SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore executed an Australian drug trafficker just before dawn on Friday despite repeated pleas by Australia's government for clemency, sending a chill over relations between the long-time allies.
Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, was hanged at the city-state's Changi prison just after 6.00 am (2200 GMT). A minute after the execution, a large church bell in Nguyen's home city of Melbourne tolled 25 times -- once for every year of his life. The hanging follows weeks of campaigning by his lawyers, his family and civil rights groups to stop the execution.
Thousands of people gathered in Australia to pray and mourn for Nguyen in the final 24 hours of his life while Singapore activists moved in pairs overnight to light candles at the prison. Public gatherings of more than four people require a police permit in the tightly-controlled city-state.
Details here from Reuters via thestar.com.