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- Colombia guerilla group urges delegations not to attend COP16 in Cali
- Pakistan frets over security ahead of SCO summit
- Ronaldo scores 133rd Portugal goal in Nations League win over Poland
- 40 nations contributing to UN Lebanon peacekeeping force condemn 'attacks'
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- Jewish school in Canada hit by gunfire for second time
- Morocco crush Central African Republic, Guirassy scores hat-trick
- Dupont scores quickfire hat-trick on Toulouse Top 14 return
- Ronaldo scores in Portugal's Nations League win as Spain sink Denmark
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- Mets hurler Senga ready to take on Dodgers in game one of NL Championship Series
- Ronaldo on target again as Portugal defeat Poland in Nations League
- Guardians rip Tigers 7-3 to advance in MLB playoffs
- AFP, BBC win top French war reporting awards
- Carsley goes back to basics as humbled England face Finland
- Alex Salmond: the man who took Scotland to the brink of independence
- Scotland's former leader Alex Salmond dies aged 69: party
- UN warns of catastrophe as Israel fights a two-front war
- Croatia extend Scotland's losing streak
- South Africa, New Zealand boost T20 World Cup semi-final hopes
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- Farrell begins to feel at home as Racing 92 beat Toulon
- South Africa boost T20 World Cup semi-final hopes with Bangladesh win
- Samson ton powers India to T20 series sweep after record total
- Djokovic to face Sinner in Shanghai final with 100th title in sight
- UN peacekeepers to remain in Lebanon: spokesman
- Pro-Conquest film fuels debate in Mexico over colonial legacy
- Samson ton powers India to record 297-6 in Bangladesh T20
- New Zealand enjoy perfect start to America's Cup defence over Britain
- Pogacar emulates icon Coppi with fourth straight Il Lombardia triumph
- UN warns against 'catastrophic' regional conflict
- New Zealand crush Ineos Britannia in America's Cup opener
- Djokovic to face Sinner in blockbuster Shanghai Masters final
- With medical report Harris seeks to play health card against Trump
- Sri Lanka seeks to match success in W.Indies T20s
- Sinner reaches Shanghai final, will end year number one
- China-EU EV tariff talks in Brussels end with 'major differences': Beijing
- Sabalenka downs Gauff in three sets to reach Wuhan final
- Israel warns south Lebanon residents to 'not return'
- Sinner tames Machac to reach Shanghai Masters final
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- Hezbollah fires at Israel as wars rage on Yom Kippur
- Analysts warn more detail needed on new China economic measures
- China tees up fresh spending to boost ailing economy
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- China offers $325 bn in fiscal stimulus for ailing economy
- Dodgers drop Padres 2-0 to advance in MLB playoffs
Japan brands drop boyband agency after sex abuse scandal
Automaker Nissan and beer giant Kirin said Tuesday that they were dissociating themselves from Japan's biggest boyband agency following revelations about sex abuse committed by its late founder for decades.
With their dazzling smiles and suave looks, boyband members made famous by Johnny & Associates have long been a ubiquitous fixture in TV commercials and posters for numerous companies.
Last week, the boyband empire admitted for the first time that founder Johnny Kitagawa had sexually assaulted young recruits over decades, before his death in 2019 aged 87.
Calling the abuse a "grave human rights issue", a spokesperson for beer giant Kirin Holdings told AFP that it would not renew its contract with the firm.
"Our ongoing contract with Johnny & Associates will end upon expiration, and we will not implement any new advertisements or promotion campaigns", the firm said.
It added that steps announced by the agency to compensate victims were not detailed enough and too slow.
Auto giant Nissan said it would also refrain from "developing new sales promotion materials using that talent agency until further notice", on the grounds that its conduct "contravenes" the automaker's guidelines on respecting human rights.
"It is extremely regrettable and must be taken seriously," Nissan's public relations office told AFP.
Major beverage manufacturer Suntory said in a statement that no new promotional tie-ups with the boyband agency will be struck until it is "sufficiently reassured that measures to save survivors and prevent a recurrence are duly in place".
The Japanese arm of fast food giant McDonald's and brewing group Asahi have also decided not to renew their advertisement contracts, Japanese media reported.
B.Finley--AMWN