15 Feb 2010 17:43 Africa/Lagos
Nigeria / CPJ condemns police harassment of Desert Herald editor
ABUJA, February 15, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on police and prosecutors in northern Nigeria to withdraw the threat of arrest and prosecution of Mallam Tukur, the editor-in-chief and publisher of the independent weekly, Desert Herald, based in Kaduna State.
Two plainclothes police arrested Tukur on defamation charges at his office in Kaduna on February 8 and took him to a police station in Bauchi State. He was released on bail the following day, the Nigerian Union of Journalists told CPJ. Police then withdrew the charges against Tukur at the Bauchi Magistrate Court on February 10 in order to re-arrest him under new, unspecified charges and take him to neighboring Yobe State, according to local news reports. Tukur told CPJ that the Yobe State judiciary staff has been on strike for the past four months, which would ensure he remains under police detention for a long time period if detained there.
According to defense lawyer Mahmoud Moussa, police attempted to re-arrest Tukur outside the Bauchi courtroom today without an arrest warrant or closure of the original case against him, but lawyers intervened. The initial defamation charges will be officially withdrawn on Monday, Moussa said. Police will then be legally able to arrest him under the new charges.
Local journalists told CPJ they believe police are trying to arrest Turkur because a recent edition of the Desert Herald had accused Yobe State Governor Ibrahim Geidam of rapidly acquiring several housing properties illicitly. The Desert Herald is considered one of a handful of critical independent newspapers still printing in northern Nigeria, local journalists told CPJ.
“We call on Nigerian authorities to cease harassing Mallam Tukur immediately and allow him to work freely without further threat of prosecution,” CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Tom Rhodes said.
The deputy governor of Yobe State, Danlami Bello, initially attained a warrant to arrest the critical editor for a September 2009 story in which the governor was alleged to have escaped a conspiracy to poison him, according to Tukur. Governor Geidam had publicly stated last year that there had been a plot to assassinate him, and the matter was widely covered by national newspapers.
Tukur is now in hiding and said he fears the police may arrest him without a warrant at any time. This is his third arrest in the past year, Desert Herald Assistant Editor Umar Abubakar told CPJ.
National police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu did not answer repeated phone calls by CPJ.
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
For the First Time, King Tut's DNA Is Mapped, his Family Identified, and his Short Life Investigated
16 Feb 2010 19:46 Africa/Lagos
For the First Time, King Tut's DNA Is Mapped, his Family Identified, and his Short Life Investigated
A Discovery Channel Two-Night World Premiere Special Event, KING TUT UNWRAPPED, Airs Sunday, February 21, at 8 PM (ET/PT) and Monday, February 22, at 8 PM (ET/PT) on Discovery Channel in the U.S.
SILVER SPRING, Md., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- World-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass leads an unprecedented forensic investigation into the life and times of King Tut that reveals for the first time the identity of Tut's parents and grandparents, his cause of death and new details of his reign in a two-night world premiere special event, KING TUT UNWRAPPED, airing Sunday, February 21, at 8 PM (ET/PT) and Monday, February 22, at 8 PM (ET/PT).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080919/NEF051LOGO-b )
Papers published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) detail the painstaking medical and archeological research conducted by an international team of field experts. Part One of KING TUT UNWRAPPED follows the delicate, first- ever DNA extraction from Tut's mummy setting into motion a series of cross-reference studies to determine the Boy King's family. Part Two uses never-before-examined evidence from Tut's mummy to conclude what caused his death and how that information sheds new light on his reign as a military, religious and political leader.
"Discovery is honored once again to work with Dr. Zahi Hawass. The life and death of King Tut continues to hold a special power and mystery for people all over the world. Dr. Hawass' trailblazing leadership has successfully fused traditional, methodical archeology with cutting-edge, advanced forensics. This is a new chapter in Egyptology firmly establishing Cairo as a center for innovation and scholarship," said Clark Bunting, president and general manager, Discovery Channel and Science Channel.
The road to understanding the Tut family tree begins with filling out his parents' branches. Based on historical records and previous digs, Dr. Hawass determines Tut's father could one of three great Egyptian pharaohs: the successful and popular second king of the 18th Dynasty Amenhotep III; the radical and controversial Akhenaton, who moved Egypt into the age of monotheism or the little-known Smenkhare who reigned just prior to Tut's rule. To effectively solve this mystery, the team will need test Tut's DNA against the mummies of these three candidates.
When Howard Carter discovered the riches of King Tut's tomb in 1922, who could have predicted that almost a century later the ancient chamber would be the site for the cutting edge of Egyptology? KING TUT UNWRAPPED details the edge-of-your-seat process as researchers hold their breath and oh so gingerly but successfully extract DNA for the first time from Tut's mummy.
Specimens now abound for testing, but the expert team assembled at Discovery Channel's DNA lab at the Cairo Museum faces challenge upon challenge in connecting the forensic dots. In order to test the ancient DNA, Assistant Professor Dr. Carsten M. Pusch of the University of Tubingen's Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics in Tubingen, Germany and Professor Albert Zink of the EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano, Italy, work with Dr. Yehia Zakaria Gad of the Department of Medical Molecular Genetics at Cairo's National Research Center to perform, for the first time, microsatellite-based DNA-fingerprinting on familial Egyptian mummies.
There is triumph in the lab but that is only the start of the Tut family odyssey. With successful DNA sequencing of Tut's father, Hawass is able to pursue leads that will eventually point to Tut's mother and grandparents. KING TUT UNWRAPPED is a juggernaut of science, history, national pride and professional drive. From the pristine interiors and precision work of the DNA lab to dusty, unpredictable dig sites in the field, Dr. Hawass leads an intense, deeply personal journey for the truth.
KING TUT UNWRAPPED will air worldwide in the following regions and times:
Latin America February 28 - March 1
United Kingdom March 3-4
Germany: March 7 (TBD)
EMEA: May
Asia April - July (varies per territory)
SEA: April 18, April 25
China: May 3, May 10
ANZ: June 6
Japan: June 14, June 21
Taiwan: Early July
For more information via discovery.com:
VIDEO : http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/king-tut-unwrapped/
ABOUT THE SHOW: http://dsc.discovery.com/egypt/tut-investigation/king-tut-unwrapped.html
KING TUT UNWRAPPED is produced for Discovery Channel by Brando Quilici Productions. Brando Quilici is director and executive producer for Brando Quilici Productions. Paul Gasek is executive producer for Discovery Channel.
About Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (DSC) is dedicated to creating the highest quality nonfiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which reaches 98.1 million viewers in the U.S., can be seen in over 170 countries, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres, including science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (NASDAQ:DISCA) (NASDAQ:DISCB) (NASDAQ:DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
For more information and artwork, please log on to www.press.discovery.com.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080919/NEF051LOGO-b
Source: Discovery Channel
CONTACT: Elizabeth Hillman, +1-240-662-2664,
elizabeth_hillman@discovery.com, or Joshua Weinberg, +1-240-328-3988,
joshua_weinberg@discovery.com, both of Discovery Channel
Web Site: http://dsc.discovery.com/
For the First Time, King Tut's DNA Is Mapped, his Family Identified, and his Short Life Investigated
A Discovery Channel Two-Night World Premiere Special Event, KING TUT UNWRAPPED, Airs Sunday, February 21, at 8 PM (ET/PT) and Monday, February 22, at 8 PM (ET/PT) on Discovery Channel in the U.S.
SILVER SPRING, Md., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- World-renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass leads an unprecedented forensic investigation into the life and times of King Tut that reveals for the first time the identity of Tut's parents and grandparents, his cause of death and new details of his reign in a two-night world premiere special event, KING TUT UNWRAPPED, airing Sunday, February 21, at 8 PM (ET/PT) and Monday, February 22, at 8 PM (ET/PT).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080919/NEF051LOGO-b )
Papers published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) detail the painstaking medical and archeological research conducted by an international team of field experts. Part One of KING TUT UNWRAPPED follows the delicate, first- ever DNA extraction from Tut's mummy setting into motion a series of cross-reference studies to determine the Boy King's family. Part Two uses never-before-examined evidence from Tut's mummy to conclude what caused his death and how that information sheds new light on his reign as a military, religious and political leader.
"Discovery is honored once again to work with Dr. Zahi Hawass. The life and death of King Tut continues to hold a special power and mystery for people all over the world. Dr. Hawass' trailblazing leadership has successfully fused traditional, methodical archeology with cutting-edge, advanced forensics. This is a new chapter in Egyptology firmly establishing Cairo as a center for innovation and scholarship," said Clark Bunting, president and general manager, Discovery Channel and Science Channel.
The road to understanding the Tut family tree begins with filling out his parents' branches. Based on historical records and previous digs, Dr. Hawass determines Tut's father could one of three great Egyptian pharaohs: the successful and popular second king of the 18th Dynasty Amenhotep III; the radical and controversial Akhenaton, who moved Egypt into the age of monotheism or the little-known Smenkhare who reigned just prior to Tut's rule. To effectively solve this mystery, the team will need test Tut's DNA against the mummies of these three candidates.
When Howard Carter discovered the riches of King Tut's tomb in 1922, who could have predicted that almost a century later the ancient chamber would be the site for the cutting edge of Egyptology? KING TUT UNWRAPPED details the edge-of-your-seat process as researchers hold their breath and oh so gingerly but successfully extract DNA for the first time from Tut's mummy.
Specimens now abound for testing, but the expert team assembled at Discovery Channel's DNA lab at the Cairo Museum faces challenge upon challenge in connecting the forensic dots. In order to test the ancient DNA, Assistant Professor Dr. Carsten M. Pusch of the University of Tubingen's Institute of Anthropology and Human Genetics in Tubingen, Germany and Professor Albert Zink of the EURAC-Institute for Mummies and the Iceman in Bolzano, Italy, work with Dr. Yehia Zakaria Gad of the Department of Medical Molecular Genetics at Cairo's National Research Center to perform, for the first time, microsatellite-based DNA-fingerprinting on familial Egyptian mummies.
There is triumph in the lab but that is only the start of the Tut family odyssey. With successful DNA sequencing of Tut's father, Hawass is able to pursue leads that will eventually point to Tut's mother and grandparents. KING TUT UNWRAPPED is a juggernaut of science, history, national pride and professional drive. From the pristine interiors and precision work of the DNA lab to dusty, unpredictable dig sites in the field, Dr. Hawass leads an intense, deeply personal journey for the truth.
KING TUT UNWRAPPED will air worldwide in the following regions and times:
Latin America February 28 - March 1
United Kingdom March 3-4
Germany: March 7 (TBD)
EMEA: May
Asia April - July (varies per territory)
SEA: April 18, April 25
China: May 3, May 10
ANZ: June 6
Japan: June 14, June 21
Taiwan: Early July
For more information via discovery.com:
VIDEO : http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/king-tut-unwrapped/
ABOUT THE SHOW: http://dsc.discovery.com/egypt/tut-investigation/king-tut-unwrapped.html
KING TUT UNWRAPPED is produced for Discovery Channel by Brando Quilici Productions. Brando Quilici is director and executive producer for Brando Quilici Productions. Paul Gasek is executive producer for Discovery Channel.
About Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel (DSC) is dedicated to creating the highest quality nonfiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which reaches 98.1 million viewers in the U.S., can be seen in over 170 countries, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres, including science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (NASDAQ:DISCA) (NASDAQ:DISCB) (NASDAQ:DISCK) is the world's number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Planet Green, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
For more information and artwork, please log on to www.press.discovery.com.
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080919/NEF051LOGO-b
Source: Discovery Channel
CONTACT: Elizabeth Hillman, +1-240-662-2664,
elizabeth_hillman@discovery.com, or Joshua Weinberg, +1-240-328-3988,
joshua_weinberg@discovery.com, both of Discovery Channel
Web Site: http://dsc.discovery.com/
Monday, February 15, 2010
Law To Ban Marriage Between People Who Don't Love Each Other
Photo Credit: Willyyilly
Law To Ban Marriage Between People Who Don't Love Each Other
The Minnesota law would nullify the marriages of an estimated 2.4 million couples currently living in silent resentment or seething hatred. ~ The ONN
Wow! Now this is really long over due. Millions have been suffering and dying in Marriage of convenience since Adam and Eve. In fact, Marriage of convenience is most common among those who are not fortunate to have partners they would have loved to marry, but have to settle down with partners who can provide what they need to catch up with the Joneses or make ends meet. A poor girl would prefer to marry a rich man, because of her fears of poverty or a girl from an upper class family who is in love with a guy from a lower class family ends up with a guy from another upper class family, but she does not love him. But she has to keep posing and posturing to impress her upper class peers. Examples of Hollywood marriage, Sham marriage or Green Card Marriage are no longer news, because they are more popular in these days of interesting times in an existentialist world where everybody has a price.
Couples who marry out of lust or social class competition often cheat on their partners, because they did not marry in love. Many of them end up miserable and unhappy in marriage.
The grave consequences of wrong choices in marriage have caused countless tragedies and passing a law to ban or dissolve marriages between couples who do not love each other will save us from the miseries of broken hearts, broken homes and and dysfunctional families.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
Please, Donate To Save More Lives in Haiti
Please pray for Haiti to have Strength, pleasant , comfortable,weather, clean air, food, doctors and clean water as they get though this.
~ Mary J. Blige
We do not need long speeches, sermons or essays to know what we must do when we have an awesome humanitarian emergency such as the one challenging humanity in Haiti. Please, DONATE TO THE CLINTON BUSH HAITI FUND and know that you are helping to save precious lives who need every amount of support you can give NOW!
Thank you and God bless you for your generous donation.
Yours faithfully,
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
The Publisher/Editor
Nigerians Report
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Nigeria: Acting President Should Address Abuses
12 Feb 2010 14:31 Africa/Lagos
Nigeria: Acting President Should Address Abuses / New Leader Should Act Boldly on Violence, Corruption, and Lack of Accountability
ABUJA, February 12, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Nigeria's acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, should take immediate and concrete steps to address large-scale violence, endemic corruption, a lack of accountability for abuses, and other pressing human rights problems in Nigeria, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the newly mandated leader. On February 9, 2010, the National Assembly voted to name Jonathan acting president, taking over from the ailing president, Umaru Yar'Adua, who has been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia since November 23, 2009.
In his address to the nation following the National Assembly's vote, Jonathan pledged to take on the prevailing “culture of impunity” that has fueled successive deadly outbreaks of inter-communal violence, tackle government corruption “more robustly,” empower a rights-respecting police force, consolidate efforts to end the Niger Delta conflict, and follow through on electoral reform ahead of Nigeria's 2011 general elections.
“Goodluck Jonathan made positive and encouraging statements,” said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Now the acting president needs to follow up with concrete actions.”
The removal, on February 10, of Michael Aondoakaa, the justice minister and attorney general under whose watch the culture of impunity flourished, was an important first step, Human Rights Watch said. Jonathan should continue this positive momentum by taking concrete actions to make sure that those who commit abuses are held accountable.
In its letter to the acting president, Human Rights Watch called on Jonathan to address the problem of impunity by ensuring that the police conduct a prompt and thorough criminal investigation, with prosecutions, into the January deadly outbreak of sectarian violence in Jos and massacre of at least 150 people in nearby Kuru Karama. He should address the root causes of the violence by sponsoring legislation that bans all forms of discrimination against “non-indigenes.”
The acting president should hold accountable security forces, notably the Nigeria Police Force, for widespread abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and extortion, Human Rights Watch said. This should include a comprehensive criminal investigation into the extrajudicial killings by the police of suspected Boko Haram members in July 2009 and the unlawful killings of more than 130 people by the police and military while responding to the November 2008 sectarian clashes in Jos.
Jonathan should also “more robustly” tackle government corruption by subjecting government expenditures to greater oversight and more transparent financial audits, by calling on the National Assembly to pass the Freedom of Information bill, and by ensuring that government officials implicated in the massive looting of the state treasury are investigated and prosecuted, regardless of how highly placed.
Human Rights Watch further called on Jonathan to tackle the corruption and political violence that underlie the Niger Delta conflict by investigating and prosecuting the politicians who have embezzled and mismanaged the region's vast oil wealth and armed many of the criminal gangs active in the Niger Delta.
On electoral reform, Human Right Watch called on Jonathan to start to restore confidence in Nigeria's electoral system by dismissing Maurice Iwu, the chair of the electoral commission, and ordering a comprehensive and impartial investigation into widespread election abuses committed during and since the 2007 elections.
“Nigerians have suffered from violence, corruption, and state-sponsored abuses for far too long,” Dufka said. “Goodluck Jonathan has promised to create a new era of rights and justice for Nigerians, and there is no time to waste.”
To read Human Rights Watch's letter to acting President Goodluck Jonathan, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/node/88482
Source: Human Right Watch (HRW)
Nigeria: Acting President Should Address Abuses / New Leader Should Act Boldly on Violence, Corruption, and Lack of Accountability
ABUJA, February 12, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Nigeria's acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, should take immediate and concrete steps to address large-scale violence, endemic corruption, a lack of accountability for abuses, and other pressing human rights problems in Nigeria, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the newly mandated leader. On February 9, 2010, the National Assembly voted to name Jonathan acting president, taking over from the ailing president, Umaru Yar'Adua, who has been hospitalized in Saudi Arabia since November 23, 2009.
In his address to the nation following the National Assembly's vote, Jonathan pledged to take on the prevailing “culture of impunity” that has fueled successive deadly outbreaks of inter-communal violence, tackle government corruption “more robustly,” empower a rights-respecting police force, consolidate efforts to end the Niger Delta conflict, and follow through on electoral reform ahead of Nigeria's 2011 general elections.
“Goodluck Jonathan made positive and encouraging statements,” said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Now the acting president needs to follow up with concrete actions.”
The removal, on February 10, of Michael Aondoakaa, the justice minister and attorney general under whose watch the culture of impunity flourished, was an important first step, Human Rights Watch said. Jonathan should continue this positive momentum by taking concrete actions to make sure that those who commit abuses are held accountable.
In its letter to the acting president, Human Rights Watch called on Jonathan to address the problem of impunity by ensuring that the police conduct a prompt and thorough criminal investigation, with prosecutions, into the January deadly outbreak of sectarian violence in Jos and massacre of at least 150 people in nearby Kuru Karama. He should address the root causes of the violence by sponsoring legislation that bans all forms of discrimination against “non-indigenes.”
The acting president should hold accountable security forces, notably the Nigeria Police Force, for widespread abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and extortion, Human Rights Watch said. This should include a comprehensive criminal investigation into the extrajudicial killings by the police of suspected Boko Haram members in July 2009 and the unlawful killings of more than 130 people by the police and military while responding to the November 2008 sectarian clashes in Jos.
Jonathan should also “more robustly” tackle government corruption by subjecting government expenditures to greater oversight and more transparent financial audits, by calling on the National Assembly to pass the Freedom of Information bill, and by ensuring that government officials implicated in the massive looting of the state treasury are investigated and prosecuted, regardless of how highly placed.
Human Rights Watch further called on Jonathan to tackle the corruption and political violence that underlie the Niger Delta conflict by investigating and prosecuting the politicians who have embezzled and mismanaged the region's vast oil wealth and armed many of the criminal gangs active in the Niger Delta.
On electoral reform, Human Right Watch called on Jonathan to start to restore confidence in Nigeria's electoral system by dismissing Maurice Iwu, the chair of the electoral commission, and ordering a comprehensive and impartial investigation into widespread election abuses committed during and since the 2007 elections.
“Nigerians have suffered from violence, corruption, and state-sponsored abuses for far too long,” Dufka said. “Goodluck Jonathan has promised to create a new era of rights and justice for Nigerians, and there is no time to waste.”
To read Human Rights Watch's letter to acting President Goodluck Jonathan, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/node/88482
Source: Human Right Watch (HRW)
Friday, February 12, 2010
Majority of Americans Approve of President Obama's Handling of Afghanistan and National Security
President Barack Obama
12 Feb 2010 15:00 Africa/Lagos
Majority of Americans Approve of President Obama's Handling of Afghanistan and National Security But Disapprove of Handling of Economic Issues, Per Franklin &
Marshall College Poll With Hearst Television
75% Say the U.S. Healthcare System Needs Reform
LANCASTER, Pa., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than half (57%) of registered American voters approve of the way President Obama is handling the situation in Afghanistan, and half (52%) also approve of the way he is handling national security issues. Fewer (45%) registered respondents approve of the way the president is dealing with the country's economic problems.
Also, more Americans now say they would vote for the Republican candidate (39%) than the Democratic candidate (35%) if the midterm House elections were held today. In September 2009, the Democrats led the Republicans, 43 percent to 30 percent, on this question.
These and other findings resulted from the February 2010 Franklin & Marshall College National Poll, produced at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA in partnership with Hearst Television Inc.
Among the other findings:
-- Only one in three (35%) citizens believes the United States is
currently headed in the right direction. Most cite the economy and
personal finances (64%) as the most important problems their families
currently face, with healthcare-related issues a distant second (11%).
-- More than one in three (37%) Americans say the current healthcare
system meets their needs very well, and another two in five (41%) say
it meets their needs pretty well, leaving about one in five (21%) who
feel the system is not serving their personal needs. These figures
remain largely unchanged since September 2009.
-- The cost of healthcare and availability of health insurance coverage
were significant problems for many adults during the past year. Nearly
one in four (23%) adults report skipping a recommended test or medical
treatment because of the cost, and one in five (21%) did not fill a
medical prescription because of the cost. About one in five (19%)
respondents say they were without health insurance coverage at some
point during the previous 12 months.
-- Three in four (75%) Americans believe the country's healthcare system
is in need of reform (compared to 79% in September 2009), and half
(47%) of these respondents believe the system is in need of major
reform. This equates to about one in three (35%) Americans who feel
the nation's healthcare system needs major reform-about the same
proportion as in September (37%).
-- A majority (59%) of Americans believes the bills being considered by
the House and Senate would make major changes to the country's
healthcare system. Americans are evenly split about whether they are
satisfied (45%) or dissatisfied (45%) that healthcare reform has not
yet passed.
The survey findings presented in this release are based on the results of interviews conducted February 2-8, 2010. The interviews were conducted at the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College under the direction of the poll's Director, G. Terry Madonna, PhD, Head Methodologist Berwood Yost, and Project Manager Jennifer Harding. The data included in this release represent the responses of 920 adults in the United States, and 767 of them are registered to vote. Telephone numbers for the survey were generated using random digit dialing, and respondents were randomly selected from within each household. Survey results were weighted (age, education, race, region, and gender) using an iterative weighting algorithm. The sample error for this survey is +/- 3.2 percentage points. The sample error for registered adults is +/- 3.5 percentage points. This Franklin & Marshall College Poll was produced in partnership with Hearst Television Inc. It may be used in whole or in part, provided any use is attributed to Franklin & Marshall College.
This is the fifth national poll in a series produced at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., with Hearst Television; the partnership, whose first poll was in June 2008, was forged out of a longstanding regional relationship between Franklin & Marshall and Hearst station WGAL-TV, the NBC affiliate serving the Lancaster/Harrisburg TV market.
This is also the second Franklin & Marshall College Poll to focus on health-care policy, an area of academic strength for the College.
Contributors to the poll included Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty, Vice Provost for Planning and Institutional Research and Professor of Economics Alan Caniglia, Professor of Economics Sean Flaherty and The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government Joseph Karlesky.
Complete results can be found at http://politics.fandm.edu/. Readers can also follow poll director Dr. Madonna on Twitter at http://twitter.com/terrymadonna.
Hearst Television Inc., formerly known as Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., is a leading local media company comprising 29 television stations and two radio stations. The Company's television stations reach approximately 18% of U.S. TV households, making it one of America's largest television station groups. It also owns more than three dozen websites and multicasts more than two dozen digital channels providing news, weather and entertainment programming. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. The Company's Web address is www.hearsttelevision.com.
Source: Hearst Television Inc.
CONTACT: Dr. G. Terry Madonna, Director of the Center for Politics and
Public Affairs, Director, Franklin and Marshall College Poll, Professor of
Public Affairs, Franklin & Marshall College, Office, +1-717-291-4052, or Cell,
+1-717-575-2164, Fax, +1-717-358-4666, terry.madonna@fandm.edu; or Tom Campo
of Campo Communications, LLC, for Hearst Television Inc., +1-212-590-2464,
tom@campocommunications.com
Web Site: http://www.hearsttelevision.com/
Thursday, February 11, 2010
CellTrust Unveils SecureSMS Mobile Banking and Payment Pilot in Africa to Secure Branchless Banking for the Under and Un-banked
11 Feb 2010 12:00 Africa/Lagos
CellTrust Unveils SecureSMS Mobile Banking and Payment Pilot in Africa to Secure Branchless Banking for the Under and Un-banked
CellTrust Pilot Addresses the Central Banks' Call for More Security
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- CellTrust Corporation (www.CellTrust.com), the leading supplier of secure mobile messaging and applications, has announced the launch of its SecureSMS Mobile Banking and Payment Pilot for the African region. CellTrust recently partnered with Maxim-Pro Ltd. (www.maxim-pro.com), based in Abuja, Nigeria, to secure and mobile enable their successful banking platform with the view to extending secure mobile banking and payment services to under and un-banked populations.
Within the first few months of operation, uptake is expected to be high for the new Secure SMS/Text Mobile Banking program launched via CellTrust's Global SecureSMS Gateway. The pilot will allow end-users to make mobile cash transfers, payments and securely access other microfinance banking products.
"Microfinance banking institutions and cash agents will continue to play a major role in the successful implementation of the pilot and indeed the mobile branchless banking value chain," explains CellTrust CEO Sean Moshir. "Securing the mobile branchless banking value chain against fraud is a major challenge for the region. CellTrust's SecureSMS Appliance puts these concerns to rest by providing a solution that delivers advanced security and unprecedented reliability."
Fraud reduction is high on the agenda across Central Banks in Africa. New security requirements for mobile financial management insist both the financial institutions and their distribution networks take a high level of responsibility in protecting the end user.
"We are experiencing a clarion call for more security, and in the case of mobile text banking or SMS banking, Central Bank officials are legislating requirements for SecureSMS with multiple levels of authentication and encryption along with a clear audit trail for compliance," said Samuel Ucheaga, Managing Director, CellTrust of Africa.
Turning any phone into a secure communication device, CellTrust SecureSMS provides end-to-end privacy on the mobile device via a highly encrypted, tamper-proof process while enabling message sizes up to 5,000 characters. A remote wipe functionality that ensures users can wipe the handset if it is lost or stolen adds another critical layer of security. CellTrust SecureSMS Appliance is the first global enterprise appliance to offer secure SMS communication between handsets and enterprise applications and handsets with highly encrypted end to end security in compliance with HIPAA, FISMA, and Sarbanes-Oxley, ensuring that information is kept private and only delivered to the intended recipient. CellTrust's award winning SecureSMS(TM) Appliance and Gateway reaches 200+ countries and over 700 carriers.
CellTrust will officially introduce its SecureSMS(TM) Appliance and Gateway at MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, SHOWSTOPPERS, at Hilton Barcelona hotel, Avinguda Diagonal, 589-591, Barcelona, Spain 08014 on February 14, 2010.
CellTrust SecureSMS(TM) Appliance was selected winner of 2009 Best Enterprise Enabler Application for the RCR Ecosystem Awards. In 2008 CellTrust SecureSMS won the Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award and was voted Best Messaging Security Solution by the Info Security Products Guide's Tomorrow Technology Today Award. SecureSMS was accredited as a finalist for the Third Annual CTIA Emerging Technology Award, and was named the winner of three Mobile Star Awards, and the prestigious Mobile Marketing Association 2008 Global Relationship Building Award.
About CellTrust Corporation
CellTrust is a leading provider of secure mobile messaging and applications. CellTrust's patent
pending SecureSMS Gateway(TM) featuring the SecureSMS(TM) Appliance and a suite of mobile applications provide advanced secure mobile messaging and information management across 200+ countries and over 700 carriers. CellTrust ensures the secure and trusted exchange of information on mobile devices to the financial services, healthcare, government, education, energy, information technology, marketing, and travel, among other global industries. For more information about CellTrust's Global, African, North American and Australian operations: www.celltrust.com www.africa.celltrust.com www.celltrust.com.au
CellTrust Media Contact:
Lora Friedrichsen or Yasmin Ezaby
Global Results Comms (GRC) for CellTrust
+1 949-608-0276
celltrust@globalresultspr.com
Source: CellTrust Corporation
CONTACT: Lora Friedrichsen, or Yasmin Ezaby, both of Global Results
Comms (GRC), +1-949-608-0276, celltrust@globalresultspr.com, for CellTrust
Web Site: http://www.celltrust.com/
http://www.maxim-pro.com/
http://www.africa.celltrust.com/
http://www.celltrust.com.au/
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
11 Feb 2010
15:00
Rotary Lights Chicago's Wrigley Building With Dramatic End Polio Now Message
15:00
Over 100 Global Social Entrepreneurs Convene to Discuss Revolutionizing Social Change through Invention
10 Feb 2010
20:17
Platts Survey: OPEC Pumps 29.25 Million Barrels Per Day in January
13:34
UN Envoy lauds Nigeria for enhancing women's role in peacekeeping missions
07:00
BOURBON Press Release 2009 4th Quarter and 2009 Annual Revenues
CellTrust Unveils SecureSMS Mobile Banking and Payment Pilot in Africa to Secure Branchless Banking for the Under and Un-banked
CellTrust Pilot Addresses the Central Banks' Call for More Security
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- CellTrust Corporation (www.CellTrust.com), the leading supplier of secure mobile messaging and applications, has announced the launch of its SecureSMS Mobile Banking and Payment Pilot for the African region. CellTrust recently partnered with Maxim-Pro Ltd. (www.maxim-pro.com), based in Abuja, Nigeria, to secure and mobile enable their successful banking platform with the view to extending secure mobile banking and payment services to under and un-banked populations.
Within the first few months of operation, uptake is expected to be high for the new Secure SMS/Text Mobile Banking program launched via CellTrust's Global SecureSMS Gateway. The pilot will allow end-users to make mobile cash transfers, payments and securely access other microfinance banking products.
"Microfinance banking institutions and cash agents will continue to play a major role in the successful implementation of the pilot and indeed the mobile branchless banking value chain," explains CellTrust CEO Sean Moshir. "Securing the mobile branchless banking value chain against fraud is a major challenge for the region. CellTrust's SecureSMS Appliance puts these concerns to rest by providing a solution that delivers advanced security and unprecedented reliability."
Fraud reduction is high on the agenda across Central Banks in Africa. New security requirements for mobile financial management insist both the financial institutions and their distribution networks take a high level of responsibility in protecting the end user.
"We are experiencing a clarion call for more security, and in the case of mobile text banking or SMS banking, Central Bank officials are legislating requirements for SecureSMS with multiple levels of authentication and encryption along with a clear audit trail for compliance," said Samuel Ucheaga, Managing Director, CellTrust of Africa.
Turning any phone into a secure communication device, CellTrust SecureSMS provides end-to-end privacy on the mobile device via a highly encrypted, tamper-proof process while enabling message sizes up to 5,000 characters. A remote wipe functionality that ensures users can wipe the handset if it is lost or stolen adds another critical layer of security. CellTrust SecureSMS Appliance is the first global enterprise appliance to offer secure SMS communication between handsets and enterprise applications and handsets with highly encrypted end to end security in compliance with HIPAA, FISMA, and Sarbanes-Oxley, ensuring that information is kept private and only delivered to the intended recipient. CellTrust's award winning SecureSMS(TM) Appliance and Gateway reaches 200+ countries and over 700 carriers.
CellTrust will officially introduce its SecureSMS(TM) Appliance and Gateway at MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, SHOWSTOPPERS, at Hilton Barcelona hotel, Avinguda Diagonal, 589-591, Barcelona, Spain 08014 on February 14, 2010.
CellTrust SecureSMS(TM) Appliance was selected winner of 2009 Best Enterprise Enabler Application for the RCR Ecosystem Awards. In 2008 CellTrust SecureSMS won the Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award and was voted Best Messaging Security Solution by the Info Security Products Guide's Tomorrow Technology Today Award. SecureSMS was accredited as a finalist for the Third Annual CTIA Emerging Technology Award, and was named the winner of three Mobile Star Awards, and the prestigious Mobile Marketing Association 2008 Global Relationship Building Award.
About CellTrust Corporation
CellTrust is a leading provider of secure mobile messaging and applications. CellTrust's patent
pending SecureSMS Gateway(TM) featuring the SecureSMS(TM) Appliance and a suite of mobile applications provide advanced secure mobile messaging and information management across 200+ countries and over 700 carriers. CellTrust ensures the secure and trusted exchange of information on mobile devices to the financial services, healthcare, government, education, energy, information technology, marketing, and travel, among other global industries. For more information about CellTrust's Global, African, North American and Australian operations: www.celltrust.com www.africa.celltrust.com www.celltrust.com.au
CellTrust Media Contact:
Lora Friedrichsen or Yasmin Ezaby
Global Results Comms (GRC) for CellTrust
+1 949-608-0276
celltrust@globalresultspr.com
Source: CellTrust Corporation
CONTACT: Lora Friedrichsen, or Yasmin Ezaby, both of Global Results
Comms (GRC), +1-949-608-0276, celltrust@globalresultspr.com, for CellTrust
Web Site: http://www.celltrust.com/
http://www.maxim-pro.com/
http://www.africa.celltrust.com/
http://www.celltrust.com.au/
Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
11 Feb 2010
15:00
Rotary Lights Chicago's Wrigley Building With Dramatic End Polio Now Message
15:00
Over 100 Global Social Entrepreneurs Convene to Discuss Revolutionizing Social Change through Invention
10 Feb 2010
20:17
Platts Survey: OPEC Pumps 29.25 Million Barrels Per Day in January
13:34
UN Envoy lauds Nigeria for enhancing women's role in peacekeeping missions
07:00
BOURBON Press Release 2009 4th Quarter and 2009 Annual Revenues
Nigerians Want a New Government and not an Acting President
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria
Nigerians Want a New Government and not an Acting President
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
The appointment of Mr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as the Acting President of Nigeria is not something to celebrate as long as the notorious ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is still in power.
The notorious PDP does not deserve to be in power, because of the indictment of the top leaders of the political party for various corrupt practices and most of them are still going about with impunity. None of them has been made to pay for the crimes they have committed. The crimes for which the majority of Nigerians are suffering and thousands have died while these guilty criminals are still sharing government appointments in the corridors of power. So, the proclamation of Goodluck Jonathan as the Acting President is a continuation of the corrupt government that should have been sacked.
Mrs. Turai Yar'Adua has been accused of manipulating the cabinet of her incapacitated husband, President Umaru Yar’Adua and using unconstitutional methods to perpetuate the political crisis and stymie the appointment of a new head of state. But is it not ridiculous to tell Nigerians that the First Lady is responsible for the political impasse? How can the National Assembly allow her to hold the most populous nation in Africa to ransom? The circulation of this ridiculous political conspiracy by the highly esteemed NEXT newspaper only poured more fuel to the flames of the political crisis in Nigeria: that Nigerians are being ruled by a political cabal controlled by Hajia Turai’s Bottom Power.
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan has started a cabinet reshuffle to displace, replace or dismiss some unpopular ministers and others like Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, the Minister of Justice who was moved to the Ministry of Special Duties. But as The Economist reported that, “there was no hint that he was about to sweep away the ancien régime.”
“The resolution is an illusion. The legal issues will cloud how active Jonathan can be,” said Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Mr. Goodluck Jonathan is not an innocent man as long as he is one of the gang leaders of the most corrupt political party in Africa.
What Nigerians would love to see is a Nigerian Jerry Rawlings to overthrow the wicked rulers in Nigeria and not an acting president of a corrupt government.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
Mr. Ben Kioko Briefs Journalists on Legal Issues of the AU
6 Feb 2010 11:35 Africa/Lagos
Mr. Ben Kioko Briefs Journalists on Legal Issues of the AU
ADDIS ABABA, February 5, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Mr. Ben Kioko, the Legal Counsel of the African Union Commission (AUC), addressed journalists on the status of ratification of treaties, instruments and conventions of the OAU/AU; the abuse of the principle of universal jurisdiction; and the Hissene Habre case. Within the framework of the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, the issues were addressed during the press conference that took place on 31 January 2010; at the AU headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mr. Kioko, announced the 15 Members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council. The five countries elected to serve for a period of three years as from March 2010 are: Republic of Equatorial Guinea – Central Africa; Republic of Kenya – East Africa; Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya – North Africa; Republic of Zimbabwe – Southern Africa; Federal Republic of Nigeria – West Africa.
The other ten members of the African Union Peace and Security Council were elected for a term of two years, as from 1st April 2010. They are: Republic of Burundi – Central Africa;
Republic of Chad – Central Africa; Republic of Djibouti – East Africa; Republic of Rwanda – East Africa; Republic of Mauritania – North Africa; Republic of Namibia – Southern Africa; Republic of South Africa - Southern Africa; Republic of Benin - West Africa; Republic of Cote d'Ivoire – West Africa; Republic of Mali – West Africa.
Concerning the former Chadian president, Mr. Hissene Habre, Mr. Kioko said that the trial is expected to start in the next few months, soon after the AU and the European Union have worked out the budget requirements and issues of procedure.
He also mentioned that a detailed plan to merge the African Court of Human and People's Rights with the African Court of Justice, and to mandate the new entity to handle serious offences like war crimes, would be presented at the next AU summit in July.
“The African judicial organs should be able to deal with cases relating to unconstitutional changes of government so that is also another axis we will be looking at to confer jurisdiction upon the African court”, the Director said.
Source: African Union Commission (AUC)
Mr. Ben Kioko Briefs Journalists on Legal Issues of the AU
ADDIS ABABA, February 5, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Mr. Ben Kioko, the Legal Counsel of the African Union Commission (AUC), addressed journalists on the status of ratification of treaties, instruments and conventions of the OAU/AU; the abuse of the principle of universal jurisdiction; and the Hissene Habre case. Within the framework of the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, the issues were addressed during the press conference that took place on 31 January 2010; at the AU headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mr. Kioko, announced the 15 Members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council. The five countries elected to serve for a period of three years as from March 2010 are: Republic of Equatorial Guinea – Central Africa; Republic of Kenya – East Africa; Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya – North Africa; Republic of Zimbabwe – Southern Africa; Federal Republic of Nigeria – West Africa.
The other ten members of the African Union Peace and Security Council were elected for a term of two years, as from 1st April 2010. They are: Republic of Burundi – Central Africa;
Republic of Chad – Central Africa; Republic of Djibouti – East Africa; Republic of Rwanda – East Africa; Republic of Mauritania – North Africa; Republic of Namibia – Southern Africa; Republic of South Africa - Southern Africa; Republic of Benin - West Africa; Republic of Cote d'Ivoire – West Africa; Republic of Mali – West Africa.
Concerning the former Chadian president, Mr. Hissene Habre, Mr. Kioko said that the trial is expected to start in the next few months, soon after the AU and the European Union have worked out the budget requirements and issues of procedure.
He also mentioned that a detailed plan to merge the African Court of Human and People's Rights with the African Court of Justice, and to mandate the new entity to handle serious offences like war crimes, would be presented at the next AU summit in July.
“The African judicial organs should be able to deal with cases relating to unconstitutional changes of government so that is also another axis we will be looking at to confer jurisdiction upon the African court”, the Director said.
Source: African Union Commission (AUC)
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