TOKYO: A Japanese court yesterday jailed a US youth for at least five years for murdering an Irish student in his Tokyo hotel room, rejecting his defence that the death was the result of consensual rough sex.
The American musician, who cannot be named because he was a minor under Japanese law at the time, had denied murdering Nicola Furlong, after meeting her at a nightspot in the city last May when he was aged 19.
“The court sentences the defendant to imprisonment with hard labour for no less than five years and no more than 10 years,” said presiding judge Masaharu Ashizawa at Tokyo District Court.
The US citizen admitted having pressed Furlong’s neck with his hands during what he said was consensual sex, but insisted he did not intend to kill her. He claimed Furlong had asked that he put pressure on her neck.
Tibetan woman self-immolates in China
BEIJING: A Tibetan woman burned herself to death, leading authorities in China to detain her husband, rights groups and media reports said yesterday, in the latest such protest against Beijing’s rule. Around 110 Tibetans have now set themselves on fire since 2009.
Kunchok Wangmo, in her early 30s, set herself on fire in southwestern Sichuan province’s Aba prefecture, said the US-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) and UK-based Free Tibet, which spelled her name Kunchoek.
Free Tibet and the US-based Radio Free Asia added that authorities cremated the body and handed the ashes to her family, then detained her husband Dolma Kyab after he refused to blame the death on family problems.Swiss betrayed by underage prostitute
Singapore: A Swiss expatriate facing a possible jail term for having sex with an underage Singaporean prostitute said at the start of his trial yesterdaythat he was tricked into thinking she was an adult.
A 41-year-old, Juerg Buergin, is contesting charges filed against him and 50 other local and foreign men accused of paying for sex with the 17-year-old call girl, a case involving prominent figures that caused a scandal in Singapore.
Singapore law makes it illegal for anyone to pay for the sexual services of a girl under the age of 18. The offence is punishable by up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both.
AGENCIES
