NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover Reaches Final Destination

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover (Reuters / NASA)

The United States’ National Aeronautical and Space Agency, NASA,  Mars Curiosity Rover has reached its final destination at the base of a 3-mile-high Martian mountain that scientists hope will reveal the answer to the ultimate question of whether the planet once sustained life, agencies report.

Tragedy: Scores Die In Synagogue Building Collapse

The collapsed building at Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos  credits: NEMA LASEMA

Saturday PUNCH reports a six-storey building belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Ikotun, Lagos, collapsed on Friday with no fewer than 50 persons feared dead.

(A SEASON FOR IGBO TO REASON!) Joe Igbokwe: Letter To Ndigbo, Do We Need To Defend Stella Oduah And General Ihejirika?

Joe Igbokwe

At the risk of being tagged once again as anti-Igbo by rabid, commissioned slave traders who see Ndigbo as easy wares to be marketed to their political masters, I write this open letter to my people.

"Dolus Eventualis" — Judge's Verdict In Pistorius Trial Explained

Did Oscar Pistorius get away with murder?

Oscar Pistorius sits in the dock looking in court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Sept. 12, 2014. Judge Thokozile Masipa found Pistorius guilty of culpable homicide for the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Sentencing procedures will start Oct. 13. (AP Photo/Siphiwe Sibeko, Pool)

Judge Thokozile Masipa's decision to acquit Pistorius of murder has left many in South Africa asking that question. Masipa's decision hinged on a little-known Latin term and a complex section of South African law: "Dolus eventualis."

JS Kabylie FC Banned From Playing Home Matches

Ebosse in ball possession. Photo: JS Kabylie website

The Algerian Football Federation on Friday banned JS Kabylie from playing home games for the rest of the season after the death of Cameroon striker Albert Ebosse, AP reports.

Ri'se Awde Amet (HAPPY NEW YEAR) - Ethiopian New Year Celebration

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM GRAPHITTI NEWS TO ALL OUR READERS IN ETHIOPIA

President conveys 2007 New Year best wishes to Ethiopians. (Screengrab/Photo: ERTV)

President Dr Mulatu Teshome has expressed his best wishes to the people of Ethiopia in connection with the turn of the 2007 Ethiopian New Year.

Russian Woman Jumps From 13th Floor Over Unhappy Love Affair... And Survives

Still from YouTube video/LifeNews

A desperately-in-love woman leapt from the 13th floor of a building, severely smashing the roof of a posh Mercedes…and lived. After the impossible plunge she didn’t even lose consciousness and asked only for a glass of water, RT quotes LifeNews reports.

Ebola Toll Hits 2,400 As Cuba Pledges Medics

Artwork credits & Source: thedailyvox.co.za (All rights reserved); GRAPHITTI NEWS alteration added (1400+)

The worst-ever outbreak of Ebola fever has now killed more than 2,400 people, the UN said on Friday, as Cuba pledged the largest foreign medical team deployed so far in the west African health crisis, Jamaica Observer/AFP report.

Hamas Admits It DID Use Schools And Hospitals In Gaza Strip As 'Human Shields' To Launch Rocket Attacks On Israel - But Claims It Was 'Mistake'

Confession: In a veiled confession that comes two weeks after the end of the Gaza war, a senior Hamas official today said the group's fighters had no choice but to use residential areas from which to launch missiles into their neighbour's territory

Hamas appeared to admit using human shields to fire rockets into Israel for the first time today, but refused to accept responsibility for the slaughter of hundreds of innocent Palestinians killed in retaliatory airstrikes, according to Daily Mail citing AP sources.

Oscar Pistorius Verdict: More Questions Than Answers, Oscar Granted Bail, Sentencing For October 13

Oscar Pistorius is found guilty of culpable homicide over the killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, but is bailed until sentencing on 13 October.

Sussex, UK Says ‘No’ To South Down Fracking Bid

An energy company’s bid to drill for shale oil and gas in the UK’s newest national park has been rejected. The refusal has thrown into doubt the future of the fracking industry in southern England, RT reports.

Number Of Japanese Centenarians To Hit Record High 58,820

Misao Okawa, 116, and 111-year-old Sakari Momoi are the oldest woman and man in Japan. (Asahi Shimbun file photos)

The number of centenarians in Japan is expected to hit a record 58,820 on Respect-for-the-Aged Day on Sept. 15, an increase of 4,423 from a year earlier, according to the welfare ministry, the Asahi Shimbun reports.

EU Publishes Russia Sanctions List: Energy, Finance, Defense Targeted

Reuters/Yves Herman

Arms producer Kalashnikov and oil giant Rosneft are among Russian companies hit by a new round of EU sanctions, which have come into effect Friday morning upon being published in the EU Official Journal, RT reports.

Pistorius Guilty Of Culpable Homicide (Manslaughter Or Unlawful Killing) Of Reeva Steenkamp

Oscar Pistorius will return to the high court in Pretoria to hear the judge's verdict (AP)

Athlete Oscar Pistorius is facing jail after being found guilty of the manslaughter of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, AP reports.

PISTORIUS TRIAL - Judge Masipa Reads Conclusions In Pistorius Murder Trial

Screengrab of Trial Judge, Thokozile Masipa (Source: BBC)

The South African judge in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius has resumed explaining her reasoning behind her upcoming verdicts in the case against the double-amputee Olympian, AP reports.

Secondary School Principals Reject New Resumption Date

Mr. Oluwole Awolusi, President All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary School (ANCOPSS)

The Punch reports that All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS) on Thursday rejected the September 22 resumption date announced by the Federal Government.

OAU Female Student Tests Negative To Ebola As Another Foreign Ebola Patient Caught In Lagos

Prof Bamitale Omole (Source: Channels tv)

The vice chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor Bamitale Omole, has disclosed that a female student of the institution who had contact with the late Port Harcourt-based Dr Ikechukwu Sam Enemuo has tested negative to Ebola virus.

CIA Estimates 20k-30k Fighters In Syria, Iraq After Obama Pledges To Destroy ISIS

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Headquarters -- the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, Va.

The Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, believes the Islamic State militant group “can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters” throughout both Iraq and Syria, CNN reports.

Prison Break-In: Norway To Rent Dutch Cells For Inmates As ‘Demand’ Exceeds Capacity

Jailer checking a cell inside the prison of Tilburg.(AFP Photo / Marco De Swart)

RT reports Norway’s prison system plans to rent Dutch prison cells amid a shortage of available space as the Norwegian government said.

Europe's Biggest Rally Ever? Up To 2 Million Catalans March For Independence

Catalans holding Catalan independentist flags (Estelada) gather on Passeig de Gracia during celebrations of Catalonia National Day (Diada) in Barcelona on September 11, 2014. (AFP Photo / Josep Lago)

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans have flooded the streets of Barcelona in the region’s national day to demand the right to vote on independence from Spain. The demonstrators have formed a big V in red and yellow, symbolizing “vote”, RT reports.

2014 ASIAN GAMES - North Korea Flags Down After Protests

Asian Games organizers have taken down the flags of competing nations in South Korean streets following protests about the inclusion of North Korean flags, officials said yesterday, as the first batch of the North’s delegations to the games were heading south, AP reports.

Magic Mushrooms Could Help Smokers Kick The Habit

"Magic mushrooms" (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

A chemical in the hallucinogenic drug known as "magic mushrooms" could help longtime smokers kick the habit, according to a new study, according to CBS News. 

Doubts In DC: Scottish Independence Could Threaten US-UK Strategic Relationship

A Joint Session of Congress inside the chamber of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Reuters / Larry Downing)

Members from both sides of the US political spectrum say a Yes vote in Scotland’s independence referendum may compromise the UK-US strategic relationship. A weakening of Washington’s top military ally and the fate of the UK’s nuclear arsenal are key, RT reports.

Hole In Ozone Layer Starts Patching Up, UN Says

 

This undated image provided by NASA shows the ozone layer over the years, Sept. 17, 1979, top left, Oct. 7, 1989, top right, Oct. 9, 2006, lower left, and Oct. 1, 2010, lower right. Earth protective but fragile ozone layer is finally starting to rebound, says a United Nations panel of scientists. Scientists hail this as rare environmental good news, demonstrating that when the world comes together it can stop a brewing ecological crisis. (NASA/Associated Press)

Earth’s protective ozone layer is beginning to recover, largely because of the phase-out since the 1980s of certain chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, a U.N. scientific panel reported Wednesday in a rare piece of good news about the health of the planet.

350 Nigerian Students ‘Stuck’ In Troubled Ukraine

Donetsk National Medical University

Three hundred and fifty Nigerian students are trapped in Ukraine’s troubled regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry has disclosed, according to TheCable reports.

Argentina's San Lorenzo To Name Stadium After Pope

Pope Francis has been a life-long supporter of San Lorenzo

Argentine club San Lorenzo will name its new stadium after its most famous fan: Pope Francis. San Lorenzo announced the decision Wednesday on its official Twitter account. The new stadium will be built on land seized from the club during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, BBC reports.

NEWS ANALYSIS: Putin's Nationalism And Expansion Strategy Is Doomed To Fail

Ivan Sukhov

However events continue to develop in southern and eastern Ukraine, one of the most important realizations that European and U.S. politicians have had in recent months is that, in terms of foreign and military policy, modern Russia no longer behaves like Estonia, Slovakia or other former Eastern Bloc countries.

HE’S NOT FREE YET BUT…Pistorius Not Guilty Of Premeditated Murder

Screengrab of BBC Live Coverage of Pistorius Verdict.

Judge Masipa has read much of her judgement and she's just found Oscar Pistorius not guilty of murder. The judge explained that Oscar's reaction after killing Reeva shows he didn't have criminal intent, hadn't foreseen he'd killed her, BBC reports.

Extreme Solar Storm Approaches Earth

An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun on Sept. 10, 2014. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows light in the 131 Angstrom wavelength, which is typically colorized in teal. Image Credit: NASA/SDO

A powerful solar flare sparked on an Earth-facing section of the sun. A subsequent coronal mass ejection is expected to reach our planet later in the week, possibly causing disruptions of communication and power grids, RT reports.

SOME HAVE BEEN USING THIS AS HOME REMEDIES FOR AGES - Honeybee Antibiotics? Fresh Honey ‘Key’ To Beating Drug-Resistant Infections, Scientists Say

AFP Photo / Wojtek Radwanski

Swedish scientists have detected 13 bacterial components in raw honey that they say are more effective than conventional antibiotics in fighting deadly wound infections, including MRSA. The bacterial blend has already been effectively tested on horses, RT reports.

Millions More At Risk In Ebola Outbreak, British Study Finds

Research by the University of Oxford reveals how 15 more countries across Africa could be hit by the Ebola virus.

The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history could spread to a further 15 countries in West and Central Africa, putting up to 70 million people at risk of infection, a ground-breaking study has found, Telegraph reports.

Password Detected? Website Checks If You Were Affected By Epic Gmail Leak

Reuters / Eduardo Munoz

Although a database with a whopping 5 million Gmail and Yandex passwords had people the world over changing their accounts to protect their privacy, there is now a way to know for sure whether you’ve been affected, RT reports.

Venezuela's Oldest Newspaper Shuts Down

Venezuela's oldest newspaper is shutting down because of a lack of newsprint and a difficult economic climate as the country grapples with chronic shortages, AP reports.

Oscar Pistorius In Court for Verdict

Screen grab of BBC Live Broadcast.

Oscar Pistorius in court this morning.

After a lengthy trial and 30 days of deliberation, Paralympian Oscar Pistorius is about to find out if he's going to be locked up for a very long time for the murder of his girlfriend or be set free. Judge Thokozile Masipa is currently delivering her verdict at the High Court in Pretoria.
There is now an adjournment until 11.30am. 

US Gives Ambulances To Sierra Leone As Gates Foundation Commits US$50M To Ebola Response

Sierra Leone's president Ernest Bai Koroma inspects an ambulance, one of five donated by the U.S. to help combat the Ebola virus in the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Duff)

The United States donated five ambulances Wednesday to help Sierra Leone's fight against Ebola, as the West African government acknowledged it can take up to 24 hours to pick up bodies in the spiraling crisis, AP reports.

12 National & International Highlights To Know For Tuesday, September 9, 2014

GRAPHITTI NEWS collates national and international highlights from late-breaking news, up-coming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday:

Managing Director, AMCON, Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi

1. AMCON SHORTLISTS SEVEN POTENTIAL BUYERS FOR MAINSTREET BANK

The advisers of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria have reduced the 23 investors lining up to buy Mainstreet Bank to just seven, with the bad assets manager hoping to name the successful buyer on October 31.

RUGBY SUPER LEAGUE WELCOME TO NEWCASTLE - Newcastle To Host Magic Weekend

St James' Park will host the next Magic Weekend

Newcastle has been chosen to host the 2015 Magic Weekend, when a full round of fixtures in the First Utility Super League are played over two days on the same pitch.

The Rugby Football League was forced to look for a new venue after being told that Manchester City's Etihad Stadium was not available next May due to building work, Press Association reports.

5 Things Apple Watch Can Do, And 5 It Can't

iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iWatch (Apple)

Apple's latest "one more thing" was a doozy: A high-tech watch that CEO Tim Cook hopes will "redefine what people expect" from a wearable device. The watch does much more than tell the time -- but what exactly does it do? And what can't it?

Santander Bank's Powerful Patriarch Botin Dies, Daughter To Succeed

Emilio Botin, one of Spain's most powerful men transformed Santander into Eurozone biggest bank

Emilio Botin, one of Spain's most powerful men who transformed Santander from a small domestic lender into the euro zone's biggest bank, has died of a heart attack, aged 79, AP reports.

Nigerian President Orders Removal Of Offensive #BringBackJonathan2015 Campaign Banners

The Presidency in a statement on Wednesday said President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has directed that the #Bring Back Jonathan 2015 signs and banners around Abuja which he and many Nigerians find offensive and repugnant be brought down immediately.

Stirring A Needless Controversy - Reps To Review Sept 22 School Resumption Date

Nigeria's House of Representatives

The House of Representatives has directed its Committee on Education to review the Federal Government’s directive to schools to resume on September 22 as against October 13 over the Ebola Virus Disease in the country, according to Leadership & GN.

Cost Of US Trade Blockade - Cuba Calculates US Embargo Cost Its Economy US$1.1 Trillion

Havana, Cuba (Reuters / Desmond Boylan)

RT reports that Cuba says its economy is suffering a “systematic worsening” due to a US embargo, the consequences of which Havana places at US$1.1 trillion since Washington imposed the sanctions in 1962, taking into account the depreciation of the dollar against gold.

Internet Slowdown Day: Leading Web Companies Fight For ‘Net Neutrality’

Image from battleforthenet.com

The world's major online companies, along with smaller websites, have united in a symbolic ‘Internet Slowdown’ protest against proposed US regulations that would introduce segregation in internet surfing speeds and kill “net neutrality.”

The central theme of the protest on September 10 is to rally around a revolving icon – symbolizing slowly loading online content – as a way of illustrating how the loss of net neutrality would harm websites and other online services if a new US-proposed regulation goes into action.

Internet giants such as Netflix who rely on a fast internet stream to offer their users HD access to their movie library are at the front lines of the movement, which united over the social media under the #NetNeutrality hashtag.

Leading Internet companies including Reddit, Foursquare, Mozilla, Vimeo, and Wordpress announced their support for the protest by displaying the loading symbol while urging their users to submit comments to the Federal Communications Commission, Congress and the White House.

September 10 Protest Displays

With the open comment period due to end on September 15, the FCC is expected to issue a final rule as soon as the end of the year. The new guidelines aim to replace the FCC's 2010 open internet order, which was struck down by a federal appeals court in January this year. 

The current debate focuses on the issue of “net neutrality” and the way two-tier internet traffic would impact competition, consumers, free speech and civic engagement.

To remind the FCC that internet is a “common carrier” – with its content to be delivered to users at equal speeds – more action is planned for this month. The campaign will include rallies in New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, on September 15-18.