Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

World-renowned South African dancer and choreographer, Dada Masilo, is dead. Family spokesperson, Bridget van Oerle said in a statement on Tuesday that Masilo died unexpectedly after a brief illness on Sunday. The dancer, who was born in Soweto, has been described as a sprite-like, energetic dancer and a fearless rule-breaker, who brought African dance motifs to classic European roles in a career that spanned two decades. “Deeply respectful of European and contemporary music traditions, but unafraid to go bare on stage and voice her own opinions, she effectively changed the shape and appearance of contemporary dance in South Africa,” the…

The Governing Council of the University of Abuja, under the chairmanship of Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (retd), has approved the appointment of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as the 7th Substantive vice-chancellor of the university. The appointment was announced during the 77th Extraordinary Meeting of Council on Tuesday. According to a statement by Acting Director, Information and University Relations, Dr Habib Yakoob, the appointment, which takes effect on January 1, 2025, is for a non-renewable five-year tenure. He said Maikudi emerged as the best among 10 shortlisted candidates and interviewed by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board of the…

The world’s 500 richest people became considerably richer in 2024, with a combined $10 trillion net worth. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang are leading the group of billionaires in 2024, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The world’s 500 richest people became considerably richer in 2024, with a combined $10 trillion net worth, according to the report. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people. The tech billionaires collectively saw their wealth increase by an impressive $903 billion. US technology stocks played a key role in turbocharging the trio’s wealth, as well…

A 23-year-old man, Rabiu Gambo, has been sentenced to sweep the premises of a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court for 40 days after being convicted of stealing a wallet. The ruling was delivered by Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel on Tuesday. Gambo, who pleaded guilty to the theft, was handed a lenient sentence due to his cooperation and for not wasting the court’s time. This case highlights the use of non-custodial sentencing in certain theft cases, where offenders are assigned corrective tasks instead of imprisonment. In a related development, the police in Ogun State have arrested two individuals for allegedly stealing a motorcycle.…

At least 71 people were killed after a truck full of passengers plunged into a river in southern Ethiopia over the weekend. The truck fell into a river on Sunday evening in the Bona district of Sidama state, around 300km south of the capital Addis Ababa, the regional communication bureau said. Five passengers were admitted to hospital in a critical state and were under treatment, according to Wosenyeleh Simion, spokesperson for the Sidama regional government. At least three women were among those killed in the accident, he told Reuters. Some of the passengers were returning from a wedding ceremony, Mr…

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Monday issued a $10 million fine against TikTok for “not implementing measures” to prevent viral video challenges that have allegedly led to the deaths of three Venezuelan children recently. Judge Tania D’Amelio said TikTok had acted in a negligent manner and gave it eight days to pay the fine, while also ordering the video service company to open an office in Venezuela that would supervise content so that it complies with local laws. The judge did not explain how Venezuela would force TikTok, whose parent company is based in China, to pay the fine. Venezuela has…

Social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known in social circles as Very Dark Man, has finally admitted that the missing N180 million allegedly stolen by hackers was a prank. He made the admission in a video posted on his official Instagram page, saying he pulled off the stunt just to show that 80% of people on social media are dumb. VDM stated that no money is missing as the cash is secured in his account, but he deliberately raised the false alarm to show that people on social media are stupid. According to him, when he raised the false…

A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached and suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol. The court okayed Yoon’s arrest after he failed to honour three summons to appear for questioning over his failed bid to impose martial law in the country on December 3. Yoon has been on suspension since the South Korean National Assembly impeached him for insurrection on December 17, but a constitutional court ruling is pending on whether to confirm the impeachment. The 64-year-old faces life imprisonment or even the death penalty if convicted of a criminal charge of insurrection. However, his legal team…

In a significant cybersecurity breach, a Chinese state-sponsored hacker infiltrated the systems of the US Treasury Department, gaining access to employee workstations and some unclassified documents, American officials revealed on Monday. The breach, described as a “major incident,” occurred in early December and was disclosed to lawmakers in a letter from the Treasury Department. The attack was facilitated through a security override using a key associated with BeyondTrust, a third-party service provider offering remote technical support to the department’s employees. Officials stated that the compromised service has since been taken offline, and there is no evidence suggesting continued access to…

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement following an eight-year legal battle, according to her lawyer. The pair, who married in 2014 and have six children, were among the most high-profile couples in the entertainment industry and were dubbed ‘Brangelina’ by the press. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, citing “irreconcilable differences.” It later emerged during separate court proceedings that she had accused Pitt of being abusive to her and two of their children on a private jet that year. Pitt was not charged following a police investigation into the incident and has denied the allegations. His…