15 Dec 2009 16:54 Africa/Lagos
First Oil From Oyo Oilfield
HOUSTON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nigerian company Allied Energy Plc. and Eni, through its affiliate Nigerian Agip Exploration, have started the production of the Oyo oilfield, located in the deep offshore Niger Delta, about 120 kilometers off the Nigerian coast. Allied Energy and Eni hold 57.5% and 40% interests respectively, while CAMAC holds the remaining 2.5%. The field has the ability to initially produce at a rate of approximately 25,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) from two subsea wells in water depth of 400 meters, which are connected to the Armada Perdana FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading facility).
The FPSO has a treatment capacity of 40,000 barrels of liquids per day, with gas treatment and re-injection facilities and is capable of storing up to 1 million barrels of crude oil. The associated gas will be re-injected into the Oyo field reservoir by a third well, to prevent flaring and to maximize oil recovery. The Oyo project achieved its first oil production in less than 2 years from sanctioning.
This outstanding achievement was made possible thanks to the joint project management team Eni and Allied Energy put in place and demonstrates the successful synergy between an International Oil Company and a Nigerian indigenous company as key factor for both their own growth strategy and the development of the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.
"Oyo is a significant step in our strategy for growth in reserves and production," said Kase Lawal, chairman and chief executive officer, CAMAC International Corporation. "It is another demonstration of our deepwater expertise and our ability to jointly execute an industry-leading, major capital project in West Africa."
About Allied Energy Plc.
Allied Energy Plc. is part of CAMAC (www.camac.com), a global energy company. In 1992, Allied became the first indigenous corporation to hold interests as an operator with a Nigerian deepwater license. Allied's core mission is to build a diversified portfolio of assets for exploration, development and production in West Africa.
About Eni
Eni has been operating in Nigeria for almost 50 years with interests in different onshore and offshore blocks, and an equity production averaging 130,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2009.
Source: CAMAC International Corporation
CONTACT: Linda Pickett of CAMAC International Corp., +1-713-965-5123,
Fax, +1-713-965-0083
Web Site: http://www.camac.com/
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Launch of Multimedia Documentary Marking the Fifth Anniversary of the Tsunami
15 Dec 2009 14:00 Africa/Lagos
Launch of Multimedia Documentary Marking the Fifth Anniversary of the Tsunami
- Inspiring documentary featuring interviews with extraordinary survivors - Reuters photography and film of the Tsunami's aftermath - Fully interactive, online multimedia presentation
LONDON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters Foundation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) today announced the launch of a new multimedia web documentary -- "Surviving the Tsunami: Stories of Hope" -- produced jointly to mark the fifth anniversary of the worst natural disaster in living memory, the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090507/NY12658LOGO )
Combining powerful imagery by award-winning Reuters photojournalists with eyewitness testimony and interactive graphics, the documentary reveals the strength of the human spirit in the face of catastrophe. These are stories of compassion, hope and dignity.
"Surviving the Tsunami - Stories of Hope" can be viewed at: http://tsunami.trust.org/
The project marks a strengthened partnership between Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, the world's largest provider of news and information, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world's largest humanitarian organisation.
Commenting on the documentary Yasemin Aysan, Under Secretary General of the IFRC, said: "The tsunami caused catastrophic and unprecedented damage but also generated incredible levels of spontaneous generosity from ordinary people around the world. We have spent the past five years helping communities to recover and we wanted to produce a true testimony that allows ordinary people affected by the tsunami to tell their extraordinary stories."
Speaking at the launch, Monique Villa, CEO of Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: "This is a hugely inspirational and moving multimedia documentary that reveals the amazing capacity for human beings to overcome tragedy. It draws on the unique experiences of Reuters journalists in one of the most harrowing natural disasters of our time and is a celebration of humanity's spirit and tenacity in the face of adversity."
The documentary follows the success of two award-winning multimedia productions by Reuters, "Bearing Witness" about the Iraq war and "Times of Crisis" about the global financial meltdown.
The launch of the documentary took place alongside the unveiling of Thomson Reuters Foundation's new Emergency Information Service (EIS). The pioneering service has been developed to respond to major natural disasters around the world, with key support from the Red Cross. The Foundation will deploy expert Action-Units of journalists to scenes of major catastrophe where they will seek out, collate and disseminate life-saving information to disaster-struck populations, filling a critical gap in the chain of crisis information.
EIS Action-Units will be staffed by specialist humanitarian-trained Reuters journalists. Upon alert of a major natural disaster, the EIS Action-Units will travel to the affected area and use the most appropriate means of communication -- particularly SMS text messages -- to reach local populations, aid agencies and local-language media. Communities affected by disasters often find themselves cut off from information and aid. A key aim of the EIS is to ensure those affected are not seen merely as victims but as "first responders" who can help shape and manage the disaster recovery process through their own local knowledge and expertise.
"In times of major natural catastrophes, information itself is aid, as crucial as shelter or blankets," Monique Villa said. "Working with key partners such as the Red Cross, the EIS will have teams in the field within hours of a natural disaster striking. The EIS Action-Units will provide reliable, actionable information to help empower survivors to be architects of their own recovery."
Contacts
Thomson Reuters International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies
Victoria Brough Paul Conneally
Head of External Affairs, EMEA Head of Media and Public Communications
+ 44 (0) 207 542 8763 +41(0)22.730.4669 / +41(0)79.3089809
victoria.brough@thomsonreuters.com paul.conneally@ifrc.org
Tom Gilbert
Corporate Communications Manager
+44 (0) 207 542 4214
tom.h.gilbert@thomsonreuters.com
Pictures contact:
Jassim Ahmad
Head of Visual Projects
+44 20 7542 2822
Jassim.Ahmad@thomsonreuters.com
Notes to Editors:
1. About "Surviving the Tsunami - Stories of Hope":
The multi-media web documentary is a compilation of Reuters world-renowned photography, tsunami video footage, fresh interviews and interactive graphics.
The documentary is accessible in multiple languages: French, Spanish, Arabic, Bahasa (Indonesian), Hindi, Tamil, Sinhala, Thai, Japanese, Mandarin.
To view the documentary please go to: http://tsunami.trust.org/
High resolution photographs used in the documentary and of editorial reproduction quality available - preview here: http://link.reuters.com/gup46g
The stories:
Arko Datta, India
A veteran Reuters photojournalist whose quest to find a survivor he photographed five years ago leads to an extraordinary reunion
Dina Astita, Indonesia
A teacher who lost her three children but became an inspiration for others in a village where nine of 10 residents died
Sara Hedrenius Andreasson, Sweden
A tsunami trauma counsellor whose own experiences in another disaster 10 years earlier gave her unique insight into the psychology of survival
Kushil Gunasekera, Sri Lanka
A local philanthropist from one of the worst hit communities in Sri Lanka who narrowly escaped the waves and helped galvanise his village to build itself back
2. About Thomson Reuters Foundation
Established in 1982, Thomson Reuters Foundation is a registered charity in Britain and the United States. The charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, it leverages the skills and expertise across the corporation to increase trust and access to the rule of law, to save lives through the provision of trusted information and to improve standards of journalism.
Following the acquisition of Reuters by Thomson Corp in 2008, the Foundation's resources and programmes were expanded and a new leadership team was appointed. The Thomson Reuters Foundation website, trust.org, is a portal which integrates the Foundation's three key areas of focus and brings together the Foundation's community of partners.
3. About The IFRC
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian network, with tens of millions of volunteers and staff in 186 countries worldwide. It provides help and support to people in crisis without discrimination as to their nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090507/NY12658LOGO
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
CONTACT: Victoria Brough, Head of External Affairs, EMEA, +44(0)207 542
8763, victoria.brough@thomsonreuters.com, or Tom Gilbert, Corporate
Communications Manager, +44(0)207 542 4214, tom.h.gilbert@thomsonreuters.com,
both of Thomson Reuters; Pictures contact: Jassim Ahmad, Head of Visual
Projects, +44 20 7542 2822; Jassim.Ahmad@thomsonreuters.com; Paul Conneally,
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Head of
Media and Public Communications, +41(0)22.730.4669 / +41(0)79.3089809,
paul.conneally@ifrc.org
Launch of Multimedia Documentary Marking the Fifth Anniversary of the Tsunami
- Inspiring documentary featuring interviews with extraordinary survivors - Reuters photography and film of the Tsunami's aftermath - Fully interactive, online multimedia presentation
LONDON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters Foundation and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) today announced the launch of a new multimedia web documentary -- "Surviving the Tsunami: Stories of Hope" -- produced jointly to mark the fifth anniversary of the worst natural disaster in living memory, the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090507/NY12658LOGO )
Combining powerful imagery by award-winning Reuters photojournalists with eyewitness testimony and interactive graphics, the documentary reveals the strength of the human spirit in the face of catastrophe. These are stories of compassion, hope and dignity.
"Surviving the Tsunami - Stories of Hope" can be viewed at: http://tsunami.trust.org/
The project marks a strengthened partnership between Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, the world's largest provider of news and information, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world's largest humanitarian organisation.
Commenting on the documentary Yasemin Aysan, Under Secretary General of the IFRC, said: "The tsunami caused catastrophic and unprecedented damage but also generated incredible levels of spontaneous generosity from ordinary people around the world. We have spent the past five years helping communities to recover and we wanted to produce a true testimony that allows ordinary people affected by the tsunami to tell their extraordinary stories."
Speaking at the launch, Monique Villa, CEO of Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: "This is a hugely inspirational and moving multimedia documentary that reveals the amazing capacity for human beings to overcome tragedy. It draws on the unique experiences of Reuters journalists in one of the most harrowing natural disasters of our time and is a celebration of humanity's spirit and tenacity in the face of adversity."
The documentary follows the success of two award-winning multimedia productions by Reuters, "Bearing Witness" about the Iraq war and "Times of Crisis" about the global financial meltdown.
The launch of the documentary took place alongside the unveiling of Thomson Reuters Foundation's new Emergency Information Service (EIS). The pioneering service has been developed to respond to major natural disasters around the world, with key support from the Red Cross. The Foundation will deploy expert Action-Units of journalists to scenes of major catastrophe where they will seek out, collate and disseminate life-saving information to disaster-struck populations, filling a critical gap in the chain of crisis information.
EIS Action-Units will be staffed by specialist humanitarian-trained Reuters journalists. Upon alert of a major natural disaster, the EIS Action-Units will travel to the affected area and use the most appropriate means of communication -- particularly SMS text messages -- to reach local populations, aid agencies and local-language media. Communities affected by disasters often find themselves cut off from information and aid. A key aim of the EIS is to ensure those affected are not seen merely as victims but as "first responders" who can help shape and manage the disaster recovery process through their own local knowledge and expertise.
"In times of major natural catastrophes, information itself is aid, as crucial as shelter or blankets," Monique Villa said. "Working with key partners such as the Red Cross, the EIS will have teams in the field within hours of a natural disaster striking. The EIS Action-Units will provide reliable, actionable information to help empower survivors to be architects of their own recovery."
Contacts
Thomson Reuters International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies
Victoria Brough Paul Conneally
Head of External Affairs, EMEA Head of Media and Public Communications
+ 44 (0) 207 542 8763 +41(0)22.730.4669 / +41(0)79.3089809
victoria.brough@thomsonreuters.com paul.conneally@ifrc.org
Tom Gilbert
Corporate Communications Manager
+44 (0) 207 542 4214
tom.h.gilbert@thomsonreuters.com
Pictures contact:
Jassim Ahmad
Head of Visual Projects
+44 20 7542 2822
Jassim.Ahmad@thomsonreuters.com
Notes to Editors:
1. About "Surviving the Tsunami - Stories of Hope":
The multi-media web documentary is a compilation of Reuters world-renowned photography, tsunami video footage, fresh interviews and interactive graphics.
The documentary is accessible in multiple languages: French, Spanish, Arabic, Bahasa (Indonesian), Hindi, Tamil, Sinhala, Thai, Japanese, Mandarin.
To view the documentary please go to: http://tsunami.trust.org/
High resolution photographs used in the documentary and of editorial reproduction quality available - preview here: http://link.reuters.com/gup46g
The stories:
Arko Datta, India
A veteran Reuters photojournalist whose quest to find a survivor he photographed five years ago leads to an extraordinary reunion
Dina Astita, Indonesia
A teacher who lost her three children but became an inspiration for others in a village where nine of 10 residents died
Sara Hedrenius Andreasson, Sweden
A tsunami trauma counsellor whose own experiences in another disaster 10 years earlier gave her unique insight into the psychology of survival
Kushil Gunasekera, Sri Lanka
A local philanthropist from one of the worst hit communities in Sri Lanka who narrowly escaped the waves and helped galvanise his village to build itself back
2. About Thomson Reuters Foundation
Established in 1982, Thomson Reuters Foundation is a registered charity in Britain and the United States. The charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, it leverages the skills and expertise across the corporation to increase trust and access to the rule of law, to save lives through the provision of trusted information and to improve standards of journalism.
Following the acquisition of Reuters by Thomson Corp in 2008, the Foundation's resources and programmes were expanded and a new leadership team was appointed. The Thomson Reuters Foundation website, trust.org, is a portal which integrates the Foundation's three key areas of focus and brings together the Foundation's community of partners.
3. About The IFRC
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian network, with tens of millions of volunteers and staff in 186 countries worldwide. It provides help and support to people in crisis without discrimination as to their nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090507/NY12658LOGO
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
CONTACT: Victoria Brough, Head of External Affairs, EMEA, +44(0)207 542
8763, victoria.brough@thomsonreuters.com, or Tom Gilbert, Corporate
Communications Manager, +44(0)207 542 4214, tom.h.gilbert@thomsonreuters.com,
both of Thomson Reuters; Pictures contact: Jassim Ahmad, Head of Visual
Projects, +44 20 7542 2822; Jassim.Ahmad@thomsonreuters.com; Paul Conneally,
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Head of
Media and Public Communications, +41(0)22.730.4669 / +41(0)79.3089809,
paul.conneally@ifrc.org
African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping to attend the COP15, in Copenhagen
14 Dec 2009 18:37 Africa/Lagos
African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping to attend the COP15, in Copenhagen
COPENHAGEN, December 14, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Chairperson of African Union Commission, Dr. Jean Ping will, on Tuesday, 15th December 2009, arrive in Copenhagen, Denmark where he will lead the African Union Commission delegation to the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP-15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Fifth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP-5) to the Kyoto Protocol, being held from 7 – 18 December 2009.
The Fifteenth Conference of Parties, hosted by Denmark, brings together all signatories to the UN Climate Change Convention to negotiate a more equitable, ambitious and effective global agreement to combat climate change beyond 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end and a second commitment period must begin.
The AUC delegation includes African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy, and other senior representatives of the AUC.
In a statement made before coming to Copenhagen, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission reiterated Africa's demands as follows:
“Africa demands developed countries that release most of the historical emissions, to compensate developing nations for climate damage they caused in recent decades and also seeks financial support to install clean-energy equipment”. He underlined that “the issue of climate change has become a priority for Africans because Africa is the worst-hit and the most vulnerable continent by the issue of climate change, although it contributes the least to it”.
Context:
It is recalled that during the 12th Summit of the African Union (AU), which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1-4 February 2009, the African Union Commission was directed to spearhead preparations for the African Common Position on Climate Change and particularly the formulation of Africa's common position for the negotiations of the post Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Assembly urged Member States to promote the Algiers Declaration on Climate Change adopted in the form of the Common African Position to serve as the platform of the Common African Position for African countries in the negotiation process for the new global climate change regime for the period after 2012, the year of expiry of the Kyoto Protocol. The Commission was also to follow up on the directive of the Assembly that Africa needs to be represented by one delegation which is empowered to negotiate on behalf of all Member States, with the mandate to ensure that resource flow to Africa is not reduced. In this respect, the African Union Commission was to work out modalities of such representation and report to the next ordinary session of the Assembly in July 2009.
Accordingly, the 13th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, held on 1-3 July 2009, in Sirte, Libya appointed a Committee of 10 African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) to lead the process and Africa's negotiations. The CAHOSCC consists of Algeria, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, and the Chairperson of the African Union, the Chairperson of the Commission, and the Chairperson of AMCEN as well as the Negotiators/Experts on Climate Change (NECC) from all Member States.
The CAHOSCC met on 17th November 2009. The meeting was convened, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, by the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Meles Zenawi, in his capacity as the Coordinator of CAHOSCC. The Committee reviewed Africa's strategies and institutional mechanisms to promote the African Common Position on Climate Change in the run up to the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009. The conclusions of the November meeting were sent to all African Member States by the Prime Minister Meles and forms the basis for Africa's action at the Copenhagen Summit.
It is expected that the African Union Commission will report the outcome of COP 15 to the Executive Council and the Assembly when they meet in January/February 2010.
It is noted that one of the first activities the Chairperson will engage in on arrival in Copenhagen is participating in a high level panel debate on Climate Change and International Security convened by the Danish Foreign Minister. This will take place from 13: 30 to 15:00 on 15 December 2009. He will also participate in the CAHOSCC meeting of the 16 December 2009 as well as in a side meeting organized by the United Nations Regional Economic Commissions- Africa Asia, Europe-America-as a Guest of the Executive Director of Economic Commission for Africa. Mr. Abdoulie Janneh.
Source: African Union Commission (AUC)
Hot Topics
One-Third of Workers Say Office Temperature Affects Their Productivity, Finds New CareerBuilder Survey
Thirty-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Inches Up for Second Straight Week
Holiday Travel
Swine Flu
UN Climate Change Conference
Holiday Health & Safety
Leading Sperm Bank Credits Economic Recovery for Record Setting Day
Health & Wellness I Feature Package
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
15 Dec 2009
14:00
Paul DiGiammarino Joins as President of World's Leading Patent Validation Firm; Article One Partners Completes Second Financing Round
13:50
Announcing ISMPP EU 2010 - the First European Meeting of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals, Royal College of Physicians, London, UK, January 20, 2010
13:45
Capstone Completed Pre-feasibility Study on Phase IV Expansion of Minto Copper-Gold Mine
13:45
Asta Funding, Inc. to Report Fourth Quarter and Year End 2009 Results
13:40
The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals Announces Call for Abstracts for Its 6th Annual Meeting
13:30
Safe Life Ramps Production Capacity of Comfortable, Breathable N95 Respirator Amid Worldwide Shortage
13:30
Daylight Forensic Partners with Lachman Consultants to Offer FCPA Counsel and Regulatory Compliance to Pharma and Medical Device Companies
13:26
Innovative Medical Technique Saves Limbs
13:05
World's Largest 'Avoided Deforestation' Project Helps Save Endangered Great Ape in Congo
13:00
Mosaic Announces Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2010 Earnings Release and Conference Call
13:00
Access to Money, Inc. Selected by Dunkin' Brands as a Provider of ATMs for Dunkin' Donuts Franchisees
13:00
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Submits New Drug Application for JZP-6 (sodium oxybate) for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia
13:00
Papa Bello Announces Expansion in Alabama with New Store Opening
13:00
NeoGenomics Announces the Appointment of Jack G. Spitz as Vice President of Laboratory Operations
13:00
KongZhong Corporation Announces Acquisition of Shanghai Dacheng Network
13:00
Charter Financial Corporation To Raise Capital for Acquisitions in a 'Second-Step' Stock Offering
13:00
Cemtrex's Green DCV Approved for Energy Management System Rebate by Xcel Energy
13:00
Energy Efficiency is the Top Attribute Consumers Seek When Purchasing Home Appliances but Safety Should Not Be Overlooked
12:49
Los oncólogos del Children's Hospital of Philadelphia presiden la International Childhood Cancer Organization
12:00
White Mountain Reports Successful Completion of Stage 2 Pilot Plant Test Work Program Culminating in Continuous 60 Hour Test Run
African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping to attend the COP15, in Copenhagen
COPENHAGEN, December 14, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Chairperson of African Union Commission, Dr. Jean Ping will, on Tuesday, 15th December 2009, arrive in Copenhagen, Denmark where he will lead the African Union Commission delegation to the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP-15) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Fifth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP-5) to the Kyoto Protocol, being held from 7 – 18 December 2009.
The Fifteenth Conference of Parties, hosted by Denmark, brings together all signatories to the UN Climate Change Convention to negotiate a more equitable, ambitious and effective global agreement to combat climate change beyond 2012, when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end and a second commitment period must begin.
The AUC delegation includes African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy, and other senior representatives of the AUC.
In a statement made before coming to Copenhagen, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission reiterated Africa's demands as follows:
“Africa demands developed countries that release most of the historical emissions, to compensate developing nations for climate damage they caused in recent decades and also seeks financial support to install clean-energy equipment”. He underlined that “the issue of climate change has become a priority for Africans because Africa is the worst-hit and the most vulnerable continent by the issue of climate change, although it contributes the least to it”.
Context:
It is recalled that during the 12th Summit of the African Union (AU), which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1-4 February 2009, the African Union Commission was directed to spearhead preparations for the African Common Position on Climate Change and particularly the formulation of Africa's common position for the negotiations of the post Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Assembly urged Member States to promote the Algiers Declaration on Climate Change adopted in the form of the Common African Position to serve as the platform of the Common African Position for African countries in the negotiation process for the new global climate change regime for the period after 2012, the year of expiry of the Kyoto Protocol. The Commission was also to follow up on the directive of the Assembly that Africa needs to be represented by one delegation which is empowered to negotiate on behalf of all Member States, with the mandate to ensure that resource flow to Africa is not reduced. In this respect, the African Union Commission was to work out modalities of such representation and report to the next ordinary session of the Assembly in July 2009.
Accordingly, the 13th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU, held on 1-3 July 2009, in Sirte, Libya appointed a Committee of 10 African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) to lead the process and Africa's negotiations. The CAHOSCC consists of Algeria, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, and the Chairperson of the African Union, the Chairperson of the Commission, and the Chairperson of AMCEN as well as the Negotiators/Experts on Climate Change (NECC) from all Member States.
The CAHOSCC met on 17th November 2009. The meeting was convened, in collaboration with the African Union Commission, by the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Meles Zenawi, in his capacity as the Coordinator of CAHOSCC. The Committee reviewed Africa's strategies and institutional mechanisms to promote the African Common Position on Climate Change in the run up to the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009. The conclusions of the November meeting were sent to all African Member States by the Prime Minister Meles and forms the basis for Africa's action at the Copenhagen Summit.
It is expected that the African Union Commission will report the outcome of COP 15 to the Executive Council and the Assembly when they meet in January/February 2010.
It is noted that one of the first activities the Chairperson will engage in on arrival in Copenhagen is participating in a high level panel debate on Climate Change and International Security convened by the Danish Foreign Minister. This will take place from 13: 30 to 15:00 on 15 December 2009. He will also participate in the CAHOSCC meeting of the 16 December 2009 as well as in a side meeting organized by the United Nations Regional Economic Commissions- Africa Asia, Europe-America-as a Guest of the Executive Director of Economic Commission for Africa. Mr. Abdoulie Janneh.
Source: African Union Commission (AUC)
Hot Topics
One-Third of Workers Say Office Temperature Affects Their Productivity, Finds New CareerBuilder Survey
Thirty-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Inches Up for Second Straight Week
Holiday Travel
Swine Flu
UN Climate Change Conference
Holiday Health & Safety
Leading Sperm Bank Credits Economic Recovery for Record Setting Day
Health & Wellness I Feature Package
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
15 Dec 2009
14:00
Paul DiGiammarino Joins as President of World's Leading Patent Validation Firm; Article One Partners Completes Second Financing Round
13:50
Announcing ISMPP EU 2010 - the First European Meeting of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals, Royal College of Physicians, London, UK, January 20, 2010
13:45
Capstone Completed Pre-feasibility Study on Phase IV Expansion of Minto Copper-Gold Mine
13:45
Asta Funding, Inc. to Report Fourth Quarter and Year End 2009 Results
13:40
The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals Announces Call for Abstracts for Its 6th Annual Meeting
13:30
Safe Life Ramps Production Capacity of Comfortable, Breathable N95 Respirator Amid Worldwide Shortage
13:30
Daylight Forensic Partners with Lachman Consultants to Offer FCPA Counsel and Regulatory Compliance to Pharma and Medical Device Companies
13:26
Innovative Medical Technique Saves Limbs
13:05
World's Largest 'Avoided Deforestation' Project Helps Save Endangered Great Ape in Congo
13:00
Mosaic Announces Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2010 Earnings Release and Conference Call
13:00
Access to Money, Inc. Selected by Dunkin' Brands as a Provider of ATMs for Dunkin' Donuts Franchisees
13:00
Jazz Pharmaceuticals Submits New Drug Application for JZP-6 (sodium oxybate) for the Treatment of Fibromyalgia
13:00
Papa Bello Announces Expansion in Alabama with New Store Opening
13:00
NeoGenomics Announces the Appointment of Jack G. Spitz as Vice President of Laboratory Operations
13:00
KongZhong Corporation Announces Acquisition of Shanghai Dacheng Network
13:00
Charter Financial Corporation To Raise Capital for Acquisitions in a 'Second-Step' Stock Offering
13:00
Cemtrex's Green DCV Approved for Energy Management System Rebate by Xcel Energy
13:00
Energy Efficiency is the Top Attribute Consumers Seek When Purchasing Home Appliances but Safety Should Not Be Overlooked
12:49
Los oncólogos del Children's Hospital of Philadelphia presiden la International Childhood Cancer Organization
12:00
White Mountain Reports Successful Completion of Stage 2 Pilot Plant Test Work Program Culminating in Continuous 60 Hour Test Run
Monday, December 14, 2009
Two Nigerian Inventors Among the Recipients of Next 25 TED Fellowships
Two Nigerians inventors are among the next 25 TED Fellows who will participate in TED2010.
Mubarak Abdullahi is an Aircraft-engineer who at 24, built a homemade helicopter out of old car and bike parts and Ndubuisi Ekekwe, an engineer, inventor, author and founder of the African Institution of Technology, an organization seeking to develop microelectronics in Africa.
The following is the full report on the 25 TED Fellowships.
14 Dec 2009 15:01 Africa/Lagos
TED Announces Recipients of Next 25 TED Fellowships
Newest TED Fellows to participate in the prestigious TED2010 Conference in Long Beach, CA
NEW YORK, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizers of the TED Conference announced today the 25 TED Fellows who will participate in TED2010, TED's annual conference in Long Beach, CA, February 9 - 13, 2010. The TED2010 Fellows join the TED community as the most recent additions to the TED Fellows program, joining the TED, TEDGlobal and TEDIndia Fellows from 2009.
The TED2010 Fellows reflect both geographic and discipline diversity. From Israel to Brazil to Malaysia, these innovators excel in the technology, entertainment, design, science, film, art, music, entrepreneurship and nonprofit worlds. The group also includes filmmakers, engineers, artists, scientists and musicians.
"We are thrilled to embark upon our second year of the TED Fellows program with these 25 individuals. They represent a spectacular concentration of cross-disciplinary talent in the arts and sciences, entrepreneurship and engineering, education and new journalism. We look forward to their contributions to the TED community and the amazing collaborations that are sure to occur among them," said Tom Rielly, TED Fellows director.
In addition to participating as full members of the TED2010 conference audience, each TED Fellow will participate in a two-day pre-conference, where they will receive world-class communication training, deliver a short TEDTalk, and collaborate with their peers, among other benefits. The Fellows will also participate in the TED community throughout the next year, by telling their ongoing stories on the TED Fellows blog, being featured in the online Fellows directory and participating in a private social network.
The TED Fellows program seeks individuals of age 21-40 (though anyone over age 18 is eligible) who demonstrate remarkable achievement in their field of endeavor. The program focuses on candidates from five regions: Asia/Pacific, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East. The TED Fellows program is made possible by the visionary support of the Bezos family, Sherpalo Ventures, the Harnisch Foundation, the Case Foundation, private donors and Nokia.
Meet the TED2010 Fellows:
Mubarak Abdullahi (Nigeria/UK) - Aircraftengineer who, at 24, built a homemade helicopter out of old car and bike parts
Milena Boniolo (Brazil) - Chemistand PhD student at Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil, who is developing methods to detect emerging contaminants in the environment
Premesh Chandran (Malaysia) - Co-founder and CEO of Malaysiakini.com, an independent Malaysian news website
Perry Chen (US) - Co-founder and CEO of Kickstarter.com, a web platform offering people a new way to fund their creative ideas and endeavors
Anita Doron (Ukraine/Israel/Canada) - Surrealist filmmaker and documentarian
Ndubuisi Ekekwe (Nigeria/US) - Engineer, inventor, author and founder of the African Institution of Technology, an organization seeking to develop microelectronics in Africa
Saeed Taji Farouky (UK/Palestine) - Documentary filmmaker, photographer and writer focusing on human rights in the Middle East and North Africa
Jessica Green (US) - Professor at the University of Oregon's Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, whose research focuses on microbial diversity
Benjamin Gulak (Canada/US) - Inventor of the Uno, a "green" electric street bike, and founder of BPG Motors
Robert Gupta (US) - Violinist and youngest member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic whose area of study also included neurobiology
Cesar Harada (Japan/France/UK) - Coordinator of the Open_Sailing project, working to develop open-source technologies to intelligently inhabit the oceans
Susie Ibarra (US/Philippines) - Composer, percussionist and co-founder of Song of the Bird King, a production company using music and film to preserve indigenous culture and ecology
Jennifer Indovina (US) - Founder of Tenrehte Technologies, a semiconductor company developing wireless smart-grid applications
Mitchell Joachim (US/Canada) - Architect and co-founder of Terreform ONE + Terrefuge, non-profit design groups that promote ecological design in cities
Raffael Lomas (Israel) - Sculptor and teacher of creative visual workshops for the blind
Kate Nichols (US) - Artist-in-residence at the Alivisatos Lab who synthesizes nanoparticles that exhibit structural color and incorporates them into macroscale art pieces
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Pakistan/Canada) - Documentary filmmaker and founder of The Citizens Archive of Pakistan, an educational institution and heritage center established to preserve Pakistan's history.
Sarah Jane Pell (Australia) - Artist-researcher, diver and founder of Aquabatics Research Team initiative (ARTi)
Manu Prakash(India/US) - Junior Fellow at Harvard Society of Fellows, physicist and inventor pursuing research in the field of physical biology
Kellee Santiago (US) -President and co-founder of thatgamecompany, a video game company working to create games that communicate unique emotional experiences
Durreen Shahnaz (Bangladesh/Singapore/US) - Founder and Chairperson of Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX), a social stock exchange for Social Enterprises to raise growth capital
Gavin Sheppard(Canada) -Founder of I.C. Visions and co-founder of The Remix Project, a youth program acting as an arts and cultural incubator in Toronto, Canada
Hugo Van Vuuren (South Africa/US) - Fellow at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Fellow at The Laboratory at Harvard, co-founder of Lebone - asocial enterprise working on off-grid technologies
Angelo Vermeulen (Belgium) - Biologist, filmmaker, and visual artist creating large-scale collaborative art installations
Daniel Zoughbie (US) - Founder and CEO of the Global Micro-Clinic Project (GMCP), an organization working to prevent and manage diseases in the developing world using low-cost behavioral interventions
Details on each Fellow and the program are available at www.ted.com/fellows. To support the program, or to receive more information, please contact Logan McClure at +1 212.346.9333 or via email at fellows@ted.com. Follow the TED Fellows blog at http://tedfellows.posterous.com/.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, NgoziOkonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where three exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action, and TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world. Follow TED on Twitter, twitter.com/tedtalks, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/TED
TED2010, "What the World Needs Now," will be held Feb. 9-13, 2010, in Long Beach, California, along with TEDActive, a simulcast conference of TED2010, in Palm Springs, California. TEDGlobal 2010, "And Now the Good News," will be held July 13-16, 2010, in Oxford, UK.
Contact: Laura Galloway
laura@gallowaymediagroup.com
+1.213.948.3100
Source: TED Conferences
CONTACT: Laura Galloway, +1-213-948-3100, laura@gallowaymediagroup.com
Web Site: http://www.ted.com/
Mubarak Abdullahi is an Aircraft-engineer who at 24, built a homemade helicopter out of old car and bike parts and Ndubuisi Ekekwe, an engineer, inventor, author and founder of the African Institution of Technology, an organization seeking to develop microelectronics in Africa.
The following is the full report on the 25 TED Fellowships.
14 Dec 2009 15:01 Africa/Lagos
TED Announces Recipients of Next 25 TED Fellowships
Newest TED Fellows to participate in the prestigious TED2010 Conference in Long Beach, CA
NEW YORK, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizers of the TED Conference announced today the 25 TED Fellows who will participate in TED2010, TED's annual conference in Long Beach, CA, February 9 - 13, 2010. The TED2010 Fellows join the TED community as the most recent additions to the TED Fellows program, joining the TED, TEDGlobal and TEDIndia Fellows from 2009.
The TED2010 Fellows reflect both geographic and discipline diversity. From Israel to Brazil to Malaysia, these innovators excel in the technology, entertainment, design, science, film, art, music, entrepreneurship and nonprofit worlds. The group also includes filmmakers, engineers, artists, scientists and musicians.
"We are thrilled to embark upon our second year of the TED Fellows program with these 25 individuals. They represent a spectacular concentration of cross-disciplinary talent in the arts and sciences, entrepreneurship and engineering, education and new journalism. We look forward to their contributions to the TED community and the amazing collaborations that are sure to occur among them," said Tom Rielly, TED Fellows director.
In addition to participating as full members of the TED2010 conference audience, each TED Fellow will participate in a two-day pre-conference, where they will receive world-class communication training, deliver a short TEDTalk, and collaborate with their peers, among other benefits. The Fellows will also participate in the TED community throughout the next year, by telling their ongoing stories on the TED Fellows blog, being featured in the online Fellows directory and participating in a private social network.
The TED Fellows program seeks individuals of age 21-40 (though anyone over age 18 is eligible) who demonstrate remarkable achievement in their field of endeavor. The program focuses on candidates from five regions: Asia/Pacific, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East. The TED Fellows program is made possible by the visionary support of the Bezos family, Sherpalo Ventures, the Harnisch Foundation, the Case Foundation, private donors and Nokia.
Meet the TED2010 Fellows:
Mubarak Abdullahi (Nigeria/UK) - Aircraftengineer who, at 24, built a homemade helicopter out of old car and bike parts
Milena Boniolo (Brazil) - Chemistand PhD student at Federal University of Sao Carlos, Brazil, who is developing methods to detect emerging contaminants in the environment
Premesh Chandran (Malaysia) - Co-founder and CEO of Malaysiakini.com, an independent Malaysian news website
Perry Chen (US) - Co-founder and CEO of Kickstarter.com, a web platform offering people a new way to fund their creative ideas and endeavors
Anita Doron (Ukraine/Israel/Canada) - Surrealist filmmaker and documentarian
Ndubuisi Ekekwe (Nigeria/US) - Engineer, inventor, author and founder of the African Institution of Technology, an organization seeking to develop microelectronics in Africa
Saeed Taji Farouky (UK/Palestine) - Documentary filmmaker, photographer and writer focusing on human rights in the Middle East and North Africa
Jessica Green (US) - Professor at the University of Oregon's Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, whose research focuses on microbial diversity
Benjamin Gulak (Canada/US) - Inventor of the Uno, a "green" electric street bike, and founder of BPG Motors
Robert Gupta (US) - Violinist and youngest member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic whose area of study also included neurobiology
Cesar Harada (Japan/France/UK) - Coordinator of the Open_Sailing project, working to develop open-source technologies to intelligently inhabit the oceans
Susie Ibarra (US/Philippines) - Composer, percussionist and co-founder of Song of the Bird King, a production company using music and film to preserve indigenous culture and ecology
Jennifer Indovina (US) - Founder of Tenrehte Technologies, a semiconductor company developing wireless smart-grid applications
Mitchell Joachim (US/Canada) - Architect and co-founder of Terreform ONE + Terrefuge, non-profit design groups that promote ecological design in cities
Raffael Lomas (Israel) - Sculptor and teacher of creative visual workshops for the blind
Kate Nichols (US) - Artist-in-residence at the Alivisatos Lab who synthesizes nanoparticles that exhibit structural color and incorporates them into macroscale art pieces
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Pakistan/Canada) - Documentary filmmaker and founder of The Citizens Archive of Pakistan, an educational institution and heritage center established to preserve Pakistan's history.
Sarah Jane Pell (Australia) - Artist-researcher, diver and founder of Aquabatics Research Team initiative (ARTi)
Manu Prakash(India/US) - Junior Fellow at Harvard Society of Fellows, physicist and inventor pursuing research in the field of physical biology
Kellee Santiago (US) -President and co-founder of thatgamecompany, a video game company working to create games that communicate unique emotional experiences
Durreen Shahnaz (Bangladesh/Singapore/US) - Founder and Chairperson of Impact Investment Exchange Asia (IIX), a social stock exchange for Social Enterprises to raise growth capital
Gavin Sheppard(Canada) -Founder of I.C. Visions and co-founder of The Remix Project, a youth program acting as an arts and cultural incubator in Toronto, Canada
Hugo Van Vuuren (South Africa/US) - Fellow at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Fellow at The Laboratory at Harvard, co-founder of Lebone - asocial enterprise working on off-grid technologies
Angelo Vermeulen (Belgium) - Biologist, filmmaker, and visual artist creating large-scale collaborative art installations
Daniel Zoughbie (US) - Founder and CEO of the Global Micro-Clinic Project (GMCP), an organization working to prevent and manage diseases in the developing world using low-cost behavioral interventions
Details on each Fellow and the program are available at www.ted.com/fellows. To support the program, or to receive more information, please contact Logan McClure at +1 212.346.9333 or via email at fellows@ted.com. Follow the TED Fellows blog at http://tedfellows.posterous.com/.
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, NgoziOkonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place in Long Beach, California; TEDGlobal is held each year in Oxford, UK. TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, and the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where three exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action, and TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world. Follow TED on Twitter, twitter.com/tedtalks, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/TED
TED2010, "What the World Needs Now," will be held Feb. 9-13, 2010, in Long Beach, California, along with TEDActive, a simulcast conference of TED2010, in Palm Springs, California. TEDGlobal 2010, "And Now the Good News," will be held July 13-16, 2010, in Oxford, UK.
Contact: Laura Galloway
laura@gallowaymediagroup.com
+1.213.948.3100
Source: TED Conferences
CONTACT: Laura Galloway, +1-213-948-3100, laura@gallowaymediagroup.com
Web Site: http://www.ted.com/
Saving Lives with SMS for Life
Tanzanian child helped by SMS for life program and IBM LotusLive.com cloud computing. (PRNewsFoto/IBM) LONDON ENGLAND
14 Dec 2009 12:00 Africa/Lagos
Saving Lives with SMS for Life
IBM, Novartis and Vodafone Join Forces to Help Halt Malaria in Africa
LONDON, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new solution developed by IBM (NYSE:IBM) , Novartis and Vodafone with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, is helping to save lives using everyday technology to improve the availability of anti-malarial drugs in remote areas of Tanzania.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-b )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )
Called "SMS for Life," the initiative uses a combination of mobile phones, SMS (Short Messaging Service) technologies and intuitive web sites to track and manage the supply of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) drugs and Quinine injectables, both of which are key to reducing the number of deaths from malaria.
The mosquito-borne disease causes nearly one million deaths in Africa each year, mostly among pregnant women and young children, and many people die because they simply lack quick access to vital medication.
The concept of using text messaging to improve stock management of life-saving medicines was developed by pharmaceutical company Novartis and a team of international students taking part in IBM's internship program, Extreme Blue. The team came up with SMS for Life, as it relies on simple technology and fosters self-sufficiency. IBM was tasked with managing the overall project and Vodafone was invited to develop and manage a system based on simple SMS messaging that would help ensure dispensaries did not run out of vital stock.
After visits to clinics, hospitals and dispensaries across Tanzania, IBM, Novartis and Vodafone initiated a five-month pilot of the SMS for Life solution, covering 135 villages and over a million people in different geographic locations across Tanzania.
Vodafone, together with its technology partner MatsSoft, developed a system in which healthcare staff at each facility receives automated SMS messages, which prompt them to check the remaining stock of anti-malarial drugs each week. Using toll-free numbers, staff reply with an SMS to a central database system hosted in the United Kingdom, providing details of stock levels, and deliveries can be made before supplies run out at local health centres.
"This is an example of a truly innovative solution helping solve a humanitarian problem," says Peter Ward of IBM, SMS for Life Project Manager. "After spending time on the ground, we created a project plan, developed the application with Vodafone and Novartis and established the best way to deliver the pilot, working with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health. We expect other countries will also be able to benefit in the future."
"Vodafone has worked closely with IBM, Novartis and MatsSoft, to develop a simple, robust and innovative system that is able to deliver even in the most remote African communities," said Dr. Dianne Sullivan, Scientific Adviser, Mobile Health, of Vodafone. "The SMS for Life solution shows the tremendous potential of mobile technology to deliver social good through lateral thinking by helping to ensure supplies of life-saving drugs."
During the first few weeks of the pilot, the number of health facilities with stock-outs in one district alone, was reduced by over 75 percent. The early success of the SMS for Life pilot project has the Tanzanian authorities interested in implementing the solution across the rest of the country. Tanzania has around 5,000 clinics, hospitals and dispensaries, but at any one time, as many as half could potentially be out of stock of anti-malarial drugs.
"The SMS for Life program has already had a positive effect in Tanzania," says Senior Health Officer with Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Tanzania, Winfred Mwafongo. "I've seen district medical officers ordering urgent stock replacements for various health facilities. During a visit to 19 rural health facilities in one district alone, I saw huge improvements in their inventory management systems. I'm very impressed with the results so far and look forward to following the rest of the pilot through to completion."
"Collaboration is critical to tackle health problems of the developing world, and we are proud to be part of the SMS for Life partnership, a project that will reduce stock-outs, and ensure that mothers and their young children in Africa have access to life-saving anti-malarial medicines," says Silvio Gabriel, Executive Vice President and Head of the Malaria Initiatives at Novartis.
Designed as a public and private partnership leveraging the skills and resources of several companies, SMS for Life could have far-reaching implications for existing health systems worldwide. Several other African states are already keen to introduce the project.
About the RBM Global Partnership
The RBM Partnership is the global coordinator of the fight against malaria. RBM draws its strength and experience from hundreds of partners from malaria endemic countries, country donors, companies, non-governmental and community organisations, foundations and research and academic institutions. RBM partners' collective aim is to reduce annual malaria deaths from around one million to virtually zero by 2015 through the implementation of the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP). This outlines RBM's vision for a substantial and sustained reduction in the burden of malaria in the near and mid-term, and the eventual global eradication of malaria in the long term with the introduction of new tools. www.rollbackmalaria.org
About IBM
For more information about IBM, please visit www.ibm.com.
About Novartis
Novartis provides healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Focused solely on healthcare, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines, diagnostic tools and consumer health products. Novartis is the only company with leading positions in each of these areas. In 2008, the Group's continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 41.5 billion and net income of USD 8.2 billion. Approximately USD 7.2 billion was invested in R&D activities throughout the Group. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ approximately 99,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com/.
About Vodafone
Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile communications group with approximately 323 million proportionate customers as at 30 September 2009. Vodafone currently has equity interests in 31 countries across five continents and around 40 partner networks worldwide. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com
Contact:
IBM
Arlene Wainstein
Tel: 33 155916172
arlenewainstein@fr.ibm.com
IBM
Mike Azzi
914-766-1561
azzi@us.ibm.com
Vodafone Group Media Relations
Tel: +44 (0)1635 664 444
Email: groupmediarelations@vodafone.com
Novartis Media Relations
Sarah Coles
Ruder Finn
Office: +1 212 593 6393
Mobile: +1 646 354 8697
Email: coless@ruderfinn.com
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091214/NY25146-b
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: IBM
CONTACT: Arlene Wainstein, +33-155916172, arlenewainstein@fr.ibm.com or
Mike Azzi, +1-914-766-1561, azzi@us.ibm.com, both of IBM; Vodafone Group Media
Relations, +44-(0)1635-664-444, groupmediarelations@vodafone.com; or Sarah
Coles, Novartis Media Relations, Ruder Finn, +1-212-593-6393 (office) or
+1-646-354-8697 (mobile), coless@ruderfinn.com
Web Site: http://www.ibm.com/
Hot Topics
New Jewellery Sales Down 9% Due to Recession and High Gold Prices
Signs of Life Emerge in Deal Markets as Decade Closes According to Ernst & Young LLP's Transaction Advisory Services
Regional Business Executives See Brighter 2010 Economy, More Jobs, Mixed Outlook on Credit
Wealthy Individuals Call On Congress to Strengthen Estate Tax Before Holiday Recess
Free Shipping Deadlines Approach for Online Retailers
'Inglourious Basterds' and 'Nine' Lead With a Record 10 Nominations Each for the 15th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards
Holiday Health & Safety
UN Climate Change Conference
Charitable Giving at Christmas
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
14 Dec 2009
12:00
Saving Lives with SMS for Life
7 Dec 2009
15:00
Mobile Messenger and Rave Mobile Safety Announce Expanded Partnership
Procter & Gamble Acquires Ambi Pur
Ambi Pur Car. (PRNewsFoto/Procter & Gamble) CINCINNATI, OH UNITED STATES
Ambi Pur 3volution. (PRNewsFoto/Procter & Gamble) CINCINNATI, OH UNITED STATES
Ambi Pur logo. (PRNewsFoto/Procter & Gamble) CINCINNATI, OH UNITED STATES
Ambi Pur Single Plug-Ins. (PRNewsFoto/Procter & Gamble) CINCINNATI, OH UNITED STATES
11 Dec 2009 15:05 Africa/Lagos
Procter & Gamble Acquires Ambi Pur
CINCINNATI, Dec. 11, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) announced today it has signed a binding offer with the Sara Lee Corporation (NYSE:SLE) to acquire Ambi Pur for euro 320 million ($470 million). Under the terms of the agreement, P&G will acquire Ambi Pur, a leading global air care brand with presence in 80 countries, as well as several toilet care products with strong presence in Western Europe and Asia.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716LOGO-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-b )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-c )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-d )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-e )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-f )
"The acquisition of Ambi Pur strengthens P&G's global leadership in Home Care and specifically Air Care by extending our reach to serve more consumers in more parts of the world more completely," said David Taylor, P&G group president-global home care. "This acquisition brings the strong Ambi Pur brand equity and complementary geographic presence, particularly in Europe and Asia."
"Ambi Pur also brings high-performance products and new technologies to our current Air Care portfolio, including car air fresheners, battery-powered air fresheners, toilet rim blocks and various non-energized air fresheners," added David Taylor. "We see many opportunities to leverage these additional technologies and P&G's core capabilities in consumer understanding, innovation, brand building and go-to-market execution to grow both the Febreze and Ambi Pur brands robustly for many years to come."
"The Ambi Pur brand has a rich history in innovation and is enjoyed by millions of consumers," said Vincent Janssen, chief executive officer, Sara Lee International Household and Body Care. "Receiving this offer from leading consumer goods company P&G validates the tremendous trends and potential of this innovative air care leader."
The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances, is anticipated to close in the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2010. Both P&G and Sara Lee will consult with relevant work councils and regulatory bodies during the review process.
P&G also stated that the transaction should not have a material impact on the company's results in fiscal year 2010. The Ambi Pur brand generated annual sales of approximately 260 million euro and estimated operating income(1) of 24 million euro for the year ending June 2009, using an exchange rate of 1.37 dollars per euro.
Forward Looking Statement
All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release or presentation, are forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on financial data, market assumptions and business plans available only as of the time the statements are made, which may become out of date or incomplete. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other factors. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and investors must recognize that events could differ significantly from our expectations. In addition to the risks and uncertainties noted in this release or presentation, there are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by some of the statements made. These include: (1) the ability to achieve business plans, including growing existing sales and volume profitably despite high levels of competitive activity, especially with respect to the product categories and geographical markets (including developing markets) in which the Company has chosen to focus; (2) the ability to successfully manage ongoing acquisition and divestiture activities to achieve the cost and growth synergies in accordance with the stated goals of these transactions without impacting the delivery of base business objectives; (3) the ability to successfully manage ongoing organizational changes designed to support our growth strategies, while successfully identifying, developing and retaining key employees; (4) the ability to manage and maintain key customer relationships; (5) the ability to maintain key manufacturing and supply sources (including sole supplier and plant manufacturing sources); (6) the ability to successfully manage regulatory, tax and legal requirements and matters (including product liability, patent, intellectual property, competition law matters, and tax policy), and to resolve pending matters within current estimates; (7) the ability to successfully implement, achieve and sustain cost improvement plans in manufacturing and overhead areas, including the Company's outsourcing projects; (8) the ability to successfully manage currency (including currency issues in certain countries, such as Venezuela, China and India), debt, interest rate and commodity cost exposures and significant credit or liquidity issues; (9) the ability to manage continued global political and/or economic uncertainty and disruptions, especially in the Company's significant geographical markets, as well as any political and/or economic uncertainty and disruptions due to a global or regional credit crisis or terrorist and other hostile activities; (10) the ability to successfully manage competitive factors, including prices, promotional incentives and trade terms for products; (11) the ability to obtain patents and respond to technological advances attained by competitors and patents granted to competitors; (12) the ability to successfully manage increases in the prices of raw materials used to make the Company's products; (13) the ability to stay close to consumers in an era of increased media fragmentation; (14) the ability to stay on the leading edge of innovation and maintain a positive reputation on our brands; and (15) the ability to rely on and maintain key information technology systems. For additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those projected herein, please refer to our most recent 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports.
About Procter & Gamble
Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
About Sara Lee Corporation
Each and every day, Sara Lee (NYSE:SLE) delights millions of consumers and customers around the world. The company has one of the world's best-loved and leading portfolios with its innovative and trusted food, beverage, household and body care brands, including Ambi Pur, Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Kiwi, Sanex, Sara Lee and Senseo. Collectively, these brands generate almost $13 billion in annual net sales covering approximately 180 countries. The Sara Lee community consists of 41,000 employees worldwide. Please visit www.saralee.com for the latest news and in-depth information about Sara Lee and its brands.
(1) "Estimated operating income" is based on adjusted operating segment income and includes adjustments for the impact of depreciation, amortization and significant items, as defined by the Sara Lee Corporation.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-c
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-d
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-e
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716LOGO-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091211/CL24716-f
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN3
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN4
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN6
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN7
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN8
Source: Procter & Gamble
CONTACT: Paul Fox, +1-513-983-3465, or fox.pd@pg.com, Marie-Laure
Salvado, +1-513-983-7643, or salvado.ml@pg.com, John Chevalier, Investor
Relations, +1-513-983-9974, or chevalier.jt@pg.com, all of Procter & Gamble
Web Site: Procter & Gamble
Apple Countersues Nokia
11 Dec 2009 16:03 Africa/Lagos
Apple Countersues Nokia
CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Responding to a lawsuit brought against the company by Nokia, Apple® today filed a countersuit claiming that Nokia is infringing 13 Apple patents.
"Other companies must compete with us by inventing their own technologies, not just by stealing ours," said Bruce Sewell, Apple's General Counsel and senior vice president.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
© 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: Apple
CONTACT: Steve Dowling of Apple, +1-408-974-1896, dowling@apple.com
Web Site: http://www.apple.com/
Hot Topics
November Retail Sales Gains a Positive Sign
Platts Survey: OPEC Pumps 28.94 Million Barrels Per Day In November
Resistance to Change, Budget Constraints and Cost-Cutting Delay New Technologies Into the Workplace: Deloitte Poll
Apple Countersues Nokia
Procter & Gamble Acquires Ambi Pur
Holiday Health & Safety
UN Climate Change Conference
Charitable Giving at Christmas
Apple Countersues Nokia
CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Responding to a lawsuit brought against the company by Nokia, Apple® today filed a countersuit claiming that Nokia is infringing 13 Apple patents.
"Other companies must compete with us by inventing their own technologies, not just by stealing ours," said Bruce Sewell, Apple's General Counsel and senior vice president.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
© 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Source: Apple
CONTACT: Steve Dowling of Apple, +1-408-974-1896, dowling@apple.com
Web Site: http://www.apple.com/
Hot Topics
November Retail Sales Gains a Positive Sign
Platts Survey: OPEC Pumps 28.94 Million Barrels Per Day In November
Resistance to Change, Budget Constraints and Cost-Cutting Delay New Technologies Into the Workplace: Deloitte Poll
Apple Countersues Nokia
Procter & Gamble Acquires Ambi Pur
Holiday Health & Safety
UN Climate Change Conference
Charitable Giving at Christmas
Nigerian Couple Charged With Enslaving Nigerian Woman in Texas
10 Dec 2009 19:20 Africa/Lagos
Ft. Worth, Texas, Couple Charged With Holding Nigerian Woman in Domestic Servitude
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A federal grand jury has indicted a Ft. Worth, Texas, husband and wife, Emmanuel and Ngozi Nnaji, on charges of engaging in a nine-year scheme to compel the labor of a Nigerian victim as their domestic servant, the Justice Department announced today.
According to the seven-count indictment returned late yesterday, which charges the defendants with conspiracy, forced labor, document servitude, alien harboring and false statements, Emmanuel Nnaji and Ngozi Nnaji enticed a widowed Nigerian mother of six to come to the United States to be their domestic servant by falsely promising a salary and support for her children, who she was struggling to support.
The indictment alleges that the defendants procured fraudulent immigration documents, confiscated the victim's documents, harbored her in their home, compelled her to work long hours with no days off for little or no pay, used a scheme to isolate her and restrict her communications, withheld her documents and pay, and refused her requests to return home or be paid. The indictment also alleges the defendants failed to provide support for the victim's six children in Nigeria, limited and monitored contact with her family in Nigeria, isolated her from normal society in the United States, and refused to allow her to regularly attend church. The indictment alleges Emmanuel Nnaji sexually assaulted the victim and made her fearful to call the police.
If convicted, Ngozi and Emmanuel Nnaji each face a maximum sentence of up to 55 years in prison. An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Ngozi Nnaji, a Nigerian national, faces deportation following conviction on any of the charged felonies.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Susan French of the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
CONTACT: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs,
+1-202-514-2007, TDD: +1-202-514-1888
Web Site: http://www.justice.gov/
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
11 Dec 2009
21:11
Platts Survey: OPEC Pumps 28.94 Million Barrels Per Day In November
05:51
Strategieën van operators bevorderen groei van smartphones in markten in opkomst
05:31
Les stratégies des opérateurs alimenteront une croissance des téléphones intelligents sur les marchés émergents
10 Dec 2009
19:20
Ft. Worth, Texas, Couple Charged With Holding Nigerian Woman in Domestic Servitude
14:50
Operator Strategies Will Fuel Smartphone Growth in Emerging Markets
14:15
Russian American Kids Ballet's Nutcracker Showcases New Choreography and Multicultural Focus
9 Dec 2009
22:00
Poll Finds Most Publics Around the World Want Their Governments to be More Cooperative
20:03
The National Archives Celebrates Bill of Rights Day With Naturalization Ceremony
8 Dec 2009
20:13
BET Travels to the Motherland
18:41
Arrest Warrant against El-Rufai Seeks to Intimidate, says Lawyer
10:56
RICS: BCIS Offers Essential Free Guide to Construction Data Standards
7 Dec 2009
20:28
Apasionada final: Castrol Predictor señala a Brasil como rival de España en la final de la 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM)
15:56
Fiery Final Ahead as All New Castrol Predictor Shows Brazil Most Likely to Meet Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final
13:00
Ritchie Bros. US$45 million Fort Worth auction featured almost 1,200 frac tanks
Ft. Worth, Texas, Couple Charged With Holding Nigerian Woman in Domestic Servitude
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A federal grand jury has indicted a Ft. Worth, Texas, husband and wife, Emmanuel and Ngozi Nnaji, on charges of engaging in a nine-year scheme to compel the labor of a Nigerian victim as their domestic servant, the Justice Department announced today.
According to the seven-count indictment returned late yesterday, which charges the defendants with conspiracy, forced labor, document servitude, alien harboring and false statements, Emmanuel Nnaji and Ngozi Nnaji enticed a widowed Nigerian mother of six to come to the United States to be their domestic servant by falsely promising a salary and support for her children, who she was struggling to support.
The indictment alleges that the defendants procured fraudulent immigration documents, confiscated the victim's documents, harbored her in their home, compelled her to work long hours with no days off for little or no pay, used a scheme to isolate her and restrict her communications, withheld her documents and pay, and refused her requests to return home or be paid. The indictment also alleges the defendants failed to provide support for the victim's six children in Nigeria, limited and monitored contact with her family in Nigeria, isolated her from normal society in the United States, and refused to allow her to regularly attend church. The indictment alleges Emmanuel Nnaji sexually assaulted the victim and made her fearful to call the police.
If convicted, Ngozi and Emmanuel Nnaji each face a maximum sentence of up to 55 years in prison. An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Ngozi Nnaji, a Nigerian national, faces deportation following conviction on any of the charged felonies.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Trial Attorney Susan French of the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
CONTACT: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs,
+1-202-514-2007, TDD: +1-202-514-1888
Web Site: http://www.justice.gov/
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
11 Dec 2009
21:11
Platts Survey: OPEC Pumps 28.94 Million Barrels Per Day In November
05:51
Strategieën van operators bevorderen groei van smartphones in markten in opkomst
05:31
Les stratégies des opérateurs alimenteront une croissance des téléphones intelligents sur les marchés émergents
10 Dec 2009
19:20
Ft. Worth, Texas, Couple Charged With Holding Nigerian Woman in Domestic Servitude
14:50
Operator Strategies Will Fuel Smartphone Growth in Emerging Markets
14:15
Russian American Kids Ballet's Nutcracker Showcases New Choreography and Multicultural Focus
9 Dec 2009
22:00
Poll Finds Most Publics Around the World Want Their Governments to be More Cooperative
20:03
The National Archives Celebrates Bill of Rights Day With Naturalization Ceremony
8 Dec 2009
20:13
BET Travels to the Motherland
18:41
Arrest Warrant against El-Rufai Seeks to Intimidate, says Lawyer
10:56
RICS: BCIS Offers Essential Free Guide to Construction Data Standards
7 Dec 2009
20:28
Apasionada final: Castrol Predictor señala a Brasil como rival de España en la final de la 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM)
15:56
Fiery Final Ahead as All New Castrol Predictor Shows Brazil Most Likely to Meet Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final
13:00
Ritchie Bros. US$45 million Fort Worth auction featured almost 1,200 frac tanks
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Brazil Most Likely to Meet Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final
PRNewswire, London, December 7. CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Two of the world's most passionate footballing nations, Spain and Brazil, are favourites to go head to head in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final according to the Castrol Predictor, a new tool launched today by 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) sponsor Castrol. The Castrol Predictor, uses objective analysis and highly advanced technology to offer unique insights into winning performances. (PRNewsFoto/Castrol) CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA
7 Dec 2009 15:56 Africa/Lagos
Fiery Final Ahead as All New Castrol Predictor Shows Brazil Most Likely to Meet Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, December 7/PRNewswire/ --
- Castrol Predictor Shows the Five Times Champions Will Lift the Trophy Again
Two of the world's most passionate footballing nations, Spain and Brazil, are favourites to go head to head in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final according to the Castrol Predictor, a new tool launched today by 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) sponsor Castrol (http://www.castrolfootball.com).
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091207/369780-a )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091207/369780-b )
While the UEFA Euro 2008 winners, Spain, seem to be most bookmakers' favourite going into the tournament, the Castrol Predictor shows that they actually have only a 16.1% chance of glory and are second favourites behind the five time winners Brazil, with a 23.6% chance of success.
Castrol has applied the same expertise they apply to the development of their oils to create the Castrol Predictor, using objective analysis and highly advanced technology to offer unique insights into winning performances.
Castrol's analysis shows that the best placed teams to qualify from Group G, the so called 'Group of Death', are Castrol Predictor tournament and group favourites Brazil (91.7%) and Portugal (52.4%). Carlos Queiroz's men cannot afford to be complacent as they are almost inseparable from their group rivals and African favourites Ivory Coast, who have a 50.5% chance of reaching the last 16.
Current world champions Italy, will have their work cut out to mirror their triumph of 2006, with the Azzurri ranked 7th favourites to reclaim their crown and given only a 3.6% chance of victory. One Italian that is in contention to lift the famous trophy is England manager Fabio Capello, who will look to guide his team to their first World Cup Final since 1966. England are third favourites to go all the way, with the Castrol Predictor giving them a 10.4% chance of success, however, Capello's men will be weary of penalty shoot-out heartbreak, given their poor record when it comes to spot-kicks.
The Castrol Predictor has been created by the same team of Castrol Performance Analysts behind the Castrol Rankings and Castrol Index.
It measures past team and player performance and works out the attack and defence ratings of each nation. Then, by simulating the tournament more than 100,000 times and taking into account the draw groupings, Castrol has calculated each team's chances of progression through the FIFA World Cup(TM) group stages and ultimately, of winning the world's most famous trophy.
The Castrol Predictor will be updated throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) on http://castrolfootball.com, so fans can see the impact of each and every match result on their team's chances.
The Castrol Predictor is fully interactive, letting fans find out how they will get on in their group, which teams they are most and least likely to meet at each round, and whether they'll face a grudge match with arch rivals.
Castrol Ambassador Marcel Desailly says: "I am surprised that the Castrol Predictor shows Brazil as favourites because I really thought Spain were the team to beat this time. I will be hoping that my home nation Ghana does better than predicted as the Castrol Predictor only gives them a 0.2% chance of success! It's great being able to look at the teams' predicted success in this way and I'm sure it will be a talking point for football fans everywhere."
Castrol Senior Vice-President Mike Johnson added: "We want to offer real insight to football fans around the world and the Castrol Predictor does exactly that, offering fans a new and meaningful way of following their team through the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM). As passionate football fans we are looking forward with great excitement to using the Castrol Predictor throughout the tournament next year."
Notes to Editors:
Castrol's commercial success is underpinned by their ability to deliver improved performance through the application of analysis, technology and innovation. This has helped Castrol deliver superior performing lubricants for over 100 years including brands such as Castrol EDGE, Castrol Magnatec and Castrol Power 1 and Castrol Professional. Castrol believes that by applying the same expertise to football that they do in the development of their oils, they can enhance the fans' experience and bring a new and intriguing point of view to the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM).
For more information on the Castrol Predictor please visit http://castrolfootball.com
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091207/369780-a
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091207/369780-b
Source: Castrol
For more information on the Castrol Predictor please contact the Castrol Global Press Office: Shervin Behzadi: T: +44-20-7544-3694 / +44-7891-824-581 / E: shervinb@mcsaatchi.com; Laura Tucker: T: +44-20-7543-4769 / +44-7854-267-839 / E: laura.tucker@mcsaatchi.com
Apasionada final: Castrol Predictor señala a Brasil como rival de España en la final de la 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM)
Tout porte à croire que nous assisterons à une finale ardente d'après le Prédicteur de Castrol, qui prévoit que le Brésil affrontera l'Espagne lors de la finale de la Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 2010 (TM)
Hitziges Finale erwartet, da der "All New Castrol Predictor" zeigt, dass es beim Finale der Fussball-Weltmeisterschaft 2010 wahrscheinlichBrasilien und Spanien aufeinander treffen
Fiery Final Ahead as All New Castrol Predictor Shows Brazil Most Likely to Meet Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final
Fiery Final Ahead as All New Castrol Predictor Shows Brazil Most Likely to Meet Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final
To see more releases from Castrol, Click Here
This company's web site http://www.castrol.com/
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
7 Dec 2009
20:28
Apasionada final: Castrol Predictor señala a Brasil como rival de España en la final de la 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM)
15:56
Fiery Final Ahead as All New Castrol Predictor Shows Brazil Most Likely to Meet Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) Final
13:00
Ritchie Bros. US$45 million Fort Worth auction featured almost 1,200 frac tanks
U.S. Citizen Charged With Conspiracy in 2008 Mumbai Attacks in Addition to Foreign Terror Plot in Denmark
The hottest news making headlines today have nothing to do with the buzz word of the day Sex Drive, and the most baffling is how David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen was an accomplice in the 2008 Mumbai attacks! How did a bona fide American become a member of Islamic terrorists in Pakistan? The following report is a must read.
7 Dec 2009 18:10 Africa/Lagos
Chicagoan Charged With Conspiracy in 2008 Mumbai Attacks in Addition to Foreign Terror Plot in Denmark
Additional charges unsealed alleging retired Pakistani major conspired in Danish plot
CHICAGO, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New federal charges filed today allege that a Chicago man, who was arrested in October for planning terrorist attacks against a Danish newspaper and two of its employees, also conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years preceding the November 2008 terrorist attack on India's largest city that killed approximately 170 people, including six Americans, and injured hundreds more.
The defendant, David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen, earlier this decade allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar e Tayyiba (Lashkar), and conspired with its members and others in planning and executing the attacks in both Denmark and India, federal law enforcement officials announced today.
Also today, a criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court in Chicago charging Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), a retired major in the Pakistani military, with conspiracy in planning to attack the Danish newspaper and its employees. Another Chicago man, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, was arrested in October on federal charges filed in Chicago relating to the Danish terrorism plot.
Through his attorneys, Headley has authorized the Justice Department to disclose that he is cooperating in the ongoing investigation of both the Danish and Indian terror plots. He has remained in federal custody without bond since he was arrested in Chicago on Oct. 3, 2009. No date has been set yet for his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Headley, 49, was charged in a 12-count criminal information with six counts of conspiracy to bomb public places in India, to murder and maim persons in India and Denmark, to provide material support to foreign terrorist plots, and to provide material support to Lashkar, and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India.
The charges were announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California and the FBI's offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., are also participating in the case.
"This case serves as a reminder that the terrorist threat is global in nature and requires constant vigilance at home and abroad," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "We continue to share leads developed in this investigation with our foreign and domestic law enforcement partners as we work together on this important matter."
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, said: "This case illustrates the importance of continued global cooperation to combat terrorism around the world. The FBI continues to strengthen relationships and to foster collaboration with our international partners to best ensure our collective ability to identify and disrupt international terror networks."
"This investigation remains active and ongoing. The team of prosecutors and agents will continue to seek charges against the other persons responsible for these attacks. I continue to express my deep appreciation to the FBI agents and other members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their extremely hard work on this matter," said Mr. Fitzgerald.
Mumbai Terror Attacks
According to the charges, after learning from members of Lashkar in late 2005 that he would be traveling to India to perform surveillance for Lashkar, Headley changed his name from Daood Gilani on Feb. 15, 2006, in Philadelphia, in order to present himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani. He later made five extended trips to Mumbai -- in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008 -- each time taking pictures and making videotapes of various targets, including those attacked in November 2008.
Starting Nov. 26, 2008, and continuing through Nov. 28, 2008, 10 attackers trained by Lashkar carried out multiple assaults with firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices against multiple targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman House and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, each of which Headley allegedly had scouted in advance, killing approximately 170 victims.
The six Americans killed during the three-day siege are identified in the charges as Ben Zion Chroman, Gavriel Holtzberg, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Scherr, his daughter Naomi Scherr, and Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum.
Lashkar (the "Army of the Good") operated in Pakistan for the principal purpose of fighting to separate from India portions of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization on Dec. 26, 2001. Headley allegedly attended Lashkar training camps in Pakistan that began in February and August 2002 and August and December 2003.
After being tasked in late 2005 with gathering surveillance in Mumbai and changing his name in early 2006, the charges allege that Headley traveled to Chicago in June 2006 and advised a person identified in the charges as Individual A of his assignment. Headley obtained Individual A's approval to open an office of First World Immigration Services in Mumbai in 2006 as cover for his surveillance activities, the charges allege. Headley allegedly misrepresented his birth name, father's true name and the purpose of his travel in his visa application.
After each trip that Headley took to India between September 2006 and July 2008, he allegedly returned to Pakistan, met with other co-conspirators and provided them with photographs, videos and oral descriptions of various locations. In March 2008, Headley and his co-conspirators discussed potential landing sites for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea in Mumbai, and he was instructed to take boat trips in and around the Mumbai harbor and take surveillance video, which he did during his visit to India starting in April 2008, the charges allege.
At various times, Headley allegedly conducted surveillance of other locations in Mumbai and elsewhere in India of facilities and locations that were not attacked in November 2008, including the National Defense College in Delhi, India.
Denmark Terror Plot
Regarding the Denmark terror plot, Headley allegedly conspired between October 2008 and Oct. 3, 2009, with Ilyas Kashmiri, as well as a person identified as Individual A, members of Lashkar and others to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, including murder and maiming, against the facilities of the Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, and two of its employees, Editor A and Cartoonist A. In 2005, the newspaper published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, to which many Muslims took great offense.
Mirroring the initial charges filed against Headley in October, today's charges allege that he met with co-conspirators while he was in Pakistan in late 2008 and discussed planning for the attack, including extensive surveillance work that he would perform. In late December and early January 2008, after advising Individual A of the planned attack and his intended travel to Denmark to perform surveillance of the newspaper's facilities, Headley obtained Individual A's approval and assistance to identify himself as a representative of First World and gain access to the newspaper by falsely expressing interest in advertising the business in the newspaper. At the same time, while in Chicago, Headley exchanged emails with co-conspirators to continue planning for the attack and coordinate his travel to Denmark to conduct surveillance. Before departing Chicago, Headley obtained business cards that identified him as a representative of First World, according to the charges.
Headley allegedly traveled in January 2009 from Chicago to Copenhagen, Denmark, to conduct surveillance of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark, and videotaped the surrounding areas. From January through May 2009, Headley met with co-conspirators, including Kashmiri, on multiple occasions in Pakistan to review his surveillance and discuss plans for the attack, the charges allege, adding that Headley traveled in August 2009 from Chicago to Copenhagen to conduct additional surveillance and made approximately 13 videos. On Oct. 3, 2009, Headley was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, intending ultimately to travel to Pakistan to meet with, and deliver, the approximately 13 surveillance videos to co-conspirators, including Kashmiri.
The charges identify Kashmiri as an influential leader of Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI), an organization that trained terrorists and executed attacks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian control and other areas. Kashmiri based his operations from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of western Pakistan, and area which served as a haven for terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda and the Taliban. Headley allegedly was introduced to Kashmiri as early as February 2009, and understood that Kashmiri was in regular communication with the senior leadership of al Qaeda.
Abdur Rehman complaint
The two-count complaint unsealed against Abdur Rehman, which was filed on Oct. 20, 2009, charges him with conspiracy to murder and maim persons in a foreign country, and providing material support to that foreign terrorism conspiracy. Abdur Rehman allegedly participated in the planning of a terrorist attack in Denmark, coordinated surveillance of the intended targets, and facilitated communications regarding the surveillance and planning with a member of Lashkar and Kashmiri.
Abdur Rehman, who was not named previously but whose alleged participation was described in the initial charges against Headley and Rana, allegedly played the central role in communicating with Headley and facilitating contacts with other co-conspirators in Pakistan, including members of Lashkar. During Headley's trip to Pakistan in January 2009, Abdur Rehman took him to the FATA region of Pakistan to meet with Kashmiri and solicit the participation of Kashmiri and his organization in the planned attack on the Danish newspaper, according to the complaint against Abdur Rehman. A search of Headley's luggage when he was arrested revealed a list of phone numbers, including a Pakistani number that he allegedly had used to contact Abdur Rehman.
The count against Headley charging conspiracy to bomb public places in India that resulted in deaths carries a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment or death. All of the other counts against Headley carry a maximum of life imprisonment, except providing material support to the Denmark terror plot, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.
The conspiracy to murder or maim persons in a foreign country charge against Abdur Rehman carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and the count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The prosecution of Headley and Abdur Rehman is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Collins and Victoria J. Peters from the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division. The investigation into the Mumbai attacks is continuing with the active participation of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.
The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain mere allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
CONTACT: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs,
+1-202-514-2007, TDD +1-202-514-1888
Web Site: http://www.justice.gov/
Hot Topics
Chicagoan Charged With Conspiracy in 2008 Mumbai Attacks in Addition to Foreign Terror Plot in Denmark
UN Climate Change Conference
The Daily Beast Ranks The Smartest and Dumbest College Towns in America; Chapel Hill, NC Ranks At Top, Athens, Georgia at Bottom
S&P Estimates 6.1% Dividend Increase for the S&P 500 Companies in 2010; 2009 Dividend Payment Expected to Post 21.4% Decline
IT Employment Posts Modest Decline in November as Longer Term Trend Stabilizes
Employers Increasing Use of Social Media to Reach Employees in Challenging Times, Watson Wyatt Survey Finds
The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI)(TM) Improves
Gap Announces the 20 Finalists for Its Fourth Annual Casting Call Contest
7 Dec 2009 18:10 Africa/Lagos
Chicagoan Charged With Conspiracy in 2008 Mumbai Attacks in Addition to Foreign Terror Plot in Denmark
Additional charges unsealed alleging retired Pakistani major conspired in Danish plot
CHICAGO, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New federal charges filed today allege that a Chicago man, who was arrested in October for planning terrorist attacks against a Danish newspaper and two of its employees, also conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years preceding the November 2008 terrorist attack on India's largest city that killed approximately 170 people, including six Americans, and injured hundreds more.
The defendant, David Coleman Headley, a U.S. citizen, earlier this decade allegedly attended terrorism training camps in Pakistan maintained by Lashkar e Tayyiba (Lashkar), and conspired with its members and others in planning and executing the attacks in both Denmark and India, federal law enforcement officials announced today.
Also today, a criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court in Chicago charging Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed (Abdur Rehman), a retired major in the Pakistani military, with conspiracy in planning to attack the Danish newspaper and its employees. Another Chicago man, Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan, was arrested in October on federal charges filed in Chicago relating to the Danish terrorism plot.
Through his attorneys, Headley has authorized the Justice Department to disclose that he is cooperating in the ongoing investigation of both the Danish and Indian terror plots. He has remained in federal custody without bond since he was arrested in Chicago on Oct. 3, 2009. No date has been set yet for his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Headley, 49, was charged in a 12-count criminal information with six counts of conspiracy to bomb public places in India, to murder and maim persons in India and Denmark, to provide material support to foreign terrorist plots, and to provide material support to Lashkar, and six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of U.S. citizens in India.
The charges were announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the FBI. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California and the FBI's offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., are also participating in the case.
"This case serves as a reminder that the terrorist threat is global in nature and requires constant vigilance at home and abroad," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. "We continue to share leads developed in this investigation with our foreign and domestic law enforcement partners as we work together on this important matter."
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, said: "This case illustrates the importance of continued global cooperation to combat terrorism around the world. The FBI continues to strengthen relationships and to foster collaboration with our international partners to best ensure our collective ability to identify and disrupt international terror networks."
"This investigation remains active and ongoing. The team of prosecutors and agents will continue to seek charges against the other persons responsible for these attacks. I continue to express my deep appreciation to the FBI agents and other members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force for their extremely hard work on this matter," said Mr. Fitzgerald.
Mumbai Terror Attacks
According to the charges, after learning from members of Lashkar in late 2005 that he would be traveling to India to perform surveillance for Lashkar, Headley changed his name from Daood Gilani on Feb. 15, 2006, in Philadelphia, in order to present himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani. He later made five extended trips to Mumbai -- in September 2006, February and September 2007, and April and July 2008 -- each time taking pictures and making videotapes of various targets, including those attacked in November 2008.
Starting Nov. 26, 2008, and continuing through Nov. 28, 2008, 10 attackers trained by Lashkar carried out multiple assaults with firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices against multiple targets in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman House and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, each of which Headley allegedly had scouted in advance, killing approximately 170 victims.
The six Americans killed during the three-day siege are identified in the charges as Ben Zion Chroman, Gavriel Holtzberg, Sandeep Jeswani, Alan Scherr, his daughter Naomi Scherr, and Aryeh Leibish Teitelbaum.
Lashkar (the "Army of the Good") operated in Pakistan for the principal purpose of fighting to separate from India portions of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization on Dec. 26, 2001. Headley allegedly attended Lashkar training camps in Pakistan that began in February and August 2002 and August and December 2003.
After being tasked in late 2005 with gathering surveillance in Mumbai and changing his name in early 2006, the charges allege that Headley traveled to Chicago in June 2006 and advised a person identified in the charges as Individual A of his assignment. Headley obtained Individual A's approval to open an office of First World Immigration Services in Mumbai in 2006 as cover for his surveillance activities, the charges allege. Headley allegedly misrepresented his birth name, father's true name and the purpose of his travel in his visa application.
After each trip that Headley took to India between September 2006 and July 2008, he allegedly returned to Pakistan, met with other co-conspirators and provided them with photographs, videos and oral descriptions of various locations. In March 2008, Headley and his co-conspirators discussed potential landing sites for a team of attackers who would arrive by sea in Mumbai, and he was instructed to take boat trips in and around the Mumbai harbor and take surveillance video, which he did during his visit to India starting in April 2008, the charges allege.
At various times, Headley allegedly conducted surveillance of other locations in Mumbai and elsewhere in India of facilities and locations that were not attacked in November 2008, including the National Defense College in Delhi, India.
Denmark Terror Plot
Regarding the Denmark terror plot, Headley allegedly conspired between October 2008 and Oct. 3, 2009, with Ilyas Kashmiri, as well as a person identified as Individual A, members of Lashkar and others to plan and carry out terrorist attacks, including murder and maiming, against the facilities of the Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, and two of its employees, Editor A and Cartoonist A. In 2005, the newspaper published cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, to which many Muslims took great offense.
Mirroring the initial charges filed against Headley in October, today's charges allege that he met with co-conspirators while he was in Pakistan in late 2008 and discussed planning for the attack, including extensive surveillance work that he would perform. In late December and early January 2008, after advising Individual A of the planned attack and his intended travel to Denmark to perform surveillance of the newspaper's facilities, Headley obtained Individual A's approval and assistance to identify himself as a representative of First World and gain access to the newspaper by falsely expressing interest in advertising the business in the newspaper. At the same time, while in Chicago, Headley exchanged emails with co-conspirators to continue planning for the attack and coordinate his travel to Denmark to conduct surveillance. Before departing Chicago, Headley obtained business cards that identified him as a representative of First World, according to the charges.
Headley allegedly traveled in January 2009 from Chicago to Copenhagen, Denmark, to conduct surveillance of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark, and videotaped the surrounding areas. From January through May 2009, Headley met with co-conspirators, including Kashmiri, on multiple occasions in Pakistan to review his surveillance and discuss plans for the attack, the charges allege, adding that Headley traveled in August 2009 from Chicago to Copenhagen to conduct additional surveillance and made approximately 13 videos. On Oct. 3, 2009, Headley was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, intending ultimately to travel to Pakistan to meet with, and deliver, the approximately 13 surveillance videos to co-conspirators, including Kashmiri.
The charges identify Kashmiri as an influential leader of Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI), an organization that trained terrorists and executed attacks in the state of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian control and other areas. Kashmiri based his operations from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of western Pakistan, and area which served as a haven for terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda and the Taliban. Headley allegedly was introduced to Kashmiri as early as February 2009, and understood that Kashmiri was in regular communication with the senior leadership of al Qaeda.
Abdur Rehman complaint
The two-count complaint unsealed against Abdur Rehman, which was filed on Oct. 20, 2009, charges him with conspiracy to murder and maim persons in a foreign country, and providing material support to that foreign terrorism conspiracy. Abdur Rehman allegedly participated in the planning of a terrorist attack in Denmark, coordinated surveillance of the intended targets, and facilitated communications regarding the surveillance and planning with a member of Lashkar and Kashmiri.
Abdur Rehman, who was not named previously but whose alleged participation was described in the initial charges against Headley and Rana, allegedly played the central role in communicating with Headley and facilitating contacts with other co-conspirators in Pakistan, including members of Lashkar. During Headley's trip to Pakistan in January 2009, Abdur Rehman took him to the FATA region of Pakistan to meet with Kashmiri and solicit the participation of Kashmiri and his organization in the planned attack on the Danish newspaper, according to the complaint against Abdur Rehman. A search of Headley's luggage when he was arrested revealed a list of phone numbers, including a Pakistani number that he allegedly had used to contact Abdur Rehman.
The count against Headley charging conspiracy to bomb public places in India that resulted in deaths carries a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment or death. All of the other counts against Headley carry a maximum of life imprisonment, except providing material support to the Denmark terror plot, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.
The conspiracy to murder or maim persons in a foreign country charge against Abdur Rehman carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and the count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The prosecution of Headley and Abdur Rehman is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Collins and Victoria J. Peters from the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division. The investigation into the Mumbai attacks is continuing with the active participation of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.
The public is reminded that criminal charging documents contain mere allegations that are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
CONTACT: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs,
+1-202-514-2007, TDD +1-202-514-1888
Web Site: http://www.justice.gov/
Hot Topics
Chicagoan Charged With Conspiracy in 2008 Mumbai Attacks in Addition to Foreign Terror Plot in Denmark
UN Climate Change Conference
The Daily Beast Ranks The Smartest and Dumbest College Towns in America; Chapel Hill, NC Ranks At Top, Athens, Georgia at Bottom
S&P Estimates 6.1% Dividend Increase for the S&P 500 Companies in 2010; 2009 Dividend Payment Expected to Post 21.4% Decline
IT Employment Posts Modest Decline in November as Longer Term Trend Stabilizes
Employers Increasing Use of Social Media to Reach Employees in Challenging Times, Watson Wyatt Survey Finds
The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI)(TM) Improves
Gap Announces the 20 Finalists for Its Fourth Annual Casting Call Contest
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)