Cairo, November 29
An Egyptian court has dropped its case against former President Hosni Mubarak over the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising that ended his 30-year rule and symbolised hopes for a new era of political openness and accountability.

Mubarak, 86, was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for conspiring to murder 239 demonstrators, sowing chaos and creating a security vacuum during the 18-day revolt, but an appeals court ordered a retrial.

His supporters erupted into celebration when the verdicts of that retrial, which also cleared Mubarak's former interior minister Habib al-Adly and six aides, were read out. The defendants had denied the charges.

Supporters outside court, carrying pictures of the ex-air force officer who dominated the most populous Arab nation for three decades, far outnumbered families of protesters who died in the Tahrir Square revolt that had embodied the hopes of Arab Spring uprisings that spread through the region.

The judge said criminal charges should never have been brought against Mubarak in the case. The decision can be appealed, however, and the former leader was not freed as he is serving a three-year jail term in a separate embezzlement case.

Many Egyptians who lived through Mubarak's rule view it as a period of autocracy and crony capitalism and considered it a victory to see him behind bars.

His overthrow led to Egypt's first free election but the winner, Mohamed Mursi, was ousted last year by then-army chief Abdelfattah al-Sisi, following protests against his rule.

Sisi, who went on to win a presidential election in May, launched a crackdown on Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood.

Authorities have jailed thousands of Brotherhood supporters and sentenced hundreds to death in mass trials that drew international criticism.

By contrast, Mubarak-era figures are slowly being cleared of charges and a series of laws curtailing political freedoms have raised fears among activists that the old leadership was regaining influence. Saturday's verdict was seen as the latest sign by activists the rights won in 2011 were being eroded.

"This is a political verdict. The judiciary has been procrastinating for four years so they could clear him after hope had been lost," the father of Ahmed Khaleefa, who was killed in 2011, said.

"The verdict hit us like bullets. I consider that my son Ahmed died today."

A few dozen young people gathered to protest the verdict in the city of Suez, site of the first death of the uprising, but they were quickly dispersed by police, security sources said. — Reuters

Abuja, November 29
The triple bomb blasts at a mosque located within the Emir's Palace in the northern Nigerian city of Kano have killed as many as 120 people, according to media reports on Saturday.

The blasts, which were the handiwork of the militant Boko Haram sect, happened midway into the weekly Friday prayers, The Nation online reported. About 128 other worshippers are also believed to have been injured in the blasts.

The chief imam of Kano, Sani Zaharadeen, was in the process of delivering his sermon at about 2.15 p.m. when the bombs began to go off one after the other, according to the report.

Two of the bombs were planted inside the mosque and the third outside.

"Three bombs were planted in the courtyard of the mosque and they went off simultaneously," a security source said on the condition of anonymity.

A staff member at the palace who also witnessed the attack said: "After multiple explosions, they also opened fire. I cannot tell you the casualty figure because we all ran away." The explosions sparked a stampede by terrified worshippers.

Angry youths blocked the mosque's gates and police had to disperse them with tear gas to gain entry.

A similar bomb attack was averted at the Customs Market in Gamboru, Maiduguri, in Nigeria's Borno state after vigilante youths alerted the police about two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted at the market. — IANS

Beijing, November 29
Fifteen persons were killed and 14 others injured when militants armed with knives and bombs attacked crowds at a food street in China's restive northwestern Xinjiang province, official media reported today.

The attack occurred yesterday at a food street in Shache county at 1:30 pm (local time) when "mobsters" threw bombs and attacked people with knives, state-run Xinhua news agency reported adding that police patrolling nearby killed 11 of the attackers. In all, 15 persons were killed while 14 others were injured, the report said.

A number of explosive devices, knives and axes were found at the scene. The injured have been rushed to hospitals.

The attack was similar to the one carried out in July this year at Shache, Kashgar Prefecture, in which militants along with a large number of locals armed with knives and axes attacked a police station and other places killing 37 persons.

A local court had sentenced 12 of the attackers to death and 15 others to death with a two-year reprieve.

Kashgar borders Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as well as a brief stretch of Afghanistan.

Xinjiang, home to over 11 million ethnic Uygur Muslims, has been restive for several years due conflict between locals and migrant Han Chinese from other provinces.

It has experienced a spate of violent attacks in the last few years which China blames on the al-Qaeda-backed East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).

The violence in Xinjiang and parts of the country has led to scores of deaths. Yesterday's attack came as China is set to enforce a new regulation prohibiting people from wearing or forcing others to wear clothes or logos associated with religious extremism.

The revised regional regulation on religious affairs is the first in the country to target religious extremism, state-run China Daily reported today.

The new rules are to be implemented from January 1, next year and are intended to protect legal religious activities. "An increasing number of problems involving religious affairs have emerged in Xinjiang," Ma Mingcheng, deputy director of the Xinjiang People's Congress and director of its legislative affairs committee said. — PTI

PTI chief Imran khan is all set to stage on Sunday what he has promised to be the biggest ever gathering in capital in a "decisive" phase of his current campaign to seek justice against alleged rigging in the May 2013 election.

The government has, under stringent conditions, has granted permission to the PTI to hold the rally at the same venue where Imran has been continuing his 'sit in'. Imran is protesting in last over 107 days at the D-Chowk in a container in front of the Constitution Avenue where most sensitive state buildings, including the Parliament House, Presidency, Prime Minister House, Supreme Court and PTV are located.

Under mutually agreed conditions, Imran's stage will face the Jinnah Avenue with the Constitution Avenue on its back that has been declared Red Zone off limit to the audience. The Jinnah Avenue is also considerably restricted for accommodating a massive crowd of tens of thousands which Imran is expecting following mobilization across Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of constitution work for Metro-bus project due which the Avenue and service roads have been dug up extensively.