2017 Is Here... In Some Parts Of The World!

Australia has rung in the New Year with seven tons of fireworks making Sydney's Harbour Bridge 'rain purple' in a tribute to the late singer Prince. Around 1.5 million revellers surrounded the harbour to join in the festivities.

China Set To Shatter Football Talent Transfer Records

Details of the world's best-paid footballers ©-, -, - (AFP Graphic)

"Biggest", "hugest", "most ever". Analysts are piling up the superlatives as China prepares to splash out astronomical sums for footballing talent during the winter transfer window in deals that analysts say involve more money than sense.

UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon Bids Colleagues, Staff Farewell

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses his staff on his last day at the U.N. headquarters, Friday, Dec. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Ban Ki-moon joked to hundreds of diplomats and U.N. staff as he left United Nations headquarters Friday for the last time as secretary-general that he feels "like Cinderella — tomorrow at midnight, everything changes."

World's Highest Bridge Opens In China

The Beipanjiang Bridge, near Bijie in Guizhou is the world's highest and connects the province with Yunnan, reducing travel time by three-quarters ©STR (AFP)

The world's highest bridge has opened to traffic in China, connecting two provinces in the mountainous southwest and reducing travel times by as much as three-quarters, local authorities said Friday.

Southern Kaduna Killings: CAN Declares Jan. 8 2017 National Day Of Mourning

Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, CAN President

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared January 8 2017 national day of mourning over Southern Kaduna killings.

Military Rushes Aircraft To Pick Injured Soldier From War Front, Drawing Praises

Weaponized NAF Augusta Helicopter

The Nigerian military has rushed an Augusta helicopter to the battle front in Rann, northern Borno, to pick one of the four soldiers wounded in Friday’s fierce battle with fighters of the Boko Haram terror sect.

NNPC Says Airlines Can’t Pay For Aviation Fuel

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Thursday said the hardship in the aviation sector was not due to the scarcity of Jet A-1, but was partly because of the inability of the airlines to pay for the product.

Bill Gates Calls For Increased Efforts To Swiftly Address Deadly Flu Outbreaks

Bill Gates (Tim Ireland/PA)

Bill Gates has warned the world would be "vulnerable" to a quick-spreading deadly flu outbreak.

From DNA To Laws To Data, Five Key Tools To Combat Trafficking In 2017

"To me, the modern slavery issue is like a slowly unfolding disaster," Matt Friedman, CEO of The Mekong Club

With the power of technology and legal clout, many experts agree that 2017 could be the tipping point in the global battle against human trafficking and modern slavery.

Oil Prices On Track For Greatest Yearly Percentage Gain Since 2009

LNG . . . fuel of the future?

Oil prices are on track for their biggest annual percentage gain since 2009 on the back of an agreement struck between OPEC and non-OPEC countries to cut crude production output.

Chinese Club Offered Real Madrid €300 Million For Ronaldo — Agent

Cristiano Ronaldo with Real Madrid's head coach Zinedine Zidane (Shuji Kajiyama/AP)

Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent has claimed Real Madrid have been offered €300 million for the star forward by an unnamed Chinese Super League club, but said his client has no interest in the deal.

Dos Santos Daughter Cleared To Head Angola Oil Giant

The main entrance to the offices of Angolan State oil firm SONANGOL pictured in Luanda on June 2, 2016 ©Benjamin Sheppard (AFP)

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos's daughter, reportedly Africa's richest woman, has been cleared to head the national oil company SONANGOL, after a court rejected a legal challenge.

US Acting As Global Policeman For Financial Crimes

Brazilian construction company Odebrecht is just one of the companies to feel the long arm of US law enforcement in recent cases, paying US$2.6 billion in criminal penalties ©Yasuyoshi Chiba (AFP)

Handing out multibillion-dollar fines right and left to domestic and foreign financial giants, the United States has taken on the role of the unforgiving global cop of the business world.

Former World Number One Ivanovic Retires At Age 29

Former World No.1 @AnaIvanovic officially announces retirement.

Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 29 on Wednesday because she no longer feels fit enough to compete at the highest level.

FOR THE RECORD: Labour Lauds Supreme Court Judgment Over Govs’ Arbitrary Sack Of LG Chiefs

Supreme Court, Abuja

Organized labour through the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, on December 26, commended the Supreme Court judgement that nullified the laws empowering state governors to sack elected local government officials, describing the judgment as a landmark one.

Suspected Bomber Plotting ‘Devastating’ Attack On Lagos Arrested

Suspect. . . Abiodun Amos alias Senti

The Nigerian police said they have arrested a man plotting, with some other people at large, to bomb the pivotal Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

IED making materials recovered from the suspect

500% Increase In Dog Price As Ekiti Residents Take To Canine Meat

Prices of dog have shot up by about 500 per cent in Ekiti State, following the residents’ new-found love for dog meat consumption.

FOR THE RECORD: Nigeria Officials Stop Free Chibok Girls Being Home For Christmas

In this Oct. 13, 2016 photo released by the Nigeria State House, Nigerian government officials welcome some of the freed Chibok school girls at the state House in Abuja, Nigeria. Families and a lawyer said on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, Nigerian officials prevented the freed Chibok girls from spending Christmas at home with their families. The news raises questions about Nigeria's handling of the 21 girls freed in October by negotiation with Boko Haram. (Sunday Aghaeze/Nigeria State House via AP)

Kidnapped girls freed from more than two years of captivity by Boko Haram Islamic extremists were prevented by Nigerian officials from spending Christmas at home with their families, relatives and a lawyer said Tuesday.

FOR THE RECORD: Sultan Rejects Bill Seeking Equal Inheritance For Men, Women

Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar lll

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar lll, on Tuesday voiced opposition to a bill seeking to ensure men and women have equal right to inheritance.

Dutch Club Names Oliseh As Head Coach

Fortuna Sittard Logo: https://www.fortunasittard.nl/nieuws/sunday-oliseh-nieuwe-hoofdtrainer-fortuna-sittard

Former Super Eagles’ coach, Sunday Oliseh, has been appointed as the new head coach of Dutch second division club, Fortuna Sittard.

Sunday Oliseh with the Super Eagles in training in the past

After Asia, Palm Oil Faces Backlash In Africa

With financing coming from American, European and Asian agri-businesses, palm bunches in Gabon, Cameroon and the Congo Basin are cultivated then cut from trees and sent to factories where oil is extracted by hot pressing ©Isaac Kasamani (AFP)

Its lower cost has made it popular in commercial food production, but after being blamed for deforestation in Asia, palm oil plantations are now getting a similar rap in Africa.

Its lower cost has made it popular in commercial food production, but after being blamed for deforestation in Asia, palm oil plantations are now getting a similar rap in Africa ©Xavier Bourgois (AFP)

Workers’ Future In Jeopardy Over Unremitted Pension Deductions

Retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme in Lagos

Most public and private sector employers are not remitting their workers’ pension deductions to their Retirement Savings Accounts, a situation that will leave the contributors with nothing to fall back on in their vulnerable old ages, Nike Popoola writes:

Saudi Jailed For Call To End Male Control Over Women

Women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia ©Fayez Nureldine (AFP)

A Saudi man has been jailed for one year for calling for an end to the Muslim kingdom's guardianship system that gives men wide controls over women, local media said Tuesday.

Sambisa Forest To Serve As Training Ground For Nigerian Army — Buratai

Nigerian Army troops clearing Boko Haram enclaves along Bitta to Tokumbere, Sambisa Forest, Borno state

The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, on Monday said Sambisa forest would serve as training ground for personnel of the Nigerian Army as from 2017.

Wife Stabs Husband To Death On Christmas Day (GRAPHIC PHOTO)

This year’s Christmas will be remembered in a long time for some bizarre incidents that occurred on a day Nigerians should be celebrating the birth of Christ and end-of-year activities.

Indian Passenger Plane Skids Off Runway, Injuring 15

A Jet Airways Boeing 737 skidded off the runway at Goa airport in Inida, leaving 15 people injured ©Handout (Indian Ministry of Defence/AFP)

An Indian plane carrying 161 passengers and crew skidded off the runway at Goa airport early Tuesday, injuring 15 people.

Young Lawyers Decry Assault From Senior Colleagues

• I remain chairman, Oloke insists 

The Young Lawyers’ Forum (YLF) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch has decried the incessant assaults on their members by senior colleagues.

FOR THE RECORD: Sergeant, Visitor Die As Lagos Police College Building Collapses

The collapsed building at Highway Barracks, Police College, Ikeja, Lagos

A police sergeant, who lived in Highway Barracks, Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, and his visitor lost their lives on Sunday after the toilet and the staircase of the building collapsed.

China And Sao Tome Restore Diplomatic Ties In Snub To Taiwan

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with his Sao Tome counterpart Urbino Botelho as the countries sign an agreement to restore diplomatic ties © Greg Baker (AFP)

China signed an agreement to restore diplomatic relations with Sao Tome and Principe Monday, just days after the small African nation announced it had cut ties with Taiwan.

Policeman Goes Wild, Kills Colleague, Two Others At Bank

An anti-riot policeman, Corporal Aliyu Hamisu, reportedly shot his colleague, Joshua Mathew, dead at a bank in Zaria, Kaduna State on Friday.

El-Rufai Confirms Fresh Attacks In Southern Kaduna Despite Curfew, Vows To Bring Culprits To Justice

Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai's entourage was attacked by angry protesters in Kafanchan, Jema’a local government area yesterday December 20th.

A burnt mosque in Kafanchan.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has confirmed the attacks on Saturday and Sunday in Goska, Kaninkon chiefdom of Jema’a Local Government Area of the state, describing them as the handiwork of forces of darkness.

NAIJAGRAPHITTI BLOG: A Christmas Message

At Christmas, our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby, Jesus, some two thousand years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings, and his parents, Joseph and Mary, did not fully grasp the enormity of the plan of which they had become co-opted into.

Kelechi Iheanacho Drags Manchester Lawyers To Court

Manchester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho

Manchester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, is suing two lawyers from the Manchester area, over image rights.

Russian Plane With 92 Aboard Crashes Into The Black Sea

This photo taken on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 shows the Tu-154 plane with registration number RA-85572 at Chkalovsky military airport near Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Dmitry Petrochenko)

A Russian plane headed to an air base in Syria with 92 people aboard, including members of a well-known military choir, crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday minutes after taking off from the resort city of Sochi, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

Russian rescue workers collect wreckage from the crashed plane at a pier just outside Sochi, Russia, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2016. Russian ships, helicopters and drones are searching for bodies after a plane carrying 93 people crashed into the Black Sea. The plane was taking the Alexandrov Ensemble, a military choir, to perform at Russia's air base in Syria when it went down shortly after takeoff. (AP Photo/Viktor Klyushin)

2-IN-1 STORY: Nigeria's Buhari Says Army Has Captured Key Boko Haram Camp

Nigerian troops

2-IN-1 STORY: Nigeria's Buhari Says Army Has Captured Key Boko Haram Camp

Nigeria's army has captured a key Boko Haram camp, the Islamist militant group's last enclave in the vast Sambisa Forest that was its stronghold, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday.

Rivals Jose Mourinho And Arsene Wenger United In Frustration At Festive Schedule

Jose Murinho and Arsene Wenger (Martin Rickett/PA)

Long-time rivals Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have for once found common ground by querying the Premier League’s Christmas schedule.

EPL - How the teams stand as at Christmas day...

Lagos-Kebbi-Ebonyi Rice Revolution: Will It Save Nigerians From Hunger?

Lagos-Kebbi-Ebonyi Rice Revolution: Will It Save Nigerians From Hunger?

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to promise Nigerians a change of fortune from their impoverished state.

Former Captain Daniel Amokachi In Nigeria Cash-To-Play Claims

Coaches will confirm people bring money but they will not say it - Daniel Amokachi, Former Nigeria captain

Former Nigeria captain Daniel Amokachi has said the practice of local coaches being bribed to invite players onto the country's national teams is endemic.

FOR THE RECORD: Tears As Houses Worth ₦15bn Get Demolished

One of the demolished buildings

As millions of Nigerians prepare for the Yuletide, which is two days ahead, thousands of residents of Olokonla Town via Ogombo Village in Eti Osa Local Council of Lagos State, will not be marking Christmas in a joyful mood as they continue to wail and agonize over the wanton demolition of their houses by armed military men on December 16.

CHRISTMAS: Workers Battle Governors Over Unpaid Salaries

FCT Abuja Teachers down tools over unpaid allowances

Workers in some states across the country yesterday got furious over their unpaid salaries. They protested.

Edo State LG workers clad in black, protest non-payment of salaries for several months

YULETIDE: Cash Crunch Hits Banks As Long Queues Exacerbate Withdrawal

Long queues yesterday emerged in most commercial banks across the country following noticeable cash withdrawal scarcity and inability of customers to obtain cash to embark on Christmas shopping.

10,000 Police Recruits Begin Training Dec. 31

Chairman, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu and his management team on Wednesday, December 21st, paid condolence visit to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, for the death of Police officers in the December 10th Rivers re-run election, in his office at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters Abuja.

The South-East States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States got 923 constable slots out of the 7,500 constables engaged by the Police Service Commission.