Friday, May 27, 2011

Lest you forget, my father fought in Burma


An African soldier during World War 2
The following true story is for Memorial Day and is published on the Red Room.

Lest you forget, my father fought in Burma

~ by Chima Michael Ekenyerengozi

May 26, 2011, 3:41 pm

(In memory of my father Sunday Eke, who fought and survived the World War II in Burma)

I have kept my father's identity card of Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF). But I have forgotten everything he told me about the role he and other thousands of Nigerians played as soldiers who fought for the British Empire and the allies in World War II. I do not know if my father won the coveted Burma Star. Marshall Kebby wrote about their exploits in Burma before he passed away over a decade ago. My father never kept a diary and it was after he died on November 19, 1983, that I knew that keeping a diary like Mr. Kebby would have helped me to know more about his past life as a soldier and ambulance driver before I was born.


African soldiers of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) during World War 2

Every Memorial Day or V-J Day reminds me of my father and the other unsung African heroes of the Whiteman's war that the Blackman was forced to fight against Adolf Hitler's Germany and Japan. No war film on World War Two has ever included them, except in 2009 when the BBC News reported about a documentary that revealed that only two in 10 of the soldiers who fought in Burma were white!


Click here to read the complete story.

Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time 27 May 2011



26 May 2011







25 May 2011


Jeta Amata is working on new film after "Black Gold"


Jeta Amata


Nick Vivarelli of the Variety reported that the ambitious Nigerian filmmaker Jeta Amata is already working on a new international film after making “Black Gold”.

The director who is also well known for his daring film “The Amazing Grace” is going to focus on the corrupt practices of pharmaceutical multinationals in Africa in his new film "Journeys of One," with Donald Ranvaud of "The Constant Gardner" fame as an executive producer.



Amata’s “Black Gold” had a market premiere at the 64th Cannes Film Festival. The film on the Niger Delta crisis featured top Hollywood actors like Tom Sizemore, William George "Billy" Zane, and Hakeem Kae-Kazim.

"Journeys of One" will be a way to provide a more genuine take on the Big Pharma in Africa theme tackled by Hollywood in Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardner". We like Hollywood coming to tell our story; but they miss some of the essence of the African point of view," Amata said.

Variety reported that Amata, producer Soledad Grognett and Ranvaud are looking for a name African-American actor for one of the key roles in "Journeys" and likely to also feature an Indian star.

"The idea is to make it Hollywood, Nollywood -- as the Nigerian film industry is know -- and Bollywood; the three biggest markets in the world," said Amata. "If you go to the remote villages where they don't have proper means of communication, you find people just dying unnecessarily," he added. "And though they don't realize it, the real thing that killed them was some drug that they weren't meant to take."
"The environment in Nigeria makes it a haven for these people (the pharmaceutical companies) to run whatever tests they want and treat people like rats and guinea pigs," Grognett added.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima


Dinapoli To Chevron: Resolve Amazon Lawsuit

FOR RELEASE:
Immediately
May 25, 2011



DiNAPOLI TO CHEVRON: RESOLVE AMAZON LAWSUIT
Standoff on Poor Ecological Record Bad for Business




New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and a coalition of investors today released a letter to oil giant Chevron urging the company to settle its 20-year legal battle with indigenous populations in the Amazon rainforest. The long-running court case alleges that Texaco, which merged with Chevron 10 years ago, destroyed huge tracts of the rainforest by dumping billions of gallons of oil waste products over several decades. Citing the “grave reputational damage” Chevron has suffered due to the lawsuit, DiNapoli and other investors called on the company to promptly negotiate a reasonable settlement to prevent further shareholder damage.

“It’s time for Chevron to face reality,” said DiNapoli, trustee of the $140.6 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund), which owns 7.5 million Chevron shares worth an estimated $780 million. “The effects of this horrific, uncontrolled pollution of the Amazon rainforest are still being felt today. Investors don’t derive any benefit from this never-ending courtroom drama.

“The entire case is looming like a hammer over shareholders’ heads. Chevron should start fresh with a new approach that embraces environmental responsibility and risk management as part of its corporate culture. More legal proceedings will only delay the inevitable.”

For nearly 25 years, beginning in 1964, Texaco and its joint venture partner Petroecuador dumped nearly 16 billion gallons of oil waste products into the Amazon rainforest. The two companies also spilled nearly 17 million gallons of oil from their trans-Ecuadorian pipeline operation between 1971 and 1991 —50 percent more oil than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez crash.

In a letter sent in November 2008, DiNapoli called on Chevron’s board of directors to come to an equitable settlement in order to avoid substantial penalties in an Ecuadorian court. Chevron refused to negotiate, and in February, 2011 the Ecuadorian Provincial Court awarded plaintiffs nearly $18 billion in compensatory and punitive damages. The Ecuadorian court judgment is the second-largest of its kind, topped only by BP’s $20 billion fund established to settle claims stemming from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. DiNapoli is co-lead plaintiff in an ongoing class action lawsuit filed against BP last year.

In an effort to improve Chevron’s environmental policies, DiNapoli has co-sponsored a proposal calling for the appointment an independent board director with a high level of environmental expertise. Shareholders are expected to vote on the resolution at Chevron’s annual meeting today (May 25).

Follow us on Twitter: @NYSComptroller


CONTACT: Olayinka Fadahunsi, OFadahunsi@osc.state.ny.us
(212) 681-4840


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Culture of Resistance coming to Nigeria



Culture of Resistance coming to Nigeria

In Nigeria, oil companies have destroyed farmland leaving behind dirty water and no food. When the people began protesting by making flyers and giving speeches the Nigerian government started killing the peaceful protesters, so the next generation has resorted to violence in order to get clean water and food.
~ Lara Lee, of Culture of Resistance speaking on her sensational documentary.



Iara Lee is the director of the harrowing documentary "Cultures of Resistance," produced by George Gunn, and it is going to be shown at the second Eko International Film Festival this summer.

The production of "Cultures of Resistance" began in 2003 before the Iraq war and it was judged the Best Documentary at the Tiburon 2011 Film Festival.

"People were being killed and nobody cared. I started looking for small gestures-ordinary people that were relatable," Lee said.
She said that the documentary covered 25 countries, with interviews done in the native languages. Lee and her crew (which often just consisted of one camera man and if she was lucky, a sound guy) were often deported or imprisoned.

"I was put in jail in Palestine. You can't bring cameras into a lot of these countries, I just kept trying. Most of the time we were hiding from the governments; even the militants [we filmed] are less dangerous," said Lee.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima


Microsoft Previews Next Release of Windows Phone



24 May 2011 15:00 Africa/Lagos


Microsoft Previews Next Release of Windows Phone
"Mango" to deliver smarter and easier communications, apps and Internet experiences and bring Windows Phone to more customers around the world.

PR Newswire

REDMOND, Wash., May 24, 2011

REDMOND, Wash., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. today previewed the next major release of Windows Phone, code-named "Mango," through a series of media events around the world. "Mango" will deliver more than 500 new features to push the boundaries of the smartphone experience around communications, apps and the Internet. The "Mango" release will be available for free to Windows Phone 7 customers and is scheduled to ship on new phones beginning this fall. More details on device update timing will be provided closer to availability. Windows Phone will also add support for additional languages, expand access to apps by launching Windows Phone Marketplace in new countries, and partner with new OEMs to enable expansion to new markets.*

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

"Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more," said Andy Lees, president of the Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft. "With 'Mango,' Windows Phone takes a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the Internet, giving you better results with less effort."

Communications: Easier to Connect and Share

The smartphone experience can be complicated by a sea of disconnected apps and accounts as people attempt to keep pace with all the ways they communicate — from calls, texts, email and instant messages (IM) to status updates, Tweets, check-ins, photo posting and tagging. To help people stay on top of that growing complexity, the "Mango" release organizes information around the person or group people want to interact with, not the app they have to use.

* Threads. Switch between text, Facebook chat and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.
* Groups. Group contacts into personalized Live Tiles to see the latest status updates right from the Start Screen and quickly send a text, email or IM to the whole group.
* Deeper social network integration. Twitter and LinkedIn feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and "Mango" includes built-in Facebook check-ins and new face detection software that makes it easier to quickly tag photos and post to the Web.
* Linked inbox. See multiple email accounts in one linked inbox. Conversations are organized to make it easy to stay on top of the latest mail.
* Hands-free messaging. Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting.


A Smarter Approach to Apps

Windows Phone will challenge the way people think about apps. Today their usefulness is measured by what can be done within the app, but Microsoft sees the promise of apps in how they can be integrated directly into the core experiences of the phone. In addition to making it easy to get timely notifications and updates from apps right from the Start Screen, the "Mango" release also will surface apps as part of search results and within Windows Phone Hubs. As a result, a useful app is more likely to be right there when needed.

* App Connect. By connecting apps to search results and deepening their integration with Windows Phone Hubs, including Music and Video and Pictures, "Mango" allows apps to be surfaced when and where they make sense.
* Improved Live Tiles. Get real-time information from apps without having to open them. Live Tiles can be more dynamic and hold more information.
* Multitasking. Quickly switch between apps in use and allow apps to run in the background, helping to preserve battery life and performance.


Taking the Internet Beyond the Browser

In addition to including Internet Explorer, the "Mango release will connect the power of the Web to the unique capabilities of Windows Phones, such as location awareness, camera and access to apps, to present a way of viewing the Web that is more localized, actionable and relevant.

* Internet Explorer 9. A browser based on the powerful Internet Explorer 9 and including support for HTML5 and full hardware acceleration.
* Local Scout. Provides hyper local search results and recommends nearby restaurants, shopping and activities in an easy-to-use guide.
* Bing on Windows Phone. More ways to search the Web, including Bing Vision, Music Search and Voice so it's easy to discover and decide.
* Quick Cards. When searching for a product, movie, event or place, see a quick summary of relevant information, including related apps.


Strengthening the Ecosystem

The Windows Phone ecosystem has grown steadily since Windows Phone 7 first launched in October, with more than 17,000 apps currently available on Windows Phone Marketplace and Windows Phone handsets available from a range of partners worldwide, and Microsoft's recently announced partnership with Nokia. "Mango" will further expand and strengthen the Windows Phone ecosystem through new partnerships with Acer Inc., Fujitsu Ltd. and ZTE Corp., which today announced plans to deliver new Windows Phone devices in markets around the world. Furthermore, Microsoft announced it will support additional languages, including Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish, and will greatly expand the list of countries where consumers have access to apps via Windows Phone Marketplace. As well, a beta release of the free Windows Phone Developer tools, which will be used to create the next generation of "Mango" apps and games, will be posted for public download to Microsoft's website within 24 hours of today's events. More information about what "Mango" means for developers, the tools and a link to the public download page is available at http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev/archive/2011/05/24/developer-news-beta-mango-tools-available-today.aspx .

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Some information relates to pre-released product that may be substantially modified before it's commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

*Data plan required; carrier fees apply. Apps from Marketplace. Features and services vary by area, phone, carrier and service plan.

.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, news and perspectives from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft News Center at http://www.microsoft.com/news. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/news/contactpr.mspx

CONTACT: Rapid Response Team of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +1-503-443-7070, rrt@waggeneredstrom.com

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



Google celebrates Africa Day




Google celebrates Africa Day, the annual commemoration on May 25 of the 1963 founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), when leaders of 30 of the 32 independent African states signed a founding charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

In 1991, the OAU established the African Economic Community, and in 2002 the OAU established its own successor, the African Union. However, the name and date of Africa Day has been retained as a celebration of African unity.



25 May 2011 20:44 Africa/Lagos

Address by Dr Jean Ping, African Union Commission Chairperson on the occasion of the commemoration of Africa Day / Wednesday 25 May 2011

ADDIS ABABA, May 25, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Address by Dr Jean Ping, African Union Commission Chairperson on the occasion of the commemoration of Africa Day


Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Chairperson of the African Union;

Your Excellency the Prime Minister of the Republic of India;

Your Majesty;

Your Excellency Heads of State and Government;

Honorable Ministers;

The Heads of the Regional Economic communities

Distinguished Ambassadors;

Friends and partners of Africa

Distinguished Invited guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Allow me first of all to sincerely thank you all for having graced this ceremony with your presence. I wish you a warm welcome.


As is the custom every year, today, the 25th of May 2011, we are celebrating Africa Day. This anniversary commemorates the birth of the Organization of African Unity on May 25 1963. Indeed, by this solemn act, our founding fathers, keen to safeguard and consolidate the independence of our countries, hitherto under the yoke of colonization, and in a bid to strengthen solidarity across Africa and see through the task of the total liberation of Africa, did not only lay the foundation of our unity through a common African identity, but also triggered the dynamics of actions and efforts towards integration and sustainable development that our continent is today pursuing.

Today, about 62℅ of the overall population of Africa is below 35 years old and more than 20℅ are between the 15 and 24 years age bracket. By 2020, more than 70 % of Africa's youth will be at least twenty years old. This means that out of every four persons that we come across in the streets of Cairo, Nairobi, Brazzaville, Lagos, Malabo or Johannesburg; three are less than twenty.

With an average of 5.2 children per woman, Africa registers the highest number of births in the world, the yearly birth rate being 2.2℅. It is therefore not surprising that about 10 million African youth knock at the door of the labour market every year… Many of these youth are ill- prepared for the job market, owing to the persisting gaps in our educational systems. The result is that 71℅ of African youth live on less than US$2 a day.

The Arab spring marked by the groundswell that swept across Tunisia and Egypt, right here on our continent, has confirmed the imperious need to address the legitimate concerns and worries of the youth who are the largest component of our society. They are becoming increasingly poor, discontented and more and more radical.

In an era of unbridled globalization characterized amongst other things by new ways of life like the celebrity culture, the loss of the value of hard work in favour of the get rich quick attitude and idleness; many youth in developing countries and not only in Africa mirror their future in what they often consider as the Eldorado, often Europe and the United States. They would stop at nothing to undertake the journey to this illusory promise land even at the peril of their lives; having the feeling that the only prospects at home are disappointments, discouragement, even a feeling of injustice coupled with revolt…

-Disappointment for those who on completing their education struggle to find a job matching their qualifications.

- Discouragement for those without certificates doomed to precarious jobs.

- lastly, the feeling of injustice and revolt for those who are deprived of any hope and feel forgotten, ignored, or rejected by society.

By deciding to focus on the theme “Accelerating Youth Empowerment for a Sustainable Development” and recalling that the 8th Labour and Social Affairs Commission which held in Yaoundé in April 2011 dwelt on the theme “Promoting Youth Employment for Social Cohesion and Inclusive Growth”, the African Union, attests the importance it attaches to the primordial role and contribution of the youth in the development process. It also confirms the will of African leaders to continue their efforts for the creation of an enabling environment to better address the needs of the youth. For some years now this has been articulated by numerous activities undertaken across the continent at the centre of the development agenda for the youth, who are indispensable stakeholders in efforts to support Africa's development.

The adoption in 2006 of the African Youth Charter and its entry into force in 2009, mark the starting point of a new and strong push. As this Charter seeks to promote the participation of youths and their organizations to a wide range of inter-generational dialogue on the development of policies and initiatives designed to ensure that the views and aspirations of young people are considered.

As part of this drive, the celebration of the African Youth Day in 2008, the institutionalization of November 1st as African Youth Day and the Declaration of 2009-2018 as the Decade for Youth Development have given a new impetus to the Pan African Youth Union whose headquarters is in Khartoum Sudan.

Heeding to the call of Heads of States and Government, the African Union Commission has embarked on actions, programmes and projects aimed at enhancing the capacities of young people and improving their participation in social, political and economic activities on the continent. I will illustrate this with a few examples, namely:

• The creation of the African Union Youth Volunteers Corps. In this respect, I am happy to recall that a Second Training Session for 100 young volunteers is scheduled for 13 June in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, in Malabo;

• The promotion of technical and vocational training which demonstrates the importance of the latter in our countries and regions;

• The establishment of a database for African youth organisations.

The United Nations has declared August 2010-August 2011 as the International Year of the Youth. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that a united Africa will be strong and respected. Hence the common position for the development of the African youth presented by all the African youth ministers at the World Youth Conference in Mexico in July 2010 was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2010 and is henceforth part of the 2010 Agenda for the world's youth.

Africa is resolved to fight and win the battle to enhance its youth's competitiveness in the international arena. This will lead to the establishment of the Pan African University with its five regional institutes and affiliated national centres that will meet world standards in quality training in research, science and technology as well as engineering and mathematics. Three of these institutes shall open in the last quarter of 2011. These are:

• The Institute of Earth and Life Sciences in Ibadan, Nigeria;

• The Institute of Governance, Social Sciences and Humanities in Yaoundé, Cameroon and,

• The Institute of Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Pan African University is designed to attract and keep on the continent talented and motivated young people by providing an enabling environment for their blossoming in research and studies. It will also help to rekindle the sense of belonging to Africa, considering the fundamental and proven role of training institutions, schools, and universities in the building of a common African identity.

With regard to Science, the foundation stone of the African Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation shall be laid in Malabo, during the next African Union Heads of State and Government Summit in July. Equatorial Guinea has offered to host this institution and to provide the start-up funds. This Observatory shall help to develop the scientific potential of our young researchers. The decision to set up this institution was taken at the January 2007 Summit of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.

Your Excellencies,

Dear friends

We all know that the youth, with their energy, innovative capacity as well as their aspirations are an asset that no State or society can afford to ignore. They are an engine and a critical resource for sustainable development, both at national and continental level. With their inherent values, the youth are also a catalyst for change and transformation of the society.

Young ladies and gentlemen of Africa,

The African Union believes strongly that the future of Africa hinges on your dynamism, enthusiasm, energy and courage. You are indeed the leaders and decision-makers of tomorrow. The foundation of Africa rests on your ideas and actions. You are the future, the driving force that will contribute to the emergence of a continent where life is pleasant, an Africa that can meet its needs and that is free from fear. Like our founding fathers, who in their prime, fought for ideals such as independence and national sovereignty, I challenge you today to rekindle this passion for our motherland and demonstrate your confidence for Africa and its future! Africa is counting on you.

I wish you a happy Africa Day,

Long live Africa and long live the youth of Africa!



Source: African Union Commission (AUC)


Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Nigerians in UK inspire British Author’s new book for Children

Nigerians in UK inspire British Author’s new book for Children

A new book Tópé Arrives is about a Nigerian orphan who was forced against his will to continue his life in England. It is a Nigerian story written by a new British author Wendy Hue who told me why she wrote this emotionally compelling children’s book that has been endorsed by Richard Damilola, the father of Damilola Taylor, the 10-year-old Nigerian child murdered on his way from Peckham Library on November 27, 2000, in south London in 2000. The book was on the long list of the The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition.



Tópé is suddenly orphaned and against his will he has to leave Nigeria. Worried about starting a new life in England, he feels he is an outsider in his new school. It is a time of tears and tussles. Will his nimble football skills and precious wooden boat somehow help him to carve out a new beginning? Will he ever again be able to believe in himself and drum in with the dundun drums his renewed sense of fun and pride.

The book is specially for 7 - 9 year olds and already selected for Centre for Literacy and Primary Education book fair in London on the 24th June 2011.

Wendy Hue has a lot to say on her book, how Nigerians she has known for years in the UK inspired her literary genius in the writing and her unique multiethnic family among other important facts of her colourful life.




'Tópé Arrives' is just one of many, many stories that I have written.
The reason I decided to move with 'Tópé first was because he kept getting a lot of interest from mainstream publishers and also a literary agent I had about 5 years ago, however he never quite got published by them. Then the manuscript was long listed in The Times/Chicken House 2011 competition and I thought 'you know what - let me take this project in to my own hands' as from what I can see there is a real close net of who decides what books get published and end up on our shelves for all of our children. Children of different ethnicities are dispersed around the globe now and I believe we can no longer think insular, but must think wider because of this. We also have 4th, 5th etc generations of children now who are born and reared in different countries to that of their mother, father, grandparents, great grandparents and so on.

I also believe there is still a real under-representation of books for 'all of our children', where they can all be the main protagonist, the hero, or the fairy queen etc. I do not think we are quite there as yet in terms of having books that represent the complement of ethnicities in many countries, due party I suppose to the migration of peoples from one part of the earth to another today.

In terms of writing 'Tópé Arrives' about another culture, I felt confident enough because I have many, many amazing and wonderful Nigerian friends and worked in Peckham, South London for over 20 years (where there is an enormous and wonderful Nigerian community) so became very familiar with Nigerian culture. As the book, which was originally written, but not edited at that stage, is for young readers I did not want to force too much information about Nigeria in the book. I just wanted that information to trickle through with a light stroke of a paint brush. I hope I have done justice to this.

I can also let you know that I worked with two (not even one) excellent editors, one in particular who is an expert on diversity in children's publishing - Laura Atkins and she worked tirelessly with me to polish up the manuscript. I also commissioned a fabulous illustrator who has one some really wonderful line drawings inside and a beautiful front cover. Zara Slattery is the illustrator. All of this has and getting the book published has been at a total cost to me, but I am passionate about my writing and have persevered. I cannot wait for book number two to come out now, which is 'Ria - Sisterly Plaits' about a young black British Caribbean girl. I am of Caribbean ethnicity, but this story will not be autobiographical.

I have just left working in local government in London after almost 22 years and had been there for so long. I am a part-time university student in my final year, but finish next year as I have been also working fulltime. This year I have studied 'Global Politics and Postcolonial Worlds' and 'Cultures of Consumption'. As a family we also regularly have young children from all parts of the globe come and stay in our home on short stays when they are visiting England. I am a married mother of three children, my son Marlon is 23 and daughters, Hannah 19 and Emily 13. My father (who is part Chinese) came to this country (UK) when he was enlisted to fight in World War II for the British Royal Air Force when the Caribbean as were many other countries, part of the Commonwealth. He and my mother who came here in the 1950s remained thereafter. With my father's work we always moved around and lived for 3 years in Cyprus in the Mediterranean when I was growing up and also I was born in Germany because of this, amongst many, many places in the UK. As a family (I have 6 wonderful brothers and two lovely sisters) we have a multiplicity of ethnicities as we have African heritage in us as well as Scottish, Irish, Chinese and so on... - very global - one world!

On my literary ambitions, I have already paid with a publishing company for book number 2, but am now wondering if I should just try and set up my own publishing company to move with books thereafter. I am keen for far more representation and transparency in our world of children's books globally, and all of my books embrace inclusion and diversity...



~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Click here to order "Tópé Arrives" from Amazon.



Monday, May 23, 2011

Microsoft Announces Finalists for Global Student Technology Competition



23 May 2011 13:00 Africa/Lagos


Microsoft Announces Finalists for Global Student Technology Competition

More than 400 students invited to showcase their technology to solve the world's toughest problems at Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 Worldwide Finals in New York.

PR Newswire

NEW YORK, May 23, 2011

NEW YORK, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In July, more than 400 of the brightest young minds from around the world will travel to New York to showcase their innovative ideas for using technology to solve the world's toughest problems. As the winners of regional, national and online Imagine Cup competitions, these high school and university students represent the pinnacle of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurialism from 73 countries and regions around the globe.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO)

This year, more than 350,000 students from 183 countries registered for Microsoft Corp.'s Imagine Cup, the world's premier student technology competition. The 124 student teams secured their places at the July 8–13 Worldwide Finals event, where they will demonstrate technological advancements in problem-solving and compete for international recognition and $215,000 (U.S.) in cash prizes in categories including Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Design, Digital Media, Windows Phone 7, IT Challenge, Interoperability Challenge, Windows 7 Touch Challenge and the Orchard Challenge. The students' projects tackle serious humanitarian issues, often inspired by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, such as the environment, health, accessibility and education.

"Some of history's greatest inventions were created by students. With the Microsoft Imagine Cup, students apply their innovative thinking to real-world causes in order to generate the future's greatest inventions as well," said S. Somasegar, senior vice president, Developer Division at Microsoft. "To see young innovators and entrepreneurs harness their creativity and talent to benefit a greater good is absolutely inspiring."

Last year, Team GINA from the Czech Republic was among the finalist teams that competed at the Imagine Cup 2010 Worldwide Finals in Warsaw, Poland. The team developed GINA (Geographical INformation Assistant), an innovative software system for mobile equipment that provides navigation in difficult terrain, helps coordinate rescue teams, and enables the efficient exchange of geographical information. Together with the humanitarian organization Hand for Help Europe o.s. and its partners, the GINA system has been deployed in Haiti to track the progress of the cholera epidemic, and recently has been helping rescue workers in Japan monitor areas affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.

"Technology has tremendous potential to solve humanitarian problems, and the Imagine Cup gave me a platform to share my ideas for making the world a better place," said Team GINA member Zbynek Poulicek. "The Imagine Cup was also a launching pad to start my own business and have an impact in places like Haiti and Japan."

More information about the GINA system is available at http://www.ginasystem.com.

2011 marks the first time that the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals event, now in its ninth year, will take place in the United States. Although the primary focus of the gathering is the competition, the finalist teams will also have opportunities to attend special training sessions, meet peers from around the world, and participate in volunteer and cultural activities while in New York. The final event of the competition, the Imagine Cup World Festival and Awards Ceremony, will take place on Wednesday, July 13.

Click here to see the worldwide finalist teams:




Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

23 May 2011

13:00 Global Payout Announces Launch of Domestic and International eWallet Accounts

13:00 Microsoft Announces Finalists for Global Student Technology Competition

22 May 2011

12:59 Sheikh Fahad Al Salem Al Ali Al Sabah Gathers World Leaders for a Forum to Discuss Advancing Individual Freedoms

20 May 2011

20:37 25 African Photographers compete in Spain for Photoafrica awards

14:39 2nd AFRICA-INDIA FORUM SUMMIT / Shared Vision at the Center of Second Africa- India Forum Summit

14:31 UN Secretary-General Appoints Margaret Vogt of Nigeria as his Special Representative to the Central African Republic and Head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office

19 May 2011

17:40 List of accredited media and organizations for the African Development Bank Pre-Annual Meetings Virtual Press Conference held on Thursday, 19 May from 3 – 4 p.m. in Tunis.

63% of Americans are Cutting Back Due to Rising Gas Prices

The US Economy Will Receive A Huge Boost From Tourism Dollars If The Gas Prices Fall As Predicted

Toyota Back in 1st Place, Honda Drops to 2nd, Ford Maintains 3rd, While GM and Chrysler Continue to Improve in Annual Automaker-Supplier Working Relations Rankings

Savings Hit by Job Insecurity

Twenty-Somethings Top Online Friends' League Table

Obama Middle East Address

Southeastern Floods & Tornadoes






Justin Bieber and Eminem top 2011 Billboard Music Awards





Justin Bieber and his girlfriend Selena Gomez looked ravishing in a little black cut out dress

The glitz and razzmatazz of the 64th Cannes Film Festival took all my attention away from the 2011 Billboard Music Awards with Justin Bieber smooching his darling Selena Gomez in full glare of all the lights and excited audience. Well since she removed her Purity Ring last year your guess is as good as mine on her virginity. Her lover boy Bieber dazzled her with six awards he won last night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He won the Digital Artist of the Year, Fan Favourite of the Year, Top Social Artist, Top Streaming Artist, Top Pop Album and Top Pop Album.

Eminem also won six awards for the Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Albums, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Song and Top Rap Album.


Fergie

Katy Perry, Rihanna and Shakira won two gongs each and the Pop Diva Beyonce Knowles was given a Millennium Award to honour her for her career achievements so far.

46 award categories are based on Billboard data, which measures radio airplay, streaming data, social media consumption and tour grosses tracked by Billboard Boxscore.


Beyonce

The full list of winners of the 2011 Billboard Awards

Top Artist of the Year: Eminem

Top Hot 100 Song: Taio Cruz - Dynamite

Top Billboard 200 Album: Eminem - Recovery

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Top Country Album: Taylor Swift - Speak Now

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Billboard Music Awards 2011

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Viral Innovator of the Year: Cee Lo Green

Icon Award: Neil Diamond

Millennium Artist Award: Beyonce



The Tree of Life wins Palme d'Or at 2011 Cannes


Jury President Robert de Niro (L) shakes hands with producer Bill Pohlad (R) who receives the Palme d'Or award for the film ''The Tree of Life'', by director Terrence Malick, as they pose with Camera d'Or award winner director Pablo Giorgelli (2nd L) during the closing ceremony of the 64th Cannes Film Festival, May 22, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Eric Gaillard.

Sunday evening, American director Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life won the prestigious Palme d’Or of the 64th Cannes Film Festival.

Provocative Danish director Lars Von Trier who was banned from the Cannes for his controversial comments that portrayed him as an apologist of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi proved that he could not be ignored as his apocalyptic film "Melancholia" got the Best Actress award for American actress Kirsten Dunst.


CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 22: Actress Kirsten Dunst accepts her award for Best Actress at the Closing Ceremony at the Palais des Festivals during the 64th Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2011 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)


"What a week! My thanks to the Jury, this is a real honour. I'm grateful to the Festival for keeping the film in Competition. And I'm grateful to Lars Von Trier for letting me play the role with such freedom.," said the excited Kirsten Dunst who is famous for her romantic role of Mary Jane Watson the girlfriend and later wife of Peter Parker, the alter ego of Spider-Man in the Spider-Man trilogy.



The Films of Terrence Malick (MOMI, May 13-15) from Matt Zoller Seitz on Vimeo.



This is Malick’s fifth feature, starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. The film story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence.

SYNOPSIS
The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950's. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

Thetreeoflifeposter

FEATURE FILMS



SHORT FILMS



• Prize of Un Certain Regard Ex-aequo
ARIRANG directed by KIM Ki-Duk

• HALT AUF FREIER STRECKE (STOPPED ON TRACK) directed by Andreas DRESEN

• Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize
ELENA directed by Andrey ZVYAGINTSEV

• Directing Prize of Un Certain Regard
BÉ OMID É DIDAR directed by Mohammad RASOULOF

CINEFONDATION :

• 1st Prize Cinéfondation
DER BRIEF (THE LETTER) directed by Doroteya DROUMEVA

• 2nd Prize - Cinéfondation
DRARI directed by Kamal LAZRAQ

• 3rd Prize Cinéfondation
YA-GAN-BI-HANG (FLY BY NIGHT) directed by SON Tae-gyum

The Jury
Robert De Niro
President of the Jury

Olivier ASSAYAS
Director

Martina GUSMAN

Mahamat-Saleh HAROUN
Director

Jude LAW

Nansun SHI

Uma THURMAN
Actress

Johnnie TO
Director

Linn ULLMANN


~ Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima