Private space travel suffers a blow – Nigeria’s purported cease-fire with a feared terrorist group is a joke – There will be no quarantine for a nurse who doesn’t have Ebola – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson is expected in California on Saturday, where Virgin’s SpaceShipTwo exploded in midair and crashed into the Mojave Desert.  One pilot was killed and the other somehow managed to parachute to the ground, suffering serious injuries.  It’s a massive setback for Virgin Galactic’s plans to carry wealthy space tourists into sub orbital flight at a reputed US$200,000 per ticket.  More than 800 people have paid for or put money down on tickets.  This was the second failure of privatized space ventures in a week.

There’s a power struggle going on in Burkina Faso in western Africa.  President Blaise Compaore finally bowed to the will of thousands of protesters and resigned after 27-years.  His whereabouts are currently unknown.  Army chief General Honore Traore on Friday said he had taken over.  But later in the day, the second-in-command of the Presidential Guard Colonel Isaac Zida said he had assumed executive powers and Traore’s statement was “obsolete”.  Neither man has any business assuming power, because the Burkina Faso constitution says in the case of a presidential vacancy the president of the senate should take over until elections are held within 30 to 90 days.

The Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram has confirmed what has been evident for days – there is no cease-fire despite the claims of the Nigerian government.  In fact, the islamist terror group attacked two German construction workers, killing one and abducting the other, among other attacks in the northeastern area of the country the group controls.  Nigeria had claimed that it was close to a deal to get Boko Haram to release the more than 200 school girls kidnapped from their boarding school earlier this year.

A US judge says ruled that nurse Kaci Hickox did not need to be quarantined, as ordered by the conservative governors of two states, each crazier than the last.  The governors insist that Hickox is a danger because she heroically volunteered to fight the Ebola epidemic in western Africa, and they want her detained for 21-days, Ebola’s incubation period.  However, Kaci Hickox argues she is not showing any symptoms and two blood tests show she does not have the virus.  US President Barack Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres all condemned the discrimination against aid workers, mostly whipped up by the conservative corporate media.

Ukraine’s rebellious eastern provinces plan elections on Sunday.  German Chancellor Angela Merkel has phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to let him know that no European country will recognize the polls conducted by the Moscow-backed rebels. Sunday’s separatist elections are to elect leaders for parliaments in two self-proclaimed autonomous republics.

Jerusalem had some clashes between police and Palestinian youths, after the Israeli government reopened the Temple Mount to some Muslims observing Friday prayers.

With some 100,000 of people in the streets extending their middle fingers in protests, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban withdrew his plans for a monthly tax on Internet usage.  The European Union condemned the tax, calling it part of a broader pattern to limit communication freedom in Hungary.

A fire at France’s “Radio House” broadcasting center caused two radio broadcasters to interrupt broadcasts.  Thick black smoke poured from the building in an unimportant story that news people love because it’s got great video.

Hello Kitty is 40.