Navalny’s extended probation clouds plans

MOSCOW — A Russian court extended probation for opposition leader Alexei Navalny by one year Friday, a sentence that should bar him from running for office until at least 2021.

Navalny, who rose to prominence with his investigations of official corruption, spearheaded a series of anti-corruption protests across Russia this year, the most wide-spread in decades.

He wants to run for president of Russia next year and has been signing up campaign volunteers even though he technically is ineligible as a candidate. He says banning him from office is illegal and he’s campaigning to put pressure on authorities. skyscrapers after firefighters put out a blaze that erupted early Friday in the high-rise, forcing residents to evacuate in the middle of the night and sending chunks of debris plummeting below.

No major injuries had been reported in the tower, located in an upscale waterfront district heavily populated by expatriates from around the world. A few people were treated for smoke inhalation, according to Dubai’s Gulf News website. had killed a high-level al-Shabab extremist commander blamed for deadly attacks in Mogadishu.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein said the blast occurred on Maka Almukarramah road in Mogadishu and the two victims were pedestrians. The exact target was unknown.

Five other people were injured, Hussein said, adding that security forces had been on high alert after tipoffs of a possible attack by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab. Most of Mogadishu’s major roads were blocked and cars were being searched by soldiers before the blast.