 PRESS RELEASE |
Accredify from Singapore beats 260 startups to win the 2023 Supernova Challenge |
The Supernova Challenge is the biggest pitch competition in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 19, 2023/ -- Accredify, a Singapore-based startup and service provider for issuing verifiable documents and information, has emerged as the champion of the 2023 Supernova Challenge at Expand North Star Dubai (https://www.ExpandNorthStar. The Supernova Challenge in partnership with the Dubai Future District Fund, is the region's biggest startup pitch competition, offering $200,000 in total cash prizes. The challenge is a key feature of Expand North Star Dubai, which hosted its biggest edition this year. It attracted over 1800+ startups from over 100 countries to explore the emerging opportunities in Dubai's dynamic, diverse and tech-driven digital economy. Simon Gordon, Chief Commercial Officer of the winning team, said, "Supernova 2023 has been an incredible experience. It's surreal to win this challenge at Expand North Star. This region, particularly the UAE, has so many great opportunities, and we are excited about using this prize money to expand our presence here." One of the judges at Supernova, Sharif El-Badawi, CEO of Dubai Future District Fund, commented, "It is encouraging to see a shift towards sustainable solutions that are better for the planet and its people. We witnessed several startups delivering concise yet compelling pitches that could impact our lives. The pitches we witnessed here at the Supernova Challenge are brimming with promise, unique innovations, and inspiring ideas." An expertly curated list of categories covered the latest trends in tech, inviting startups to showcase innovations that can solve some of our most pressing challenges. These included AI Disruptor, Fintech & Ecommerce Disruptor, Blockchain & Web3 Disruptor, Mobility & Smart Cities Disruptor, Healthtech & Wellness Disruptor, Martech Disruptor, Insurtech Disruptor in partnership with MENA Insuretech, Female Founder Award in partnership with the Sharjah Businesswomen Council, Africa Fast Award presented by GITEX Africa, Asia Fast Award, India Fast Award, and the Top MENA Award. In collaboration with GITEX Impact and Future Urbanism, Expand North Star also awarded the most proficient Sustainability and ESG Disruptor. Thirteen category winners representing the USA, India, UAE, South Korea, France, UK, Nigeria, Switzerland, China and Bangladesh took home $8,000 each in prize money, while the winner of the Female Founder Award won $10,000. The Supernova Challenge category winners were: Sustainability and ESG Disruptor: Zenerate from the USA, a platform providing AI-powered feasibility solutions for real estate development. AI Disruptor: Knorish, a platform that enables hobbyists, professionals and niche experts to build, launch, market and sell online courses powered by their own knowledge and as an extension of their own brand. Female Founder Award: Matis from Switzerland, a platform empowering art market stakeholders with accessible and quantifiable tools for art authentication.Fintech and E-commerce Disruptor: Appro Technologies from the UAE, a digital platform simplifying retail banking onboarding. Blockchain and Web3 Disruptor: Verofax from the UAE, a platform enabling real-time consumption data by offering a unique microsite per product. Mobility and Smart Cities Disruptor: Innocel from France, a company providing clean energy solutions for a net zero future. Healthtech and Wellness Disruptor: Skia from Korea, a digital surgery guide solution using augmented reality (AR) technology. Martech Disruptor: Smartzer from the UK is a SaaS platform brands use to make live streams and videos interactive and shoppable to drive sales. Africa Fast Award: Gifty from Nigeria, an app that helps people easily share gift lists with family and friends and avoid duplicating purchases. Asia Fast Award: Urtopia from China, a company dedicated to revolutionizing urban transportation with its smart, sleek, and stealthy e-bikes. India Fast Award: EyeROV from India, a marine robotics company providing underwater ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) to various industries. Insurtech Disruptor: InsureCow from Bangladesh, a platform offering a 360° technology-powered cattle insurance and wellbeing monitoring solution. Top MENA Award: Jalebi.io from the UAE is the world's first restaurant operating system that helps restaurants save 5% on the cost of every order served.The Supernova Challenge featured 40 startups selected from the Expand North Star global roadshow, a series of international pitch competitions held by the Dubai World Trade Centre and DCDE to attract startups to Dubai and foster collaborations with digital ecosystems in various countries. Expand North Star hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE) is the powerhouse startup show of GITEX Global, organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) concluded this week marking its largest-ever edition at its new Dubai Harbour venue. For more information, please visit ExpandNorthStar.com. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Expand North Star. Press information and photographic material:Media Center: https://apo-opa.info/3S63iUi On social media: Facebook: https://apo-opa. Twitter: https://apo-opa.info/ Instagram: https://apo-opa. LinkedIn: https://apo-opa. Youtube: https://apo-opa.info/ Hashtag: #ExpandNorthStar Media Contact: Gareth Wright – PR Director Tel.: + 971 50 273 3832 Gareth.Wright@dwtc.com Tayce Marchesi – PR Executive Tel.: + 971 58 552 3994 Tayce.Marchesi@dwtc.com PR Agency, ASDA'A BCW Tel.: + 971 50 149 3906 gitex@bcw-global.com About Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC): A global business facilitator since 1979, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is home to region's leading purpose-built convention and exhibition centre. DWTC provides a platform for connecting people, products, innovation and ideas from around the world through a dynamic calendar of international trade exhibitions and its own roster of sector leading mega events. As a designated free zone, complemented by award-winning commercial real estate, DWTC plays an integral role in Dubai and the region's growth story with an estimated total economic output of AED 200 Billion, attracting over 30 Million business visitors to Dubai over the past four decades. SOURCE |
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Thursday, October 19, 2023
Accredify from Singapore Beats 260 Startups To Win 2023 Supernova Challenge
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Rolls-Royce Plc Announces New Leadership for Africa
PRESS RELEASE
Rolls-Royce Plc Announces New Leadership for Africa
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John will assume group-wide leadership and representation for the Group’s Civil Aerospace, Power Systems and Defence businesses across the META region.
NAIROBI, Kenya, March 14, 2023/ -- Rolls-Royce plc (www.Rolls-Royce.com) is delighted to announce the appointment of John Kelly to the position of President – Middle East, Türkiye and Africa (META), with immediate effect.
Before this role, John spent six years as Senior Vice President of Europe, the Middle East and Africa for the Group’s Civil Aerospace business.
John joined Rolls-Royce over twenty years ago, in 2001, as a graduate trainee in the Defence business. He rose to become a senior manager before joining Civil Aerospace.
In his new role, John will assume group-wide leadership and representation for the Group’s Civil Aerospace, Power Systems and Defence businesses across the META region, engaging with senior government and industry stakeholders.
Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land and employs over 150 people across Africa with an extensive reach across the region.
Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace serves over 20 African airline customers across 15 countries. The company has over 50% market share in powering the African widebody aircraft market, with engines installed on over 80 widebody aircraft in service and another 30 on order. Since 2017, the company has supported the inception of three new airlines and delivered over 30 new aircraft. Rolls-Royce also powers a large proportion of the regional aircraft market, with over 95 aircraft in service.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems Africa provides world-class power solutions and complete life-cycle support and is headquartered in South Africa. The company supports Africa’s growing power generation, marine, rail and industrial sectors, providing vital power solutions to datacentres, mining, oil and gas, shipping, locomotive and agriculture companies across the continent.
Rolls-Royce Defence innovates power and propulsion solutions to meet operational requirements to protect, secure and explore. The company works closely with several African Governments, serving many defence forces.
John Kelly said: “Africa is the world’s second-most populous continent and on target to become the first to grow its economies solely through modern technologies and sustainable low-carbon energy sources. This rapidly developing and innovative region is vital to Rolls-Royce’s future. I will aim to ensure we build upon our foundations while supporting transformative economic growth, climate resilience and an energy transition that is right for Africa.
While we are renowned for excellence in civil aerospace, we will leverage opportunities for all the Rolls-Royce businesses, providing safety-critical power and propulsion solutions for Africa’s major infrastructure projects and industrial customers. Our technology can play a fundamental role in enabling the transition to a low carbon global economy.”
With bold ambitions for the future, John is committed to growing partnerships across Africa, reflecting Rolls-Royce’s core engineering and technological innovations.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Rolls-Royce.
For further information, contact:
Lydia-Claire Halliday, LCH Consultancy & Associates
Tel: +254708000510 / +447502000943
Email: lydia@lchconsultancy.com
About Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc:
1. Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land. Our products and service packages enable our customers to connect people, societies, cultures and economies together; they meet the growing need for power generation across multiple industries; and enable governments to equip their armed forces with the power required to protect their citizens.
2. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces and navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers. We are committed to making our products compatible with net zero carbon emissions to meet customer demand for more sustainable solutions.
3. The annual underlying revenue was £12.69 billion in 2022, and the underlying operating profit was £652m.
4. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a publicly traded company (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY, LEI: 213800EC7997ZBLZJH69)
www.Rolls-Royce.com
SOURCE
Rolls-Royce
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Is Canon Doing Anything for Women Making Movies in Nollywood?
A scene in the Nollywood blockbuster movie, "King of Boys", a political thriller by Kemi Adetiba that premièred in 2018.
#InternationalWomensMonth
#InternationalWomensDay2021
Is @Canon doing anything for women making movies in #Nollywood ?
Nollywood diva, Genevieve Nnaji, director of "Lionheart".
Most of the highest grossing Nigerian movies so far have been made by women and Canon digital cameras are the most favourable cameras of filmmakers and photographers in Nigeria. But I have not seen what Canon has done in appreciation of the outstanding women making movies in Nollywood, the largest indie film industry in Africa.
I have just read the following report on "Canon Middle East launches 'Women Who Empower' programme in the Middle East.
The initiative seeks to support women by offering them Canon's direct support to build their brand and reach wider audiences.
- By Digital Studio, Middle East Staff. 09 March 2021
On International Women's Day (IWD) 2021, Canon Middle East launched its latest programme, ‘Women who Empower’, coinciding with this year’s IWD theme #ChooseToChallenge. The theme encourages women to choose to challenge gender bias and inequality and celebrate women’s achievements as well.
The year-long programme is kicking off with a social media campaign which invites women in the creative industries in the Middle East, Central and North Africa and Turkey (META) to be a part of an initiative that enables them to showcase their creative works and be given the opportunity to take their projects forward.
Read more on
https://www.digitalstudiome.com/technology/content-production-tech/36519-canon-middle-east-launches-women-who-empower-programme-for-creativesWednesday, June 29, 2011
A Catalog of Pastors Deaths by Boko Haram Militants
A Catalog of Pastors Deaths by Boko Haram Militants
As anxiety is mounting over the activities of Boko Haram group, some Muslims are defusing the fear as misplaced. They see the group as only a new breed of young Muslim activists who have aggressively embraced a stricter version of Islam, rejecting anything Western and Christian. Boko Haram began life as a peaceful group focused on the study of the Koran, according to Abdulmumin Sa’ad, a Muslim scholar and professor of Sociology at the University of Maiduguri.
“The idea was that there is a lot of sin in the larger society and their parents had amassed a lot of ill-gotten wealth,” says Sa’ad, who taught some of the militants. “There is widespread immorality, and so the best thing to do is to remove themselves and camp elsewhere, where they can concentrate on their religion, mediate, reach out and begin to form a fellowship.” Sa’ad claims that group turned violent when authorities harassed it.
In retaliation, the group had killed about 16,000 policemen and was responsible for the death of pastors in Christian circle. Worried about the safety of Christians and pastors in Nigeria, the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, asked the federal government to curb the growing trend of terrorism in parts of the country. “We can no longer allow this group of disgruntled elements to get away with these acts of terrorism in Nigeria,” he said.
The catalogue of death of pastors by Boko Haram militants is raising alarm immediate change. Pastor David Usman, 45, and church secretary Hamman Andrew of the 'Church of Christ in Nigeria' in the troubled city of Maiduguri on the 7 June and Pastor Solomon Uzor of Trinity Chapel in Bauchi on the 10 May were among the latest casualties in what local Christians called "an upsurge of Islamic militancy" in these states.
Evangelical Christians said the two men were shot and killed by members of the Boko Haram sect near an area of Maiduguri, known as Railway Quarters, where their church is based. Hours earlier the gunmen also participated in blasts and attacks that left at least ten people dead, police said. A Catholic church, which was also targeted in the attacks, has been badly shattered, according to witnesses.
The same incident was reported in Lagos where Boko Haram members allegedly killed Pastor Daniel Okolu with two other people in November 2010. Pastor Michael Madugu, had just returned to his medicine store when his assailants pounced on him. Eyewitnesses said: “Two motorcyclists just stopped in front of the shop around 7.00pm and started shooting into the air to scare away people before they opened fire on Madugu. His assailants then moved immediately to the next medicine store where one Obinna and his brother were also shot to death. Unlucky James, another victim, who was about to enter Obinna’s store to buy medicine was also shot dead .
It was gathered that Michael Madugu, a district pastor in charge of Hausa church, was killed by a gang of four fundamentalists in his pharmaceutical shop while dispensing drugs to customers at about 7.05 p.m., leaving his wife and seven children to mourn him.
On December 24, armed men suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect stormed some churches including the Victory Baptist Church at Dala-Alamderi and shot to death the resident pastor, Rev. Bulus Marwa (37), Christopher Balami, a lecturer in the state-owned polytechnic, Paul Mathew, Philip Luka and a tea hawker, Yohana Adamu. The rampaging gunmen also set the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Ruwan Safi ablaze. A Deeper Life pastor, 3 others were killed in Maiduguri by suspected members of Boko Haram Jan 20, 2011.
Danjuma Akawu, who survived the attack on the Baptist church, said “they hacked the two choir members using knives and petrol bomb before heading to the pastor’s residence, where he was killed.”
On 26 July, 2009 the girl identified by CSW only as Mary was in church with her pastor, his brother and an older Christian woman when a group of fifty militants broke in. She and her pastor hid as the group killed the pastor’s brother and dragged the older woman out of the room. On discovering their hiding place, the militants cut off her pastor’s hand to stop him holding on to her, then hacked him to death with machetes before setting him on fire.
The girl and the woman were dragged to Boko Haram's compound in Maiduguri's Railway district, and were placed in a room with around 100 other Christian women and girls. They were all asked to renounce their faith or face continued imprisonment, while Christian men were given the choice of renouncing their faith or dying.
Mary vividly describes how she was forced to wash the blood stained clothing of Boko Haram fighters. She was in the camp for four days, but managed to escape with a few others when military forces intensified their attack on the compound.
Mary's pastor was one of three Christian ministers targeted and killed by Boko Haram during that week's violence. "Local Christians have also expressed disappointment that some western media have disregarded the targeted nature of attacks on their community, and the brutal murders of Christian pastors. "Unless this aspect of the violence is recognised by all and dealt with effectively, people in Northern Nigeria will continue to suffer because of their religious beliefs.”
One of the victims of that week’s attack by the Yusufiya sect in Borno State has given a shocking account of how the Islamic extremists killed three pastors who were captured along with other victims on the second day of the insurgence 28 July 2009. The victim was among those held hostage in Yusuf’s enclave.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Sun in Maiduguri, the eye witness who preferred anonymity disclosed that the three pastors were beheaded on the instruction of the sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf shortly after bringing them out of his inner chamber.
“The pastors alongside one Ibo man were asked to change their faith to Islam like they did to other people taken as hostages. And there was an argument by one of the pastors which gave the others some level of confidence to also resist accepting Islam.
“The Yusufiya men who were armed on that Tuesday afternoon were not comfortable with the pastors and they took one of them to the sect leader in his inner chamber. They came out later to the courtyard within the compound and cut their heads one after the other and thereafter, shouted allah akbar in wild celebration accompanied with several gun shots,” the eye witness disclosed.
Corroborating the account of the killing, a Senior pastor with Good News Church, Wulari Maiduguri Rev. Baba Gata Ibrahim told Daily Sun in an interview that a pastor in his church, Pastor George Orjih was beheaded on the instruction of the Boko Haram leader because the clergy man refused to accept Islam.
The late Pastor George Orjih was said to have arrived Maiduguri last week from Jos where he was doing his Masters programme in Theology. Described as a fearless, hardworking, and intellectually sound, his care for the welfare and well being of his family allegedly contributed to his capture and eventual death. “He was mindful of his family and their welfare. He was really out of the house but thought to go back again. That was how he was captured by the Boko Haram before he was killed,’’ the senior pastor added.
“An eye witness who was also captured by the Islamic militants gave us details of how the pastor was killed. He told us they were persuading him to accept Islam and he said over his dead body. He was even said to have preached Christ to Mohammed Yusuf and that reportedly angered the sect leader who then as he ordered that the pastor and others be killed immediately,” he disclosed.
He said the hostages numbering about 50 within the area of the execution of the pastors and another fair complexioned man which he could not identify, were gripped with fear as non could foretell the outcome of their stay at the enclave of the fundamentalists. He was however lucky to escape as he was freed in the night with others with a warning not to mix with kafrici (infidels).
Late Rev. Sabo Yakubu, slain COCIN Church pastor, was assassinated in Bauchi by Boko Haram militants March 2011. The late pastor had once complained about the activities of Boko Haram, saying that unless the Nigerian government faced up to the challenge of its attacks, the extremist group would consume the lives of innocent persons, according to Gongchi. But Reverend Titus Dama Pona of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Maiduguri said local Christians remain concerned about their future. He told reporters that Christians can no longer worship freely for "fear of becoming targets of these unprovoked attacks" by Muslim militants.
A statement was issued by pastor Ladi Thompson, the founder of the Living Water Church, Anthony Lagos that the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ogun State is an obvious target of the Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram. This is not just a possibility but one of the deadly plans of the fundamentalist group, according to a Christian cleric, Pastor Ladi Thompson.
He particularly advised the leadership of the RCCG to beef up security as the fundamentalists are angry that in the build-up to the last election, President Goodluck Jonathan who visited the camp knelt down for prayer before the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
Pastor Ladi advised authorities of the church not to allow worshipers come into its worship hall with more than their Bibles. He also cautioned the church against allowing people to enter the camp with paper bags or other suspicious containers.
When the group launched its attacks in July 2009, Pastor Ladi had alerted the government that what happened then was just a tip of the iceberg and revealed that the Islamic fundamentalists had been at plan since early 1990s, fully backed by some northern former military leaders, Emirs, intellectuals and Imams.
According to Umaru’s declaration the acting leader of the sect in 2009 said: For the first time since the killing of Mallam Mohammed Yusuf, our leader, we hereby make the following statements-
*That the Boko Haram is an Islamic Revolution which impact is not limited to Northern Nigeria, in fact, we are spread across all the 36 states in Nigeria, and Boko Haram is just a version of the Al Qaeda which we align with and respect. We support Osama bin Laden, we shall carry out his command in Nigeria until the country is totally Islamised which is according to the wish of Allah.
It must be recalled that the Islamic group that goes by such names as Boko Haram and Jama’atu ahlus-Sunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad had made an open declaration of war on the 28th of December 2010 after several bombs were exploded in the city of Jos, along with various Islamic killings in Kano, Bauchi and Maiduguri on the Christmas Eve. Abu Mohammed also known as Abubakar bin Mohammad Shekau the leader and spokesperson for the group said;
“I want to tell the Muslims in this country and the whole world that they need to know that this is a war between Muslims and non-Muslims… this is not a tribal war, nor is it similar to the wars of the pre-Islamic era, it is not a war for financial gains, it is solely a religious war. We did not start this war so it would not end in one week, or one month or one year. Only when we are completely annihilated and nobody chooses to continue with our struggle may be that could be the end. Or we establish a system where [Islamic] religion has the final say or [Islamic] religion determines everything, that will be the end of this war…” He went further to boast that “We are ready for anyone willing to face us, whether it is a group of people or even the government because we know who supports us, God the Creator of the universe, Allahu Akbar. Therefore, we are warning every Muslim who believes in the religion of Islam that he should never help a non-Muslim in this war. If he helps any non-Muslim and in so doing, a fellow Muslim suffers due to that, he should know that he is a dead person.”
The Police Commissioner Mohammed Abubakar admitted a security lapse on the part of his divisional police officers, whom he said had been told to watch out for Boko Haram members. The activities of the Islamic extremist Boko Haram, whose names means “Western education is sin,” were crushed by police in 2009 with the arrest of many of its members and the killing of its leader.
Lagos Police command beef up security to prevent the dastardly incident happening in Lagos, the state command yesterday beefed up security around its environs. Anti-bomb operatives from the Bomb Disposal Squad unit, Ikeja, were spotted at the entrance of the Lagos State Police Headquarters, the force Annex headquarters in Moloney, the Special Anti-robbery squad, Adeniji-Adele and the Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi, screening vehicles that were entering the premises. Even people on foot were not spared as they were thoroughly frisked.
The general superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, demanded the arrest and prosecution of the Boko Haram members and others to serve as a deterrent.
“A situation in which feuds easily lead to the burning of churches and the endless killings of church ministers and innocent citizens is an abhorrent trend which must not be allowed to continue,” Pastor Kumuyi said. “The initiative rests on the doorsteps of the security agencies to bring this unfortunate trend to an end.”
The attack on the National Police Headquarters in Abuja last week was a slap and insult on the part of the security forces. Ndigwe said the attack on the Force Headquarters "is a very strong signal that nobody is safe in this country because if the seat of the nation's Police Force could be easily attacked without any resistance, then there is serious danger for the nation.
According to the report from the sect spokesman Abu Zaid: The man who bombed the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja on June 16 was a fairly well-to-do businessman who was actually on a suicide mission on behalf of the Islamic sect the Boko Haram, Blueprint can authoritatively report.
Mohammed Manga was a 35-year-old married man with five children who drove overnight from Maiduguri to Abuja in order to carry out the morning attack which left about five people dead, including a police officer, and many cars incinerated in the blast. He had left N4 million in his will for his five children – two girls and three boys – before embarking on the fateful journey to the nation’s capital.
There was proof also that Manga was accompanied on the deadly mission by at least a collaborator in the plot, who took his last photograph alive as he drove through the streets of Abuja. The collaborator(s) might have disembarked from the car before Manga reached the Louis Edet House headquarters of the Nigerian Police.
Blueprint can also authoritatively report that, contrary to a claim by the police authorities that the bomber had used a Mercedez Benz ‘V Boot’ car in his terror mission; he actually used a Honda 86 model.
These shocking details and others were made exclusively available to this newspaper by the leadership of the Islamist sect, Jama’atu Ahl-Sunnati Lil Da’awati wal Jihad, popularly called the Boko Haram, in a telephone interview in the Hausa language, fielded by the group’s spokesman who goes by the name Abu Zaid.
The group also e-mailed to our Borno State correspondent startling photographs of a grinning Manga as he undertook the revenge mission. It was the first time it was giving a glimpse into its operations.One of the most startling information given by Abu Zaid was that the attacker was one Mohammed Manga, who was better known and addressed by his friends and business associates as Alhaji Manga.“He is originally from Adamawa State but he was born and brought up in Maiduguri, where he embraced the teachings of the late Mohammed Yusuf,” the spokesman said.
Mohammed Yusuf was the leader of the group and was killed by the police in 2009 following the bloodiest clash involving the Boko Haram in which thousands of the sect’s members and other people died.Blueprint was also told by the sect that Manga was Fulani by tribe and that he started both as a commercial and private driver at different times in his adult life. A few years before the July 2009 Boko Haram uprising, Manga began to travel to Cotonou in Benin Republic and later Dubai frequently in order to buy all kinds of goods.He was a major contributor to the Boko Haram’s arms build-up.
Abu Zaid also confided in this newspaper that Manga left a will of over N4 million to his two daughters and three sons and urged fellow believers to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Allah. This, the group said, is evident in the last-minute pictures of Manga, believed to have been taken at a camp somewhere in Borno State.The man’s last will and the photographs are proof that Manga was on a suicide mission and that his death at the Louis Edet House headquarters of the police was not an accident.
“He was calm and never hesitated or showed fear,” Abu Zaid recalled, adding that everyone at the scene that night on the eve of the attack was envious, wishing it was their chance to act and gain entry into paradise.
According to him, the planning of the attack targeting the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim, was not in any way different from the way and manner they plan other attacks around the country, insisting that the only difference was that this mission was abruptly brought closer in response to the remarks made by Ringim that he would eradicate the Boko Haram within weeks.The IGP had on June 15 boasted, while receiving10 armoured personnel carriers donated to the police by the Borno State government, that the Boko Haram’s days were numbered.
“Now that the (general) elections are over, our attention would be concentrated and I want to assure you that the days of the Boko Haram are numbered,” Ringim had told a gathering at the Government House in Maiduguri, with the state governor Kashim Shettima present.
Abu Zaid also claimed that the bomb his group used in the attack was a ready-made one, which the sect acquired from abroad. “And we are going to use several of them in future attacks,” he warned.The group dismissed media reports and commentaries that suggest it might not have planned a suicide attack but that the bomb blast was merely an accident in which the attacker was trapped, insisting that it was really pre-planned.“Everyone had waited patiently for the outcome of that operation,” said Abu Zaid.
According to him, the car that was used was not a Mercedes Benz ‘V-Boot’, but an ash-colour Honda 86 model.“I was surprised when the police said the car was a Mercedes ‘V-Boot’,” he said. “It was never a Mercedes. The car used for the attack was an ash-colour Honda 86. We are surprised over the way the police are confused anytime we strike.”
Meanwhile, the group has discredited the conditions for dialogue ostensibly given by the Boko Haram by one Usman Al-Zawahiri and others, challenging them to give a single proof that they are with the authentic group.
“We don’t know Al-Zawahiri; he is not with us,” Abu Zaid said.
“In fact, our investigation revealed that he is an SSS (State Security Service operative) and was brought in to discredit what we are doing and give an impression that we are divided. There is no faction in our group.”
Giving a reason why the Boko Haram chose Blueprint correspondent for breaking the news, Abu Zaid remarked: “You were the first journalist who repeatedly wrote about us when we were not known to the world; you were the first journalist who reported when our brothers were shot at on their way to a funeral procession by members of a security outfit setup by the Borno State government, known as ‘Operation Flush.’ We see you as an objective writer who is never afraid to say the truth; that is why our leader approved the idea to give you the final evidence that we were solely behind the suicide attack at the police headquarters.”
The Boko Haram is believed to be headed by one Malam Abubakar Shekau, the deputy of the late Mohammed Yusuf.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) calling on President Jonathan to urgently re-strategise and tackle the current security challenges which had become a major threat to his administration, Ndigwe said that the Ohanaeze would soon convene a meeting to discuss the security of the nation and come up with a position because "the bombings in Iran, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East started like this."
Source: Chidi Ahmed, Blueprint Correspondent.
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
As anxiety is mounting over the activities of Boko Haram group, some Muslims are defusing the fear as misplaced. They see the group as only a new breed of young Muslim activists who have aggressively embraced a stricter version of Islam, rejecting anything Western and Christian. Boko Haram began life as a peaceful group focused on the study of the Koran, according to Abdulmumin Sa’ad, a Muslim scholar and professor of Sociology at the University of Maiduguri.
“The idea was that there is a lot of sin in the larger society and their parents had amassed a lot of ill-gotten wealth,” says Sa’ad, who taught some of the militants. “There is widespread immorality, and so the best thing to do is to remove themselves and camp elsewhere, where they can concentrate on their religion, mediate, reach out and begin to form a fellowship.” Sa’ad claims that group turned violent when authorities harassed it.
In retaliation, the group had killed about 16,000 policemen and was responsible for the death of pastors in Christian circle. Worried about the safety of Christians and pastors in Nigeria, the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, asked the federal government to curb the growing trend of terrorism in parts of the country. “We can no longer allow this group of disgruntled elements to get away with these acts of terrorism in Nigeria,” he said.
The catalogue of death of pastors by Boko Haram militants is raising alarm immediate change. Pastor David Usman, 45, and church secretary Hamman Andrew of the 'Church of Christ in Nigeria' in the troubled city of Maiduguri on the 7 June and Pastor Solomon Uzor of Trinity Chapel in Bauchi on the 10 May were among the latest casualties in what local Christians called "an upsurge of Islamic militancy" in these states.
Evangelical Christians said the two men were shot and killed by members of the Boko Haram sect near an area of Maiduguri, known as Railway Quarters, where their church is based. Hours earlier the gunmen also participated in blasts and attacks that left at least ten people dead, police said. A Catholic church, which was also targeted in the attacks, has been badly shattered, according to witnesses.
The same incident was reported in Lagos where Boko Haram members allegedly killed Pastor Daniel Okolu with two other people in November 2010. Pastor Michael Madugu, had just returned to his medicine store when his assailants pounced on him. Eyewitnesses said: “Two motorcyclists just stopped in front of the shop around 7.00pm and started shooting into the air to scare away people before they opened fire on Madugu. His assailants then moved immediately to the next medicine store where one Obinna and his brother were also shot to death. Unlucky James, another victim, who was about to enter Obinna’s store to buy medicine was also shot dead .
It was gathered that Michael Madugu, a district pastor in charge of Hausa church, was killed by a gang of four fundamentalists in his pharmaceutical shop while dispensing drugs to customers at about 7.05 p.m., leaving his wife and seven children to mourn him.
On December 24, armed men suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect stormed some churches including the Victory Baptist Church at Dala-Alamderi and shot to death the resident pastor, Rev. Bulus Marwa (37), Christopher Balami, a lecturer in the state-owned polytechnic, Paul Mathew, Philip Luka and a tea hawker, Yohana Adamu. The rampaging gunmen also set the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Ruwan Safi ablaze. A Deeper Life pastor, 3 others were killed in Maiduguri by suspected members of Boko Haram Jan 20, 2011.
Danjuma Akawu, who survived the attack on the Baptist church, said “they hacked the two choir members using knives and petrol bomb before heading to the pastor’s residence, where he was killed.”
On 26 July, 2009 the girl identified by CSW only as Mary was in church with her pastor, his brother and an older Christian woman when a group of fifty militants broke in. She and her pastor hid as the group killed the pastor’s brother and dragged the older woman out of the room. On discovering their hiding place, the militants cut off her pastor’s hand to stop him holding on to her, then hacked him to death with machetes before setting him on fire.
The girl and the woman were dragged to Boko Haram's compound in Maiduguri's Railway district, and were placed in a room with around 100 other Christian women and girls. They were all asked to renounce their faith or face continued imprisonment, while Christian men were given the choice of renouncing their faith or dying.
Mary vividly describes how she was forced to wash the blood stained clothing of Boko Haram fighters. She was in the camp for four days, but managed to escape with a few others when military forces intensified their attack on the compound.
Mary's pastor was one of three Christian ministers targeted and killed by Boko Haram during that week's violence. "Local Christians have also expressed disappointment that some western media have disregarded the targeted nature of attacks on their community, and the brutal murders of Christian pastors. "Unless this aspect of the violence is recognised by all and dealt with effectively, people in Northern Nigeria will continue to suffer because of their religious beliefs.”
One of the victims of that week’s attack by the Yusufiya sect in Borno State has given a shocking account of how the Islamic extremists killed three pastors who were captured along with other victims on the second day of the insurgence 28 July 2009. The victim was among those held hostage in Yusuf’s enclave.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Sun in Maiduguri, the eye witness who preferred anonymity disclosed that the three pastors were beheaded on the instruction of the sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf shortly after bringing them out of his inner chamber.
“The pastors alongside one Ibo man were asked to change their faith to Islam like they did to other people taken as hostages. And there was an argument by one of the pastors which gave the others some level of confidence to also resist accepting Islam.
“The Yusufiya men who were armed on that Tuesday afternoon were not comfortable with the pastors and they took one of them to the sect leader in his inner chamber. They came out later to the courtyard within the compound and cut their heads one after the other and thereafter, shouted allah akbar in wild celebration accompanied with several gun shots,” the eye witness disclosed.
Corroborating the account of the killing, a Senior pastor with Good News Church, Wulari Maiduguri Rev. Baba Gata Ibrahim told Daily Sun in an interview that a pastor in his church, Pastor George Orjih was beheaded on the instruction of the Boko Haram leader because the clergy man refused to accept Islam.
The late Pastor George Orjih was said to have arrived Maiduguri last week from Jos where he was doing his Masters programme in Theology. Described as a fearless, hardworking, and intellectually sound, his care for the welfare and well being of his family allegedly contributed to his capture and eventual death. “He was mindful of his family and their welfare. He was really out of the house but thought to go back again. That was how he was captured by the Boko Haram before he was killed,’’ the senior pastor added.
“An eye witness who was also captured by the Islamic militants gave us details of how the pastor was killed. He told us they were persuading him to accept Islam and he said over his dead body. He was even said to have preached Christ to Mohammed Yusuf and that reportedly angered the sect leader who then as he ordered that the pastor and others be killed immediately,” he disclosed.
He said the hostages numbering about 50 within the area of the execution of the pastors and another fair complexioned man which he could not identify, were gripped with fear as non could foretell the outcome of their stay at the enclave of the fundamentalists. He was however lucky to escape as he was freed in the night with others with a warning not to mix with kafrici (infidels).
Late Rev. Sabo Yakubu, slain COCIN Church pastor, was assassinated in Bauchi by Boko Haram militants March 2011. The late pastor had once complained about the activities of Boko Haram, saying that unless the Nigerian government faced up to the challenge of its attacks, the extremist group would consume the lives of innocent persons, according to Gongchi. But Reverend Titus Dama Pona of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Maiduguri said local Christians remain concerned about their future. He told reporters that Christians can no longer worship freely for "fear of becoming targets of these unprovoked attacks" by Muslim militants.
A statement was issued by pastor Ladi Thompson, the founder of the Living Water Church, Anthony Lagos that the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ogun State is an obvious target of the Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram. This is not just a possibility but one of the deadly plans of the fundamentalist group, according to a Christian cleric, Pastor Ladi Thompson.
He particularly advised the leadership of the RCCG to beef up security as the fundamentalists are angry that in the build-up to the last election, President Goodluck Jonathan who visited the camp knelt down for prayer before the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye.
Pastor Ladi advised authorities of the church not to allow worshipers come into its worship hall with more than their Bibles. He also cautioned the church against allowing people to enter the camp with paper bags or other suspicious containers.
When the group launched its attacks in July 2009, Pastor Ladi had alerted the government that what happened then was just a tip of the iceberg and revealed that the Islamic fundamentalists had been at plan since early 1990s, fully backed by some northern former military leaders, Emirs, intellectuals and Imams.
According to Umaru’s declaration the acting leader of the sect in 2009 said: For the first time since the killing of Mallam Mohammed Yusuf, our leader, we hereby make the following statements-
*That the Boko Haram is an Islamic Revolution which impact is not limited to Northern Nigeria, in fact, we are spread across all the 36 states in Nigeria, and Boko Haram is just a version of the Al Qaeda which we align with and respect. We support Osama bin Laden, we shall carry out his command in Nigeria until the country is totally Islamised which is according to the wish of Allah.
It must be recalled that the Islamic group that goes by such names as Boko Haram and Jama’atu ahlus-Sunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad had made an open declaration of war on the 28th of December 2010 after several bombs were exploded in the city of Jos, along with various Islamic killings in Kano, Bauchi and Maiduguri on the Christmas Eve. Abu Mohammed also known as Abubakar bin Mohammad Shekau the leader and spokesperson for the group said;
“I want to tell the Muslims in this country and the whole world that they need to know that this is a war between Muslims and non-Muslims… this is not a tribal war, nor is it similar to the wars of the pre-Islamic era, it is not a war for financial gains, it is solely a religious war. We did not start this war so it would not end in one week, or one month or one year. Only when we are completely annihilated and nobody chooses to continue with our struggle may be that could be the end. Or we establish a system where [Islamic] religion has the final say or [Islamic] religion determines everything, that will be the end of this war…” He went further to boast that “We are ready for anyone willing to face us, whether it is a group of people or even the government because we know who supports us, God the Creator of the universe, Allahu Akbar. Therefore, we are warning every Muslim who believes in the religion of Islam that he should never help a non-Muslim in this war. If he helps any non-Muslim and in so doing, a fellow Muslim suffers due to that, he should know that he is a dead person.”
The Police Commissioner Mohammed Abubakar admitted a security lapse on the part of his divisional police officers, whom he said had been told to watch out for Boko Haram members. The activities of the Islamic extremist Boko Haram, whose names means “Western education is sin,” were crushed by police in 2009 with the arrest of many of its members and the killing of its leader.
Lagos Police command beef up security to prevent the dastardly incident happening in Lagos, the state command yesterday beefed up security around its environs. Anti-bomb operatives from the Bomb Disposal Squad unit, Ikeja, were spotted at the entrance of the Lagos State Police Headquarters, the force Annex headquarters in Moloney, the Special Anti-robbery squad, Adeniji-Adele and the Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi, screening vehicles that were entering the premises. Even people on foot were not spared as they were thoroughly frisked.
The general superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, demanded the arrest and prosecution of the Boko Haram members and others to serve as a deterrent.
“A situation in which feuds easily lead to the burning of churches and the endless killings of church ministers and innocent citizens is an abhorrent trend which must not be allowed to continue,” Pastor Kumuyi said. “The initiative rests on the doorsteps of the security agencies to bring this unfortunate trend to an end.”
The attack on the National Police Headquarters in Abuja last week was a slap and insult on the part of the security forces. Ndigwe said the attack on the Force Headquarters "is a very strong signal that nobody is safe in this country because if the seat of the nation's Police Force could be easily attacked without any resistance, then there is serious danger for the nation.
According to the report from the sect spokesman Abu Zaid: The man who bombed the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja on June 16 was a fairly well-to-do businessman who was actually on a suicide mission on behalf of the Islamic sect the Boko Haram, Blueprint can authoritatively report.
Mohammed Manga was a 35-year-old married man with five children who drove overnight from Maiduguri to Abuja in order to carry out the morning attack which left about five people dead, including a police officer, and many cars incinerated in the blast. He had left N4 million in his will for his five children – two girls and three boys – before embarking on the fateful journey to the nation’s capital.
There was proof also that Manga was accompanied on the deadly mission by at least a collaborator in the plot, who took his last photograph alive as he drove through the streets of Abuja. The collaborator(s) might have disembarked from the car before Manga reached the Louis Edet House headquarters of the Nigerian Police.
Blueprint can also authoritatively report that, contrary to a claim by the police authorities that the bomber had used a Mercedez Benz ‘V Boot’ car in his terror mission; he actually used a Honda 86 model.
These shocking details and others were made exclusively available to this newspaper by the leadership of the Islamist sect, Jama’atu Ahl-Sunnati Lil Da’awati wal Jihad, popularly called the Boko Haram, in a telephone interview in the Hausa language, fielded by the group’s spokesman who goes by the name Abu Zaid.
The group also e-mailed to our Borno State correspondent startling photographs of a grinning Manga as he undertook the revenge mission. It was the first time it was giving a glimpse into its operations.One of the most startling information given by Abu Zaid was that the attacker was one Mohammed Manga, who was better known and addressed by his friends and business associates as Alhaji Manga.“He is originally from Adamawa State but he was born and brought up in Maiduguri, where he embraced the teachings of the late Mohammed Yusuf,” the spokesman said.
Mohammed Yusuf was the leader of the group and was killed by the police in 2009 following the bloodiest clash involving the Boko Haram in which thousands of the sect’s members and other people died.Blueprint was also told by the sect that Manga was Fulani by tribe and that he started both as a commercial and private driver at different times in his adult life. A few years before the July 2009 Boko Haram uprising, Manga began to travel to Cotonou in Benin Republic and later Dubai frequently in order to buy all kinds of goods.He was a major contributor to the Boko Haram’s arms build-up.
Abu Zaid also confided in this newspaper that Manga left a will of over N4 million to his two daughters and three sons and urged fellow believers to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Allah. This, the group said, is evident in the last-minute pictures of Manga, believed to have been taken at a camp somewhere in Borno State.The man’s last will and the photographs are proof that Manga was on a suicide mission and that his death at the Louis Edet House headquarters of the police was not an accident.
“He was calm and never hesitated or showed fear,” Abu Zaid recalled, adding that everyone at the scene that night on the eve of the attack was envious, wishing it was their chance to act and gain entry into paradise.
According to him, the planning of the attack targeting the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Hafiz Ringim, was not in any way different from the way and manner they plan other attacks around the country, insisting that the only difference was that this mission was abruptly brought closer in response to the remarks made by Ringim that he would eradicate the Boko Haram within weeks.The IGP had on June 15 boasted, while receiving10 armoured personnel carriers donated to the police by the Borno State government, that the Boko Haram’s days were numbered.
“Now that the (general) elections are over, our attention would be concentrated and I want to assure you that the days of the Boko Haram are numbered,” Ringim had told a gathering at the Government House in Maiduguri, with the state governor Kashim Shettima present.
Abu Zaid also claimed that the bomb his group used in the attack was a ready-made one, which the sect acquired from abroad. “And we are going to use several of them in future attacks,” he warned.The group dismissed media reports and commentaries that suggest it might not have planned a suicide attack but that the bomb blast was merely an accident in which the attacker was trapped, insisting that it was really pre-planned.“Everyone had waited patiently for the outcome of that operation,” said Abu Zaid.
According to him, the car that was used was not a Mercedes Benz ‘V-Boot’, but an ash-colour Honda 86 model.“I was surprised when the police said the car was a Mercedes ‘V-Boot’,” he said. “It was never a Mercedes. The car used for the attack was an ash-colour Honda 86. We are surprised over the way the police are confused anytime we strike.”
Meanwhile, the group has discredited the conditions for dialogue ostensibly given by the Boko Haram by one Usman Al-Zawahiri and others, challenging them to give a single proof that they are with the authentic group.
“We don’t know Al-Zawahiri; he is not with us,” Abu Zaid said.
“In fact, our investigation revealed that he is an SSS (State Security Service operative) and was brought in to discredit what we are doing and give an impression that we are divided. There is no faction in our group.”
Giving a reason why the Boko Haram chose Blueprint correspondent for breaking the news, Abu Zaid remarked: “You were the first journalist who repeatedly wrote about us when we were not known to the world; you were the first journalist who reported when our brothers were shot at on their way to a funeral procession by members of a security outfit setup by the Borno State government, known as ‘Operation Flush.’ We see you as an objective writer who is never afraid to say the truth; that is why our leader approved the idea to give you the final evidence that we were solely behind the suicide attack at the police headquarters.”
The Boko Haram is believed to be headed by one Malam Abubakar Shekau, the deputy of the late Mohammed Yusuf.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) calling on President Jonathan to urgently re-strategise and tackle the current security challenges which had become a major threat to his administration, Ndigwe said that the Ohanaeze would soon convene a meeting to discuss the security of the nation and come up with a position because "the bombings in Iran, Iraq and other parts of the Middle East started like this."
Source: Chidi Ahmed, Blueprint Correspondent.
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28 Jun 2011
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Monday, May 30, 2011
FOCUS LIBYA: G8, Gaddafi has to go
30 May 2011 13:32 Africa/Lagos
FOCUS LIBYA: G8, Gaddafi has to go
ROME, May 30, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The violence in Libya and Syria needs to stop but the “Arab Spring” must be helped, starting with support for economic and social development. The G8 Summit in Deauville, the first since the rebellions broke out in North Africa, shone the spotlight on the upheaval on the southern shores of the Mediterranean. It also set up an ad hoc fund to support the region (and more in general the entire Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region).
“Today we launched the ‘Deauville Partnership' with the people of the region, based on our common goals for the future, in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Egypt and Tunisia, the two countries that originated the movement, and of the Secretary General of the Arab League”, reads the declaration on the Arab Spring. “We stand ready to extend this long term global Partnership to all countries of the region engaging in a transition towards free, democratic and tolerant societies (‘Partnership Countries'), beginning with Egypt and Tunisia, in association with countries wishing to support transition in the region”.
According to the Final Declaration, “this Partnership is based on two pillars: a political process to support the democratic transition and foster governance reforms, notably the fight against corruption and the strengthening of the institutions needed to ensure transparency and accountable government; and an economic framework for sustainable and inclusive growth”.
The funds will be delivered through the international financial institutions and multilateral development banks and will be linked to support for development and to the reform effort.
The G8 also calls for the immediate cessation of the use of force against civilians by the Libyan regime forces and a political solution that reflects the will of the Libyan people. It states that Gaddafi and the Libyan government have lost all legitimacy and that the Libyan leader must go. It calls on the Syrian leadership to stop using force and intimidation against the Syrian people and to engage in dialogue and fundamental reforms in response to the legitimate expression of the demands of the Syrian people.
The G8 leaders also appeal for an urgent solution in the Middle East. “We are convinced that the historic changes throughout the region make the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through negotiations more important, not less. We urge both parties to engage without delay in substantive talks with a view to concluding a framework agreement on all final status issues”.
Source: Italy - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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30 May 2011
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Thursday, March 3, 2011
Clinton warns of civil war as Libya is suspended from the UN Human Rights Council
Clinton warns of Libya civil war
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is warning that Libya could descend into civil war if Muammar Gaddafi refuses to quit. Jon Decker reports.
© 2011 Reuters
3 Mar 2011 13:15 Africa/Lagos
Libya suspended from the UN Human Rights Council
OSLO, March 3, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The UN General Assembly has suspended Libya from the UN Human Rights Council in response to the Libyan authorities' gross and systematic human rights violations against the country's own population.
This is the first time a member of the Human Rights Council has been suspended since the Council was established in 2006. Suspension requires a two-thirds majority among the member countries. The decision taken in New York was unanimous.
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre commented: “This decision by the General Assembly is important most of all for the credibility of the UN. It underscores that member states were serious when in 2006 they said that members of the Human Rights Council would be suspended if they committed gross and systematic violations of human rights.”
Norway co-sponsored the resolution, which was put forward by the Arab countries Lebanon, Jordan and Qatar together with the African countries Botswana, Gabon and Nigeria. The fact that the resolution was supported by the two regional groups Libya belongs to underscores the broad consensus on the suspension of Libya.
In the course of five days, the UN has unanimously condemned the situation in Libya in clear terms by means of separate decisions by the Human Rights Council (on Friday), by the Security Council (on Saturday) and by the General Assembly (on Tuesday). These decisions have also imposed measures that put further pressure on the Libyan authorities and serve to hold them accountable.
“This latest decision demonstrates once again that the UN member countries stand united in their condemnation of the regime in Tripoli. The Libyan authorities have a responsibility to protect the country's own population. The abuses must come to an end immediately, and those responsible be held accountable,” said Foreign Minister Støre.
Source: Norway - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is warning that Libya could descend into civil war if Muammar Gaddafi refuses to quit. Jon Decker reports.
© 2011 Reuters
3 Mar 2011 13:15 Africa/Lagos
Libya suspended from the UN Human Rights Council
OSLO, March 3, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The UN General Assembly has suspended Libya from the UN Human Rights Council in response to the Libyan authorities' gross and systematic human rights violations against the country's own population.
This is the first time a member of the Human Rights Council has been suspended since the Council was established in 2006. Suspension requires a two-thirds majority among the member countries. The decision taken in New York was unanimous.
Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre commented: “This decision by the General Assembly is important most of all for the credibility of the UN. It underscores that member states were serious when in 2006 they said that members of the Human Rights Council would be suspended if they committed gross and systematic violations of human rights.”
Norway co-sponsored the resolution, which was put forward by the Arab countries Lebanon, Jordan and Qatar together with the African countries Botswana, Gabon and Nigeria. The fact that the resolution was supported by the two regional groups Libya belongs to underscores the broad consensus on the suspension of Libya.
In the course of five days, the UN has unanimously condemned the situation in Libya in clear terms by means of separate decisions by the Human Rights Council (on Friday), by the Security Council (on Saturday) and by the General Assembly (on Tuesday). These decisions have also imposed measures that put further pressure on the Libyan authorities and serve to hold them accountable.
“This latest decision demonstrates once again that the UN member countries stand united in their condemnation of the regime in Tripoli. The Libyan authorities have a responsibility to protect the country's own population. The abuses must come to an end immediately, and those responsible be held accountable,” said Foreign Minister Støre.
Source: Norway - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Americans Give President Obama Negative Job Rating
President Barack Obama
28 Feb 2011 15:53 Africa/Lagos
Almost Six in Ten Americans Give President Obama Negative Job Rating
Almost nine in ten give Congress negative ratings
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2011
NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Looking ahead, President Obama most likely sees many battles forthcoming. There's the current budget showdown which has the potential to lead to a government shutdown. There is the labor issue and all eyes are watching to see how the White House responds to what is happening in Wisconsin. And then there is his own electoral battle, albeit 20 months from now, but still on the horizon.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO)
Going into these battles, almost three in five Americans (58%) have a negative opinion of the job the President is doing while 42% have a positive opinion of it. This is slightly down from last month when 44% of U.S. adults gave the job the President was doing positive marks and 56% gave it negative ratings.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 3,171 adults surveyed online between February 14 and 21, 2011 by Harris Interactive.
Partisanship definitely exists in looking at President Obama's job approval ratings. Nine in ten Republicans (90%) give the President poor ratings while almost three-quarters (73%) of Democrats give him positive marks and Independents are more negative than positive with 60% giving the President negative marks and 40% positive. What is interesting is the depth of support among Republicans and Democrats. Almost six in ten Republicans (57%) give President Obama a rating of poor, the worst on the scale. Among Democrats, just one in five (22%) give the President a rating of excellent, while half (50%) say he is doing a pretty good job.
There is also a large regional divide. Just three in ten Southerners (31%) give President Obama positive ratings as do 42% of Midwesterners. Westerners are very split as 49% give the President positive ratings while 51% give him negative marks. The President's strongest ratings come from the East where over half (54%) give him positive ratings on the job he is doing.
It is almost two months into the new Congress and yet they are not faring much better than the previous Congress did in terms of their ratings. Over four in five Americans (86%) rate the overall job Congress is doing negatively while just 14% give Congress positive ratings. Last month, 84% of U.S. adults gave them negative marks while 16% positive ratings.
It's not just Congress and the President who are mired in negative ratings, the direction of the country is as well. Almost two-thirds of Americans (64%) say things in the country are going off on the wrong track, almost the same as last month (63%). Over one-third of U.S. adults (36%) say things are going in the right direction; 37% said this last month.
So What?
Americans may be hearing that things are getting better and they can see the stock market has had a nice run, but this hasn't translated into better job ratings for President Obama or for Congress. And, if turmoil in the Middle East continues and impacts gas prices for the summer driving season, expect these numbers to move down, not up. That's something the White House definitely does not want to see one year before the presidential election.
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Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Americans Divided on U.S. Involvement in Egypt
Phot Credit: Overoll.com
7 Feb 2011 18:21 Africa/Lagos
Americans Divided on U.S. Involvement in Egypt
Almost half of Republicans and Democrats think U.S. should be involved while almost half of Independents think the U.S. should not be involved
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011
NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As the political unrest in Egypt continues, there is a question of how involved the United States should be in helping to solve the problems. Should the U.S. sit on the sidelines or is it more appropriate for U.S. diplomats to be front and center on this issue? Americans are clearly divided on how involved the United States should be. Just over two in five U.S. adults (43%) believe the U.S. should be involved, with 12% saying very involved and 31% saying somewhat involved. Almost the same number (42%) believe the United States should not be involved with 21% each saying not very involved and not at all involved, while 15% of Americans are not at all sure how involved the U.S. should be.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO)
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll ® of 2,060 adults surveyed online between February 2 and 4, 2011 by Harris Interactive®.
Ideas on involvement vary by age
When it comes to how involved the U.S. should be in the political unrest in Egypt right now, there are some differences that emerge by age. Almost half (48%) of those 55 and older as well as 45% of those 18-34 believe that the United States should be involved. Those 35-44 and 45-54 are of a different mind. Almost half (47%) of both of these age groups say the United States should not be involved in Egypt. In fact, over one-quarter of those 45-54 (26%) say the U.S. should not be involved at all.
Partisan agreement
There are not many things Democrats and Republicans agree on right now, but involvement in Egypt's current political unrest is one of them. Almost half of Democrats (48%) and Republicans (48%) say the U.S. should be involved while 40% of Republicans and 37% of Democrats say the U.S. should not be involved. Independents, however, think differently. Almost half of them (47%) say the United States should not be involved in the current unrest while two in five Independents (40%) believe the U.S. should be involved.
So what?
The political unrest in Egypt is not likely to disappear any time in the near future. Things may calm, but the tension will still be simmering. And, even when President Mubarak is no longer in power, there is no guarantee that the unrest will be over. Americans are all watching events unfold but, at the moment, seem to be unclear as to the level of involvement the United States should have. As things evolve there, likely so will attitudes in the U.S.
More details.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
iJET Outlines Risk Landscape in Nigeria and other countries for 2011
19 Jan 2011 18:22 Africa/Lagos
iJET Outlines Risk Landscape for 2011
Intelligence Firm Issues Recommendations for Protecting Travelers, Operations and Supply Chains
PR Newswire
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 19, 2011
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, a leading provider of global intelligence and business resiliency services, today outlined the major risks and trends that it anticipates will most significantly affect business travel, risk management and resiliency planning in 2011.
"As businesses continue to expand globally, it becomes increasingly important for organizations to understand, track and plan for a myriad of risks that can jeopardize their success," said Steve Hoffman, CEO of iJET. "Leveraging our team of world-class intelligence experts, iJET has provided a critical look at the year ahead and forecasts events that could have the greatest impact on our clients' day-to-day operations, enabling them to better survive and thrive amidst a growing threat landscape."
iJET's analysts predict that many of the issues faced by businesses in 2010 will continue to remain a concern in the coming year. These include economic volatility in Europe, Latin America and Africa , drug-related violence in Mexico and neighboring Latin American countries, and the ongoing challenges surrounding airline passenger security. iJET also warns organizations to watch for a number of developing risks that could threaten business operations and travel around the globe.
A regional breakdown of the forecasted areas of concern for 2011 include:
* The Americas: 2011 will be a critical year for Guatemala as it combats a surge in drug cartel-related violence spilling over from Mexico. Increased government instability could materialize in Nicaragua and Honduras resulting in civil unrest, while important elections in Argentina , Peru , Ecuador and Bolivia could perpetuate political instability and violent protests.
* Europe : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to announce early in 2011 whether he will run for president in elections slated for 2012. There are fears that civil unrest would grow more common if Putin makes a run for the office he previously held for the maximum allowable term limit. He undoubtedly enjoys more de jure power as prime minister, but many suspect he won't be able to help himself, and that he will attempt to replace incumbent Dmitry Medvedev, who many view as a "placeholder" until Putin returns.
* Middle East/ North Africa : Presidential elections taking place November 2011 in Egypt have the potential to spur civil unrest before, during and after voting, especially in light of the overthrow of Tunisia 's regime, which many unfavorably compare to Hosni Mubarak's decades-old autocratic regime. Continued violence can be expected in Yemen , further exacerbated by the release of diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks in late 2010. In addition, Saudi Arabia may face issues with succession that could bring uncertainty and instability. Lebanon awaits on tenterhooks the verdict in the death of Rafik Hariri, and the controversy will keep regional politics – already perennially unstable - particularly unsettled.
* Africa : The ongoing battle for the presidency of Cote d'Ivoire will strongly influence a number of key political referendums and elections that will take place throughout Africa in 2011, including: Zimbabwe , Southern Sudan , Nigeria , Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . If Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent president refuses to resign, leaders in other African nations could follow suit and threaten the positive governance trends across the continent. The outcome of the coming divorce between Sudan and South Sudan will also resonate strongly across Africa and beyond and could embolden less worthy separatist movements elsewhere.
* Asia : Succession issues could arise in Thailand leading to another wave of violent protests and riots, and uncertainty and animosity between the two Koreas will keep the region unsettled. Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue to pose grave challenges for the region and the world.
In addition to regional threats, recent events such as Haiti's category 7.0 earthquake and the Eyjafjallajokull ash cloud crisis reveal that other unforeseeable events such as natural disasters and terrorist incidents continue to remain a threat to business operations in 2011.
Finally, with outbreaks of H1N1 on the decline, pandemic-sized health threats are not expected for 2011. However, iJET cautions organizations to monitor seasonal influenzas and other health risks – such as the recent Cholera outbreak in Haiti – closely as epidemics are also unpredictable.
For more information, including tips for mitigating risks and additional resources to help your organization, please visit iJET's Resiliency Resource Page at www.ijet.com/tips.
About iJET Intelligent Risk Systems
iJET Intelligent Risk Systems (iJET) is an intelligence-driven provider of business resiliency and risk management solutions to nearly 500 multinational corporations and governments – helping them survive and thrive amidst global threats to their people, facilities and supply chain assets.
iJET's services, team of world-class intelligence analysts and patented Worldcue® Global Control Center technology solutions equip decision-makers and organizations with real-time information to anticipate, respond to and emerge from business disruptions with a competitive edge. iJET's Worldcue solutions provide decision makers with timely, actionable intelligence on potential disruptions and emerging threats to employees, operating assets and suppliers.
iJET®, Travel Intelligence and Worldcue® are registered trademarks of iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85674
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85259
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85260
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85252
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85254
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=94606
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=92199
SOURCE iJET Intelligent Risk Systems
CONTACT: Marisa Hagerman, DBC PR+New Media, +1-202-292-4570, Marisa@dbcpr.com
Web Site: http://www.ijet.com
Africa/Lagos time 19 Jan 2011
19:49 Itzhak Perlman and Chicago Symphony Orchestra Join Rotary's Effort to End Polio Now
18:22 iJET Outlines Risk Landscape for 2011
10:00 Political Risk Rising: 2011 Aon Political Risk Map
14 Jan 2011
17:51 Educators Teach Next Generation of Entrepreneurs at Price-Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurship Educators
iJET Outlines Risk Landscape for 2011
Intelligence Firm Issues Recommendations for Protecting Travelers, Operations and Supply Chains
PR Newswire
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 19, 2011
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, a leading provider of global intelligence and business resiliency services, today outlined the major risks and trends that it anticipates will most significantly affect business travel, risk management and resiliency planning in 2011.
"As businesses continue to expand globally, it becomes increasingly important for organizations to understand, track and plan for a myriad of risks that can jeopardize their success," said Steve Hoffman, CEO of iJET. "Leveraging our team of world-class intelligence experts, iJET has provided a critical look at the year ahead and forecasts events that could have the greatest impact on our clients' day-to-day operations, enabling them to better survive and thrive amidst a growing threat landscape."
iJET's analysts predict that many of the issues faced by businesses in 2010 will continue to remain a concern in the coming year. These include economic volatility in Europe, Latin America and Africa , drug-related violence in Mexico and neighboring Latin American countries, and the ongoing challenges surrounding airline passenger security. iJET also warns organizations to watch for a number of developing risks that could threaten business operations and travel around the globe.
A regional breakdown of the forecasted areas of concern for 2011 include:
* The Americas: 2011 will be a critical year for Guatemala as it combats a surge in drug cartel-related violence spilling over from Mexico. Increased government instability could materialize in Nicaragua and Honduras resulting in civil unrest, while important elections in Argentina , Peru , Ecuador and Bolivia could perpetuate political instability and violent protests.
* Europe : Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to announce early in 2011 whether he will run for president in elections slated for 2012. There are fears that civil unrest would grow more common if Putin makes a run for the office he previously held for the maximum allowable term limit. He undoubtedly enjoys more de jure power as prime minister, but many suspect he won't be able to help himself, and that he will attempt to replace incumbent Dmitry Medvedev, who many view as a "placeholder" until Putin returns.
* Middle East/ North Africa : Presidential elections taking place November 2011 in Egypt have the potential to spur civil unrest before, during and after voting, especially in light of the overthrow of Tunisia 's regime, which many unfavorably compare to Hosni Mubarak's decades-old autocratic regime. Continued violence can be expected in Yemen , further exacerbated by the release of diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks in late 2010. In addition, Saudi Arabia may face issues with succession that could bring uncertainty and instability. Lebanon awaits on tenterhooks the verdict in the death of Rafik Hariri, and the controversy will keep regional politics – already perennially unstable - particularly unsettled.
* Africa : The ongoing battle for the presidency of Cote d'Ivoire will strongly influence a number of key political referendums and elections that will take place throughout Africa in 2011, including: Zimbabwe , Southern Sudan , Nigeria , Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . If Cote d'Ivoire's incumbent president refuses to resign, leaders in other African nations could follow suit and threaten the positive governance trends across the continent. The outcome of the coming divorce between Sudan and South Sudan will also resonate strongly across Africa and beyond and could embolden less worthy separatist movements elsewhere.
* Asia : Succession issues could arise in Thailand leading to another wave of violent protests and riots, and uncertainty and animosity between the two Koreas will keep the region unsettled. Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue to pose grave challenges for the region and the world.
In addition to regional threats, recent events such as Haiti's category 7.0 earthquake and the Eyjafjallajokull ash cloud crisis reveal that other unforeseeable events such as natural disasters and terrorist incidents continue to remain a threat to business operations in 2011.
Finally, with outbreaks of H1N1 on the decline, pandemic-sized health threats are not expected for 2011. However, iJET cautions organizations to monitor seasonal influenzas and other health risks – such as the recent Cholera outbreak in Haiti – closely as epidemics are also unpredictable.
For more information, including tips for mitigating risks and additional resources to help your organization, please visit iJET's Resiliency Resource Page at www.ijet.com/tips.
About iJET Intelligent Risk Systems
iJET Intelligent Risk Systems (iJET) is an intelligence-driven provider of business resiliency and risk management solutions to nearly 500 multinational corporations and governments – helping them survive and thrive amidst global threats to their people, facilities and supply chain assets.
iJET's services, team of world-class intelligence analysts and patented Worldcue® Global Control Center technology solutions equip decision-makers and organizations with real-time information to anticipate, respond to and emerge from business disruptions with a competitive edge. iJET's Worldcue solutions provide decision makers with timely, actionable intelligence on potential disruptions and emerging threats to employees, operating assets and suppliers.
iJET®, Travel Intelligence and Worldcue® are registered trademarks of iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85674
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85259
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85260
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85252
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=85254
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=94606
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=92199
SOURCE iJET Intelligent Risk Systems
CONTACT: Marisa Hagerman, DBC PR+New Media, +1-202-292-4570, Marisa@dbcpr.com
Web Site: http://www.ijet.com
Africa/Lagos time 19 Jan 2011
19:49 Itzhak Perlman and Chicago Symphony Orchestra Join Rotary's Effort to End Polio Now
18:22 iJET Outlines Risk Landscape for 2011
10:00 Political Risk Rising: 2011 Aon Political Risk Map
14 Jan 2011
17:51 Educators Teach Next Generation of Entrepreneurs at Price-Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurship Educators
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