Pakistan hangs another militant
lahore: Pakistan on Saturday hanged a militant of a banned anti-Shia outfit here after a court rejected a “compromise” and upheld the death penalty awarded to him, taking the number of executions in the country since the lifting of the moratorium on capital punishment to 20. Ikramul Haq, alias lahori, was hanged in Kot lakhpat Jail here after the court rejected the compromise reached by his family with the kin of the person he murdered.
Pak’s 4th n-reactor now operational
Washington: Pakistan’s fourth heavy water reactor at Khushab nuclear site which allows it to build a larger number of miniaturised plutonium-based nuclear weapons now appears to be operational, a US think-tank has said. The reactor is part of Pakistan’s programme to increase the production of weapons-grade plutonium.
US, UK maintain sanctions on Russia
Washington: The US and Britain have decided to continue their sanctions on Russia until it ends its “aggression” in Ukraine, saying the Moscow has chosen to tear up the international rulebook in Europe and trampled over the affairs of a sovereign State. “We agree on the need to maintain strong sanctions against Russia until it ends its aggression in Ukraine, and on the need to support Ukraine as it implements important economic and democratic reforms,” Obama said.
Philippine plane overshoots runway
Tacloban (Philippines): A plane carrying top aides of Philippine President Benigno Aquino overshot a runway in stormy weather on Saturday, authorities said, shortly after Pope Francis’ plane took off from the same airport. The plane’s nose wedged into the mud at Tacloban airport in the central Philippines but no one was injured, Francis Tolentino, a senior government official who was at the scene, told DZMM radio.