Briefly

PAKISTAN

Man accused of US reporter's death freed

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of a Pakistani man convicted and later acquitted in the gruesome beheading of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. The court also dismissed an appeal by Pearl's family against Ahmad Saeed Omar Sheikh's acquittal. Sheikh has been on death row since his conviction in the killing of Pearl. His attorney said Sheikh "should not have spent one day in jail". Attorney Mehmood A. Sheikh said the court freed three other Pakistanis who had been sentenced to life in prison for their part in Pearl's kidnapping and death.

UNITED KINGDOM

More Australia trade talks for next month

The next round of talks for a free-trade agreement between Australia and Britain will take place in February after their trade ministers spoke last week, a source said. Britain's International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan spoke to assess progress ahead of a fourth round of negotiations. The deal with Australia could be completed as soon as March, the City AM newspaper reported earlier on Wednesday. The proposed deal with Australia will extend free mobile roaming for Britons traveling to Australia and open up the country's market to UK telecommunications companies.

NEW ZEALAND

Clean-energy buses vowed in climate push

New Zealand will decarbonize its public buses by 2035 and introduce a law this year to import clean cars to cut emissions and fuel costs, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday. New Zealand is pushing for a carbon neutral target by 2050. The government will also mandate lower emitting biofuels across its transport sector and buy only zero-emissions public transport buses from 2025, Ardern said. Ardern had called climate change the "nuclear-free moment of our generation".

UNITED STATES

Shooting-case police go back to duties

Two police officers who were put on administrative leave for their involvement in the arrest and shooting of a black man that sparked nationwide protests have resumed full duties, after their actions were found to be reasonable and justified, police said. Jacob Blake was shot several times in the back in the presence of his young children in August, sparking several days of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the nation against police brutality and racism.

Agencies Via Xinhua