Farewell Elizabeth Taylor, Queen of Hollywood

Farewell Elizabeth Taylor, Queen of Hollywood


Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_TaylorElizabeth Taylor, our beloved Liz, the beautiful and wonderful Queen of Hollywood passed on yesterday at 79.

Elizabeth Taylor was the quintessential American Sweetheart of Tinsel town from her very first film Universal Pictures’ There's One Born Every Minute, at the tender age of nine in 1942 to MGM's National Velvet that shot her to limelight in 1944. She was fantastic in many other films, but it was in Cleopatra the 1963 film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz that she attained her golden age in Hollywood and earned her crown as the Queen of Hollywood.

She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice and many other coveted awards for her awesome talents as an actress of all seasons from the Golden Era of Hollywood to the end.

Liz was world famous for getting married eight times to seven husbands.
She passed away on March 23, 2011 in the loving arms of her four children at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
May the beautiful soul Elizabeth Taylor rest in peace.



23 Mar 2011 15:05 Africa/Lagos




Elizabeth Arden Statement on the Passing of Elizabeth Taylor

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, March 23, 2011

NEW YORK, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Elizabeth Arden, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDEN), a global prestige beauty products company, has issued the following statement regarding the passing of Elizabeth Taylor.

"It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, the legendary actress, activist and businesswoman. As her business partner in the fragrance industry, we have held her in the highest esteem and have had tremendous respect for her extraordinary compassion, creativity and business acumen.

"With the launch of her first fragrance in 1987, Elizabeth Taylor's Passion, she built a fragrance empire and one of the most successful brands in fragrance history. White Diamonds remains a best seller almost 20 years after its 1991 introduction, a testimony to her transcendent and enduring appeal. Our best tribute to Elizabeth Taylor will be to continue the legacy of the brands she created and loved so much.

"Her sense of humor, passion for life, never-ending dedication and generosity of spirit will be remembered by all of us. She will be deeply missed."

E. Scott Beattie

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

About Elizabeth Arden:

Elizabeth Arden is a global prestige beauty products company with an extensive portfolio of prestige beauty brands sold in over 100 countries. The company's brand portfolio includes Elizabeth Arden skincare, color, and fragrance products, PREVAGE® anti-aging formulas, the celebrity fragrance brands of Britney Spears, Elizabeth Taylor, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff, and Usher; the designer fragrance brands of Juicy Couture, Alberta Ferretti, Alfred Sung, Badgley Mischka, Bob Mackie, Geoffrey Beene, Halston, John Varvatos, Kate Spade, Lucky Brand, and Rocawear; and the lifestyle fragrance brands Curve, Giorgio Beverly Hills, and PS Fine Cologne.

SOURCE Elizabeth Arden, Inc.

CONTACT: Gretchen Dowling, Elizabeth Arden, +1-212-261-1249, gretchen.dowling@elizabetharden.com

Web Site: http://www.elizabetharden.com

New Samsung Notebook PC wins prestigious TCO Award

The latest talk of the town is the Samsung Chat and Samsung Galaxy S 4G Android Phone and the newest Nokia Astound based on Symbian 3 platform and finally the hottest talk of the town is the new Samsung Notebook PC has won the 2011 Top Eco and Performance Design Award and lest you forget Samsung Mobile also won the cool Sowambe Award for Best Use of Twitter in Nigeria . See the following press release for the full gist on the TCO Award.

22 Mar 2011 10:00 Africa/Lagos




Top Eco and Performance Design Award Goes to New Samsung Notebook PC




STOCKHOLM and HOUSTON, March 22, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- The TCO Certified usability and eco-label for ICT products today awarded the prestigious TCO Certified Edge designation to the new Samsung Notebook Series 9 for outstanding achievement in outdoor readability. A first in notebook design, the Samsung Notebook Series 9 delivers superior brightness, which is essential for outdoor readability, while not compromising any key performance or environmental features. The TCO Certified Edge is awarded exclusively to leading-edge ICT products that push the boundaries of environmental and user-centered design.

To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/tcodevelopment/47594/

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110322/441402 )


CEO of TCO Development, Soren Enholm congratulated Samsung on the award: "This achievement by Samsung is a leading example of what the TCO Certified Edge program sets out to reward: high-performance and eco-design that goes beyond the mainstream. By combining the two without compromise, Samsung has shown that it is possible to deliver an exceptional user experience while also maintaining its commitment to green design."

Announced at CES in January, the Samsung Notebook Series 9 promises to deliver unparalleled display quality. Outdoor readability has always been a challenge for mobile notebook users, as strong light in outdoor environments typically overpowers the maximum luminance produced by the screen, which makes the display difficult to read. With its significantly higher luminance, the Samsung Notebook Series 9 can better counteract the ambient light levels typically experienced in bright outdoor environments, therefore making it a great choice for outdoor use.

"It is a great honor to get TCO Certified Edge and build a leadership in mobile PC industry with our Notebook Series 9," said Kyuho Uhm, senior vice president of the IT Solutions Business at Samsung Electronics. "The notebook's SuperBright Plus display is two times brighter than conventional displays, as well as its vibrant color reproduction (16 million colors) and Super Contrast ratio (1,300:1), make it one of the most beautiful notebook displays on the market. We are creating the best in display and offering our customers a complete and comprehensive notebook that meets all of their needs within one premium device."

About TCO Certified

TCO Certified is a third party certification for high performance ICT products that are also designed for minimal environmental impact: PCs, displays, projectors, phone headsets. Energy efficiency, reduction of hazardous substances, CSR and usability are key elements of all TCO Certified products. Since 1992, TCO Certified has made it easy to choose technology designed for both usability and the environment. http://www.tcodevelopment.com. Blog: http://www.greenITedge.com


Contacts Europe:
Soren Enholm, CEO TCO Development
phone: +46-8-782-91-03, e-mail:soren.enholm@tcodevelopment.com

Stephen Fuller, Special adviser Visual ergonomics, TCO Development
phone +46-8-782-91-38
e-mail: Stephen.fuller@tcodevelopment.com

Conatcts Americas
Clare Hobby, TCO Development. Regional Manager North America.
tel: +1-310-801-8769 e-mail: clare.hobby@tcodevelopment.com

Contacts Asia
Martin Soderberg, TCO Development, Regional Manager Asia, tel:
+886-2-2729-0186 e-mail:martin.soderberg@tcodevelopment.com


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110322/441402
Video: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/tcodevelopment/47594/

Source: TCO Development

Contacts Europe: Soren Enholm, CEO TCO Development, phone: +46-8-782-91-03, e-mail:soren.enholm@tcodevelopment.com; Stephen Fuller, Special adviser Visual ergonomics, TCO Development, phone +46-8-782-91-38, e-mail: Stephen.fuller@tcodevelopment.com; Conatcts Americas: Clare Hobby, TCO Development. Regional Manager North America. tel: +1-310-801-8769 e-mail: clare.hobby@tcodevelopment.com; Contacts Asia: Martin Soderberg, TCO Development, Regional Manager Asia, tel: +886-2-2729-0186 e-mail:martin.soderberg@tcodevelopment.com

Young and Mobile: The Smartphone Generation

Young ladies with their Samsung Galaxy S phones


Young and Mobile: A Global View of Cellphones and Youth



Nielsen’s new whitepaper on Mobile Youth Around the World reveals that most young people with mobile phones chose their own device. In fact, across all the countries surveyed, only 16 percent of young people reported that their parents selected their mobile phone. Price was the most common consideration among youth in selecting a mobile phone, though that is true among other age groups, too. Youth aged 15 to 24 in all countries surveyed put price as the first purchase driver, with the exception of Russian youth, 21 percent of whom placed design/style first. (Some grown-ups care about design, too. Around 14 percent of Brazilian adults say design/style is the most important consideration, compared to seven percent of U.S. adults.)



African girls with mobile phones




Click here for more details.

Opened Markets, Infrastructure Stoke Competitive Fires in Nigeria

22 Mar 2011 19:00 Africa/Lagos


Opened Markets, Infrastructure Stoke Competitive Fires in Nigeria, Pyramid Finds

PR Newswire

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 22, 2011

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Telecom infrastructure development in Nigeria, such as subsea cables and the Nigerian Communications Commission's (NCC) Internet exchange point, has encouraged competition and facilitated the expansion of data networks to make them more accessible and affordable to the public, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com).

Nigeria: Opened Markets and New Infrastructure Stoke Competitive Fires offers a precise profile of the country's telecommunications, media and technology sectors based on proprietary data from Pyramid's research in the market. It provides detailed competitive analysis of both the fixed and mobile sectors, tracks the market shares of technologies and services and monitors the introduction and spread of new technologies.

Download an excerpt of this report here: http://www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=18&sc=PRN032211_CIRNIG

Purchase the report here: http://www.pyramidresearch.com/store/CIRNIGERIA.htm?sc=PRN032211_CIRNIG

"The competitive landscape of Nigeria's telecom sector has forced operators to rollout new infrastructure to improve coverage and quality, which has resulted in a surge of subscription growth and usage," says Majd Hosn, Associate Research Analyst at Pyramid. "Pyramid expects growth of total market services revenue to continue over the next five years at a 5.9 percent CAGR. Pay-TV, fixed VoIP, broadband Internet and mobile data are anticipated to be the fastest-growth segments," he adds.

"Projects, such as the MainOne undersea cable, have created a strong surge in the quality of the infrastructure backbone," indicates Hosn. "This will translate into increased usage of connectivity, expected to reach 33.8 percent market share in 2015, and infotainment, expected to have a 21 percent mobile data revenue share in 2015," he explains. The infrastructure sharing debate is also ongoing in Nigeria, and Pyramid expects to see some regulations and actions taken to expedite it. "Operators will be able to use less of their expenditure on infrastructure development and more on implementing strategies to expand their customer base and ARPS, such as mobile broadband and value-added services."

The NCC's plan to increase the competition in the telecom sector has been successful. "The addition of marginal lower-spending subscribers to the market, and increased competition among existing GSM- and CDMA-based operators, will continue to drive ARPS downward," notes Hosn. "Number portability in 2011 is expected to further increase the competition and allow for a reshuffling of market shares. This could represent a struggle to keep churn rates low but also an opportunity to attract customers from competitors," he adds.

Nigeria: Opened Markets and New Infrastructure Stoke Competitive Fires is part of Pyramid Research's Africa & Middle East Country Intelligence Report Series and is priced at $990. Download the excerpt here: http://www.pyr.com/downloads.htm?id=18&sc=PRN032211_CIRNIG. It can be purchased online here (http://www.pyramidresearch.com/store/CIRNIGERIA.htm?sc=PRN032211_CIRNIG) or by emailing us at info@pyr.com.

Contact: Jennifer Baker, +1-617-871-1910, jbaker@pyr.com

SOURCE Pyramid Research

Web Site: http://www.pyr.com



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Soyinka warns politicians to stop using his name for campaigns

The PM news of Nigeria has reported that Nobel Literature Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has raised alarm over some political statements being circulated in his name. He has refuted the false messages being used for political campaigns.


Recommended books by Prof. Wole Soyinka:

Climate of Fear: The Quest for Dignity in a Dehumanized World (Reith Lectures)

The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis

Wole Soyinka's Final Verdict on the PDP of Nigeria

Prof. Wole Soyinka


The following is the final verdict of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka on the ruling People’s Democratic Party of Nigeria on the coming April elections.

Only 4 sets of people can vote for the PDP:

(1) those who are intellectually blind.
(2) those who are blinded by ethnicity
(3) those who are blinded by corruption and therefore afraid of the unknown, should power change hands; and finally
(4) those who are suffering from a combination of the above terminal sicknesses"

Gaddafi not a target of western airstrikes

Gaddafi not a target of western airstrikes




After two days of strikes by western forces on Libyan air defenses, the Pentagon said the military is not going after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Jon Decker reports.
© 2011 Reuters



18 Mar 2011 15:14 Africa/Lagos




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Statement by the UN Secretary-General on Libya

NEW YORK, March 18, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Security Council today has taken an historic decision. Resolution 1973 affirms, clearly and unequivocally, the international community's determination to fulfil its responsibility to protect civilians from violence perpetrated upon them by their own government. The Resolution authorizes the use of all necessary measures, including a no-fly zone to prevent further casualties and loss of innocent lives. In adopting this Resolution, the Security Council placed great importance on the appeal of the League of Arab States for action.


Given the critical situation on the ground, I expect immediate action on the Resolution's provisions. I am prepared to carry out my responsibilities, as mandated by the resolution, and will work closely with Member States and regional organizations to coordinate a common, effective and timely response.


Once again, I join the Council in calling for an immediate cease-fire, a halt to all attacks on civilians and full humanitarian access to those in need. Our strenuous diplomatic efforts will continue. Following his mission to Tripoli, my Special Envoy for Libya met in Cairo today with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. He will brief me this weekend on the results of his conversations. I myself will travel to the region to advance our common efforts in this critical hour.



Source: UNITED NATIONS

The shortcomings of the Nigeria Prize for Literature

The shortcomings of the Nigeria Prize for Literature

The Nigeria Prize for Literature, endowed by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited is a great thing. It is an unprecedented initiative of immense benefit to Nigerian writers and the society for the appreciation of our literary culture.
I have been following the progress of the Nigeria Prize for Literature without any objection to the administration, but not impressed by the impact on the sustainable development of Nigerian literature. There is too much emphasis on the cash prize of $50,000 when the focus should be on promoting the revival of our reading culture for the intellectual development of the Nigerian society that is presently breeding philistines.

The Nigerian Prize for Literature has made the lucky winners richer, but it has failed to make us wiser, because many of the prizes winning books have not reached the majority of the Nigerian society, except the intelligentsia.
The Man Booker Prize, Orange Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Commonwealth Prize and other highly coveted literary awards increase the public appreciation of the winners and their books, but the Nigeria Prize for Literature has failed to make the winners bestsellers and becoming a bestselling author is the dream of every writer.
It looks like there is no budget for a comprehensive media plan for the Nigeria Prize for Literature, because there is no tangible publicity plan for the public appreciation of the winning books beyond the public announcements of the shortlisted authors, the winners and prize giving gala ceremonies. Everybody returns to business as usual after the events and the lucky winner of the $50, 000 prize smiles to the bank. But none of the prize winning books has become a bestseller and the author hardly goes on any book signing tour like in America, the UK or other countries where prize winning books become sought after collector’s items and sell like hot cakes.
What is the use of winning a book prize, but your book is not in demand?
The fact that is; the reading culture in Nigeria is still poor after the efforts of some individuals and groups to promote reading and President Goodluck Jonathan launched a widely publicized “Bring Back the Book” campaign.
The revival of our reading culture is a challenge to the administrators of the Nigeria Prize for Literature.
How can we use the prize to revive the general appreciation of reading in Nigeria?

May I advise the administrators of the Nigeria Prize for Literature to review the budget and the media plan and consider spending more on the promotion of the prize winning books to attract the attention and appreciation of the public.
The promotion of the winning book will attract more readers and boost our reading culture.
Invite the public to vote for the shortlisted books, because such an open invitation will be a good motivation for the public appreciation of the books and will definitely boost their interest to read them.

The Nigeria Prize for Literature needs more cooperation and support of the Nigerian news media to achieve more for the overall benefit of the Nigerian society. The Guardian and other Nigerian newspapers should learn from The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, the Guardian of the UK and others in America and Europe by dedicating more pages to literary appreciation such as initiating and promoting a Nigerian Bestsellers List for both fiction and non-fiction like New York Times: Best-Seller Lists, Book of the Month and other promotions that will go a long way to increase the public appreciation of the goals and objectives of the Nigeria Prize for Literature beyond the competition for the cash prize and the glitz of the ceremony.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has built a mosque

Olusegun Obasanjo is an enigmatic politician


Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has built a mosque beside his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta. The former president has already built a 1000 seater church, Chapel of Christ the Glorious King within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).

According Afis Oladosu of the Friday Worship column on Islam in The Guardian of Nigeria, the news was broken by an elder in a mosque where he observed the Jumuat service last Friday in Lagos.
“Don’t ever say a man is a disbeliever in Allah. Obasanjo has built a mosque. I attended the opening ceremony together with some Moslem scholars from Ilorin!” The elder said.
Afis said the listeners were shocked and wondered why Obasanjo was doing so when he is not a Moslem.
“Since when did Obasanjo become a Christian philanthropist?”
“What is wrong in the donation of a mosque by Obasanjo to the Moslems? Is this mosque not a Greek’s gift? “
“Did Obasanjo say he has become a Moslem? “ Afis asked.
The man shook his head in the negative.
“Did the Moslems ask him to build a mosque for them?”
The man was not sure.

Afis concluded that the mosque built by Obasanjo is “reminiscent of Masjid Dirar, built by Abu ‘Amir - a political mosque, a mosque built to “settle” the Moslem segments of Ogun State, to solace them to forget the injustice being visited on them by Ogun politicians, who appear to have the notion that no Moslem is worthy of being a governor of the state as yet? Is this mosque not a metaphor for the money usually given to the electorates by politicians in order to corner their conscience, corrupt their vision and appropriate their votes?”

And as for those, who put up a mosque by way of harm and disbelief and to disunite the believers and as an outpost for those, who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime, they will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good. Allâh bears witness that they are certainly liars. Never stand you therein... (Quran 9: 107).

Click here for more details.

Google Executive to Lead Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center

Google executive Kevin Willer



17 Mar 2011 13:00 Africa/Lagos


Google Executive to Lead Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center

New CEO's background a perfect match for economic growth, civic engagement

PR Newswire

CHICAGO, March 17, 2011

CHICAGO, March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) today announced Google executive Kevin Willer will take over as the organization's CEO on April 4, 2011. An affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the CEC identifies the region's most promising entrepreneurs and helps them build high-growth, sustainable businesses that serve as platforms for economic development and civic leadership.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110317/CG66928)

"There is an entrepreneurial renaissance emerging in Chicago and the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center is at its epicenter," says James J. O'Connor, CEC board co-chairman. "Kevin is the ideal leader at the ideal time. Who better to put entrepreneurism into hyper-drive in Chicago than one of Google's original members who took Google to new heights in Chicago."

Willer co-founded Google's Chicago office in late 2000. Over the last decade, he has helped grow the Google Chicago office to more than 400 professionals. In this leadership role, he spearheaded partnerships with some of the world's most successful companies, such as Dell, United Airlines, Sears, AT&T, Sprint and Motorola among others. He also developed partnerships early on with successful Chicago-area start-ups, such as TicketsNow, Performics and optionsXpress.

As part of his executive responsibilities, Willer advanced Google's civic development efforts in Chicagoland. Over 10 years as a leader of Google's Chicago office, he formed partnerships with various stakeholders including city and state governments, universities, non-profits, industry associations and entrepreneurial organizations.

"Being on the frontlines of Google's growth from start-up to global technology leader gave me a deep understanding of how important business mentorship and support from the civic community is for entrepreneurs," says Kevin Willer, CEO of the CEC. "I'm excited about this opportunity to support the next generation of high-potential entrepreneurs to drive new economic activity in Chicagoland."

Willer's genuine commitment to civic and economic advancement is reflected in his active involvement with several civic and charitable organizations. He serves as a director of The Economic Club of Chicago and is a trustee of his alma mater, Loyola Academy in Wilmette. He is a member of the 2010 Class of Emerging Leaders at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. And, he serves on Mayor Richard M. Daley's Council of Technology Advisers. He also serves on the boards of TiE Midwest, Children's Memorial Hospital, WHITIA, World Sport Chicago, Urban Students Empowered, Illinois Technology Association, and Chicago Architecture Foundation.

"The rare mix of entrepreneurial genius and civic engagement is part of Kevin's DNA," says Jerry Roper, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce CEO. "His record of success in both domains overlays perfectly with the CEC mission to make an impact on jobs, growth and society in the Chicagoland area."

Willer earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his Bachelor's degree from Boston College. In addition, he has studied at the London School of Economics.

About the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center

The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) works at the intersection of business success and civic engagement. It identifies the region's most promising entrepreneurs and helps them build high-growth, sustainable businesses that serve as platforms for economic development and civic leadership for the Chicagoland area. Since 2003, the CEC has helped our client entrepreneurs secure $229 million in revenue, raise $130.5 million in financing, and create or retain nearly 5,844 jobs. In turn, CEC clients fuel the entrepreneurial ecosystem of our city by mentoring young talent, advising their peers, and joining the CEC "movement" to inspire entrepreneurship in Chicagoland. The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center is an affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. To learn more visit www.chicagolandec.org.

SOURCE Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center

CONTACT: Karl Robe, APR, +1-312-924-3731, karl.robe@karljames.com, for Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center

Web Site: http://www.chicagolandec.org