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Judge Rejects Diddy’s Request To Postpone Trial

Published

8 months ago

April 18, 2025

The federal judge in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs for sex trafficking and other charges denied Friday the music mogul’s bid to delay his trial by two months, saying he had ample time to prepare.

On Monday, the rapper and record producer pleaded not guilty to two new charges added to the criminal racketeering and sex trafficking case: one new charge of sex trafficking and one of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Judge Arun Subramanian said that the blockbuster trial of Combs, 55, who stands accused by several women of trafficking and sexually exploiting them, should go ahead as planned on May 5. It is expected to last eight to 10 weeks.

He has denied all charges thus far, insisting that any sex acts were consensual, and he nodded his head vigorously Friday when the judge reminded the courtroom that Combs was innocent until proven guilty.

“It’s unclear why… There isn’t sufficient time, especially given the now four (law) firms Mr. Combs now has representing him,” the judge said at a pretrial hearing in a Manhattan skyscraper courthouse.

Combs’s lead lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, had said an extension was required to examine new evidence.

“The new conduct (alleged) is not new,” the judge said in response.

On Friday, Combs wore drab prison scrubs, his hair and beard flecked with grey as he rocked from side to side, turning around at one point to blow a kiss to his mother, Janice.

Also in court was attorney Brian Steele, fresh from securing a successful plea deal for artist Young Thug, who had faced decades in jail.

Steele did not speak.

Public allegations have been building against Grammy winner Combs since late 2023, when singer/actor Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged he had subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs, as well as a 2018 rape.

Along with the federal criminal case, Combs faces a mountain of civil suits that allege harrowing abuse by the artist with assistance from a loyal network of employees and associates.

The rap superstar, incarcerated since September, has started to look noticeably aged.

AFP

Headline

Putin Says Russia Ready For War, Blames Europe For Sabotaging Peace

Published

2 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was “ready” for war if Europe seeks one, accusing the continent’s leaders of trying to sabotage a deal on the Ukraine conflict before he met with US envoys.

The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war, which were preceded by days of intense diplomacy.

“We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now,” Putin told reporters in Moscow.

“They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war,” he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine.

He added that European changes to Trump’s latest plan to end the war “aimed solely at one thing — to completely block the entire peace process and put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia”.

Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed it as heeding to many of Russia’s maximalist demands.

The plan to end the war is championed by Trump, but European countries fear it risks forcing Kyiv to cave in to Russian demands, notably on territory.

Fearing further Russian aggression, Europe has repeatedly said an unfair peace should not be imposed on Ukraine.

The Trump envoys are now seeking to finalise the plan with the approval of Moscow and Kyiv.
AFP

Headline

US Senator Proposes Bill To End Dual Citizenship

Published

2 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A United States lawmaker has introduced a bill seeking to abolish dual citizenship for American nationals, a move that could affect thousands of Nigerians who hold both US and Nigerian passports.

Bernie Moreno, a Colombian-born US senator, announced the proposed legislation — titled the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025 — arguing that the current system, which allows Americans to hold multiple nationalities, creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”

“One of the greatest honours of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so.

“It was an honour to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honour and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good,” Moreno said.

Moreno, who has since renounced his Colombian citizenship, maintains that exclusive allegiance is essential to national integrity.

If passed, the bill could have far-reaching implications for prominent figures such as US First Lady Melania Trump, who holds both US and Slovenian citizenship. It would also significantly impact Nigerians with dual citizenship.

According to a July naturalisation flow report by the US Department of Homeland Security, 38,890 Nigerians became naturalised American citizens between 2021 and 2023. Nigeria ranked 13th among countries with the highest number of new US citizens and was the only African nation in the top 20.

Nigerian law allows citizens by birth to hold dual nationality without relinquishing their Nigerian citizenship.

This development comes months after President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at denying automatic US citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants born in the country.

The order was immediately challenged by 18 states and multiple rights groups, who argued it violates the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. Ongoing legal battles have prevented the order from taking effect.

Headline

12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide

Published

1 day ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.

The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.

Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.

Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.

It said the navy has been called in to help.

AFP