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 Bernard Arnault,Europe’s richest man denies involvement in alleged scheme to spy on French MP France's richest man, LVMH chief Bernard Arnault, testified Thursday in the influence-peddling trial of the former head of France's domestic intelligence agency, denying any knowledge of an alleged scheme to protect the luxury group. Bernard Squarcini, ex-head of the DCRI security service (since renamed the DGSI), is one of 10 men on trial and charged with using his security contacts for private gain, including obtaining confidential information on behalf of LVMH. Squarcini faces 11 charges in the Paris criminal court case, including influence peddling, misuse of public funds and compromising national security information. "I would like to point out that I am here as a witness, a simple witness, and that my indictment was never considered by the investigating magistrates," Arnault said in his opening statement. "I was completely unaware," of the alleged scheme, the...

 Chinese acrobat who lost his wife in terrifying on-stage fall seriously injured in second performance incident A Chinese acrobat who lost his wife and performance partner to a terrifying fall on stage last year was seriously injured in another show this week, state media reported. Zhang Kai, 39, plunged several meters to a hard cement ground while performing an aerial silks routine on Monday night, after two pieces of fabric he was holding broke loose from the top of a crane. The horrific moment was captured by Zhang’s own livestream of his performance in Henan province on Douyin, the sister app of TikTok in China, according to the state-run Xiaoxiang Morning Herald. Zhang, who suffered injuries to his face and leg fractures, was out of life-threatening danger as of Wednesday but remained in the intensive care unit, his family told the Chengdu Business Daily, another state-owned newspaper. Zhang’s late wife, surnamed Sun, fell to her death during an aerial silks performance with h...

 Vietnam property tycoon sentenced to death for $27B fraud begs court to spare her life, saying she is trying to repay funds A Vietnamese property tycoon sentenced to death for multi-billion-dollar fraud begged a court to spare her life Tuesday, saying she was trying to repay the stolen funds. Property developer Truong My Lan, 68, was convicted earlier this year of embezzling money from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) — which prosecutors said she controlled — and condemned to die for fraud totaling $27 billion in one of the biggest corruption cases in history. She is appealing against her sentence at a court in Ho Chi Minh City, with the ruling expected in the coming days. In her final remarks before the court, Lan said: “My only thought is on how to repay the debt to the SBV (State Bank of Vietnam) and the people. I don’t think about the damage to myself and my family. “I feel pained due to the waste of national resources,” Lan said, adding she felt “very embarrassed to be charged wi...

 Ananda Krishnan, Malaysian Tycoon Whose Son Gave Up $5 Billion Empire To Become Monk Tan Sri Ananda Krishnan is one of Malaysia's most influential and wealthiest individuals. In the past few days, Mr Krishnan, also known as AK, has been in the limelight because of his son Ajahn Siripanyo, who gave up the world's riches and spoils to become a Buddhist monk.  Who is Ven Ajahn Siripanyo? Born into privilege, Ajahn Siripanyo made a life-altering decision at the age of 18 to become a Buddhist monk. This decision, despite being unconventional, aligns with his father’s devout Buddhist beliefs. “Ajahn Siripanyo’s choice was entirely his own, and it is respected within the family,” a report by South China Morning Post stated. Interestingly, Siripanyo’s mother, Momwajarongse Suprinda Chakraban, descends from the Thai royal family, giving him ties to both wealth and nobility. His spiritual journey began as a temporary retreat in Thailand, which later became a lifelong commitment.  ...

 Conservative US influencer Candace Owens is barred from New Zealand weeks after a ban from Australia The U.S. conservative political commentor Candace Owens was refused a visa to enter New Zealand for a speaking engagement because she had been banned from another country, immigration officials said Thursday. News of the ruling came weeks after neighboring Australia also rejected her visa request, citing remarks in which she denied Nazi medical experimentation on Jews in concentration camps during World War II. Owens is scheduled to speak at a series of events in several Australian cities and in Auckland, New Zealand, in February and March next year. Tickets remain on sale and there is no acknowledgement on the promoter’s website that she has been refused entry to both countries. The commentator, who has more than 3 million followers on YouTube, is accused by her detractors of promoting conspiracy theories and antisemitism and has ignited firestorms with her remarksopposing Black L...

 Onitsha South School Authority Organizes Agric Exbition 2024 By  Angela Oduche  The Onitsha South School Authority has organized Agric Exbition 2024 , this event took place at Ziks Avenue Primary School located at Fegge. Speaking during the event, the Agric desk officer  Mrs  Mbachu Virginia welcomed all the teachers and pupils from the schools around the zone. She appreciated them for their efforts toward seeing that our schools still practice Agriculture which is one of the agenda of our solution governor. Also Speaking, Mrs kate Okorie, Education Secretary in charge of Onitsha South, thanked all the schools that were present, according to her, of about 40 public schools in this LGA, the Onitsha South School Authority today organized Agric Exbition 2024 only 28 schools were represented, thanking the teachers and pupils for making it a reality . She congratulated the schools that took first, second and third positions. Mrs Ejidike Ebele from Ziks Avenue Primar...

 Shah Rukh Khan has emerged as India’s biggest celebrity taxpayer for the financial year 2023-24, surpassing other prominent names like Virat Kohli, Akshay Kumar, and Salman Khan. According to Fortune India’s recently released list, the Bollywood superstar paid Rs. 92 crore in taxes, showcasing his immense earnings and reaffirming his status as one of the country’s highest-paid celebrities. The report highlighted that Tamil superstar Vijay, popularly known as Thalapathy, was the second-highest taxpayer, paying Rs. 80 crore. Other prominent figures on the list include Salman Khan with Rs. 75 crore, Amitabh Bachchan with Rs 71 crore, and Virat Kohli with Rs. 66 crore. Kareena Kapoor was the highest-ranking female celebrity, paying Rs. 20 crore in taxes, just missing the top 10. These figures were based on the advance tax payments made by the celebrities for the financial year. Shah Rukh Khan’s tax contribution comes after a blockbuster year with three major film releases. His January...