Fire engulfs Dubai skyscraper hotel, site of 2016 New Year celebrations

A huge fire ripped through a luxury Dubai hotel Thursday night as people gathered to watch New Year’s Eve celebrations, injuring at least 16 people, authorities said.

Dubai’s government media office tweeted that a “fire has been reported in the Address Downtown hotel. Authorities are currently on-site to address the incident swiftly and safely”.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

I never received N500m personal gift from Atiku Abubakar- Gov Bindow

Bindow while making clarification on the matter on Wednesday explained that the said money was donated by Atiku to facilitate the 2015 governorship and State Assembly elections campaign of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.

He said, “Contrary to the allegation which has gone viral in the social media; I didn’t receive the sum of N500 million from the former vice president as a personal gift.

Gambia parliament bans female genital mutilation, sets strict penalties for offenders

Gambia's parliament has passed a bill banning female genital mutilation and setting strict penalties for offenders.

The new law says a person who engages in female circumcision could face up to three years in prison or a fine of $50,000.

NCC ready to force MTN to pay fine as deadline expires

Nigeria said it was expecting telecoms giant MTN to meet a deadline for paying a record $3.9 billion fine which expires Thursday, despite the South African operator challenging the penalty in court.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telecoms regulator, had in October fined the firm for missing a deadline to disconnect 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards, citing security concerns in a country plagued by frequent kidnappings and an extremist Islamist insurgency Boko Haram.

Journalist petitions police over alleged blackmail by female officer

A member of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr Callistus Ebue has petitioned the Police over alleged harassment and intimidation by a female police officer following his refusal to bribe her. Ebue said that the police woman who was investigating a case of alleged “misdemeanour and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace,” brought against him by  one James Oparaekeocha, has asked him to pay some money into her personal account in a commercial bank or face prosecution for a more serious offence.

Donald Trump blasts Bill Clinton as 'one of the great abusers of the world'

Donald Trump launched new attacks against Bill and Hillary Clinton Wednesday as the war of words between both campaigns heated up.

The GOP hopeful told about 2,000 supporters in Hilton Head Island, S.C. that he was forced to fight back against the Clinton camp after the Democratic frontrunner accused him of displaying a "penchant for sexism."

Presidential Chat: I don’t know if Chibok girls are alive – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that his government doesn’t know the whereabouts of the abducted Chibok girls.