India, Oct. 16 -- The execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, on death row in Yemen, is indeed halted, the Indian government has confirmed to the Supreme Court. The court was hearing a plea for directions to the government to use diplomatic channels to save the 38-year-old nurse, who was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in 2017.

Because the region of Yemen where she's jailed is controlled by the Houthi group, with which India does not have formal channels of diplomacy, the matter got complicated.

On October 16, Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, was asked by the SC bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta: "What has happened to the execution?"

"There is a new mediator who has stepped i...