BURUNDI: Three people have been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being accused of throwing stones at the president’s convoy.
At their trial on Sunday, the three had no lawyers and pleaded not guilty. At first, they were accused of undermining public security and the prosecutor asked for a prison term of seven-and-a-half years.
But the court changed the charge to “complicity in an attack against the head of state” and gave them 30 years instead.

KASHMIR: Indian police say they are investigating allegations that three young men killed in a staged gunfight and buried as “militants” were fitted up by the army.
The men’s families say the cousins, aged 18, 21 and 25, had travelled to Shopian district as day labourers and never came back. They saw their bodies on social media labelled “terrorists” who the army boasted of killing.

SERBIA: Belgrade said it wanted to buy a Chinese air-defence system yesterday, but the US said it shouldn’t do that if it wants to join the EU.
“Procurement choices should reflect Serbia’s stated policy goal of greater European integration,” the US embassy warned, saying there were “risks and costs involved in doing business with Chinese companies.”
“Whenever we decide to buy something, somebody has something against it,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic complained. 

NIGERIA: A musician has been sentenced to death for blasphemy over a song accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed. Yahaya Sharif, 22, has 30 days to appeal.
Lawan Muhammad of Kano state’s religious police said: “It’s the kind of judgement we hoped for when we arrested him.” His house was burned down by a mob.
Sharia law applies in 12 of Nigeria’s northern states, but most death sentences in Kano are commuted.