The tax fraud case of Messi and his father Jorge will be heard in May

Lionel Messi’s tax fraud case will be heard by a Barcelona court from 31 May through to 3 June, according to statement on Wednesday.

World Player of the Year Messi and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding the Spanish state of 4.2 million euros in tax between 2007 and 2009 and a Spanish court ordered that they stand trial last October.

The state attorney has proposed jail terms of up to 22 months if they are found guilty.

Barcelona forward Messi and his father have already paid five million euros to the tax authorities as a “corrective” measure after they were formally charged in June 2013.

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Confusion as Tanzania make a U-turn miniskirts ban

Tanzanian president John Magufuli. Picture:AFP

Tanzania’s government has dismissed reports that President John Magafuli has banned miniskirts.

The claim emerged this week in the Kenyan Standard Newspaper, suggesting that the president had attributed an increase in the spread of HIV/Aids to the garment.

The government has released a statement this afternoon saying the report is false, and that while the president is a strong proponent of decent dressing, there is no ban on miniskirts.

In the statement, the government said it deplored the casual manner in which the publication handled what it’s called a “hearsay report”.

It goes on to say the report and attribution of the “imaginary ban” to the Tanzanian statesman was reckless and totally unwarranted.

I’m the most hated man in America

TODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Gersh Kuntzman — let the hate flow, America.

Judging by the response to my column Tuesday about how much I hate the Eagles, our nation has finally set aside its bitter debate over guns, Donald Trump, ISIS and Sean Penn in favor of laser-focused hatred of me.

Like I’ve always said, I’m a uniter, not a divider. Happy to do my part, nation.

For the record, all I said was that the Eagles were a bad rock band in an era of unparalleled innovation in music. It’s an opinion — one that I still believe is shared by a vast but silent minority of music fans.

The column unleashed an avalanche of hate mail that buried me deeper than anything I experienced after more controversial pieces. Guns? Gay marriage? War? Peace? The lie of iced coffee? Nothing earned me so much anger as my contention that the Eagles were just Barry Manilow with guitars. (Sorry, Manilow fans!) One woman called me "the worst thing about America." Not poverty, hunger, homelessness or violence. No, Gersh Kuntzman.

The hate mail led to unintended attention, making me a target on Yahoo News, radio shows, the New Yorker and countless blogs (here's my favorite). Usually, I’d let a column speak for itself — hey, I had my say — but so many people are misrepresenting my motive that I need to offer an insight into why I wrote what I wrote when I wrote it.

First things first: I was not dancing on Glenn Frey’s grave. From all accounts, he was a good man. Was it tasteless to write negatively about the Eagles hours after his death? On this, I plead no contest: The main occupational hazard of journalism is that we must write about timely subjects. That’s what we do. And the Eagles, by unfortunate dint of Frey’s death, were certainly timely on Tuesday. People wanted to know everything they could about the band and Frey — and some Google searchers probably wanted columnists to assess the band’s place in music history.

In a fast-paced news culture, taste can be collateral damage. The goal is to make sure people who are interested in a topic can get all the news they need.

But we all know that opinions are like a--holes — and to most of you, mine stinks. But I never said my opinion of the Eagles is the only valid one. I just said it was mine. Many of my detractors — I’m looking at you, Boomer and Carton— suggested that the Eagles’ overwhelming sales figures by definition make them a great band.

No, sorry. Just because millions of Baby Boomers toss down billions of $10 bills for records doesn’t mean they are right. Kids today have made One Direction the era’s biggest selling band — but in 50 years, will we be mourning Harry Styles like Glenn Frey? I think not.

Other email writers said my goal was just a click-bait ploy of “going negative.” My record speaks for itself: I praise the praiseworthy and nip the heel of the overrated. Isn’t that what journalism is about?

Some of my correspondents have called for my death, which I think is a bit ironic coming from fans of a band that wanted us to “Take it Easy” and enjoy a “Peaceful Easy Feeling.”

You are right that my contributions to the world pale by comparison to Glenn Frey’s — and it is equally true that no one will mourn my passing except for a couple of kids in Brooklyn — but I will defend your right to cement my sub-par place in American letters after I am gone.

Finally, to those of you who just made fun of my surname, I think you could do better. I may be rightfully accused of dancing on a great muscian's grave, but noticing the vulgar possibilities of my last name reminds me of third grade (and here come those tears again!).



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APC Is Winning The Anti-Corruption War - Sanusi Musa

Speaking to Channels Television, Mr Musa said the party was fulfilling the campaign promise that it would fight corruption in the nation.

He said that it was a thing of joy that the promise of change made to Nigerians during the party’s campaign had started manifesting.

The APC member also said that “from the revelation so far, every right thinking Nigerian, irrespective of his political party should be happy with and support this administration and pray for the President and his team to succeed in this fight against corruption”.

Mr Musa further pointed out that international communities have started supporting President Buhari in the anti-corruption fight, apparently referring to Nigeria’s signing of an agreement on Tuesday with the United Arab Emirate to aid recovery of stolen funds.

“We can see that not only from Nigeria, all international community, everywhere; they are supporting the President to make sure that he rids this country of this endemic corruption that has really taken us back far from where we are supposed to be.”

Speaking on the allegation of selective anti-corruption fight, Mr Musa said those criticising the method of the administration were indirectly admitting that those arrested actually committed the offence.

“What we suppose to hear from people is to say that somebody did not commit that particular offence because by saying that it is selective, indirectly you are admitting that the people that are being arrested have committed the offence”.

“the fact that they are in the opposition or the fact that some people suspect that some people who are members of the APC have committed the same offence, is not an excuse for those people to be allowed to go scot-free.”

"the President had called on anyone with valid information about corrupt practices of his cabinet member to make it known."

“The President has said it. If you have any cogent and verifiable fact that shows that any member of his cabinet or any member of his party is involved in any case of corruption, bring it forth. He is going to deal with it,” Mr Musa said

Giving his view on why the Peoples Democratic Party Spokesman, Olisa Metuh, was brought before the court handcuffed, he expressed beliefs that such will not repeat itself.

“I want to believe that the Attorney General of the Federation will take that up and make sure that subsequently, anyone coming to court, not only Mr Metuh,  will not be seen with a handcuff,” he said.

Metuh: Handcuffing an inmate to court was a standard procedure - NPS

The Nigeria Prisons Service has said that putting handcuffs on the National Publicity Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh while appearing for his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday was at the discretion of the prison officer, who supervised his court appearance, according to Punch.

The NPS spokesman, Francis Enobore, said the officer in charge of the escort that took Metuh to court was at liberty to determine if the inmate should be handcuffed based on security situation, the environment and intelligence report made available to him, told Punch.

Enobore made the clarification following comments in the media and by PDP, that putting handcuffs on Metuh is a plot by the All Progressives congress -led to subdue the major opposition party.

Enobore, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, stated that Metuh was not maltreated in any way, stressing that handcuffing an inmate was a standard procedure, which the prison warden could employ based on the situation at hand.

“Handcuffing an inmate is at the discretion of the officer in-charge, depending on the security situation, the environment and intelligence report available to the officer. Sometimes they look at the atmosphere and take the necessary decision."

“If you suspect that the atmosphere, security-wise, may not be conducive to the inmates in your custody, you can use handcuffs; to avoid a situation where you have to start telling stories, you use your discretion to study the environment and take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of the inmates in your custody."

“Remember that we not only try to secure the inmate from escaping, we equally provide protection for the inmate. The officer in-charge must ensure that the life of the inmate is not jeopardised. It is the officer in-charge of the escort that studies the security environment and takes the decision to use handcuffs.” told Punch.

Asked if there was intelligence that Metuh might escape or was in danger of being harmed, Enobore said he did not know because he was not at the scene.

He dismissed suggestions that the PDP spokesman was handcuffed to please the Presidency, "saying there was no political consideration in the treatment of inmates by the prisons service".

Justice Abang had, on January 15, ordered the accused person to be remanded in Kuje Prison shortly after his arraignment on seven counts of money laundering preferred against him by the EFCC.

Court Overrules FG, Sends Kanu To Kuje Prison

Founder of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, during his appearance on treasonable charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja... on Wednesday.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered that the detained leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing and determination of his bail application, according to Channel Television.

Justice James Tsoho gave the order shortly after Nnamdi Kanu and two others pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge of treasonable felony and illegal importation of a radio transmitter‎ preferred against them by the Federal Government.

Mr Kanu entered a not guilty plea to a three-count charge of broadcasting materials aimed at causing Nigeria’s disintegration, managing an unlawful society known as IPOB and importing into Nigeria a radio transmitter concealed in a container, said to contain household items, reported by Channel Television.

Kanu’s co-accused, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, also pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge of assisting Kanu to manage an unlawful society, accepting and keeping a radio transmitter belonging to Kanu and being in possession of a pump action gun without lawful authority.

The Prosecutor, Mohammed Diri,‎ informed the court that the prosecution has completed its investigation and is ready for trial.

Following the prosecutor’s submission, the defence team, led by Mr Chuks Muoma, made an oral application for his clients to be transferred to prison custody.

After listening to arguments for and against the application, Justice Tsoho ordered the accused persons to be remanded in Kuje Prisons and adjourned hearing of the bail application till January 25.

‘Largest cocaine seizure’ in Denmark

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish police say a European drug ring is being broken up with 682 pounds of cocaine of “unusually high purity” seized in Denmark and six arrests in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Police spokesman Brian Voss Olsen says the cocaine could have been cut to up to 1.2 tons of powder and sold with estimated street value of up to $131 million.

Voss Olsen says “the largest cocaine seizure in Denmark’s history” took place in the western Denmark port city of Esbjerg in July, and “likely was intended for the European market.”

He said none of those arrested were Danes, and one had already been extradited to Denmark, adding more arrests could be made. Details were disclosed only on Tuesday because of the ongoing probe.



With daily news

Sarah Palin, failed US vice presidential candidate switch of allegiance to back Donald Trump

           Palin said Trump would take on ISIL and political   correctness in the US establishment [Mary Altaffer/AP]

Former US vice presidential candidate and reality TV star Sarah Palin has given her backing to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.

The former governor of Alaska on Tuesday told supporters gathered at a rally in the US state of Iowa that Trump would "kick ISIS ass", referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.

"He is from the private sector, not a politician," Palin said in an animated speech after joining the business mogul and former host of TV's The Apprentice onstage, later asking the audience if she could "get a hallelujah?"

Palin was running mate to US senator John McCain during his unsuccessful bid for the presidency in the 2008 election, which was won by current President Barack Obama.

She said there was nothing wrong with Trump being a multi-billionaire and that it did not make him an elitist, citing all the time he had spent with construction workers as a real-estate developer.

As Trump stood alongside, Palin said: "The status quo has got to go," adding the political establishment had been "wearing political correctness kind of like a suicide vest", the Reuters news agency reported.

In a statement before the event, Trump said he was "greatly honoured" by the endorsement. "She is a friend, and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for."

Trump has led national opinion polls among Republicans for months but is in a tight contest with Ted Cruz, a Canadian-born senator for Texas, for the support of Iowa Republicans, who lean conservative and whose evangelical Christians comprise a major voting bloc.

Palin, who often discusses her Christian faith, is popular among that group and endorsed Cruz when he ran for the US Senate in 2012.

Cruz responded to her switch of allegiance with magnanimity.

"Regardless of what she does in 2016," he tweeted, "I will always be a big fan."


With Al Jazeera