GRAPHITTI NEWS : 2014-12-21

Friday, December 26, 2014

Van Gaal: Touchline Rants Pointless

Louis van Gaal, pictured, prefers to relay messages to his players through his assistant Ryan Giggs (Photo: Press Association)

Louis van Gaal believes other Barclays Premier League managers are wasting their time by shouting and bawling at their players from the touchline.

Source: Mail Online Sport

Do-Or-Die Approach To 2015 Polls Is A Threat For Democracy – Obong Of Calabar

Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V shaking VP Namadi Sambo at an event in Abuja (Photo: efikeburutu.com)

The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, has warned that the do-or-die approach to 2015 polls by politicians constituted a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.

The Efik monarch made the observation in Adiabo in Odukpani Local Government Area while interacting with some journalists.

Best Christmas Present Ever? Joe Riquelme STUNS His Parent With The Perfect Gift – Pays Off Their Mortgage

There are Christmas miracles after all.

Perez Hilton/Daily Mail report for Joe Riquelme's parents, the miracle has taken the form of a plain white envelope containing a handwritten note from their son telling them he had paid off their mortgage.

Simone Gbagbo, Côte d'Ivoire 's former first lady, sits in the dock at the Court of Justice in Abidjan on December 26, 2014 for the start of her trial ©Sia Kambou (AFP)

Côte d'Ivoire's former first lady Simone Gbagbo went on trial Friday for "attempting to undermine the security of the state" in events leading to a bloody 2010-2011 crisis that left thousands dead. Gbagbo, who has been held for three years and is also wanted by an international court for crimes against humanity, entered the Abidjan court where she is standing trial with 82 others, to cheers and applause from the public.

Free Xmas Cash Nightmare: Hong Kong Couple Arrested For Scavenging US$1.9mn

Christmas joy was short-lived for two people, who scavenged almost US$2 million dollars in cash after a security van’s faulty backdoor scattered money all over the road. The two have been arrested after piles of bills were found under their beds.

Medical workers wash their hands in an Ebola treatment centre in Monrovia on December 20, 2014 ©Evan Schneider (UN/AFP)

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa has risen to 7,693 out of 19,695 cases recorded, the World Health Organization said Friday.

Reuters / Thomas Peter

For the first time since 1955 people in Japan have spent more this year through March than they saved, as wages in real terms are at an almost five- year low.

Blogger Films How Homeless Man Spent US$100 On Charity, Raises Over US$94k In Crowdfunding

A blogger gave a homeless guy US$100 – and filmed an unexpected twist, as the man decided to help others with the money. The video went viral, and a crowdfunding campaign to get the homeless man back on his feet has raised over US$94k and counting, according to RT.com.

Prophet T. B. Joshua of SCOAN (Photo: vanguardngr.com)

Prophet T. B. Joshua has invited to Lagos the bereaved families of the South African victims of a fatal church building collapse for a trip of "spiritual and emotional support", a spokesman said Tuesday.

Reuters / Ints Kalnins

Not quite the Biblical Noah’s Ark, but possibly the next best thing. Moscow State University has secured Russia’s largest-ever scientific grant to collect the DNA of every living and extinct creature for the world’s first database of its kind, according to RT.com.

DISGRACED: Haruko Obokata, 31, a researcher at Japan's Riken institute, wipes away tears during a press conference in Osaka, western Japan, on April 9, 2014 ©- (Jiji Press/AFP)

Japan's top research institute on Friday hammered the final nail in the coffin of what was once billed as a ground-breaking stem cell study, dismissing it as flawed and saying the work could have been fabricated.

The man who discovered Ebola says a European team of specialists trained to tackle viral outbreaks is needed (Photo: Press Association)

The UK and the rest of Europe must form a group of specialists ready to tackle outbreaks like Ebola, the man who discovered the disease almost 40 years ago has said.

To consolidate on its ongoing Season of Surprises campaign, Nigeria’s largest telecoms firm, MTN, has continued the selection of winners in the customer reward promo.

Comrade Issa Aremu Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress making his speech at the EHINGBETI SUMMIT 2014 Summit, Lagos.

Secretary General of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), Comrade Issa Aremu, has expressed concern over non-payment of workers' salaries by many state governors.

Jimoh Ibrahim (Photo: nigeriabestforum.com)

To control the consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency and other forms of insecurity in the country, the Federal Government has hired NICON Insurance PLC to insure 125,000 secondary pupils in 104 Unity Schools across the country.

Adam Sandler (Photo: lifetimetv.co.uk)

Adam Sandler has topped Forbes’ list of Hollywood’s most overpaid actors for a second consecutive year.

Chaos Ensues As Armored Truck Spills US$4.5 Million On Road In Hong Kong Currency

Hong Kong shoppers and commuters thought Christmas had arrived early on Wednesday afternoon after hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cash spilled onto a busy road following an accident apparently involving a security van.

Reuters/Baz Ratner

In yet another safety lab snafu at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as a dozen workers are being assessed for possible exposure to the Ebola virus. The incident occurred as a sample of the pathogen was transferred between labs.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has sanitizing gel squirted on his hands during a visit to a western area emergency response center, in Freetown, on December 19, 2014 ©Evan Schneider (UN/AFP)

Sierra Leone's government has declared a five-day lockdown in the country's north to step up efforts to contain the Ebola epidemic, while making an exception for Christmas. "Muslims and Christians are not allowed to hold services in mosques and churches throughout the lockdown except for Christians on Christmas Day (Thursday)," Alie Kamara, resident minister for the Northern Region, according to AFP.

Christmas is no doubt one of the biggest holidays in the world. Celebrated in virtually all continents of the world, December 25, when the holiday is marked, is a period for merry making across cultures, languages and nations.

Christmas has its origin with the birth of Jesus Christ. Although there is some controversy within Christian faith over the veracity of December 25 being the actual date of birth of Jesus Christ, nothing has yet taken the shine off the celebration worldwide. It still remains the period to take a long vacation or close business for the year.
Nigerian Tribune and GRAPHITTI NEWS report:

AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini

A team of Swiss scientists set out on a quest to learn if using smartphones actually makes us smarter. Their study revealed that using a touchscreen device affects a part of the brain that processes touch. In a study published in the journal Current Biology, Swiss researchers said that people who use smartphones have an enhanced somatosensory cortex.

I wish you well throughout this festive period and pray for a very productive, prosperous 2015 for you as reach further and higher than the outgoing year.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Israel Approves Over 350 New Settlements In Occupied Jerusalem

Israeli construction cranes and excavators at a building site of new housing units in the Jewish settlement of Neve Yaakov, in the northern area of east Jerusalem. (AFP Photo/Ahmad Gharabli)

Jerusalem City Council has approved the construction of almost 400 new settlements in two districts of the city and its southern part, including annexed areas situated beyond the Green Line, RT.com reports.

Dr. Peter Piot, a scientist who helped to discover the virus in 1976, says vaccine would take time to develop

* Nearly 20,000 cases recorded worldwide to date

* Virus spreading in north and west of Sierra Leone (Updates with new WHO statement with global figures)

The global death toll from Ebola has risen to 7,588 out of 19,497 confirmed cases recorded in the year-old epidemic raging in West Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

AFP Photo / Ahmad Zamroni

Authorities in Indonesia plan to ban virginity tests for female civil servants following widespread condemnation that the country’s police force still uses the “degrading” practice to vet candidates.

Nigeria has made an effort to clean up voter registration for elections next February, but holding a credible poll is a daunting prospect amid chaotic distribution of ballot cards and an Islamist insurgency that could disenfranchise millions.

A medical worker listens as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon gives a speech during his visit to an Ebola treatment unit in Freetown on December 19, 2014 ©Evan Schneider (UN/AFP)

A village chief has become the first person in Sierra Leone to be jailed under laws aimed at preventing the spread of the Ebola virus, court officials and lawyers said. Amadu Kargbo was sentenced to six months in jail by a court in the southwestern city of Moyamba for secretly burying the dead and failing to report a sick patient, court official Foday Fofanah, AFP reports.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday promised that his administration would give security agencies the necessary support to ensure that the 2015 general elections are violence-free.

Vitaly Mutko

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has revealed that a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) commission visited Moscow and took around 3,000 samples from local athletes for testing.

Pictures dated December 23, 2014 shows Chinese competitive eater Pan Yizhong picking up an egg at a buffet restaurant in Changsha, in central China's Hunan province. Chinese competitive eater who marked the Christmas season by consuming 160 eggs in one sitting said on Wednesday he was in good health and planned more extreme stunts.

Pan Yizhong, 46, sported a red and white Santa hat as he gobbled 150 quail eggs and 10 chicken eggs in less than 40 minutes on Tuesday to promote a restaurant in central China's Hunan province.

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has hinted he may be ready to take a fifth wife to accompany him through old age, according to The Star.

Photo: www.glamour.com

She won the Oscar for her role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave and she graced the cover as PEOPLE’s Most Beautiful issue – Lupita Nyong’o had a very good year. But not only is she beautiful and talented, she’s got some serious social media game.

Nyong’o, 31, posted a poem to Instagram Monday to accompany a holiday photo.

See Poem:

AFP Photo / Hoang Dinh Nam

Authorities in a large Chinese city are investigating a work gang of a property development company, which bullied local residents into vacating their homes, threatening to infect them with AIDS unless they comply.

Ebola virus discoverer Peter Piot speaks after an informal consultation at the World Health Organization.

Number of Ebola cases in Sierra Leone is expected to peak over the coming weeks. The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus that has killed more than 7,300 people in west Africa so far is likely to last until the end of next year, a leading professor has said.

BLOOD ON BLATTER’S/FIFA’S HANDS? Qatar’s World Cup Migrant Workers ‘Died At Rate Of 1 Every 2 Days’ In 2014 – Report

New data reveals that Nepalese construction workers building the 2022 World Cup facilities in Qatar have been dying at a rate of one every two days in 2014 due to bad working conditions, the Guardian reports.

President Goodluck Jonathan

The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Zakari Mohammed, yesterday, said 40 bills were awaiting President Goodluck Jonathan’s assent to become Acts of the National Assembly.

Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri (Photo: thenationaonline.com)

Agents of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are scouting to recruit youths as fighters, the Federal Government alerted yesterday. It urged members of the public to be at alert and shun any such recruitment into the terror group.

Former US president George H.W. Bush attends a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on November 23, 2014 in Houston, Texas ©Bob Levey (Getty Images/AFP)

Former US president George H. W. Bush, 90, has been admitted to a Texas hospital suffering shortness of breath, a family spokesman said. "President Bush was taken by ambulance to the Houston Methodist Hospital as a precaution after experiencing a shortness of breath earlier this evening," his spokesman Jim McGrath said.

Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) (credits: nairaland.com)

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has said his desire not to become a hostage to anyone is the reason behind his decision to rely on the sacrifices of ordinary Nigerians to fund his campaign, The Punch reports.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State (Photo: The Nation)

Edo State female footballers playing for the state owned female club known as the Edo Queens in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) on Tuesday protested the non-payment of over two years salaries and allowances.

President Jonathan receiving the Grand Patriarch of Nollywood Award presented to him today (Tuesday) by Legends of Nollywood. (Photo: Abati on Twitter)

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday pushed for a designated place to be created and named “Hall of Shame” where names of criminals and societal misfits will be documented. Stressing that he muted the idea while he was the Governor of Bayelsa State, the President said that it will serve as deterrence to those who may want to indulge in criminality in the country, according to The Nation.

Alan Gross, alongside his wife Judy, waves as he leaves a press conference after being released by Cuba on December 17, 2014 in Washington,DC ©Saul Loeb (AFP)

Alan Gross, the American freed last week after five years in a Cuban jail, has reached a US$3.2 million settlement with the US government, media reports said Wednesday.

Not less than half a dozen coaches have applied to replace John Obuh as coach of Enugu Rangers, according to AfricanFootball.com.

There was a boisterous start of the much-anticipated Calabar Festival yesterday, as over 40 troupes; consisting 22 states, 18 local government areas of the state and more than eight cultural groups stormed the streets of Calabar for a preliminary parade, The Nation reports.

DON'T INHALE: BBC Reporter Gets High On Camera, Can’t Finish Report

The BBC’s Middle East correspondent Quentin Sommerville was unable to finish a video broadcast after inhaling fumes from a pile of burning drugs.

BBC Report: Conservationists say elephant poaching is on the rise across Africa (Photo: ethicaltraveller.com)

A Kenyan businessman suspected of being behind an international ivory smuggling ring has been arrested in Tanzania.

Police said that Feisal Mohamed Ali was linked to a three tonne haul of elephant tusks seized in the Kenyan city of Mombasa, according to BBC.

IGP, Nigeria Police

The Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has ordered that security be beefed up nationwide as people prepare for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Force Spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu.

Vice-Chancellor, LASU, Prof. John Obafunwa

The authorities of the Lagos State University, Ojo, have said that the withdrawal of 18 PhD certificates from some of their graduates is not a witch-hunt, The Punch reports.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Tuesday, December 23, 2014