The import of kerosine-type jet fuel fell by 26.58 per cent to N358.08bn in the first nine months of 2023, underscoring foreign exchange scarcity in the aviation sector. In the first quarter of 2023, N70.16bn was spent on jet fuel, it increased to N143.96bn in Q2 and N143.96bn in Q3. In Q1, 2022 the amount spent on jet fuel was N292.56bn. Domestic airlines recently decried how lack of access to FX is affecting their business when they met with the new Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo. The spokesperson of AON, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, recently told The PUNCH, “The foreign exchange and aviation fuel costs were responsible for over 99 per cent of aviation components.”He added, “The actual or reasonable cost should be higher in the actual sense.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court against him, according to IPOB’s Lead Counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor. The apex court had on December 15 set aside a judgment by the lower court that dismissed the terrorism charges against Kanu. Ejiofor stated that Kanu accepted the court’s verdict not because the court is perfect, but because he respects its final decision. The statement partly read, “The eventual verdict of the Supreme Court was conveyed to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and he expressed reservations about the outcome. “However, Onyendu elected to accept this outcome because of the finality of the Supreme Court decisions, and not because they are infallible, but because the Supreme Court is the final court in the land.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, on Tuesday, signed the state’s N314.8bn 2024 budget into law barely one month after it was passed by the state House of Assembly. Mutfwang assented to the 2024 Appropriation Bill in his office at the Rayfield Government House in Jos, the state capital. The ceremony was witnessed by top government functionaries, including the speaker, Gabriel Dewan; state Chief Judge, Justice David Mann; Chief of Staff Government House; state Head of Service; and members of the State Executive Council. Speaking during the brief event, Mutfwang said the budget would provide the framework for his administration to address the developmental needs of the state. The PUNCH reports that the state assembly had in November jacked up the 2024 budget from the initial N295.4bn to N314.8bn and speedily passed the appropriation bill barely three days after it was presented to it by the governor.

More than 620,000 customers lost power in north-eastern states that also saw tropical storm-strength winds of more than 60 miles (96.5km) per hour and up to 6in of rain in 24 hours. The Republican governor, Phil Scott, called Monday’s storm “a gut punch” to communities hit twice in five months. “We anticipate a multi-day restoration effort involving hundreds of line and tree crews,” Central Maine Power, the state’s largest utility, said in a statement online. Drew Landry, a resident of Hallowell, Maine, on Tuesday described the storm sweeping in and leaving his street flooded. “All the basements are pretty much flooded.”Weather forecasters said sharply colder air would sweep over north-eastern states on Tuesday, with brief bursts of heavy snow in places.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has said Tingo Group Inc. lied about having $461.7m in its subsidiary Tingo Mobile’s Nigerian bank accounts when it only had $50 in said accounts. According to the commission, Mmobuosi is being charged in connection with an alleged multi-year scheme to inflate the financial performance metrics of his companies and key operating subsidiaries to defraud investors worldwide. “For instance, Tingo Group’s fiscal year 2022 Form 10-K filed in March 2023 reported a cash and cash equivalent balance of $461.7m in its subsidiary Tingo Mobile’s Nigerian bank accounts. In reality, those same bank accounts allegedly had a combined balance of less than $50 as of the end of fiscal year 2022. According to the SEC’s complaint, Defendants also fabricated the customer relationships that formed the basis of their purported businesses.

Now, when someone is travelling – because that is the primary context for the expression – are they (is he or she) on transit or in transit? Instead, being on a bus means travelling in it or being part of those doing so. That fellow travelling or moving from one place to the other is ‘in transit’:I couldn’t watch the match because I was in transit. According to Collins Dictionary, if people or things are in transit, they are travelling or being taken from one place to another:They were in transit to Mumbai. For instance, when ‘transit’ means public transportation or a public transportation system like the Lagos’ BRT, one can be said to be on it when patronising it.

Amid the rising frenzy of Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire, the makers unveiled an extremely thrilling and action-packed trailer, titled ‘The Final Punch’. Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire ‘The Final Punch’ seems to have impressed the masses like crazy. Everyone is extremely kicked and thrilled after watching the larger-than-life, action-studded world of the biggest action director Prashanth Neel. Hombale Films, Salaar: Part 1: Ceasefire will star Prabhas along with Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan, and Jagapathi Babu. Made under the direction of Prashanth Neel, the film is produced by Vijay Kiragandur.

A compendium of stories of 38 ex-staff of Punch Newspapers titled, “Our Punch Years” will be presented to the public on Wednesday, December 20 2023 at the NECA Hall, Plot A2, Hakeem Balogun Stree, Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. The book was compiled over 18 months and was edited by Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, Executive Media Career Development Network. Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Angela Emuwa is billed to chair the occasion of the launch. The book is perhaps the first attempt to chronicle the story of The Punch from the perspective of ex-staff. Otufodunrin who has over the years been passionate about best practices in the journalism profession, said the collection is dedicated to the founding Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief James Olu Aboderin.

The History of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out World RecordsThe video comes from YouTuber Summoning Salt, who is known for crafting exhaustive deep dives about video game speedrunning history. Recommended VideosHis latest video, The History of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out World Records, is his most extensive deep dive yet. Okay, yes: Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Though its two-plus hour runtime might seem like a tall order, The History of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out World Records is worth every second. While it ends with an impressive world record, there’s still hope that someone could one day come along and shave even more seconds off the world record.

Ukraine has warned it is already being forced to downsize some military operations because of a drop-off in foreign aid. It comes as billions of dollars of US and EU aid have been held up amid political wrangles. Tarnavskyi said that the country lacked artillery shells, particularly for its Soviet-era weapons. We’re re-planning tasks that we had set for ourselves and making them smaller because we need to provide for them.”He said that diminishing foreign military aid was already having an impact on the battlefield, and forcing a change in tactics. Havryliuk said Kyiv was confident its international partners would overcome political differences to provide Ukraine with aid as before.

On Friday, 15 December, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice sitting in Abuja, ruled that the ousted president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, be reinstated as leader of the country. Mr Bazoum was overthrown by members of his presidential guard on 26 July. The coup was widely condemned and prompted sanctions from ECOWAS, amid widespread calls for a return to democratic rule. READ ALSO:Judge Geberi-Be Quattara ordered Niger’s military government to re-establish constitutional order through Mr Bazoum’s immediate and unconditional release and reinstatement. The Niger junta rejected an earlier offer from ECOWAS to lift sanctions against the country if Mr Bazoum is released.

The Chief Executive Officer, Max-Migold, Paul Erubami, has said that an effective facility management sector can stem the tide of building collapse in Nigeria. To achieve this, he explained that Nigeria’s facility management sector needs nothing less than 250,000 facility managers to stem the rampant building collapse. He advised the government to speak with professionals like the Association of Facility Management in Nigeria to come up with training programs for all public officers. According to him, facility management is a movement that needs to be advocated for, both in the public and private sectors to have a safe environment. He said, “We have to stem brain drain, building collapse, and issues of dilapidation, and build a society where facilities and maintenance should be looked at with a lifecycle mindset.”

Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has won a third six-year term with 89.6% of the vote, the electoral commission has announced. Leading opposition candidate Ahmed Tantawy had pulled out months before last week’s poll, claiming intimidation and violence against his campaign camp. Sisi, who is 69, first became president in 2014, a year after he had led the military’s overthrow of his Islamist predecessor Mohammed Morsi. With the Egyptian economy heavily dependent on imports, the prices of basic commodities have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many households and a black market for foreign currency has flourished. Egyptian opposition groups complain they cannot operate effectively due to a constant crackdown on dissent.

The Vatican on Monday approved blessings for same-sex couples but insisted they must not be established as a Catholic rite nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings. In a document approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex”. However, it does not change the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex marriages or unions. In 2021, the Vatican said the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions because God cannot “bless sin”. “To avoid any form of confusion or scandal”, blessings for same-sex couples cannot be “performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”.

Yusuf Tuggar, has warned against describing the unconstitutional change of government in West Africa as solely a regional problem. Tuggar also insisted that the coup could engulf the entire African continent and add to the challenges of terrorism and other cross-border criminalities if not addressed. Tuggar, in a statement signed by his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, on Monday, argued that “Some might say West Africa must have a problem and that is why the crisis is happening there. “West Africa was not responsible for the implosion of Libya that brought out the proliferation of arms. “The AU body of programmes would bring in development and infrastructure when we do not give in to this military takeover.”