Russia frees opposition activist jailed for protesting

http://ift.tt/2myDez5

(FILES) This file photo taken on April 06, 2014 shows Russian opposition activist Ildar Dadin participating in a rally at Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, in support of anti-government activists detained in Moscow's Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012. Russia's Supreme Court on February 22, 2017 ruled that an opposition activist jailed for several peaceful protests in the first such case should have his conviction quashed and be released from jail. Ildar Dadin in 2015 became the first Russian to be jailed for repeated unsanctioned protests against President Vladimir Putin's rule.<br />PHILIPP KIREEV / AFP

Russia on Sunday released a prominent opposition activist from jail, after a court quashed a sentence that made him the only person convicted under a tough law against public protests.

Ildar Dadin, 34, emerged from a Siberian penal colony after some 15 months behind bars for repeatedly holding unsanctioned rallies against President Vladimir Putin’s rule.

Dadin — who was declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International — has complained of torture and abuse behind bars, and his case became a cause celebre for those who oppose the Kremlin.

“I will continue to fight against Putin’s fascist regime,” Dadin said in footage broadcast online by the independent Dozhd channel.

“I will fight so that human rights are respected in Russia.”

Russia’s Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned Dadin’s December 2015 imprisonment and ordered he be freed.

He was originally sentenced to three years in jail, but that sentence was reduced and he currently had some six months left to run.

Dadin’s case was controversial as it was the first time a protester was prosecuted under 2014 legislation that ratcheted up punishment to a maximum of five years in jail for anyone caught holding unsanctioned demonstrations more than twice in six months.

The statute — known as Article 212.1 — was seen as part of the Kremlin’s attempt to curb dissent following mass protests against Putin in 2011-2012 and demonstrations in Kiev that ousted Ukraine’s Russian-backed leader in 2014.

The legislative changes have helped snuff out almost all protests against Putin, a former KGB officer, in Russia.

The decision to release Dadin came after the constitutional court criticised the harsh punishments against peaceful protestors — sparking hope among rights groups that authorities will no longer enforce the tough sanctions.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lJ1saB

Ibrahimovic comes, sees and conquers

http://ift.tt/2lGo39h

Manchester United's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates scoring their second goal during the FA Community Shield football match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium in London on August 7, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK /

Having spectacularly exploded doubts about his age since joining Manchester United, Zlatan Ibrahimovic approaches Sunday’s League Cup final against Southampton seeking a second triumph of the season at Wembley Stadium.

The 35-year-old made his first official United appearance at Wembley in August’s Community Shield against Leicester City, a towering late header giving him the 29th trophy of his career.

He returns having confirmed that early promise with a further 23 goals in 35 games and having done more than any other player to keep Jose Mourinho’s side on course for success on four fronts.

“People that know me know that I play in many clubs and I try to do my best,” Ibrahimovic said recently.

“Wherever I went I won, so I am like Indiana Jones.”

Famed for his larger-than-life ‘Zlatan’ persona, Ibrahimovic has not disappointed English football fans, his provocative soundbites including a claim that his critics have been made to “eat their balls”.

But while the Swede was always expected to provide regular material for Britain’s tabloid headline-writers, his impact on the pitch has taken many by surprise.

Having gorged on silverware during a four-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain, Ibrahimovic, it was felt, would struggle to adapt to the break-neck pace and cut-troat competitiveness of the Premier League.

Instead he has thrived, scoring at a rate not seen since Robin van Persie’s time at Old Trafford and keeping United in contention for glory in the League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League and a top-four finish in the Premier League.

In helping to restore belief within a squad besieged by negativity under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, he has even earned comparisons with Eric Cantona, catalyst supreme of the Alex Ferguson era.

– ‘Unbelievable’ –
“I think there’s similarities because of that confidence they have in their own ability and the goals that they have scored,” says former United midfielder Ryan Giggs.

“It didn’t faze Eric or Ibrahimovic, coming to United and being the number-one player.

“Even when they are playing well and getting all the adoration, they don’t get carried away.

“It’s their job and you can see that he is a good professional. He is always fit and at his age to play centre-forward and to produce the goals he is producing is unbelievable.”

Whereas he strolled all over the pitch during his PSG days, Ibrahimovic has streamlined his game in England, relying more on his formidable aerial prowess and penalty-box nous.

His first United hat-trick, in last week’s 3-0 win over Saint-Etienne, was bereft of the usual Ibrahimovic sheen, his goals coming via a deflected free-kick, a tap-in and a dubious self-won penalty.

A key element in his successful adaptation, and to United’s renaissance in general, has been his burgeoning relationship with fellow star signing Paul Pogba.

The pair quickly found the same wavelength and Pogba is forever looking for his number nine with lofted balls over the top of opposing defences.

The France midfielder has supplied five assists since returning from Juventus and all have been for Ibrahimovic, a formula seen most recently in last weekend’s 2-1 FA Cup win at Blackburn Rovers.

“I knew that (Ibrahimovic) would be a very important player for us,” Mourinho said at Ewood Park.

“I knew that for sure. One more goal, one less goal, but I knew that the contribution would be massive for us.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mnZrAC

Group backs Sanusi’s call for regulation of marriage (Read full details)

http://ift.tt/2kLd53y

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has supported call by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II for a law to regulate marriage to second wives.

The emir was reported to have said on Monday that the Kano State Government was preparing a law to make it mandatory for men seeking to marry second wives to satisfy certain conditions.

A statement issued on Wednesday by MURIC’s Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, and made available to newsmen in Ibadan, said the move was in conformity with the provisions on marriage as contained in the Holy Qur’an.

MURIC said, although Islam allows a man to marry up to four wives, the permission was meant to provide security for widows and other unmarried women.

“It is an open secret that women outnumber men in all parts of the world.

“Islam therefore permits men to marry more than one wife in order to provide shelter and welfare for those women who would have been left single.

“In the first instance, the Qur’an enjoins those who do not have the capacity to maintain even a single wife to abstain from marriage until they can become economically strong enough.

“ The Qur’an also allows a man who already has one wife to take a second woman, a third or even a fourth but with the condition that such a man must have sufficient means to care for them all,’’ MURIC said.

MURIC said that what the Kano state government was trying to do was to give interpretation to the verses of the Quran.

“This becomes necessary in view of the fact that many Muslims misinterpret the Quran by marrying more than one wife when in reality they cannot even maintain one wife comfortably.

“The result is the production of children who end up as social miscreants,’’ MURIC said.

MURIC commended the vision and courage of the Emir of Kano as well as the forthrightness of Kano state government for evolving “this great idea.”

The group called on other states which have Muslim majority population to emulate the policy, as it is capable of reducing poverty, raising standard of living and increasing the number of literate citizens.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2lnyEpr

Mourinho eying changes for Saint Etienne second leg…See full details

http://ift.tt/2l32v3L

Manchester United's Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho / AFP PHOTO / GEOFF CADDICK /

Jose Mourinho will likely ring the changes again as Manchester United look to wrap up their progress to the Europa League last 16 away to Saint-Etienne on Wednesday.

A Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick led them to a 3-0 victory in last week’s Old Trafford first leg and barring an alarming meltdown, the English giants should comfortably see out the second leg in France.

Mourinho made seven changes to his side for Sunday’s FA Cup victory over Blackburn and will likely keep his squad rotating with the English League Cup final against Southampton to come this Sunday.

Just juggling his team enough to keep it fresh for every match is keeping Mourinho busy.

United would play at least 65 matches this season if they reached the Europa League and FA Cup finals as well as the League Cup.

“I have to play Saint-Etienne, I have to play the (League Cup) final, I have to play, hopefully, another game in the Europa League, I have to fight for a top-four position in the Premier League. So I have so many things to think about,” the Portuguese coach said after his side beat Blackburn 2-1.

St Etienne have not given up hope of causing a shock but their 2-1 defeat at Montpellier on Sunday has dragged them into a tight dog-fight in the battle to qualify for next year’s Europa League, leaving them level on points with Marseille and Bordeaux, and four behind local rivals Lyon.

That will likely now prove their priority.

St Etienne coach Christophe Gautier had said following the Old Trafford match: “We must respect the competition and the people who come to the stadium.”

But following the Montpellier defeat he had admitted that he has “some choices to make for the next matches”.

St Etienne aren’t the only side facing a daunting prospect in the second leg with Villarreal and Sparta Prague trailing respectively Roma, for whom Edin Dzeko bagged a hat-trick, and Rostov by four goals following last week’s first legs.

Lyon and Schalke 04 also have one foot in the last 16 after three-goal victories over AZ Alkmaar and PAOK respectively.

But for Tottenham Hotspur, progress remains very much in the balance following last week’s 1-0 defeat at Gent.

Tottenham’s European form this season has been dire, winning just two of seven matches so far and suffering the ignominy of being knocked out of the Champions League group stages, and thus parachuting down into the Europa League.

But a hat-trick from England striker Harry Kane gave Spurs a 3-0 FA Cup win at Fulham on Sunday, which Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld hopes can inspire his side at Wembley on Thursday.

“We’re looking forward to (the second leg), to change the game we played last Thursday, get a good result and get to the next round,” he said.

Things are tight also for Fiorentina, who defend a 1-0 lead at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach, and Athletic Bilbao, heading to APOEL in Cyprus with a slender 3-2 lead.

Russians Krasnodar hold a 1-0 advantage ahead of their trip to Fenerbahce while Shakhtar Donetsk have a single goal lead ahead of the reception of Celta Vigo.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2kGZxpO

Italy police hunt anti-pope plotters

http://ift.tt/2lf0Dss

A woman walks past an anti-Pope Francis poster with a portrait of the Pope and a message reading "Francis you under receivership congregations, removed priests, decapitated the order of Malta and the Franciscan friars of the Immaculate ignoring the Cardinals; where is your mercy?" in central Rome on February 6, 2017. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

Italian police were on the hunt Monday for the authors of anti-pope posters which have been slapped around Rome, amid suspicions the campaign may be linked to an arch-conservative wing of the Catholic Church.

Dozens of the illegal fliers appeared mysteriously around the Italian capital Saturday picturing a stern-looking Pope Francis, a list of accusations against him, and the words “Where’s your mercy?” — turning the pontiff’s call for a more merciful church back on him.

Police were trawling through security camera footage to track down the culprits as Rome city council said it had pulled down 200 posters while those remaining had been covered up.

No group took credit for the stunt, but Vatican watchers said the fact the main complaint referred to the “decapitation” of the Knights of Malta made it likely they came from conservative quarters.

The posters appeared on the same day that Francis appointed his own special delegate to the ancient aristocratic order, after stepping in to stop the firing of its Grand Chancellor, in a move that left traditionalists spitting.

The move publicly sidelined prominent US conservative Cardinal Raymond Burke, who has been outspoken in his disapproval of Francis’ efforts to reform Church teaching on questions related to the family, marriage and divorce.

“Ah Francis, you’ve taken over congregations, removed priests, decapitated the Order of Malta and the Franciscans of the Immaculate, ignored Cardinals… but where’s your mercy?” it reads.

– ‘Germs of selfishness’ –
The reference to the pope ignoring cardinals is believed to relate to four cardinals, including Burke, who sent a letter to Francis at the end of last year in which they challenged the head of the Roman Catholic Church over his teachings on the family.

Burke publicly warned Francis in November it may be necessary to make a highly rare “formal act of correction” if the Argentine did not answer the letter — a bold and almost unheard of challenge to his authority.

The mention of the removal of priests likely refers to allegations that the pope ordered the sacking of prelates from a Vatican department.

In terms of the Franciscans, the pope intervened in the religious order early on to restrict the use of Latin mass, Cruxnow.com said.

The 80-year old pontiff, who was elected in 2013, has proved a divisive figure, hailed by some for his “progressive” attitude — refusing to judge those guilty of church sins, such as single mothers and gay people — but criticised by others for being too “liberal”.

The climate in the tiny Vatican city state has become increasingly acrimonious and watchers warn of a possible show-down with the conservatives.

Francis said at the end of last year that he was “not losing any sleep” over the in-fighting.

On Sunday he made no reference to the posters but called on the faithful to stay away from “polluting germs of selfishness, envy, slander”.

The poster was written in local dialect. The Italian capital has a long tradition of anonymous political expression; protest graffiti was used in ancient Rome and, from the 16th century onwards, criticisms in the form of poems or witticisms were strung up on well-known statues in the city.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2jXmX4S

Russia demands Fox apologise for Putin ‘killer’ question to Trump

http://ift.tt/2lfm2i7

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses a press conference with the Hungarian Prime Minister at the parliament building in Budapest on February 2, 2017.  PHOTO: AFP / Attila KISBENEDEK

The Kremlin on Monday urged US network Fox News to apologise after its presenter called Russian President Vladimir Putin “a killer” while interviewing US President Donald Trump.

“We consider such words from a Fox News correspondent unacceptable and offensive,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in a conference call.

“To be honest we would prefer to receive an apology addressed to the president from such a respected television company,” the Kremlin spokesman added.

Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly in an interview broadcast Sunday pressed Trump on Putin’s alleged links to extrajudicial killings of journalists and dissidents, saying: “he’s a killer though, Putin’s a killer.”

Trump answered: “We’ve got a lot of killers. You think our country’s so innocent?”

“Take a look at what we’ve done too. We’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Trump added.

Asked to react to Trump’s response, Peskov said “in this case I would prefer to leave this without comment.”

Trump has prompted a political firestorm with his remarks on Putin in the interview broadcast ahead of the Super Bowl.

“I do respect him. Well, I respect a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I’ll get along with them,” Trump said.

Senate leader Mitch McConnell, speaking on CNN, said of Putin, “He is a former KGB agent (and) a thug.”

But Vice President Mike Pence told NBC that Trump would not “let semantics or the arguments of the past get in the way of exploring the ability to work together with Russia.”

Trump and Putin had their first call since the US president took office on January 28, which the White House called “a significant start to improving the relationship between the United States and Russia.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2lfkK6X

N26m scam: Fani-Kayode seeks out of court settlement

http://ift.tt/2kiaUCw

Femi Fani-Kayode

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode on Monday, asked the Federal High Court Abuja, to adjourn his case to allow him explore other options of settlement aside from going to trial.

Counsel to Fani-Kayode, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN) who made the application on his behalf said that since the sum of money involved was only N26 million, he believed that there were other options of settlement.

Raji added that moreover, he was new on the case and would need some time to go over the facts of the case to enable him defend his client effectively. “My Lord, I am just coming into the case and so I crave your indulgence to enable me familiarize myself with the case.

“Secondly, looking at the facts of the case and the money involved, I believe that there are other options we can explore. “The case involves the sum of N26 million and the law allows you to explore the option of plea bargain and so many other options rather than go through trial,” Raji said.

He said that if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was amenable to plea bargain, the defence would take the option. The prosecuting counsel, Mr Johnson Ojogbane said he was not opposing the application.

Ojogbane, however, asked the court to take cognizance of the fact this was the second adjournment at the instance of the defence and asked for a definite date to commence trial. The judge, Justice John Tsoho adjourned the matter till March 14 for commencement of trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Tsoho on a fresh five-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The ex-aviation minister was accused of allegedly collecting N26 million from the Office of the Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and using same for media campaign.

Count two of the charge read that;” You Femi Fani-Kayode, converted N26 million cash paid from the office of the National Security Adviser for the purpose of media campaign when you ought to have reasonably known that the said funds formed part of an unlawful act contrary to section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering Act.”

Following the argument of his bail application by the counsel who represented him on that day, Mr Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), he was admitted to bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety in like sum.

NAN also reports that Fani-Kayode is facing another 17 -count charge of money laundering before the Lagos division of the court.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2laszxX

Czech president backs Trump’s anti-migrant steps

http://ift.tt/2jp2C8e

(FILES) This file photo taken on November 09, 2016 in Prague shows Czech President Milos Zeman giving a statement to the media. Czech President Milos Zeman on Saturday, January 28, 2016, praised Donald Trump's anti-migrant steps from the day before, saying the new US president simply cared about his citizens' safety. "US President Trump protects his country, he's concerned with the safety of his citizens. Exactly what EU elites do not do," Zeman's spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said in a tweet. Michal Cizek / AFP

A spokesman for Czech President Milos Zeman on Saturday praised Donald Trump’s anti-migrant steps, saying the new US president simply cared about the safety of Americans.

“US President Trump protects his country, he’s concerned with the safety of his citizens. Exactly what EU elites do not do,” Zeman’s spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said in a tweet.

In office for a week, Trump on Friday signed an order to boost the vetting of potential immigrants and refugees, seeking to keep “radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America.”

The move has sparked criticism among rights groups as well as at the United Nations which called on the US to continue its long tradition of welcoming refugees.

The pro-Russian Zeman, a 72-year-old veteran leftwinger and ex-Communist, who endorsed Trump before the election last year, has criticised immigration from Muslim countries.

He once called the wave of refugees “an organised invasion” and said Muslims were “impossible to integrate.”

“The safety of Czech citizens is a priority. Now we have allies in the US,” Ovcacek tweeted Saturday.

Migration is a prominent political issue in the Czech Republic, despite refugees largely avoiding the ex-Communist EU and NATO member state of 10.5 million people, heading instead to wealthier countries in western Europe.

Vía The Guardian NigeriaThe Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kE5lMd