Friday, March 16, 2012

West Africa Police Chiefs Meet in Lome

West Africa police chiefs meet in Lome

ABUJA, March 16, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Members of the Technical Sub-Committees of the West Africa Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) are to meet in Lome, Togo from 21st – 23rd March 2012, to prepare WAPCCO's Annual General Assembly meeting as well as discuss general policing issues in the region.


The meeting, the first of two preparatory meetings before the General Assembly, will be attended by representatives of ECOWAS Member States and officials of the ECOWAS Commission to encourage and stimulate discussions on the challenges of policing in West Africa.


Topics for discussion will include Crime Trends in West Africa, Joint or Simultaneous Police Operations and Joint Operations on Drug in West Africa, as well as implementation of recommendations of the INTERPOL international and regional meetings by West African countries.

The outcome of the meeting will feed into the second preparatory meeting of the sub-technical committees ahead of the WAPCCO Annual General Assembly.


The 12th Meeting of WAPCCO was held 26th – 27th July 2011.


Source: Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)



Rethink Your Digital Advertising Strategy



Rethink Your Digital Advertising Strategy

Have you defined your 2012 online advertising strategy? How will the changing digital trends of today influence your future advertising spend for tomorrow?


Accelerate digital marketing results

Marketers, retailer, content owners and technology firms are more focused than ever on obtaining results from investments in digital marketing. According to eMarketer’s latest report “Top Digital Trends for 2012” favorable trends in technology adoption, consumer behavior and content availability have created a perfect storm of opportunity for online and mobile marketers. These developments have been unfolding for the past few years but, but have accelerated thanks to the success of tablets, the ongoing strength of smartphones and the increased social sharing of video content.


This report discusses:


Selling your boss on the importance of investing in video ads
Social metrics need to be more than counting “likes”
Consumer mobile trends and outlooks
Increase digital ad spend ROI
Download this eMarketer Report to get recommendations for aligning your digital advertising spends with 2012 consumer behavior trends.



PR Newswire and Bianor Team-Up to Deliver On Demand Video Content



16 Mar 2012 14:15 Africa/Lagos

PR Newswire and Bianor Team-Up to Deliver On Demand Video Content

UNIONDALE, N.Y., March 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bianor today announced a partnership with PR Newswire, the global leader of marketing and communications solutions, bringing PR Newswire's customers' multimedia news content directly to their connected devices, including Internet TV and gaming consoles via Bianor's iMediaShare application.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/55187-pr-newswire-bianor-deliver-on-demand-video-content-imediashare

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120316/MM69263 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110719/NY37427LOGO )

Bianor's iMediaShare, the complete end-to-end push-to-TV platform, represents a great opportunity for users of PR Newswire's broadcast and multimedia services, offering the interactive consumer the invaluable ability to access on-demand news content on a television, engaging their target audiences in a more dynamic way.

With multimedia broadcasting a growing and influential part of public relations, this partnership will assist in the transformation of standard press releases to rich content that comes alive with video, photos, and more.

"Our partnership with Bianor represents our ongoing commitment to broaden the reach of our customers' content across a range platforms and environments," said Josh Cohen, vice president, Content Licensing and Distribution, PR Newswire. "For the first time, PR Newswire video content is available on Internet TV, via gaming consoles and across a variety of mobile devices, all through one application."

In addition, iMediaShare combines simplified content discovery, seamless media streaming and intuitive media remote control, thus presenting a timely addition to PR Newswire's MultiVu offering.

"We are very excited to partner with PR Newswire in bringing on-demand rich-media press releases to the TV screen for the first time in the industry," shares Stefan Lilov, vice president, Product Development, Bianor. "This is exactly what iMediaShare is designed for - to make high-quality online video content available on-demand at any time on any screen."

About PR Newswire
PR Newswire is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content -- from rich media to online video to multimedia -- and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

About Bianor
Bianor is a recognized authority on mobile software solutions and is dedicated to helping businesses take full advantage of the mobile opportunity.

Bianor's iMediaShare offers entertainment the easy way, allowing viewers to choose what to watch and when to watch it. With thousands of On Demand options ranging from breaking news to popular shows, available instantly to viewers on any connected TV, iMediaShare is a unique addition to the modern connected home. The ability to stream media from multiple online sources and aggregate content from home media servers allows iMediaShare to transform the mobile handset into a new generation portable set-top-box.


Contact:

Maria Williamson
pr@bianor.com
www.imediashare.tv

SOURCE PR Newswire Association LLC

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On The Road Again: Ready Your Car for Spring and Summer Travel


PERMATEX MOTORIST MAINTENANCE Motorists should perform routine maintenance before beginning a spring or summer road trip, such as fixing windshield nicks and restoring cloudy headlight lenses. (PRNewsFoto/Permatex) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES.


NEW YORK, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MS -- The return of warm weather marks the return of road trips for millions of motorists across the country. Whether going to the beach or heading off to parts unknown, hitting the open road with the windows down is a time-honored tradition for drivers of all ages.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120315/NY71138)

But such road trips can prove disastrous if drivers don't take the right steps to prepare their vehicles for spring and summer travel. The following are a few ways motorists can ensure their car is ready to tackle the open road.

Tighten things up. Loose parts, such as exhaust clamps, license plates, and interior trim panels, can create rattles and cause parts to get damaged or fall off. What's more, rattling sounds can be a noisy nuisance for drivers and passengers alike. Permatex® Threadlockers can be used to keep the nuts and bolts from coming loose and save parts replacement costs. They also have a threadlocker for plastic fasteners, which vehicle manufacturers have grown to rely on more and more.
Fix foggy headlight lenses. Many spring and summer road trippers travel at night so their days can be spent soaking up some sun at the beach or lake. Before heading off for parts unknown, motorists should inspect their headlight lenses to reduce risk of accident. If the lenses are yellowed and foggy, that's likely because salt, ozone and road debris has dulled them to a point where vision can be impaired, placing drivers and their passengers at risk. But foggy lenses don't mandate an expensive headlight replacement. In fact, The Permatex® Lens Renew Kit makes it easy to clean up and polish dull headlight lenses and restore them to like new condition, improving your car's lighting and driver visibility.
Check the battery. Over time, battery terminals and cables will start to corrode. Such corrosion will eventually eat away at the battery's parts, creating a bad connection that sooner or later will require the battery be replaced. Check the battery before your trip and remember to clean the battery periodically as part of routine vehicle maintenance.
Address windshield nicks and bullseyes. Nicks and chips in the windshields are a common problem regardless of the season. But such damage is most prevalent in the winter because of the extra debris that's on the road. These nicks and cracks need to get fixed as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading and resulting in the need for a windshield replacement. Oftentimes, motorists can address nicks and bullseyes in their own driveways in a matter of minutes. For example, the Permatex® Bullseye Windshield Repair kit is tailor made for do-it-yourselfers, requiring no heating or mixing while ensuring each repair is virtually undetectable.

More information on easy repairs that you can do yourself can be found at http://www.permatex.com.

SOURCE Permatex

RELATED LINKS
http://www.permatex.com



Thursday, March 15, 2012

IBM Names Worldwide Recipients of 2012 Smarter Cities Challenge Grants



15 Mar 2012 11:00 Africa/Lagos

IBM Names Worldwide Recipients of 2012 Smarter Cities Challenge Grants to Improve Urban Life


ARMONK, N.Y., March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today selected 33 cities worldwide to receive IBM Smarter Cities Challenge (#smartercities) grants during 2012.

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

Launched in 2011, this three-year, 100-city US$50 million program, IBM's single-largest philanthropic initiative, funds in-person engagements staffed by teams of top IBM experts, who study and then make detailed recommendations addressing locally important urban issues.

(Go here to read about the experience of one mayor whose city earned an IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant in 2011.)

For year-two of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge, cities around the world once again competed vigorously to benefit from IBM's human talent and technology. The winning cities proposed intriguing projects and areas of focus for IBM experts. They included initiatives for:

  • Economic and Workforce Development -- attracting a diverse variety of jobs and industries
  • Transportation -- integrating bus, rail, bicycle, car and pedestrian modes of transportation
  • Sustainability -- measuring vehicle miles traveled more precisely to help lower pollution levels
  • Health -- using inhaler and air quality data to identify and reduce asthma outbreaks
  • Education -- applying data analytics to identify the most effective investments for improving an entire school system
  • Urban Planning -- revitalizing and redeveloping older neighborhoods

Following are the cities that earned IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grants in 2012:

Accra, Ghana
Ahmedabad, India
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Birmingham, UK
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Cheongju, Korea
Chonburi, Thailand
Curitiba, Brazil
Da Nang, Vietnam
Dortmund, Germany
Durham, North Carolina, USA
Eindhoven, Netherlands
Geraldton, Australia
Houston, Texas, USA
Ishinomaki, Japan
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Jurong Lake District, Singapore
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Malaga, Spain
Medellin, Colombia
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Nanjing, China
Nairobi, Kenya
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Pune, India
Rabat, Morocco
Rosario, Argentina
Siracusa, Italy
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Tshwane, South Africa
Toluca, Mexico

While the proposed projects were diverse, a common denominator was the willingness to exchange ideas and data freely between and among citizens, elected officials, non-profits, businesses, and city agencies so cities could make more informed and collaborative decisions.

To that end, IBM will provide special assistance to each winning city on the use of City Forward (http://www.cityforward.org), a free online site IBM created with public policy experts. Citizens, elected officials and urban planners can use the site to explore trends and statistics in a visual and accessible way, which can be adapted for the examination of any number of urban issues -- leading to better decision making.

"The cities that have been selected are all different, but they have one clear similarity: the strong personal commitment by the city's leadership to put in place the changes needed to help the city make smarter decisions," said Stanley S. Litow, IBM vice president of Corporate Citizenship & Corporate Affairs, and President of IBM's Foundation. "These cities demonstrated a desire to set an example for other municipalities, an eagerness to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, and a strong commitment to consider implementing recommendations the city felt would be the most feasible and beneficial to their residents."

Recommendations made by IBM to 24 year-one Smarter Cities Challenge grant recipients in 2011, and to seven pilot cities in 2010, are already making a real impact. For instance, as a direct result of IBM's work, the following cities have made public policy changes or launched important new initiatives that address longstanding issues. These include:

For a more in-depth discussion about the successful formulas employed by cities that want to become smarter, please click here.

The need to use new approaches to address civic challenges has never been greater. In 2008, according to the United Nations, more than half the world's population began living in cities for the first time. These population centers are more economically powerful, politically influential, and technologically advanced than at any time in history. But they also struggle with budgetary and operational challenges.

IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge is an outgrowth of IBM's Corporate Service Corps grants program, in which IBM deploys teams of top employees to areas in the developing world to work on projects that intersect business, technology, and society. Since the launch of Corporate Service Corps in 2008, nearly 1,400 IBM employees based in 50 countries have been dispatched on more than 140 team assignments in 24 countries.

The Smarter Cities Challenge is sponsored by IBM's Corporate Citizenship program and IBM's International Foundation. IBM has been a leader in corporate social responsibility and citizenship for more than 100 years.

To learn more about IBM's corporate citizenship initiatives, visit: http://www.citizenibm.com and http://www.youtube.com/user/citizenIBM. Follow us on Twitter @citizenIBM

To find out more about IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grants, please visit IBM's Smarter Cities Challenge Web site, or watch an overview of our work on YouTube.

Media Contact:
Ari Fishkind
IBM Media Relations
914-499-6420
fishkind@us.ibm.com

SOURCE IBM

Web Site: http://smartercitieschallenge.org

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The Ignorance of Fools: A Poem for All Nigerians and Others



The Ignorance of Fools


Lukumon,
Is it not baffling to see how fools tell their false fables?
Their false fables that is even more baffling than our folktales.

The most baffling of these liars is that shameless one on our street
The one that looks almost like an albino and claims he is half-white.
The one who walks like he has unequal legs
He shamelessly lies as a drunk drinks to the dregs.
He lies and lies until he has no more lies left?.
And his lies have made him the laughing stock of the market.

Lukumon,
Please, this is not a laughing matter, because this is our palaver
Divide and rule tactics of politics have left Nigerians in hysteria
What we need most in Nigeria is not democracy
Heaven knows that honesty is still the best policy
So, what we need most is not democracy, but equity
For where there is no equity, there will be no unity
Imagine lawmakers who rigged their way to the National Assembly
Are now sitting pretty and making laws for electoral reforms in hypocrisy.
They are like a gang of rogues who are now claiming to be lawyers
After they have stolen the wigs and gowns of the judges?

Lukumon,
Yesterday, I went for the Role Models Day at junior’s school
And guess who I saw among the invited role models?
Olorimango, who was caught cheating in our GCE decades ago
And who cheated all the way to the University of Alawiyeloniasiko
Until he got his dream job in the biggest bank in town.
Are you saying he is now a born again Christian?
Whoever believes most of these born again Nigerians is a fool.

Lukumon,
You will never know the true colours of your so called friends
Until you make them your business partners
Then you will know the sheep from the goats
And you can tell the wise ones from the idiots.

Lukumon,
Finally, do not join the rat race
Because you are not a rat.
Both the wise and the fool have a price
But the fool often ends up with a fat lawsuit.

Never do anything to impress your neighbours
It is a waste of time doing things to impress mere mortals
Whose applause will not echo beyond the walls?
Just do your best for the common good and go to bed with smiles.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, aka Orikinla Osinachi, Thursday March 15, 2012, from the collection of my poems to be released before October. Previous books include Scarlet Tears of London, In the House of Dogs, Bye, Bye Mugabe, and Children of Heaven.



Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Seiko Astron: The World's First GPS Solar Watch


SEIKO CORPORATION OF AMERICA ASTRON Seiko Astron is the world's first GPS Solar watch, recognizing all 39 time zones on earth. Watch shown: Limited Edition Seiko Astron model. (PRNewsFoto/Seiko Corporation of America) MAHWAH, NJ UNITED STATES.

The Watch That Understands Time Zones
SEIKO CORPORATION OF AMERICA ASTRON Seiko Astron is the world's first GPS Solar watch, recognizing all 39 time zones on earth. Watch shown: Limited Edition Seiko Astron model. (PRNewsFoto/Seiko Corporation of America) MAHWAH, NJ UNITED STATES

MAHWAH, N.J., March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- At last, the search for totally precise time, everywhere on the planet, is over. By developing our own, patented, low-energy-consumption GPS receiver, Seiko has been able to create a watch that can receive GPS signals and identify time zone, time and date data using the global network of GPS satellites. It recognizes all 39 time zones on earth. This breakthrough timepiece is called Seiko Astron. Like its celebrated 1969 predecessor which was the world's first quartz watch, the new Seiko Astron ushers in a new age of timekeeping technology. Seiko Astron will be released simultaneously in all markets of the world this fall.

(Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120314/NY70241 )

Accurate Time, Anywhere On Earth.
Once a day, Seiko Astron receives the time signal automatically and, on demand, connects to four or more of the GPS satellites that orbit the earth, thus pinpointing its position and identifying the time zone and the exact time. The hands adjust automatically to the correct local time with Atomic Clock precision. The new Seiko Astron is solar powered, so never needs a battery change, and it also has a perpetual calendar, so the date will always be as accurate as the time.

A Complete Collection, with Innovation in Every Detail.
Seiko Astron is not just a watch. It's already a collection. In commemoration of the launch, a unique piece has been created and is offered in a limited edition of 2,500, with a high-intensity titanium case and ceramic bezel. The recessed sides of the case ensure that it is as light as it is robust. The case's high intensity titanium is as strong as steel but has only 60% of its weight. It is accompanied by an additional extra-strength silicon strap that is four times stronger than any previous strap of this material.

There are three other models in high-intensity titanium and two in stainless steel. All have the same functions and high specifications, including a dual time sub-dial, in-flight mode indicator and sapphire crystal with Super-Clear Coating*.

The elegance and legibility of the dials disguise the richness of the information that can be displayed. In addition to the traditional date and dual time displays, the status of the GPS signal is indicated by the second hand and indicator at 10 o'clock position when the appropriate button is pressed. At a glance, you see whether a GPS signal has been received, and from how many satellites and whether Daylight Saving Time is activated.

The Secret is in Energy Management.
Why now and why Seiko? To combine Seiko's solar technology with GPS required years of painstaking and ground-breaking R&D which has resulted in no less than 100 patent applications. Only Seiko's advanced energy-efficiency technology could invent the miniature GPS receiver that requires so little energy to receive GPS signals from four or more satellites. Only Seiko's unrivalled skills in micro engineering could package this technology into a watch that is just 47mm in diameter and weighs about 4.76 ounces (with high intensity titanium case and bracelet). And only Seiko's advanced IC circuitry expertise could make it possible for the watch to divide the world into one million 'squares' and allocate a time zone to each.

Convenient, Simple and Easy to Wear.
Seiko Astron may be intelligent, but to wear it is a simple joy. If you step off a plane, just press the button and the time zone adjustment is automatic. It takes just six seconds for the time to self-correct (to one second every million years) and just 30 seconds for the location, and the adjustment takes place whether you are stationary or on the move. So, if you can see the sky, you will know the time. The adjustment to or from Daylight Saving Time or Summer Time is also a one-touch operation, and the date is also always exact; Seiko Astron's perpetual calendar is correct until February, 2100. The ease of use is further enhanced by Seiko's solar technology which ensures that maintenance is never an issue. The watch takes power from all kinds of light and never needs a battery change. Never before has time management been so simple. Wherever you travel, the new Seiko Astron will keep you on time. Effortlessly.

The Seiko Astron will be available this fall, starting at $2,300 USD with a Limited Edition piece available for $3,850 USD.

*sapphire crystal with Super-Clear Coating: Our proprietary newly-developed anti-reflective coating, applied on both the front and back of the glass. It prevents 99% of light reflection and allows the dial to be easily legible, even in bright light.


About Seiko Corporation of America

Seiko Corporation of America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seiko Watch Corporation, which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Seiko was founded in 1881, and is the only watch manufacturer with every watchmaking expertise including Mechanical, Quartz, Solar, Kinetic, Spring Drive and now GPS Solar. For more information on Seiko, visit www.seikousa.com.

SOURCE Seiko Corporation of America

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African Union High Level Implementation Panel Press Statement



14 Mar 2012 06:11 Africa/Lagos


AFRICAN UNION HIGH LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION PANEL PRESS STATEMENT


ADDIS ABABA, March 14, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Following negotiations facilitated by the African Union High Level Panel (AUHIP), the Government of South Sudan and the Government of the Sudan have today initialled two agreements on the status of nationals of each State and the demarcation of their common boundary.


The initialled agreements were concluded in the context of a spirit of cooperation and partnership which was discussed and agreed by the parties. The parties have renewed their commitment to continue negotiations in good faith and to arrive at agreements which will ensure the economic, political and security viability of both states.


The initialled agreements will be signed by Presidents President Salva Kiir Mayardit of the Republic of South Sud1an and Omar al-Bashir of the Republic of Sudan at a Summit of the two leaders to be held in the South Sudan capital of Juba in the very near future.


Delegations from both Governments will meet immediately to prepare the Summit. The AUHIP will also travel to both capitals to meet with the two Presidents to discuss the Summit preparatory process.


Under the initialled agreement on nationality, nationals of each State will now enjoy in the other State the following freedoms: freedom of residence; freedom of movement; freedom to undertake economic activity; and, the freedom to acquire and dispose of property.


These freedoms will enable Sudanese and South Sudanese to retain historical connections and thereby contribute to peaceful coexistence and good neighbourliness between the two States. The Parties have also agreed to form a Committee on the Status of Nationals of the Other State and Related Matters. The Committee will also immediately begin work before the Presidents sign the agreements in two weeks' time.


The initialled agreement on the Demarcation of the Boundary and Related Issues provides the basis for commencing the exercise of demarcating what is Africa's longest boundary.


The initialled agreement establishes the key joint institutions to manage and implement the demarcation exercise. These include the Joint Border Commission, a Joint Demarcation Committee and a Joint Technical Team which will be established within weeks of signing the agreement.


Further negotiations on outstanding matters relating to borders will continue under the auspices of the Panel.


The Joint Political and Security Mechanism will also meet before the Presidential Summit to discuss matters of common security concerns and challenges between the two States.


The Parties reviewed the manner in which they have been conducting the negotiations, with a view towards completion of the process. In this context, they agreed that their negotiations should continue in a renewed spirit of partnership for the construction of two viable states.


The Panel remains available to facilitate various negotiations between the two States, on a range of issues relating to security, oil, and other, committed to seeking constructive consensus between on all these matters.


Source: AFRICAN UNION HIGH LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION PANEL (AUHIP)



14 Mar 2012 04:22 Africa/Lagos


Somali Piracy. Photo Credit: Marine Buzz.



Africa: Somali Piracy


WASHINGTON, March 14, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Remarks

Andrew J. Shapiro

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs

Remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Washington, DC

March 13, 2012


As prepared



Thank you Al for that introduction and for inviting me here today. I also want to thank the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the exceptional work that it does promoting U.S. business and for organizing this event on counter-piracy. This is an incredibly important issue to the United States, the international community, and to the global economy.

We live in an era of complex, integrated, and on-demand global supply chains. People in countries around the world depend on secure and reliable shipping lanes for their medicine, their food, their energy, and consumer goods. By preying on commercial ships in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, piracy off the Horn of Africa threatens more than just individual ships. Piracy threatens the life blood of the global economy, and therefore global security and stability.

Piracy is an issue in which the private sector, and the maritime industry in particular, are on the front lines. Commercial shipping vessels provide a constant stream of targets for Somali pirates. Over the years, thousands of crew members have been taken hostage and many in the maritime industry have lost their lives as a result of piracy. I have heard directly from the captains and crews of commercial ships about the harrowing situations they encounter as they transport the goods and merchandise that make the global economy function.

The challenge posed by piracy off the coast of Somalia is immense and represents a major threat to regional security and the global economy. As international action has been taken to address the challenge, the pirates have adapted. Flush from the money made from ransom payments, pirate operations have become more sophisticated. For instance, the use of so-called “mother-ships” has expanded greatly. Mother-ships are themselves pirated ships with hostage crews on board, making attacking or liberating these ships a significant challenge. Mother-ships launch and re-supply groups of pirates who use smaller, faster boats for attacks. They can carry dozens of pirates and tow many skiffs for multiple simultaneous attacks. This has made pirates more effective at operating in seasonal monsoons that previously restricted their activities. This has also extended the pirates' reach far beyond the Somali Basin. Somali pirates now operate in a total sea space of approximately 2.5 million square nautical miles. To put that in context that's roughly the size of the continental United States.

Piracy is a threat that this Administration has been working hard to address. In response, we have pursued a multilateral and multi-dimensional approach that focuses on security, deterrence, diplomacy, and prevention.

Security has increased through U.S. and multi-national naval escorts and patrols, which continue to escort convoys of commercial ships and patrol high risk waters. On any given day, up to 30 vessels from as many as 20 nations conduct counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and beyond. U.S. and international naval forces have thwarted pirate attacks in progress, engaged pirate skiffs and mother-ships, and successfully taken back hijacked ships during opposed boardings.

We have sought to deter piracy, through effective apprehension, prosecution and incarceration of pirates and their supporters and financiers. Today, over 1,000 pirates are in custody in some 20 countries around the world, many of whom have been convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Just last week the government of Seychelles accepted the handover from U.S. custody of 15 suspected Somali pirates for prosecution. These alleged-pirates were captured in early January when the U.S. Navy boarded an Iranian fishing vessel and rescued 13 Iranian mariners who were being held hostage. This ship was being used as a mother-ship from which to launch attacks on other vessels. Seychelles' willingness to accept these pirates for prosecution demonstrates their strong commitment to combating piracy. They recognize the corrosive effect that pirates are having on the region and they are certainly punching far above their weight in the effort to address the problem. This case demonstrates the impact the United States and the international community is making in combating piracy.

But it is not just countries in the region that recognize the problem. We have also sought to rally the wider international community to address the problem posed by piracy. In January 2009, the United States helped establish the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which now includes nearly 70 nations, international organizations, and maritime trade associations, including INTERTANKO, BIMCO, and the International Chamber of Shipping. The Contact Group has helped galvanize action and coordinate counter-piracy policy among its participants.

We are seeing signs that all of these efforts are having a positive effect. The numbers demonstrate this. In 2011, even though the number of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia increased slightly over 2010, the number of successful pirate attacks fell by nearly half. There has also been a significant drop in the numbers of ships and crew held hostage. In January 2011, pirates held 31 ships and 710 hostages. In early March of 2012 pirates held 8 ships and 213 hostages. This is still too many, but it is clear that progress is being made.

The role of the private sector has been critical. Perhaps the most significant factor in the decline of successful pirate attacks has been the steps taken by commercial vessels to prevent and deter attacks from happening in the first place. We have found that the best defense against piracy is vigilance on the part of the maritime industry. In the last few years, we have worked with industry in developing and implementing a variety of measures that are having a tremendous impact.

In response to the threat, the shipping industry has expanded its implementation of industry-developed “best management practices” to prevent pirate boardings before they take place. These guidelines were developed to identify self-protection measures that have proven successful in preventing boarding and seizure and enabling rescues by naval forces when boarded. They include practical measures, such as:

• proceeding at full speed through high risk areas,

• placing additional lookouts on watches,

• using closed circuit television to monitor vulnerable areas,

• employing physical barriers such as razor wire,

• reporting positions to military authorities, and

• mustering the crew inside a “citadel” or safe-room in the vessel.

These practices, when properly implemented, remain some of the most effective measures to protect against pirate attacks. Taken together these steps make a pirates job much harder and often give international naval vessels in the area time to respond. For instance, should a ship come under attack, razor wire can hinder pirates getting on deck. This gives a crew more time to get to a citadel inside the vessel and to notify international navies of an attack. A citadel is essentially a hardened room within the ship that is usually equipped with food and water, communications equipment, and an emergency capability to shut down the ship's engine. It is designed and constructed to be incredibly difficult for a pirate to break into. Additionally, once the entire crew is secure inside the citadel, the captain can notify international navies that all crew are accounted for. This is invaluable information for a potential rescue mission. Properly employed best management practices are therefore making the work of pirates even harder and as a result are contributing to a declining rate in successful attacks.

Recognizing the value of these measures, the U.S. government has required U.S.-flagged vessels sailing in designated high-risk waters to take additional security measures. This includes having extra lookouts and extra communications equipment, as well as being prepared at all times to evade or resist pirate boarding. Nevertheless, we are troubled by the fact that there are commercial ships travelling in pirate-infested areas that have still not implemented these recommended security measures. Some in the shipping industry have been unwilling make basic investments that would render their crews and cargoes less vulnerable to attack. Approximately 20 percent of all ships off the Horn of Africa are not employing best management practices or taking proper security precautions. Unsurprisingly, these 20 percent account for the overwhelming number of successfully pirated ships. We have intensified our efforts to encourage commercial vessels to adopt best management practices. And I encourage anyone in industry to take proper precautions to protect their crews and their cargoes by implementing these practices.

Yet we must also recognize that best management practices do not guarantee security from pirates. Pirates operate in too large of an area for naval forces to respond quickly. The reality is that international naval forces simply might not be there to respond. The problem of piracy is one that can't simply be solved by national governments. Therefore, we have also supported industry's use of additional measures to ensure their security – such as the employment of armed security teams. To date, not a single ship with Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel aboard has been pirated. Not a single one.

These teams serve as a potential game-changer in the effort to counter-piracy. This is because – and as anyone in the Navy or Marines can tell you – one of the most difficult combat maneuvers to undertake is to board a ship when coming under fire. While many expected these teams to be made up of undisciplined “cowboys” that would increase the violence at sea, from what we have gathered and observed the opposite has happened. We have not seen cases of pitched battles at sea between armed security teams and pirates attempting to board under fire. In fact, in most engagements between armed security teams and pirates, the situation ends as soon as pirates are aware these teams are on board. We have found these teams to be highly professional. In most cases, as pirates approach a ship the armed security teams will use flares or loudspeakers to warn the pirates. If the pirates keep coming, they will fire warning shots. That is usually when the interaction ends. Pirates break off the attack and turn their skiffs around and wait for another less protected target.

At the State Department, we have encouraged countries to permit commercial vessels to carry armed teams. However, we do note that this is a new area, in which some practices, procedures, and regulations are still being developed. We are working through the Contact Group and the International Maritime Organization or IMO on these issues. For instance, we have advised that armed security teams be placed under the full command of the captain of the ship. The captain then is in control of the situation and is the one to authorize the use of any force. Last September, we were encouraged to see language adopted by the IMO that revised the guidance to both flag States and ship operators and owners to establish the ship's master as being in command of these teams.

There have been some logistical and technical issues that have arisen with armed security teams – particularly relating to weapons licensing and the transit of these teams through third countries. The United States regularly works with other governments to help resolve questions on weapons licensing to facilitate compliance with the laws of individual port States as related to firearms transfer. We engage through the Contact Group and the IMO to encourage all port and coastal States to adopt legislation that is conducive to smooth, facilitated movements of security team firearms and equipment. Currently, some States present challenges in this regard by requiring transfer to a third party while a vessel is moored in a port. Others impose fee schedules that directly charge against the presence of these weapons. In response, we have demarched port and coastal States and let them know that U.S. vessels may have firearms onboard and we request that these teams and their firearms be facilitated under applicable laws. We have also worked with the Coast Guard and Department of Transportation at the IMO and through the Contact Group to further encourage port and coastal States to develop regulations that facilitate the use of these teams aboard commercial vessels. We are working hand in glove with industry in all these endeavors to ensure these teams are both properly regulated and properly equipped.

While we are seeing progress, hijackings are still taking place. When a vessel is successfully hijacked, our foremost concern is always the safety of the crew, regardless of nationality. The U.S. government is acutely aware of the dilemma that ship owners face when ships and sailors are taken hostage. While the safety of the crew is critical, industry must face the fact that submitting to pirate ransom demands only ensures that future crews will be taken hostage. A vicious cycle has formed where ever-rising ransom payments have not just spurred additional pirate activity, but have also enabled pirates to increase their operational capabilities and sophistication. The average ransom is now at $4 million per incident and has reached as much as $12 million. Ransoms paid in 2011 totaled $135 million. Piracy, as a result, has gone from a fairly ad hoc disorganized criminal endeavor to a highly developed transnational criminal enterprise. In short, they have developed a successful business model that is hard to break.

The United States has a long tradition of opposing the payment of ransom, and we have worked diligently to discourage or minimize ransoms. But many governments and private entities are paying, often too quickly, serving to reinforce this cycle and incentivizing future hostage-taking. While some may consider this the cost of doing business, every ransom paid further institutionalizes the practice of hostage-taking for profit and promotes its expansion as a criminal enterprise both at sea and on land.

The issue of ransoms is no doubt an emotional one for all involved – especially the families and friends of those who are hijacked. And we recognize the unease within industry that believes government involvement will only prolong the hostage situation and increase the cost of the hijacking. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage flag states, shipowners and private parties involved in hostage crises to seek assistance from appropriate U.S. government sources in their crisis management procedures. Continued cooperation between industry and government and, most importantly, the mutual exchange of information is critical.

The American maritime industry should also know that this Administration will do everything it can to ensure the safety and security of American citizens threatened by pirates. This Administration has taken bold aggressive action when necessary, such as the rescue of the captain of the MAERSK ALABAMA in 2009 and the rescue of an American hostage and a Danish hostage in January of this year. The United States has also actively prosecuted pirates involved in attacks on U.S. vessels. To date, that totals 28 persons involved in several attacks.

Our approach to combating piracy has also taken on new dimensions. In the effort to combat piracy, we are now targeting pirate ringleaders and their networks. While expanding security and prosecuting and incarcerating pirates captured at sea is essential, we also recognize that the pirates captured at sea are often low-level operatives. Their leaders and facilitators are ashore in Somalia and elsewhere relatively unaffected. After an intensive review of our strategy, Secretary Clinton last year approved a series of recommendations which, taken together, constitute a new strategic approach. A focus on pirate networks is at the heart of our strategy.

Pirate organizers receive income both from investors and ransom payments, and disburse a portion of the proceeds of ransoms back to these investors as well as to the pirates who actually hijack the ships and hold the crews hostage. We intend to use all of the tools at our disposal in order to disrupt piracy financial flows and to identify and apprehend those who lead the pirate enterprise. We are seeking to make the business model of pirate leaders and facilitators untenable. We are making progress, as the United States has indicted and is prosecuting in the United States two alleged Somali pirate negotiators.

But it's not just governments that need to work together to target pirate networks. This effort also depends on effective cooperation with the private sector. The United States is working to enhance cooperation between law enforcement and the maritime industry. When a hostage-taking occurs, industry can share information relating to the pirate negotiators and their negotiation tactics. This can help intelligence and law enforcement officials expand their understanding of how the pirate networks operate, which can help them in their efforts to indict and prosecute these criminals.

Progress is being made here as well. A sub-group of officials from the Contact Group recently met with shippers, insurers, and lawyers in London this past January to encourage them to regularly share information about piracy collected during hijackings. The United States also participated in a follow-on meeting with industry representatives earlier this month at the Italian Embassy here in Washington. The meeting helped demonstrate to industry the value of INTERPOL's piracy database, which is collecting information relating to piracy suspects and attacks hijackings. This database enables law enforcement agencies worldwide to share information and is facilitating piracy investigations, resulting in an increase in piracy-related prosecutions worldwide. Additionally, the Department of the Treasury will provide industry with an overview of the enforcement process for Executive Order 13536, which targets the property of persons contributing to conflict in Somalia, and will help answer questions that industry has about this order.

In closing, while we are making important gains in combating piracy, this does not diminish the number of challenges going forward. Pirates may be having less success at sea, but this is unlikely to sap their motivation to continue seeking out new hostages for ransom. The enormous ransoms that are paid out make the kidnapping-for-ransom industry incredibly lucrative – and lucrative industries fight hard to stay in business. Indeed, the number of attempted attacks has actually risen over the last year, despite the declining number of successful attacks. Additionally, the capacity and willingness to prosecute and incarcerate pirates is limited. Our successes at sea are putting more strain on the prison systems in the region and prison capacity in the region is getting stretched. It is imperative that more nations step forward to prosecute and pirates who have been caught attacking vessels that are flagged, owned and crewed by citizens of their countries.

The greatest challenge however remains on land. The only long-term solution to piracy is the re-establishment of stability and adequate governance in Somalia. At the February 23 Somalia conference in London, Secretary Clinton once again declared the United States' commitment to working with the international community in this effort.

But recognizing the challenges ashore does not exclude progress at sea. While there is no simple solution to modern-day piracy, we are making headway in mitigating the threats posed by piracy off the coast of Somalia. The progress that has been achieved is rooted in the close partnership that has been established between this Administration and the private sector in the counter-piracy effort. Piracy continues to pose a severe threat to the maritime industry, global trade and therefore the entire global economy. This means that governments and industry will need to continue to work hand-in-glove to address this problem. We look forward to working with you to make even more progress in the months and years ahead.

With that I will be glad to take your questions.


Source: US Department of State


14 Mar 2012 04:18 Africa/Lagos




ECOWAS steps up preparations for business forum with China


ABUJA, March 14, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- ECOWAS has intensified preparations for the Second Business Forum with China with the inaugural meeting of the Presidents of the Regional Business Associations (RBAs) and a joint meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Private Sector Organizing Committee for the forum,

taking place in Accra, Ghana 20th -21st March 2012.


The two-day meeting, which ended in Accra on 9th March 2012 and was attended by officials from the relevant Ministries, Departments and Private Sector of the host country, enabled ECOWAS officials to review preparations for the Forum from the perspectives of the ECOWAS Commission and Ghana's Government and the private sector


In his opening remarks, the leader of the ECOWAS delegation, Mr. Eno Umoessien said the meeting was to enable the two sides evaluate the preparations and the challenges to ensure that the Forum achieved its objective of attracting more Chinese investments into the region and leveraging the Asian country's massive foreign reserves.


Over 1,000 participants from West Africa, including 200 private sector operators and 150 government officials attended the inaugural Forum, which was hosted by China in Beijing in September 2008, and focused on stimulating Chinese investments in energy, mining and petrochemicals, construction, textile and light industry, as well as pharmaceuticals,

agriculture, financial services, machinery, electronics and telecommunications.


In the aftermath of that first business Forum, several Memoranda of Understanding and agreements for investments worth billions of US dollars have been signed between Chinese companies and the Governments of Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria's western State of Osun, for various infrastructure development projects such as airports, roads and dams. Discussions are also ongoing for other projects.


China has also opened the West African Office of the China-Africa Development Fund in Accra, Ghana since 2011, to coordinate its operations in the region.

The Second ECOWAS-China Business Forum will focus on attracting additional Chinese investments into the power sector and infrastructure development, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agro-food and allied services, mining, as well as information and communications technology (ICT). It will be organized in a three-layered structure with the opening ceremony, presentations and a third session dedicated to business, trade and investment discussions by private sector and government operatives from the two sides.


During the two-day preceding meeting of the RBAs, Mr. Umoessien, who represented the ECOWAS Commission's Director of Private Sector, Mr. Alfred Braimah, stressed the need for the associations to strengthen their structures in order to improve their attractiveness for collaboration with investors. He pledged the Commission's continued support within the limits of its budget.


The meeting, which was attended by representatives of five associations, provided participants with the opportunity to share activity reports for 2011, plans for 2012 with discussions on the impending regional forum.


In attendance were representatives of the Federation of West African Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Federation of West African Employers Association, the ECOWAS Federation of Women in Business and Entrepreneurs, the NEPAD Business Group of West Africa and the Investment Promotion Agencies of West Africa.

Source: Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)



Why Twitter Bought Posterous


Twitter buys Posterous. Photo Credit: Keol.

"This team has built an innovative product that makes sharing across the Web and mobile devices simple — a goal we share. Posterous engineers, product managers and others will join our teams working on several key initiatives that will make Twitter even better."

~ Twitter.



Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Fandango Launches "Movies with Friends" App on Facebook



13 Mar 2012 13:30 Africa/Lagos

Fandango Makes Moviegoing More Social than Ever with New Facebook Timeline App, "Movies with Friends"
New App Allows Film Fans to Share Movie Recommendations And Moviegoing Plans on Facebook and on Fandango

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- South by Southwest -- Fandango announced today at South by Southwest that it has launched a new Facebook timeline app that makes moviegoing more social than ever. The new app, called "Movies with Friends," allows fans to share their movie-based activities and recommendations on their Facebook timeline and News Feed, while seeing their Facebook friends' movie picks via an activity bar on Fandango's website. The feature will also provide fans the choice to actively share information about their moviegoing plans and invite others to join them, facilitating moviegoing with friends in real time.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061016/LAM046LOGO-b)

"Movies with Friends" is an opt-in app that allows Fandango's tens of million online visitors and 1.4 million Facebook fans to share up-to-the minute film information, including:

Movies they've rated and reviewed on Fandango, from "Must Go" to "Oh No!;"
Movies they want to see, indicated by the "I'm In!" button;
Movie trailers, clips and celebrity interviews they have just watched;
Articles they've read on Fandango's "Freshly Popped" blog.

"Moviegoing is an inherently social activity and this new timeline app provides fans with an effortless way to share that experience with their friends and introduce them to the depth of movie content found on Fandango," said Nick Lehman, President of NBCUniversal Entertainment & Digital Networks & Integrated Marketing, of which Fandango is a part. "'Movies with Friends' is one of the many ways we plan to engage fans pervasively via social media."

"We are excited to bring even more social engagement to Fandango's avid moviegoers," says Fandango Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Butler. "We have a highly-engaged base of over 1.4 million Facebook fans, and we see this number growing significantly with the addition of this new timeline app, allowing film buffs to share their moviegoing activities with new audiences in their network."

The launch of the Movies with Friends app follows on the heels of Fandango's best-selling January and February in the company's nearly-12-year history. Fandango recently announced new ticketing agreements with Regency Theatres, and with AMC Theatres, adding 3,000 new AMC screens to its extensive network of movie theaters across the country, now numbering a total of nearly 20,000 screens. Fandango's 30 million unique visitors regularly account for a significant percentage of opening weekend tickets sold nationwide, and the company is already reporting hundreds of sold-out showtimes for the March 23 release of "The Hunger Games."

About Fandango

Fandango, the nation's leading moviegoer destination, sells tickets to nearly 20,000 screens nationwide. Fandango entertains and informs consumers with reviews, commentary, celebrity interviews and trailers, and offers the ability to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and conveniently buy tickets in advance. At many theaters, fans can print their tickets at home or receive them as a paperless Mobile Ticket on their smartphones.

Fandango is available online at www.fandango.com, via smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, and at 1-800-FANDANGO. Fandango's top-ranking movie ticketing apps, with over 22 million downloads, are available on the iPhone and iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and many other platforms. Fandango is enjoyed by more than 30 million online and mobile visitors per month. Film fans find Fandango on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fandango and on Twitter @Fandango.

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

SOURCE Fandango

CONTACT: Harry Medved, +1-310-954-0461, harry.medved@fandango.com, Melinda Petrow, +1-310-954-0278, ext. 231, melinda.petrow@fandango.com

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