Saturday, February 12, 2011
Egypt will never be the same, says Barack Obama
February 11, 2011
Obama: Egypt has spoken
U.S. President Barack Obama offers his support for Egypt following the end of Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.
© 2011 Reuters
11 Feb 2011 15:40 Africa/Lagos
Statement of President Barack Obama on Egypt
WASHINGTON, February 11, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.
As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt's future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.
We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek. Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard.
The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America.
Source: The White House
Friday, February 11, 2011
World War II Atrocity to Be Told for the First Time in Film During Black History Month
"The Wereth Eleven" premieres on National Geographic Channel on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST. (PRNewsFoto/The Ardennes Group)
8 Feb 2011 16:11 Africa/Lagos
World War II Atrocity to Be Told for the First Time in Film on National Geographic Channel Feb. 16 During Black History Month
"The Wereth Eleven" will Premiere Nationwide on National Geographic Channel on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST and on the Big Screen at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. CST
PR Newswire
SOUTHOLD, N.Y., Feb. 8, 2011
SOUTHOLD, N.Y., Feb. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- "The Wereth Eleven" is an epic docudrama based on the true story of the heroic battle waged against the attacking German army at the start of the Battle of the Bulge, and the dramatic escape made by 11 American soldiers. The film premieres nationwide on National Geographic Channel on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST and the screening will be at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. CST.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110208/LA43995)
"The Wereth Eleven" retraces the steps of the 11 soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion who escaped The 18th Volksgrenadiers after their unit was overrun at the start of the Battle of the Bulge. Their 10-mile trek from their battery position to Wereth, Belgium led them to refuge with a Belgian family until a Nazi sympathizer revealed their presence to an SS Reconn Patrol. The soldiers surrendered, but were taken to a field, where they were tortured, maimed, and shot on Dec. 17, 1944. The killings were investigated, but never prosecuted.
"I was really moved and saddened by this story. I thought the men's dignity was taken from them, and that really bothered me," stated Joseph Small, executive producer of "The Wereth Eleven." "I set out on a mission to make sure the citizens of America and Europe knew what happened to the 11 men and make sure they knew the contribution of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion during World War II."
Small spent the next two years researching the events that took place on the fateful day and eventually enlisted the help of writer and director, Robert Child ("Lincoln and Lee at Antietam: The Cost of Freedom") to bring the gut wrenching story to the screen.
"This film is the result of a dedicated team working together to achieve one goal: to create a film worthy of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion and the 11 men," stated Child. "I knew, to pull off the project, I had to put the right people in place. Frederic Lumiere, an outstanding filmmaker in his own right, had produced and directed History Channel's groundbreaking 10-Part series, 'WWII in HD.' If there was anyone I knew who could rise to the challenge of Wereth, it was Frederic."
The filmmakers set out to elevate war documentary recreations to a new level. The film had to portray the epic and harsh nature of the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the Americans in World War II. "Rob's vision was very ambitious: To create visuals for the film that rivaled epic Hollywood blockbusters," stated Lumiere, who edited the film. "But we also knew we had a very important story on our hands. We had the responsibility to continue Joseph Small's quest to let the world know about this incredible injustice, which occurred 67 years ago to 11 American heroes, while remaining historically accurate."
The powerful and poignant film is an epic docudrama with stunning Hollywood-grade visual effects, interviews with people who were there, and archival footage.
In one of the archival films, captured men of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion are paraded for German propaganda. After some investigating, one of the men was identified and interviewed: Retired Staff Sergeant George Shomo. Now 90 years old and a resident of northern New Jersey, Shomo offers a shocking and brutally honest personal account of what it was like to be an African American in World War II. "As a black soldier in the United States Army, you weren't as good as a dog," stated Shomo. Outnumbered 10 to one, Shomo and his fellow soldiers were left behind to fight the Germans. "We fired until we ran out of ammunition. It's hard when a man's got a rifle coming at you and all you got is a trench knife. But I got a couple (of men) and some of the other guys got a couple. I'd say the Germans had to walk over piles of their dead to get to us."
A memorial now stands on the site of the soldier's murders, dedicated to the Wereth 11 and all African-American soldiers who fought in The European Theatre. It is believed to be the only memorial to African-American soldiers of World War II in Europe.
"The Wereth Eleven" was produced by The Ardennes Group with executive producers Small, Child, and Lumiere.
The world premiere will be on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. EST on National Geographic Channel. A theatrical screening and Q&A with the filmmakers and George Shomo will be at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. CST. Click here to view the trailer for "The Wereth Eleven."
About Robert Child
Originally from New England, Robert Child has worked behind the scenes as a writer, technical director, and director for more than a decade with network clients including HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, NBC, ABC, and CBS. Child has been working on independent historical projects since 2001 and has won numerous awards including two CINE Golden Eagles and a Special Jury Award at World Fest Houston. His work has also been named as an Official Selection at major United States film festivals including the New York Independent Film Festival and the Washington DC Independent Film Festival.
About Frederic Lumiere
Lumiere is an award-winning filmmaker who's first feature film, "Tomorrow is Today" starring Scout Taylor-Compton ("Halloween I," "Halloween II") received 11 awards, including the Directorial Discovery Award from the Rhode Island International Film Festival. He has also produced, directed, and edited award-winning programming for Cinemax, A&E, History, Biography, and The National Geographic Channel. Before executive producing and editing "The Wereth Eleven," Lumiere produced, directed, and edited the groundbreaking Emmy Award-winning series "WWII in HD," narrated by Gary Sinise.
For press information, contact:
Verena King
Verena King Public Relations
702-354-3527
Verena@verenakingpr.com
Twitter: # WWII Atrocity @TheWereth11 Told for 1st Time in Film on @NatGeoChannel 2/16 During Black History Month #Wereth11 http://bit.ly/hy3u8m
For Official Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YULUUoc-fI
SOURCE The Ardennes Group
CONTACT: Verena King of Verena King Public Relations, +1-702-354-3527, Verena@verenakingpr.com, for The Ardennes Group
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11:00 Man Charged With Allure of the Seas Crew Member's Death
Lagos state is the most indebted state in Nigeria
Governor Babatunde Fashola SAN of Lagos StateThe most populous state in Nigeria Lagos state is the most indebted state of the federation with a total foreign debt of N55.38 billion ($369.20 million), according to the Debt Management Office in Abuja, Nigeria. Lagos has 20% of Nigeria’s sub-regional foreign debt stock.
Click here for the complete table of Federal and State Governments External Debt stock as at 30th June, 2010.
Can the governor of Lagos state explain this?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
3rd African Gas Forum coming up in London
10 Feb 2011 04:47 Africa/Lagos
Africangas forum
THE HAGUE, February 9, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Organised & Hosted By: Contact:babette@glopac.com or amanda@glopac.com
Date & Venue: 31st March-1 April 2011, Radisson Mayfair Hotel, London
Register now www.africangas-forum.com
Sponsor Contact: amanda@glopac.com
Separately Bookable Events: Fees Exclude 20% Vat as per UK Law
3rd African Gas: 1 April 2011: GBP 750 per person
3rd Africa Gas Business: Strategy Briefing: 31st March 2011, GBP 995 per person
Combined Fee: Briefing & Conference: GBP 1,450 per person
37th PetroAfricanus Dinner: Thursday 31st March 2011: GBP 250 per person (Members: GBP 150) - Guest Speaker: Dr Alan Stein, Managing Director, Ophir Energy: “Exploring Africa: Reflections From Downunder” – insights from a player with gas discoveries offshore in West and Eastern Africa.
Our 3rd African Gas 2011 builds on our unrivalled track record in and on Africa, deep industry knowledge-base, extensive executive networks across the African Continent and worldwide on Six Continents, direct business and advisory experience in over 45 countries north and south of the Sahara, and over three decades of Advisory Practice and research in the global oil and gas business.
Africa's gas-LNG game has come of age, with over 30 African countries holding gas resources, and 20 now with proven reserves, with more entering into production, and gas discoveries both proliferating and often large, some of world-class dimension. Companies have upgraded their gas portfolio, redesigned strategies and enhanced investments in domestic and pipeline export gas, targeting Atlantic LNG markets and Europe-destined gas consumers, as well as GTL in selected locales, in some instances synfuels for local offtake, and engaged in a widening list of gas-power projects with independent private power, across a range of related cross-border markets. Meanwhile, corporates, investors and financiers now target the gas-rich Maghreb and the Gulf of Guinea (with many gas monetisation projects in the pipeline, along with LNG ventures), Southern Africa's offshore and onshore in shale gas and CBM, as well as the highly-promising East African frontier margins offshore and for onshore gas-power, soon probably to be a focus for potential LNG ventures for Asian markets.
Confirmed Speakers Include:
Tim Okon, Group General Manager, Corporate Planning & Strategy & Chairman, Gas Master Plan, NNPC, Nigeria
Malcolm Brown, Senior Vice President, Exploration, BG plc
Carol Law, Exploration Manager, East Africa & Caribbean, Anadarko Petroleum Corp
Dr Duncan Clarke, Chairman & CEO, Global Pacific & Partners, South Africa
Bolaji Osunsanya, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Gas & Power, Nigeria
Peter Clutterbuck, Deputy Chairman, Orca Exploration, Tanzania
Yasser Tousson, General Manager Finance, Apache Corporation, Egypt
Dr Alan Stein, Managing Director, Ophir Energy, Perth
Steve Mills, Commercial Manager, Petroleum Agency SA, South Africa
Gabriel Bujulu, Petroleum Engineer, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation
Senior Executive, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation**
Kevin Hart, Chief Executive, Bowleven plc
Scott Aitken, Chief Executive, Seven Energy, Nigeria
Radwan Hadi, Chief Executive Officer, Victoria Oil & Gas
Jeff Greenblum, Chairman of The Board, EnerGulf
Rogers Beall, President, Fortesa International Senegal, Senegaz-Africa Fortesa Corp.
Edwin Bowles, President & CEO, RJ Energy
Semyon Astakhov, Head Africa, TMK Africa
Prior to the Forum is our 3rd Africa Gas Business: Strategy Briefing (Thursday 31st March), reviewing gas assets and portfolio potential in over 100 companies, from Africa and around the world, companies looking for farm-in/outs, new ventures, investors and wider deal-flow. With Presentations by Dr Duncan Clarke, Chairman & CEO, Global Pacific & Partners, Africa's leading strategist, and author on the Continent's oil and gas industry, providing an in-depth & unique set of insights on the gas industry and corporate business strategies, as well as Government gas policies and investment strategies of the National Oil Companies and Licensing Agencies - in the Maghreb, Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa. Delegates receive access online to Presentations, with 750 Images, that reveal the changing shape of Africa's gas game in dynamic evolution, the players involved & their portfolio and how the competitive gas world is shifting, and likely to be the cutting edge of the hydrocarbons industry in Africa over the next decade and beyond.
Source: Global Pacific & Partners
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
President Goodluck Jonathan I Dey Laugh O
President Goodluck Jonathan, you dey make me laugh o.
You see your wayoway politics.
It Matters That Nigeria Conducts Credible Elections - Commonwealth
A Nigerian voter. Photo Credit: Daily Mail, UK.
9 Feb 2011 18:16 Africa/Lagos
It Matters That Nigeria Conducts Credible Elections - Commonwealth
ABUJA, Nigeria, February 9, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- The Commonwealth is at an advanced stage of preparations for the monitoring of elections in Nigeria, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba said on Wednesday at the end of a four-day visit to the West African country.
During her visit, Ms Masire-Mwamba and her delegation engaged key actors and stakeholders involved in the forthcoming elections, and re-affirmed the Commonwealth's support and expectations for a peaceful and credible process.
She spoke at a news conference in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
"The Commonwealth takes a keen interest in elections across its membership. Nigeria is a valued member with whom we have a strong and mutual beneficial engagement. It is also a key member of the association which contributes and participates actively in Commonwealth activities - including hosting CHOGM in 2003, and producing a Secretary-General of the Commonwealth," Ms Masire-Mwamba said.
"Nigeria is a leader on the continent, playing a significant role in promoting peace, and in regional economic growth and development.
"It matters to the Commonwealth, Africa and the world that Nigeria and other member states conduct credible elections.
"Since arriving in Abuja on Sunday, I have met with leaders of political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society representatives and the international community. I have listened to their views on how the process is going, and discussed the progress as well as the challenges. In all our meetings, we have had candid and open discussions.
"Stakeholders have noted positive steps in the preparations so far. I am hopeful that if all actors - politicians, civil society, the public, and you, members of the media continue to play your expected roles, there can be an outcome that reflects the will and aspirations of the people.
"Any election is a complex and challenging undertaking and requires the cooperation and support of all stakeholders. Political leaders and parties must display political will to ensure a credible process. The people need to show faith in the democratic process and participate in it. It is crucial that violence is avoided by all means, and the rule of law must be allowed to prevail. All must ensure that both the process and outcome meet Commonwealth values as well as international and regional electoral benchmarks to which Nigeria has committed itself.
"On our part, we will remain engaged and offer support and assistance as requested.
"We wish the people of Nigeria a most successful, peaceful and credible election," Ms Masire-Mwamba concluded.
For media enquiries, please contact Julius Mucunguzi, Media Officer, on +234-7063597240 or +44-7894-593-517, email: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int
Source: The Commonwealth Secretariat
For media enquiries, please contact Julius Mucunguzi, Media Officer, on +234-7063597240 or +44-7894-593-517, email: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int
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