20 World-Class Leaders Judge South Asia's Finest as the 2nd Annual Asian Awards 2011 Gets Underway

20 World-Class Leaders Judge South Asia's Finest as the 2nd Annual Asian Awards 2011 Gets Underway




LONDON, May 25 /PRNewswire/ — The Asian Awards 2011, in partnership with Lebara, has launched into its second year of celebrating the best in South Asian achievement. The House of Lords recently played host to 20 world-class leaders from the worlds of politics, business, sport, media, arts and technology - who gathered to choose winners from a short-list of inspirational luminaries and pioneers who have carved out their own places in history.

"With so many exceptional people from the South Asian community short-listed for only 12 honours, it's vitally important that they are not only judged by a panel of their peers but that the process is robust, transparent and intellectually rigorous," said Chair of Judges Baroness Verma. "It's exciting to have 20 esteemed judges from such a variety of fields in one room, and to see such lively debate."

The Asian Awards were an ambitious idea conceived by Paul Sagoo, founder of consultancy Lemon Group, and realised by co-founder Caroline Jackson Levy, Managing Director of UBM Awards. "Our goal was to celebrate the highest calibre of individuals from the Asian community across all spheres of activity," said Sagoo. "Last year's inaugural event was spectacular, and set the bar high for 2011. This year, we will take it a notch higher," added Jackson Levy. In 2010, the Asian Awards honoured some of the most inspiring people in the South Asian community - from record breaking cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to world famous composer A R Rahman to legendary business leader Ratan Tata.


* Paul Sagoo, MD, Lemon Group with Caroline Jackson Levy, MD, UBM Awards, Co-founders of the Asian Awards

This year, judges brought their insight and expertise to panels for Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Public Servant and Social Entrepreneur of the Year to Outstanding Achievement in Music, Art & Design, Sport, Cinema, Television and Science.

Business category judges included Surinder Arora, CEO of Arora Holdings; Kamel Hothi, Asian Markets Director, Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets; and Ratheesan Yoganathan, CEO of Lebara, returning as headline sponsor for the second year.

"There are many entrepreneurs in the Asian community, so this year's winner must combine outstanding business acumen and achievement with the best leadership skills, innovation and drive," said Lebara CEO Yoganathan. "It's an honour to help choose the leaders that the Asian business community should look up to."

"The Asian Awards celebrate the achievements of those who, in many cases, came here with nothing and are now adding to the bottom line of UK plc," said Hothi. "It's important for Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets to be involved in identifying the successful individuals who have made a difference globally and are inspiring others in the Asian community to do the same - and that is central to our decision to return as sponsor for a second year."

Among the judges for the media and arts categories were Sonny Takhar, Head of Marketing at SYCO Entertainment and Sony award-winning DJ and broadcaster Nihal Athanayake. "There aren't enough opportunities to celebrate Asian talent at this level in this country in such a mainstream way," said Takhar, who praised The Asian Awards as a major platform for showcasing talent to a wider audience.

"To be respected as an accolade you need outstanding people to receive it - and The Asian Awards have done that better than any other," added Nihal. "These awards are about recognising the massive contribution made by the Asian community to this country, and the world, but they're also about integration - because these nominees are citizens of countries outside Asia."

"The Asian Awards are important because they inspire future generations to achieve great things," concluded Daljit Jagait, VIP Relationship Manager at Jaguar. As official automotive partner to the Awards, Jaguar will this year be providing XJs for chauffeur services to winners attending the Asian Awards.

Winners of the 2011 Asian Awards will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at The Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London on 18th October - and it promises to be a spectacular occasion. With some of the world's most high profile trailblazers honoured in 2010, excitement is already building around who the recipients might be for 2011. Visit www.theasianawards.com/videos-2011.php to watch interviews with the 2011 judges or www.theasianawards.com for a full list of 2010 winners as well as information on how to book tickets to the 2011 Awards.
Notes for Editors:

The Asian Awards were an ambitious idea conceived by Paul Sagoo, founder of consultancy Lemon Group, and realised by co-founder Caroline Jackson Levy, Managing Director of UBM Awards. A celebration of excellence among the global Asian community, they were launched in 2010 to recognise and reward the outstanding achievements of individuals born in or with direct family origin from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or Bangladesh across all disciplines of life - from business to the arts, culture, sport and public service. The inaugural ceremony drew 1,200 of the most influential people in the Asian community and raised over £100,000 for its chosen charity, Save the Children.

The Lebara Group, headline sponsor of The Asian Awards for the second year, was founded in 2001 by Rasiah Leon, Baskaran Kandiah and Ratheesan Yoganathan - who shared a vision to transform the international calling market, making it easier for migrant communities to stay in touch with friends and family back home. This year as Lebara celebrates its 10th anniversary it is one of the world's fastest growing mobile companies with more than 1,200 employees worldwide, operations in eight countries and revenues for 2009 totalling €371 million.

For more information, interview requests and hi-res images, please contact:
Puja Vedi
LiveStyle Media
+44(0)7949 573065

Henriette Svensen
Head of PR & Marketing
UBM Awards
Tel: +44 (0)207 234 8753 / +44 (0)7500 917 628
Email: henriette.svensen@ubm.com

One-in-Four Workers Can't Afford to Take a Vacation

25 May 2011 11:00 Africa/Lagos


One-in-Four Workers Can't Afford to Take a Vacation, CareerBuilder Survey Finds
--30 Percent Work While on Vacation--

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, May 25, 2011

CHICAGO, May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As we approach the official kick-off to summer getaways with Memorial Day weekend, a recent study from CareerBuilder shows financial constraints and demanding work schedules have some workers foregoing vacation plans this year. Twenty-four percent of full-time workers reported they can't afford to take a vacation in 2011, up from 21 percent last year. Another 12 percent reported they can afford a vacation, but don't have plans to take one this year. More than 5,600 workers participated in the nationwide study, which was conducted from February 21 to March 10, 2011.

INFOGRAPHIC: http://bit.ly/k0hS3X.

While the majority of workers are planning some time away from work, three-in-ten plan to take the office with them on vacation. Thirty percent reported they will contact work while on vacation, up from 25 percent last year.

"Taking advantage of vacation or paid-time-off benefits is critical not only to your well-being, but to your overall job performance," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "Workers who set aside time for R&R tend to have less burnout, more creative energy and higher quality output. While financial challenges and heavy workloads may make vacation planning difficult, it's important to find time to recharge away or at home. It can ultimately translate into a more gratifying work experience that benefits you, your family and your employer."

As the economy heals, more than one-third (36 percent) of workers reported that they feel more comfortable taking a vacation than they did in 2010. One-in-four (26 percent) are planning a vacation of 7 to 10 days while 11 percent expect to be gone 2 weeks or longer. Twenty-four percent are planning for 3 to 5 days or a weekend getaway.

Haefner recommends the following tips to make the most of your time off:

1. Give plenty of notice – 24 percent of workers reported they have had to work while their family went on vacation without them. Coordinate schedules with family and friends and co-workers as early in advance as possible, so you can plan vacations before/after big projects and events.
2. Don't take a guilt trip – 12 percent of workers reported they feel guilty that they're not at work while they're on vacation. Your vacation benefits are there for a reason. Enjoy yourself. The work will still be there when you return.
3. Ask about discounts – Many employers offer discounts on personal entertainment and travel for employees that may make vacation plans more affordable. Check out the company intranet or contact HR for more information.
4. Make sure you're covered – Buddy up with other co-workers to cross-train one another on responsibilities, upcoming deadlines, key contacts, where information is stored, etc. If your company may need to contact you for something while on vacation, make sure to set parameters on when you'll be available and stick to them.
5. Use 'em or lose 'em– 16 percent of workers reported they gave up vacation days in 2010 because they didn't have time to use them. If you can't take a number of days at once, consider taking a day here and there for extended weekends or mid-week breaks.


Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder among 5,671 U.S. workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government); ages 18 and over between February 21 and March 10, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset of U.S. employees, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 5,671, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.30 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 40 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to recruitment support. More than 9,000 websites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Grasz
773-527-1164
jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

SOURCE CareerBuilder

Web Site: http://www.careerbuilder.com

Windows Phone 7

24 May 2011 15:00 Africa/Lagos


Microsoft Previews Next Release of Windows Phone
"Mango" to deliver smarter and easier communications, apps and Internet experiences and bring Windows Phone to more customers around the world.

PR Newswire

REDMOND, Wash., May 24, 2011

REDMOND, Wash., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. today previewed the next major release of Windows Phone, code-named "Mango," through a series of media events around the world. "Mango" will deliver more than 500 new features to push the boundaries of the smartphone experience around communications, apps and the Internet. The "Mango" release will be available for free to Windows Phone 7 customers and is scheduled to ship on new phones beginning this fall. More details on device update timing will be provided closer to availability. Windows Phone will also add support for additional languages, expand access to apps by launching Windows Phone Marketplace in new countries, and partner with new OEMs to enable expansion to new markets.*

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

"Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more," said Andy Lees, president of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. "With 'Mango,' Windows Phone takes a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the Internet, giving you better results with less effort."

Communications: Easier to Connect and Share

The smartphone experience can be complicated by a sea of disconnected apps and accounts as people attempt to keep pace with all the ways they communicate — from calls, texts, email and instant messages (IM) to status updates, Tweets, check-ins, photo posting and tagging. To help people stay on top of that growing complexity, the "Mango" release organizes information around the person or group people want to interact with, not the app they have to use.

* Threads. Switch between text, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.
* Groups. Group contacts into personalized Live Tiles to see the latest status updates right from the Start Screen and quickly send a text, email or IM to the whole group.
* Deeper social network integration. Twitter and LinkedIn feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and "Mango" includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to the Web.
* Linked inbox. See multiple email accounts in one linked inbox. Conversations are organized to make it easy to stay on top of the latest mail.
* Hands-free messaging. Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting.


A Smarter Approach to Apps

Windows Phone will challenge the way people think about apps. Today their usefulness is measured by what can be done within the app, but Microsoft sees the promise of apps in how they can be integrated directly into the core experiences of the phone. In addition to making it easy to get timely notifications and updates from apps right from the Start Screen, the "Mango" release also will surface apps as part of search results and within Windows Phone Hubs. As a result, a useful app is more likely to be right there when needed.

* App Connect. By connecting apps to search results and deepening their integration with Windows Phone Hubs, including Music and Video and Pictures, "Mango" allows apps to be surfaced when and where they make sense.
* Improved Live Tiles. Get real-time information from apps without having to open them. Live Tiles can be more dynamic and hold more information.
* Multitasking. Quickly switch between apps in use and allow apps to run in the background, helping to preserve battery life and performance.


Taking the Internet Beyond the Browser

In addition to including Internet Explorer, the "Mango release will connect the power of the Web to the unique capabilities of Windows Phones, such as location awareness, camera and access to apps, to present a way of viewing the Web that is more localized, actionable and relevant.

* Internet Explorer 9. A browser based on the powerful Internet Explorer 9 and including support for HTML5 and full hardware acceleration.
* Local Scout. Provides hyper local search results and recommends nearby restaurants, shopping and activities in an easy-to-use guide.
* Bing on Windows Phone. More ways to search the Web, including Bing Vision, Music Search and Voice so it's easy to discover and decide.
* Quick Cards. When searching for a product, movie, event or place, see a quick summary of relevant information, including related apps.


Strengthening the Ecosystem

The Windows Phone ecosystem has grown steadily since Windows Phone 7 first launched in October, with more than 17,000 apps currently available on Windows Phone Marketplace and Windows Phone handsets available from a range of partners worldwide, and Microsoft's recently announced partnership with Nokia. "Mango" will further expand and strengthen the Windows Phone ecosystem through new partnerships with Acer Inc., Fujitsu Ltd. and ZTE Corp., which today announced plans to deliver new Windows Phone devices in markets around the world. Furthermore, Microsoft announced it will support additional languages, including Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish, and will greatly expand the list of countries where consumers have access to apps via Windows Phone Marketplace. As well, a beta release of the free Windows Phone Developer tools, which will be used to create the next generation of "Mango" apps and games, will be posted for public download to Microsoft's website within 24 hours of today's events. More information about what "Mango" means for developers, the tools and a link to the public download page is available at http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev/archive/2011/05/24/developer-news-beta-mango-tools-available-today.aspx .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Some information relates to pre-released product that may be substantially modified before it's commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

*Data plan required; carrier fees apply. Apps from Marketplace. Features and services vary by area, phone, carrier and service plan.

.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx

CONTACT: Rapid Response Team of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +1-503-443-7070, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com

Web Site: http://www.microsoft.com

Google celebrates Africa Day

Google celebrates Africa Day, the annual commemoration on May 25 of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), when leaders of 30 of the 32 independent African states signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In 1991, the OAU established the African Economic Community, and in 2002 the OAU established its own successor, the African Union. However, the name and date of Africa Day has been retained as a celebration of African unity.

Nigerians in UK inspire British Author’s new book for Children

Nigerians in UK inspire British Author’s new book for Children

A new book Tópé Arrives is about a Nigerian orphan who was forced against his will to continue his life in England. It is a Nigerian story written by a new British author Wendy Hue who told me why she wrote this emotionally compelling children’s book that has been endorsed by Richard Damilola, the father of Damilola Taylor, the 10-year-old Nigerian child murdered on his way from Peckham Library on November 27, 2000, in south London in 2000. The book was on the long list of the The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition.



Tópé is suddenly orphaned and against his will he has to leave Nigeria. Worried about starting a new life in England, he feels he is an outsider in his new school. It is a time of tears and tussles. Will his nimble football skills and precious wooden boat somehow help him to carve out a new beginning? Will he ever again be able to believe in himself and drum in with the dundun drums his renewed sense of fun and pride.

The book is specially for 7 - 9 year olds and already selected for Centre for Literacy and Primary Education book fair in London on the 24th June 2011.

Wendy Hue has a lot to say on her book, how Nigerians she has known for years in the UK inspired her literary genius in the writing and her unique multiethnic family among other important facts of her colourful life.




'Tópé Arrives' is just one of many, many stories that I have written.
The reason I decided to move with 'Tópé first was because he kept getting a lot of interest from mainstream publishers and also a literary agent I had about 5 years ago, however he never quite got published by them. Then the manuscript was long listed in The Times/Chicken House 2011 competition and I thought 'you know what - let me take this project in to my own hands' as from what I can see there is a real close net of who decides what books get published and end up on our shelves for all of our children. Children of different ethnicities are dispersed around the globe now and I believe we can no longer think insular, but must think wider because of this. We also have 4th, 5th etc generations of children now who are born and reared in different countries to that of their mother, father, grandparents, great grandparents and so on.

I also believe there is still a real under-representation of books for 'all of our children', where they can all be the main protagonist, the hero, or the fairy queen etc. I do not think we are quite there as yet in terms of having books that represent the complement of ethnicities in many countries, due party I suppose to the migration of peoples from one part of the earth to another today.

In terms of writing 'Tópé Arrives' about another culture, I felt confident enough because I have many, many amazing and wonderful Nigerian friends and worked in Peckham, South London for over 20 years (where there is an enormous and wonderful Nigerian community) so became very familiar with Nigerian culture. As the book, which was originally written, but not edited at that stage, is for young readers I did not want to force too much information about Nigeria in the book. I just wanted that information to trickle through with a light stroke of a paint brush. I hope I have done justice to this.

I can also let you know that I worked with two (not even one) excellent editors, one in particular who is an expert on diversity in children's publishing - Laura Atkins and she worked tirelessly with me to polish up the manuscript. I also commissioned a fabulous illustrator who has one some really wonderful line drawings inside and a beautiful front cover. Zara Slattery is the illustrator. All of this has and getting the book published has been at a total cost to me, but I am passionate about my writing and have persevered. I cannot wait for book number two to come out now, which is 'Ria - Sisterly Plaits' about a young black British Caribbean girl. I am of Caribbean ethnicity, but this story will not be autobiographical.

I have just left working in local government in London after almost 22 years and had been there for so long. I am a part-time university student in my final year, but finish next year as I have been also working fulltime. This year I have studied 'Global Politics and Postcolonial Worlds' and 'Cultures of Consumption'. As a family we also regularly have young children from all parts of the globe come and stay in our home on short stays when they are visiting England. I am a married mother of three children, my son Marlon is 23 and daughters, Hannah 19 and Emily 13. My father (who is part Chinese) came to this country (UK) when he was enlisted to fight in World War II for the British Royal Air Force when the Caribbean as were many other countries, part of the Commonwealth. He and my mother who came here in the 1950s remained thereafter. With my father's work we always moved around and lived for 3 years in Cyprus in the Mediterranean when I was growing up and also I was born in Germany because of this, amongst many, many places in the UK. As a family (I have 6 wonderful brothers and two lovely sisters) we have a multiplicity of ethnicities as we have African heritage in us as well as Scottish, Irish, Chinese and so on... - very global - one world!

On my literary ambitions, I have already paid with a publishing company for book number 2, but am now wondering if I should just try and set up my own publishing company to move with books thereafter. I am keen for far more representation and transparency in our world of children's books globally, and all of my books embrace inclusion and diversity...


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Click here to order "Tópé Arrives" from Amazon.