The US-based Nigerian CEO arrested for a $7 million VA fraud while attempting to flee to Nigeria has been identified as Cashmir Chinedu Luke. Luke, 66, the sole owner of a home health care company named Four Corners Health LLC, was apprehended at the San Francisco International Airport. Details of the Alleged Scheme: Between December 2019 and July 2024, Luke allegedly defrauded the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by submitting approximately 10,000 false claims for services that were never provided. The fraudulent claims included billing for hours that caretakers never worked, for days they were not present, for duplicate services, and even for care supposedly given to veterans weeks after they had died. He is accused of funneling the illicit proceeds into a personal bank account and spending the money lavishly on personal expenses or transferring funds to accounts in Asia and Africa. Current Status: Luke faces federal charges, including wire fraud and making false statements....

  The Trump administration has recently paused immigration applications for individuals from 19 nations and halted all asylum decisions, a move that followed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's public recommendation for a full travel ban on several countries. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued internal guidance to "stop final adjudication on all cases" for individuals from 19 countries that were already subject to travel restrictions under a presidential proclamation issued in June. The list of countries facing these restrictions includes Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Venezuela, and Cuba. The administration has also paused all asylum applications, regardless of nationality, pending a comprehensive review. Following a meeting with President Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly advocated for a more expansive ban, calling for a "full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeche...

  The statement that any police officer found escorting a VIP is on illegal duty and will be arrested is a legitimate directive from the Nigeria Police Force. This was announced by the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Benjamin Hundeyin. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, issued a strong directive to stop the practice of police officers being used as private escorts for VIPs, celebrities, and elites. The order is part of a presidential directive aimed at recalling police personnel to their primary and core policing duties, such as maintaining law and order and ensuring public safety, amid rising insecurity in the country. The IGP has ordered senior police commanders, including the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Special Protection Unit (AIG SPU) and the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, to specifically station men at airports and other locations to arrest any officer violating the order. Hundeyin d...

  Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Musa as the new Minister of Defence. The nomination was sent to the Senate for confirmation on December 2, 2025. General Musa is the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned from the position on December 1, 2025, on health grounds. He served as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) from 2023 until October 2025, when he was replaced by General Olufemi Oluyede. A distinguished and highly experienced soldier, General Musa has held numerous key operational and command appointments throughout his career, including Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the flagship counter-terrorism operation in Nigeria's northeast. He is a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, which he won in 2012. Confirmation Process: President Tinubu expressed confidence in Musa's ability to lead the Ministry and strengthen the national security architecture, with the Senate expected to begin his screenin...

  Cameroonian opposition leader Anicet Ekane has died in detention at the age of 74, a month after his arrest following post-election protests. His death has sparked outrage among his party and civil society groups, who have called for an international investigation and described his death as a "programmed killing". Ekane, a left-wing nationalist and a prominent critic of President Paul Biya, was arrested in late October in the commercial capital, Douala. He was later transferred to Yaoundé and held on charges of insurrection. His lawyers maintain his detention was illegal and he was never presented before a judge. Ekane's health deteriorated significantly while in custody. His son and lawyers reported that he had difficulties breathing and eating, and his party stated that essential medical equipment, including an oxygen concentrator, had been confiscated and locked in his impounded car. Repeated requests to transfer him to a better-equipped hospital were reportedly deni...

  Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to 21 years in prison by a Dhaka court on November 27, 2025, in three corruption cases. The sentences are to run consecutively, but she is currently living in exile in India and was tried in absentia.  The Dhaka special court found Hasina guilty in three cases related to the illegal allocation of government land plots in the Purbachal New Town project during her tenure as prime minister. She received a seven-year prison sentence for each of the three cases, totaling 21 years. Her son and daughter, Sajeeb Wazed and Saima Wazed, were also sentenced to five years in prison in one of the cases.  Hasina is not currently in jail. She fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, amid widespread student-led protests that led to the collapse of her government. She has been residing in India since then and was tried in absentia.  This corruption verdict follows a separate ruling on November 17, 2025, where a special tribunal...

  A devastating fire that swept through a public housing complex in Hong Kong has killed at least 65 people, with dozens more still missing. The blaze, which is the city's deadliest in decades, began on November 26, 2025, at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in the northern Tai Po district. The death toll has reached at least 65, including one firefighter, with around 70-77 people injured and many more unaccounted for. Rescuers are continuing their search in difficult conditions. Location: The fire affected seven of the eight high-rise apartment towers, home to more than 4,000 people, many of whom are elderly residents. Cause and Spread: The blaze began on external bamboo scaffolding erected for a major renovation project and spread rapidly, likely aided by highly flammable materials used on the exterior, such as green construction netting and polystyrene foam boards installed at windows. This rapid external spread was described as "unusual" by authorities. Investigat...