Eutelsat and MultiChoice Africa Announce Winners of the First DStv Eutelsat Star Awards

21 Sep 2011 16:10 Africa/Lagos

Eutelsat and MultiChoice Africa Announce Winners of the First DStv Eutelsat Star Awards

More Than 800 Students From Across Africa Respond to the Challenge of Creative Thinking in Science and Technology

JOHANNESBURG and PARIS, September 21, 2011/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

Following the meeting in South Africa of a prestigious jury chaired by Professor George Smoot, Nobel Prize laureate in 2006 and astrophysicist, the winners have been announced of the first edition of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, initiated by MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat in collaboration with Mindset Learn.

The DStv Eutelsat Star Awards is an initiative to encourage young students in 42 African countries to embrace science and technology, and to encourage creative thinking on applications that can support the development of the African continent. Students were invited to write an essay or design a poster on satellite technology and how it can assist further development of their communities, country or the African continent.

Of over 800 entries from across Africa, the final jury reviewed a shortlist of essays and posters preselected by national juries. They included Kidanemarriam Belew from Ethiopia, Vitumbiko Chingwere from Malawi, Sandile Dube from Swaziland, Chukwuka Ekweani and Oluwaseyi Oloyede from Nigeria, Shanen Ganapathee from Mauritius, Mary Misumire and Rebecca Nalwanga from Uganda, Tofunmi Olagoke from South Africa and Michael Yeboah from Guinea.

The jury commented on the extremely high level of these entries and awarded the Ugandan student, Mary Misumire first prize in the Best Entry Award category. Her essay, "Looking to the sky for answers", impressed the judges with its creativity and innovation. Mary has won a trip for two people to experience live a rocket launch, and to visit Eutelsat in France. Runner-up Best Overall Award went to Michael Yeboah from Guinea for his poster. Michael wins a trip for two people to Eutelsat in France. The jury assigned a Merit Award to the Mauritian student Shanen Ganapathee for her essay entry, and to Tofunmi Olagoke from South Africa for his poster entry. Both Merit Awards win a trip to South Africa to visit MultiChoice Africa and Mindset Learn's satellite broadcast facilities.

The jury assembled for this first event was chaired by Professor George Smoot, with Dr Phethiwe Matutu, Chief Director South African Department of Science and Technology; Lauren Beukes, novelist and winner of the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award for her novel 'Zoo City': Nadi Albino, Chief of Education UNICEF South Africa, and Professor Amadi Ihunwo, Head Morphological Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Impressed by this new initiative, Professor Smoot, whose long-term interest for African education is witnessed by his Education Foundation, the Global Teachers Academy (GTA) and his engagement for the African Institute for Mathematical Science, said: "Young people and education are key to Africa's future, and science in particular can play a powerful role in development. I am delighted and honoured to have been involved in this new initiative which aims at promoting science and technology in schools. As jury chairman, I was inspired by the quality of the entries. The winning essay showed passion and demonstrated a good understanding of satellites. There were accurate details of how satellites can be used, from managing climate change and natural resources to their uses in urban planning. We liked Mary's out-of-the-box thinking and creative expression. The second best essay entry, well-written by Shanen, displayed an excellent and in-depth knowledge of satellites and their use for Africa. Well done to all the contestants."

Collins Khumalo, President of MultiChoice Africa, added: "As a business born and bred in Africa, MultiChoice Africa is keenly aware of the challenges faced by many countries across the continent - specifically in terms of access to ICTs and the development of science and technology. With education as a key focus of our corporate social investment programmes, our decision to initiate this competition with Eutelsat and Mindset Learn created a natural synergy which was able to stimulate education and interest around satellites and their possible applications in Africa. An investment in the youth is an investment in the future - and we believe that education in the area of science and technology will make a fundamental difference to this future."

Michel de Rosen, CEO of Eutelsat Communications, added: "At Eutelsat, we believe that our responsibility as a satellite operator is to deploy infrastructure that enables information and communication to be available to as many people as possible. There can be no sustainable development in high technology environments without increasing the number of engineers, technicians and teachers to build an inclusive digital environment. The high level of participation and the quality of the entries in this first edition is very encouraging and motivates us to pursue initiatives that can stimulate young African minds to think about new technologies that will drive economic and social progress."

The Awards leveraged MultiChoice's Resource Centres which have been established in over 1000 schools across Sub-Saharan Africa to provide educational channels such as National Geographic, the History Channel and Mindset Learn to schools via satellite, and to train teachers to use this programming to enhance teaching and learning.

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of EutelsatS.A.. With capacity commercialised on 27 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 June 2011, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 3,800 television channels. More than 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD(TM) video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates access to high speed internet services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ just over 700 commercial, technical and operational employees from 30 countries.

http://www.eutelsat.com

About MultiChoice Africa

MultiChoice Africa Limited ("MultiChoice Africa") is an African pioneer of pay TV services in sub-Sahara Africa, having launched the first digital satellite service in the 1980s. The company is registered in Mauritius, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Naspers Group. MultiChoice Africa provides multi-channel digital pay television services containing channels from Africa, America, China, India, Asia and Europe. The company has over twenty years experience as a Pay TV operator in Africa, offering cutting-edge digital technology and a selection of DStv bouquets containing premium television channels for subscribers in 47 African countries and the adjacent Indian Ocean islands.

MultiChoice Africa provides its digital satellite television service - DStv - to subscribers' homes from two different satellites, namely: the Intelsat 7 ("IS 7") Ku BAND and Eutelsat W7 ("W7") Ku Band.

MultiChoice Africa provides a dynamic technology platform and assembles a range of bouquets built around compelling news, as well as premium movies, documentaries and sports channels for subscribers. Our mission is to constantly be at the cutting edge of new technology that enables DStv subscribers to enjoy the very best home television experience.

Source: Eutelsat Communications & MultiChoice Africa

For further information: Press: Vanessa O'Connor, Tel. : +33-1-53-98-37-91 voconnor@eutelsat.fr; Frédérique Gautier Tel. : +33-1-53-98-37-91, fgautier@eutelsat.fr; Analysts and Investors: Lisa Finas, Tel. : +33-1-53-98-35-30, investors@eutelsat-communications.com; Léonard Wapler, Tel. : +33-1-53-98-31-07, investors@eutelsat-communications.com ; Head: Corporate Affairs: Caroline Creasy, Tel: +27-11-289-3081, caroline.creasy@multichoice.co.za



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Survey Indicates Banks Are Starting to Recover

20 Sep 2011 15:35 Africa/Lagos


Survey Indicates Banks Are Starting to Recover

Crowe Horwath LLP releases findings from its 2011 Financial Institutions Compensation survey

PR Newswire

OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 20, 2011

OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Shifting priorities, modest salary increases and even rising turnover are all indicators that banks are beginning to recover from the recent economic downturn, as reported in Crowe Horwath LLP's 2011 Comprehensive Financial Institution Compensation Survey. In 2011, the average salary increase for officers and non-officers was 2.4 percent.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090902/CL69632LOGO )

The survey, which compiled data from 280 U.S. financial institutions, is conducted annually by Crowe, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S. Now in its 30th year, the survey found the top human resource priorities for the year are retaining employees, developing employees and motivating better performance. Containing costs dropped in priority, falling three spots from last year's survey.



"This year's survey shows the positive trend of banks refocusing their efforts on current employees, through developmental programs and moderate salary increases," said Timothy Reimink, a senior consultant in Crowe's Performance group.

Employee turnover is also returning to pre-recession levels. Non-officer turnover increased to 17 percent in 2011 compared to 12 percent in 2010. Officer turnover increased to 6.6 percent in 2011, reversing the downward trend of the past four years. "It appears employees were more confident in looking for new jobs as the outlook for banks stabilized," said Reimink.

For 2011, heads of personal investment sales received a total compensation increase of 25.5 percent, which is nearly all from bonuses as their base pay decreased by 3.7 percent. "Investment sales bonuses are based on activity in the stock market and that can come from buying or selling. In 2010, there was a rebound in stock activity and investment sales benefitted from that," said Reimink. "However, this year it seems stock activity has already hit a plateau, so it's unlikely we'll see this size of increase again next year."

As regulations for banks have increased over the past year, so too have the responsibilities of chief compliance officers, and the survey shows they are being rewarded for their efforts. They received a 6.1 percent raise in base pay for a 7.4 percent increase in total compensation.

Additional survey findings include:

* Residential mortgage loan officers received the largest total compensation increase of 34.1 percent. Reimink noted that even though home sales were down, interest rates reached new historic lows, causing a continued uptick in mortgage refinancing activity.
* Chief lending officers and chief information officers had 11.6 percent increases in base pay but saw reductions in total compensation of 2.8 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively, as a result of decreases in bonus pay. Similarly, chief financial officers had a base pay increase of 8.3 percent but saw a decrease in total compensation of 2.4 percent. According to Reimink, this decrease in bonus pay is likely due to the performance of financial institutions and a shift away from cash bonuses toward restricted stock, which isn't included in total cash compensation.
* Half of the financial institutions surveyed plan to maintain staffing levels at current levels with 24 percent expecting staffing growth.
* After averaging 11.35 percent of base pay for three years, aggregate incentive compensation declined to 7.4 percent of base pay in 2011. Reimink notes continued lower financial performance and slow growth appear to be impacting incentive payouts.
* While regulators expect that all incentive compensation plans are reviewed by the boards of directors, only 51.1 percent of financial institutions surveyed indicated their compensation committee reviews and approves plans. Only 35.4 percent indicated they review incentive compensation plans annually.
* While 87.7 percent of banks surveyed say they have a pay-for-performance program, their actual practices in granting merit pay increases do not appear to support this objective. Banks rated 26.9 percent of their employees as exceeding expectations in 2011, and on average gave these employees a 3.2 percent salary increase. This is not much more than the average 2.6 percent increase given to those employees meeting expectations. "Management may be missing the boat by not using pay to motivate and reward top performers," Reimink added.


"This year's survey showed that containing costs was reported as of lesser importance compared to last year. However, long-term projections suggest benefit costs may rise back to the top in our future surveys," added Pat Cole, a senior manager in Crowe's Audit and Financial Advisory practice, who specializes in human resources consulting for financial institutions. Seventy percent of institutions plan to increase deductibles, premiums and co-payments as a way to pass more costs onto their employees.

In addition to the national survey, Crowe prepared regional compensation reports for the Midwest and Southeast, as well as state reports for Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey and Ohio. For more information or to purchase the survey results, please visit http://www.crowehorwath.com/compsurvey.

About the 2011 Crowe Horwath Financial Institution Compensation Survey

The 2011 Crowe Horwath Financial Institution Compensation Survey was completed by 280 financial institutions. Using data from March 31, 2011, the participant breakdown is as follows: 35 percent had less than $250 million in total assets, 28 percent had between $250 million and $500 million in total assets, 16 percent had between $500 million and $1 billion in total assets, 17 percent had between $1 billion and $10 billion in total assets and 4 percent had more than $10 billion in total assets. Of the participants, 200 of the financial institutions were located in towns with populations of less than 100,000, while 80 were located in cities of more than 100,000.

About Crowe Horwath

Crowe Horwath LLP (www.crowehorwath.com) is one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the United States. Under its core purpose of "Building Value with Values®," Crowe assists public and private company clients in reaching their goals through audit, tax, advisory, risk and performance services. With 26 offices and 2,400 personnel, Crowe is recognized by many organizations as one of the country's best places to work. Crowe serves clients worldwide as an independent member of Crowe Horwath International, one of the largest networks in the world, consisting of more than 140 independent accounting and management consulting firms with offices in more than 400 cities around the world.

SOURCE Crowe Horwath LLP

CONTACT: Amanda Shawaluk, +1-312-899-8416, amanda.shawaluk@crowehorwath.com; Jan Lippman, +1-312-899-8414, jan.lippman@crowehorwath.com,Twitter: @Crowe_USNews

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

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IBM Boosts Africa Expansion With New Angola Office

19 Sep 2011 11:00 Africa/Lagos


IBM Boosts Africa Expansion With New Angola Office
New subsidiary demonstrates company's increased footprint in key growth markets

PR Newswire

LUANDA, Angola, Sept. 19, 2011

LUANDA, Angola, Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced the opening of a new branch office in Luanda, as part of the company's continued geographic expansion to increase its presence in key growth markets in support of its global strategy.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110919/NY69873-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110919/NY69873-b )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

The Angolan arm is part of a broad programme of investment that IBM is making in Africa and follows the recent opening of new locations in Dakar, Senegal and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This gives IBM a direct presence in more than 20 African countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.



The expanded presence in Angola will enable IBM to increase its level of service to clients and partners across the Central African region and deliver more advanced and high-value solutions across many industries.

IBM already serves a number of key clients in Central Africa, spanning sectors including telecommunications, oil & gas, finance and government. For example in Angola, IBM is working with one of the country's major banks to help transform the institution's core banking technology infrastructure and support business growth. With a new system based on IBM Power servers and software technologies, the bank has been able to upgrade its banking services.

IBM is also working closely with other local financial institutions and oil & gas companies in Angola to improve the accuracy and security of information in the country.

"Expanding into Angola offers IBM an important business opportunity as we expand our presence throughout the African continent," said Bruno Di Leo, General Manager, IBM Growth Markets. "This demonstrates IBM's commitment to expand into new markets to provide innovative solutions for our clients and partners. Luanda is one of more than 230 IBM branch offices across 55 growth market countries."

IBM is also engaged in an active programme of corporate citizenship across Africa. Since 2008, IBM has deployed 250 of its most talented employees on projects in Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco and Egypt helping to solve local problems with the aim of fostering economic development and job creation.

"By opening a direct presence in Angola and many other markets on the African continent, IBM overcomes one of the biggest barriers to entry in Africa, namely being able to offer local support and insights to their clients and business partners," says Hannes Fourie, Senior Analyst IDC, Middle East and Africa.

The Luanda office is part of IBM's Central Africa operations and will complement IBM's other branch offices in the region. IBM has supplied products and solutions to Central Africa since the 1940's, and IBM equipment was installed in Angola by the company known as Benguela Railways in 1955.

The new office was inaugurated this week at a ceremony for customers, business partners and government officials in Luanda.

About IBM
For more information on IBM, please visit:
http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2011/06/ibm-in-africa.html

Contacts:
Arlene Wainstein
IBM External Relations, Middle East & Africa
33 (0) 1 5875-5951
Mobile: 33 (0) 672 759574
arlenewainstein@fr.ibm.com

Marie-Anne (Kui) Kinyanjui
IBM External Relations, Growth Markets Unit
254 20 283 4000
Mobile: 254 721 676 543
mariekin@ke.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

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


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President Jonathan opens 2nd ECOWAS investment forum in Lagos

President Goodluck Jonathan

19 Sep 2011 07:22 Africa/Lagos


President Jonathan opens 2nd ECOWAS investment forum in Lagos

ABUJA, September 19, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria on Thursday, 15th September 2011 called on Member States to facilitate regional economic integration through the pursuit of policies that would promote the realization of the common market initiative encapsulated in the organization's Vision 2020 project.


Opening the 2nd ECOWAS Investment Forum in Lagos themed, “Showcasing Investment and Financial opportunities in ECOWAS”, President Jonathan who was represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, said ECOWAS Member States should foster stronger ties with investors across the globe to maximize the investment potentials and opportunities that abound in the region.


“West Africa has shown a lot of promise given the various economic and political reforms that a number of our Member States have embarked upon,” he said. “Unfortunately, however, available statistics show that we are still highly marginalized in the global trade and investment flows”.


Despite the challenges, the ECOWAS Chairman expressed the hope that with a combined population of some 300 million and gross domestic product of about US$290 billion, “ECOWAS is a market to reckon with in any multilateral discussion”, adding that West Africa has the potential to become “an economic union sooner than expected”.


In his keynote address, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho, enumerated factors that make West Africa, the preferred investors' destination. These include low risk profile, abundant natural resources, strong labour force, above-average return on investment, emerging stable and democratic Members pursing the values of transparency and accountability.


“I consider this Forum timely, apt and desirable as a platform for investor enlightenment on the investment potentials and incentives in the region”, affirmed Ambassador Gbeho, who was represented by the Commission's Vice-President, Mr. Jean de Dieu Somda.


According to him, initiatives by the Commission to fast-track regional economic integration include the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) which is meant to boost intra-Community trade, the adoption of a Common External Tariff (CET), a five-band tariff regime for imports into the region and the harmonization of investment laws under the Common Market.


Senator Roland Kaine, who represented the Government of Liberia, commended the strides made by ECOWAS in the “harmonization and coordination of national polices and the promotion of integration programmes, projects and activities such as the CET, the Common Currency for West Africa's Monetary zone and the West African Common Market”.


He listed measures taken by the Government to make the business climate conducive in Liberia and thanked Nigeria for always standing by his country “in times of difficulty”.


In his goodwill message, the President, Association of Investment Promotion Agencies of West African States (IPAWAS), Engineer Mustapha Bello, said the organization was pursing regional economic development through public-private-partnership initiatives in order to attract foreign direct investment, create jobs and reduce poverty.


Cote d'Ivoire's Minister of African Integration, Adama Bictogo, who was represented by Ambassador Tanoe Kone, thanked the ECOWAS Commission and Member States for their support during the country's political crisis.


He said a special investment forum would be staged in the first quarter of 2012 to showcase the country's business opportunities.


Participants at the forum include public and private sector actors from within and outside the ECOWAS region.


Organized by the ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with IPAWAS and the West African Bankers Association (WABA), the two-day Forum seeks to harmonize the platform for investment promotion in the region and access to the synergy of cooperation.


The other objectives include promoting investment across the region and providing a platform for the sharing of experiences among investment promotion agencies in Member States, showcasing the ECOWAS investment climate to the world, and providing a window for vertical and horizontal integration of private sector activities.


The first ECOWAS Investment Forum held in Brussels, Belgium in 2010, drew investors and other stakeholders from across the globe and generated a great interest around the investment potentialities in West Africa


Source: Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)

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Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time
19 Sep 2011
11:00	IBM Boosts Africa Expansion With New Angola Office
09:00	IBM Boosts Africa Expansion With New Angola Office
07:22	President Jonathan opens 2nd ECOWAS investment forum in Lagos
16 Sep 2011
08:15	Communiqué on the African Ministerial Conference on Climate-Smart Agriculture / “Africa: A Call to Action”
15 Sep 2011

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Changing Faces set for the Christmas and New Year Holidays

The much awaited Nigerian film at the cinemas Changing Faces will open to the public at the Silverbird Cinemas and other cinemas in Nigeria and Ghana from December 23, 2011. It is the Silverbird Cinemas Nigerian Movie for the Christmas and New Year holidays. It is the first Nigerian movie on the supernatural experience of the transference of evil spirits through sex. Changing Faces is the first major Nigerian movie to be dubbed in French for commercial distribution in France and francophone countries.

The gripping romantic thriller has an international cast of Nigerian and British stars led by Marc Baylis, Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey, Alex Lopez, Rachael Young, Ayo Mogaji and Adebowale Adesanya.

Marc Baylis


Keppy Ekpenyong

The young filmmaker Faruk Lasaki is an international award winning director and one of the best graduates of the famous New York Film Academy (NYFA) where his short film Six Feet Below won the best short film prize for graduating students.

See "Not a normal Nigerian movie industry product!" Interview with Faruk Afolabi Lasaki on Changing Faces by Olivier Barlet on http://www.africultures.com/php/index.php?nav=article&no=7694 and http://www.changingfacesmovie.com/interview.htm.

Changing Faces is a 92 minutes metaphysical romantic thriller on the transference of evil spirits through sex as ‘Two unlikely bedfellows share a night of passion’ and their lives were never the same again.

Changing Faces was premiered at the Pavilion les Cinema Du Sud of the 61st Cannes Film Festival, Black Diaspora International Film Festival of New York in 2008, featured in competition at the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in 2009, Cairo International Film Festival in 2009, and a Special Official Selection and opening film of the 2011 Eko International Film Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. And it is the first Nigerian film to be dubbed into French and screened at FESPACO and Ecrans Noirs in 2009. And on the 3rd and 6th of August 2009, Canal France International (CFI) presented it as the first Nigerian feature film on its network and interviewed the director Faruk Lasaki.

Alex Lopez


Rachael Young

SYNOPSIS:
Young reporter, Lola and Architecture whiz kid Dale, are the antithesis of each other; she is fun loving, free spirited and lively while Dale is conservative and a reserved workaholic. However, their paths still manage to cross at an Architectural conference in a beautiful hill top hotel. From the minute the bored Lola sets her eyes on him, she decides she's going to have him, and she goes to all lengths to get him into her bed. Dale doesn't make this easy for her at all as he is not only married but a born again Christian who holds a high premium on fidelity. But Lola is determined and after a lot of scheming and manipulations, she finally gets Dale into her bed on the last night of the conference. The next morning they both return to their normal lives, only to discover that things have changed and they have exchanged personalities. Lola finds herself saddled with scruples and morals... Written by Becky Muikia.

CAST:
Marc Baylis as Dale
Alex Lopez as Franca
Rachael Young as Lola
Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey as Bade Cole
Adebowale Adesanya as Dale's Androgynous Man Black
Ngozi Elumelu as Kaisha
Victor Eze as Shaman
Emmanuel Fagbure as Lola's Androgynous Man Black
Izebuno as Devil / Androgynous Female Angel
Elizabeth Rainbow as Penny

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Top Nigerian journalists parley for Changing Faces

Top Nigerian journalists parley for Changing Faces

Faruk Lasaki’s romantic thriller Changing Faces attracted top journalists from the leading newspapers, TV channels and news websites Friday morning at the popular Ojez Restaurant and Entertainment Centre inside the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

The news media parley commenced the publicity for the forthcoming screening of Changing Faces at the Silverbird Cinemas and other theatres in Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries from December 23, 2011.

Victor Akande, the Group Entertainment Editor of The Nation facilitated the event.

The Editors and Senior Reporters of the following Nigerian newspapers and TV Station were present.

1. The Guardian
2. The Punch
3. The Nation
4. This Day
5. Galaxy TV
6. Vanguard
7. Supple Magazine
8. Nigerians Report

Only four of the invited journalists were absent

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Nigeria is at a crossroads - World Bank Reports

The World Bank has noted that Nigeria is at a crossroads in a special Growth Employment and Markets in States (GEMS) Project report.

The country can choose to tackle the distortions that have reduced incentives for investment and productive activity and move towards sustainable and diversified growth. It can also build on islands of success and promising cluster initiatives and enclaves that can then pull along the rest of the economy (successfully achieved in China and India) or it can ignore the reform imperatives and pay the price of having a highly distorted, rentier economy, once oil prices fall.

Click here for the full report


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Top 10 Must-See Locations in the World

The top ten must-see locations, in the order of ranking, as chosen by voters from all over the UK are:


1) Stonehenge, England
2) Rome, Italy
3) Chatsworth House, England
4) Cape Town, South Africa
5) Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
6) Sahara, North Africa
7) Aurora Borealis, Sweden
8) New York City, USA
9) Gower Peninsula, Wales
10) Machu Picchu, Peru


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High-Tech Meets High Fashion as Sprint and LG Mobile Celebrate Stylish LG Marquee

High-Tech Meets High Fashion: Sprint and LG Mobile Celebrate Stylish Design at Exclusive LG Marquee Launch Event



LG Style Ambassador Stacy London of TLC’s “What Not To Wear” Partners With Up-and-Coming Designers For Fashion Week Design Collaboration Inspired by the LG Marquee Smartphone

New York, September 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sprint (NYSE: S) and LG Mobile teamed up with non-profit design collective MADE, formerly known as M·A·C & Milk, and fashion expert Stacy London of TLC’s “What Not To Wear” to celebrate the debut of the new LG Marquee Android smartphone at this year’s New York MADE FASHION WEEK.

Drawing from her years of fashion-industry experience, London served as the LG Style Ambassador alongside up-and-coming MADE designers as they created unique, stylish carrying cases to complement the sleek LG Marquee. Last night, stylists, and fashion-industry insiders attended an exclusive LG Marquee launch event, where the new cases were unveiled.

Stacy London with LG representatives

“Nowadays, fashion and technology are inextricably intertwined, and today’s consumers are looking for the best in both performance and style when they choose a mobile device,” said Tim O’Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. “The fashion expertise of Stacy London combined with the innovative, contemporary vision of MADE showcased how LG Marquee offers both cutting-edge technology and a fashion-forward aesthetic.”

London also participated in a MADE panel discussion called “How Fashion Communicates,” moderated by Simon Collins, dean of fashion at Parsons The New School of Design. The panel, which consisted of several influential fashion and technology experts, examined five key areas in which technology has influenced the fashion industry. London provided both mobile and fashion industry insights into several discussion topics, including designer communication, the rise of the blogger, public access to real-time happenings, retail and the shift from print to digital media.

“My years of experience in the fashion industry have taught me that having style is not just about following fashion trends, but about making them your own and creating your own individual look,” London said. “High-tech products such as mobile phones have revolutionized the reach of the fashion industry, exposing so many people to a wide-variety of style and trends.”

“Allowing the Parsons students to ask hard-hitting questions to fashion and business icons and receive an immediate, direct response is an invaluable opportunity and one way of many that MADE continues to give back to the community,” said Mazdack Rassi, Co-Director of MADE.

LG Marquee will debut on October 2 for $99.99 (excludes taxes) with eligible upgrade or new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1 (pricing excludes taxes). LG Marquee will be available for advance pre-sale beginning September 20 at www.sprint.com/marquee.

“With its ultra-sleek design and powerful Android operating system, LG Marquee provides consumers with the perfect blend between style and technology,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “We are delighted to see the technology and fashion communities come together to celebrate the launch of this exciting, new device.”

The sleek, ultra-thin LG Marquee features a 4-inch NOVA display and a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Encouraging consumers to make “the bright choice,” LG Marquee boasts a remarkably vivid and visible screen, even in direct sunlight.

LG Marquee comes with Android 2.3 and WiFi hotspot capability, plus the 5-megapixel rear-facing camera for maximum versatility in creating and sharing media and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera making your face-to-face video chatting experience even more memorable. Equipped with a 1GHz processor and Adobe Flash technology, LG Marquee makes downloading, posting, commenting, watching and playing faster and easier than ever. LG Marquee can also be personalized to suit each user’s individual style, since it comes with Sprint ID, allowing users to quickly customize the five screens on their device.

About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 52 million customers at the end of 2Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

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 93,000 people working in over 120 operations around the world. With 2010 global sales of 55.8 trillion Korean won (USD 48.2 billion), LG comprises four business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, and Air Conditioning & Energy Solutions. LG is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines, and refrigerators. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner and a Technology Partner of Formula 1™. 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.lg.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 http://www.lgmobilephones.com.

MADE, formerly known as M.A.C. and Milk, was born from the successful Fashion Week collaboration that started in 2008. Now in its fifth season, MADE FASHION WEEK continues to showcase outstanding design and harness the energy of New York’s creative communities. The compelling program of events – over 35 fashion shows and presentations each season, exhibitions, parties, concerts, panel discussions and an unrivaled online presence on milkmade.com – has translated to success at a retail level and in the press, as well as in the highly coveted digital arena. MADE has expanded as a year-round, dynamic platform for emerging design talent and other innovators and visionaries. MADE provides support to New York’s fashion community in a vibrant atmosphere that encourages creativity, fosters growth and challenges convention. These innovators and visionaries are now a powerful voice in the international fashion dialogue and have initiated a general shift in the industry.

# # #

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Please visit www.sprint.com/newsroom or www.lg.com for product fact sheets and downloadable images.

¹The American Express Prepaid Reward Card (“Card”) provided in connection with this Rebate offer is a prepaid Card that is usable at U.S. merchants that accept American Express Card. Some limitations apply. The Card is not redeemable for cash (except where required by law) and does not provide ATM access. Use of Card constitutes acknowledgement that it is given as a reward and no consideration, value, or money has been paid by the holder to American Express in exchange for this Card. USE OF CARD IS SUBJECT TO THE CARDHOLDER AGREEMENT. SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAW, A $3.00 MONTHLY FEE WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST CARD BALANCE, STARTING SIX MONTHS AFTER CARD ISSUANCE, UNLESS FUNDS ARE EARLIER DEPLETED. For BALANCE, customer service and Cardholder Agreement, visit americanexpress.com/sprint or call 866-608-3756. Card issued by American Express Prepaid Card Management Corporation.


Media Contacts:

Nichole Cappitelli, Sprint
949-748-3364
Nichole.cappitelli@sprint.com

Elizabeth Latham
LG MobileComm U.S.A., Inc
(858) 805 – 6701
elizabeth.latham@lge.com

Erica Samadani, LG-One
(310) 280-2456
erica.samadani@lg-one.com


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Nigerian NGO and five others to receive $3million Grant

15 Sep 2011 20:10 Africa/Lagos

The Co-Creation Hub of Nigeria, Association for Democratic Reforms (India), Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente (Chile), Mideast Youth (Bahrain), Centre UA (Ukraine), and Open Knowledge Foundation (UK) have been selected for the Omidyar Network’s $3million grant for advancing government transparency and accountability.

The following is the detailed news release.

Omidyar Network Supports Technology-Centered Organizations Seeking to Empower Citizens Across Six Countries
Announcement coincides with establishment of global hub for Government Transparency in London

PR Newswire

LONDON and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 15, 2011

LONDON and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Omidyar Network announced today its intent to grant up to $3M to six leading organizations focused on advancing government transparency and accountability. The organizations are: Association for Democratic Reforms (India), Co-Creation Hub (Nigeria), Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente (Chile), Mideast Youth (Bahrain), Centre UA (Ukraine), and Open Knowledge Foundation (UK).

Through its Government Transparency initiative, Omidyar Network invests in organizations that use technology and media platforms to provide access to information and tools necessary for citizens to participate in the governing process and hold governments to account. Over the last two years, the firm has invested over $40M in transparency efforts across the globe, including organizations such as mySociety in the United Kingdom, Ushahidi in Kenya, Janaagraha in India and the Sunlight Foundation in the United States.

Omidyar Network intends to provide an operating grant of up to $750k to Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organization that seeks to improve governance and strengthen India's democracy through electoral and political reforms. ADR discloses the backgrounds of parliament and state assembly candidates so that voters have the knowledge to make informed decisions. The nonprofit also works for greater transparency and accountability in elections and in political parties, and on raising awareness on changes needed in the electoral and political system. For more information: www.adrindia.org.

The Co-Creation Hub in Lagos, Nigeria will receive up to $200k in support of creating a shared work space where stakeholders from multiple walks of Nigerian life come together to collaboratively create tech-based solutions that address social challenges facing Nigerian society. It will be Nigeria's first multi-functional, multi-purpose space dedicated to the creation of social technology ventures. The Hub will accommodate 50-60 tech start-ups at one time and will provide pre-incubation services including: advice, training, mentorship and access to funding through a network of local and international partners. The Hub will also serve as a place for stakeholders to meet, brainstorm, share ideas and collaborate through partnership events, meet-ups, focus groups, hackathons, competitions and talks by guest speakers. For more information: http://www.cchubnigeria.com/

Omidyar Network intends to support Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente with a grant up to $500k over three years. The Chilean nonprofit creates technology platforms, including websites and mobile applications, to provide citizens access to easy-to-use, graphical information about their government. Citizens can learn about what issues will be debated in parliament, access the profiles and voting records of elected officials and learn about the demographic make up of the legislature. Future plans include creating online tools to learn about money's influence in politics and government, as well as expansion to other Latin America countries. For more information: http://www.votainteligente.cl/

Mideast Youth will receive a grant up to $600k to expand its multi-media content and further develop CrowdVoice, a white-label platform used to build communities around social topics, such as human rights, religious freedom, tolerance, and free speech. Mideast Youth provides a unique platform in the Middle East for the discussion of issues affecting young people, and in the past two years has developed a number of websites to bring attention to marginalized groups in the region. The core sites provide a forum for discussion around a range of cultural and rights issues and are updated daily by more than 300 regular citizen journalists who contribute to the sites. For more information: www.mideastyouth.com.

Omidyar Network will grant Centre UA $335k over two years in support of its initiative, New Citizen. New Citizen is a coalition of more than 50 Ukrainian civil society organizations seeking to secure a greater voice for citizen participation in the political process and holding government to account. Omidyar Network support will enable the coalition to build out its technology platforms, enable education and outreach and expand the program with the Ukraine. For more information: http://newcitizen.org.ua.

The Open Knowledge Foundation of the United Kingdom will receive a grant of up to $750k over three years. The U.K. nonprofit builds tools and communities to promote open access to information that can be used, reused and redistributed freely. The Open Knowledge Foundation works to increase knowledge about open data, designs innovative visualization tools that enable citizens to access and better interpret data, and builds dataset catalogues to demonstrate to both citizens and government alike the benefits of making data open, free and accessible. Grant proceeds will be used to: expand Open Knowledge Foundation's key financial transparency project, openspending.org; sustain and build working groups on open data; and establish chapters in additional countries. For more information: http://okfn.org.

In a separate announcement, Omidyar Network Investment Partner Steven King stated the philanthropic investment firm this week opened a global office in the Shoreditch area of London. The office will serve as the philanthropic investment firm's headquarters for its work in Europe as well as serve as the global hub for its Government Transparency initiative. He also announced Omidyar Network will begin to expand the geographic focus of its Government Transparency practice to include: Poland, Turkey and Ukraine in Europe; Brazil and Mexico in Latin America; Egypt in the Middle East; and Indonesia and the Philippines in Southeast Asia. The initiative will continue to focus efforts in the United States, India, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom. [See press release: Omidyar Network Expands European Presence with Opening of London Office].

About Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed nearly $450 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, entrepreneurship, property rights, transparency and accountability, consumer Internet and mobile. To learn more about Omidyar Network, please visit www.omidyar.com.

SOURCE Omidyar Network

CONTACT: Greg Pershall of Omidyar Network, +1-360-607-8901, gpershall@omidyar.com

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


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