Nigerian court denies election appeal
ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's Supreme Court refused Thursday to void the recent election of President Bola Tinubu and dismissed the political opposition's challenges, which argued that the vote was flawed and that Tinubu was not qualified to seek or hold the presidency.
The court held in a majority ruling that the grounds of the challenges were "devoid of merits," ending a dispute that had put Africa's most populous country on the edge after the February election. An appeals court in Nigeria also rejected the petitions last month.
Two other candidates in the election separately challenged Tinubu's win, alleging that he failed to meet the minimum educational qualification to run, did not secure the required number of votes and that the country's election commission did not follow its own provisions in collating and announcing the election results.
During a televised hearing in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, the Supreme Court dismissed the challenges from the Peoples Democratic Party's Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party's Peter Obi in their entirety, affirming the position of the election tribunal that Tinubu's victory followed the due process.
"It is my view that there is no merit in this appeal," Justice Inyang Okoro, who read the ruling of the seven-member court panel, said of Abubakar's petition. A similar ruling was subsequently issued in Obi's case.
Sweden revokes Iraqi's residence permit
STOCKHOLM -- Sweden reportedly withdrew the residence permit of an Iraqi man who staged a series of public desecrations of the Quran this year but put his deportation on hold, saying his life would be in danger if he were returned to Iraq.
Sweden's Migration Agency made the decision this week after determining that Salwan Momika had provided false information in his application for asylum, Swedish broadcaster TV4 reported Thursday.
An order of deportation was issued but placed on hold for security reasons, a Migration Agency official told the television station Thursday. Swedish media say Momika was granted a residence permit in 2021.
"The decision was made yesterday and means that this person's status and residence permit will be revoked and that he will be deported," agency spokesman Jesper Tengroth was quoted as saying.
However, Tengroth added that "this person risks being subjected to torture and inhuman treatment if he returns to his home country. We have therefore decided that there is an obstacle to enforcing the deportation."
Momika angered Muslims both in Sweden and abroad with anti-Islam protests in which he burned or otherwise desecrated the Quran.
S. Korea scholar cleared of defamation
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's top court on Thursday cleared a scholar of charges of defaming the Korean victims of sexual slavery during Japanese colonial rule in a contentious book published in 2013.
Thursday's ruling in the criminal case of Park Yu-ha isn't the end of her long-running legal battle, as she faces a separate civil suit filed by ex-sex slaves. She's suffered harsh public criticism over her book "Comfort Women of the Empire," triggering debates over the scope of freedom of speech in South Korea.
In 2017, the Seoul High Court fined Park, an emeritus professor at Seoul's Sejong University, $7,360 over some of the expressions she used in her book to describe Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japan's troops during the first half of the 20th century.
But the Supreme Court ruled Thursday it was difficult to determine those expressions constituted criminal defamation, saying it was more appropriate to assess them as Park's academic arguments or expression of her personal opinions.
The court said that "restrictions on the freedom of academic expressions must be minimal." It still said that when scholars publicize their studies, they must strive to protect others' privacy and dignity and to respect their freedom and rights to self-determination.
Afghan activist freed, says nonprofit
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban have freed an Afghan activist who campaigned for the education of girls, a local nonprofit organization said Thursday. Matiullah Wesa was arrested seven months ago and spent 215 days in prison, according to the group, Pen Path.
Wesa has been outspoken in his demands for girls to have the right to go to school and repeatedly called on the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan to reverse its bans on female education.
Since their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from school beyond the sixth grade. Last December, they banned women from going to universities. Afghanistan is the only country in the world with restrictions on female education.
After his release, Wesa thanked his friends for their support and vowed to continue his work.
"Our hopes and goals will not change, nor will they be broken, we will continue our charitable services," he tweeted. "I will share the whole process and (details of the) prison situation later."
Lawyers and others walk out of the supreme court following a judgement In Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Nigeria's Supreme Court refused Thursday to void the recent election of President Bola Tinubu and dismissed the political opposition's challenges, which argued that the vote was flawed and that Tinubu was not qualified to seek or hold the presidency. (AP Photo/Olamika Gbemiga )
Supporters of Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu celebrate after the supreme court judgement In Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Nigeria's Supreme Court refused Thursday to void the recent election of President Bola Tinubu and dismissed the political opposition's challenges, which argued that the vote was flawed and that Tinubu was not qualified to seek or hold the presidency. (AP Photo/Olamika Gbemiga )
Supporters of Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu \ celebrate after the supreme court judgement In Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023. Nigeria's Supreme Court refused Thursday to void the recent election of President Bola Tinubu and dismissed the political opposition's challenges, which argued that the vote was flawed and that Tinubu was not qualified to seek or hold the presidency. (AP Photo/Olamika Gbemiga )
FILE - Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu arrives for the closing session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit, on June 23, 2023 in Paris. Nigeria's Supreme Court refused Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023 to void the recent election of Tinubu and dismissed the political opposition's challenges, which argued that the vote was flawed and that Tinubu was not qualified to seek or hold the presidency. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, file)
Professor Park Yu-ha answers questions on Thursday outside the Supreme Court of Korea in Seoul, South Korea. (AP/Yonhap/Park Dong-ju)