40 years urged for Khmer killer
Wednesday November 25 2009
Prosecutors in the genocide trial of a former Khmer Rouge prison chief demanded a 40-year jail sentence for a man they said took innocent lives and spread terror across Cambodia.
Kaing Guek Eav commanded the notorious S-21 prison which oversaw the torture and execution of about 16,000 men, women and children during the Khmer Rouge's 1975-79 rule.
Some 1.7 million Cambodians died of torture, execution, disease and starvation during the Khmer Rouge's rule, during which the Maoist ideologues emptied cities and forced virtually the entire population to work on farm collectives.
Duch is charged with crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder and torture. He has denied personally killing or torturing the S-21 prisoners, and said acted on orders from his superiors after they threatened his family.
Alicia launches jewellery line
Singer Alicia Keys has won over fans with her music but now the Grammy-winning R&B star is hoping to uplift them by launching her own jewellery collection inscribed with inspirational messages.
Keys has teamed up with Canadian designer Gisele Theriault in a jewellery line called The Barber's Daughters which features silver and gemstone pieces with quotes and poetry from iconic figures such as Gandhi, Buddha and Shakespeare.
