5 get long jail time for Kremlin critic's murder

MOSCOW • A Russian court yesterday handed lengthy jail terms to five Chechen men convicted of the contract killing of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov as his allies insisted the masterminds remained unidentified. Zaur Dadayev, who carried out the shooting, was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while four other defendants were jailed for between 11 and 19 years, judge Yury Zhitnikov told the Moscow courtroom after a lengthy trial by jury.

The prosecutor had asked for longer sentences for all the defendants, including life in jail for Dadayev - a former internal troop officer in Russia's Chechnya region.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

Honduras bans child marriage

BOGOTA • Lawmakers in Honduras voted unanimously to ban child marriage, making it illegal in the Central American nation for children under the age of 18 to get married under any circumstances.

The law passed on Tuesday raises the minimum marriage age to 18 from 16 and removes all exceptions for child marriage, meaning that girls and boys under 18 cannot get married even with their parents' permission.

REUTERS