News In Brief

Court rejects Bo Xilai's appeal
Cnn Online

A court in eastern China yesterday upheld the guilty verdict and life sentence against former high-flying politician Bo Xilai, effectively ending one of the messiest political scandals to hit the ruling Chinese Communist Party in decades.
Bo received the life sentence for bribe-taking, 15 years for embezzlement and seven years for abuse of power following a trial that revealed tantalizing details of the lavish lifestyles of China's elite.

Over 100 rhinos poached in S Africa in past month
Afp, Johannesburg

Poachers have killed more than 100 rhinos in South Africa over the past four weeks, pushing the death toll so far this year towards 800, official figures showed yesterday.
Killings have surged in recent years to feed black market demand in Asia for their horns. In 2007 there were only 13 reported incidents. South Africa is home to around 80 percent of the world's rhino population, estimated at more than 25,000.

Pakistan arrests 40 Indian fishermen
Afp, Karachi

Pakistan's maritime security agency has arrested at least 40 Indian fishermen after they strayed into its territorial waters, an official said yesterday.
The fishermen were held on Thursday after sailing deep into Pakistani waters, though 30 have since been released, an official from Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency told AFP. The detentions came a month after Pakistan held 58 Indian fishermen in similar circumstances, and two months after more than 300 were released from Pakistani jails as a goodwill gesture.

Kenya's Ruto must attend ICC trial
Afp, The Hague

Kenyan Vice President William Ruto must attend his crimes against humanity trial before the International Criminal Court and can only be excused under "exceptional circumstances," the ICC ruled yesterday.
Ruto said earlier this month that he wanted his trial to be suspended or for him to be excused so that he could deal with the fallout from last month's militant attack on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall which left at least 67 people dead.