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Imran Khan jailed for 14 years in corruption case

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Imran Khan has faced more than 100 charges, all of which he decries as politically motivated [BBC]

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in prison over a corruption case, in the latest of a series of charges laid against him.

It is the longest valid prison sentence the cricket star-turned-politician, who has been detained since August 2023, has received.

He has faced charges in over 100 cases, ranging from leaking state secrets to selling state gifts – all of which he decried as politically motivated.

The latest case has been described by Pakistani authorities as the largest the country has seen – though the country has seen huge financial scandals in the past, some of which involved former leaders.

Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were accused of receiving a parcel of land as a bribe from a real estate tycoon through the Al-Qadir Trust, which the couple had set up while he was in office.

In exchange, investigators said, Khan used £190m ($232m) repatriated by the UK’s National Crime Agency to pay the tycoon’s court fines.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party argued that the land was donated to the trust for a spiritual education centre and was not used for Khan’s personal gain.

In a post on X, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that the former prime minister “has done no wrong” and that this was a “politically motivated unfair trial”.

“But [Imran Khan] will not give in, he will not give up, he will not break,” he wrote.

Friday’s verdict comes after multiple delays as Khan’s party held talks with the government.

After his conviction on Friday, Khan told reporters in the courtroom that he would “neither make any deal nor seek any relief.”

Khan’s prison sentence of 14 years is the maximum that could be given in the case. He has also been fined more than £4,000.

His wife has been sentenced to seven years and fined more than £2,000. Bibi, who has been out on bail since last October, was taken into custody in court after her sentence was announced.

In 2023, Khan was sentenced to three years in prison for not declaring money earned from selling gifts he had received while in office.

Last year, Khan received a 14-year jail sentence over the selling of state gifts, and another 10 years for leaking state secrets. Both those sentences were suspended months later.

Despite being in jail and barred from holding public office, Khan still looms large over Pakistan’s political scene. Last year’s election saw candidates backed by Imran Khan winning the most number of seats out of all the parties.

Khan’s prosecution has triggered large-scale protests by his supporters – which have been met with a crackdown from authorities. Thousands of protesters have been arrested and many injured in clashes with the police.

[BBC]



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Foreign News

€5m worth of cocaine seized in Kildare

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Approximately 72 kilos of cocaine was discovered following a stop and search in the Allenwood area of Kildare [BBC]

Two men have been arrested following a seizure of €5m (£4m) worth of cocaine in County Kildare.

On Wednesday, gardaí (Irish police) stopped and searched a vehicle and a residential property in the Allenwood area of Kildare and approximately 72kg of cocaine was discovered.

The men, aged in their 50s and 60s, were arrested in relation to facilitating and enhancing drug distribution activities for an organised crime group.

They were subsequently charged and are due before Naas District Court on Thursday.

Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis of Organised and Serious Crime said it “is another significant seizure of cocaine destined for the Irish market”.

“An Garda Síochána and our law enforcement partners are committed to targeting those engaged in drug related organised crime that leads to harm, intimidation and violence in our communities nationwide.”

[BBC]

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Monty the giant schnauzer wins Best in Show

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A giant schnauzer named Monty was crowned Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday, the most prestigious dog show in the US.

After reaching the final three years in a row, Monty beat more than 2,500 canines to become the first giant schnauzer to take home the show’s top prize.

“The puppy did the damn thing,” Monty’s owner Katie Bernardin said in the event televised from New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

The dog club is the oldest in the US dedicated to showing dogs, with its annual show – now in its 149th year – the second-longest sporting event held in the US after the Kentucky Derby.

The winners of each of the 200 competing breeds advance to compete for one of seven group titles, with each group winner then moving to the finals.

After two years of winning the Working Group, but failing to secure the overall prize, the five-year-old male with an all-black coat finally came out on top.

He gave the Working Group of breeds its first winner since 2004.

Judge Paula Nykiel, who is a dog breeder and owner-handler, chose Monty as Best in Show after he stood out in the preliminary events during the three-day competition.

When choosing a winner, judges also consider the breed’s ideal standard, and examine its body and mouth.

Among the more than 2,500 Monty beat from across the country, was nine-year-old Bourbon, who snapped up runner-up – or Reserve Best as they are known in the show.

The whippet came out of retirement for the event, and claimed Reserve Best for the third time.

Other finalists this year included Comet the shih tzu, Mercedes the German shepherd and Neal the bichon frise.

In 2024, a female miniature poodle won Best in Show.

[BBC]

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Israel says Gaza ceasefire will end if Hamas does not free hostages by Saturday

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The Israeli military said was sending reinforcements, including reservists, to southern Israel (BBC)

Israel’s prime minister has warned Hamas it will end the ceasefire in Gaza and resume intense fighting if the Palestinian group “does not return our hostages by Saturday noon”.

Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered Israeli forces to amass inside and around Gaza in response to Hamas’s announcement that it was postponing freeing more hostages until further notice.

Netanyahu did not specify whether he was demanding the release of all 76 remaining hostages, or just the three due to be freed this Saturday – but a minister said he meant “everyone”.

On Monday, Hamas accused Israel of violating the three-week-old ceasefire deal, including by blocking vital humanitarian aid – a claim Israel has denied.

The group’s decision to delay this weekend’s scheduled release prompted US President Donald Trump to propose that Israel cancel the agreement altogether and “let hell break out” unless “all of the hostages” were returned by Saturday.

(BBC)

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