A veteran Japanese singer has been suspended by his agency after admitting to an extra-marital affair.
Johnny & Associates said Masahiko Kondo's "thoughtless" behaviour deserved "strict punishment".
The 56-year-old has since been barred from all work engagements.
It is common for public figures in Japan to face censure and strict penalties after an affair is exposed, but some people have questioned the professional repercussions of this.
Mr Kondo's relationship was first reported by a gossip magazine last week.
Johnny & Associates, one of Japan's most powerful talent agencies, said that as a married man Mr Kondo's "behaviour was thoughtless" and "lacked awareness and a sense of responsibility".
"After careful consideration we decided that strict punishment was needed," it said in a statement.
Mr Kondo, who was a J-Pop idol in the 1980s, had apologised and offered to step back to reflect on his behaviour and "to become a better person", the agency added.
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has frozen the bank accounts of businessman and politician, Jimoh Ibrahim, and seized some of his assets over his N69 billion debts.
The agency on Wednesday took over the asset following an order granted by Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
Altogether, AMCON seized 12 property from Mr Ibrahim. They include the building housing NICON Investment Limited at Plot 242, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja; NICON Hotels Limited building at Plot 557, Port-Harcourt Crescent, off Gimbiya Street, Abuja and the building of NICON Lekki Limited also at No. 5, Customs Street, Lagos.
The others are the building of Abuja International Hotels Limited located at No. 3, Hospital Road, Lagos; another property at Plot 242, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Abuja; the former Allied Bank Building on Mile 2, Oshodi ExpressWay, Apapa Road, Lagos; Energy House located on No. 94, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; NICON Building at No. 40, Madeira Street, Maitama, Abuja; a residential apartment at Road 2, House A14, Victoria Garden City, Lagos; NICON Hotels Building at Plot 3, Road 3, Victoria Garden City, Lagos as well as the NICON Luxury Hotel’s Building, Garki I, FCT, Abuja.
The order for the seizures was given in respect of a suit filed by AMCON in 2016, with file number No FHL/L/CL/776/2016.
The court had earlier ordered the seizure of some asset from Mr Ibrahim in 2016 over his debts to AMCON but he obtained a court injunction a month later discharging the interim order granted to AMCON.
Members of the UK Parliament have scheduled November 23 to debate sanctions against the Buhari administration over its handling of the historic #EndSARS protests last month.
The parliamentarians will consider a petition from hundreds of thousands of Nigerians that asked them to look into the killings and gross violations of human rights abuses by security forces and other officials.
The petitions were filed online last month.
It is unclear whether the British lawmakers would recommend sanctions after debating the petitions, or if the government would implement them considering Nigeria’s long-standing ties with the UK.
Here are lovely pre-wedding photos of identical twin brothers who are engaged to be married to a set of identical twin sisters in Kano. The photos were shared online by their official photographer, Villa Studio.
Rest in peace, Bobby Brown Jr. The 28-year-old son of Bobby Brown died on Wednesday, a spokesperson for LAPD confirms to ET. ET has reached out to Bobby's rep for comment.
According to the LAPD spokesperson, officers from the West LA division responded to a call about a medical emergency at around 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday. When the officers arrived, there was a male subject who was pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play is suspected, and the case is being handed over to the L.A. county coroner.
"I love you forever King," Bobby Jr.'s brother, Landon, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday evening.
Bobby Jr., one of Bobby's seven children, was born in 1992, at the end of the singer's 11-year on-off relationship with Kim Ward. Bobby's daughter Bobbi Kristina, whose mother was Whitney Houston, was born in 1993.
The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria has taken over 12 assets belonging to Chairman of Global Fleet Group, Jimoh Ibrahim, over N69.4bn debt.
The seizure of the assets is pursuant to an order by Justice R.M. Aikawa of a Federal High Court in Lagos.
All bank accounts, which had Ibrahim as a signatory, either alone or with any other person were also frozen.
Following the court order, the AMCON debt recovery team on Wednesday immediately swung into action and took over Ibrahim’s assets in both Abuja and Lagos.
AMCON’s spokesperson, Jude Nwauzor, in a statement on Wednesday, said the court order equally directed the agency to take over the businessman’s Nigeria Re-Insurance Company Plc, NICON Insurance Company Plc, Nigeria Stockbrokers Limited and NICON Trustees Limited.
The statement reads, “AMCON on Wednesday took effective possession of all 12 properties through its Debt Recovery Agent – Pinheiro Legal Partners, which include the following: the building of NICON Investment Limited at Plot 242, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Central Business District, Abuja; NICON Hotels Limited building at Plot 557, Port-Harcourt Crescent, off Gimbiya Street, Abuja, and the building of NICON Lekki Limited also at No. 5, Customs Street, Lagos.
“Others are – the building of Abuja International Hotels Limited located at No. 3, Hospital Road, Lagos; another Property at Plot 242, Muhammadu Buhari Way, Abuja; the former Allied Bank Building on Mile 2, Oshodi Expressway, Apapa Road, Lagos; Energy House located on No. 94, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; NICON Building at No. 40, Madeira Street, Maitama, Abuja; a Residential Apartment at Road 2, House A14, Victoria Garden City, Lagos; NICON Hotels Building at Plot 3, Road 3, Victoria Garden City, Lagos, and the NICON Luxury Hotel’s Building, Garki I, FCT, Abuja.
“In addition to the takeover of the listed properties, the court also ordered the freezing of all accounts belonging to Ibrahim and his companies including Global Fleet Oil and Gas Limited and NICON Investment Limited all of who are defendants in suit No. FHL/L/CL/776/2016 presided over by Justice Aikawa on Wednesday, November 4, 2020.”
Edo state police command on Wednesday said it has re-arrested 18 of the runaway inmates who escaped from the two medium correctional centres in Benin, during the #EndSARS prison break.
Besides, it said 16 cultists and 14 suspected armed robbers who have been terrorizing the state capital were also nabbed in its renewed onslaught against violent criminals.
It would be recalled that Upper Sakponba Road, Third East Circular Road, Ogida Quarters, Okhoro Road and other black spots in Benin metropolis are the scenes of an ongoing bloody feud between suspected rival cultists, which has led to the untimely death of scores of people, mostly youths.
The state commissioner of police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumon, who made this known during a parade of the suspects, said that policemen are not folding their arms watching as hoodlums have a field day.
“We are not folding our arms and watch the hoodlums have a field day. Our main concern now is geared towards re-arresting the escapees and recovering the looted and other illicit arms and ammunition in circulation.
“To this end, the police and other security agencies in conjunction with the state government put machineries in place to checkmate the activities of these rampaging hoodlums, which have yielded some positive results,” he said.
The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has assured Nigerians that the incremental changes to Nigeria’s tax laws do not mean that there will be an increase in taxes.
She gave the assurance on Wednesday, while addressing State House correspondents after the council approved the Finance Bill 2020.
The minister explained that the bill will ensure improvements in tax laws while reducing some taxes for small and medium enterprises.
She told journalists that the 2019 Finance Bill actually reduced taxes from 30% to 20% for businesses with a turnover of between N25 million and N100 million.
“When we say incremental changes, its making improvements in the tax law. It doesn’t mean increasing taxes. So, what we are doing in the Finance Bill for 2020, has no increases. There will be no VAT increase, VAT remains at 7.2%,” Ahmed said.
“And I gave an example of the changes we are making in the tax law.. in the last Finance Bill 2019, we reduced from 30% to 20% for enterprises that have turnover of between 25million to 100 million and we also moved taxes from 30% to 0% for enterprises that have turnover of 25 million and below which means they pay no taxes.
“What we are doing in the Finance Bill 2020 is to further remove the education tax of 2% for that lower category of enterprises that have a turnover of 25 million and below.
“So, when we say incremental, we mean gradually making changes so, the changes could be up or down. But for now, with the economic slowdown, our assessment is that this is the time to cut down on taxes, to not increase taxes at all and also to not increase levies”.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign on Wednesday paid $3m for a partial recount of Wisconsin’s presidential election results.
The request was part of the long-shot attempt by the campaign to reverse President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
While staying out of the public eye, the Republican Trump has persisted in venting his anger on Twitter, where he made claims of election fraud, some of which were unsupported by evidence and others demonstrably untrue.
Election officials in Wisconsin, as well as in Georgia, said recounts in those states were very unlikely to reverse Trump’s losses.
Biden, a Democrat, warned that the continued delay by Trump in recognizing him as winner could mean the United States will be “behind by weeks and months” in the preparations to distribute a coronavirus vaccine.
Trump’s unfounded claims about the election having been “rigged” are failing in courts.
However, opinion polls show they have a political benefit, with as many as half of Trump’s fellow Republicans believing them, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission said it would oversee recounts in two heavily Democratic counties – Milwaukee and Dane, which includes Madison – after the Trump campaign paid the $3 million cost, less than the $7.9 million estimated cost of a statewide recount.
Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said a recount would start on Friday and finish within days.
Only a few hundred votes changed in the county’s recount after the 2016 presidential election, he said.
“My guess would be that by focusing on Dane and Milwaukee the end result will be that Biden will have a slight increase in votes, but nothing terribly significant – certainly nothing anywhere near what would be required for changing the outcomes,” McDonell said.
In the state-by-state Electoral College that determines the election winner, Biden captured 306 votes to Trump’s 232. He won the popular vote by more than 5.8 million.
Biden won Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes to lead Trump 49.5% to 48.8%.
To remain in office, Trump would need to overturn results in at least three large and closely competitive states to reach the threshold of 270 electoral votes. That would be unprecedented.
The president is clinging to hope that a manual recount ordered by Georgia can erase Biden’s 14,000-vote lead there and is also challenging results in the swing state of Michigan.
Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s voting system implementation manager, told journalists that as of Wednesday morning, election officials conducting the recount had reviewed 4,968,000 ballots – nearly all of those cast – and found Biden’s lead over Trump had fallen to 12,781 ballots, down from 14,156 previously.
Sterling said there was no evidence that fraud could have changed the outcome in Georgia.
Trump on Wednesday falsely claimed that the number of votes counted in heavily Democratic Detroit, the largest city in Michigan, had surpassed the number of residents.
Transport operators with headquarters in Onitsha, Anambra state have lamented increasing cases of kidnapping and robbery attacks along major highways in the country, especially routes leading to Lagos, Abuja and parts of the North.
The fleet operators, including luxurious buses commuter buses and executive Siena buses threatened to embark on a nationwide strike targeted at crippling the transport sector unless the insecurity on the highways were addressed.
Those who convey passengers from Onitsha to various locations with loading terminals in Enugu, Aba and Portharcourt regretted that travelling had become increasingly riskier owing to the security challenges.
Addressing newsmen on Wednesday, Manager God’s Will Transport, Emenike Okafor noted that incidences of daylight armed robbery and abduction of passengers along the highways increased after the #EndSARS protests.
He identified Benin bypass – Ogbemudia farm to Ore and Kogi area in Lokoja –Abuja highways as most dangerous hot spots where the bandits operate unhindered, saying no fewer than six passengers were kidnapped in the areas.
He said, “In the last two weeks, there have been recorded cases of robbery and abduction of passengers involving Sienna and Hummer buses with about six passengers kidnapped in the mentioned areas.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police to activate his rapid response mechanism and the establishment of a joint patrol team involving the army, Police and the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps in the affected areas.”
While condoling with the Police over the casualties and losses recorded during the #EndSARS protests, Okafor noted that those involved in the mayhem aimed at destabilising the country’s security network, insisting they should be brought to justice.
“No responsible citizen no matter how highly provoked would engage in burning, looting and attack on the police institution saddled with the task of protecting the citizens.
“We want the police to go back fully to their duty posts with renewed vigour and zeal. Let the government motivate them by improving their welfare packages and ensure that those casualties already recorded receives adequate compensation,” he added.
Eight people died while 20 others injured as roof collapsed at a wedding ceremony on Wednesday in Pakistan’s northwest Kurram Tribal District, local media reported.
According to the reports, the roof collapsed at the wedding ceremony in Pewar area of Parachinar Region of Kurram, a tribal district in the country’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The deceased include six women and two children.
Local people and rescuers pulled out the bodies and the injured from the rubbles and took them to the District Headquarter Hospital of Parachinar.
A hospital official told the media that several people suffered serious injuries and they were under treatment.
The official added that the majority of the wounded people were women and children who were inside two different rooms when the roof collapsed.
Singer, Simi has blasted Nigerian leaders over the continued strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
ASUU has been on strike since March as the government and union failed to reach an argument.
The inability of the government and ASUU to reach an agreement has continued to hinder students from returning to their respective institutions, being mostly on the receiving end.
Simi took to her Twitter account to express frustrations over the plight of average Nigerian and called out Nigerian leaders over the prolonged ASUU strike.
According to her, the government is not concerned about the dreams and future of youths in Nigerian universities.
Her tweet read: “Higher institutions on strike for months almost, if not every, year. The odds are always stacked against the average Nigerian. You spend the first half of your life just trying to survive.
“Taking away the hopes and dreams of the youth. Destroying their futures so they’re ready to settle for crumbs. Just so they can live to see the next day and fight for more crumbs. Because they’re not your own children, their futures don’t matter? Shame on you!
“If the leaders in our own country cannot have compassion on their own people, then what can we really do? They get into power and abuse it, abuse the people they should be serving. “
Taking a swipe at the government, Simi said: “The rest of the world laughing at the so-called giant of Africa. Shame on all of you!!
“Imagine doing a four-year course for eight years but still no job. This wickedness is too much.
A 32-year-old commercial motorcyclist, Tunde Adeniyi has been remanded by an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing church musical instruments.
It was gathered that the accused person and others still at large conspired among themselves and broke into Christ Altar of Mercy Evangelical Ministry and carted away 2 Mixers valued N500,000, one mixer engine valued N300,000, and a keyboard valued N250,000 all total valued at N1,050,000.
The accused person who is facing a two-count charge of burglary and stealing committed the offence on November 16, 2020, around 2:00 am at Christ Altar of Mercy Evangelical Ministry In Osogbo.
Police Prosecutor, ASP Taiwo Adegoke told the court that the offence contravened Sections 416 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 vol. 11, Law of Osun state 2002.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the allegations slammed against him by the police.
Defence counsel, Kazeem Adepoju made an oral application for the bail of his client in the most liberal terms.
The prosecutor opposed the bail application made by the counsel on the ground that the offence of burglary is rampant in society.
The presiding Magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara ordered the remand of the accused person at Ilesa Correctional Centre.
He adjourned the case till January 8, 2021, for hearing.
Sporadic gunshots rocked Aguda, Surulere area of Lagos, today as business owners quickly closed their shops and fled.
Some streets in the area are deserted as suspected cultists armed with locally made guns stormed Cassette Bus Stop, Aguda, shooting sporadically to announce their presence.
An eyewitness who craved anonymity said he and others were currently hiding somewhere and could see the hoodlums parading the area with guns.
The hoodlums are said to be prepared to engage a rivalry group in intense gun-battle in the area.
“Hoodlums fire several shots from locally made guns at Cassette Bus Stop, Aguda in Surulere preparatory to epic rival clash. Business owners lock up shops abruptly as residents scamper for safety,” an eyewitness spoke with Pm News from hiding around 3:14pm.
“We saw more than ten of the hoodlums gathering on Willy Omiyi Street, off Cassette bus stop. I also noticed that they kept the locally made guns at open space that supposed to be a car park aquired by a Catholic church in the area.
“We are yet to see RRS men in the affected parts of Aguda,” the eyewitness said.
Suspected bandits have kidnapped 12 police officers along Katsina-Zamfara expressway, a report by BBC Hausa says.
According to the report, the officers, who are assistant superintendents of police, were kidnapped ten days ago.
The officers were on their way to Zamfara from Borno State to carry out a special assignment.
According to the news outlet, the wife of one of the victims said she did not hear from her husband for three days so she decided to report to his station in Borno State.
It was in the process that she was informed about the sad incident.
Another family member said they were contacted by the kidnappers and asked to pay N800,000 to secure the release of their relative.
Zamfara and Katsina states are amongst the North-west states most affected by the activities of bandits who have killed hundreds of people in the past few years and also kidnapped others.
The two states have seen frequent attacks from bandits in recent years, despite heightened security measure in the area.
Police spokesman, Frank Mba, did not respond to calls and a text message to confirm the incident, Premium Times says.
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that he will do whatever it will take to ensure that the #EndSARS protests does not repeat itself in the country.
This is as the President and heads of security agencies have expressed concern over the increasing cases of banditry and kidnapping in the country especially within the North West and North East geopolitical zones and resolved to deal with it decisively.
Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammad Dingyadi, disclosed this on Tuesday, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the National Security Council meeting chaired by President Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja. Dingyadi said that the meeting was convened to brief the President about security situation in the country.
According to him, “The meeting noted with concern the increasing cases of armed banditry particularly in the North West and North Eastern part of the country. The meeting agreed to be more proactive in dealing with the situation in a more decisive manner. “The meeting noted the need to pay greater attention to the police in the discharge of its functions to maintain peace in the country, in the areas of equipment and moderne technology. “The meeting thanked the President for the concern which he has shown in repositioning the police to perform more effectively. “In his concluding remarks, Mr. President thanked members for the efforts they are making in maintaining peace and assured members that he will do whatever it takes to support security agencies in providing peace in the country.
A US based Nigerian lady, Mayowa Sholanke took to social media to share shocking details of how her husband of 10 years, Abraham Ojeabulu left her in US to marry a new wife in Nigeria.
According to her, she married him when he had nothing and transferred all her money to his name. Only for her to found out that he secretly tied the knot with another woman on the 14th November, 2020.
An historic town faces being "overrun" by a giant rat infestation after its council banned killing them.
Poison traps have been outlawed in Bradford upon Avon amid fears they could also kill protected species like birds of prey.
The Wiltshire town council has been branded "dangerous" after saying it "will, as far as the law allows, deny access to those engaged in, and otherwise prohibit, culling or hunting and other types of animal destruction on lands that it controls or manages".
It added that "where necessary, this will include deployment of nonlethal methods of rodent control on council lands".
The area's Wiltshire Council Unitary Authority says rat infestations are "a common problem in rural and urban areas" and carried out more than 1,200 exterminations last year.
Scott Mays, director of Wiltshire Pest Services, told the Telegraph: "Rats are pretty prevalent there [Bradford upon Avon] because of the old network of drains, lots of them get out of the sewers and they can get into properties by those means as well.
"The only non-lethal type of control would be a livecapture trap that would have to be checked every 24 hours.
"I don't quite know how that would work - the town would be overrun with rats.
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, added the ban could put "people's health at risk" from a number rodent diseases.
He added it would "leave pest controllers with the ridiculous option of catching rats and releasing them to return to their food source.
"It is astonishing that a local council would seek to prevent the legal control of rodents and pests when the overwhelming evidence makes clear that it is necessary to do so to protect public health, particularly in a town located next to a river.
"This was a dangerous decision and in the interest of public health, Bradford on Avon council should urgently reverse it."
In a statement, the council said: "While rodents in significant quantities and in urban settings can, of course, present health and safety issues, we aim to prevent problems from occurring in the first instance, with regular monitoring and efficient waste management.
"This way we can avoid methods which could cause unnecessary suffering and distress, or the deployment of harmful chemicals."
