News In Brief
Iraq blasts kill 25
Afp, Baghdad
Ten car bombs in central Iraq, including five in Baghdad, killed at least 25 people yesterday, officials said, after another series of blasts the day before.
Iraqi authorities have so far failed to curb a year-long surge in violence plaguing the country, despite carrying out wide-ranging operations against militants. Attacks and clashes have killed more than 480 people so far this month and over 1,450 since the start of the year.
Pussy Riot members 'arrested' in Sochi
Afp, Sochi
The two members of Russian punk group Pussy Riot who were released from prison colonies late last year said they had both been arrested yesterday in downtown Sochi during the Olympic Games.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina and at least half a dozen others were arrested in the centre of the Winter Games host city over accusations of theft from a local hotel.
Indian police kill seven Maoist rebels
Afp, Mumbai
Indian police killed seven Maoists yesterday during an operation hailed as a victory for security forces in a rebel stronghold known as the "Red Corridor".
Police came under attack in a jungle area of Gadchiroli district in the western state of Maharashtra, sparking an exchange of fire between the two groups, said local police spokesman Dharmendra Joshi.
England upholds prison terms for life
Afp, London
England's Court of Appeal yesterday upheld the principle of jail terms for life, following a European ruling that left judges unsure whether they could still impose the punishment.
Five judges found that whole-life sentences were "entirely compatible" with the European human rights convention. So-called "lifers" cannot be released from prison except at the discretion of the justice secretary or on compassionate grounds.
EU eases Zimbabwe sanctions
Afp, Brussels
The European Union on Monday lifted a visa ban and assets freeze against members of Zimbabwe's ruling elite with the exception of President Robert Mugabe and his wife, who remain blacklisted, EU diplomats said.
As the EU continues to ease sanctions against Harare as an encouragement to reform, the 28-nation bloc was expected to take a significant political step yesterday by agreeing to resume development aid to the government.
Comments