SINGAPORE EASES DEATH PENALTY POLICY
SINGAPORE: The Singapore parliament has passed legal reforms abolishing mandatory death sentences in some drug trafficking and murder cases, giving fresh hope to dozens of inmates awaiting execution.

In a statement issued late Wednesday, the Attorney-General’s Chambers said parliament had formally approved amendments enabling judges to commute death sentences to life imprisonment under certain conditions.

CAMBODIA ACCUSED OF SERIOUS GRAFT IN MALARIA FIGHT
PHNOM PENH: A major international aid fund has accused Cambodia of “serious” corruption in the use of money intended to combat malaria and other life-threatening diseases. The United Nations-backed Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria said a probe into the use of grants “uncovered credible and substantive evidence of serious financial wrongdoing, on procurement and other issues.” It said it had taken swift action to tackle the graft problem, but it would maintain support to Cambodia so as not to derail efforts to halt the spread of drug-resistant malaria. The mismanaged money amounts to under $1 million and was allocated to Cambodian officials to spend on anti-malaria programs.

PILOT WHALES STRANDED ON NEW ZEALAND BEACH
WELLINGTON: A pod of 28 pilot whales that were left stranded on a New Zealand beach on Thursday are likely to be put down as there is little chance of refloating them, wildlife officials said. Twelve of the whales that beached themselves at Golden Bay on the South Island had already died and the rest were in poor condition, the Department of Conservation said. Mass standings are common in New Zealand. The reason why pilot whales beach themselves in unknown, although scientists speculate it may occur when their sonar becomes scrambled in shallow water. AFP