International news in brief

Pakistan temporarily halts state executions

ISLAMABAD (AP):

Pakistan's government has halted all state executions temporarily, just a week ahead of the planned hangings of several al-Qaeda-linked militants.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed said Sunday that the executions were halted until Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari held talks. The minister says Sharif will see Zardari when the latter returns from a trip abroad.

In 2012, Pakistan carried out its first execution since 2008. The previous government had put in place a moratorium on executions.

Some convicts, including members of an al-Qaeda-linked Pakistani Sunni militant group, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, were scheduled to be hanged next week.

Amnesty International has said Pakistan has more than 8,000 prisoners on death row, most of whom have exhausted the appeals process, and could now be facing execution.

'Victim 5' reaches settlement in Penn State-Sandusky scandal

HARRISBURG, PA (AP):

A young man who testified he was fondled by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has reached a settlement that gives him some peace of mind while putting the university in a better position to recover the money through a third party, the man's attorney says.

The settlement is the first among dozens of claims made against the school amid the Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.

The Philadelphia Inquirer first reported that the young man known as 'Victim 5', who took the stand at Sandusky's criminal trial and sentencing last year, settled for several million dollars.

Attorney Tom Kline confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on Saturday, but would not specify the dollar amount. He said the parties signed off on the agreement Friday.

Kline said his 25-year-old client was relieved and expected to receive the money within a month.