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Diddy denied bail after being cleared of most serious charges

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A judge has denied bail to Sean “Diddy” Combs after a jury convicted the hip-hop mogul of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him of the most serious charges: racketeering and sex-trafficking.

Lawyers for the recording artist had argued he posed no flight risk, pointing out his jet is being chartered in Hawaii.

But Judge Arun Subramanian cited Combs’ history of violence as he ruled the rapper must remain behind bars until sentencing later this year when he faces up to 20 years in prison.

In the nearly two-month federal trial in New York City, prosecutors accused Combs of using his celebrity status and business empire to run a criminal enterprise to sex traffic women.

A panel of 12 jurors deliberated for 13 hours before acquitting Combs of three of the most serious five charges.

He will continue to be held at the same federal jail in Brooklyn where he has been detained since last September.

The sentencing was tentatively scheduled for 3 October.

Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, made an impassioned argument for the judge to release his client.

The defence lawyer said Combs had attended a programme for perpetrators of domestic violence to try to reform his conduct, even before he was arrested, and that he had not been violent since 2018.

“I just think we should trust him,” Agnifilo said.

But Combs’ ex-girlfriend, musician Casandra Ventura, had warned the court in a letter that the hip-hop mogul posed a danger if released.

The rapper had acknowledged domestic violence, but denied any non-consensual sexual encounters or a larger racketeering scheme.

Judge Subramanian said bail was being denied because “the defence conceded violence in his personal relationship”.

The mood in court was emotional after jurors announced they had acquitted Combs of the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking and racketeering both carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

As Combs learned the verdict, he got on his knees, put his face into his chair and appeared to be praying. He was shaking.

The verdict comes a day after jurors told the court they had reached a decision on the sex-trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges against Combs, but were unable to decide on the racketeering count.

The jurors said they had had “unpersuadable” opinions on both sides about the charge, which was the most complicated of any of the counts Combs faced.

Racketeering conspiracy, or directing an illegal enterprise under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (Rico), is the formal name for the charge.

To convict Combs on this charge, prosecutors had to prove he used his loyal network of associates to run a criminal enterprise to commit crimes including sex trafficking, kidnapping, drugging and obstruction of justice.

Defence lawyers argued the case could not be considered to be racketeering if members of Combs’ staff were not knowingly complicit.

Prosecutors called more than 30 witnesses over the course of the seven-week trial, including Ms Ventura, rapper Kid Cudi, several ex-employees and hotel security workers.

They alleged Combs had relied on employees to coerce his partners into so-called “freak-offs”, in which his girlfriends would have sex with a male escort while he watched and filmed.

The government relied on testimony from Ms Ventura, who took the witness stand while eight-months pregnant, telling the court that Combs had pressured her into sex acts and threatened to release tapes of the freak-offs if she disobeyed.

Ms Ventura warned on Wednesday that Combs would pose a danger if granted bail.

In a letter filed to the court, her attorney Douglas Wigdor wrote: “Ms Ventura believes that Mr Combs is likely to pose a danger to the victims who testified in this case, including herself, as well as to the community.”

At the centre of their case was a video of the rapper beating and dragging Ms Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016 – surveillance footage that security employees testified Combs tried to pay them to delete.

Combs’ attorneys conceded their client was violent towards women, but argued that his behaviour was motivated by drugs and jealousy, not evidence of a larger sex trafficking and racketeering scheme.

Combs is also facing dozens of civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and violence.

The Harlem-born rapper founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, a label that represented some of the biggest names in hip hop – including Notorious B.I.G. and Usher.

He went on to establish a clothing line called Sean John and a variety of other businesses including fragrances, alcohol and even a media company.

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Beggar found to possess three houses, cars, other businesses acquired from proceeds of begging

In addition, he owned two auto-rickshaws that he had rented out to others, and a car for which he had hired a driver on a salary of 12,000 Rupees (about $130).

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•Mangilal

A leprosy-stricken beggar on the streets of Indore in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, turned out to be a true slumdog millionaire, with several houses, vehicles and businesses to his name, the media in India reported.

As part of concentrated efforts to make Indore a beggar-free city, local authorities recently rescued a physically-challenged man who had been begging for years in the bustling Sarafa Bazaar.

Unable to walk, the 50-year-old man, known only as Mangilal, spent his days cross-legged on a small wooden platform fitted with wheels, slowly pushing himself around. He had lost his fingers to leprosy, so he was a sorry sight that made many reach into their pockets for a few notes.

Mangilal always stood on his platform with his gaze fixed on the ground, which only made him more pitiful.

But it turns out this was a carefully planned strategy that made him richer than most able-bodied people in the world.

After he was taken off the street, brought in, given a shower, and provided with clean clothes, Mangilal was questioned by civil servants about his situation, and it turned out that he wasn’t as helpless as he appeared.

He reportedly earned thousands of rupees per day begging and was lending money to shopkeepers in the Sarafa Bazaar at interest.

Subsequent checks revealed that he was not homeless but actually owned three houses: a three-storey house, a second house, and a flat that was given to him by a government welfare programme.

In addition, he owned two auto-rickshaws that he had rented out to others, and a car for which he had hired a driver on a salary of 12,000 Rupees (about $130).

Mangilal himself admitted that the money he earned in Safara wasn’t required for survival, but rather a source of funds for various investments.

Officials are currently checking if the 50-year-old beggar has any bank accounts to his name as well.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Mangilal’s family members were also involved in begging.

“I certainly go there, but don’t beg, it’s the people who put the money in my pocket or throw coins or notes on the wooden board,” Mangilal explained.

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Seyi Tinubu Appoints Obi Cubana as South-East Regional Director of City Boy Movement

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Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and patron of the City Boy Movement (CBM), has officially appointed prominent Nigerian businessman and socialite Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, as the South-East Regional Director of the youth-focused pro-government group.

The appointment was formalized during a visit by Seyi Tinubu to Obi Cubana’s residence in Abuja on Monday night, February 2, 2026, where he personally presented the letter of recognition and appointment. The ceremony, captured in videos circulating on social media, featured supporters singing President Tinubu’s campaign anthem, “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand,” amid cheers and expressions of loyalty to the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The City Boy Movement is a youth-oriented platform aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, aimed at mobilizing support, promoting youth empowerment, innovation, and regional cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a post on his Instagram page on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, Obi Cubana shared details of the event and addressed mixed public reactions to his new role. He reaffirmed his commitment to integrity, community development, and inclusive growth, stating, “I am a City Boy through and through, inside and out,” while emphasizing that meaningful change requires active engagement rather than withdrawal.

The appointment has sparked widespread discussions online, with some praising it as a strategic move to strengthen ties in the South-East region, while others have expressed criticism or skepticism. Obi Cubana urged detractors to respect differing perspectives and focus on shared national progress.

This development comes as part of broader efforts by the City Boy Movement to expand its influence and grassroots support across Nigeria in preparation for future political engagements.

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Home Alone actress, Catherine O’Hara, dies at 71

Her break into movies came in 1980 with “Double Negative” — also alongside Levy, and John Candy.In 1988, she played Winona Ryder’s stepmother in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” She would later marry the film’s production designer Bo Welch.

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Emmy-winning actress Catherine O’Hara, who starred in “Schitt’s Creek” and “Home Alone,” has died at the age of 71, her management agency said Friday.

AFP reported that the Canadian-born performer also starred in “Beetlejuice” and recently Apple TV’s Hollywood satire show “The Studio.”.

Page Six, citing a fire department spokesman, reported that O’Hara was rushed to hospital before dawn from her home in the swanky Brentwood area of Los Angeles.

AFP was not immediately able to confirm that.O’Hara was born in Toronto in 1954, where she joined the legendary comedy theater Second City, alongside Eugene Levy, with whom she would collaborate throughout her career, including on the smash TV series “Schitt’s Creek.”

Her break into movies came in 1980 with “Double Negative” — also alongside Levy, and John Candy.In 1988, she played Winona Ryder’s stepmother in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” She would later marry the film’s production designer Bo Welch.

The couple had two sons, Matthew and Luke.But it was in 1990 that she became widely known to a global audience, as the mother of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin in “Home Alone.”

It’s a perfect movie, isn’t it?” she told People in 2024.You want to be part of something good, and that’s how you go,” she said.She would reprise the role in the film’s sequel — “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” which featured a cameo from Donald Trump, decades before he would become US president.

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