Hafiz Saeed gets another 32 years in jail
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan sentenced Mumbai terror attack mastermind and banned Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed to 32 years in jail in two more terror financing cases. Earlier in five such cases, Saeed (71) had already been convicted to 36 years imprisonment in five terror financing cases. The total sentence of 68 years imprisonment will run concurrently. The anti-terrorism court judge Ejaz Ahmad Bhuttar handed down 32 years jail term to Saeed in two FIRs registered by the counter terrorism department of Punjab Police, a court official said. Saeed was brought to the court from the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore where he has been imprisoned since 2019 under strict security, the official said. Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist on whom the US has placed a $10 million bounty, was arrested in July 2019 in the terror financing cases.
DR Congo joins East African Community
The Democratic Republic of Congo has joined East African Community's seventh member. Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi formally signed the treaty to join the community during his visit to Kenya. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, the current chair of the bloc, and the Congolese leader addressed messages of unity. "By joining the community, the Congolese people do not only want to be satisfied with the benefits of intra-community trade, but they aspire first and foremost to maintain relations based on peace and security for all.", said Felix Tshisekedi. Kenyatta stressed this addition would "strengthen (our) economic muscle and competitiveness, in the continent and as well as globally". Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and now the DRC are part of the EAC.
First woman to lead US military branch
US President Joe Biden said he has nominated Admiral Linda Fagan to lead the US Coast Guard and become the first female uniformed leader of a branch of the US armed forces. "Her leadership and integrity are second to none," Biden said in a tweet announcing the nomination. Fagan, who currently serves as vice commandant of the Coast Guard, must be confirmed by the Senate to the post. She would replace Admiral Karl Schultz, who has served as commandant since 2018.
Senate confirms black woman on US top court
Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by the Senate as the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court in a milestone for the US and a victory for President Joe Biden, who made good on a campaign promise as he seeks to infuse the federal judiciary with a broader range of backgrounds. The vote to confirm the 51-year-old federal appellate judge to a lifetime job on US’ top judicial body was 53-47, with three Republicans joining Biden’s fellow Democrats. A simple majority was needed, as Jackson overcame Republican opposition in an SC confirmation process that remains fiercely partisan. Jackson will take the 83-year-old Stephen Breyer’s place on the liberal bloc of a court with an increasingly assertive 6-3 conservative majority. Breyer is due to serve until the court’s current term ends - usually in June - and Jackson would be formally sworn in after that.
