage a repeat of a large rally on April 15 at which demonstrators chanted for the "fall of the regime". Egypt's appeals court in May overturned five-year jail terms for 47 people convicted of taking part in non-authorised protests, but upheld fines of more than $11,000 each. Tuesday's ruling on the islands deal is not final and may be challenged by the government. Lawyer Khaled Ali, who brought the case, told AFP the court's verdict "shows that the two territories are Egyptian... and cannot be given away". Saudi Arabia is one of Sisi's main regional backers, and the kingdom has provided Egypt with billions of dollars worth of aid and investment since the former army chief took power. Although generations of Egyptians have grown up believing the islands belonged to Egypt, Cairo insists they have always been Saudi territory, which was leased to it in 1950 following a request by Riyadh. Many Egyptians view Tiran and Sanafir with patriotic fondness because of the islands' association with the four wars Egypt fought with Israel between 1948 and 1973. Lying at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, the islands can be used to control access to the Israeli port of Eilat. They were captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war before being returned to Egypt under the 1979 Camp David Accords. Cairo says the transfer agreement was based on a presidential decree issued by now ousted leader Hosni Mubarak who in 1990 even informed the United Nations about the matter. Critics accuse Sisi of "selling" the islands in return for Saudi investments. The judge, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Tuesday's verdict stressed that the two territories remain "Egyptian". (AFP)

Egypt court quashes handover of two Red Sea Islands to Saudi

Oscar Pistorius shuffled through a Pretoria court without his prosthetic legs on Wednesday to show how vulnerable he is as the Paralympian seeks to avoid prison for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. 
 
The 29-year-old faces a minimum 15-year jail term for the Valentine&#39;s Day killing in 2013 in a case that has attracted worldwide interest and divided South Africa. He will be sentenced on July 6. 
 
Pistorius has always said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home, killing her almost instantly. 
 
During his closing arguments, defense lawyer Barry Roux asked the gold medalist, known as the &quot;Blade Runner&quot; for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, to walk on his stumps to show the difficulty he faced dealing with the threat of an intruder. 
 
The lower part of his legs were amputated when he was a baby. 
 
His body shaking with emotion, Pistorius removed his prosthetics and stood on his stumps for about five minutes in front of the court television camera, wiping tears with a tissue. 
 
&quot;The accused was vulnerable because of his disability,&quot; Roux said. &quot;His failure to conduct a rational thought process does not negate his vulnerability.&quot; 
 
The defense says Pistorius did not deliberately kill model and law graduate Steenkamp and was &quot;a broken man&quot;, calling for a non-custodial sentence that includes community service. 
 
A state prosecutor argued that Pistorius - who did not take the stand himself - had shown no remorse or told the court why he fired the shots, and asked the court jail the athlete for the prescribed minimum sentence of 15-years. 
 
Race debate 
 
The athlete originally received a five-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction, that was upgraded to murder on appeal. 
 
The original trial judge, Thokozile Masipa, who presided at the hearings at the Pretoria High Court, on Wednesday set July 6 as the date for the sentencing. 
 
Roux asked the judge to consider that his client was vulnerable because of his disability and that the prescribed 15-year minimum sentence should give the court &quot;unease&quot;. 
 
&quot;The fact is that a disabled person in jail has a more difficult time,&quot; Roux said. 
 
The case has prompted a fierce debate in a country beset by high levels of violent crime against women and still dealing with the legacy of decades of apartheid race-based rule. 
 
Some rights groups have said Pistorius, a wealthy white man, has received preferential treatment. 
 
Roux said the publicity surrounding the case led to it being portrayed as an incident of gender-based violence, despite the facts showing it was not. Pistorius had now &quot;become the face of gender violence&quot;, he said. 
 
Shortly after Roux asked Pistorius to walk without his prosthetics, prosecutor Gerrie Nel requested that the judge allow photos to be shown of Steenkamp&#39;s bloodied head and torso. Masipa later granted the request and ruled that the photos be made available to the public upon request. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s a chasm between regret and remorse,&quot; Nel said. &quot;Real remorse would have been the accused taking the court into his confidence, telling the court why I fired that shot, why I did what I did. We don&#39;t have that.&quot; 
 
Earlier, Steenkamp&#39;s cousin Kim Martin, fought back tears saying she found it hard to cope with the killing and wondered why Pistorius had given a television interview rather than testify at the pre-sentencing hearings. 
 
&quot;I just think its very unfair to want to talk to the world about your version when you have the opportunity in court to do so, it&#39;s very hurtful, I can&#39;t understand why,&quot; she said. 
 
Pistorius&#39; hour-long interview with Britain&#39;s ITV is due to air next week. 
(Reuters)

The paralympian?stood on his stumps for five minutes and could be seen wiping his tears

Oscar Pistorius shuffled through a Pretoria court without his prosthetic legs on Wednesday to show how vulnerable he is as the Paralympian seeks to avoid prison for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. The 29-year-old faces a minimum 15-year jail term for the Valentine's Day killing in 2013 in a case that has attracted worldwide interest and divided South Africa. He will be sentenced on July 6. Pistorius has always said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home, killing her almost instantly. During his closing arguments, defense lawyer Barry Roux asked the gold medalist, known as the "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetics, to walk on his stumps to show the difficulty he faced dealing with the threat of an intruder. The lower part of his legs were amputated when he was a baby. His body shaking with emotion, Pistorius removed his prosthetics and stood on his stumps for about five minutes in front of the court television camera, wiping tears with a tissue. "The accused was vulnerable because of his disability," Roux said. "His failure to conduct a rational thought process does not negate his vulnerability." The defense says Pistorius did not deliberately kill model and law graduate Steenkamp and was "a broken man", calling for a non-custodial sentence that includes community service. A state prosecutor argued that Pistorius - who did not take the stand himself - had shown no remorse or told the court why he fired the shots, and asked the court jail the athlete for the prescribed minimum sentence of 15-years. Race debate The athlete originally received a five-year sentence for a manslaughter conviction, that was upgraded to murder on appeal. The original trial judge, Thokozile Masipa, who presided at the hearings at the Pretoria High Court, on Wednesday set July 6 as the date for the sentencing. Roux asked the judge to consider that his client was vulnerable because of his disability and that the prescribed 15-year minimum sentence should give the court "unease". "The fact is that a disabled person in jail has a more difficult time," Roux said. The case has prompted a fierce debate in a country beset by high levels of violent crime against women and still dealing with the legacy of decades of apartheid race-based rule. Some rights groups have said Pistorius, a wealthy white man, has received preferential treatment. Roux said the publicity surrounding the case led to it being portrayed as an incident of gender-based violence, despite the facts showing it was not. Pistorius had now "become the face of gender violence", he said. Shortly after Roux asked Pistorius to walk without his prosthetics, prosecutor Gerrie Nel requested that the judge allow photos to be shown of Steenkamp's bloodied head and torso. Masipa later granted the request and ruled that the photos be made available to the public upon request. "There's a chasm between regret and remorse," Nel said. "Real remorse would have been the accused taking the court into his confidence, telling the court why I fired that shot, why I did what I did. We don't have that." Earlier, Steenkamp's cousin Kim Martin, fought back tears saying she found it hard to cope with the killing and wondered why Pistorius had given a television interview rather than testify at the pre-sentencing hearings. "I just think its very unfair to want to talk to the world about your version when you have the opportunity in court to do so, it's very hurtful, I can't understand why," she said. Pistorius' hour-long interview with Britain's ITV is due to air next week. (Reuters)

Pistorius walks on stumps in court, seeks to avoid prison sentence

Olympic skating champion Claudia Pechstein&#39;s claim damages against the International Skating Union (ISU) over a doping ban was ruled as inadmissible by a German court today. This dealt her years-long effort for compensation a crushing blow. 
 
The Federal Court of Justice decided the domestic courts should not hear her case after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), considered the highest sports tribunal, had rejected Pechstein&#39;s appeal over her ban. 
 
The five-time Olympic champion was seeking more than 4 million euros in damages from the ISU after it banned her for two years in 2009 over irregular blood results, although the German never failed a drugs test. 
 
She insisted, providing extensive scientific data, that she had a hereditary blood condition that her father also had. 
 
Her case had been seen as a litmus test, with a win potentially triggering a flood of doping cases being challenged in domestic courts around the world and eroding the position of CAS. She vowed to fight on at the Constitutional Court. 
 
The Federal Court, Germany&#39;s highest for civil and criminal jurisdiction, said an arbitration agreement between her and the ISU at the time she had tested positive, which ruled out taking the case to a domestic court, was valid. 
 
&quot;The anti-trust division of the Federal Court of Justice did not follow the argumentation of the plaintiff,&quot; it said in a statement. &quot;It decides that her suit is inadmissible as it is opposed by the defence of the arbitration agreement.&quot; 
 
The CAS rejected her appeal as did the Swiss Federal Tribunal. However, a Munich court said in 2015 that it would allow the 44-year-old skater to go ahead with a lawsuit. 
 
The skater said she would now take the case to the next stage, the Federal Constitutional Court. 
 
&quot;Despite this verdict I am not considering giving up,&quot; she wrote on her website. &quot;The battle for justice will be continued at the Federal Constitutional Court.&quot; 
 
Pechstein, who missed the 2010 Vancouver Games due to the ban, competed at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, narrowly missing out on medals in the 3,000m and 5,000m. 
 
The athlete has said she wants to compete at the 2018 winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in what would be her seventh Games.

After the International Skating Union had banned her for two years in 2009, the speed skater sought for more than 4 million euros in damages. However, she never failed a drug test

Olympic skating champion Claudia Pechstein's claim damages against the International Skating Union (ISU) over a doping ban was ruled as inadmissible by a German court today. This dealt her years-long effort for compensation a crushing blow. The Federal Court of Justice decided the domestic courts should not hear her case after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), considered the highest sports tribunal, had rejected Pechstein's appeal over her ban. The five-time Olympic champion was seeking more than 4 million euros in damages from the ISU after it banned her for two years in 2009 over irregular blood results, although the German never failed a drugs test. She insisted, providing extensive scientific data, that she had a hereditary blood condition that her father also had. Her case had been seen as a litmus test, with a win potentially triggering a flood of doping cases being challenged in domestic courts around the world and eroding the position of CAS. She vowed to fight on at the Constitutional Court. The Federal Court, Germany's highest for civil and criminal jurisdiction, said an arbitration agreement between her and the ISU at the time she had tested positive, which ruled out taking the case to a domestic court, was valid. "The anti-trust division of the Federal Court of Justice did not follow the argumentation of the plaintiff," it said in a statement. "It decides that her suit is inadmissible as it is opposed by the defence of the arbitration agreement." The CAS rejected her appeal as did the Swiss Federal Tribunal. However, a Munich court said in 2015 that it would allow the 44-year-old skater to go ahead with a lawsuit. The skater said she would now take the case to the next stage, the Federal Constitutional Court. "Despite this verdict I am not considering giving up," she wrote on her website. "The battle for justice will be continued at the Federal Constitutional Court." Pechstein, who missed the 2010 Vancouver Games due to the ban, competed at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, narrowly missing out on medals in the 3,000m and 5,000m. The athlete has said she wants to compete at the 2018 winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in what would be her seventh Games.

German court drops Claudia Pechstein's doping ban damages suit

Actor Mark Salling, who had a supporting role as a high school athlete-turned-singer in the TV series &quot;Glee,&quot; was indicted on Friday on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, officials said.

The 33-year-old Salling agreed to turn himself in on June 3 to face the charges filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the U.S. Attorney&#39;s Office for the region said in a statement.

Representatives for Salling, a Los Angeles resident, and his attorney, did not immediately return calls.

The federal charges against the Texas-born Salling for receipt and possession of child pornography stem from his arrest by Los Angeles police and federal agents on Dec. 29, 2015. He was released on bail of $20,000 and was initially expected to be charged in Los Angeles County court.

But after investigators realized the &quot;scope of the collection&quot; of child porn they had uncovered, the case was handed over to federal prosecutors, the U.S. Attorney&#39;s Office said.

&quot;The traditional stereotype about the kinds of people who commit child sexual exploitation crimes simply doesn&#39;t dovetail with reality,&quot; Joseph Macias, a special agent in charge for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement on the filing of the charges.

Macias added that child pornography suspects can be of &quot;all ages and from all walks of life.&quot;

Salling&#39;s arrest came after investigators received a tip that he was in possession of child porn, Los Angeles police said in a statement at the time.

A laptop, a hard drive and a mobile flash drive from Salling&#39;s home contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography, and investigators continue to review the material, federal prosecutors said.

In the meantime, the charges against the actor center on a still image and three videos of child pornography depicting young girls, the statement said. The two charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Salling on the Fox television show &quot;Glee,&quot; which ran from 2009 to 2015, played Puck, a bully and a football player who shows a softer side when he joins the glee club at his high school.

Before that show, Salling had a number of smaller roles, including a part in 1996 horror film &quot;Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering.&quot;

Actor Mark Salling, who had a supporting role as a high school athlete-turned-singer in the TV series "Glee," was indicted on Friday on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, officials said. The 33-year-old Salling agreed to turn himself in on June 3 to face the charges filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the region said in a statement.

Actor Mark Salling, who had a supporting role as a high school athlete-turned-singer in the TV series "Glee," was indicted on Friday on charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, officials said. The 33-year-old Salling agreed to turn himself in on June 3 to face the charges filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the region said in a statement. Representatives for Salling, a Los Angeles resident, and his attorney, did not immediately return calls. The federal charges against the Texas-born Salling for receipt and possession of child pornography stem from his arrest by Los Angeles police and federal agents on Dec. 29, 2015. He was released on bail of $20,000 and was initially expected to be charged in Los Angeles County court. But after investigators realized the "scope of the collection" of child porn they had uncovered, the case was handed over to federal prosecutors, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. "The traditional stereotype about the kinds of people who commit child sexual exploitation crimes simply doesn't dovetail with reality," Joseph Macias, a special agent in charge for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement on the filing of the charges. Macias added that child pornography suspects can be of "all ages and from all walks of life." Salling's arrest came after investigators received a tip that he was in possession of child porn, Los Angeles police said in a statement at the time. A laptop, a hard drive and a mobile flash drive from Salling's home contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography, and investigators continue to review the material, federal prosecutors said. In the meantime, the charges against the actor center on a still image and three videos of child pornography depicting young girls, the statement said. The two charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Salling on the Fox television show "Glee," which ran from 2009 to 2015, played Puck, a bully and a football player who shows a softer side when he joins the glee club at his high school. Before that show, Salling had a number of smaller roles, including a part in 1996 horror film "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering."

'Glee' star Mark Salling indicted on federal child porn charges

Thailand on Wednesday jailed a country singer and political activist for 7-1/2 years, on grounds of insulting the monarchy in a public speech made three years ago. 
 
The conviction swells a list of prosecutions pushed by Thailand`s military - the self-designated protectors of the monarchy - after it seized power in a coup two years ago. 
 
The junta has a zero-tolerance approach to criticism of the monarchy, making use of a draconian lese-majeste law that prescribes a prison term of up to 15 years for each offence. 
 
Thanat Thanawatcharanon, known by his stage name of Tom Dundee, gave waiting media the thumbs-up as he arrived at court on Wednesday, wearing an orange prison uniform. 
 
&quot;The sentence is much longer than we expected,&quot; said his lawyer, Saovalux Po-Ngam. &quot;We can lodge an appeal within a month but have to discuss first whether we will. In my personal view, the law should be scrapped, because the sentences are too long.&quot; 
 
Sentences for royal insults have become increasingly harsh under the junta, and one offender was jailed for a record 30 years in 2015. 
Thanat, who has been in prison since his arrest in 2014, had previously denied the charges but confessed in a sudden about-face in court on Monday. 
 
Confessing to a lese-majeste crime is routine practice in Thailand, where the accused often plead guilty in hopes of a more lenient sentence. 
 
Prosecutors said Thanat made defamatory comments against the monarchy during a 2013 speech to `red shirt` activists at a political rally in the capital, Bangkok. 
 
He was arrested and charged in July 2014, following pressure by an ultra royalist group on Thailand`s Department of Special Investigation to prosecute Thanat. 
 
For much of the past decade, Thailand has been divided along political lines between the mostly rural-based red shirt movement and the royalist-military establishment in the capital and south. 
 
Ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88, is revered by Thais who see him as a keystone of Thailand`s identity.

Thailand on Wednesday jailed a country singer and political activist for 7-1/2 years, on grounds of insulting the monarchy in a public speech made three years ago.

Thailand on Wednesday jailed a country singer and political activist for 7-1/2 years, on grounds of insulting the monarchy in a public speech made three years ago. The conviction swells a list of prosecutions pushed by Thailand`s military - the self-designated protectors of the monarchy - after it seized power in a coup two years ago. The junta has a zero-tolerance approach to criticism of the monarchy, making use of a draconian lese-majeste law that prescribes a prison term of up to 15 years for each offence. Thanat Thanawatcharanon, known by his stage name of Tom Dundee, gave waiting media the thumbs-up as he arrived at court on Wednesday, wearing an orange prison uniform. "The sentence is much longer than we expected," said his lawyer, Saovalux Po-Ngam. "We can lodge an appeal within a month but have to discuss first whether we will. In my personal view, the law should be scrapped, because the sentences are too long." Sentences for royal insults have become increasingly harsh under the junta, and one offender was jailed for a record 30 years in 2015. Thanat, who has been in prison since his arrest in 2014, had previously denied the charges but confessed in a sudden about-face in court on Monday. Confessing to a lese-majeste crime is routine practice in Thailand, where the accused often plead guilty in hopes of a more lenient sentence. Prosecutors said Thanat made defamatory comments against the monarchy during a 2013 speech to `red shirt` activists at a political rally in the capital, Bangkok. He was arrested and charged in July 2014, following pressure by an ultra royalist group on Thailand`s Department of Special Investigation to prosecute Thanat. For much of the past decade, Thailand has been divided along political lines between the mostly rural-based red shirt movement and the royalist-military establishment in the capital and south. Ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88, is revered by Thais who see him as a keystone of Thailand`s identity.

Thailand jails country singer for seven years in royal insult case

Companies should be allowed to prohibit staff from wearing the Islamic headscarf but only as part of a general ban on religious and political symbols, an adviser to the European Court of Justice said today.

The Islamic headscarf is a contentious issue in some European countries, particularly in France which attaches importance to the separation of state and religious institutions.

This is the first time Europe&#39;s highest court is handling a case on banning the headscarf, referred to it by a Belgian court hearing a compensation claim from a woman who was dismissed from her job for wearing an Islamic headscarf.

The woman was working as a receptionist for Belgian company G4S Secure Solutions, which has a general ban on wearing visible religious or political symbols.

The Belgian court asked the European Court of Justice whether forbidding the headscarf violated an EU law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of religion.

&quot;While an employee cannot &#39;leave&#39; his sex, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability &#39;at the door&#39; upon entering his employer&#39;s premises, he may be expected to moderate the exercise of his religion in the workplace,&quot; Juliane Kokott, the EU court&#39;s advocate general, wrote in her opinion published today.&nbsp;

The advocate general&#39;s findings are not binding but the EU court typically follows the adviser&#39;s recommendation. A ruling from the European Court of Justice is expected later this year. The Belgian court will rule on the matter thereafter.

There are already some headscarf bans in schools and public institutions in France and Belgium. However, Germany&#39;s top court last year struck down a ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools.

Companies should be allowed to prohibit staff from wearing headscarf but only under general ban on religious and political symbols

Companies should be allowed to prohibit staff from wearing the Islamic headscarf but only as part of a general ban on religious and political symbols, an adviser to the European Court of Justice said today. The Islamic headscarf is a contentious issue in some European countries, particularly in France which attaches importance to the separation of state and religious institutions. This is the first time Europe's highest court is handling a case on banning the headscarf, referred to it by a Belgian court hearing a compensation claim from a woman who was dismissed from her job for wearing an Islamic headscarf. The woman was working as a receptionist for Belgian company G4S Secure Solutions, which has a general ban on wearing visible religious or political symbols. The Belgian court asked the European Court of Justice whether forbidding the headscarf violated an EU law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of religion. "While an employee cannot 'leave' his sex, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability 'at the door' upon entering his employer's premises, he may be expected to moderate the exercise of his religion in the workplace," Juliane Kokott, the EU court's advocate general, wrote in her opinion published today. The advocate general's findings are not binding but the EU court typically follows the adviser's recommendation. A ruling from the European Court of Justice is expected later this year. The Belgian court will rule on the matter thereafter. There are already some headscarf bans in schools and public institutions in France and Belgium. However, Germany's top court last year struck down a ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools.

Employers can forbid headscarf if general ban in place - EU court adviser

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