News in Brief

Court acquits Mubarak-era ministers of graft
Afp, Cairo

An Egyptian court acquitted a former prime minister and an ex-interior minister of corruption charges in a retrial yesterday, the latest reversal of verdicts against officials who served under strongman Hosni Mubarak. Ex-premier Ahmed Nazif and former interior minister Habib al-Adly were sentenced to jail after Mubarak's 2011 overthrow for a deal to import licence plates from German company Utsch at an exorbitant price.

Yemen president retracts resignation
Afp, Aden

Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has retracted his resignation after escaping house arrest in the militia-controlled capital, an aide said yesterday. The embattled leader had tendered his resignation last month after the Shiite militia, known as Huthis, seized the presidential palace and besieged his residence in Sanaa.

France to stiffen hate speech penalties
Afp, Paris

French President Francois Hollande vowed Monday to introduce tougher penalties for "racist, anti-Semitic or homophobic" remarks in the wake of last month's militant attacks in Paris. Speaking at an annual dinner hosted by the country's Jewish community, Hollande called for "faster, more effective sanctions" against hate speech and added: "I want such speech to come under criminal law rather than press laws."

Drones spotted flying over Paris landmarks
Afp, Paris

At least five drones were spotted flying over central Paris landmarks during the night and police were unable to catch the operators, sources close to the probe said yesterday. The country has been hit by a series of mysterious drone overflights at nuclear plants and more recently over the presidential palace, and the fresh sightings come at a time of heightened security following last month's jihadist attacks that left 17 people dead.

Indian Corporate spying: Ministry employee arrested
Tnn, New Delhi

After TOI broke the story of the leaks scandal extending to ministry of defence and one of its staffer being questioned, the crime branch arrested him yesterday morning. The police had interrogated the employee, Virender, for more than six hours on Monday.

Turkey says Britain 'too late' to raise ISIS alarm
Afp, Ankara

Turkey accused Britain of being too late to inform the Turkish authorities over the departure to its territory of three teenage British girls feared to be on their way to Syria. Turkey has repeatedly been accused by its Western allies of failing to do enough to stop the transfer of jihadists, as well as their female companions, across its territory on their way to Syria.

Israeli troops kill Palestinian near Bethlehem
Afp, Bethlehem

Israeli troops have shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian man during unrest at a refugee camp near the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Palestinian medics said yesterday. Jihad al-Jafari, a supporter of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement, was killed in an overnight confrontation at the Dheisheh camp, the medics said.