Hussain was tortured into making a confession, lawyers say
Pakistan on Tuesday hanged Shafqat Hussain, whose execution had repeatedly been postponed amid international pressure. In 2004, Hussain had sentenced by an anti-terrorism court for kidnapping and killing a seven-year-old boy who had gone missing in Karachi. Human rights groups have claimed that Hussain was 14 at the time of the crime, and therefore ineligible for execution under Pakistani law. His lawyers also argued that he was tortured by police into making a confession. Several human rights groups criticised the execution. Amnesty International said it was a "deeply sad day for Pakistan".
French President hails Obama's climate plan
French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday welcomed the United States' plan to cut carbon emissions, ahead of the upcoming Global Climate Conference to be held in Paris. Obama had last week announced the adoption of ambitious regulations for the cutting of greenhouse-gas emissions. His administration has issued guidelines which require every state in the country to reduce emissions from coal-burning power plants. Describing US President Barack Obama’s move as "courageous", Hollande said that the plan was a key step towards the de-carbonisation of the US economy.
Russian security forces kill 14 Islamist militants
Russian Federal Security Service forces killed eight Islamist militants on Sunday and six other rebels on Monday in the North Caucasus region of the country, officials said. The militants killed on Sunday were reported to have been involved in "terrorist crimes", including killing law enforcement officials and extorting money. Moscow has been struggling to counter the insurgency by the Takfiri group, which had earlier allied itself with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and declared a caliphate in the region. However, several rights activists and Kremlin critics have blamed Russian security services of heavy-handed tactics in the North Caucasus trying to target not only militants but also any dissenters.
Tensions escalate between China and ASEAN nations
Accusations that China is building illegal islands in the South China Sea escalated tensions as regional security talks between China, the United States and the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations opened at Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Beijing has been accused of expanding tiny reefs in the South China Sea into islands and sending in its troops to reinforce its claims over the strategic waters. According to reports, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi insisted that the issue must not be raised at the talks, adding that China would press ahead with its land-reclamation works. However, the US and other ASEAN members have insisted on pursuing the issue through dialogue at the summit. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also laid various claims to the South China Sea.
Kosovo Parliament approves creation of war crimes court
Kosovo's Parliament on Tuesday amended the Republic's constitution to allow the creation of a special court to investigate alleged war crimes committed by ethic Albanian fighters against Serb captives in the 1990s. The disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army is accused of several war crimes, which include organ-harvesting from Serb captives. Branimir Stojanovic, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kosovo government said that Serb MPs in Kosovo were also ready to vote for the adoption of amendments that would create the conditions necessary for establishing the court. Kosovo formally declared independence from Serbia in 2008.
