29 Nov 2007 21:15 Africa/Lagos
Malaria Community Applauds Clinton's $1 Billion a Year Pledge; Invites Other Candidates to Make Malaria Commitments
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton today pledged to expand the U.S. government commitment to malaria to US$1 billion a year if elected, setting the goal of ending malaria-related deaths in Africa by the end of her second term. The campaign said this funding would be in addition to U.S. government support of malaria control through the World Bank and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which finances the majority of malaria control efforts around the world.
Health ministers, heads of agencies, and other leaders in the global fight against malaria gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia this week for the 13th Roll Back Malaria Board Meeting reacted to the news.
"The Roll Back Malaria Partnership applauds Hillary Clinton's bold commitment to fight malaria," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Minister of Health of Ethiopia and Chair of the RBM Partnership Board. "This week's meeting has been all about planning for the aggressive scale up of malaria control and Sen. Clinton's pledge is evidence of growing support for that effort."
"With powerful new tools, effective models for control, and expanded financial resources, we are poised to win the fight against malaria," said Dr Awa Marie Coll-Seck, Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership. "$1 billion a year from the U.S. government will contribute significantly toward ending malaria deaths in Africa."
"It's encouraging to see a leading U.S. presidential candidate step out with such a bold commitment on malaria," said Rajat Gupta, Chairman of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. "We have the opportunity to eliminate malaria as a global health concern but we'll need continued American leadership to do it."
"All the pieces are falling into place to end malaria deaths in Africa," said Ray Chambers, co-Chairman of Malaria No More. "We have the knowledge, the tools, and increasingly the political will to stop millions of children dying needlessly."
Senator Clinton's pledge comes amidst significant recent progress in the fight against malaria. Donor country funding for malaria control has grown approximately 300% in the last three years to more than $1 billion a year. Malaria-endemic countries across sub-Saharan Africa -- including Tanzania, Mozambique, Zanzibar, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea -- are rapidly scaling up malaria control measures and achieving appreciable gains in reducing malaria incidence and deaths.
Malaria poses one of the greatest threats to human life in the developing world. Of the estimated 1 million malaria deaths worldwide, 90% occur in Africa, killing mostly young children at a rate of 3,000 every day. Currently, in countries with a very heavy malaria burden, the disease can account for as much as 40% of public health expenditure, 50% of inpatient admissions and up to 60% of outpatient visits.
"In addition to the tragic human cost, malaria poses an unacceptable economic toll on Africa, robbing the continent of $12 billion a year in lost productivity and other costs," said Dr. Maryse Pierre-Louis, coordinator of the World Bank's malaria control efforts in Africa. "For the first time, multiple African countries are slashing deaths and illness from malaria; this is the moment to strike a decisive blow against this disease."
The 13th Roll Back Malaria Partnership Board Meeting follows closely on the heels of the Gates Malaria Forum in Seattle last month where an ambitious challenge was issued to build on recent successes and aim for eventual eradication of malaria. Bill Gates also called on U.S. presidential candidates to extend the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative. "We invite all the U.S. presidential candidates to make their own pledges on this vitally important issue," said Dr. Coll-Seck of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership.
Partners participating in the RBM Board include: Ethiopia, Cambodia, Mali, Uganda, Zambia, Cameroon, Nigeria, UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank, WHO, France, Netherlands, United States of America, Earth Institute, Medicines for Malaria Venture, Southern NGOs -- SFH Nigeria and Zambia Malaria Foundation, Northern NGOs -- Johns Hopkins Global Program on Malaria, Malaria Consortium, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, ExxonMobil Corporation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, United Nations Foundation, The Global Fund.
Special guests attending the RBM Board : Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director- General; Mr Jorge Bermudez, UNITAID Executive Secretary; Mr Ray Chambers, Co Chair, Malaria No More
For further information please call:
US Contact: Martin Edlund, Malaria No More (917) 224 3563, martin.edlund@malarianomore.org
Prudence Smith, Roll Back Malaria + 41 79 477 1744
Herve Verhoosel, Roll Back Malaria + 251 (0)913428361 (local number during the meeting) or via + 41 22 791 5518
The Roll Back Malaria Partnership
To provide a coordinated international approach to fighting malaria, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) was launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank.
The Partnership now brings together governments of countries affected by malaria, their bilateral and multilateral development partners, the private sector, non-governmental and community-based organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions around the common goal of halving the global burden of malaria by 2010.
Source: Roll Back Malaria Partnership
CONTACT: US Contact, Martin Edlund of Malaria No More for Roll Back
Malaria, New York, +1-917-224-3563, martin.edlund@malarianomore.org; or
International, Pru Smith of Roll Back Malaria, Addis Ababa, +41-79-477-1744
Web site: http://www.malarianomore.org/
Aplication for mobile
Friday, November 30, 2007
The Nigerian Government is in the Wrong Hands
The reins of the leadership of Nigeria is in the wrong hands and until the Nigerian electorate recover their stolen mandate, they will continue to be at the mercy of the crooks and rogues in power.
Seven months after the election of President Umaru Yar'Adua, he is still playing party politics with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and using political tactics to stymie the prosecution of the corrupt ex-governors and other public office holders who are still bona fide sponsors of the notorious People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Nigeria.
President Umaru Yar'Adua is already looking forward to ruling for eight years. But I pray for the divine intervention of God to sack the most corrupt government in Africa.
Seven months after the election of President Umaru Yar'Adua, he is still playing party politics with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and using political tactics to stymie the prosecution of the corrupt ex-governors and other public office holders who are still bona fide sponsors of the notorious People's Democratic Party (PDP) of Nigeria.
President Umaru Yar'Adua is already looking forward to ruling for eight years. But I pray for the divine intervention of God to sack the most corrupt government in Africa.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
$100 Laptop Founder Nicholas Negroponte Says He Ignores Criticism of the Project
Video highlights: XO versus Classmate
The BBC News website visited Nigeria to see Africa's first large scale test of the XO laptop - a portable computer designed for the world's poorest children.
The One Laptop Per Child Project's so-called $100 laptop, also known as the XO, incorporates technology and software specially developed to cope with the inhospitable conditions found in many developing nations.
Measles Deaths in Africa Plunge by 91%
29 Nov 2007 16:50 Africa/Lagos
Measles Deaths in Africa Plunge by 91%
Africa Leads Strong Decline in Global Measles Deaths
Joint News Release: American Red Cross/UN Foundation/CDC/WHO/UNICEF/62
ATLANTA, GENEVA, NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Measles deaths in Africa fell by 91 percent between 2000 and 2006, from an estimated 396,000 to 36,000, reaching the United Nations 2010 goal to cut measles deaths by 90 percent four years early. The spectacular gains achieved in Africa helped generate a strong decline in global measles deaths, which fell 68 percent worldwide -- from an estimated 757,000 to 242,000 -- during this period.
The progress was announced today by the founding partners of the Measles Initiative: the American Red Cross, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The data will be published in the November 30th editions of WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record and CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
"This is a major public health success and a tribute to the commitment of countries in the African region," said Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. "We need to sustain this success and intensify our efforts in other parts of the world, as there are still far too many lives lost to this disease."
The significant decline in measles deaths in Africa was made possible by the firm commitment of national governments to fully implement the measles reduction strategy, which includes vaccinating all children against measles before their first birthday via routine health services and providing a second opportunity for measles vaccination through mass vaccination campaigns.
"The clear message from this achievement is that the strategy works," said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "The next step is to fully implement this strategy in South Asia, where measles disease burden is now the highest in the world."
Mass vaccination campaigns have had a major impact on reducing global measles deaths. From 2000 to 2006, an estimated 478 million children aged nine months to 14 years received measles vaccine through campaigns in 46 out of the 47 priority countries severely affected by the disease.
In 2006, global routine measles vaccination coverage reached an estimated 80 percent for the first time, up from 72 percent in 2000. The largest improvements in vaccination coverage were in the African and the Eastern Mediterranean regions.
"The dramatic drop in measles deaths in Africa and the strong progress being made worldwide are a testament to the power of strong partnerships and the impact they can have on child survival," said Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF. "But measles is still killing nearly 600 children under five every day, an unacceptable reality when we have a safe, effective, and inexpensive vaccine to prevent the disease."
Major challenges still need to be overcome to achieve the goal to cut global measles deaths by 90 percent in the period 2000-2010. Large countries with high numbers of measles deaths, such as India and Pakistan, need to fully implement the proven control strategy. Currently, about 74 percent of measles deaths globally occur in South Asia.
In addition, countries that have implemented accelerated measles control activities must sustain the gains that they have made. This means that all measles priority countries must continue conducting follow-up vaccination activities every two to four years until their routine immunization systems are capable of providing measles vaccination to all children.
"Through the tireless efforts of millions of health workers and volunteers from our Red Cross and Red Crescent family, as well as our dedicated partners, such as the Latter-day Saints, we literally go door-to-door informing, educating and motivating mothers and caregivers about the critical need to vaccinate their children," said Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chairman of the Board of the American Red Cross. "These mobilization efforts are essential for our success, helping us consistently reach more than 95 percent of the vulnerable population and saving countless lives."
A key factor contributing to progress in reducing measles deaths has been the strong support of the Measles Initiative. Since its launch in 2001, the Initiative has supported vaccination efforts in over 50 countries and mobilized more than US $470 million with help from partners such as the GAVI Alliance.
"The successful reduction of measles deaths would not be possible without the collaborative work among many partners -- including governments, the United Nations, NGOs, corporations and volunteers from local communities -- each of which bring unique strengths and resources that are essential for success," said Kathy Calvin, executive vice president and chief operating officer, United Nations Foundation. "We commend our partners for coming together to protect children around the world from measles."
Background:
The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative --- led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, UNICEF and WHO -- provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns. To learn more, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.
Other key partners in the fight against measles include the GAVI Alliance, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Becton, Dickinson and Company, the Izumi Foundation, the Vodafone Group Foundation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and countries and governments affected by measles.
Related links:
WHO measles fact sheet: HYPERLINK "http://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/en/" http://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/en/
Weekly Epidemiological Record. Progress in global measles control and mortality reduction 2000-2006.
HYPERLINK "http://www.who.int/wer/2007/en/" http://www.who.int/wer/2007/en/
WHO/UNICEF Global plan for reducing measles mortality 2006-2010:
HYPERLINK "http://www.who.int/immunization_delivery/adc/measles/Measles Global Plan_Eng.pdf" http://www.who.int/immunization_delivery/adc/measles/Measles%20Global%20Plan_E ng.pdf
Still photos and B-roll are available from recent campaigns. Please visit the Measles Initiative press room at HYPERLINK "http://www.measlesinitiative.org/press.asp" http://www.measlesinitiative.org/press.asp.
Source: American Red Cross
CONTACT: Hayatee Hasan of WHO, Geneva, Tel.: +41 22 791 2103,
hasanh@who.int; or Jessica Malter of UNICEF, New York, Tel.: +1-212-326-7412,
jmalter@unicef.org; or Michael Oko of American Red Cross, Washington DC,
Tel.:+ 1-202-303-6820, okom@usa.redcross.org; or Steven Stewart of CDC,
Atlanta, Tel.: +1 404-639-8327, znc4@cdc.gov; or Amy DiElsi of UN Foundation,
Washington DC, Tel.: +1-202-419-3230, adielsi@unfoundation.org
Web Site: http://www.measlesinitiative.org/
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.who.int/
Measles Deaths in Africa Plunge by 91%
Africa Leads Strong Decline in Global Measles Deaths
Joint News Release: American Red Cross/UN Foundation/CDC/WHO/UNICEF/62
ATLANTA, GENEVA, NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
Measles deaths in Africa fell by 91 percent between 2000 and 2006, from an estimated 396,000 to 36,000, reaching the United Nations 2010 goal to cut measles deaths by 90 percent four years early. The spectacular gains achieved in Africa helped generate a strong decline in global measles deaths, which fell 68 percent worldwide -- from an estimated 757,000 to 242,000 -- during this period.
The progress was announced today by the founding partners of the Measles Initiative: the American Red Cross, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The data will be published in the November 30th editions of WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record and CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
"This is a major public health success and a tribute to the commitment of countries in the African region," said Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. "We need to sustain this success and intensify our efforts in other parts of the world, as there are still far too many lives lost to this disease."
The significant decline in measles deaths in Africa was made possible by the firm commitment of national governments to fully implement the measles reduction strategy, which includes vaccinating all children against measles before their first birthday via routine health services and providing a second opportunity for measles vaccination through mass vaccination campaigns.
"The clear message from this achievement is that the strategy works," said CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding. "The next step is to fully implement this strategy in South Asia, where measles disease burden is now the highest in the world."
Mass vaccination campaigns have had a major impact on reducing global measles deaths. From 2000 to 2006, an estimated 478 million children aged nine months to 14 years received measles vaccine through campaigns in 46 out of the 47 priority countries severely affected by the disease.
In 2006, global routine measles vaccination coverage reached an estimated 80 percent for the first time, up from 72 percent in 2000. The largest improvements in vaccination coverage were in the African and the Eastern Mediterranean regions.
"The dramatic drop in measles deaths in Africa and the strong progress being made worldwide are a testament to the power of strong partnerships and the impact they can have on child survival," said Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF. "But measles is still killing nearly 600 children under five every day, an unacceptable reality when we have a safe, effective, and inexpensive vaccine to prevent the disease."
Major challenges still need to be overcome to achieve the goal to cut global measles deaths by 90 percent in the period 2000-2010. Large countries with high numbers of measles deaths, such as India and Pakistan, need to fully implement the proven control strategy. Currently, about 74 percent of measles deaths globally occur in South Asia.
In addition, countries that have implemented accelerated measles control activities must sustain the gains that they have made. This means that all measles priority countries must continue conducting follow-up vaccination activities every two to four years until their routine immunization systems are capable of providing measles vaccination to all children.
"Through the tireless efforts of millions of health workers and volunteers from our Red Cross and Red Crescent family, as well as our dedicated partners, such as the Latter-day Saints, we literally go door-to-door informing, educating and motivating mothers and caregivers about the critical need to vaccinate their children," said Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chairman of the Board of the American Red Cross. "These mobilization efforts are essential for our success, helping us consistently reach more than 95 percent of the vulnerable population and saving countless lives."
A key factor contributing to progress in reducing measles deaths has been the strong support of the Measles Initiative. Since its launch in 2001, the Initiative has supported vaccination efforts in over 50 countries and mobilized more than US $470 million with help from partners such as the GAVI Alliance.
"The successful reduction of measles deaths would not be possible without the collaborative work among many partners -- including governments, the United Nations, NGOs, corporations and volunteers from local communities -- each of which bring unique strengths and resources that are essential for success," said Kathy Calvin, executive vice president and chief operating officer, United Nations Foundation. "We commend our partners for coming together to protect children around the world from measles."
Background:
The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative --- led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, UNICEF and WHO -- provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns. To learn more, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.
Other key partners in the fight against measles include the GAVI Alliance, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Becton, Dickinson and Company, the Izumi Foundation, the Vodafone Group Foundation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and countries and governments affected by measles.
Related links:
WHO measles fact sheet: HYPERLINK "http://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/en/" http://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/en/
Weekly Epidemiological Record. Progress in global measles control and mortality reduction 2000-2006.
HYPERLINK "http://www.who.int/wer/2007/en/" http://www.who.int/wer/2007/en/
WHO/UNICEF Global plan for reducing measles mortality 2006-2010:
HYPERLINK "http://www.who.int/immunization_delivery/adc/measles/Measles Global Plan_Eng.pdf" http://www.who.int/immunization_delivery/adc/measles/Measles%20Global%20Plan_E ng.pdf
Still photos and B-roll are available from recent campaigns. Please visit the Measles Initiative press room at HYPERLINK "http://www.measlesinitiative.org/press.asp" http://www.measlesinitiative.org/press.asp.
Source: American Red Cross
CONTACT: Hayatee Hasan of WHO, Geneva, Tel.: +41 22 791 2103,
hasanh@who.int; or Jessica Malter of UNICEF, New York, Tel.: +1-212-326-7412,
jmalter@unicef.org; or Michael Oko of American Red Cross, Washington DC,
Tel.:+ 1-202-303-6820, okom@usa.redcross.org; or Steven Stewart of CDC,
Atlanta, Tel.: +1 404-639-8327, znc4@cdc.gov; or Amy DiElsi of UN Foundation,
Washington DC, Tel.: +1-202-419-3230, adielsi@unfoundation.org
Web Site: http://www.measlesinitiative.org/
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.who.int/
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
LA Press Club Announces National Entertainment Journalism Awards
28 Nov 2007 19:41 Africa/Lagos
LA Press Club Announces National Entertainment Journalism Awards
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ --
The Los Angeles Press Club has announced the "National Entertainment Journalism Awards." Entertainment reporters, editors and critics across the country are invited to enter a new journalism contest that honors those who write, speak or blog about one of the nation's most important industries.
The first-ever "National Entertainment Journalism Awards" contest rewards work by print, broadcast and Internet newspeople for their efforts in 2007. Deadline for entries is Friday, January 25, 2008.
The contest is sponsored by the Los Angeles Press Club, which for 50 years has produced one of the nation's most successful regional journalism competitions, the Southern California Journalism Awards. The thriving non-profit club fosters programs aimed at raising the calibre of journalism while also helping students learn the profession. The club is based in Hollywood, the nation's entertainment hub.
"Through our new NEJ awards, we hope to reach hundreds of entertainment journalists around the country who may not have had a worthy forum to make peers aware of their top-quality work," said Press Club President, Anthea Raymond, a veteran radio producer. "We're going to honor the rising stars of journalism who cover the rising stars of the entertainment world."
The contest is divided into separate categories for newspaper reporters and editors, television and radio journalists and bloggers and other online news organizations. The contest focuses on film, television or music reporting and criticism.
Awards will be given for "Best Entertainment News Story," "Best Feature Story" and "Critic of the Year" in each genre. Fees are $35 per entry. The winners will be announced the week leading up to the Academy Awards on February 24th at a gala party at the Press Club's headquarters in Hollywood.
The finalist judges will include former long-time entertainment reporter and columnist, Alex Ben Block, who was most recently editor of Television Week and formerly chief of the Hollywood Reporter; Ted Johnson, Daily Variety's managing editor and USA TODAY film critic, Claudia Puig.
The Los Angeles Press Club stands as an organization devoted to improving the spirit of journalism and journalists, raising the industry's standards, strengthening its integrity and improving its reputation all for the benefit of the community at large. For more information, go to http://www.lapressclub.org/ and/or http://www.myspace.com/lapressclub.
PR Newswire, co-sponsor for all Los Angeles Press Club events, is the global leader in news and information distribution services for professional communicators. For more information, go to http://www.prnewswire.com/.
Headington Media Group is a full-service communications firm that specializes in image management and new/old media relations. For more information, go to HMG and/or visit The Headington Cabal and the HMG Podcast.
Source: Los Angeles Press Club
CONTACT: Diana Ljungaeus, +1-323-669-8081, Diana@lapressclub.org, or
Edward Headington, +1-818-720-7181, Edward@lapressclub.org, both of Los
Angeles Press Club
Web site: http://www.lapressclub.org/
LA Press Club Announces National Entertainment Journalism Awards
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ --
The Los Angeles Press Club has announced the "National Entertainment Journalism Awards." Entertainment reporters, editors and critics across the country are invited to enter a new journalism contest that honors those who write, speak or blog about one of the nation's most important industries.
The first-ever "National Entertainment Journalism Awards" contest rewards work by print, broadcast and Internet newspeople for their efforts in 2007. Deadline for entries is Friday, January 25, 2008.
The contest is sponsored by the Los Angeles Press Club, which for 50 years has produced one of the nation's most successful regional journalism competitions, the Southern California Journalism Awards. The thriving non-profit club fosters programs aimed at raising the calibre of journalism while also helping students learn the profession. The club is based in Hollywood, the nation's entertainment hub.
"Through our new NEJ awards, we hope to reach hundreds of entertainment journalists around the country who may not have had a worthy forum to make peers aware of their top-quality work," said Press Club President, Anthea Raymond, a veteran radio producer. "We're going to honor the rising stars of journalism who cover the rising stars of the entertainment world."
The contest is divided into separate categories for newspaper reporters and editors, television and radio journalists and bloggers and other online news organizations. The contest focuses on film, television or music reporting and criticism.
Awards will be given for "Best Entertainment News Story," "Best Feature Story" and "Critic of the Year" in each genre. Fees are $35 per entry. The winners will be announced the week leading up to the Academy Awards on February 24th at a gala party at the Press Club's headquarters in Hollywood.
The finalist judges will include former long-time entertainment reporter and columnist, Alex Ben Block, who was most recently editor of Television Week and formerly chief of the Hollywood Reporter; Ted Johnson, Daily Variety's managing editor and USA TODAY film critic, Claudia Puig.
The Los Angeles Press Club stands as an organization devoted to improving the spirit of journalism and journalists, raising the industry's standards, strengthening its integrity and improving its reputation all for the benefit of the community at large. For more information, go to http://www.lapressclub.org/ and/or http://www.myspace.com/lapressclub.
PR Newswire, co-sponsor for all Los Angeles Press Club events, is the global leader in news and information distribution services for professional communicators. For more information, go to http://www.prnewswire.com/.
Headington Media Group is a full-service communications firm that specializes in image management and new/old media relations. For more information, go to HMG and/or visit The Headington Cabal and the HMG Podcast.
Source: Los Angeles Press Club
CONTACT: Diana Ljungaeus, +1-323-669-8081, Diana@lapressclub.org, or
Edward Headington, +1-818-720-7181, Edward@lapressclub.org, both of Los
Angeles Press Club
Web site: http://www.lapressclub.org/
Re: Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton Bring Star Power to Iowa
When I read the report on "Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton Bring Star Power to Iowa", I was really amused by Oprah Winfrey's self-esteem of her popularity and her political naivety.
Oprah Winfrey is overrating her charisma.
The leadership of America is more than a TV Talk Show and Campaign 2008 is not a Black versus White battle of wits.
From most of the comments online, Oprah Winfrey is not a big plus to Barack Obama. In fact, Obama would likely lose more voters who are not fans of Oprah Winfrey.
Lest we forget, Oprah Winfrey once misled millions of Americans into buying a fake book!
Americans now are wiser.
Oprah Winfrey is overrating her charisma.
The leadership of America is more than a TV Talk Show and Campaign 2008 is not a Black versus White battle of wits.
From most of the comments online, Oprah Winfrey is not a big plus to Barack Obama. In fact, Obama would likely lose more voters who are not fans of Oprah Winfrey.
Lest we forget, Oprah Winfrey once misled millions of Americans into buying a fake book!
Americans now are wiser.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Barriers To Middle East Peace Talks In Annapolis
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran knows that President George W.Bush of the US is only begging the question of the Middle East Crisis in his desperate Middle East public relations conference, Tuesday, in Annapolis, Maryland.
The so called Middle East Peace Conference between Israel and Palestine is a waste of time, because without Hamas(Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya)and Iran at the peace conference, there would be no accord. The actualization of peace in the Middle East cannot be realized without these principalities and powers.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas should not be deceived and misled by America and Israel to believe that he is the bona fide leader of the people of Palestine and he is not another Yasser Arafat.
Fatah (حركة التحرير الوطني الفلسطيني, Harakat al-Tahrir al-Watani al-Filastini) has lost the control and support of the majority of Palestinians and playing to the gallery of America and Israel is not the saving grace for President Mahmoud Abbas.
US President George W. Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are like three crippled men pretending to be able to cross the Red Sea without any boat or raft.
Monday, November 26, 2007
We Must Sack The Notorious Ruling Party in Nigeria Before It Is Too Late
Kano LG Polls - the Inside Story
Daily Trust (Abuja)
ANALYSIS
25 November 2007
Posted to the web 25 November 2007
By Hassan A. Karofi
Kano
Last weekend's local government polls in Kano State left traces of violence, destruction and heavy presence of troops, reminding residents of the anarchy that reigned in parts of the state for days during and after the elections.
The election was never envisaged to be peaceful. Reason: pre-election campaign tones of the rival political parties dimmed any ray of hope of peaceful polls in the volatile city and across the state.
A day to the Saturday, November 17 elections, strange movements of men and materials were noticed, while political party offices soon became munitions depots. The party offices were taken over by weapons-wielding youths, who were publicly smoking marijuana, blowing flutes of hunters-reminiscent of the war period. These election-eve events instilled fear in the minds of residents of the looming danger ahead of the polls.
An estimated 25, 000 political thugs were recruited by various politicians during the elections. Over 400 of them were later arrested by the police and 40 by the army.
On the election day, polling units became virtual war zones. Many voters were scared from casting their votes. Those who dared the thugs paid heavily, some with their lives. Twenty five persons were reported to have been killed in the fracas that heralded the elections, though the police confirmed only six deaths.
It was in this condition of fear that the November 17 council polls in Kano were conducted.
Soon the trend became the same across the state, with reported taking over of polling units by thugs, who preventing voters from casting their votes and dared the security agents.
The situation was to be exacerbated when conflicting radio announcements started giving different election results. While the state radio station announced results got from the electoral officers, a private radio station in the city countered the results by announcing conflicting ones. The airwaves war soon worsened the tense situation.
When Sunday Trust visited Kura on the voting day, over 200 dagger-wielding youths were seen taking control of the poling unit adjacent to the district head's residence. They were chanting war songs, condemning the rival party as the police watched despondently.
The thugs, who prevented voters from nearing the booth, suddenly started attacking whoever was in their sight. The district head himself had to be persuaded back into his house. The thugs then took over the busy Kaduna-Kano road stopping motorists and forcing them to chant solidarity songs in favor of their (the thugs') political party. They also set up bonfires, forcing many prospective voters to flee to safety.
Because of the reigning anarchy, the electoral officers had to abscond from their posts, in many cases leaving the ballot boxes. Two persons were reported dead and several others sustained injuries.
The violence soon spread to many parts of the state making elections in five local governments impossible. Government properties in Minjibir, Gwale, Ungogo, Gezawa, Garun Malam, Albasu, Doguwa, Bichi and within the city centre were targeted.
Sunday Trust was also at Madobi Local Government Area, home of former Defense Minister Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso, where the battle was fierce. The former minister locked horns with his estranged political ally and now state commissioner, Musa Iliyasu over who controls the council. Hundreds of thugs marched around the polling centres in the local government. In the ensuing blood shedding, residents were forced indoors, electoral officers taken hostage and the police appeared helpless. The police station in the council headquarters was also targeted as thugs surged with dangerous weapons.
Before sun set, one was confirmed dead and many other persons were injured after bloody clashes between supporters of PDP and ANPP.
The battle for supremacy between the ANPP and PDP were also bloody in Bichi, Gwale, Minjibir, Garun Malam, Albasu and Dawakin Kudu areas. The most daring of the attacks was the killing of the Dawakin Kudu electoral officer Malam Ado. Sunday Trust learnt that luck ran out for Ado when rampaging thugs attacked the vote collation centre. Ado tried to escape but he was apprehended by the thugs, who inflicted fatal injuries on him. He died later at the hospital. Several attempts by our reporters to speak to his family at Tudun Maliki in Kano failed on the ground that the case is with the police.
The thugs also recorded casualties. In Bichi, four suspected thugs were killed when they attempted to ransack a poling booth. Youths totting dangerous weapons confronted the attacker and in the free-for-all, four thugs were killed instantly.
When Sunday Trust attempted to trace their families, it was found out that they were all brought from the neighboring Niger Republic by politicians to help destabilize the elections. Their corpses were still at the Bichi General Hospital when our reporter visited.
A Bichi PDP stalwart, Alhaji Kabiru Sale, accused the ANPP of starting the violence after they realized they were loosing the election. He said over two thousands political thugs were brought in from other states into Bichi because the ANPP realized they cannot win the election in the area. Bichi is home to the Minister of State for Commerce, Ahmed Garba Bichi, who lost the April gubernatorial elections to Governor Ibrahim Shekarau.
In Albasu, the local government secretariat was burnt. But the election officials, including the secretary to the ANPP Sabiu Bako, who were taken hostage by political thugs for over 30 hours, escaped unscathed. Bako told Sunday Trust that he was rescued by the divisional police officer of Garko local government after the Albasu police failed to contain the hostage-taking.
It was in the midst of this lawlessness that the state government solicited the intervention of the military. By Sunday night, troops were drafted to major streets of the city to help restore law and order and protect public buildings.
By Monday it was confirmed that crisis occurred in 15 of the 44 local government areas of the state, six of them losing their secretariat as they were razed down by rampaging thugs. The councils where council secretariats were targeted were Minjibir, Gwale, Ungogo, Gezawa and Rano.
While these crises went on, the state Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) announced results that saw the ruling ANPP sweeping the polls with 36 local government areas. The main rival PDP got three local governments while elections in five others were cancelled. Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Aliyu Tijjani said elections were cancelled in the five areas because they were inconclusive due to violence.
On Tuesday, the General Officer Commanding 1 Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army accompanied by Major General Kenneth Agbola Vigo, Commander of the 3rd Brigade, Kano, said the army had taken control of the situation and that peace had returned to almost all parts of the state.
The military and the police made hundreds of arrests during and after the violence. The arrested political thugs who appeared before a Chief Magistrate all pleaded guilty to the four-count charges of criminal intimidation, possession of dangerous weapons, unlawful assembly and disruption of public peace. They were all remanded in prison custody till November 25 and December 5 when the court is to rule.
Influential politicians were also accused of taking part in the violence. Secretary to the state electoral commission, Barrister Wada Bashir alleged that former defence minister Kwankwaso led a team of suspected political thugs to the commission's premises.
But the former governor denied leading a team of thugs. "Nothing like that ever happened," Kwankwaso's media assistant, Alhaji Ibrahim Gwangwazo told Sunday Trust. Gwangwazo said when Kwankwaso in company of other party leaders went to the electoral commission to protest the refusal of the commission to count some votes, they were attacked by ANPP officials at the KANSIEC premises. "We did not bother to respond to them as we just went straight to the KANSIEC chairman's office," he said. The state police commissioner, Alhaji Yesufu also denied knowledge of any gunshot when Kwankwaso went to KANSIEC's premises. "I do not know about that allegation and there is no any report or complaint from anybody (about this)," Yesufu said.
Sunday Trust spoke with some of the arrested political thugs who confirmed that they were paid by some politicians to carry out the attacks. One of them who spoke on condition of anonymity said they were hired from Katsina to help fight during the election. He said four of his colleagues died during the fight in Bichi.
With the election results already announced and troops still patrolling Kano city, complaints are still trickling to the electoral commission. In one of the petitions to the commission, the Kura local government chapter of the PDP through its chairman, Barau Salisu Kura alleged that the election was upturned in favor of the ANPP.
There are many such other complaints, Sunday Trust learnt. But is KANSIEC willing to address these grievances? The commission's scribe Bashir said KANSIEC is not mandated by law to listen to any post-election complaint. The proper place to take protest to, he said, is the election tribunal. "They are being guided by ignorance about the law, as we lack any jurisdiction to entertain complaints. Only the tribunals can do that," he said.
For now what remains to be seen is how the situation now under control can be sustained as already despite the announcement of the results, opposition politicians still continue to announce themselves as winners of the polls.
The news report quoted above, based on eyewitness accounts, is a confirmation of the state of lawlessness in Nigeria. The lawlessness caused by the notorious and monstrous politicians and their hired hoodlums and marauders on rampage in Nigeria since the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) rigged the elections in 2003 and the violations of the Federal Constitution of Nigeria by the PDP have become worse since the last April elections.
The new President of Nigeria, Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua has failed to convince Nigerians and foreigners that he won the last presidential election and has failed to prove that he is capable of leading Nigeria.
The convicted and indicted members of the PDP have not been punished for their horrible and terrible crimes and the PDP led government cannot protect the lives and properties of the citizens of Nigeria.
In Osun, a 17-year-old secondary school pupil is still in a hospital after she was brutally raped by a gang of political thugs from the PDP, because she was a prime-witness of the rigging of the April elections in Osun state and her testimony proved that the PDP rigged the gubernatorial election.
The political chieftain of the PDP in the state sent the thugs who attacked and raped her. Then, they shaved her private part and stuffed the pubic hair into her mouth before they left her gasping for breath as she writhed in the bloody wounds they inflicted on her. She was rescued and rushed to the nearest hospital where she is still on admission, being treated for the wounds inflicted on her by the criminal thugs of the PDP. She would live with the nightmares of the trauma and the stigma of the violation of her womanhood by the political thugs of the notorious and monstrous ruling party in Nigeria.
The sooner, this evil and wicked ruling party is sacked the better for Nigeria, otherwise the PDP will continue to violate the statutes of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the tenets of democracy and governance.
We must sack the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) from government before it is too late.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
How Growing Up in a Family of Cops and Hoods Shaped Rudy Giuliani's Moral Universe
25 Nov 2007 18:17 Africa/Lagos
NEWSWEEK: Cover: Rudy's Roots
How Growing Up in a Family of Cops and Hoods Shaped Giuliani's Moral Universe
NEW YORK, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire/ --
In the December 3 Newsweek cover "Rudy's Roots" (on newsstands Monday, November 26), a team of correspondents look at presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani's background and influences that explain his moral code, which is at once rigid (in public) and flexible (in private life).
Click here for the High Resolution Photograph
As Editor-at-Large Evan Thomas and Senior Writer Suzanne Smalley write, on the one hand, Giuliani has been a crusader against outlaw policemen, as well as mobsters, pornographers, drug dealers, crooked businessmen and politicians and death-dealing jihadists. He now offers himself as the presidential candidate who would deliver us from evil, from terrorism abroad and corruption at home. On the other hand, he was the man who appointed Bernard Kerik, now under indictment for various federal crimes, including tax evasion, to be his police commissioner and later pushed him to become the nation's secretary of homeland security. (Persistently accused of ties to mobbed-up businessmen, Kerik has always protested his innocence of any criminal wrongdoing.)
Giuliani is a dramatic-and self-dramatizing-moralist. But as an intelligent, sensitive man with a solid Catholic education, he knows there is sometimes a fine or blurry line between saint and sinner. He was able to reconcile the rigidities of doctrine with the vagaries of human nature. He has long believed in the power of redemption, and he puts great faith in the virtue of loyalty. He does not shy from confrontation, but seems to welcome and even create conflict, especially if there are cameras nearby. His theatricality can be excessive, and not just because he has been known to dress up in drag as a spoof.
(Read cover story at www.Newsweek.com)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/72121
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071125/NYSU007
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN2
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Newsweek
CONTACT: Jan Angilella of Newsweek, +1-212-445-5638
Web site: http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com/
http://www.newsweek.com/id/72121
HILIGHTS:
In the December 3 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, November 26): "Rudy's Roots. How Growing Up in a Family of Cops and Hoods Shaped Giuliani's Moral Universe." Newsweek looks at Rudy Giuliani's background and his influences that explain his moral code. Also: Obama hits back; refugees start to return to Iraq; a billionaire roils Palestinian politics; the latest in the Stem Cell debate; "The Golden Compass" and its religious issues and shopping for safe toys this holiday season.
NEWSWEEK: Cover: Rudy's Roots
How Growing Up in a Family of Cops and Hoods Shaped Giuliani's Moral Universe
NEW YORK, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire/ --
In the December 3 Newsweek cover "Rudy's Roots" (on newsstands Monday, November 26), a team of correspondents look at presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani's background and influences that explain his moral code, which is at once rigid (in public) and flexible (in private life).
Click here for the High Resolution Photograph
As Editor-at-Large Evan Thomas and Senior Writer Suzanne Smalley write, on the one hand, Giuliani has been a crusader against outlaw policemen, as well as mobsters, pornographers, drug dealers, crooked businessmen and politicians and death-dealing jihadists. He now offers himself as the presidential candidate who would deliver us from evil, from terrorism abroad and corruption at home. On the other hand, he was the man who appointed Bernard Kerik, now under indictment for various federal crimes, including tax evasion, to be his police commissioner and later pushed him to become the nation's secretary of homeland security. (Persistently accused of ties to mobbed-up businessmen, Kerik has always protested his innocence of any criminal wrongdoing.)
Giuliani is a dramatic-and self-dramatizing-moralist. But as an intelligent, sensitive man with a solid Catholic education, he knows there is sometimes a fine or blurry line between saint and sinner. He was able to reconcile the rigidities of doctrine with the vagaries of human nature. He has long believed in the power of redemption, and he puts great faith in the virtue of loyalty. He does not shy from confrontation, but seems to welcome and even create conflict, especially if there are cameras nearby. His theatricality can be excessive, and not just because he has been known to dress up in drag as a spoof.
(Read cover story at www.Newsweek.com)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/72121
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071125/NYSU007
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN2
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Newsweek
CONTACT: Jan Angilella of Newsweek, +1-212-445-5638
Web site: http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com/
http://www.newsweek.com/id/72121
HILIGHTS:
In the December 3 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, November 26): "Rudy's Roots. How Growing Up in a Family of Cops and Hoods Shaped Giuliani's Moral Universe." Newsweek looks at Rudy Giuliani's background and his influences that explain his moral code. Also: Obama hits back; refugees start to return to Iraq; a billionaire roils Palestinian politics; the latest in the Stem Cell debate; "The Golden Compass" and its religious issues and shopping for safe toys this holiday season.
Fire on board Oil Production platform
25 Nov 2007 12:32 Africa/Lagos
Fire on board Oil Production platform
London, 25 November/GNN/ --
MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY News Release (3) issued by The Government
News Network on 25 November 2007
Aberdeen Coastguard is co-ordinating assistance to the Thistle Alpha Production
Platform, which has an escalating fire, 124 miles north east of Sumburgh.
The Coastguard was called at 8.10 am this morning to report that assistance
was required. There are 159 people on board.
The onboard fire team is working to extinguish the fire.
The decision has been made by the oil production company Petrofac to begin
down manning of the platform. Aberdeen Coastguard has scrambled the Gullfacs
helicopter and the Coastguard helicopter Mike Uniform from Sumburgh.
For further information please contact:
The out of hours duty press officer on
pager 07699 704430 or mobile 07703 584024
or during office hours:
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Public Relations Office: (023) 8032 9401
Press releases and further information about the Agency is available on the
Web at www.mcga.gov.uk
Source: Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Fire on board Oil Production platform
London, 25 November/GNN/ --
MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY News Release (3) issued by The Government
News Network on 25 November 2007
Aberdeen Coastguard is co-ordinating assistance to the Thistle Alpha Production
Platform, which has an escalating fire, 124 miles north east of Sumburgh.
The Coastguard was called at 8.10 am this morning to report that assistance
was required. There are 159 people on board.
The onboard fire team is working to extinguish the fire.
The decision has been made by the oil production company Petrofac to begin
down manning of the platform. Aberdeen Coastguard has scrambled the Gullfacs
helicopter and the Coastguard helicopter Mike Uniform from Sumburgh.
For further information please contact:
The out of hours duty press officer on
pager 07699 704430 or mobile 07703 584024
or during office hours:
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Public Relations Office: (023) 8032 9401
Press releases and further information about the Agency is available on the
Web at www.mcga.gov.uk
Source: Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Saturday, November 24, 2007
A New Prime Minister For Australia and a New Era Begins
I am happy that a new Prime Minister, the Christian gentleman, Kevin Rudd, has been elected in Australia.
Howard should go and rest and save himself from the sleepless nights of his political nightmares.
Howard should go and rest and save himself from the sleepless nights of his political nightmares.
Friday, November 23, 2007
China Leads the US in Digital Self-Expression
23 Nov 2007 12:00 Africa/Lagos
China Leads the US in Digital Self-Expression
IAC and JWT study reveals new means of expression for China's Tech-Savvy Youth
NEW YORK, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Millions of young Chinese are embracing the Internet as a discreet space for their thoughts and emotions, according to a survey of Chinese and American youth released today by IAC, which operates businesses in sectors being transformed by the Internet, and JWT, the fourth largest advertising agency network in the world.
The findings show how readily young Chinese are taking to the Internet and its possibilities-for example, almost five times as many Chinese as American respondents said they have a parallel life online (61 percent vs. 13 percent). And while fewer than half of the 1,079 American respondents agreed that "I live some of my life online" (42 percent), a sizable majority of the 1,104 Chinese respondents agreed with the statement (86 percent). The two random online surveys polled 16- to 25-year-olds.
The "Young Digital Mavens" study aimed to explore how attitudes toward digital technology are changing among Chinese and American youth at a time when people are spending less time with traditional media and more with interactive technology. China's ballooning online population, estimated at 137 million, is now second only to that of the U.S. (165-210 million Americans, according to a July 2007 report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project).
The study found that while a large majority of youth in both countries now feel dependent on digital technology, this attitude is especially pronounced in China. As many as 80 percent of Chinese respondents agreed that "Digital technology is an essential part of how I live," compared with 68 percent of Americans. The Internet is such a vital part of life for Chinese youth that they are twice as likely as young Americans to say they would not feel OK going without Internet access for more than a day (25 percent vs. 12 percent). And more than twice as many Chinese youth admitted they sometimes feel "addicted" to living online: 42 percent vs. 18 percent of Americans.
"The Chinese people seem to be way ahead of Americans in living a digital life," noted IAC Chairman and CEO Barry Diller today in Beijing, where he spoke to more than 350 Chinese students at Peking University. "More activity online means a more connected and a more evolved workforce - just what China needs as it makes its move from being the workshop of the world, to a developed economy in its own right."
"Like many other areas in comparing Americans to the energy and progress elsewhere in the world, China's speedy evolution in its use of the internet is fast eclipsing that of the US. I think this is great for China, not so great for us," Diller added.
The Internet Means Test-Driving Freedom and Identity
"For young Americans, the Internet provides an incremental increase in the huge range of options they enjoy in life, but for young Chinese it represents a steep increase in choice-and this is reflected in the strength of Chinese response to questions about opinions and interactions online," says Tom Doctoroff, JWT's CEO of Greater China and Northeast Asia area director. (JWT is regarded as one of China's top three agencies in both size and reputation, and was named most creative agency in Shanghai by Media magazine.)
While most American youth grew up taking for granted both interactive technology and the "let it all hang out" ethos it has encouraged, these are new concepts for young Chinese. "Our findings show that Chinese youth experience this new emotional space-the 'emobytes'-more intensely than young Americans," explains Doctoroff, author of Billions: Selling to the New Chinese Consumer (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005).
Chinese respondents were four times as likely as Americans to agree that things online often feel more intense than things offline (48 percent vs. 12 percent). This feeling was more prevalent among Chinese men than women (52 percent vs. 43 percent), likely reflecting the fact that men were more likely to describe themselves as "dedicated gamers" (27 percent vs. 19 percent of women).
Young Chinese of both genders, however, are likely to find emotional stimulation and release online: 61 percent of both male and female respondents agreed that "I have felt strong emotions (e.g., anger, compassion) prompted by online interactions"; this compares with 47 percent of young American men and women.
While the Internet provides an outlet for young people everywhere who are testing out different identities as they seek to discover themselves, this is especially true in China, where it allows more scope for experimentation than life offline. More than twice as many Chinese respondents agreed that "I have experimented with how I present myself online" (69 percent vs. 28 percent of Americans). And in fact, more than half the Chinese sample (51 percent) said they have adopted a completely different persona in some of their online interactions, compared with only 17 percent of Americans.
This experimentation is clearly contributing to the development of self- awareness among Chinese youth. Far more Chinese than Americans agreed that "Online interactions have broadened my sense of identity" (66 percent vs. 26 percent) and that "Online interactions have made me more self-aware" (60 percent vs. 26 percent).
Finding Real Community Online
The communication and community that interactive technology facilitates has a stronger appeal for Chinese youth than for young Americans. For example, more than three-quarters (77 percent) of the Chinese sample agreed that computer/console games are much more fun when played against others online, compared with a third of Americans. And while fans of virtual communities are in the minority in both countries, "second-lifers" (those who agreed that "I feel more real online than offline") account for just 4 percent of the U.S. sample compared with 24 percent of Chinese respondents.
Indeed, while many Westerners debate whether online experiences and relationships are "real," far fewer Chinese have doubts. As many as 82 percent of young Chinese agreed that "Interactivity helps create intimacy, even at a distance," compared with just 36 percent of young Americans. And almost two- thirds (63 percent) of Chinese respondents agreed that "It's perfectly possible to have real relationships purely online with no face-to-face contact," vs. only 21 percent of Americans.
These relationships are fundamentally changing the way Chinese youth interact with each other. Fewer than a third of Americans (30 percent) said the Internet helps their social life, but more than three-quarters of Chinese respondents (77 percent) agreed that "The Internet helps me make friends."
Expanding the Sexual Universe
Chinese culture may have a reputation for being far more sexually conservative than American culture, but strikingly, three times as many Chinese as Americans (32 percent vs. 11 percent) were willing to admit that the Internet has broadened their sex life. (It's not just the Internet that sizzles for the Chinese: As many as 54 percent said they had made or heated up dates using text messages, compared with only 20 percent of Americans.)
"For many decades, the world saw China as a place of traditional and conservative sexual attitudes and ideals, but after the sex-blogging sensation Mu Zimei burst onto the scene in 2003, it became clear there was a lot of pent-up interest in sex," notes world-leading trendspotter Marian Salzman, JWT executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Four years later, our study confirms that the Chinese Internet is buzzing with virtual pheromones- 'cybermones,' if you will."
Adds Salzman, who managed this study in collaboration with IAC: "While relationships, dating and sex have been a prominent part of life online in the United States, the Internet just ramped up what was already happening offline- in China, however, it's all new."
Indeed, most likely due at least in part to the Internet, premarital sex in China has become far more common in the past five to 10 years. "In terms of impact on society and psychology, digital technology could be to China what the Sixties were to the West-a huge shift in mood and attitudes. The big difference is that these changes in people's emotional and sexual lives are happening in the privacy of cyberspace," notes Diller. "With interactive technology becoming increasingly important, it will be fascinating to see how those emobytes and techno-emotions affect public life as young Chinese become more accustomed to expressing themselves online."
Free Speech Very Free Online
In the United States, the land of guaranteed free speech, fewer than half of Americans (43 percent) agreed that "I often use the Internet to find the opinions of others or to share my opinions." By contrast, China's culture and political environment place less emphasis on personal views-and almost three- quarters (73 percent) of Chinese respondents said they go online to share opinions.
Chinese respondents were also more likely than Americans to say they have expressed personal opinions or written about themselves online (72 percent vs. 56 percent). And they have expressed themselves more strongly online than they generally do in person (52 percent vs. 43 percent of Americans).
That's largely because of the anonymity that the Internet offers, a key attraction for the Chinese. Chinese respondents were almost twice as likely as Americans to agree that it's good to be able to express honest opinions anonymously online (79 percent vs. 42 percent) and to agree that online they are free to do and say things they would not do or say offline (73 percent vs. 32 percent).
"One of the biggest differences between American and Chinese youth is in attitudes toward anonymity," says Doctoroff. "In the U.S., with its cult of celebrity, young Americans see the Internet as a way of getting known, of building their personal brand; many regard the Internet as a kind of personal broadcasting medium. But whereas publicizing your name, face and opinions is seen as a step toward success in the U.S., in China it has been a surefire way of veering into dangerous territory. So for young Chinese, the Internet is the ideal place to air opinions and hear what others think without crossing the line."
While a western ideal of individualism may not be in the near future for Chinese society, these findings show that the Internet is transforming China in a unique way - towards liberalism with Chinese characteristics.
Methodology
In both China and the U.S., random online surveys polled respondents aged 16-25. The U.S. portion, which included 1,079 respondents, was conducted from Nov. 9-14 using SONAR, JWT's proprietary research tool. In China, Millward Brown surveyed 1,104 respondents from Nov. 9-15; the survey was conducted in Chinese. The U.S. data set was weighted to balance the number of males and females surveyed; the China data set was weighted to balance out age- distribution differences with the U.S. sample.
While the U.S. sample is representative of America's youth, the Chinese sample is necessarily weighted toward the young elite. Only about 10 percent of the Chinese population is online, largely young, urban and educated males. All Chinese respondents had a monthly household income of at least RMB 1,500. (See appendix for more demographic data.)
About IAC
IAC (NASDAQ:IACI) is an interactive conglomerate operating more than 60 diversified brands in sectors being transformed by the internet, online and offline... our mission is to harness the power of interactivity to make daily life easier and more productive for people all over the world. To learn more about IAC please visit http://iac.com/.
About JWT
JWT ranks as the largest advertising agency brand in the United States and the fourth-largest full-service network in the world. Its parent company is WPP (NASDAQ:WPPGY) . JWT's heritage of brand-building excellence extends back to 1864, making us the world's oldest advertising agency brand. In 1939, JWT pioneered the first national consumer research panel. In 1988, we created the first research study of consumer lifestyles, "Life Stages." We believe in being anthropologists first, advertising people second.
Appendix
Basic Demos U.S.
Total Male Female 16-18 19-21 22-25
Base total sample
(weighted) 1,079 539 540 374 207 438
% % % % % %
Male 50 100 0 62 45 41
Female 50 0 100 38 55 59
Mean age (years) 20.3 19.8 20.8 16.8 20.2 23.3
Mean annual HHI
$000 - U.S. 64.1 68.9 59.3 87.1 56.0 49.5
Mean monthly
HHI - China NA NA NA NA NA NA
Basic Demos China
Total Male Female 16-18 19-21 22-25
Base total sample
(weighted) 1,104 574 530 405 225 475
% % % % % %
Male 52 100 0 48 46 59
Female 48 0 100 53 54 42
Mean age (years) 20.6 20.9 20.2 17.5 20.1 23.5
Mean annual HHI
$000 - U.S. NA NA NA NA NA NA
Mean monthly
HHI - China 3,460 3,464 3,457 3,429 3,530 3,454
Contacts
IAC Corporate Communications:
Jonathan Sanchez / Leslie Cafferty
(212) 314-7254 / 7326
JWT Worldwide
Eric Robertson(646) 465-3793
Source: IAC; JWT
CONTACT: Jonathan Sanchez, +1-212-314-7254, Leslie Cafferty,
+1-212-314-7326, both of IAC Corporate Communications; Eric Robertson of JWT
Worldwide, +1-646-465-3793
Web site: http://www.iac.com/
China Leads the US in Digital Self-Expression
IAC and JWT study reveals new means of expression for China's Tech-Savvy Youth
NEW YORK, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Millions of young Chinese are embracing the Internet as a discreet space for their thoughts and emotions, according to a survey of Chinese and American youth released today by IAC, which operates businesses in sectors being transformed by the Internet, and JWT, the fourth largest advertising agency network in the world.
The findings show how readily young Chinese are taking to the Internet and its possibilities-for example, almost five times as many Chinese as American respondents said they have a parallel life online (61 percent vs. 13 percent). And while fewer than half of the 1,079 American respondents agreed that "I live some of my life online" (42 percent), a sizable majority of the 1,104 Chinese respondents agreed with the statement (86 percent). The two random online surveys polled 16- to 25-year-olds.
The "Young Digital Mavens" study aimed to explore how attitudes toward digital technology are changing among Chinese and American youth at a time when people are spending less time with traditional media and more with interactive technology. China's ballooning online population, estimated at 137 million, is now second only to that of the U.S. (165-210 million Americans, according to a July 2007 report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project).
The study found that while a large majority of youth in both countries now feel dependent on digital technology, this attitude is especially pronounced in China. As many as 80 percent of Chinese respondents agreed that "Digital technology is an essential part of how I live," compared with 68 percent of Americans. The Internet is such a vital part of life for Chinese youth that they are twice as likely as young Americans to say they would not feel OK going without Internet access for more than a day (25 percent vs. 12 percent). And more than twice as many Chinese youth admitted they sometimes feel "addicted" to living online: 42 percent vs. 18 percent of Americans.
"The Chinese people seem to be way ahead of Americans in living a digital life," noted IAC Chairman and CEO Barry Diller today in Beijing, where he spoke to more than 350 Chinese students at Peking University. "More activity online means a more connected and a more evolved workforce - just what China needs as it makes its move from being the workshop of the world, to a developed economy in its own right."
"Like many other areas in comparing Americans to the energy and progress elsewhere in the world, China's speedy evolution in its use of the internet is fast eclipsing that of the US. I think this is great for China, not so great for us," Diller added.
The Internet Means Test-Driving Freedom and Identity
"For young Americans, the Internet provides an incremental increase in the huge range of options they enjoy in life, but for young Chinese it represents a steep increase in choice-and this is reflected in the strength of Chinese response to questions about opinions and interactions online," says Tom Doctoroff, JWT's CEO of Greater China and Northeast Asia area director. (JWT is regarded as one of China's top three agencies in both size and reputation, and was named most creative agency in Shanghai by Media magazine.)
While most American youth grew up taking for granted both interactive technology and the "let it all hang out" ethos it has encouraged, these are new concepts for young Chinese. "Our findings show that Chinese youth experience this new emotional space-the 'emobytes'-more intensely than young Americans," explains Doctoroff, author of Billions: Selling to the New Chinese Consumer (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005).
Chinese respondents were four times as likely as Americans to agree that things online often feel more intense than things offline (48 percent vs. 12 percent). This feeling was more prevalent among Chinese men than women (52 percent vs. 43 percent), likely reflecting the fact that men were more likely to describe themselves as "dedicated gamers" (27 percent vs. 19 percent of women).
Young Chinese of both genders, however, are likely to find emotional stimulation and release online: 61 percent of both male and female respondents agreed that "I have felt strong emotions (e.g., anger, compassion) prompted by online interactions"; this compares with 47 percent of young American men and women.
While the Internet provides an outlet for young people everywhere who are testing out different identities as they seek to discover themselves, this is especially true in China, where it allows more scope for experimentation than life offline. More than twice as many Chinese respondents agreed that "I have experimented with how I present myself online" (69 percent vs. 28 percent of Americans). And in fact, more than half the Chinese sample (51 percent) said they have adopted a completely different persona in some of their online interactions, compared with only 17 percent of Americans.
This experimentation is clearly contributing to the development of self- awareness among Chinese youth. Far more Chinese than Americans agreed that "Online interactions have broadened my sense of identity" (66 percent vs. 26 percent) and that "Online interactions have made me more self-aware" (60 percent vs. 26 percent).
Finding Real Community Online
The communication and community that interactive technology facilitates has a stronger appeal for Chinese youth than for young Americans. For example, more than three-quarters (77 percent) of the Chinese sample agreed that computer/console games are much more fun when played against others online, compared with a third of Americans. And while fans of virtual communities are in the minority in both countries, "second-lifers" (those who agreed that "I feel more real online than offline") account for just 4 percent of the U.S. sample compared with 24 percent of Chinese respondents.
Indeed, while many Westerners debate whether online experiences and relationships are "real," far fewer Chinese have doubts. As many as 82 percent of young Chinese agreed that "Interactivity helps create intimacy, even at a distance," compared with just 36 percent of young Americans. And almost two- thirds (63 percent) of Chinese respondents agreed that "It's perfectly possible to have real relationships purely online with no face-to-face contact," vs. only 21 percent of Americans.
These relationships are fundamentally changing the way Chinese youth interact with each other. Fewer than a third of Americans (30 percent) said the Internet helps their social life, but more than three-quarters of Chinese respondents (77 percent) agreed that "The Internet helps me make friends."
Expanding the Sexual Universe
Chinese culture may have a reputation for being far more sexually conservative than American culture, but strikingly, three times as many Chinese as Americans (32 percent vs. 11 percent) were willing to admit that the Internet has broadened their sex life. (It's not just the Internet that sizzles for the Chinese: As many as 54 percent said they had made or heated up dates using text messages, compared with only 20 percent of Americans.)
"For many decades, the world saw China as a place of traditional and conservative sexual attitudes and ideals, but after the sex-blogging sensation Mu Zimei burst onto the scene in 2003, it became clear there was a lot of pent-up interest in sex," notes world-leading trendspotter Marian Salzman, JWT executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Four years later, our study confirms that the Chinese Internet is buzzing with virtual pheromones- 'cybermones,' if you will."
Adds Salzman, who managed this study in collaboration with IAC: "While relationships, dating and sex have been a prominent part of life online in the United States, the Internet just ramped up what was already happening offline- in China, however, it's all new."
Indeed, most likely due at least in part to the Internet, premarital sex in China has become far more common in the past five to 10 years. "In terms of impact on society and psychology, digital technology could be to China what the Sixties were to the West-a huge shift in mood and attitudes. The big difference is that these changes in people's emotional and sexual lives are happening in the privacy of cyberspace," notes Diller. "With interactive technology becoming increasingly important, it will be fascinating to see how those emobytes and techno-emotions affect public life as young Chinese become more accustomed to expressing themselves online."
Free Speech Very Free Online
In the United States, the land of guaranteed free speech, fewer than half of Americans (43 percent) agreed that "I often use the Internet to find the opinions of others or to share my opinions." By contrast, China's culture and political environment place less emphasis on personal views-and almost three- quarters (73 percent) of Chinese respondents said they go online to share opinions.
Chinese respondents were also more likely than Americans to say they have expressed personal opinions or written about themselves online (72 percent vs. 56 percent). And they have expressed themselves more strongly online than they generally do in person (52 percent vs. 43 percent of Americans).
That's largely because of the anonymity that the Internet offers, a key attraction for the Chinese. Chinese respondents were almost twice as likely as Americans to agree that it's good to be able to express honest opinions anonymously online (79 percent vs. 42 percent) and to agree that online they are free to do and say things they would not do or say offline (73 percent vs. 32 percent).
"One of the biggest differences between American and Chinese youth is in attitudes toward anonymity," says Doctoroff. "In the U.S., with its cult of celebrity, young Americans see the Internet as a way of getting known, of building their personal brand; many regard the Internet as a kind of personal broadcasting medium. But whereas publicizing your name, face and opinions is seen as a step toward success in the U.S., in China it has been a surefire way of veering into dangerous territory. So for young Chinese, the Internet is the ideal place to air opinions and hear what others think without crossing the line."
While a western ideal of individualism may not be in the near future for Chinese society, these findings show that the Internet is transforming China in a unique way - towards liberalism with Chinese characteristics.
Methodology
In both China and the U.S., random online surveys polled respondents aged 16-25. The U.S. portion, which included 1,079 respondents, was conducted from Nov. 9-14 using SONAR, JWT's proprietary research tool. In China, Millward Brown surveyed 1,104 respondents from Nov. 9-15; the survey was conducted in Chinese. The U.S. data set was weighted to balance the number of males and females surveyed; the China data set was weighted to balance out age- distribution differences with the U.S. sample.
While the U.S. sample is representative of America's youth, the Chinese sample is necessarily weighted toward the young elite. Only about 10 percent of the Chinese population is online, largely young, urban and educated males. All Chinese respondents had a monthly household income of at least RMB 1,500. (See appendix for more demographic data.)
About IAC
IAC (NASDAQ:IACI) is an interactive conglomerate operating more than 60 diversified brands in sectors being transformed by the internet, online and offline... our mission is to harness the power of interactivity to make daily life easier and more productive for people all over the world. To learn more about IAC please visit http://iac.com/.
About JWT
JWT ranks as the largest advertising agency brand in the United States and the fourth-largest full-service network in the world. Its parent company is WPP (NASDAQ:WPPGY) . JWT's heritage of brand-building excellence extends back to 1864, making us the world's oldest advertising agency brand. In 1939, JWT pioneered the first national consumer research panel. In 1988, we created the first research study of consumer lifestyles, "Life Stages." We believe in being anthropologists first, advertising people second.
Appendix
Basic Demos U.S.
Total Male Female 16-18 19-21 22-25
Base total sample
(weighted) 1,079 539 540 374 207 438
% % % % % %
Male 50 100 0 62 45 41
Female 50 0 100 38 55 59
Mean age (years) 20.3 19.8 20.8 16.8 20.2 23.3
Mean annual HHI
$000 - U.S. 64.1 68.9 59.3 87.1 56.0 49.5
Mean monthly
HHI - China NA NA NA NA NA NA
Basic Demos China
Total Male Female 16-18 19-21 22-25
Base total sample
(weighted) 1,104 574 530 405 225 475
% % % % % %
Male 52 100 0 48 46 59
Female 48 0 100 53 54 42
Mean age (years) 20.6 20.9 20.2 17.5 20.1 23.5
Mean annual HHI
$000 - U.S. NA NA NA NA NA NA
Mean monthly
HHI - China 3,460 3,464 3,457 3,429 3,530 3,454
Contacts
IAC Corporate Communications:
Jonathan Sanchez / Leslie Cafferty
(212) 314-7254 / 7326
JWT Worldwide
Eric Robertson(646) 465-3793
Source: IAC; JWT
CONTACT: Jonathan Sanchez, +1-212-314-7254, Leslie Cafferty,
+1-212-314-7326, both of IAC Corporate Communications; Eric Robertson of JWT
Worldwide, +1-646-465-3793
Web site: http://www.iac.com/
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Celtel Nigeria Selects Motorola for $70 Million GSM/EDGE Expansion
22 Nov 2007 09:00 Africa/Lagos
Celtel Nigeria Selects Motorola for $70 Million GSM/EDGE Expansion
Turnkey agreement includes comprehensive Motorola services to further expand and enhance Celtel network with EDGE capability
CAPETOWN, South Africa, Nov. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
AfricaCom -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today announced that it has received orders valued at $70 million from Celtel Nigeria, part of Zain Group, to further expand and enhance the operator's GSM coverage in the Southern part of Nigeria.
As part of Celtel's comprehensive network expansion strategy, Motorola will deploy its latest Motorola Reach GSM solutions, including EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) capability for mobile data, and will provide comprehensive network expansion planning, integration, support and optimization services to Celtel as it extends network coverage to a growing subscriber base in this densely populated and strategically important oil- producing region.
"Celtel's aggressive growth strategy, rapid expansion and strong focus on quality make it imperative for us to work with a vendor that can provide us with high performance, reliable GSM solutions and services. Motorola's ability to understand our business needs and to deliver its superior technology and services has been central to Celtel Nigeria's ability to achieve its objectives. We are confident that Motorola will successfully support our growth so that we can continue to deliver quality voice and advanced data services to our new and existing customers," said Adebayo Ligali, CEO, Celtel Nigeria.
These latest orders follow orders valued at $50 million for a GSM turnkey expansion announced earlier this year by the two companies which enabled Celtel to increase its subscriber capacity and extend its coverage into new areas.
"We are delighted to continue working with Celtel and to support their rapid growth with the latest Motorola GSM solutions and services. This network expansion, which is part of Celtel's comprehensive network expansion strategy, will expand and enhance the operator's cellular network with EDGE capability for the rapid provision of advanced data services to its growing customer base. We look forward to continue working with Celtel as it goes from strength to strength," said Ali Amer, vice president sales, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility.
Motorola enjoys a decade-long successful strategic relationship with Zain (formerly MTC Group), which owns Celtel. Motorola has delivered technology solutions and professional services which have effectively supported the growth of Zain properties in the Middle East and Africa.
A portion of revenue on these orders was recognized in previous quarters of 2007.
About Celtel Nigeria
Formerly known as Vmobile Nigeria, the company was established in 2000, by a group of institutional and private investors as well as three state governments. The company made history on August 5, 2001 by becoming the first telecoms operator to launch commercial GSM services in Nigeria. In May 2006 Celtel acquired a majority stake in the company and re-branded the company to Celtel in September. Celtel in Nigeria is now an important part of Celtel's pan-African operations spanning 14 countries and serving more than 15 million customers.
The company is pursuing an aggressive network rollout as well as a quality and customer service upgrade in the quest to realize its vision of 'Making life better', not just for its customers but for all Nigerians. The network, which currently covers over 1200 towns and 11,500 communities across the six geopolitical zones of the country, scored a series of many other "firsts" in the highly competitive Nigerian telecommunications market. www.ng.celtel.com
Celtel is fully owned by Zain Group (formerly MTC), a leading provider of mobile telecommunications in the Middle East and Africa. The Zain brand is wholly owned by Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC and is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (Stock ticker: ZAIN). The Group operates as Zain in Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain and Sudan and will start operations in Saudi Arabia early in 2008. Zain also operates telecommunications networks in Lebanon and Iraq. The company's market capitalisation at November 1, 2007 exceeded US$ 28 billion. For more information please visit www.zain.com.
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of seamless mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you connect simply and seamlessly to the people, information and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $42.8 billion in 2006. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit www.motorola.com
MOTOROLA and the stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020415/MOTNOTAGLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Motorola, Inc.
CONTACT: Lamia Jaroudi of Motorola, +9714-308-1356,
Emeka Oparah, Head of PR, Events & Sponsorships of Celtel Nigeria,+234-802-222-1120, oparah.e@ng.celtel.com
Web site: http://www.motorola.com/ http://www.ng.celtel.com/ http://www.zain.com/
21 Nov 2007
15:00
Harris Stratex Networks Expands Presence in East Africa
14:00
'Take Back My TV Campaign' Launched in Time for Holiday Shopping Season
14:00
China Precision Steel Announces Conference Call to Discuss First Quarter Fiscal 2008 Results
14:00
China Precision Steel Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2008 Results
07:30
Sybase 365 Continues Rapid Expansion Into Africa
20 Nov 2007
22:06
AllianceBernstein Income Fund Releases Monthly Portfolio Update
22:06
AllianceBernstein Global High Income Fund Releases Monthly Portfolio Update
22:06
ACM Managed Dollar Income Fund Releases Monthly Portfolio Update
12:00
Bristow Group Announces Preferred Dividend
19 Nov 2007
23:49
Diane Von Furstenberg Among Five new Directors of Vital Voices Global Partnership
18:00
RigNet Makes Executive Appointments
17:05
Sasol (JSE: SOL; NYSE: SSL) Issues 2007 Sustainable Development Report Outlining, Amongst Others, an Environmental Roadmap
15 Nov 2007
20:57
Prominenz aus Film, Musik und Literatur steht an der Spitze der jährlichen, weltweiten Medienkampagne für die benachteiligten Kinder dieser Welt
20:41
Des vedettes du cinema, de la musique et de la litterature menent une campagne mediatique annuelle mondiale pour venir en aide aux enfants du mondeles plus demunis
20:14
Talentos del cine, música y literatura encabezan la Campaña Anual Global de Medios para niños perjudicados
13:00
Film, Music and Literary Talents Spearhead Annual Global Media Campaign for the World's Most Disadvantaged Children
Between Norman Mailer and Cyprian Ekwensi and Nigerian Intellectual Morons
Norman Mailer
When Norman Mailer died on November 10, 2007, the news of his passage was on the leading newspapers and major TV channels in America and Britain and I saw him on the CNN, SKY and the BBC. But none of these foreign news media reported the news of the passage of Cyprian Ekwensi who even died earlier in the same month on the 4th and my disappointment has been more pronounced by the ignorance of our own news media who only reported the news of Ekwensi's transition below their headlines and only The Guardian has given us a full report on the life of our own Charles Dickens, Cyprian Ekwensi. I have not even heard or read any statements by his contemporary literary icons like Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.
Cyprian Ekwensi
I am really disappointed by the intellectual ignorance of the majority of Nigerians online and offline. That is why I do not have much regard for the ignorant posts of Nigerians on Nairaland and other Nigerian forums and blogs.
Abubuwan da nake tunani has posted on the passage of Cyprian Ekwensi and she is only a 30-year-old female graduate student in America. But what are our own Nigerian female writers doing? They have not even written a sentence on Cyprian Ekwensi and the intellectual morons online who were pretending to love African literature by merely name-dropping have no clue.
Only very few of us in the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) have noted this historical passage.
Norman Kingsley Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007) was famous as the author of "The Nkaed and the Dead" (1948) as our own Cyprian Ekwensi was famous as the author of "Jagua Nana" (1961). Both great authors were prolific writers and were not only accomplised novelists, but also journalists.
Both old geniuses died whilst undergoing surgical operations.
Ekwensi died on 4 November 2007 at the age of 86 at the Niger Foundation in Enugu, where he underwent an operation for an undisclosed ailment.
May Cyprian Ekwensi rest in perfect peace.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Stem Cell Breakthrough Could End Human Embryonic Experimentation
21 Nov 2007 18:07 Africa/Lagos
Stem Cell Breakthrough Could End Human Embryonic Experimentation
Cloner of 'Dolly the Sheep' denounces life-destructive research in light of new discovery
MADISON, Wis., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers have announced this week that they have made a significant breakthrough in stem cell research using adult skin cells that could end the use of live human embryos as research subjects.
Scientists from the University of Wisconsin at Madison announced that they have identified four genes that, when manipulated, can force a skin cell back to the embryonic stage, creating a potentially unlimited supply of stem cells without having to destroy human embryonic life. The discovery was made simultaneously with independent researchers in Japan.
In the wake of this discovery, the famed cloner of "Dolly the Sheep," Prof. Ian Wilmut, has abandoned and denounced the life-destructive therapeutic cloning in favor of the more ethical production of human stem cells through the use of adult skin cells, signaling the possible end to academic acceptance of live human embryonic experimentation.
"Once and for all, we urge the scientific and medical communities to embrace the life-affirming research done on cells that do not cause the intentional destruction of innocent human life at the earliest, most vulnerable stages of development," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "There is no way to justify continued destructive research, which has yielded no cures of any kind."
Operation Rescue was one of the first groups in the nation to begin speaking out against live human embryonic experimentation when it launched protests against human experimentation labs in 1999.
Embryonic stem cells are prized by researchers for their ability to grow into any type of tissue in the body without degenerating, but with tragic side effects, such as massive tumor growth and other fatal complications. These complications have prevented stem cells derived by killing human embryos from making even one substantial breakthrough that has helped suffering patients.
On the other hand, research done on adult cells that do not require the taking of life has produced hundreds of breakthroughs that are helping people today.
Contact:
Troy Newman, President Operation Rescue: 316-842-1700
Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, Operation Rescue: 316-516-3034
Source: Operation Rescue
CONTACT: Troy Newman, President, +1-316-842-1700, or Cheryl Sullenger,
Senior Policy Advisor, +1-316-516-3034, both of Operation Rescue
Web site: http://www.operationrescue.org/
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Hillary Clinton Giuliani lead.
Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani are the best presidential candidates for their respective parties.
Nigeria: Siemens Bribery Scandal- My Hands Are Clean - Chief Cornelius Adebayo
Nigeria: Siemens - My Hands Are Clean - Adebayo
Leadership (Abuja)
20 November 2007
Posted to the web 20 November 2007
By Golu Timothy
Former Minister of Communications, Chief Cornelius Adebayo has denied any involvement in the alleged bribe scandal involving a German telecom giant, SIEMENS, saying those who seek to draw him into the controversy are not fair to him. In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP last night and personally signed by the former minister, he said, he never at any point in time entangled himself throughout his four decades in public service, and therefore, it should not be at this age and time, that he will mess up his hard earned integrity. "My attention has been drawn to media reports as it affects Siemens in Nigeria, wherein my name has been mentioned with the allegation of collecting bribe at some 'unknown time after 2002'.
While the fact remains that I was minister of Communications between July 2003 and August 2006, I wish to state very clearly that I never demanded, neither did I receive bribe from officials of Siemens or of any other company in the discharge of my responsibilities.
According to Adebayo, "I have had an unblemished career in the public service spanning almost four decades, I have a reputation for integrity and I am under no political pressure so I fail to understand what temptation remained that I could not overcome well after age 60".
He added that, "It is gratifying that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed the security agencies to get to the root of this matter and I am confident that when that process is completed, this unjustified and unjustifiable stain will be removed from my hard-earned name", he said.
AllAfrica.com, November 20, 2007
No man is without sin, but in public service, the former Minister of Communications, Chief Cornelius Adebayo was never found wanting. I was disappointed when I saw his name among those found guilty of complicity in case of bribery and corruption against Siemens of Germany.
He can deny that he never gave or received any bribe, but denial would not be enough to declare him innocent. He has to prove that he is not guilty and not implicated directly or indirectly by ommission or commission.
He would retain his dignity and integrity and regain his long standing probity by providing the facts in court.
We must say the truth and damn the wrath of the earth.
Nigeria: Siemens Bribery Scandal- My Hands Are Clean - Chief Cornelius Adebayo
Nigeria: Siemens - My Hands Are Clean - Adebayo
Leadership (Abuja)
20 November 2007
Posted to the web 20 November 2007
By Golu Timothy
Former Minister of Communications, Chief Cornelius Adebayo has denied any involvement in the alleged bribe scandal involving a German telecom giant, SIEMENS, saying those who seek to draw him into the controversy are not fair to him. In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP last night and personally signed by the former minister, he said, he never at any point in time entangled himself throughout his four decades in public service, and therefore, it should not be at this age and time, that he will mess up his hard earned integrity. "My attention has been drawn to media reports as it affects Siemens in Nigeria, wherein my name has been mentioned with the allegation of collecting bribe at some 'unknown time after 2002'.
While the fact remains that I was minister of Communications between July 2003 and August 2006, I wish to state very clearly that I never demanded, neither did I receive bribe from officials of Siemens or of any other company in the discharge of my responsibilities.
According to Adebayo, "I have had an unblemished career in the public service spanning almost four decades, I have a reputation for integrity and I am under no political pressure so I fail to understand what temptation remained that I could not overcome well after age 60".
He added that, "It is gratifying that President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed the security agencies to get to the root of this matter and I am confident that when that process is completed, this unjustified and unjustifiable stain will be removed from my hard-earned name", he said.
AllAfrica.com, November 20, 2007
No man is without sin, but in public service, the former Minister of Communications, Chief Cornelius Adebayo was never found wanting. I was disappointed when I saw his name among those found guilty of complicity in case of bribery and corruption against Siemens of Germany.
He can deny that he never gave or received any bribe, but denial would not be enough to declare him innocent. He has to prove that he is not guilty and not implicated directly or indirectly by ommission or commission.
He would retain his dignity and integrity and regain his long standing probity by providing the facts in court.
We must say the truth and damn the wrath of the earth.
Siemens Scandal: Culprits Will Be Punished, Vows President Yar’Adua
Siemens scandal: Culprits will be punished, vows President Yar’Adua
The attention of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has been drawn to media reports of the alleged bribery by an international Telecoms company (Siemens) of some past Nigerian public officials and wishes to assure the nation that anybody found culpable in the scandal would face the full wrath of the law.
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Pakistani Authorities Freed Benazir Bhutto From House Arrest Last Weekend
Puja Bharwani reports.
The Pakistani authorities have freed opposition leader Benazir Bhutto from house arrest hours before a caretaker prime minister was sworn in to oversee elections.
Bhutto's release was welcomed in Washington. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said other political detainees should also be freed.
In a separate development, Musharraf swore in an ally as caretaker prime minister -- Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro -- and a 24-member cabinet to oversee the parliamentary elections due by Jan. 9.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Dogs and the Pigs in Nigeria
There are political subjects I deliberately ignore in Nigeria, because it would be a waste of time to discuss them.
The primitive nature of the so-called Chief Adedibu and the political prostitution of Patricia Etteh, are enough to show us the stock-in-trade of the notorious People's Democratic Party of Nigeria.
When I read that a Nigerian bank has won an award as the best bank in Africa, I chuckle and smirk, because only fools would be impressed.
To those giving kudos to the PDP led government, I feel sorry for their conceit and deceit.
If you really want to know the quality of the leadership of the PDP led government, please go on tour of the NYSC Camps in Nigeria and ask yourself if any sane government in the world would subject the future leaders of the country to such inhuman conditions and reduce Nigerian graduates to the state of animals in a ranch.
When I see the administrators of the National Youth Service Commission, I feel like hanging them if not to have them shot.
The Dogs
There are those who behave and live like dogs.
Dogs can eat the shit of their masters and the shit of anyone who can give them a piece of meat or even a bone and dogs can eat their own vomit.
The dogs are in majority.
The Pigs
They are those who have no dignity and no integrity such as the likes of Patricia Etteh, Adedibu, and others who will do anything to fatten themselves.
They are the looters and fraudsters who have made Nigeria to top the charts of the most corrupt countries in the world.
What we have is a land of desperate opportunists all scrambling for posts for their selfish interests.
Terrible things happened to people at the Nigeria LNG Limited this month and some children and adults died miserable deaths, and yet their parents and colleagues continue to drift in the flood of their ignorance.
I have been in a state of utter shock and dismay when I see how the majority of Nigerians behave like sub-humans without any regard for the dignity of humanity.
Majority of Nigerians have no scruples and that is why 85% of Nigeria is still in the Dark Ages.
Majority of them have low IQ and are shameless intellectual morons in the masquerade of their own local titular status symbols, but cannot stand when the chips are down in the global village and are contributing nothing to the growth of human civilization.
I keep on seeing full page adverts of the so called Christian universities in Nigeria, posting copies of their fake standards to misguide and mislead millions of ignorant and gullible Nigerians when God knows that they are telling lies and are predators of human souls who are partners in crime with the looters and destroyers of Nigeria.
Greedy devils and vampires manage the Nigerian banks and even though they can fool the majority of the populace, but they cannot fool those who know the truth.
The Governor of the apex bank and the beneficiaries of the corrupt system will be judged by the testimonies of those who died in misery. The retired pensioners who died whilst waiting for their unpaid pensions, and the testimonies of the unfortunate graduates who have died from preventable causes at the horrible and terrible NYSC camps and the daily lamentations of the millions of the masses suffering and dying in the state of neglect.
For how long will you continue to fool yourselves and millions of others in your fallacies and hypocrisies?
Only the best is good enough for us.
~ Bishop Ajayi Crowther
Do not settle for less.
The primitive nature of the so-called Chief Adedibu and the political prostitution of Patricia Etteh, are enough to show us the stock-in-trade of the notorious People's Democratic Party of Nigeria.
When I read that a Nigerian bank has won an award as the best bank in Africa, I chuckle and smirk, because only fools would be impressed.
To those giving kudos to the PDP led government, I feel sorry for their conceit and deceit.
If you really want to know the quality of the leadership of the PDP led government, please go on tour of the NYSC Camps in Nigeria and ask yourself if any sane government in the world would subject the future leaders of the country to such inhuman conditions and reduce Nigerian graduates to the state of animals in a ranch.
When I see the administrators of the National Youth Service Commission, I feel like hanging them if not to have them shot.
The Dogs
There are those who behave and live like dogs.
Dogs can eat the shit of their masters and the shit of anyone who can give them a piece of meat or even a bone and dogs can eat their own vomit.
The dogs are in majority.
The Pigs
They are those who have no dignity and no integrity such as the likes of Patricia Etteh, Adedibu, and others who will do anything to fatten themselves.
They are the looters and fraudsters who have made Nigeria to top the charts of the most corrupt countries in the world.
What we have is a land of desperate opportunists all scrambling for posts for their selfish interests.
Terrible things happened to people at the Nigeria LNG Limited this month and some children and adults died miserable deaths, and yet their parents and colleagues continue to drift in the flood of their ignorance.
I have been in a state of utter shock and dismay when I see how the majority of Nigerians behave like sub-humans without any regard for the dignity of humanity.
Majority of Nigerians have no scruples and that is why 85% of Nigeria is still in the Dark Ages.
Majority of them have low IQ and are shameless intellectual morons in the masquerade of their own local titular status symbols, but cannot stand when the chips are down in the global village and are contributing nothing to the growth of human civilization.
I keep on seeing full page adverts of the so called Christian universities in Nigeria, posting copies of their fake standards to misguide and mislead millions of ignorant and gullible Nigerians when God knows that they are telling lies and are predators of human souls who are partners in crime with the looters and destroyers of Nigeria.
Greedy devils and vampires manage the Nigerian banks and even though they can fool the majority of the populace, but they cannot fool those who know the truth.
The Governor of the apex bank and the beneficiaries of the corrupt system will be judged by the testimonies of those who died in misery. The retired pensioners who died whilst waiting for their unpaid pensions, and the testimonies of the unfortunate graduates who have died from preventable causes at the horrible and terrible NYSC camps and the daily lamentations of the millions of the masses suffering and dying in the state of neglect.
For how long will you continue to fool yourselves and millions of others in your fallacies and hypocrisies?
Only the best is good enough for us.
~ Bishop Ajayi Crowther
Do not settle for less.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Hillary Clinton Wins in CNN Las Vegas Debate
Dear Orikinla,
Did you watch the debate last night? When there was the most at stake, Hillary put on her best performance. She was prepared, firm, and 100 percent ready to lead America.
It was obvious to everyone watching: Hillary will be a president we can be proud of every day.
But you don't have to take my word for it; you can watch Hillary for yourself. We've collected some of her best moments in one place on our website:
Las Vegas Debate
And I know that she would want me to tell you what a difference you are making for her. When I told her before the debate that you beat the remarkable goal of raising $1 million in just a few days, she told me that she was so proud to have you standing with her.
We're achieving so much together. Thank you for all you do to help Hillary make history.
Sincerely,
Patti Solis Doyle
Campaign Manager
Hillary for President
CONTRIBUTE NOW FOR THE ELECTION OF SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON AS THE FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Did you watch the debate last night? When there was the most at stake, Hillary put on her best performance. She was prepared, firm, and 100 percent ready to lead America.
It was obvious to everyone watching: Hillary will be a president we can be proud of every day.
But you don't have to take my word for it; you can watch Hillary for yourself. We've collected some of her best moments in one place on our website:
Las Vegas Debate
And I know that she would want me to tell you what a difference you are making for her. When I told her before the debate that you beat the remarkable goal of raising $1 million in just a few days, she told me that she was so proud to have you standing with her.
We're achieving so much together. Thank you for all you do to help Hillary make history.
Sincerely,
Patti Solis Doyle
Campaign Manager
Hillary for President
CONTRIBUTE NOW FOR THE ELECTION OF SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON AS THE FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The Strike Action by Some Services Contractors at the Nigeria LNG Bonny
Official Statement by the Nigeria LNG Limited on the Industrial Dispute Between the Nigeria LNG Limited and the Groups of Service Contractors in Rivers State, Nigeria
A strike action was embarked upon on Monday, November 12, 2007, by some workers of some of the contractors providing services to NLNG at Bonny. This action has been at the instance of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) officials seeking to unionize staff of these companies. In doing this, they have taken illegal actions, such as blockading the access to the plant, and at various times also blockaded the access to the Residential Areas (RAs), thus preventing staff, their families, as well as members of the communities and the public from gaining access to either the RAs or to the plant for their legitimate businesses.
As far as we can establish, NUPENG, and the workers are predicating this illegal act on a false claim that NLNG is preventing them from unionizing under NUPENG. As a responsible and law abiding organization, NLNG requires our contractors to obey the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including laws allowing the unionization of workers in the country.
Consultations are still ongoing in this regard between management of the contractor companies and representatives of the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of NUPENG, under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Labour.
The following stakeholders have been informed of this development:
Palace of HRH, Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom
Rivers State Government
Commissioner, Rivers State Police Command
SSS Director, Rivers State
SSS OC, Bonny Island
Chairman, Bonny Kingdom Council of Chiefs
Chairman, Bonny LG Caretaker Committe
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour
Director of Labour, Ministry of Labour
Deputy Director of Labour, (Industrial Relations) Federal Ministry of Labour
Nigeria LNG has also expressed willingness to support peaceful resolution of the matter between the affected parties.
A strike action was embarked upon on Monday, November 12, 2007, by some workers of some of the contractors providing services to NLNG at Bonny. This action has been at the instance of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) officials seeking to unionize staff of these companies. In doing this, they have taken illegal actions, such as blockading the access to the plant, and at various times also blockaded the access to the Residential Areas (RAs), thus preventing staff, their families, as well as members of the communities and the public from gaining access to either the RAs or to the plant for their legitimate businesses.
As far as we can establish, NUPENG, and the workers are predicating this illegal act on a false claim that NLNG is preventing them from unionizing under NUPENG. As a responsible and law abiding organization, NLNG requires our contractors to obey the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including laws allowing the unionization of workers in the country.
Consultations are still ongoing in this regard between management of the contractor companies and representatives of the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of NUPENG, under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Labour.
The following stakeholders have been informed of this development:
Palace of HRH, Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny Kingdom
Rivers State Government
Commissioner, Rivers State Police Command
SSS Director, Rivers State
SSS OC, Bonny Island
Chairman, Bonny Kingdom Council of Chiefs
Chairman, Bonny LG Caretaker Committe
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour
Director of Labour, Ministry of Labour
Deputy Director of Labour, (Industrial Relations) Federal Ministry of Labour
Nigeria LNG has also expressed willingness to support peaceful resolution of the matter between the affected parties.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Welcome To Nigeria: The Best and Largest Market in Africa
Obudu Holiday Land
The Longest Cable Car in the world
Obudu Protea Hotel
Abuja City
Abuja Sheraton Hotel
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Blackwater is Guilty of the Brutal Murder of Innocent Iraqis
Blackwater is guilty of the brutal murder of innocent Iraqis.
The FBI said that 14 of the 17 Iraqis Blackwater killed last September in Baghdad were murdered in cold blood without cause.
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