Manila confirms Abu Sayyaf killed Canadian

MANILA • The Philippines yesterday confirmed the execution of a Canadian who had been held hostage by the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group with three other people since September last year.

Mr Robert Hall was killed after the group's demands for 300 million pesos (S$8.8 million) by Monday were not met.

The military confirmed that a severed head, believed to be Mr Hall's, was found near a cathedral on Jolo island.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed outrage over the killing while maintaining that ransoms should not be paid.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Indonesia to execute 16 convicts after Ramadan

JAKARTA • Indonesia plans to put 16 convicts to death after next month's Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, an official said yesterday, confirming executions were set to resume after a hiatus.

The death row convicts will be executed "immediately after" the holy month of Ramadan, said Mr Mohammad Rum, a spokesman for the attorney-general's office.

He did not say who would face the firing squad, but Indonesia has been waging a campaign against narcotics and last year executed 14 drug convicts, mostly foreigners, sparking international outrage. There have been no executions since April last year.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE