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The verdicts against Sarkozy
Sarkozy gets permanent police protection in prison

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will have two police officers placed in adjacent cells throughout his five-year prison sentence, reports The Guardian.

– The former president of the republic is entitled to protection because of his status. There is clearly a threat to him, says Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.

Sarkozy began his sentence in La Santé prison in Paris on Tuesday. He was convicted of allowing campaign workers to try to seek support from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's regime during the 2007 election campaign.

Middle East crisis Protests
Singaporean women acquitted of Palestine protest

A court in Singapore has acquitted three women who organized a pro-Palestinian walk to the Istana, the Singaporean presidential palace. This is reported by international media.

The women were charged with violating the Public Order Act. The country has strict laws on demonstrations and permits. The authorities have also previously banned public gatherings related to the war in Gaza. This is due to security reasons.

70 people participated in the walk. Prosecutors believe that the three women organized the gathering without a permit, and in an area they are not allowed to enter. However, the judge ruled that the women did their best not to break the law and were unaware that they were marching on unauthorized land.
 

Lenin Park lives on – despite decision to change name

According to a decision made just over two years ago, Lenin Park in central Helsinki was to change its name. But it has not happened and now the debate has flared up again in Finland, reports Kulturnytt in P1.

“Having a park named after you is an honor and a recognition. And Lenin is not a person I think deserves that honor,” says Otto Meri from the liberal-conservative Coalition Party, which took the initiative for the name change.

The reason for the delay is that they are waiting for a major redevelopment of the area.

Critics have raised the point that an established name should not be changed and that the name still says something about Finland and its independence. The name decision in the city council was made with the smallest possible margin and the members could not agree on a new name, so what it will ultimately be – and when – is still unclear.

80 rescued from mine collapse in the Dominican Republic

80 people have been rescued from a mine in the Dominican Republic after a landslide trapped them, the country's civil defense said on social media.

"When we arrived at the scene, we realized the seriousness of the situation, but fortunately the company activated its emergency and evacuation plan in accordance with its safety protocols, which led to everyone being saved," it writes.

The mine is located in the countryside outside the capital Santo Domingo, reports TT.