Five things to know to start your Monday

The US declared a national day of mourning as Jimmy Carter died at 100

Jimmy Carter, who became president of the United States in 1976 after serving as governor of Georgia, died on Sunday at his home in Plains, Georgia, as confirmed by his son Chip. He was 100 years old, making him the longest-lived US president in history.

While his son announced the death, he didn’t immediately share the cause. Carter had been receiving hospice care at home since February 2023, after several hospital stays. In recent years, he had battled an aggressive form of skin cancer that had spread to his liver and brain.

A plane crash and an earthquake happened in Asia

An earthquake hit the Philippines on Monday, shaking the island of Luzon. The earthquake had a strength of 5.6 on the magnitude scale, according to German scientists.

The earthquake occurred near the town of Bangui in Ilocos, which is in the northern part of the Philippines. It was relatively close to the surface, just 10 kilometres (about 6 miles) underground. Because it was so shallow, the Philippine earthquake agency (Phivolcs) warned that people might feel smaller aftershocks. However, they don’t expect the earthquake to have caused any major damage.

Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea’s temporary leader, Choi Sang-mok, has called for an urgent safety check of all airline operations in the country following its worst-ever air crash. While investigators work to identify those who died and determine what caused the disaster, he wants every part of the country’s air travel system examined.

The crash happened when a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 plane made an emergency landing on its belly at Muan International Airport. The plane slid off the runway and burst into flames when it hit a wall. Of the 181 people on board, only two crew members survived – all 175 passengers and four other crew members were killed.

Nigeria got  $1.5 billion from the World Bank

Nigeria has received the full $1.5 billion loan from the World Bank after making important changes to its economy, including stopping fuel subsidies and bringing in new tax policies.

The loan is part of a programme called the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation Development Policy Financing. It’s unusual because Nigeria has received all the money very quickly – in less than six months.

According to World Bank documents seen on Sunday, the loan was approved on 13th June 2024. The first payment of $750 million was made on 2nd July 2024. The second payment came in November 2024, but only after Nigeria had made all the economic changes the World Bank required.

Read Also: World Bank warns that Nigeria, others are losing investments to inefficient spending

FG accused the CBN of misappropriating N2.7trn

Nigeria’s government has accused its central bank (the Central Bank of Nigeria) of wrongly keeping 2.73 trillion naira that should have been paid back to the government as interest money. This has raised serious questions about how government money is being managed.

This claim was made in the government’s financial report for 2021, which was given to Nigeria’s parliament by Shaakaar Chira, the Auditor-General, on 31st July 2024. The document’s reference number is AuGF/AR.2021/01.

The problem involves something called the Ways and Means facility – this is when the central bank lends money to the government temporarily to help pay its bills when it doesn’t have enough money.

According to the report, the government says the central bank kept 2.73 trillion naira in interest charges and used this money “for its sole benefit” instead of giving it back to the government’s main account.

South Korean investigators want an arrest warrant for President Yoon

South Korean officials want to arrest their suspended President, Yoon Suk Yeol, for briefly declaring martial law earlier this month. This is the first time in South Korea’s history that officials have tried to arrest a sitting president.

President Yoon hasn’t shown up when asked to answer questions by police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. These groups are working together to find out if his declaration of martial law on 3rd December was an act of rebellion against the state.

The police have tried to search the presidential office as part of their investigation but haven’t succeeded. A court in Seoul will now decide whether to allow Yoon’s arrest.

Under South Korean law, presidents usually can’t be arrested while in office, but rebellion is one of the few crimes that isn’t protected by this rule.