International Crisis Group / Lessons from Nigeria's 2011 Elections
BRUSSELS, September 15, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Nigeria's April elections may have broken somewhat its cycle of deeply flawed polls, but the country still must meet many and daunting challenges to ensure a stable and democratic future.
Lessons from Nigeria's 2011 Elections, the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines the vote that returned President Goodluck Jonathan to office and left the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) weakened but still in control of the national legislature and nearly two thirds of the 36 states. It highlights the steps that are needed to prepare for the next major elections cycle, in 2015, including extensive technical and administrative reforms of and by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in parallel with broad political and economic measures to make the state more relevant to citizens and address the root causes of deadly violence in society.
“Between now and the next general polls in 2015, far-reaching electoral, political and economic reforms are needed to help consolidate the modest gains made in 2011 and launch the country on the path of permanent and sustainable electoral change”, says Kunle Amuwo, Crisis Group's Senior Nigeria Analyst.
After three bad elections – 1999, that heralded the Fourth Republic, 2003 and 2007, the last being marked by widespread electoral malpractice and a staggering scale of falsified results – the 2011 exercise was critical for Nigeria's fledgling democracy and overall political health. There were grounds for pessimism: the upsurge of violence in several states, encouraged by politicians and their supporters who feared defeat; an ambiguous and confusing legal framework for the elections; and a flawed voter registration exercise, with poorly functioning biometric scans, that resulted in an inflated voters' roll.
What resulted was an improvement over past elections, especially the 2007 debacle, but still serious problems, including highly questionable majorities reported for the incumbent president in certain areas, and extensive violence, producing more than 1,000 deaths, mainly in the troubled North, after the presidential results were announced.
The new government should prioritise releasing funds to INEC so it can begin early preparations for 2015. INEC should compile, maintain and update the National Register of Voters on a continual basis, in accordance with the 2010 Nigerian Electoral Act. But major electoral, constitutional and economic initiatives are also needed to make the 2015 polls truly free and fair and to ensure they are not tainted by blood. The proposals in the 2009 Uwais Electoral Reform Committee report should be widely published, and efforts enhanced to make the system more inclusive; there is urgent need to reduce poverty and create jobs for restive young school-leavers and graduates. Constitutional amendment should be done with a more holistic, less piecemeal, approach, with full involvement of the Nigerian people, who have long been demanding it.
“Nigeria has the resources and the capacity to entrench a culture of credible elections, with all that would mean for sustainable democracy”, says Gilles Yabi, Crisis Group's West Africa Project Director. “Otherwise, flawed elections will continue to threaten its fragile democracy and reduce its diplomatic weight on the continental and global scene”.
Land Rover Unveils Future Technologies with Two New Defender Concepts at the Frankfurt Motor Show
Frankfurt, 14th September 2011 /PRNewswire/ — For more than six decades, Land Rover has been designing and building 4x4s that define capability, versatility and usability. Like no other vehicle, Defender inspires affection and loyalty the world over. It is the original reconfigurable vehicle, inspiring people to go beyond whether they are explorers, ecologists, UN aid workers or Red Cross medics.
* DC100 demonstrates the future of Land Rover capability and versatility. * DC100 Sport is an active expression of freedom and leisure.
Technology and Capability
Auto Terrain Response Powerful new off-road tools will extend the capabilities of the much-praised Land Rover Terrain Response programme to allow it to automatically optimise the concepts for any environment without driver pre-selection.
Terrain Response on the DC100 concepts also features High-Definition cameras mounted on the front to analyse the visual spectrum of the ground ahead. This is then compared to images stored within a predictive neural network and allows the system to visually determine, for example, the difference between sand, grass, mud, gravel, snow and asphalt.
Intelligent Terrain Mapping Acting as an early-warning system is the state-of-the-art Terrain-i mapper that creates a virtual 3D visualisation of the ground ahead and displays it on the central touchscreen. Similar to systems used by fighter pilots, Terrain-i uses a headlamp-mounted scanner that runs complex algorithms to assess the route ahead and warn the driver of obstacles potentially too large to be safely negotiated.
Wade Aid Land Rover has developed a sonar-based system for assessing water depth that allows the driver to make informed decisions as to whether to proceed into flooded areas.
The system utilises sensors mounted in the bumpers and wing mirrors. These are able to measure depth and by working in conjunction with inclinometers recognise whether the level is increasing or decreasing. All this information is displayed in an intuitive graphic on the central touchscreen.
On-Demand Spiked Tyres Further allowing the concepts to adjust to changing conditions is a driver-deployable spiked tyre system. This is operated by an electro-mechanical system mounted within the tyre on the inside of the wheel; activation of the technology causes air to inflate a secondary air chamber, filling pods moulded into the tread of the tyre which contain the spikes.
Leisure Key Land Rover has adopted Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to increase the accessibility, usability and security of the concepts.
These allow the main key fob to be left in a slot in the glovebox, which deactivates it and transfers its lock and unlock functions to the rugged RFID chip. Once the system is armed and the car secured, only that specific RFID smart tag will allow it to be unlocked and reactivate the key fob.
Future developments of the system will allow each family member to have their own smart tag, which would save their personal audio, climate, communication, safety and seating settings. Third-generation smart tags could also include biometric data that would use facial systems to increase security.
"Loved the world over for its simple, honest and distinctive design, we are determined that the new Defender will be true to its heritage while meeting the requirements of a changing global market." John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Rover
The Land Rover DC100 concept builds upon the essential elements of the car’s character and allows Land Rover to open the debate and inspire people to dream about the Defenders of the future.
For further information, images and film content log onto www.media.landrover.com
Hyper-Endemic Typhoid in Africa Takes Spotlight at Cannes
CANNES, September 13, 2011/PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ -- New evidence draws attention to unrecognized burden in the region
Important new evidence revealing hyper-endemic typhoid in Africa will be presented by global health experts and scientists at the 6th International Conference on Vaccines for Enteric Diseases (VED) 2011 on September 14-16 in Cannes, France. The findings, presented by the Sabin Vaccine Institute's Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), could help accelerate regional control of typhoid, a disease that afflicts 21.6 million people worldwide. This conversation is part of CaT's ongoing effort to ensure the delivery of typhoid vaccines to the populations that need them most.
This latest study from Nairobi, recorded by Robert Breiman, M.D. and his team at the Center for Disease Control Kenya, provides new evidence of a previously unrecognized burden of typhoid fever, especially in rapidly growing urban areas. The team used population-based surveillance and laboratory techniques to confirm the presence of typhoid in approximately 2 percent of all children 2-9 years of age. Alarmingly, nearly 75 per cent of cases were antibiotic resistant.
"Our findings have important policy implications for the use of typhoid vaccines in an increasingly urban Africa," says Dr. Breiman. "As it currently stands, there is limited awareness of typhoid in Africa. Before we can control the disease, we need to provide local evidence of the problem."
A team led by researchers from Michigan State University found similar typhoid infection rates in Abuja, Nigeria, where 20 percent of children 0-5 years of age who tested positive for bacterial infection were infected with Salmonella typhi- the causative agent of typhoid fever.
"Typhoid was the number one cause of invasive bacterial infection in children under 5 in our study," says Stephen Obaro, M.D., visiting consultant pediatrician at the National Hospital in Abuja and lead researcher of the study in Nigeria, "but currently, no country in sub-Saharan Africa implements routine immunization with typhoid vaccine. Our pilot data suggest that there may well be a need for implementing routine immunization with available vaccines."
Recognizing the threat of typhoid fever, Kenyan Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation officials have begun vaccinating food service workers in area schools. The implementation of current typhoid vaccines is recommended by the WHO and is prioritized but not yet funded by the GAVI Alliance. The first typhoid vaccine recently earned WHO pre-qualification status, allowing for procurement by UNICEF and other UN agencies.
"Despite the availability of low cost typhoid vaccines, a WHO recommendation for their use and successful vaccination programs in many countries, typhoid vaccines have not yet reached those most impacted by the disease," said Christopher Nelson, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director of the Coalition against Typhoid Secretariat at the Sabin Vaccine Institute. "CaT is committed to overcoming access barriers and ensuring the widespread use of these safe, affordable and life-saving typhoid vaccines."
About Sabin Vaccine Institute
Sabin Vaccine Institute is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of scientists, researchers, and advocates dedicated to reducing needless human suffering caused by vaccine preventable and neglected tropical diseases. Sabin works with governments, leading public and private organizations, and academic institutions to provide solutions for some of the world's most pervasive health challenges. The Coalition against Typhoid, whose secretariat is housed at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, is a global forum of scientists and immunization experts that works to save lives and reduce suffering by advancing typhoid vaccination in endemic countries. For more information please visit http://www.sabin.org/advocacy-education/coalition-against-typhoid
For more information about typhoid, please visit http://www.who.int/topics/typhoid_fever
Source: Sabin Vaccine Institute
Richard Hatzfeld, Richard.hatzfeld@sabin.org, +1-202-842-5025
The Print On Demand Industry’s Dirty Little Secret
The dirty little secret of the Print On Demand (POD) industry is that most of us use the same service to do the printing, and we all distribute our books through Ingram. So the quality of our books and the places to which we sell them are identical. The only real differences are the prices we charge, the quality of our customer service, and our business models.
Upselling Authors – Slowly Milking Your Pocketbook
The large POD services – Authorhouse, iUniverse, XLibris, and Trafford, (now all owned by the same parent company, Author Solutions, which is a creation of venture capital firm Bertram Capital) – and many of the smaller POD companies have a business model built around selling a base publishing package, and then upselling you on additional services. Whether you sell a copy of your book to anyone or not doesn’t really matter because their profit comes from upselling authors on products and services. This is why they take any book submitted to them, regardless of quality. They care more about how many of you they can squeeze through their doors than they care about quality. If they truly cared about quality, they wouldn’t be putting so much garbage on the market, which actually hurts our entire industry.
BookLocker Is About Selling Books
Unlike the other POD firms, BookLocker is not into upselling you on products and services. We’re not going to sell you bookmarks and coffee mugs with your book’s cover on them because it would be a waste of your money. Our goal is to get a quality book quickly into the market (usually in a month or less) with the lowest out-of-pocket cost to you. We then try to create an environment that favors book sales.
We feel our approach is a better way to do business. It is a sustainable model for both us and you because it aligns our business interests. When a sale happens, you make money and we make money. Both of us win.
And our model works. The majority of BookLocker’s revenue comes from public book sales, not service fees.
BookLocker’s Costs Compared To The Competition
Some of the other POD companies appear to charge low upfront fees, and even no upfront fees. But those prices don’t include everything you need to get the book into the market. Later, after you’ve signed the contract, they hit you with hidden charges – fees for distribution, graphics, ebook creation, barcodes, expedited service…the list goes on and on. By the time your book is actually ready for sale, you’ve probably paid over $1000 – sometimes much, much more – to get your book in print, greatly increasing the time it takes to make back your investment through sales.
At BookLocker, our published setup fee price includes everything to get the book out into the market, period. No runaround. No surprises. No hidden fees. And BookLocker keeps the setup charge low so you can make back the investment as quickly as possible through book sales. Here is what we charge for a standard paperback:
BOOKLOCKER: $517 (deduct $200 if submitting your own cover)
For that price you get…
Formatting, print proof copy, custom cover design (which you then own all rights to), barcode, ISBN, distribution, and sales fufillment. No hidden fees. Includes everything to get the book into the market.
Quick turnaround. Books are usually on the market in less than a month.
No rights grab – you keep all rights to your book, and the cover design we create. (We even hand over all the cover and formatted text files if you want them. No questions asked, and no charge.)
Distribution through Ingram (the world’s largest book distributor), Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and many other online stores.
No long-term contracts. Cancel by email with just 24 hours notice.
No extra charge for graphics/charts/photos.
No extra charge for the ebook version.
No tacky company logos printed on your book. Unlike the “other guys”, we don’t use your book to advertise our company.
Use your own ISBN, or use one of ours. It is your choice.
Deeper discount for authors buying copies of their book in bulk. (Makes it actually profitable to sell your book directly to the public, if you want to do that.)
List prices that are competitive with traditionally published books of the same size, length and quality.
Print books – 35% royalties based on the list price for public sales; 15% royalties based on the list price on wholesale/bookstore orders. 70% royalties on ebook versions. Royalties over $20 are paid out monthly.
Full access to the practical knowledge gained from years of experience selling POD and ebooks to the public. (We’ve been selling POD books since 1999 and ebooks since 1998.)
Personal attention from and direct access to the company owners (all authors work directly with Angela Hoy) – no revolving customer service reps, no layers of bureaucracy to navigate, and absolutely no outsourcing to third-world countries.
Other BookLocker features:
BookLocker authors who return to use the service for subsequent books get a special $149 setup fee rate. No limit.
BookLocker now distributes ebooks to Apple’s iBookstore, Barnes &Noble’s NOOKBook store, and soon Amazon’s Kindle store.
NOTE: All publishers below currently offer distribution through Ingram (the largest book distributor), as well as inclusion of their titles in the major online (amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.) and physical bookstore systems.
>> iUniverse: $999.00 (includes 5 “free” copies) << Rated "Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Warning: Has a variety of “extra” charges like $2 per page if your manuscript is submitted with incorrect headers/footers, page breaks, line and paragraph formatting, more than 25 photos/graphics, more than 2 images on your cover, tables, etc. They own your files after creation and you have to pay $150-$750 to get them if you leave their service! No expedite service. Turnaround is 3-4 months. NOTE: AuthorHouse is owned by Author Solutions, a holding company that also owns Xlibris, iUniverse and Trafford. See those companies above and below.
>> CreateSpace: $1022.00 (Deduct $299 if submitting your own cover) << Rated "Just OK” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Add $500 to price above if you want more than one color and image featured on your cover. Limit of 10 interior images; charges $15 per image and $25 per chart/table/graph thereafter. Does NOT publish hardcover books (all others here do). IMPORTANT: BookSurge was rolled into CreateSpace in November, 2009 but they kept employees, equipment, etc. Read more about BookSurge’s problems HERE. We ordered some BookSurge books and one looked so bad they inserted an apology note inside, saying it was the best they could get from their supplier. They ARE their supplier! Another one arrived with the interior pages appearing upside-down. Read numerous complaints about CreateSpace, posted to their own forum, HERE.
>> Lulu: $1131.00 (Deduct $450 if submitting your own cover) << Rated "Pretty Good” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Lulu now charges directly for many services they previously farmed out to other companies. Lulu appears to be having customer service problems and authors are upset about their high shipping costs. Read THIS to learn more.
>> Trafford: $1324.00 << Rated "Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Warning: Has a variety of “extra” charges like $2 per page if your manuscript is submitted with incorrect headers/footers, page breaks, line and paragraph formatting, etc. Charges $5 extra per image. Expedite service available for the $2199 “Elite” package. NOTE: AuthorHouse is owned by Author Solutions, a holding company that also owns Xlibris, iUniverse and Trafford. See those companies above and below.
>> AuthorHouse: $1517.00 << Rated "Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Charges extra for photos/graphics ($5 per image after first 10 – included in cost above). Expedite fee ($500) is for publication in 30 days instead of 6 months (included above). Claims ownership of files you pay them to create…meaning you can’t use the edited/formatted files if you want to move your book later. NOTE: AuthorHouse is owned by Author Solutions, a holding company that also owns Xlibris, iUniverse and Trafford. See those companies above and below.
>> Xlibris: $1972.00 – (includes 5 “free” copies) << Rated "Publisher to Avoid” by Mark Levine, attorney and author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing. Charges expedite fee of $349 (included above) for publication in 2 months instead of 4-6 months. Charges $10 per image (included above); $20 per table. Limit of 1 cover image. NOTE: AuthorHouse is owned by Author Solutions, a holding company that also owns Xlibris, iUniverse and Trafford. See those companies above.
***Prices above based on least expensive package offered by each publisher on similar offers targeting U.S. authors. Fees include interior formatting (based on a 200-page book), original cover design with up to 5 images, print proof, ebook creation, up to 25 interior photos/graphics, an ISBN, barcode, a listing on the publisher’s website and distribution by Ingram, all within 6 weeks.
NOTE: Many companies offer perks that others don’t, some try to upsell authors on extraneous services, and a few even claim ownership of files the author has paid them to create. Study each publisher and contract carefully before making your choice.
Read Angela Hoy’s industry insider series POD SECRETS REVEALED:
Created by: Medical Billing and Coding Infographic: The hazards of hospitals Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. But as this infographic shows, threats like superbugs, sloppy records and sleepy interns can make U.S. hospitals surprisingly dangerous.
Political and Natural Events Strongly Impact Room Rates in First Half of 2011, Says new Hotels.com Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®)
LONDON, September 13/PRNewswire/ — Hotel prices have experienced pronounced volatility as a result of political turmoil and natural disasters in the first half of 2011, according to the latest Hotels.com® Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®).
The average price of a room around the world rose by just 3% in the first six months of the year but this masked some steep rises and falls in regions affected by the historic events.
Other factors such as currency strength and supply of rooms also impacted average room prices across the world, although the report shows that overall these were just 6% higher than when the HPI was launched in 2004, representing outstanding value for travellers.
Prices fell 6% in Asia Pacific year-on-year but rose in all other areas: 4% in North America, 2% in Europe and Latin America and 1% in the Caribbean. Counting the Cost of the Arab Spring
The uprisings which occurred in North Africa and the Middle East triggered substantial reductions in hotel prices across the region as tourists and business travellers stayed away not only from countries directly hit by the civil unrest but also from those which escaped political protest.
However, the fall in consumer confidence was good news for destinations in southern Europe as travellers returned to more traditional havens. The rising demand pushed up prices in some Spanish sunshine destinations and the overall HPI for Europe rose 2% compared with the first half of last year.
Ireland was also helped by the high-profile visits of Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama which triggered a slight market recovery in hotel prices by attracting visitors and boosting demand. Japanese Earthquake Hits Prices in Asia Pacific
Average prices for hotel rooms across Asia Pacific fell by 6% over the period. The Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis at Fukushima led to reduced occupancy and falling demand in the country and also had a knock-on effect in other parts of the region as the Japanese chose to stay close to home.
However, despite the downward price pressures, there were also some marked rises in the region, especially in strong economies such as Australia where corporate travel continued strongly and the Australian Dollar remained high. Travellers from Economic Powerhouses Enjoy Lower Hotel Rates
This factor was also evident in other countries with strong currencies and economies and meant citizens from nations such as Brazil, Sweden and Switzerland benefited from lower prices in many destinations, particularly the US and UK where the US Dollar and Pound Sterling struggled to hold their ground.
David Roche, President of Hotels.com, comments: "This year, for the first time, dramatic political and natural world events, such as the Japanese earthquake and Arab Spring, have caused the most pronounced level of hotel price volatility since we began this report in 2004.
"However, despite some exceptional price movements, it is important to highlight that overall the picture has been one of gradual recovery with many room rates still on a par with what they were seven years ago, representing great value for the traveller.
"Of course, other factors such foreign exchange fluctuations, one-off political sporting, cultural or trade events and discounting by hoteliers can also influence prices but it's important to underline the general health of the sector so far this year.
"This can be seen by the growth in the supply of rooms all over the world with nearly 6,000* hotel projects in development. This increase in accommodation also acts as a brake on prices and, once again, is good news for the consumer."
The Hotels.com HPI is based on bookings made on Hotels.com sites around the world and tracks the real prices paid per hotel room (rather than advertised rates) for about 125,000 properties across more than 19,000 locations. The latest HPI looks at prices in the first half of 2011 compared to the same period last year.
For a full copy of the HPI report, graphics and video interview with Hotels.com President David Roche go to: http://press.hotels.com/en-gb/
Alternatively, email pressoffice@hotels.com or call: Lizann Peppard on +44-20-7019-2265 Zoe Chan on +852-3607-5719 Alison Couper on + 44-20-7019-2360
* July 2011 STR Global Construction Pipeline Report
About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. The company currently operates more than 85 Hotels.com sites around the world and travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres.
The hotels.com Biannual Hotel Price Index Shows a 3 Percent Global Price Increase and Gradual Recovery
Report also Finds Americans Paid 11 Percent More for European Hotels; Japanese Travelers Spent the Most on Travel Abroad
DALLAS – September 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Today, hotels.com®, the leading provider of lodging worldwide, released its biannual Hotel Price Index™ (HPI®), revealing a 3 percent global price increase and a gradual recovery despite major natural catastrophes and world events affecting travel during the first half of the year. Room rates are still lower than their peak in mid-2007, indicating to travelers that good deals and value are within reach for consumers.
The hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI) is a regular survey of hotel prices in major city destinations across the world. The HPI is based on bookings made on hotels.com and prices shown are those actually paid by customers (rather than advertised rates) for the first half of 2011. The report largely compares prices paid in 2010 with prices paid in 2011. The key findings of the Hotel Price Index:
Influential Factors in American Travel at Home and Abroad
Americans continued to see a weak U.S. dollar compared to other currencies, meaning travel outside the country’s borders was more costly than anticipated. Americans paid an increase of 11 percent at European hotels in 2011 compared to 2010; a 5 percent increase in North America; a 4 percent increase in the Caribbean; and a 1 percent increase in Asia. In addition to the weak currency, 2011 was a year of major natural disasters which greatly affected travel, including major flooding in Nashville, and devastating tornadoes that caused major damage to Minneapolis and Joplin, Missouri. Despite the natural disaster, Joplin’s year-over-year average daily rate increased 3 percent, but time will tell if that will remain constant for the rest of the year. Joplin is the tenth least expensive city in the U.S. according to this year’s HPI.
After the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March, travel to the country dropped, even in capital city Tokyo, located 250 miles south of the disaster. Reykjavik, Iceland and Christchurch, New Zealand were also subject to the extraordinary forces of Mother Nature. Massive volcanic ash clouds in Reykjavik and the aftermath of two 6.0+ magnitude earthquakes in Christchurch may have been factors in the 44 percent and 38 percent price rises in each city, respectively. These rises counter the typical trend of lower prices after a natural disaster.
Where are Americans Traveling Internationally? There has been little change when it comes to the top three most frequented international destinations traveled to by Americans. London, Paris and Rome remain the most popular despite an 11 percent increase in the average daily rate for Americans paying for a hotel in Europe. Our neighbors to the North, Toronto and Vancouver, came in fourth and fifth place. Aside from the top three, European travel from the U.S. continues to centralize around Madrid, Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence, and Venice. Each city moved up one to three spots in the hearts of American tourists.
From Monte Carlo, Monaco to Vieques, Puerto Rico, the top ten most expensive destinations’ daily rates rose, on average, 22 percent year-over-year. Each city on the list cost American travelers more than $350 dollars a night. The city that topped the list, Bora Bora (located in the French Polynesian islands), costs more than double that amount, claiming over $800 a night from American vacationers.
Which Regions Are Growing In Popularity for Americans? The HPI reveals that Asia is the most up-and-coming region for American travelers. Even though the region experienced a minimal room rate hike of 1 percent, Asian cities have been moving up on the list of the top 50 cities for American travelers.
Beijing moved up 12 spots from 2010 to #20. Bangkok (up 16 spots to #17) and Seoul (up 15 spots to #30) also rapidly gained popularity among U.S. travelers this year.
Hong Kong ranked as the eighth most visited city by Americans in 2011, while other Asian cities including Bangkok (17), Shanghai (18), Beijing (20), Dubai (21) and Singapore(24) ranked in the top 25 most visited international destinations by Americans.
On the other side of the world, Americans paid an average daily rate of $207 in the Caribbean after a four percent increase. Latin American hotel rooms rose two percent in 2011 with rooms costing an average daily rate of $153.
Who are the World’s Biggest Spenders? Japanese travelers are the new top spenders when traveling abroad, paying an average of $176 per room when they head overseas. Second in line are travelers from Switzerland and Australia, who respectively spend $175 and $172 in other countries. While U.S. travelers have dropped into fourth place, spending an average of $171 per night on hotels overseas, this is still an increase from last year’s average of $160 per night. Americans are more thrifty when booking hotels in the U.S., spending $119 per night. The biggest domestic spenders are from Switzerland, paying an average of $220 in their local hotels. Travelers from India continue to be the lowest domestic spenders, with an average of $92 per room spent on hotels within their borders.
Press Contacts:
Helen Ames Ruder Finn for hotels.com Phone: (212) 715-1646 Email: amesh@ruderfinn.com
Taylor L. Cole, APR hotels.com North America Phone: (469) 335-8442 Email: taycole@hotels.com
Magnificent African beauty Miss Angola Leila Lopes on Tuesday was crowned Miss Universe 2011 in a star-studded ceremony in Brazil's Sao Paolo. India's hopes were dashed early into the competition's final rounds after Indian contestant Vasuki Sunkavalli failed to make it to the top 10.
Born in Benguela, Angola Lopes is a business management student in Great Britain, where she was crowned Miss Angola UK on October 8, 2010.
Lopes, who stands 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in) tall, competed as one of 21 finalists in her country's national beauty pageant, Miss Angola, held in Luanda on December 18, 2010,where she obtained the Photogenic Award and became the eventual winner of the title, gaining the right to represent Angola in Miss Universe 2011.
Lopes is the fourth African woman to win the title, the last African who won is Mpule Kwelagobe, Miss Universe 1999 from Botswana.
Marc Baylis: Hottest Foreign Actor in a Nigerian Movie
We have had some hot and hotter foreign actors in Nigerian movies like the Ghanaian Van Vicker, and Majid Michel who are heartthrobs of millions of Nigerian girls and ladies, but the hottest of them all is Marc Baylis, the dashing handsome British actor who played the captivating lead role of Dale in Faruk Lasaki’s romantic thriller Changing Faces.
Marc is not famous in Nigeria, because he has only acted in one Nigerian movie and it is not the common Nollywood home video seen on Mnet’s Africa Magic channel or the Nollywood flicks pirated and sold on the streets. Changing Faces is one the very few Nigerian movies rated highly as outstanding features made for the cinema.
Marc’s thrilling role as the young white Architecture whiz kid Dale married to a Nigerian woman showed him as a better actor than Van Vicker and Majid Michel and stood him in class of his own as a world class romantic actor, even though it was reported that he was particularly uncomfortable with the “ass-taping” scenes of the erotic role in steamy sex scenes with the young reporter, Lola he met at the Architectural conference in a beautiful hill top hotel. He was quite convincing in his portrayal of how a born again married man fell for the seductress Lola who lured him into her bed on the last night of the conference and his life was never the same again.
Changing Faces opens at the Silverbird Cinemas and other theatres in Nigeria and Ghana from December 23, 2011.
