GRAPHITTI NEWS : 2014-11-02

Saturday, November 08, 2014

SAFA Initiative: South African Football Declares War On Illegal Firearms

A fan cries while holding a portrait of slain Bafana-Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain Senzo Meyiwa during a memorial service in Johannesburg on October 30, 2014 ©Marco Longari (AFP)

It's a call normally heard in countries emerging from civil war: hand over your illegal weapons in exchange for amnesty.

Demonstrators carrying posters of the missing march in protest for the disappearance of 43 students in the state of Guerrero, in Mexico City, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

As Mexican federal police detained yesterday Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda, who are accused of ordering the Sept. 26 attacks on teachers' college students that left six dead and 43 still missing, GRAPHITTI NEWS brings you this detailed report by Associated Press.

Isaac Zida (L), named by Burkina Faso's army as interim leader, sits before a press conference on November 6, 2014 in Ouagadougou ©Issouf Sanogo (AFP)

News yesterday had appeared to indicate that the Burkinabe Interim Leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac Zida, had dismissed the transition plan brokered by three West African presidents. But this report by AFP seems to indicate there is more brewing in terms of the transition process. Read here from AFP:

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio

Media reports are reporting that three persons have been feared dead and over 20 injured in a stampede during the inauguration of the Akwa Ibom International Stadium, Uyo yesterday.

People walk past a billboard with a message about Ebola in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on November 7, 2014 ©Francisco Leong (AFP)

The deadliest Ebola outbreak ever is finally slowing in Liberia, the worst-hit country, but still wreaking havoc in two neighbouring West African states amid warnings of thousands of unreported deaths.

Tanzania Denies Ivory Smuggled During Chinese State Visit

In this March 24, 2013 file photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping waves next to his Tanzanian counterpart Jakaya Kikwete, right, upon his arrival in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Lan Hongguang)

Tanzania on Friday denied allegations by a campaign group that Chinese officials smuggled out large amounts of illegal ivory during a state visit by President Xi Jinping last year.

Harvard Yard (Photo: wikipedia.org)

Recent revelations that Harvard University had secretly photographed around 2,000 students as part of an attendance study has sparked a massive privacy row at the Ivy League institution.

Ghana new national coach: Avram Grant

Ghana on Friday announced that appointment of former Chelsea and West Ham football manager Avram Grant as national coach and manager to replace Kwesi Appiah who was sacked after the Black Stars’ World Cup debacle.

Uruguay's President Jose Mujica walks in front of his garage (Reuters / Andres Stapff)

An Arab sheikh seems to think the 'world’s poorest president,' Uruguay’s Jose Mujica, is in dire need of cash. He’s offered US$1 million for Mujica’s iconic 1987 VW Beetle – but the pot-smoking leader says he will donate the money to the homeless instead.

Thousands of East Berliners queue along the Berlin Wall before crossing a section already destroyed overnight between East Berlin and the no-man's land, at Eberswalderstrasse, on November 11, 1989 in order to enjoy sightseeing and shopping at West (AFP Photo)

Most Russians agree with the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the standoff between Russia and the West, but many think the Cold War did not end in 1989.

Fire men attempt to put water on flames at a burning village on the distant outskirts of Lagos, following a pipeline explosion. Photo: AP (Not Ijeododo explosion)

The Baale of Ijeododo Community in Lagos State, Alhaji Tajudeen Subair-Ododo, on Friday urged the Federal Government to beef up security around its pipelines in the community.

L-R; Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic, CEO of AFRIFF, Chioma Ude, AFRIFF Artistic Director, Keith Shiri and AFRIFF Goodwill Ambassador, Xolile Tshabalala

In its continued effort to engage filmmakers in resourceful cinematic discourse, a series of topical issues have been chosen for the industry sessions in this year’s edition of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), which begins this Sunday, in Tinapa, Calabar, Cross River State.

General view of the city of Luxembourg.(Reuters / Francois Lenoir)

Jean Claude Juncker the new EU president is going to get a hard time from critics because of the scenario seemed to have transpired mainly during his tenure as Luxembourg Prime Minister!

Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau (Photo: theleaderassumpta.com)

THE Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday said the National Universities Commission (NUC) has discovered 55 illegal universities operating in the country.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Oladipo Afolayan, for allegedly raping a woman in his office.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange – Africa’s largest stock exchange. Aside from enhancing job opportunities and wealth creation, this regulated marketplace in Sandton is planning to create a pan-African exchange by initially enabling investors to trade in shares from Ghana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia

South Africa's economic hub Johannesburg will retain its title as Africa's most visited city for the second year in a row, a study has shown.

American Weapons Destabilizing The World? US Lost Military Supplies Worth US$420 Million In Afghanistan

AFP Photo / Tauseef Mustafa

When you meet people from Europe who look askance at American standards, you may wish to bear in mind that American laxity on a number of counts might be responsible.

Akwa Ibom State capital, Uyo would be the perfect setting for the opening of a new chapter in the history of sports in Nigeria. Come tomorrow Nov. 7, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godwin Akpabio, will lead the government and people of Akwa Ibom state in opening the Akwa Ibom International Stadium aptly dubbed “Nest of Champions” (Photo source: lindaikejiblog)

As President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurates the Akwa Ibom International Stadium on Friday, November 7, 2014, many note that Obong Godswill Akpabio is leaving Akwa Ibom State better than he met it in 2007 and has made his name unforgettable in the annals of history as far as uncommon transformation of the state is concerned.

Governors Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State (L) and Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State (R)

Lagos and Ogun State governments have both declared Friday, November 7 work-free days.

Many of the jailbreaks have taken place by blowing holes through the walls of prisons.

More than 2,000 prisoners have escaped over the past five years in Nigeria, officials say, mainly as a result of attacks on jails by the Islamist militant Boko Haram group.

In its latest report, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency has noted Tanzania as the largest source of poached ivory. During a state visit by the Chinese President, some Chinese officials took advantage of this fact.

ZIDA & THE THREE 'WISE' MEN: Burkina Faso interim Head of State, Burkina Faso, Lt. Col Isaac Zida and John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Macky Sall of Senegal in Ouagadougou (Photo: Abati @ Twitter)

Three African Presidents were present including John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria and Macky Sall of Senegal, but they did not put forward any prospective civilian alternative to Lt. Col. Isaac Zida as transition leader for Burkina Faso.

Nigerian Minister of state for health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan

The minister of state for health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, has disclosed that health officials in Sierra Leone have officially informed the ministry that two Nigerians resident in Freetown have been diagnosed with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Seized ivory tusks are displayed prior to their destruction by incineration in Hong Kong on May 15, 2014. (Photo: AFP/AFP)

Pundits would keep wondering at the true intentions of China and the Chinese people in Africa. Some have accused the Chinese of coveting Africa’s natural resources and how they are prepared to resort to subterfuge to rip off Africa. Others describe China as altruistic and not meddling in African countries' internal affairs. But what do you make of the following story?

PHOTOS - Vatican Official Condemns Maynard Assisted Suicide Case In U.S.

In this Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 file photo, head of Pontifical Academy for Life Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco De Paula attends a press conference at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, Files)

The Vatican's top bioethics official on Tuesday called "reprehensible" the assisted suicide of an American woman suffering terminal brain cancer who stated she wanted to die with dignity.

ECOWAS mediation in Burkina Faso power crisis talks in Ouagadougou today (Photo: Abati @ Twitter)

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (Reuters/Francois Lenoir)

The EU's newly appointed foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the next few years, saying that the European community should 'move forward' with its role in the Middle East.

Courtney Dike in jersey 17 (L) and 8 (R) in action for club and country (Photo credits: dallassoccernews.com and football.af)

Oklahoma State Football team forward Courtney Dike has rejected the US$7000 paid to her by the Nigeria Football Federation for participating at 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada saying the honour of playing for the country was enough reward for her.

Cynthia Udoka Osokogu (Photo source: Jaguda.com)

Two years ago when the daughter of retired military officer, Cynthia Udoka Osokogu was found dead in a Lagos hotel, Nigeria woke to a new reality: murder by killers met through Facebook. Subsequent investigation discovered that Cynthia was murdered by friends she met via Facebook. The friends were alleged to have picked her up, and robbed her of all her money and belongings and then strangled her. The murderers were caught when they answered Cynthia’s phone which they had taken from her and the call was traced to FESTAC, and enabled the police and family to find her body in the morgue which also led them to the hotel. They were identified as university students and confessed to killing 5 others in a similar pattern.

Two of series of posters that have been turning heads recently in Toronto. (Photo: edmontonfetalalcoholnetwork.org)

Two British women’s charities have cautioned ahead of landmark case in the Court of Appeal Wednesday that drinking alcohol when pregnant could become a criminal offense.

President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan (Photo source: Osun Defender)

President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will lose over 80 percent of the votes from Delta State in next year’s elections, if the party fails to field an Urhobo as its governorship candidate.

This trio of images obtained October 6, 2014 from NASA/JPL-Caltech depicts satellite observations of NASA/JPL-Caltechdeclining water storage in California as seen by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites in June 2002 (L), June 2008 (C) and June 2014. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

When some pundits predicted that the next world war would be over water, we thought they were being alarmist. But with the emerging picture of a global water crisis exacerbated by recurring drought this scenario does not seem so farfetched any longer.

The following story carried by RT.com explains in part.

WAR WEARY? 105 Israeli Ex-Generals, Spy Chiefs Call On Netanyahu To Make Peace With Palestinians

People enjoy the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel. The freewheeling seaside oasis of Tel Aviv has long served as an escape from the troubles of everyday Israel. Now, it is also the target of rockets fired by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. (Photo credit: AP/Ariel Schalit)

The largest-ever protest by Israeli top brass has taken place, with at least 105 retired generals and intelligence chiefs writing a letter to premier Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to “initiate a diplomatic process” for peace with Palestine, Haaretz reports.

AFP Photo / Stan Honda

Downloading on the net just got superfast – terabits/sec fast!

Scene of the Koton-Karfe Prison break in Kogi State ... on Monday. Photo credits: Success Nwogu

Media reports monitored by GRAPHITTI NEWS confirm the police and the Army have launched a manhunt for inmates of the Koton-Karfe Prison in Kogi State, who were set free by gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents.

Reuters/Sukree Sukplang

Bats are believed to be the origin of the deadly Ebola virus; they can carry rabies and over 100 other diseases, but they do not suffer from the viruses themselves. Scientists believe the nocturnal creatures may be the key to curing Ebola.

A section of the Rivers State Government House

These are not the best of times for the Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The protracted crisis which preceded the split of the APC from the party seems set to continue as the 2015 elections approach.

TENNIS CLUB 600: Djokovic, World No 1, Reaches Exclusive Landmark

Shout like a champion: Novak Djokovic is now the member of an exclusive club of successful tennis players (Photo/PA)

If you were in his shoes - tennis sneakers that is - you would have been shouting as loud as he is!

Novak Djokovic became just the 23rd player in the open era to claim 600 tour-level victories as he brushed Milos Raonic aside to lift the BNP Paribas Masters title.

A child stands near a sign advising of a quarantined home in an effort to combat the spread of the Ebola virus in Port Loko, Sierra Leone, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014. (AP / Michael Duff, File)

Authorities in Sierra Leone say a doctor has died of Ebola -- the fifth local doctor in the West African nation to succumb to the disease.

Shias are a minority among Nigeria's Muslims

Many were killed today November 3rd after a suicide bomber detonated a bomb targeted at members of the Shiite group, the Islamic Brotherhood of Nigeria, who were on procession at Faydia Islamic School located near the old market in Potiskum, Yobe state.

Saturday, November 08, 2014

Friday, November 07, 2014

Thursday, November 06, 2014

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

Monday, November 03, 2014