German hostages in Nigeria free
BERLIN, April 26, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The two German nationals kidnapped on 18 April near Port Harcourt, Nigeria, were freed today (24 April). In this connection Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle today issued the following statement:
“I'm delighted to hear that our two fellow Germans are free and in good health. They are in safe hands in Port Harcourt, and their condition is as good as can be expected under the circumstances.
I pay tribute to the tireless efforts of the crisis task force and of the German and Nigerian authorities involved for bringing this kidnapping to a rapid and successful conclusion.”
Source: Germany - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Monday, April 26, 2010
LG Teams Up with Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria Parker to Promote Personal Style and Latest Handsets - LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch
LG Teams Up with Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria Parker to Promote Personal Style and Latest Handsets - LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch
Victoria BeckhamLG Mobile Phones launches multi-faceted campaign inviting consumers to ‘flaunt their fashion touch’ through two uniquely stylish touchscreen devices
Eva Longoria Parke
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – April 26, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) has forged an alliance with fashionable stars Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria Parker to promote the company’s latest touchscreen mobile phones, the stylish LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch. The integrated campaign, called LG Fashion Touch, promotes personal style and the idea that mobile phones have become the latest in fashion communication. The partnership includes a print and online campaign, series of MTV vignettes, consumer promotion and an event in Los Angeles to celebrate the integration of fashion and technology.
The LG Fashion Touch campaign pairs two of the most fashionable phones with two of the world’s most well-known fashion enthusiasts. LG partnered with the famous friends because their unique personal styles complement the design aesthetic of the handsets and their friendship aligned perfectly with the dual product launch. LG Lotus Elite is bold and edgy, which is a reflection of Victoria’s style. LG Rumor Touch is a sleek and more classically designed handset, which is a reflection of Eva’s style.
“We don’t believe you should have to compromise your personal style or productivity, when it comes to your choice of mobile phone,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of marketing and innovation for LG Mobile Phones. “With new touchscreen technology, LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch deliver the best in functionality and fashion. We are thrilled to be working with Victoria and Eva; their involvement in the campaign highlights the relevancy of our design credo and reinforces the LG style heritage.”
The series of MTV vignettes, produced and directed by documentarist Doug Keeve, depict Eva and Victoria and two very talented up and coming fashion designers -Yotam Solomon and Oday Shakar - as they collaborate together in preparation for the big fashion event in Los Angeles May 24. Tasked to create groundbreaking pieces influenced by the idea of being fashionable in a technological and socially-connected world, Yotam and Oday use their LG phones to gather inspiration for their designs. Their creations will be revealed at the event.
The print ads launch the week of May 3 nationally and will run side-by-side, allowing readers to clearly visualize the duality of the campaign. The ads were shot by fashion photographer, Ellen Von Unwerth and feature Eva and Victoria posing with their respective phones. Both women wear fashions that reflect their personal style and the design aesthetic of their handsets. The ads are featured in weekly magazines as well as fashion-driven monthlies. Banner ads also feature the images.
To engage consumers, LG created the Fashion Touch Style Quiz on the LG Fashion Touch Facebook page www.facebook.com/LGFashion. By taking the quiz, fashionistas can find out what phone and style best suits them and participants will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the LG Fashion Touch event in May.
To celebrate the partnership and the culmination of the campaign, Victoria and Eva will host an LG exclusive party that will reflect the intersection of fashion and technology. Guests of the party will include celebrities, stylists and fashion insiders who are known for flaunting their unique ‘fashion touch.’
The stylish LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch are successors to the popular LG Lotus and LG Rumor. LG and Sprint are proud to offer consumers LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch in an expanded variety of stylish colors. These sleek and fashionable messaging devices offer users a more advanced handset with the additions of touchscreen technology and new exclusive features. Available in new colors on April 19 in all Sprint retail channels including www.sprint.com, LG Lotus Elite will come in red and black for $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate and LG Rumor Touch (currently available in black) will now be available in Red and Purple for $79.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in-rebate.
About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2009 global sales of USD43.4 billion, LG is comprised of five business units –- Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is the world’s leading producer of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula One™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lgusa.com.
About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company
The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communications and information company. With its cutting-edge technology and innovative design capabilities, LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world. LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products, while continuing its leadership role in mobile communication with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit www.lgmobilephones.com.
Media Contacts:
LG Electronics Inc.
LG MobileComm U.S.A., Inc.
Demetra Kavadeles
(707) 328-5307
demetra.kavadeles@lge.com
LG-One
Erica Samadani
(310) 210-4071
erica.samadani@lg-one.com
AMMREN Works with Partners at “Counting Malaria out” in Africa
WMD 2010_AMMREN NG_L-R 'Timeless' editor Ayo Jeremiah, speaker Dr. Abayomi Afe, Country Coordinator Adeleke Adeyemi.AMMREN works with partners at “Counting Malaria out” in Africa
As part of its efforts to address the spate of malaria-related deaths on the continent, the African Media and Malaria Research Network, AMMREN, held a Media Forum on Saturday 24, eve of the third World Malaria Day (it started as African Malaria Day following the Abuja Roll Back Malaria Summit of 2000), to review progress on the Abuja Declaration targets and to reinforce the fight against the epidemic. The forum, which had for theme “Counting Malaria Out in Partnership with the Media”, is coming just as the US authorities, where the day--April 25--is marked as Malaria Awareness Day, released a six-year strategic plan to combat the scourge on the continent. Another forum was held simultaneously in Kaduna in northern Nigeria.
WMD 2010_AMMREN NG_L-R Guest, 'Timeless' editor Ayo Jeremiah, speaker Dr. Abayomi Afe, Country Coordinator Adeleke Adeyemi, award-winning children's malaria author, Ndidi Enenmor.
In a goodwill message at the forum, held at Timeless Media, AMMREN’s main media partner for the Lagos Forum, the Executive Secretary of the body, Mrs. Charity Binka, based at the award-winning network’s secretariat in Accra Ghana, who was represented by Mr. Adeleke Adeyemi, Country Coordinator of AMMREN Nigeria, said the group has over the years pursued projects to bring to the front burner the fight against malaria in Africa through the use of different media and training tools and through partnering with stakeholders in the fight against the disease. Mr. Adeyemi also reiterated the importance of the ongoing INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Antimalarials in Africa (INESS) Project in selected African countries. INDEPTH is an international organisation involved in the demographic evaluation of populations and their health in developing countries.
Meanwhile, according to Mrs. Binka, “there remains a missing link between the work of malaria researchers to tackle the reality on our hands and media coverage of it that is begging to be bridged,” she said. “This is amply demonstrated by the lack of sustainable media follow up on the Abuja Targets by 2005”, which set out to achieve among others, that 60% children under-five with fever symptoms will have prompt access to care and that 60% of pregnant women will be placed on appropriate medical care to pre-empt malaria in mother and child. Also glaring for tracking are the progressively tougher Abuja Targets By 2010, like reducing malaria morbidity (infection rate) by half of the 2000 levels.
Speaking at the forum, Dr. Abayomi Afe of the of Nigeria (IHVN), affiliate of Institute of Human Virology, Maryland, USA, said in his presentation “Defeating World’s Public Health Enemy Number one (Malaria Facts, Figures & Fallacies)” that about 40% of the world’s population are at risk of malaria; however, due to worldwide climate change, the figure is expected to jump to 60% before long. According to the speaker, the epidemic kills between 1.1 and 2.7 million people every year, 90% of them in Africa. Out of this, one million are children under the age of five, two die every minute.
Dr. Afe further pointed out that between 300 and 500 million clinical cases of malaria occur every year, “80% of them in Africa.” According to Dr. Afe, a review of the Abuja Targets for 2010, due to expire at the end of the year, shows minimal progress in the fight against malaria.
Responding to questions from members of the press and Café Scientifique Nigeria audience the moderator, Ayodeji Jeremiah, editor of Timeless, hinged the continuing prevalence of malaria on the lack adequate coverage by the media all along in the fight. He argued that malaria, which kills more people that HIV/AIDS, simply isn’t getting the attention it deserves; creating that awareness, he stressed, is the responsibility of the media. He called on the media to brace up in the fight against the scourge by being innovative in generating adequate coverage for creating and sustaining buzz on malaria among the populace and indeed all stakeholders.
There was an excerpt reading from a section highlighting the knotty issue of patient compliance and antimalarial drugs provider compliance from the recent Oprah-nominated, rave-making collection of short stories by Nigerian Roman Catholic Jesuit priest Uwem Akpan, “Say You’re One of Them” at the occasion.
AMMREN is a network of African journalists and scientists working together towards the eradication of Malaria in Africa. The group has a membership of over fifty journalists drawn from 10 African countries: Burkina Faso, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania, where a highly successful media sensitisation workshop under the aegis of the INESS Project was held for AMMREN members and communication officers from select malaria research institutes recently.
Rare 19th Century British Literature Discovery, Deep in the Heart of Texas
23 Apr 2010 14:00 Africa/Lagos
Rare 19th Century British Literature Discovery, Deep in the Heart of Texas
WACO, Texas, April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The last place you'd expect to find a hand-written manuscript from one of the giants of 19th century British literature would be deep the heart of Texas. Yet, that is where it is.
Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University recently made one of its rarest discoveries: a notebook written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that contains the earliest known draft manuscript of "Sonnet Five" from her best-known work, Sonnets from the Portuguese.
Owned and composed by the famed poet circa 1839-1846 - during her courtship with Robert Browning - the notebook was transcribed by library director Rita S. Patteson. Tiny, spider-like handwriting on the title page calls out to the reader from across two centuries: "MSS. by Elizabeth B. Barrett." In the notebook's 100-plus pages, Elizabeth's script reveals numerous works in draft form, including three previously unpublished poems, "The Gorse," "The Repose," and "An Ode to America."
On the notebook's final leaf, stanzas thought originally to be the conclusion of "An Ode to America" were discovered to be substantially different from the ode's early stanzas and, in fact, proved to be a draft of one of Barrett Browning's famous sonnets, "Sonnet Five." Patteson's honed skill at deciphering the 170-year-old handwriting was put to full use. This early draft of "Sonnet Five," with words crossed out and rewritten, reveals how the sonnet began to take shape before it took its ultimate published form:
I lift my heavy heart up solemnly,
As once Electra her sepulchral urn,
And, looking in thine eyes, I overturn
The ashes at thy feet. Behold and see
What a great heap of grief lay hid in me,
And how the red wild sparkles dimly burn
Through the ashen greyness. If thy foot in scorn
Could tread them out to darkness utterly,
It might be well perhaps. But if instead
Thou wait beside me for the wind to blow
The grey dust up,... those laurels on thine head,
O My beloved, will not shield thee so,
That none of all the fires shall scorch and shred
The hair beneath. Stand further off then! Go.
Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor is a gem of a facility holding the world's largest collection of material related to both Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Each year, the library holds its Browning celebration, coinciding with the anniversary of Robert's birth date of May 7. The 2010
Browning Festival May 6-8 will draw scholars and other lovers of Browning poetry from around the world.
The highlight will be an address by Dr. Scott Lewis, editor of The Brownings' Correspondence, president of the Browning Society (London) and senior research fellow of De Montfort University in Leicester, England. He will speak at 2:30 p.m., May 7, in the library's McLean Foyer of Meditation.
Lewis, who is writing a biography of Dr. A. J. Armstrong, will address the life and work of the man who founded the library during his 40-year career at Baylor. Donating his own Browning collection to Baylor in 1918, Armstrong was the driving force in acquiring books and other artifacts of the
Brownings throughout his lifetime and in raising the necessary funding to build the library which opened in 1951.
Lewis says it was Armstrong's skill as an impresario as well as a scholar that led to the library's creation. "Early on, Armstrong brought not only great poets such as Carl Sandberg, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Robert Frost to Baylor, he also arranged for leading performing artists such as Marian Anderson, Basil Rathbone and Katharine Cornell to perform in Waco.
"He fully understood the need to obtain resources, and he used these performances to raise funds to support the creation of the library. The building and its collection are his greatest achievement."
Tireless in his passion, Armstrong was an "evangelist for poetry," Lewis said. "He saw literature and the arts as an extension of the spiritual life. And his stamina for work was amazing; he routinely put in 16 to 18-hour days."
Armstrong's passion has resulted in a legacy of more than 25,000 volumes and over 10,000 letters, manuscripts and artifacts in the library's collection - and a staff dedicated to tracking and acquiring others as they become known. Patteson worked with Browning scholar Dr. Sandra Donaldson, University of North Dakota professor of English and Women Studies, in transcribing the new notebook after the library acquired it in a Christie's auction. Donaldson led a team of Browning scholars including Patteson that recently produced the first modern scholarly edition of Elizabeth's texts, a five-volume set entitled The Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Pickering & Chatto, 2010). The newly discovered works from the notebook are included.
These early versions are important in understanding the life's work of a writer, Patteson said. "Looking at all editions, line by line, teaches us how the poetry developed and helps us see the poet's process of writing."
Lewis concurs. "Seeing these newly discovered works provides an opportunity for a fresh reading of the poem. It provides us with lines we have never seen before, and in so doing, gives us new understanding of how the poet worked."
Browning Festival, May 6-8
Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University
710 Speight Ave. at Eighth Street, Waco, Texas
Schedule:
7 p.m., Thursday, May 6: Waco Children's Choir:
Performing resident composer Carlos Colon's new setting of Robert Browning's poem, The Pied Piper of Hamelin
2:30 p.m., Friday, May 7: Choir Competition Winners Followed by Annual Lecture:
China Spring High School Choir will sing the winning composition of the library-sponsored competition held by Baylor School of Music; following the performance, Dr. Scott Lewis will deliver the Browning Festival annual lecture
7 p.m., Saturday, May 8: Acoustic Performance:
Guitarist Richard Smith and his wife Julie Adams on cello with a strings ensemble
Admission to all events is free
This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com/.
CONTACT: Jill Scoggins, (713) 855-7344, jill_scoggins@baylor.edu
Source: Baylor University
CONTACT: Jill Scoggins of Baylor University, +1-713-855-7344,
jill_scoggins@baylor.edu
Web Site: http://www.baylor.edu/
Rare 19th Century British Literature Discovery, Deep in the Heart of Texas
WACO, Texas, April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The last place you'd expect to find a hand-written manuscript from one of the giants of 19th century British literature would be deep the heart of Texas. Yet, that is where it is.
Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University recently made one of its rarest discoveries: a notebook written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning that contains the earliest known draft manuscript of "Sonnet Five" from her best-known work, Sonnets from the Portuguese.
Owned and composed by the famed poet circa 1839-1846 - during her courtship with Robert Browning - the notebook was transcribed by library director Rita S. Patteson. Tiny, spider-like handwriting on the title page calls out to the reader from across two centuries: "MSS. by Elizabeth B. Barrett." In the notebook's 100-plus pages, Elizabeth's script reveals numerous works in draft form, including three previously unpublished poems, "The Gorse," "The Repose," and "An Ode to America."
On the notebook's final leaf, stanzas thought originally to be the conclusion of "An Ode to America" were discovered to be substantially different from the ode's early stanzas and, in fact, proved to be a draft of one of Barrett Browning's famous sonnets, "Sonnet Five." Patteson's honed skill at deciphering the 170-year-old handwriting was put to full use. This early draft of "Sonnet Five," with words crossed out and rewritten, reveals how the sonnet began to take shape before it took its ultimate published form:
I lift my heavy heart up solemnly,
As once Electra her sepulchral urn,
And, looking in thine eyes, I overturn
The ashes at thy feet. Behold and see
What a great heap of grief lay hid in me,
And how the red wild sparkles dimly burn
Through the ashen greyness. If thy foot in scorn
Could tread them out to darkness utterly,
It might be well perhaps. But if instead
Thou wait beside me for the wind to blow
The grey dust up,... those laurels on thine head,
O My beloved, will not shield thee so,
That none of all the fires shall scorch and shred
The hair beneath. Stand further off then! Go.
Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor is a gem of a facility holding the world's largest collection of material related to both Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Each year, the library holds its Browning celebration, coinciding with the anniversary of Robert's birth date of May 7. The 2010
Browning Festival May 6-8 will draw scholars and other lovers of Browning poetry from around the world.
The highlight will be an address by Dr. Scott Lewis, editor of The Brownings' Correspondence, president of the Browning Society (London) and senior research fellow of De Montfort University in Leicester, England. He will speak at 2:30 p.m., May 7, in the library's McLean Foyer of Meditation.
Lewis, who is writing a biography of Dr. A. J. Armstrong, will address the life and work of the man who founded the library during his 40-year career at Baylor. Donating his own Browning collection to Baylor in 1918, Armstrong was the driving force in acquiring books and other artifacts of the
Brownings throughout his lifetime and in raising the necessary funding to build the library which opened in 1951.
Lewis says it was Armstrong's skill as an impresario as well as a scholar that led to the library's creation. "Early on, Armstrong brought not only great poets such as Carl Sandberg, Edna St. Vincent Millay and Robert Frost to Baylor, he also arranged for leading performing artists such as Marian Anderson, Basil Rathbone and Katharine Cornell to perform in Waco.
"He fully understood the need to obtain resources, and he used these performances to raise funds to support the creation of the library. The building and its collection are his greatest achievement."
Tireless in his passion, Armstrong was an "evangelist for poetry," Lewis said. "He saw literature and the arts as an extension of the spiritual life. And his stamina for work was amazing; he routinely put in 16 to 18-hour days."
Armstrong's passion has resulted in a legacy of more than 25,000 volumes and over 10,000 letters, manuscripts and artifacts in the library's collection - and a staff dedicated to tracking and acquiring others as they become known. Patteson worked with Browning scholar Dr. Sandra Donaldson, University of North Dakota professor of English and Women Studies, in transcribing the new notebook after the library acquired it in a Christie's auction. Donaldson led a team of Browning scholars including Patteson that recently produced the first modern scholarly edition of Elizabeth's texts, a five-volume set entitled The Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Pickering & Chatto, 2010). The newly discovered works from the notebook are included.
These early versions are important in understanding the life's work of a writer, Patteson said. "Looking at all editions, line by line, teaches us how the poetry developed and helps us see the poet's process of writing."
Lewis concurs. "Seeing these newly discovered works provides an opportunity for a fresh reading of the poem. It provides us with lines we have never seen before, and in so doing, gives us new understanding of how the poet worked."
Browning Festival, May 6-8
Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University
710 Speight Ave. at Eighth Street, Waco, Texas
Schedule:
7 p.m., Thursday, May 6: Waco Children's Choir:
Performing resident composer Carlos Colon's new setting of Robert Browning's poem, The Pied Piper of Hamelin
2:30 p.m., Friday, May 7: Choir Competition Winners Followed by Annual Lecture:
China Spring High School Choir will sing the winning composition of the library-sponsored competition held by Baylor School of Music; following the performance, Dr. Scott Lewis will deliver the Browning Festival annual lecture
7 p.m., Saturday, May 8: Acoustic Performance:
Guitarist Richard Smith and his wife Julie Adams on cello with a strings ensemble
Admission to all events is free
This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com/.
CONTACT: Jill Scoggins, (713) 855-7344, jill_scoggins@baylor.edu
Source: Baylor University
CONTACT: Jill Scoggins of Baylor University, +1-713-855-7344,
jill_scoggins@baylor.edu
Web Site: http://www.baylor.edu/
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Iran Can Strike the U.S. in 2015
A photo of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) Iran can strike the U.S. in 2015
“Iran, with foreign assistance (North Korea), could have the ability to strike the U.S. homeland with an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) by 2015,” said Riki Ellison last Friday in Washington.
Ellison is the Founder and Chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA). He was commenting on the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held on Capitol Hill Wednesday April 21, 2010.
The purpose of the hearing was to receive testimony on ballistic missile defense policies and programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2011. Ellison is one of the foremost lay experts in the field of missile defense. Ellison's comments include the following statements:
The following is the complete statement made by Riki Ellison.
"Over the past week, Congress held three public hearings on missile defense plans for 2011 and beyond. Hearings were held by the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, the Senate Armed Service Committee led by Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and the Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) on Tuesday and most recently the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee led by the Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) on Wednesday.
"During these hearings, the testimony of President Barack Obama's appointees in the Department of Defense and the Director of the Missile Defense Agency, Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, exposed five fundamental elements of the administration's missile defense plan:
1. Iran, with foreign assistance (North Korea), could have the ability to strike the U.S. homeland with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by 2015.
2. In the current administration's plan, the Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA), there will be a second shot capability based in Europe to defend the U.S. homeland from an Iranian ICBM in 2020. This is dependent on the development, testing and deployment, of a new SM-3 Block 2B missile and the integration that allows for early intercept by launch and engage on remote sensors including basing Aegis Ashore platforms in
Europe.
3. The administration's current missile defense plan for the defense of the U.S. homeland is to rely on 30 Ground-Based Interceptors (GBI's), 26 based in Alaska and 4 in California until 2032. They would provide protection against a maximum of 15 incoming ICBMs, using two GBIs per ICBM with a shoot, look, and shoot doctrine. Due to distance, parts of Eastern United States will not have the same confidence of protection as the remaining U.S. Homeland from an ICBM threat from Iran.
4. There is a gap of protection and vulnerability against an ICBM launched from Iran at the U.S. homeland, especially to significant parts of the east coast, for a minimum of 5 years in the President's plan for missile defense, provided that Iran acquires ICBM capability by 2015.
5. In regards to a hedge for the existent gap in protection from an ICBM attack from Iran against the U.S. homeland, Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly presented three options:
-- Fully outfitting missile field 2 in Fort Greely, Alaska with GBIs adding 8 more GBIs to the existing 30 GBIs,
-- Testing the two-stage GBI, the missile in June of this year, the same missile system intended to be deployed in Poland for the canceled 3rd site of the previous administration.
-- Having additional shot opportunities, against an ICBM from Iran, with two-stage missiles.
"The recent Congressional hearings on missile defense have made it abundantly clear to the American public that a gap exists in the missile protection of the U.S. homeland against Iran. It is also apparent that the administration's plans to develop and deploy a hedge to fill that gap have not adequately been addressed. The administration needs to move forward with urgency for a robust testing and deployment plan of the two-stage GBI on or before 2015 to ensure full protection of the U.S. homeland from Iran.
"The protection of the U.S. homeland from ballistic missiles is the declared and stated number one priority of President Obama's administration missile defense policy."
Source: Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
CONTACT: Barbara Maxwell of Missile Defense Advocacy, +1-703-299-0060
Web Site: http://www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org/
Recommended:
World Military Strength Ranking
Iran's Ballistic Missile Program
Photo Credit: Capitalism Magazine
Introduction
The Rise of Iran's Arsenal
Current Weapons Stocks
Questionable Capabilities
Help from Abroad
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Novel Malaria Diagnostics for Improved Patient Support
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Novel Malaria Diagnostics for Improved Patient Support
23 Apr 2010 09:10 Africa/Lagos
Novel Malaria Diagnostics for Improved Patient Support
MUENSTER, Germany, April 23, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
-On World Malaria Day Biotechnology Enterprise Partec Donates Diagnostic Solutions
On the occasion of World Malaria Day on April 25th, German biotechnology company Partec donates 55 fluorescence microscopes and 11.000 patient tests for malaria diagnosis to different countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria and Malawi.
Malaria, a disease spread to humans by tropical mosquitoe species and causing symptoms including fever, is endemic in 107 countries with 3 billion people. Over 300 million people are infected by malaria with far more than 1 million death cases annually - including one child every 30 seconds. New reliable diagnostic tools for point-of-care testing therefore play the key role for improving targeted patient support.
The diagnostic solution donated by Partec provides a uniquely easy-to-use, affordable and ultrarapid method for highly sensitive malaria testing by combining a unique class of mobile and battery-operated fluorescence microscopes with ready-to-use test slides, which already carry ready-prepared dried-in reagents on the slide surface, eliminating any need for cold chain and cold storage, as usually required for conventional malaria tests.
"The World Malaria Day is a day of unified commemoration of the global effort to provide effective control of malaria," says Partec's Chief Executive Officer Roland Göhde. "In this context, the new diagnostic technology for the first time opens the opportunity to bring most reliable Malaria testing to almost every patient, especially in remote areas and those regions suffering from a low level of laboratory infrastructure, limited or missing electricity supply and a shortcut of skilled laboratory personnel."
The CyScope fluorescence microscopy technology of Partec has been developed and is being produced entirely in Germany, renowned for the long tradition in manufacturing highest quality precision optics and microscopes.
Since 2002, Partec is active in 100 countries worldwide, providing and implementing complete packages of diagnostic solutions for TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS, specifically designed to meet the requirements of developing, emerging and resource-constrained countries with limited infrastructure.
Contact:
Christiane Kraus
Chief Operating Officer
Partec GmbH
Am Flugplatz 13, 02828 Gorlitz
Phone: +49-3581-8746-0
Telefax: +49-3581-8746-70
c.kraus@partec.com
http://www.partec.com
Source: Partec GmbH
Contact: Christiane Kraus, Chief Operating Officer, Partec GmbH, Am Flugplatz 13, 02828 Gorlitz, Phone: +49-3581-8746-0, Telefax: +49-3581-8746-70, c.kraus@partec.com
Novel Malaria Diagnostics for Improved Patient Support
MUENSTER, Germany, April 23, 2010/PRNewswire/ --
-On World Malaria Day Biotechnology Enterprise Partec Donates Diagnostic Solutions
On the occasion of World Malaria Day on April 25th, German biotechnology company Partec donates 55 fluorescence microscopes and 11.000 patient tests for malaria diagnosis to different countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria and Malawi.
Malaria, a disease spread to humans by tropical mosquitoe species and causing symptoms including fever, is endemic in 107 countries with 3 billion people. Over 300 million people are infected by malaria with far more than 1 million death cases annually - including one child every 30 seconds. New reliable diagnostic tools for point-of-care testing therefore play the key role for improving targeted patient support.
The diagnostic solution donated by Partec provides a uniquely easy-to-use, affordable and ultrarapid method for highly sensitive malaria testing by combining a unique class of mobile and battery-operated fluorescence microscopes with ready-to-use test slides, which already carry ready-prepared dried-in reagents on the slide surface, eliminating any need for cold chain and cold storage, as usually required for conventional malaria tests.
"The World Malaria Day is a day of unified commemoration of the global effort to provide effective control of malaria," says Partec's Chief Executive Officer Roland Göhde. "In this context, the new diagnostic technology for the first time opens the opportunity to bring most reliable Malaria testing to almost every patient, especially in remote areas and those regions suffering from a low level of laboratory infrastructure, limited or missing electricity supply and a shortcut of skilled laboratory personnel."
The CyScope fluorescence microscopy technology of Partec has been developed and is being produced entirely in Germany, renowned for the long tradition in manufacturing highest quality precision optics and microscopes.
Since 2002, Partec is active in 100 countries worldwide, providing and implementing complete packages of diagnostic solutions for TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS, specifically designed to meet the requirements of developing, emerging and resource-constrained countries with limited infrastructure.
Contact:
Christiane Kraus
Chief Operating Officer
Partec GmbH
Am Flugplatz 13, 02828 Gorlitz
Phone: +49-3581-8746-0
Telefax: +49-3581-8746-70
c.kraus@partec.com
http://www.partec.com
Source: Partec GmbH
Contact: Christiane Kraus, Chief Operating Officer, Partec GmbH, Am Flugplatz 13, 02828 Gorlitz, Phone: +49-3581-8746-0, Telefax: +49-3581-8746-70, c.kraus@partec.com
Let’s Join Hands to Fight off Malaria for Good
World Malaria Day 2010, Sunday April 25
A Message from African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN)
By the Executive Secretary, Mrs. Charity Binka
‘Let’s join hands to fight off malaria for good!’
It is here with us – again. The World Malaria Day is a sad, rude reminder that malaria, a preventable disease, continues to parade the world dealing a death blow to many African children and ravaging the resources of the continent.
The Day offers us another opportunity to ponder anew how a disease so primitive continues to reap a grim harvest. According to the World Health Organization’s statistics, more than a million deaths occur annually and more than 80% are estimated to occur in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly among children under five years old and pregnant women.
Despite these challenges, it is gratifying to note that there are many activities including control and preventive strategies coupled with research activities currently going on to support other interventions to contain the disease and eventually eradicate it.
Current control strategies on malaria include early diagnosis and prompt, effective treatment of malaria. There are also preventive activities through the use of insecticide-treated nets and other vector control measures such as residual indoor spraying and environmental management. Others areas are prevention of malaria in pregnancy and the development of new tools through research.
Vaccines, such as the candidate RTS,S are also part of the new tools being developed to deal a death blow to malaria. The INDEPTH Effectiveness and Safety Studies of Antimalarials in Africa (INESS) is also one of the innovative and unique initiatives which have also come on board to support other interventions. INESS is, for instance focusing on antimalarials to ensure their safety and effectiveness in and outside the general health systems in Africa.
These are great milestones we need to be proud of and to commend scientists, researchers and donors for their immense contribution towards the eradication of malaria.
While commending scientists, we want to appreciate Bill Gates for his contribution in funding research into malaria eradication. He is on record to have said: It‘s time to treat the malaria epidemic like the crisis it is. It is unacceptable that 3,000 children die every day from a largely preventable and treatable disease.
Indeed there is a missing link between the work of malaria researchers to tackle this present reality and media coverage of it that is begging to be bridged. It is amply demonstrated by the lack of sustainable media follow up on the Abuja Declaration Targets of60% of children under-5 and pregnant women sleeping under Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) by 2005. The leaders also promised to reduce by25% of childhood fevers which will be correctly managed using IMCI. The Abuja Declaration Targets for 2010 are here with us.
The BIG question is: Can we, by the end of this year, be able to proudly say that the targets to reduce malaria morbidity (disease occurrence) by half (50%) of the 2000 levels and the reduction of malaria mortality (death rate) by 50% of the 2000 levels have been achieved?
Yes we can with commitment on the part of leaders. That is why we must applaud the mission of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest donor to malaria to work with partners around the world to reach a day when no human being would have malaria – the very purpose for which African Media and Malaria Research (AMMREN) was born. AMMREN’s major goal is to join hands with partner stakeholders towards the eradication of malaria.
AMMREN seeks to promote communication of malaria research outcomes/outputs and best practices in malaria eradication in Africa through strengthened collaboration between malaria researchers, journalists and stakeholders. AMMREN has a membership of over fifty journalists from 10 African countries: Burkina Faso, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania.
This year’s celebration of Malaria Day gives us another opportunity to re-strategise to push malaria out of Africa and the world. AMMREN associates itself with the statement by Bill Gates, the hero of our time that, “It‘s time to treat the malaria epidemic like the crisis it is. It is unacceptable that 3,000 children die every day from a largely preventable and treatable disease”. AMMREN has joined the campaign. This is a clarion call to all to sign up to help realize the goal: Let’s join hands to fight off malaria for good!
African governments must stand up and be counted as we enter the next phase to kick out malaria from the continent. They must not fail us. THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO.
Thank you.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Alleged Somali Pirates Indicted for Attacks On Navy Ships
23 Apr 2010 20:30 Africa/Lagos
Alleged Somali Pirates Indicted for Attacks On Navy Ships
NORFOLK, Va., April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Federal grand juries in the Eastern District of Virginia have returned two separate indictments charging 11 men from Somalia with engaging in piracy and related offenses pertaining to attacks on two Navy ships. The indictments charge separate attacks by separate groups on the U.S.S. Nicholas and the U.S.S. Ashland.
Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; George Venizelos, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office; Alex J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office; and Mark Russ, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Norfolk, made the announcement.
"Since the earliest days of this country, piracy has been a serious crime," said U.S. Attorney MacBride. "Piracy threatens human lives and disrupts international commerce. When pirates attack U.S. vessels by force, they must face severe consequences."
"The Naval Criminal Investigative Service provides unique forward deployed law enforcement capabilities to the U.S. Navy's Maritime Strategy," said NCIS Special Agent in Charge Russ. "This case demonstrates the working relationship between uniformed military forces and NCIS - which is a civilian agency - and our federal partners to ensure cooperative security and stability across the maritime domain."
The two indictments were returned earlier this week and remained sealed until the defendants made their initial appearances before a magistrate judge in Norfolk.
According to the first six-count indictment returned on April 20, 2010, five men - Mohammed Modin Hasan, Gabul Abdullahi Ali, Abdi Wali Dire, Abdi Mohammed Gurewardher, and Abdi Mohammed Umar - left Somalia in search of a merchant ship to pirate. They allegedly used two smaller vessels loaded with assault weapons and a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) that served as attack boats, along with a larger ship full of supplies.
This indictment alleges that on March 31, 2010, Hasan, Ali, and Dire boarded one of these smaller vessels and set out to pirate and plunder what they believed to be a merchant ship. Ali and Dire each allegedly carried an assault weapon, and Hasan allegedly carried an RPG. The indictment charges that they opened fire on the ship, which they later discovered was the Nicholas.
The remaining two individuals charged in the indictment - Gurewardher and Umar -remained onboard the large ship to maintain that ship during the alleged attack.
In a second five-count indictment, six men - Maxamad Cali Saciid, Mohammed Abdi Jama, Jaamac Ciidle, Abdicasiis Cabaase, Abdirasaq Abshir and Mahamed Farraah Hassan - were charged with piracy-related offenses involving the U.S.S. Ashland on or about April 10, 2010.
All 11 men were charged with piracy, which carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison. In addition, the indictment also charges them with the following:
-- Attack to plunder a vessel, which carries a maximum of 10 years in
prison.
-- Assault with a dangerous weapon in the special maritime jurisdiction,
which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
-- Conspiracy to use firearms during a crime of violence, which carries a
maximum of 20 years in prison.
-- Use of a firearm during a crime of violence, which carry a mandatory
minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison if
convicted of one count. The five men charged in the indictment
involving the U.S.S. Nicholas face two firearm counts, which would
carry an additional minimum of 25 years - to equal 35 years - in
prison if convicted of both counts.
The U.S.S. Nicholas is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate homeported in Norfolk, Va. The U.S.S. Ashland is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship homeported in Little Creek, Va.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI's New York Field Office and Norfolk Field Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch and Joseph DePadilla, from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The public is reminded that an indictment only contains charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov/.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
CONTACT: Peter Carr of the Office of U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride,
Eastern District of Virginia, +1-703-842-4050
Web Site: http://www.justice.gov/
Alleged Somali Pirates Indicted for Attacks On Navy Ships
NORFOLK, Va., April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Federal grand juries in the Eastern District of Virginia have returned two separate indictments charging 11 men from Somalia with engaging in piracy and related offenses pertaining to attacks on two Navy ships. The indictments charge separate attacks by separate groups on the U.S.S. Nicholas and the U.S.S. Ashland.
Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; George Venizelos, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office; Alex J. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office; and Mark Russ, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Norfolk, made the announcement.
"Since the earliest days of this country, piracy has been a serious crime," said U.S. Attorney MacBride. "Piracy threatens human lives and disrupts international commerce. When pirates attack U.S. vessels by force, they must face severe consequences."
"The Naval Criminal Investigative Service provides unique forward deployed law enforcement capabilities to the U.S. Navy's Maritime Strategy," said NCIS Special Agent in Charge Russ. "This case demonstrates the working relationship between uniformed military forces and NCIS - which is a civilian agency - and our federal partners to ensure cooperative security and stability across the maritime domain."
The two indictments were returned earlier this week and remained sealed until the defendants made their initial appearances before a magistrate judge in Norfolk.
According to the first six-count indictment returned on April 20, 2010, five men - Mohammed Modin Hasan, Gabul Abdullahi Ali, Abdi Wali Dire, Abdi Mohammed Gurewardher, and Abdi Mohammed Umar - left Somalia in search of a merchant ship to pirate. They allegedly used two smaller vessels loaded with assault weapons and a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) that served as attack boats, along with a larger ship full of supplies.
This indictment alleges that on March 31, 2010, Hasan, Ali, and Dire boarded one of these smaller vessels and set out to pirate and plunder what they believed to be a merchant ship. Ali and Dire each allegedly carried an assault weapon, and Hasan allegedly carried an RPG. The indictment charges that they opened fire on the ship, which they later discovered was the Nicholas.
The remaining two individuals charged in the indictment - Gurewardher and Umar -remained onboard the large ship to maintain that ship during the alleged attack.
In a second five-count indictment, six men - Maxamad Cali Saciid, Mohammed Abdi Jama, Jaamac Ciidle, Abdicasiis Cabaase, Abdirasaq Abshir and Mahamed Farraah Hassan - were charged with piracy-related offenses involving the U.S.S. Ashland on or about April 10, 2010.
All 11 men were charged with piracy, which carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison. In addition, the indictment also charges them with the following:
-- Attack to plunder a vessel, which carries a maximum of 10 years in
prison.
-- Assault with a dangerous weapon in the special maritime jurisdiction,
which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
-- Conspiracy to use firearms during a crime of violence, which carries a
maximum of 20 years in prison.
-- Use of a firearm during a crime of violence, which carry a mandatory
minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison if
convicted of one count. The five men charged in the indictment
involving the U.S.S. Nicholas face two firearm counts, which would
carry an additional minimum of 25 years - to equal 35 years - in
prison if convicted of both counts.
The U.S.S. Nicholas is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate homeported in Norfolk, Va. The U.S.S. Ashland is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship homeported in Little Creek, Va.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI's New York Field Office and Norfolk Field Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Hatch and Joseph DePadilla, from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The public is reminded that an indictment only contains charges and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/ or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov/.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
CONTACT: Peter Carr of the Office of U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride,
Eastern District of Virginia, +1-703-842-4050
Web Site: http://www.justice.gov/
Thursday, April 22, 2010
30 Web Trends to Watch in 2010
30 Web Trends to Watch in 2010
Blogging
Blogs get even more authoritative and accepted, becoming the “old media” of the Web
Quick and clean miniblogging (Tumblr, Posterous etc.) establish a lively sphere between Twitter-like microblogging and blogging. @richardbaxter of SEOGadget agrees about Posterous continuous growth
Video content finally gets the importance we expected for years now with growing band width etc.
Blogging
Blogs get even more authoritative and accepted, becoming the “old media” of the Web
Quick and clean miniblogging (Tumblr, Posterous etc.) establish a lively sphere between Twitter-like microblogging and blogging. @richardbaxter of SEOGadget agrees about Posterous continuous growth
Video content finally gets the importance we expected for years now with growing band width etc.
Idi Nasiru Makes Student Academy Awards History for Nigeria
Idi NasiruIdi Nasiru Makes Student Academy Awards History for Nigeria
Nigerian film student Idi Nasiru has become the first Nigerian to compete for the Student Academy Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
His entry Far from Utopia is among the record number of 61 entries from 36 countries and will be competing with 497 entries from 122 U.S. colleges and universities for the 2010 Student Academy Awards.
“It's a film I made about a young beggar boy of about 10 on his struggle for a day as he is confronted by the twin challenges of hunger and his bully colleagues. It's really an emotional short story. The most amazing thing about the story behind the story is I lost the most interesting part of the footage during post production,” said Nasiru.
Nasiru is a student at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) College in Jos, Plateau state, in the middle belt region of Nigeria. He took part in the 2010 Berlinale talent campus in Berlin and has been selected for another one coming up in July in Durban, South Africa.
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