Author: TheScrutinyNG

The billionaire founder of South Korean internet conglomerate Kakao was arrested early Tuesday, a Seoul court said, accused of manipulating stock prices during the acquisition of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment. Founded in 2010, Kakao has grown to be a sprawling empire and owns everything from a major online bank to South Korea’s largest taxi-hailing app, plus KakaoTalk — the country’s biggest messaging app which is installed on 90 per cent of phones. It also has a vast entertainment portfolio, encompassing music labels and talent management, which it augmented significantly last year by securing a controlling 39.87 per cent stake in…

The United States Secret Service Director, Kimberly Cheatle, acknowledged on Monday that the agency “failed” in its mission to prevent the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. “The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders,” Cheatle said during testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. “On July 13, we failed,” she said. “As director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse.” Cheatle, who is facing bipartisan calls to resign, said the assassination attempt on Trump, who was slightly wounded in the ear while speaking at a campaign…

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will testify on July 30 in a preliminary corruption inquiry into his wife Begona Gomez’s business ties, a Madrid court said Monday, an issue that caused him to consider resigning three months ago. The investigation over alleged corruption and influence peddling has infuriated Sanchez, who has characterised the allegations as an effort to undermine him and his left-wing government. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado will hear Sanchez as a “witness” at his official residence at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on July 30, a court statement said. He will be questioned over suspected influence peddling by his…

The National Association of Resident Doctors, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, has commenced a five-day warning strike over the non-payment of salaries owed to some members. The branch association’s Vice President, Dr. Ashiru Mikail made this known during a news conference on Monday in Zaria, Kaduna State. Mikail said that the association on July 15, 2024, gave a one-week ultimatum to the hospital management to address their demands or be faced with a warning strike. He, however, noted that the request had expired on Sunday, July 21, 2024, hence the commencement of the warning strike. He said the association would…

Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min’s father has been accused of verbally abusing a young player at his football academy in South Korea, according to a police interview transcript given to AFP by a lawyer on Monday. Former footballer Son Woong-jung is a public figure in South Korea and authored a best-selling memoir detailing how he helped his son become one of the best strikers in the English Premier League. But the family of a 12-year-old, identified only as Kim, told police he was the target of foul language just weeks after his enrolment at Son senior’s academy in November. “I…

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has announced the appointment of Mr Usman Aliyu as the Director-General of the Agency for the Great Green Wall. The announcement is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on New Media, Abdurrahman Bundi. The GGW is an African Union project to combat desertification in the Sahel region and prevent the expansion of the Sahara desert. Zulum said he expects the highest level of commitment and dedication in Aliyu’s new role. NAN reports that Aliyu graduated from the University of Maiduguri with a BSc in Geology…

By Kassim Afegbua Thursday, 18 July 2024 has gone down in Edo’s political chronicle as a bloody day, with sounds and fury. It was a day that the Edo State Police Command showed manifest compromise and complicity, and let loose the gates of hell, by allowing agents of Governor Obaseki to unleash mayhem on political opponents. Those who were eye witnesses have since written their accounts of the oddity, as they finger the Edo state Governor, Edo State Security Network and members of the Public Works Volunteers, as the masterminds. Their intention was to prevent the reinstated Deputy Governor, as…

Kamala Harris, US vice-president, says she is honoured to be endorsed as the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. On Sunday, President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, saying his decision not to seek reelection is in the best interest of the Democratic Party and the country. Biden subsequently endorsed Harris, adding that he had offered his full support to the vice president as a nominee of the party in the November 5 presidential election. In a statement, Harris said she would “earn and win” the nomination, adding that she would work hard to unite the party and country…

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Sunday paid tribute to President Joe Biden, saying he had made “democracy stronger” after the US leader announced he was dropping out of the White House race. Tusk, who served as the European Council president in 2014-2019, said in March that it was important to “nurture transatlantic relations, regardless of who the US president is”. “You’ve taken many difficult decisions thanks to which Poland, America and the world are safer, and democracy stronger,” Tusk wrote on X. “I know you were driven by the same motivations when announcing your final decision. Probably the most…

Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, has offered to transfer ownership of his multibillion-dollar oil refinery to the state-owned energy company, NNPC Limited. Dangote’s decision comes amid a growing dispute with a key equity partner and ongoing tensions with Nigerian regulatory authorities. The 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery, which began operations last year after a decade of construction, cost $19 billion—more than twice the initial estimate. It is designed to reduce Africa’s reliance on imported fuel and cut foreign exchange spending on imports. Dangote stated, “If NNPC wants to buy me out and manage the refinery, they should go ahead. They have labelled…