Saturday, June 30, 2012

Top Five Mobile Phone Facts in the UK


Top Five Mobile Phone Facts in the UK

1. The most popular ringtone in the UK is Mission Impossible
2. The first text message was sent in 1992.
3. There are more mobile phones than people in the UK.
4. Average monthly bill is 36 pounds.
5. Only 25% of mobile users have mobile insurance.




Rihanna's Sexy Black Giorgio Armani Gown


Wearing What: Rihanna set the red carpet on fire in this sexy black Giorgio Armani gown with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. She accessorized with a gold Jimmy Choo clutch and Christian Louboutin Bis un Bout pumps.

How to pull off this look: The only thing we recommend be done differently is your hair. An elegant updo will do well to accentuate all features of the dress as well as bring out your face and the confidence that lies behind it.






D'banj, 2face Idibia and Other Stars on Face2Face Africa {Shout-Outs}



Famous entertainers D'banj and 2face Idibia of Nigeria and other international stars from Africa and America give shout outs on Face2face Africa, a new global multi-niche magazine with the mission of Re-branding Africa and providing a platform for Africans to tell their own stories.





Friday, June 29, 2012

Finding Mandela - Four Part Series


29 Jun 2012 13:04 Africa/Lagos


Finding Mandela - Four Part Series

NAIROBI, June 29, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

A24 MEDIA is once again proud to announce another milestone in the CCTV FACES OF AFRICA series. Starting this Sunday, for four straight weeks, CCTV will air an A24 MEDIA-produced series on the life of South African activist/statesman/ President, Nelson Mandela.

The weekly series airs Sundays at 1930 Central African time, 1730 GMT on CCTV News, which is seen across Africa and around the globe. They can also be seen on-line at http://cctv.cntv.cn/lm/facesofafrica/01/index.shtml.

A24 MEDIA would like to invite all of our viewers and friends to take in a series that looks not only at the historic Mandela, but also the "Madiba Magic", through the eyes of modern South Africans. Experience the struggles, the triumphs, the sacrifices and the entertaining anecdotes that chronicle the life and success of this brave and heroic African.

July 1, 8, 15 and 22 are the dates to keep with your television sets as this unique look at Nelson Mandela unfolds.

In the coming weeks A24 MEDIA and CCTV NEWS will also bring you profiles of environmental warrior, Wangari Maathai, and Zambia's first President and renaissance man, Kenneth Kaunda.

We will look forward to you joining us weekly to enjoy CCTV's "FACES OF AFRICA" only on CCTV News.

ABOUT A24 MEDIA


A24 Media is Africa's first online delivery site for material from journalists, African broadcasters and NGO's from around the continent. We ensure that everyone that contributes to our online site http://www.a24media.com receive wide and previously unknown exposure to their content, thereby generating sustainable revenues from the sale of their stories on a 60:40 basis in favor of the contributor. Of the utmost importance is that the contributor will continue to OWN the copyright of the original footage.


For more information contact us:


DANIEL FURNAD - COO
E-mail: daniel@a24media.com [javascript:void(0); ]

ASIF SHEIKH - CEO
E-mail: asif@a24media.com [javascript:void(0); ]

A24 Media/Camerapix
Tel: +254-20-434-9274/5 or +254-20-434-9543
Fax: +254-20-434-9186

Website: http://www.camerapix.com
Website: http://www.a24media.com


Source: A24 Media



Arsenal Announce Partnership with Airtel


28 Jun 2012 10:48 Africa/Lagos

Arsenal Announce Partnership with Airtel

Pan African Telco becomes Official Mobile Network Operator in five countries

NAIROBI, June 28, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Arsenal Football Club and African mobile network operator Airtel (http://www.airtel.com) have today signed a three-year partnership agreement. The deal provides Airtel with the opportunity to utilise the Club's merchandising, hospitality and content rights in five countries, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda.


Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/airtel.jpg


The agreement will help the north London side reach some of its 42million fans across the continent. Airtel customers in Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda will have the opportunity to win match tickets to watch this summer's pre-season tour fixture and receive exclusive Club content and news direct to handsets. In addition to the agreement, Airtel will be designated as the official mobile operator of the 2012 Arsenal Tour to Nigeria.


Arsenal will also support the Airtel Rising Stars football program, an annual, multi-country grassroots soccer initiative that offers young boys and girls the opportunity to play compete and showcase their talent to selectors in their respective countries. The selected youngsters get an opportunity to get the best-in-class sports training during a residential clinic organized by Airtel and her partners. The Gunners will provide UEFA-trained coaches to assist with training in each of the five markets and at an Arsenal Coaching Clinic for up to 50 footballers.


Airtel Africa Chief Marketing Officer, Andre Beyers commented: “Football fans across Africa are known for their passion of the great game. Arsenal's exciting style of play and a history of working with the best talent from Africa will enrich this partnership and offer a wealth of opportunities for upcoming players and fans. The partnership provides an impetus to the Airtel Rising Stars in some of the countries that have produced amazing young talent and whose youth teams have gone on to win FIFA Youth and Olympic tournaments.''


Arsenal's Head of Global Partnerships Vinai Venkatesham added: “I am delighted to welcome Airtel into our family of Commercial Partners. This is the second long-term partnership arrangement to arise from the continent and we look forward to developing a number of exciting initiatives with Airtel, starting with our forthcoming tour to Nigeria in August. This underlines the depth of our following in Africa and how the profile of the Club continues to grow internationally.”


It is the Club's second pre-season tour to Africa, having played a fixture in South Africa in 1993. The 2012 visit will feature a game between the Arsenal first-team and the Nigerian National Team the Super Eagles on Saturday 5th August. Airtel is in the process of finalising arrangements that will give selected consumers a chance to watch the match and interact with the team in Abuja. The details of the promotion will be announced soon.


Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Bharti Airtel Limited.


About Arsenal FC


Arsenal is one of the leading clubs in world football with a strong heritage of success, progressive thinking and financial stability.

Arsenal Football Club was founded in 1886 in Woolwich, south London, before moving to Highbury in north London in 1913.

The Club celebrated its 125th anniversary in the 2011/2012 season, with an impressive roll of honour: English League Champions 13 times, FA Cup winners 10 times, League Cup winners twice and European Cup Winners' Cup (1994) and European Fairs Cup (1970) winners once. In addition, Arsenal Ladies are the most successful English club in women's football.

Arsenal's Manager since 1996 has been Frenchman Arsène Wenger. Wenger is Arsenal Football Club's most successful manager and his honours include three League titles, four FA Cups and four Charity/Community Shields, including two League and Cup ‘doubles' in 1998 and 2002. In addition, Arsenal went unbeaten for the entire 2003/04 Premier League season, an unprecedented achievement in English football.


In 2006 Arsenal embarked on a new chapter in its history with a move from its home of 93 years, Highbury Stadium, to the new state-of-the-art 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium.

For further information about Arsenal Football Club, please visit www.Arsenal.com.



About Bharti Airtel


Bharti Airtel Limited (http://www.airtel.com) is a leading integrated telecommunications company with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 5 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G services, fixed line, high speed broadband through DSL, IPTV, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In Africa, the Airtel brand is present in both Francophone and Anglophone markets spanning Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. In these countries, it offers 2G, 3G mobile services. Bharti Airtel had over 255 million customers across its operations at the end of May 2012. To know more please visit, http://www.airtel.com



For more information please contact:


Michael Okwiri

Vice President – Corporate Communications

Airtel Africa

Michael.Okwiri@africa.airtel.com

Or

Katie Baldwin

Senior Media Officer, Arsenal FC

kbaldwin@arsenal.co.uk

0044 207 704 4010


Source: Bharti Airtel Limited



3 Bedroom Terrace Duplex @ Heliconia Court in Lagos


3 bedroom terrace duplex @ Heliconia Court, Yaba GRA. Rent is 2.4m/2.6m. Service charge is N905, 000 per annum & N217, 000 for quarterly diesel deposit.

Contact: Clarke Eke
E-mail: clarkeeke04@yahoo.co.uk




Google Nexus 7 Tablet is Out!



With a stunning 7" display, powerful quad-core processor and all day battery life, Nexus 7 was built to bring you the best of Google in a slim, portable package that fits perfectly in your hand.


Google (Nasdaq: GOOG)'s first own-brand tablet is following in the footsteps of the popular low-cost Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) Kindle Fire rather than attempting to tussle for the high-end with Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL)'s iPad.

The search giant revealed its Nexus 7 tablet at its developers' conference in San Francisco Wednesday afternoon. The tablet is made for Google by AsusTek Computer Inc. and will start at US$199 for an 8GB model.

Specifications for the tablet include:

Google's latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system
An Nvidia Corp. (Nasdaq: NVDA) Tegra 3 quad-core processor
A 7-inch display
"Android Beam" Near-Field Communication (NFC) support
Up to eight hours of active battery use
"Tons of free cloud storage"
Tight integration with Google apps
Here's what Google has to say about its latest hardware move:


Why this matters

The sleek and inexpensive Wi-Fi-only tablet is a flagship for the latest cut of the Android OS and a streaming signpost for Google's "Play" content and app store. The device appears similar to the Kindle Fire, but sports a faster processor and more optional storage while lacking Amazon's speedy Silk browser. It is rumored that Amazon may respond with a new tablet launch as early as the end of July.



Thursday, June 28, 2012

Bing Will Improve Organic Search with Encyclopaedia Function


28 Jun 2012 15:19 Africa/Lagos

Bing Will Improve Organic Search with Encyclopaedia Function, says Search Catalyst

LONDON, June 28, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

As Bing move towards providing facts and figures in their search results,

contact Search Catalyst to help adapt your SEO strategy and ensure a high ranking.

Bing users can expect an improvement in their organic search results following the announcement that Microsoft's search engine will partner with the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. The update has been developed as a response to Google's Knowledge Graph, which has been designed to generate relevant statistic, stories, and general information to improve its search results.

For small businesses and organisations that require search-based information, the Bing update will reward websites that provide factual, informative, interesting, and unique content. Therefore, much like the Panda and Penguin updates from Google, producing original and informative content is essential to ranking highly on Bing.

The Bing and Brittanica update is simply the latest in a series of changes made by competing search engines. Google recently started this arms race by developing "Search Plus Your World" to better integrate search with social media. Bing swiftly responded to this change by displaying Facebook and Twitter results as part of their query results.

So with Bing moving towards providing more facts and figures in its search results, it can be harder for smaller organisations to rank themselves. With this in mind, it may be advisable to get a specialist online marketing agency, such as Search Catalyst, to help improve SEO for small businesses [http://www.searchcatalyst.co.uk/seo-packages ].

Having a measured approach to SEO can have a major impact on the success of your company. To begin with, businesses need to understand the source of the traffic to your website. Are your customers, for instance, coming directly from search engines, or are they coming from referral websites? Companies also need to track and understand keyword performance, which means using tools to measure bounce rates and clickthrough rates.

More small businesses are now looking to integrate search engine optimisation into their marketing efforts. This strategy has proved very useful in providing companies with greater exposure, while it can offer a significant return on your investment.

So whether your small businesses is new to SEO, or you already have a strategy that will need adopting following the latest updates from Bing and Google, do not hesitate to contact a professional online marketing agency.

Search Catalyst provides successful and cost-effectivesmall business internet marketing [http://www.searchcatalyst.co.uk/seo-packages ] solutions. For more

information, please visit the website.


About Search Catalyst


Search Catalyst was created by Greenlight Digital, Europe's largest and fastest growing search marketing agency. Greenlight has worked with a wide range of clients, including Sky, Santander, and HSBC, and has an envied reputation for delivering unparalleled search engine marketing success to all of its clients.

A selection of Greenlight's most trusted experts now run Search Catalyst, and are focused on delivering results to small and medium sized organisations using their award-winning SEO and PPC strategies.

Brendon Johnson, Level 14, The Broadgate Tower, Primrose St, London, EC2A 2EW. http://www.searchcatalyst.co.uk, contact@searchcatalyst.co.uk, +44(0)20-3326-1800

Source: SearchCatalyst



"It's Catching" Off The Coast Of Louisiana



"It's Catching" Off The Coast Of Louisiana

Chef Phillip Crispo with The Culinary Institute of America holds a red snapper caught off the coast of Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana.

Plaquemines Parish, LA, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the world’s premier culinary college, sent six of its distinguished faculty and degree program students to catch fish off the coast of Louisiana in Plaquemines Parish and experience firsthand the purity and taste of the region’s seafood.

The team of four chefs and two culinary arts students from the CIA’s Hyde Park, New York campus toured the Parish and sampled shrimp, crab, oysters, tuna, and snapper straight from its waters. The two-day tour culminated in “A Celebration of America’s Best Seafood,” a four-course dinner at the historic Woodland Plantation.

The trip spotlighted Plaquemines Parish’s position as Louisiana’s Sportsman’s Paradise. “Plaquemines Parish is known as the premier fishing destination in the country,” said Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser. “Collaborating with The Culinary Institute of America made sense because of their own highly regarded reputation as the premier culinary college in the world, and the fact that their chefs and students only cook with the best ingredients.”

Founded in 1946, the CIA is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor’s and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts as well as certificate programs in culinary arts, Latin cuisines, and wine and beverage studies.

“It was an all-star experience and the seafood was clean, fresh, and beautiful,” said Certified Master Chef Brad Barnes, Senior Director of Continuing Education at The Culinary Institute of America. “The professionalism of the guides and the outstanding accommodations helped make this trip top-notch.”

The entire culinary experience was part of the Parish’s strategic marketing and communications campaign, “It’s Catching,” which focuses on the Parish’s strengths, including its unique culture and cuisine, abundant wildlife, and historic attractions, as well as its position as the premier destination for recreational and sports fishing.

“It’s Catching” launched in the spring of 2011 as part of the Louisiana Tourism Recovery Program, which is funded by the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and BP, and refers to Plaquemines Parish as a place to “catch” rather than just “fish.” The now-ubiquitous phrase can be seen in print and broadcast advertisements across the country, on outdoor billboards, and in online social media.

“Everywhere else it’s considered fishing, but in Plaquemines Parish, it’s always catching,” said Nungesser.

###
Media Contact:

Anna Corin Koehl
504-524-3342
akoehl@e-bmf.com



Winners of the 2012 International Animation Film Festival - Golden Kuker - Sofia


International competition

  • Grand prix “Golden Kuker” - FATHER (IVAN BOGDANOV, MORITZ MAYERHOFER, VELJKO POPOVIC, ASPARUH PETROV, DMITRY YAGODIN, ROSITSA RALEVA, Bulgaria / Croatia / Germany) - Video

    Father from Golden Kuker on Vimeo.


  • Special award “Proiko Proikov” for best animated eco film - HINTERLAND (LINDA MCCARTHY, UK) - Video

  • Best animated super short film - HOW TO EAT YOUR APPLE (ERICK OH, USA / South Korea) - Video
  • Best animated short film (1 – 10 min) - TRAM (MICHAELA PAVLATOVA & Negativ Films, France / Czech Republic) - Video
  • Best animated short film (10 – 50 min) - RED RIVER, SONG HONG (STEPHANIE LANSAQUE, FRANCOIS LEROY, France) - Video
  • Best animated feature film - The Jury did not award a film in this category
  • Best animated student films - MALOU OR THE MECHANICAL HOSTILITY (EVELIEN DEROECK, Belgium) - Video
  • Best animated film made for kids - VIOLINPLAY (TÜNDE VOLLENBROEK, The Netherlands) - Video
  • Best animated music film - DEMONI (THEODORE USHEV, Canada / Germany / Bulgaria) - Video
  • Special Jury award - ABOUT KILLING THE PIG (Simone Massi, Italy) - Video
National competition
  • Best bulgarian animated film - REW DAY (Svilen Dimitrov) - Video
Special mentions
  • SPECKY FOUR EYES by Jean-Claude Rozec (France) - Video
  • MATESO by Collective team of children COLLECTIVE CAMERA - Video

Click here for the full report.



Fear None Save Allah. Defend Islam, Defend People, Defend Churches, Defend our Nation


PRESS RELEASE

Access online: http://muslimsagainstterror.com/communique-fear-none-save-allah-defend-islam-defend-people-defend-churches-defend-nation/

June 28th, 2012

Official Communiqué from Muslims Against Terror, Nigeria:

Fear None Save Allah. Defend Islam, Defend People, Defend Churches, Defend our Nation

Quran 2:40 ….and fear none but Me. Quran 33:39 …and do not fear anyone except Allah; and Allah is Sufficient to take account.

All Nigerian Muslims
NASFAT – NASFAT | Nasrul-Lahi-Fatih Society
Muslim Association of Nigeria
Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)
FOMWAN | Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria
Al-Habibiyah Organisation
All other Muslim Organisations

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

We, Nigeria’s Muslims Against Terror, hereby send this urgent release to the Muslims of Nigeria in light of the protracted attack on our deen and the peace of our Nation by the Abubakar Shekau, ‘Boko Haram’, terrorist organization.

This is an official communication to be propagated to Muslim gatherings this Friday, Jumah, in other meetings during the weekend and week and each Friday thereafter; established with critical resolve toward strengthening our national security, eliminating the threats of terrorism, and preventing terrorists, criminals, or other unscrupulous actors from destroying property and incessantly taking innocent life.

Abubakar Shekau’s Boko Haram and related or affiliated ‘Muslim’ terrorism is the most challenging threat to our national security and our identity as Muslims and Nigerians today. Defeating this threat requires specific reactions, strong resolve, the commitment of all Muslims and active involvement as a duty as Muslims and humans.

If we do not stand up against Abubakar Shekau’s Boko Haram and related or affiliate elements, in addition to failing our duty as Muslims, we stand to loose, not only our lives, but even the sanctity of our sovereignty. Boko Members were recently listed in global terror lists, via drone attacks, travel and business restrictions, we will all be affected. We will loose our friends and children. Abubakar Shekau’s Boko Haram and related or affiliate elements will have used their evil to more gravely, permanently affect us.

The Noble Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said: If one of you sees something evil he should change it with his hand. If he cannot, he should speak out against it, and if he cannot do even that he should at least detest it in his heart, this being the weakest form of faith (Sahih of Muslim). Are we going to be of weakest faith? No! It is time for us to change it. We must now as Muslims condemn the megalomaniac, Abubakar Shekau’s Boko Haram and its related platforms. But not only this, we must act against it as they continue to create a state of terror and insecurity in the North of Nigeria and disgrace us to the world as Muslims and as Nigerians.
A Call For Action

To be communicated in Sermons and at gatherings:

1. Our sermons must encourage brothers to protect and shield the targets of Boko Haram, to frustrate their efforts and deny them of their ploy to cause sectarian strife between Muslims and Christians. They have attacked Government installations, but our resolve, will and peace was unhindered, they have attacked Mosques, we did not bend to their evil, they are now attacking Churches, to lead us to fight ourselves. Rather, from now onward, we must come out in great numbers and defend these religious sanctuaries.

This is our duty as Muslims. The Glorious Quran say what means:

Qur’an 22:40… And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.

Our brothers in Nigeria have been defending Churches, of note, since the Fuel subsidy riots last January, witnessed in Minna, and again, of note, by MuslimAg last Sunday. So also Christians defended us and formed chains around Muslim brothers as we prayed. Fear none save Allah. Preach to brothers and let us come out in greater numbers to defend Islam and crush this menace of common criminals.

Tell congregations that are they afraid of defending Islam? Are you afraid of being known and marked as a defender of Islam? But we allow every Christian in our Muslim predominated North be as glaring a target. Will we allow Boko install fear of man in us?

Our so-called Muslim leaders have been afraid-of Boko, not Allah- to speak out these basic obligations of the Muslim Ummah.

Dear brothers, Muslims are a minority in many states and countries. Will we want majority Christians to look the other way if, if they simply stood up, with ease they can crush a minority extremist christian terror group that bombed our Mosques, if the roles were reversed?
Muslim Chain of Protection Around Churches

Tell the congregations to come out in droves and defend the Churches, as is our obligation. Whoever saves a life, has saved all mankind, and if we sit back and allow a single innocent man, woman, or child die, when we could avert it, we enabled the killing of all mankind, including our very selves.

Quran 5:32 ..whoever kills an innocent, it is as if he has killed all mankind; and whoever saves a person, it is as if he has saved all mankind.

It is forbidden even in war to kill women, children and the elderly. Abubakar Shekau’s Boko Haram is a very wicked, non Islamic group of very wicked common criminals and murderers. They violate the most fundamental tenets of our pure deen. And truth stands out clear and distinct from error.

Will our congregation not come out and save the entire human race?

Please follow these guidelines, as obtains in our article: http://muslimsagainstterror.com/form-a-shield-of-protection-for-churches-on-sunday-muslim-brothers/

1. Please dress simple with white preferably. Have a sign that states your mission. Simply write ‘Vigilante Security‘, on the sign.

2. First- Pat-down and search every brother who volunteers, there must not be any weapons or dangerous material on any one! No bags etc.

3. Please ensure you send a single representative to first approach the Church you wish to defend and ask them where they will like you to stand and where may be vulnerable. Have their security persons phone number.

4. Please discuss the ways you can be of assistance with any security officers in the area.

5. Please have police phone numbers at the ready.

6. Apply absolute discretion at all times. Be only ready to accost and have planks to put in front of suspicious cars that may be speeding toward the Church.


2. We must stress the importance of our communicating and building inroads with Christians. To regain their trust, so we can jointly defeat terror in Nigeria. Only Nigeria in the entire world, displays this type of pointless, insane bomb throwing, anti human, anti monotheism and anti sanity, meaningless madness. This is the time to promote the display of Islam’s better virtues. We are a religion of peace. Many do not recognize this any more. Let us meet with Christians and other groups and discuss how to cooperate and make the world better. There is poverty and hardship in the North. Boko Haram terror is making the situation even worse. Prophet Mohammed was reported to have allowed Najran Christians observe their worship in his Mosque. This is extreme level of tolerance from our beloved messenger.

3. Please let us talk to ourselves, our youth, on better Islamic values and behavior. Truth stands out clear from error. We must never kill innocent people, never, neither as a group nor as individuals. When we participate in mob actions, riots and people are killed, we become murderers. This is the basic tenets of Islam. Unless an official war is declared by the Muslim leaders and the proper attitudes of war are engaged, we as Muslims are prohibited from taking a life. This is madness. Even if a life of one of ours is taken, the only person responsible is the one with blood on his hands, We can not keep carrying out these riots and killing other innocent people. Even if any other religious group does this, let us Muslims lead by example, by the example of our Noble Prophet Mohammed(PBUH). And show restraint. This is the greater Jihad.

4. Please cooperate with the authorities. Reveal all information on terror to the law. If you are scared, simply email us, we will forward this information to the relevant authorities. Let us expose them. Lats time they bombed and killed 200 of us in Kano. They made martyrs of us, because we have been exposing them. This is a welcome event. May Allah accept the souls of those killed.

It ultimately is the role and responsibility of Nigerian security services to protect life, to stop the inflow of dangerous chemicals used in bomb making, to expose finance flow and disrupt intelligence, material and human communication between members and across our borders. But this national defense obligation and responsibility can not be successful without our full and proactive participation.

Though the Boko Haram criminal cult/confraternity gains recruits more easily due to the critical poverty level in the North, which is being looked at and must soon be addressed by the Government, with welfare systems among other means, as Muslims we know and need remind our family and friends that poverty is never an excuse to commit such criminal atrocities and abominable haram.

Let us commit to getting rid of Abubakar Shekau and his Boko hooligans, other related groups and whoever sponsors them in Nigeria and abroad, by the end of this year, Insha Allah.

Let us all come out and defend Islam, our Christian guests, our families and our Nation.

Please redistribute this communique to all Muslim bodies, Mosques, and individuals.

Salam Alaikum

Brother Isa Sami

brother@MusliMag.com; Media@MuslimAg.com

011 234 (0)7086539243

Public Relations and Media, MuslimsAgainstTerror.com



Harry Potter 15th Anniversary





THURSDAY, JUNE 28: HARRY POTTER 15TH ANNIVERSARY



Profile America — Thursday, June 28th. Fifteen years ago this week, the first of a series of books was published in the United Kingdom — "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone," published in the U.S. with the title "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." The books, written by J.K. Rowling, ended up breaking all known publishing records, selling 450 million copies and translated into more than 60 languages. Some critics have credited the series with sparking an increase in reading among juveniles. In addition, the seven novels have been made into wildly successful motion pictures. Nearly $23 billion worth of printed books are sold in the U.S. each year.


CLICK THE PICTURE TO ORDER FOR THE COMPLETE BOOKS 1-7.





Profile America is produced by the U.S. Census Bureau: Measuring America—People, Places, and Our Economy.



Wednesday, June 27, 2012

How Much Do You Know About Milk?


SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The many reasons to love milk go beyond building strong bones. A new brochure and an infographic from Dairy Council of California celebrate the secrets, stories and facts of America's favorite natural beverage.


Milk has been a part of the American family since the first cow came to the United States in the 1600s. Since then, we've come a long way from milking the family cow. Today, milk goes from the cow to the grocery store in about two days, making it one of the freshest beverages available to American families.

"Milk plays such an important role in our everyday lives that it's easy to take milk for granted," said Ashley Rosales, Registered Dietitian with Dairy Council of California. "We're hoping these materials will help people everywhere appreciate milk a little bit more."

Rising prices at the grocery store have prompted a lot of media coverage, but milk remains a great value. An 8-ounce glass of milk costs just about 25 cents, and from it consumers get the same amount of calcium as they would from 12 servings of whole grains, 10 cups of raw spinach and 8 cups of beans (legumes).

"No single food offers the same great flavor, nutrition, versatility and health benefits of milk," said Rosales. "So raise a glass!"

Along with value and nutrition, milk offers remarkable versatility. Enjoy milk in a glass with dinner, in cream soups and puddings, and even in lattes and hot cocoas to start the day or wind down the night. Available in a wide variety of flavors and fat levels—and even as lactose-free—there is a milk choice for everybody.

Find these facts as well as tips on decoding the dairy case in the new infographic How Much Do You Know About Milk? and the brochure Milk! Secrets, Stories & Facts of America's Favorite Natural Beverage, both by Dairy Council of California.

About Dairy Council of California
Dairy Council of California (www.DairyCouncilofCA.org) serves as the dairy industry's contribution to community health by creating science-based nutrition education curricula and resources that help children and families improve their eating habits and make nutrient-rich choices from all food groups. For nearly a century, Dairy Council of California has partnered with schools, health professionals and community leaders to offer California families simple steps for making balanced food choices while conveying the irreplaceable role that milk and milk products play in a balanced diet.

On the Net
Dairy Council of California: www.DairyCouncilofCA.org
How Much Do You Know About Milk? infographic and brochure: www.DairyCouncilofCA.org/How-Much-Do-You-Know-About-Milk
Milk 101 by Registered Dietitian Ashley Rosales for KCRA Sacramento: www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-sacramento/Milk-101/-/12969376/14756382/-/pnrujw/-/index.html

Related Links
Get the Secrets, Stories and Facts About Milk from Dairy Council of California.
Registered Dietitian Ashley Rosales shares Milk 101 with KCRA Sacramento viewers.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1g3hh)



1 in 5 Women Will Experience a Mood or Anxiety Disorder While Pregnant or After Giving Birth (PPD)



Regroup Therapy introduces Video Support Groups to help women come together and feel better, wherever they are

This is how a Regroup Video Support Session at regrouptherapy.com looks. Expecting and postpartum moms come together with a licensed therapist with specific experience in maternal depression and anxiety. Postpartum depression (PPD) and other maternal mood disorders affect 1 in 5 moms either during or after their pregnancy.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1g4au)


CHICAGO, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Up to 1 out of every 5 pregnant and new mothers will experience prenatal or postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety. Most women are undiagnosed and inadequately treated, if treated at all. This can have devastating effects on women and families. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (Pediatrics 2010; 126;1032-1039), untreated postpartum depression (PPD) and prenatal depression can lead to increased medical costs, inappropriate medical care, discontinuation of breastfeeding, child abuse, and neglect. Support groups can be an effective way to help prevent these negative consequences (Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158:638–640). Unfortunately, women with postpartum depression (PPD) and other maternal mood disorders frequently struggle to find a group that overcomes barriers of geographical location, traffic, timing, and childcare.

Regroup Therapy is excited to enable women to find support, through the launch of its video support groups. These groups facilitate live interaction between women suffering from Prenatal and Postpartum Depression (PPD)/Anxiety and preeminent therapist-moderators. These online sessions are easy to participate in, and unite women struggling with mood or anxiety concerns like postpartum depression (PPD) from the comfort of their own homes. The sessions are moderated by therapists with specific expertise in maternal mental health and provide women with a supportive experience to promote healing and health.

These sessions also offer participants with PPD and other maternal mood disorders the invaluable opportunity to empathize with and learn from others who share their challenges. These groups will provide an opportunity to practice new skills and develop action plans for healing.

About Regroup Therapy:

Regroup helps bring women and expert, licensed therapists together to help them overcome life challenges. This happens in a live, video support group that is simple enough for anyone to use. It has the benefits of a live, face-to-face support group with the added advantage that participants can join from wherever they choose. In the future, Regroup will expand to help people with a wide range of issues and concerns.

Regroup was recently selected as one of 35 companies invited to compete in Techweek LAUNCH at this year's Techweek Conference and Expo in Chicago.

www.regrouptherapy.com

For more information please contact:
David Cohn
david@regrouptherapy.com
(847) 562- 5673

Related Links:
Regroup Therapy Video Support Groups
Regroup Therapy Video Support Groups in 85 seconds

SOURCE Regroup Therapy

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1g4au)



Presidential Candidates Urged To Make Education A Priority



The College Board’s ‘Don’t Forget Ed’ grassroots effort to keep schools in the spotlight during presidential election

857 empty desks on the National Mall represent the number of students who drop out of American schools every hour of every school day.

857 desks on the National Mall, part of the College Board's Don't Forget Ed campaign, represent the number of students who drop out of school every hour of every school day.

WASHINGTON — June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The College Board today kicked off a nationwide movement to make education a more prominent issue in the 2012 presidential campaign. The effort calls upon the major candidates to discuss and debate their plans for reform amid an alarming decline in the state of American education. The College Board launched the campaign on the National Mall with a compelling public installation of 857 school desks, representing the 857 students who drop out of American schools every hour of every school day.

“‘Don’t Forget Ed’ recognizes that education is the foundation of our society. If our schools fail, then so will everything else — from our economy to national security,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “Yet every four years, the issue of education is shockingly underplayed on the campaign trail. That’s why this year we are encouraging candidates all over the country to tell voters precisely how they would reverse the sharp decline of American education. Parents, teachers, students and administrators have had enough of the silence. This year they are speaking loud and clear, and the College Board is committed to amplifying their voices.”

Don’t Forget Ed is an innovative, multitactical campaign that is being launched on the National Mall with an installation of 857 empty school desks symbolizing the number of students who drop out of school every hour of every school day. The campaign includes a website, a petition to be presented to the candidates at the nominating conventions, a full-page ad in The New York Times, and a PSA featuring former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and Merone Tesfaye. Tesfaye is a graduating senior at New York’s LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and will be tweeting and speaking to promote the campaign over the summer months.

On August 15, Don’t Forget Ed will rally thousands of voices via Twitter and Facebook in order to send a powerful message to the candidates. Don’t Forget Ed will continue staging additional events in conjunction with the nominating conventions and leading up to Election Day to generate further support and engagement.

“We’re not criticizing any candidates and we are not advocating a particular policy. We are mobilizing students and others to create a more visible constituency that wants education to be a prominent issue in the election,” said Peter Kauffmann, vice president of communications at the College Board. A poll commissioned by the College Board in April 2012 found that 67 percent of voters in nine key swing states believe education is an “extremely important” issue in the run-up to the general election.

More than 1.2 million students drop out of school every year, which averages out to 6,000 students every school day and 857 every hour. Recent data show that students in this country rank 25th in math and 21st in science among students from 30 industrialized nations.

About the College Board:
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools.


STAY CONNECTED:

On the Web: www.dontforgeted.org
Follow on Twitter: #DontForgetEd

MEDIA CONTACT:

Carly Lindauer
212-713-8052
communications@collegeboard.org








I'm Flattered That You Are All So Interested in My Vagina



Republicans ban Democrat for saying "vagina"

Michigan Republicans think it’s okay to legislate vaginas – but not talk about them. During a debate over one of the most restrictive anti-choice bills yet, Michigan state Rep. Lisa Brown read a letter from a voter that concluded, "Finally Mr. Speaker, I'm flattered that you are all so interested in my vagina, but no means no."

In response, Republican Speaker of the House Jase Bolger banned Rep. Brown from speaking on the state House floor the next day.

Send Jase Bolger an email telling him that if he is uncomfortable with lawmakers using the word "vagina," then he should stop legislating vaginas.



Miss Universe Leila Lopes On Cover of MAXIM Portugal



Exotic African beauty Leila Lopes, the Miss Universe 2011 on cover of Maxim Portugal, June 2012.



Click here for more photographs.



Atiq Mahenti In Dubai Wants To Contact Nigerian Friend Peace


Atiq Mahenti is based in Dubai, but lost contact with his Nigerian friend Peace who visited Dubai in April and May 2010 and stayed at the Blue Diamond Hotel in Deira near Gold Souk, Dubai. He wants Peace to contact him asap.


The following is the message from Atiq Mahenti.



Dear Peace,
Where are you?
Please contact me by my email id atiq_dxb@hotmail.com or call my mobile telephone number 00971 50 8800215.


Commerzbank Study: Africa's Economies Continue to Gain Ground


27 Jun 2012 07:05 Africa/Lagos

Commerzbank Study: Africa's Economies Continue to Gain Ground


FRANKFURT, June 27, 2012/PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Countries benefit from the commodity boom and political stability

- Growth impulses above all in the Sub-Saharan region


After the crises of the past, the economies of many African countries are clearly heading for growth. Political and economic stability has increased above all in the countries of the Sub-Saharan region. "Medium-term growth potential in Sub-Saharan Africa ought to be about six per cent per annum in the years ahead", a new study by Commerzbank, the second largest bank for private and corporate customers in Germany, reveals. According to the study, countries which manage to attract foreign investors could actually see even higher growth, since investments like these frequently initiate or boost growth momentum. With an economic growth forecast of 5.4 per cent for 2012, the region is now already ranking directly behind front-runner Asia.

The commodity boom and the turnaround to stability-oriented economic policy have increased the crisis-resistance of many countries in this region. Some of the states have thus already recorded notable surpluses in current account and government budget. The prerequisites for further economic growth, according to the study, are a stable political framework and a large population which allow higher economies of scale with fixed investment costs, plus good availability of commodities. Countries which meet these criteria include in particular Nigeria, Ghana, Angola and Mozambique. "The greatest challenge for Sub-Saharan Africa is the demographic development. The labour force potential, which is growing strongly because of the high population growth, can only be absorbed by the creation of additional jobs", says Florian Witt, head of the Africa department in Commerzbank's corporate banking. He remarks that this can only succeed if the depth of value added is decisively increased - and that, specifically, prevailing conditions call for such an increase mainly in the commodity-processing industry and in the processing of agricultural products.

The signs point to a sustained positive development: "In the larger cities a middle class is forming with a demand for increasingly higher-quality products. The services sector and in particular finance will also benefit from this", adds Rainer Schaefer, head of Commerzbank's Country Risk Analysis and one of the authors of the study. He expects both the development of the infrastructure and housing construction to give the building industry special momentum, and sees opportunities above all in renewable energies, as well as in information and communication technology.

However, in addition to the pleasing developments the study also reveals a whole series of negative aspects. For instance, in some Sub-Saharan states - such as Sudan and Somalia - civil war and economic chaos still prevail. Moreover, bureaucratic obstacles and corruption often curb economic development. Overall, 26 African countries have benefited from the debt relief initiative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund since 2004. In return for the debt relief, these countries had undertaken to follow an economic policy based on fixed criteria. This was also backed by the turnaround in development aid, away from loans and towards non repayable grants, after the assistance loans in the eighties and nineties had led to the over-indebtedness of many African countries

With 6 representative offices between Cairo and Johannesburg, and 500 bank customers and 250 institutional customers, Commerzbank is the no. 1 German-speaking bank for corporate customer transactions in Africa. It has now been active there for 60 years, maintaining business relations with banks and state institutions in 50 of the 53 countries on the African continent. It cooperates above all with governments, local banks and central banks.

The study can be downloaded under: https://www.commerzbank.de/media/research/economic_research/2012/0620/afrika.pdf

or: http://ots.de/E7yOJ



Press contact:

Martin Halusa: Tel. +49-69-136-85331

Kirsten Böddeker: Tel. +49-69-136-85466



Source: Commerzbank AG


Source: Commerzbank AG

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

DDB Worldwide Wins 79 Cannes Lions


26 Jun 2012 14:30 Africa/Lagos

DDB Worldwide Wins 79 Cannes Lions

NEW YORK, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DDB Worldwide has won 79 Lions at the Cannes Lions 59th International Festival of Creativity, placing the network among the top three vying for Network of the Year for the sixth consecutive year. These wins were by 27 offices in 23 countries across the DDB global network.

Chuck Brymer, President and CEO of DDB Worldwide, said, "Cannes Lions represent the epitome of creativity in our industry, and are a measure of not only our success but our clients' as well. A special congratulations goes to our client Mars for being named Cannes Lions 2012 Advertiser of the Year. We are proud to be associated with them."

The Lions were won across numerous industries and brands, including McDonald's, Volkswagen, Harvey Nichols, C&A, Henkel, State Farm, Swedish Armed Forces, Tourism Australia, and Lion Nathan, as well as other local brands throughout Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latina, and North America.

Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer for DDB Worldwide, said, "To have 46 offices win Lions or be shortlisted is a massive achievement for us as a worldwide network. Each and every one of our regions contributed to our haul, clearly demonstrating the power of DDB's creativity across the entire globe."

About DDB

DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) ranks among the top five consolidated advertising and marketing services global networks, according to Advertising Age. DDB emphasizes Social Creativity to grow the value and influence of brands around the world by creating ideas that people want to play with, participate in and pass along. The agency is consistently one of the most awarded at the Cannes Festival of Creativity and was recognized by The Gunn Report as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 10 of the last 12 years. DDB was also recently named the Spikes Asia Network of the Year for the second consecutive year and the Eurobest Network of the Year for the third consecutive year. DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) and consists of more than 200 offices in over 90 countries.

Contact
Kaya Lobaczewski
kaya.lobaczewski@ny.tribalddb.com
212-515-8348

SOURCE DDB Worldwide

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

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Disruptive Advertising Technology - Adcquire -Breakthrough in Mobile Advertising



26 Jun 2012 16:00 Africa/Lagos

Disruptive Advertising Technology - Adcquire -Breakthrough in Mobile Advertising

The startup's psychology studies leads to the revolutionary Immersive Product Discovery Platform which provides unprecedented Consumer Engagement through reversed-targeting

LONDON, Ontario, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Adcquire's new revolutionary marketing platform is making waves throughout the marketing industry. The platform, which connects brands and consumers through an innovative mobile app, generates physical interactions with products and is a first-of-its-kind positive experience engine.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/FL24925LOGO )

This new approach to digital advertising bridges the gap between traditional marketing methodologies while completely revolutionizing mobile marketing that until now has been much sought after yet elusive, especially in consumer goods.

Adcquire's technology leverages on decades of data and research in social psychology by focusing on compliance and persuasion, as well as current research into the neurochemistry of the reward circuitry in the human brain.

"We looked into some of the most powerful concepts and created a unique platform to help brands create positive experiences for consumers and at the same time, for consumers to discover information about brands and products," says Babak Motamedi, co-founder and COO of Adcquire.

The startup's Immersive Product Discovery Platform takes a new approach to digital marketing using a method that was previously mostly used in direct response marketing.

"Most forms of advertising use blunt delivery methods that only manage to interrupt in the desired activity or event of their target consumer. This creates negative experiences, sometimes to such an extent that the ad not only failed to serve its purpose but perhaps caused unwanted negative associations with the ad content," David Snir, co-founder and CEO explains. "Video, print and digital advertising, especially pop-ups such as currently exercised in mobile advertising can be causing more harm to a brand than good. Adcquire takes on an entirely different approach – one that actively invites people to participate in discovering products, letting them target ads instead of them being the target – it's a reversed targeted advertising technique."

The system engages people to physically interact with products by scanning them via a mobile app and answering one question about them. If they answer it right the system then rewards them.

"Our platform offers an unparalleled opportunity to marketers to create positive experiences with their brand through direct engagement with their product. Rewards have always been used in video games in the form of points, trophies and achievements to create a hook. We simply take this approach to create physical engagement with products," says Mr. Motamedi.

About Adcquire

Adcquire Inc. is the pioneer of Pay-Per-Grab Advertising, the revolutionary Immersive Product Discovery Platform. Adcquire's mobile advertising technology provides brands with an unprecedented digital-to-physical engagement between consumers and consumer goods that is then converted into unique market intelligence data. Adcquire reverses how digital marketing works by placing an emphasis on physical product discovery and a reward mechanism for which the consumer stands to benefit the most. The platform is not only proven to produce 1:1 marketing ROI, but is also a first-of-its-kind positive experience engine.

Video Introduction

www.adcquire.com

CONTACT: David Snir, 1-800-680-4640, PR@adcquire.com

SOURCE Adcquire

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