Woman allegedly sponsors boyfriend’s UK trip with stolen funds (Punch)
A 27-year-old woman, Busayo Alagbe, has been arraigned before the Yaba Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State, for allegedly forging bank documents and robbing her employer, Bridgeway Ventures, of N4.5m in the state.
Alagbe was charged with three counts bordering on the conversion of employer funds, stealing and forgery.
The prosecutor, Godwin Oriabure, said the defendant committed the crime between July and November 2022, in the Gbagada area of the state, adding that during interrogation, she confessed to have used the stolen money to sponsor her boyfriend’s travelling expenses to the United Kingdom.
Oriabure told the court that the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 287(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. Read more
Man sentenced to life jail for defiling neighbour’s daughter (DailyTrust)
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Thursday sentenced a man, Efe Akioya, to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s five-year-old daughter in his room.
Justice Abiola Soladoye, who held that the prosecution proved the ingredients of defilement against the defendant, said, “The defence raised the issue of the medical report not being tendered. I will say that medical report is not a prerequisite in establishing the offence of defilement as there is ample evidence before this court that are cogent, compelling and convincing that the survivor was sexually violated and she recognised ‘Brother Efe’ when she saw him.
“Her testimony was lucid, unambiguous and truthful. Aside from the vivid narration by the survivor, the evidence of the prosecution witness three, Dr Maria Fadogba, is crucial as her medical examination revealed vagina penetration.
“Also, the evidence of the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Mr Orebe, corroborated the evidence of the survivor and her mother.” Read more
Lecturers get full salaries for November, as FG withholds 8 months’ arrears (Tribune)
The Federal Government began paying members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities their full salaries for the month of November 2022 on Wednesday.
Nigerian Tribune, however, gathered that the Federal Government has not released the eight months’ salaries of the lecturers withheld during the prolonged strike action by the ASUU that grounded academic activities in public universities for the eight months the strike lasted.
A senior member of ASUU at the University of Abuja confirmed he and some of his colleagues have started receiving their November salaries, which he noted were paid in full.
“I received my November salary today (Wednesday) and I know some of our colleagues did the same. We expected that it would come together with arrears, but that wasn’t the case,” the lecturer said. Read more
Angry youths set ablaze Iree Oba palace in Osun (Vanguard)
The Palace of Aree of Iree in Boripe North Local Council Development Area of Osun, was on Thursday evening vandalised and set on fire by angry youths in the town.
The palace was said to have been burnt by youths who were not pleased about the arrest of the Aogun of Iree, Chief Soliu Atoyebi, by security agents on Thursday morning.
It was attacked and burnt around 7.00 p.m, when the traditional ruler, Oba Ponle Ademola, was said to be out of the palace.
The incident led to the blockage of major roads leading to the town, while the aggrieved youths burned fires on the roads. Read more
Abuja–Kaduna Train Service Will Resume Monday – FG (DailyTrust)
The Federal Government has announced that services along the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor would resume on Monday, December 5, 2022.
The Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, told the News Agency of Nigeria, on Thursday that all was set for the resumption of the services.
Okhiria, however, advised passengers wishing to utilise the service to commence updating of their mobile app from December 3, to enable them to successfully book the ride.
According to the NRC boss, the services will commence with two train rides from Abuja-Kaduna and vice-versa. Read more
Oil-producing states borrow N1.3tn amid N6.4tn windfall (Punch)
The total debts of 10 oil-producing states rose from N2.04tn in December 2015 to N3.35tn as of June 2022, according to sub-national debt reports of the Debt Management Office.
This means that a total of N1.31tn was borrowed within a period of about seven years by the states.
The 10 states are: Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, Abia, Ondo, Imo, Cross River, Bayelsa and Lagos.
This came as findings by The PUNCH show that the oil-producing states received the sum of N6.4tn in federal allocation and 13 per cent derivation fund. Read more
Rivers government honours Umahi (Guardian)
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State will, today, receive an excellent award of Grand Service Star from the government of Rivers State. The award, which will be administered by Governor Nyesom Wike, is in recognition of Umahi’s contributions towards development of Ebonyi State, South East and Nigeria in general.
In his acceptance letter, Umahi thanked Wike for finding him worthy of the award, saying that he was picked due to his modest contributions to nation building.
The letter reads: “It is with profound appreciation that I convey to you my acceptance of your offer to confer the State Honours on me as the Grand Service Star of Rivers State, which event is slated for December 3, 2022, at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Port Harcourt.
“I view this as an inestimable honour, and a rare stimulus on my modest contributions to nation building. This recognition, undoubtedly, brings huge value in our corporate and personal relations as a people with shared vision, as well as passion for the socio-economic prosperity of our states. Read more
AIB changes to National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) (Sun)
The Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N) has changed its name to the National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) following the new NSIB Act 2022 which earlier in the week was assented to by President Muhammed Buhari while the Supreme Court gazetted it on November 28, 2022.
The Bureau can now investigate serious incidents and accidents in the aviation industry, maritime, rail and road following the repeal of the AIB Act. Its Commissioner and Chief Executive, Akin Olateru, had in a presentation to the Senate Committee on Aviation at a public hearing in 2000, said multimodal has become the future of transportation accident investigation.
Olateru said,” Multimodal is widely accepted as the future of Transport Accident Investigation and the transition has always been made from the extant air accident investigating agency.
“It has become expedient that the provision of Section 29 of the Civil Aviation Act (CAA) be reviewed to establish the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in a separate act to bring it up to speed with contemporary global best practices, to create a multimodal bureau of investigation for air, rail and maritime accidents. Read more
Fleetwood Mac star Christine McVie’s personal items to be auctioned for charity following her death aged 79 (Metro)
Some of Fleetwood Mac star Christine McVie’s personal items are due to be auctioned off following her death at the age of 79.
The auction, set to happen on December 3 and 4, was organised before McVie’s death, with her involvement.
Julien’s Auctions have confirmed that the event will go ahead, with McVie’s charity MusiCares, an organisation that aims to provide a safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community, benefitting.
Darren Julien, President and CEO of Julien’s, said in a statement: ‘We are saddened with the news that Christine McVie passed away today. Read more
Film directed by woman picked as best ever (BBC)
A film directed by a woman has been chosen as the greatest of all time by a group of experts.
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, directed by Chantal Akerman, has topped the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound poll.
It is the first time a work directed by a woman has reached the top ten. The poll, which runs every decade, has been criticised for a lack of diversity.
The winning spot was held for 40 years by Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane.
It was overtaken in 2012 by Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Read more
The Notorious BIG “Juicy” powers the beasts in new Transformers trailer (HipHopDX)
The Notorious BIG‘s timeless classic “Juicy” soundtracks the first teaser trailer for the forthcoming new film, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Released on Thursday (December 1), the trailer features star Anthony Ramos (In The Heights) along with everyone’s favorite Transformers, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, as they fight previously-hidden robots who are disguised as beastly animals from the jungle.
Hitting theaters on June 9, 2023, the film is directed by Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. and will also star Pete Davidson as the voice of the Autobot Mirage.
It’s been nearly 30 years since “Juicy” was released back in August 1994, and yet its relevancy has never waned. In May of this year, the song was certified 6x platinum by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA).
Social network Parler calls off deal with Kanye West (RTE)
The US free-speech alternative social media network Parler has announced that its planned sale to Kanye West has been called off.
“Parlement Technologies would like to confirm that the company has mutually agreed with Ye to terminate the intent of sale of Parler,” the network, seen as a home for online extremist rhetoric, said in a tweet.
It said the decision was made “in the interest of both parties in mid-November.”
Parler had announced a deal for Mr West to buy the platform popular with conservatives in mid-October, just over a week after the rapper’s Twitter and Instagram accounts were restricted over anti-Semitic posts he made. Read more
Documentary on Parasite director Bong Joon Ho in production for Netflix (Variety)
A documentary about the Oscar-winning Korean film director Bong Joon Ho is underway and will be screened on streaming service Netflix next year.
The documentary “Yellow Door: Looking for Director Bong’s Unreleased Short Film” is being directed by Lee Hyuk-rae and produced through Broccoli Pictures.
The film will trace the quest for Bong’s unreleased first short film “Looking For Paradise,” made during his university days. Besides shedding light on the creative origins of a great artist, the documentary will also illuminate an era when young cinephiles emerged in South Korea.
The mid-1990s was a time of febrile change in the arts in South Korea. There was a surge of creativity that followed decades of repressive military rule. Rule breakers and innovators at the time included: the Busan International Film Festival, which defiantly started showing banned Japanese movies; CJ Entertainment which kicked off the industrialization of the Korean film industry through investments in Dreamworks and multiplex cinemas; and new music acts and talent agencies which imported foreign sounds and established the foundations of today’s K-Pop phenomenon. Read more
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 trailer drops with great tunes and a Rocket backstory (CNN)
After a very long wait, the closing chapter to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy is almost here.
The first trailer for “GOTG Vol. 3” dropped Thursday on YouTube, after premiering at Brazil Comic Con, again revealing the group of unlikely heroes who have relatively esoteric origins in the Marvel comic books but – thanks to the guidance of director James Gunn – have become one of the most beloved groups in the MCU.
The teaser clip shows high drama among the interstellar adventurers, who include Starlord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper).
Rocket, in particular, is seen a bunch in the trailer, including in a flashback scene when he’s a wee space-raccoon, promising viewers some welcome backstory. Read more
As many as 13k Ukrainian soldiers killed in war: Official (AlJazeera)
As many as 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in battle since Russia invaded the country nine months ago, according to an official in Kyiv.
The comments from Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appeared to be the first update on the number of dead fighters since late August when the head of the armed forces said nearly 9,000 troops had been killed.
“We have official figures from the general staff, we have official figures from the top command, and they amount to (between) 10,000 and 12,500 to 13,000 killed,” Podolyak told Ukraine’s Channel 24 on Thursday.
“We are open in talking about the number of dead,” he added, saying more soldiers had been wounded than had died. Read more
Eagles’ value rises from €256m to €303m (Punch)
Despite missing out on the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Super Eagles have moved up in the latest financial rankings of national teams, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The three-time African champions are ranked the 15th most valuable international team globally, while also moving from the third position in Africa to becoming the most valuable team on the continent.
The Eagles boast players who ply their trade in Europe’s lucrative leagues, making them one of the world’s most valuable teams, with a total value of €303.35m.
In October, they were placed 21st with a market value of €256.65m. Read more
Germany knocked out of World Cup after Japan beats Spain in stunning upset (TimesOfIsrael)
Germany suffered a second straight group-stage exit at the World Cup on Thursday as Japan stunned Spain 2-1, a result which sent both teams through to the last 16.
The Germans were the reigning champions when they crashed out in the first round four years ago in Russia and they were eliminated in repeat fashion in Qatar despite beating Costa Rica 4-2.
The four-time champions finished third in Group E behind Spain on goal difference.
“It is unbelievably bitter for us,” forward Thomas Mueller said.”It’s a feeling of powerlessness.” Read more
Ecstatic Morocco fans say World Cup progression ‘‘for all Arabs’’ (AlJazeera)
There’s only one show at Al Thumama Stadium – it’s the Lions de l’Atlas (Atlas Lions).
After what can only be described as a highly spirited affair, Morocco fan Sara Sulaiman said she was “euphoric” as her team progressed to the round of 16 of the football World Cup in Qatar, beating Canada 2-1 with goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri.
This is the first time since 1986 that the North African nation has made it through to the knockout stage of the tournament. It’s also the only Arab country out of four to do so in the 2022 edition.
“I’m not just over the moon, I’m way over it. It is an incredible achievement for our small nation,” Sulaiman told Al Jazeera. Read more
Tiger replacement Sepp Straka shares lead in the Bahamas (Fox)
Sepp Straka was home in Alabama preparing for a big week of golf matches at his club, a friend’s wedding and the SEC Championship game. And then Tiger Woods couldn’t play in the Bahamas because of a foot injury, and Straka had a change in plans.
It worked out OK for him.
The replacement for Woods managed six birdies at rain-soaked Albany for a 3-under 69 that gave him a share of the lead at the Hero World Challenge with defending champion Viktor Hovland, Tom Kim and Collin Morikawa.
Straka was first off in the pro-am, the time usually occupied by Woods. He was paired with Justin Thomas, who typically plays the first round with Woods. Read more
Nets’ Ben Simmons out at least 3 games with left calf strain (Fox)
Ben Simmons will miss at least the next three games with what the Brooklyn Nets said is a strained left upper calf.
Coach Jacque Vaughn said before the Nets played Washington on Wednesday night that Simmons was feeling pain in the back of his knee when he asked to come out of their victory over Orlando on Monday night.
The injured turned out to be the calf, not the knee.
Simmons also will miss home games against Toronto on Friday and Boston on Sunday before he is reassessed. Read more
Kei Nishikori opens up on how Roger Federer is inspiring him to return to tennis (TennisWorld)
Kei Nishikori admitted he realized his comments would make all the headlines only after he revealed he contemplated retirement this year. In a recent interview, Nishikori – who missed the entire 2022 season – revealed there was a time this year when he felt “very depressed” and thought about ending his career.
Nishikori, who will be turning 33 in late December, is a former Grand Slam finalist and a former top-5 player. Recently, Nishikori met 41-year-old Roger Federer, who was in Tokyo for the Uniqlo event. Now, Nishikori is motivated to return as he feels he could potentially play as long as Federer did.
“I casually mentioned that I thought about retirement, but afterwards I realized it would go into headlines, I was like, oops, I blew it. It was an honest feeling, so I might not be able to hide it, or I might express it to wash away my gloomy feeling, I don’t know.
I’ve made much effort and it’s a shame to bring it to naught due to injury. I’m not sure if this is the right way to say it, but I feel like I’m kinda talented and I have reached the position that not so many people can reach, that makes me feel like it’s too good to give up. Read more