South Korean prosecutors on Thursday requested an arrest warrant for Han Hak-ja, leader of the Unification Church, over allegations of bribery, embezzlement, and incitement to destroy evidence.
The move came a day after the 82-year-old was questioned about her alleged role in bribing former first lady Kim Keon Hee and a prominent lawmaker. Prosecutor Park Sang-jin said the charges include violations of the political funds and anti-graft laws, noting a “high risk” of Han tampering with evidence.
Han is accused of sending luxury gifts, including a designer handbag and a diamond necklace, to Kim in 2022 to curry favour with her husband, then-president Yoon Suk Yeol, who has since been impeached and removed from office over a failed martial law declaration.
She also faces allegations of bribing MP Kweon Seong-dong with 100 million won (US$72,000). Han denied wrongdoing when questioned for over nine hours on Wednesday. A court is expected to review the warrant request early next week.
President Bola Tinubu has announced the suspension of emergency rule in Rivers State.
The President made the announcement in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, bringing an end to the emergency measures previously imposed in the state.
With effect from midnight today, the State of Emergency in Rivers State is hereby lifted. Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu, and the State House of Assembly will resume their constitutional duties from September 18, 2025.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeals challenging the election of Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following the withdrawal of suits filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The governorship candidate of the PDP, Agboola Ajayi, withdrew his appeal after consulting with members of his party. In a statement through his counsel, Ajayi extended his best wishes to Governor Aiyedatiwa and pledged to continue working for the development of Ondo State.
Similarly, the SDP’s governorship candidate, Bamidele Akingboye, and his Allied Peoples Movement (APM) counterpart, Ogunfeyimi Kolawole, also withdrew their appeals. Counsel for Akingboye informed the court that the decision followed the death of the appellant.
A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Inyang Okoro dismissed the appeals without objection from the respondents.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the November 16, 2024, governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), securing 366,781 votes across 18 local government areas.
The latest ruling caps a string of legal victories for Aiyedatiwa. In July, the Court of Appeal affirmed his election after the Ondo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in June dismissed multiple petitions, including one from Ajayi alleging widespread irregularities.
In March, the Supreme Court also dismissed a separate appeal filed by Ajayi challenging Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy, ruling that the case was filed out of time and that Ajayi lacked the legal standing to contest the internal affairs of the APC.
Two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is set to stage his first professional fight in Africa next year after the Federal Government gave its backing to an ambitious plan spearheaded by Nigerian sports promoter Dr. Ezekiel Adamu.
Adamu, Chief Executive Officer of Balmoral Group, disclosed in an interview with The Ring that talks are already underway with Joshua’s camp, with Abuja Stadium — which holds 50,000 spectators — being considered as the venue for the blockbuster bout scheduled for early 2026.
Adamu, who is partnering with Amir Khan Promotions, said the move forms part of his long-term vision to revitalise Nigerian boxing and bring global attention to the country.
“We see October 1 as just a little sneak peek. This is really just a showcase of what Nigeria is about and what we can make happen,” Adamu said while previewing his October 1 show in Lagos, billed as “Nigeria’s biggest fight night ever.”
The October event, titled Chaos in the Ring, will headline a grudge clash between Brandon Glanton and Marcus Browne and will be broadcast globally on DAZN. It will also feature British-Nigerian light heavyweight Dan Azeez, who turned down more lucrative offers abroad to be part of the Lagos showcase.
According to Adamu, Nigeria’s population, infrastructure and growing technical know-how are making it an attractive destination for elite fighters. “Of course there is Anthony Joshua,” he said. “But what about Efe Ajagba, Deontay Wilder, Lawrence Okolie and also Moses Itauma whose father is from Nigeria. In fact most of the heavyweight division has Nigerian blood in them.”
Joshua, born in Watford, England, spent part of his childhood in Nigeria and has repeatedly expressed his desire to fight in the country before retiring. “We are going to get Joshua,” Adamu said. “I spoke with him, I spoke with his team and they already said to me, ‘If we had an offer from Nigeria it’s a match made in heaven.’ Joshua has always said that before he ends his career he wants to fight in Nigeria and we are going to make that fight happen.”
Potential opponents for the landmark bout include fellow Africans Tony Yoka and Martin Bakole, with heavyweight star Deontay Wilder also said to be open to an African fight.
“This would definitely be two Africans,” Adamu added. “Now we have a big promotion and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to fight in Nigeria.”
On its 20th anniversary, YouTube has emerged as the new leader of the U.S. media industry, unveiling an aggressive push into artificial intelligence to transform content creation and surpass Disney’s media dominance.
Commanding 2.7 billion users worldwide, YouTube has become America’s most popular platform for watching television and is projected to overtake Disney’s media revenue this year, according to Nielsen data and analyst forecasts. In July alone, YouTube captured 13.4% of U.S. viewership compared to Disney’s 9.4%.
At the platform’s Made on YouTube event on Tuesday, CEO Neal Mohan said AI will be central to empowering content creators over the next two decades. He stressed, however, that AI would not replace human creativity.
“These are tools, and really just that,” Mohan said. “Make no mistake: no studio, network, tech company, or AI tool will own the future of entertainment.”
Backed by Google’s market-leading AI capabilities, YouTube introduced over 30 new tools — three times more than last year — to streamline and revolutionize video production. Features include automatic embedding of shopping links, instant editing of clips into first cuts, AI-generated videos for audio podcasts, and a speech-to-song generator.
YouTube has paid creators more than $100 billion over the past four years, Mohan revealed. Many top YouTubers, including Dua Lipa, Mark Rober, Smosh and Brandon B., have reinvested their earnings into studio-style production facilities to produce increasingly professional-grade content rivaling Hollywood output.
Analysts at MoffettNathanson predict YouTube’s revenue will surpass Disney’s $60 billion media haul from 2024, cementing its position as the world’s most powerful media platform.
With AI speeding up its product roll-out and deepening its support for creators, YouTube appears set to redefine the future of entertainment — and the business of content creation — for years to come.
The Lagos State Police Command has discontinued its case against Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, following investigations into a viral video showing him holding a gun-like object.
Police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi confirmed on Wednesday that the object in question was a stun gun, not a lethal firearm, and that there were “no sufficient grounds to proceed with the matter.”
Pastor Adefarasin had voluntarily presented himself at the Command headquarters in Ikeja after the footage went viral in June, sparking public speculation that he was brandishing a firearm.
In a statement on X, the pastor dismissed the claims, saying, “That was certainly not a firearm, and at no point did I point such at anyone.”
During a Sunday service streamed live on YouTube, Adefarasin described the public reaction as “hurtful” and “malicious,” accusing “clickbaiters” of exploiting the incident for financial gain.
Earlier, Lagos Police Commissioner Olohundare Jimoh had clarified that using a stun gun to instill fear could constitute an offence under the law, but the investigation ultimately cleared the cleric of wrongdoing.
Four years after the military seized power, Guineans will finally vote on a new draft constitution that would pave the way for elections but also permit the country’s junta leader to run for president, in a referendum boycotted by the opposition.
The Sunday vote, which Guineans and the international community have been awaiting for years, opens the way for stalled political elections in the West African nation.
The country has been ruled with an iron fist by junta chief General Mamady Doumbouya since he overthrew elected civilian president Alpha Conde in 2021.
Some 6.7 million Guineans will be able to cast a ballot, out of a population of approximately 14.5 million people.
Among the poorest countries in the world despite having rich natural resources, such as bauxite and iron ore, Guinea has a long history of coups and violent authoritarian regimes.
Vendors talk to each other at Lambanyi Market in Conakry on August 31, 2025. (Photo by SIDIKI KEITA / AFP)
Under international pressure, Guinea’s military initially pledged to return power to civilians before the end of 2024.
Staging a referendum has allowed the junta to deflect demands from the international community and donors to hold the election for a civilian government.
Guinea’s authorities are promising presidential and legislative elections before the end of the year but have not yet set a date.
All signs point to a run by Doumbouya, despite his initial promise not to stand for election and to return power to the people.
“Since 2021 there has been no electoral contest of any kind, there haven’t been any votes, and the government has delayed holding elections,” Franklin Nossiter, Sahel analyst at International Crisis Group, told AFP.
“Although when he took power, Mamady Doumbouya was very clear that he was not going to hold on to power… it seems pretty clear (a run for office is) the direction where things are going,” Nossiter added.
If adopted, the new constitution would replace a “transition charter” established by the military government, which had prevented the junta’s leaders, government members, and heads of institutions from standing in elections.
The stipulation does not exist in the draft constitution, thereby paving the way for Doumbouya’s run.
It remains to be seen how many voters will cast a ballot given the boycott and when results will be released, with the junta not having given a date.
– Blanket Of Silence –
The authorities “have no intention of going anywhere,” Nossiter said.
The opposition has called for a boycott of the referendum, denouncing the vote as an attempt by Doumbouya to seize power.
Meanwhile, a blanket of silence has fallen on dissent and opposition in Guinea as the junta has increased restrictions on freedom.
Since 2022, the junta has banned demonstrations and has arrested, prosecuted, or pushed into exile several opposition leaders, some of whom were victims of forced disappearances.
On August 23 the junta suspended three of the country’s main opposition parties for three months.
Several media outlets have additionally been suspended and journalists arrested, creating a climate of fear among the media.
The draft constitution contains 199 articles and is titled “A New Constitution, a Constitution that Reflects Us and Unites Us.”
Many of the articles are progressive: one establishes a High Court of Justice to try presidents and members of the government in order to fight impunity.
Another creates a Senate to balance power, and yet another promotes gender parity, with a mandatory quota of at least 30 percent women in decision-making and elected positions.
“Guineans aspire to have a modern country,” Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah said in an interview with AFP.
“In terms of democratic progress, the constitutional project has taken into account all the demands that have more or less been made by society, both political and civic,” in recent decades, Bah said.
But the draft also contains items that have been heavily criticised by the opposition.
By stipulating that candidates must be between 40 and 80 years of age and have their primary residence in Guinea, it effectively excludes two of the main opponents.
Former president Conde, 87, is living in exile in Istanbul, and former prime minister and opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, age 73, lives in exile in Dakar and Abidjan.
The government’s “yes” camp and several ministers have been campaigning across the country for weeks. Posters bearing Doumbouya’s image are visible throughout Conakry, the capital.
Conversely, scant trace of the “no” campaign can be found.
Saudi authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who were detained in Jeddah last month over alleged drug trafficking. The victims, two women and one man, were arrested after a criminal syndicate at Kano Airport tagged illicit drugs with their names.
Investigations by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) led to the arrest of the syndicate leader, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, and three accomplices, which proved the innocence of the pilgrims. Their release was secured through high-level engagements backed by President Bola Tinubu and key government officials.
The NDLEA said the case underscores the need for heightened airport security and prompt reporting of criminal syndicates to safeguard Nigeria’s image and protect innocent travellers.
The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd.), has declared Rivers State a national benchmark for good governance, citing his administration’s success in stabilising the state during a turbulent period of insecurity and political crisis.
Speaking at a Public Lecture themed “Democracy and Good Governance” in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Ibas said his tenure laid the foundation for Rivers State to emerge as a model of effective leadership, transparency, and democratic reform in Nigeria.
The announcement comes ahead of Thursday’s expected resumption of duties by suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, as the reinstated Rivers APC spokesman Darlington Nwauju extended an open invitation to Fubara to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ibas recalled that upon assuming office on March 18, 2025, his core mandate under the state of emergency in Rivers was to restore peace and stability in the face of severe insecurity, political impasse, and a breakdown of public trust.
“Emergency rule was never a choice. It was a necessity,” Ibas stated. “Yet, in hindsight, it offered us enduring lessons — that peace is priceless, that without security no other aspiration is possible, and that the indomitable spirit of Rivers people cannot be broken.”
The administrator highlighted his government’s achievements, including conducting peaceful local government elections to reinstate grassroots democracy. He described the recent transition activities as “a covenant renewal with the people of Rivers State, an affirmation that democracy must deliver and that governance must always be rooted in service.”
Commending guest lecturer Prof. Abiodun Amuda-Kannike for his presentation on “Good Governance and Democratic Dividends,” Ibas called for wide circulation of the lecture to promote inclusive governance and sustainable policies across Nigeria.
Expressing gratitude to Rivers residents for their support, Ibas urged all citizens to recommit to the values of tolerance, reconciliation, and collective progress. “The stability we have restored is the foundation upon which democracy must now be rebuilt,” he said. “Much remains to be done, but the foundations have been laid. Let us build on it and prove to the world that Rivers State, the treasure base of the nation, can also be the model of good governance in Nigeria.”
In his welcome address, Secretary to the State Government Prof. Ibibia Worika described the event as a “defining moment” in Rivers history, marking the conclusion of six months of emergency rule and the transition back to democratic governance in Rivers State.
Guest lecturer Amuda-Kannike underscored the need for agricultural innovation, citizen empowerment, and sustainable reforms to drive economic diversification, urging Rivers people to embrace dialogue and forgiveness as essential tools for peacebuilding.
Meanwhile, APC spokesman Darlington Nwauju reiterated his call for Governor Fubara to join the party, saying that by convention, the governor would automatically become the leader of Rivers APC if he defects.
President Bola Tinubu and Governor Fubara were both expected back in Nigeria on Tuesday ahead of Rivers’ transition to democratic rule on Thursday. Tinubu cut short his vacation in France to oversee the return to civilian leadership in the state, while Ibas intensified preparations to hand over power with a series of transition activities.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has withdrawn from next week’s China Open due to an injury sustained en route to winning her fourth Grand Slam title at the US Open earlier this month.
The Belarusian, who defeated Amanda Anisimova to claim her second consecutive US Open crown just 10 days ago, will miss the WTA 1000 event in Beijing, which begins on September 24.
“Aryna has not fully recovered from the injury she sustained during the US Open and will miss the 2025 China Open,” organisers announced on Wednesday.
Sabalenka, 27, who reached the quarter-finals in Beijing last year, expressed her disappointment on Weibo, saying she was “very sad” to pull out after “sustaining a small injury” at Flushing Meadows.
“I am going to focus on recovery and strive to quickly return to the court at 100 percent,” she said, adding that she looks forward to returning to Beijing next year.
Sabalenka is scheduled to defend her title next month at the Wuhan Open, the final WTA 1000 tournament of 2025.
Former Arsenal and Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to charges of raping two women and sexually assaulting a third.
Partey, 32, who now plays for Spanish club Villarreal, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday to deny five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault allegedly committed between 2021 and 2022 while he was at Arsenal.
The Ghana international, dressed in black trousers, a black quarter-zip jumper and a blue jacket, confirmed his name, date of birth and entered his not guilty plea. His lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, said he welcomes “the opportunity to finally clear his name.”
Partey had been granted conditional bail in August and remains free to play football under conditions requiring him to notify police of any international travel 24 hours in advance and barring him from contacting the complainants.
The midfielder’s court appearance came a day after he featured in Villarreal’s 1-0 Champions League loss to Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he was jeered by home fans during his brief appearance.
Partey left Arsenal this summer after the expiration of his contract and signed a two-year deal with Villarreal. His signing has drawn criticism from sections of the club’s supporters, who described the move as a departure from Villarreal’s long-held values.
