Africa Missing in Last American Presidential Debate on Foreign Policy

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From the last presidential debate of Monday night October 22, 2012, at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, I can see that both Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the incumbent President Barack Obama of the ruling Democratic Party don't have any defined foreign policy on Africa where as insiders know is now the new headquarters of the al-Qaeda with strongholds in Somalia, Nigeria, Libya, Mali and Eritrea under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Egyptian surgeon who replaced Osama bin Laden as al-Qaeda’s leader in May 2011.

As I noted in another topic on the HuffPost that killing Osama bin Laden has not weakened the al-Qaeda as shown by the gory murder of the American Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens who before his unfortunate death warned the State Department to extend counter-terror unit's tour of duty, because the situation in Libya was 'unpredictable, volatile and violent', but President Barack Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton failed to do so, because Africa was not as important to them as the war in Afghanistan that heaven knows is a USELESS WASTE OF AMERICAN LIVES AND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
President Obama lied when he said in a UN speech that “The tide of war is receding", because things are worsening in Afghanistan and Iraq.
See http://costsofwar.org/.



It is really a pity that since Ronald Reagan, America has not been able to elect a great president, but only apologetic orators and playboys who would have been better employed as Law professors or actors in Hollywood and not gambling with the destiny of America in the Middle East.
God help America.


~ By Orikinla Osinachi

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Sixth Africities Summit: Dakar, December 4 - 8, 2012

22 Oct 2012 12:19 Africa/Lagos


CORRECTION: Sixth Africities Summit: Dakar, the Rallying Venue of the Africa of the People

The sixth Africities Summit will be held in Dakar, Senegal from 4th to 8th December, 2012

DAKAR, October 22, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa), the city of Dakar and the Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS) are organising the sixth Africities Summit (http://www.africites.org) in Dakar, Senegal from 4th to 8th December, 2012.


Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/africites-1.jpg


Regarded as the most important platform for dialogue and exchange on decentralisation and local governance in Africa, over the course of its successive summits, the Africities Summit has become the meeting point for stakeholders and decision-makers of local life in Africa. Nearly 5000 participants from Africa, China, Turkey, Brazil and other regions of the world are expected to attend.


Among the participants are former heads of State, ministers, mayors and local authorities, officials of the national associations of local authorities, representatives of international organisations, delegates of partnership and funding agencies, representatives of civil society organisations as well as the professional, academic and university world, players from the economic world and private companies. All will be meeting in Dakar for five days of discussion, reflection and exchanges on the theme of the Summit: "Building Africa from its territories: what challenges for local governments"?


In parallel with the work of the Africities Summit, the International Exhibition of Cities and Local Governments will be held from 4 to December 7, 2012. This 5000 m² exhibition space will allow some 200 providers of goods and services to local communities to show-case their products and share their experiences and their expertise in the African market.


Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf Africities Summit 2012.



For further information, please visit the Africities websites: http://www.Africities.org and http://www.AfricitesExhibition.org

Venue:

Conference centre at the King Fahd Palace Hotel (formerly the Hotel Méridien Président)

Pointe des Almadies

BP: 8181

Dakar - Senegal

Contacts :


Mrs Zineb Benchekchou

zineb.b@uclga.org

+212 537 260 062


Mr Gautier Brygo

gb@echoscommunication.org

+212 661 300 829

Source: Sixth Africities Summit

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Drogba, Eto'o and Pienaar Join ALMA Heads of State United Against Malaria in New 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations Health Campaign

Drogba.

Eto'o.

Pienaar.

22 Oct 2012 08:01 Africa/Lagos

Drogba, Eto'o and Pienaar Join ALMA Heads of State, CAF and Players Across Africa to Unite Against Malaria in New 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations Health Campaign

Campaign Will Deliver Prevention and Treatment Messages Across the Continent

DURBAN, October 22, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Ahead of the official draw for the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), African football stars and heads of state have joined United Against Malaria (UAM) (http://www.unitedagainstmalaria.org), pledging to distribute life-saving malaria prevention and treatment messages throughout the tournament. Football icons including Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o and Steven Pienaar, along with African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) heads of state including President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d'Ivoire and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, will lend their voices to the cause, appearing in television spots, billboards and educational materials that will be distributed across Africa.


Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/banni__re.jpg


“Across the continent, football dominates the hearts and minds of children and parents alike. But, so does malaria – the cause of 174 million illnesses and nearly 600,000 deaths in Africa alone every year,” said Samuel Eto'o, Cameroonian national team player and UAM champion. “We have united to utilize the power of football to fight malaria and we hope our fans will join us.”


Although preventable and treatable, malaria kills a child in Africa every 60 seconds and costs the continent an estimated minimum of US $12 billion in lost productivity and healthcare costs each year.


“I have been a victim of malaria and have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects it can have on individuals and families,” said Didier Drogba, Côte d'Ivoire national team captain and UAM champion. “We need malaria out of the game. Using the popularity of

football to increase awareness of prevention and treatment methods will go a long way in the fight to show malaria the red card.”


By leveraging the popularity and excitement surrounding Africa's signature tournament, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and UAM are partnering to disseminate life-saving malaria messages through television and radio spots, in-stadium branding and local outreach to policy-makers and millions of fans across the continent.


“Malaria affects nearly everyone on the continent of Africa, including footballers and government leaders. With all eyes on the tournament and its participants, CAF and UAM are committed to utilizing this platform to communicate important messaging to end deaths from this devastating disease,” said Mr. Hicham El Amrani, secretary general of CAF.


Activities kicked off during tournament qualifying matches as President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf surprised football fans at the friendly game between Liberia and Ghana to cheer on her national team and congratulate them for their efforts to fight malaria. “When we all fight malaria together, we build a stronger nations and save lives,” said President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. “As a football fan myself, I understand the game's power and popularity. We have the tools to win against malaria and I urge others to join us in the fight.”


In Nigeria, Malawi, Benin, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and other countries, malaria messages will be shared using football players, favorite teams and sports programs. Research has shown that audiences retain and act on these messages more often when delivered by their football heroes. In those countries, billboards, sports journals, tournament programs will complement the PSAs on air to ensure the UAM campaign messages reach every household. In Cote d'Ivoire, images of Drogba and his teammates Kolo Toure, Gervinho and Salomon Kalou attract readers to malaria educational materials, and create excitement about ridding this West African country of the burden of malaria. The UAM campaign has broken language barriers by having PSAs recorded by football stars in over 18 African languages since the campaign was launched in 2009.


“I am honored to be a champion for this cause,” said Steven Pienaar, UAM champion and former South African captain. “It is unacceptable that malaria kills one child in Africa every minute. We can take such simple steps to prevent and treat this disease. United we can beat malaria.”


Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of United Against Malaria (UAM).


About Malaria

Malaria is a disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. If left untreated, the infection in its most severe forms can lead to coma and death. Although malaria is preventable and treatable, it continues to kill a child every 60 seconds and 655,000 people globally each year. More than 90 percent of these deaths occur in Africa, and the majority of them are children under the age of five. Furthermore, malaria contributes to the cycle of poverty and limits economic development.

About United Against Malaria

United Against Malaria (UAM) (http://www.unitedagainstmalaria.org) is a partnership of football teams and heroes, celebrities, health and advocacy organizations, governments, corporations, and individuals who have united to win the fight against malaria. Our goal is to galvanize partners throughout the world to reach the international target of reducing deaths worldwide. To learn more about UAM, please visit http://www.UnitedAgainstMalaria.org and follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/unitedagainstmalaria) and Twitter (http://en.twitter.com/UAMalaria).

About Orange Africa Cup of Nations

The Orange Africa Cup of Nations is the continent's premiere football championship, organized biannually by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The 2013 tournament, hosted in conjunction with the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the South African Football Association (SAFA) will take place from January 19 to February 10 and be followed by millions of fans in Africa and around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.Cafonline.com.


About ALMA

ALMA is a 46-member alliance of African heads of state and government working to end malaria. For more information, please visit http://www.alma2015.org.

Media Contacts:

UAM – Anna McCartney-Melstad: amccartn@jhsph.edu +27 743 674636

CAF – Mahmoud Garga: garga@cafonline.com +20 238 371000 ext. 116

Source: United Against Malaria (UAM)

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Call for Entries for the Africa Movie Academy Awards 2013

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 2013 Call for entries for the Africa movie academy awards to be held 14th April 2013 in Africa, the Nominations will be announced the first week of March 2013.

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is calling for feature length films (not more than 2hrs long), short and documentary entries for its 2013 edition, to be held on 14th April in Africa, home to Africa where the world¹s third largest film industry. The deadline for submissions is 30 December 2012 and the theme for the 2013 edition is ŒAfrica-One-Africa without borders the integration cinematically¹. ŒThere is this great awareness of the possibilities in Africa. This has been an exciting year for African cinema as many big budget productions have been on going on the continent and distribution becoming more accessible to African films¹ says founder and Academy CEO Peace Anyiam-Osigwe.

However only films produced, premiered and or released between December 2011 and November 2012 are eligible. Features may not exceed 120 minutes and shorts should not be longer than 40 minutes.

The winning films for AMAA 2012 included How 2 Steal 2 Million, Otelo Burning and Shattered.

Since its inception in 2005, AMAA has established itself as the most prestigious and glamorous awards celebrating film making on the continent. The gala event, which is televised live around the world, attracts Hollywood celebrities alongside their African counterparts, as well as African politicians and media.

Submission forms can be downloaded from the AMAA website,http://www.ama-awards.com/ .

Nominations will be announced in March 2013.

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Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko of the Labour Party Re-Elected!

Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko of the Labour Party (LP) has been reelected as the Governor of Ondo State in south western Nigeria after he won the keenly contested gubernatorial election of Saturday October 20, 2012 by a landslide.

The incumbent governor’s Labour Party won in 12 out of the 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs), including Akoko South-East, Akoko North-East, Akoko North-West and others. The overwhelmed candidate of the powerful Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, won in only two local government areas, while the candidate of the ruling national party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mr. Olusola Oke, won in only one LGA.

What I said on Thursday, July 12, 2012.
In Ondo State, One Good Term Deserves Another.

I thank God for Dr. Mimiko with the congratulations and best wishes of the entire team of Nigerians Report and our International Digital Post Network LLC, the largest Nigerian news and information media network on the internet to him and all the good people of Ondo, Sunshine State.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

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How Sade Adu’s Style Inspired Jean Paul Gaultier and other Fashion Designers

Sade Adu

Not many Nigerian fashion designers and others know that Nigerian born British singer Helen Folasade Adu, OBE, popularly known as Sade Adu has been a major inspiration to Jean Paul Gaultier and Olivier Rousteing among others. Hanna Hanra of Style.Com also referenced this recently. And most notably by Jean Paul Gaultier himself in his Spring 2013 RTW Collection paying "homage to all the pop stars of the eighties who have influenced fashion and my fashion with their look".

Jean Paul Gaultier at Paris Fashion Week Spring 2013.

If Sade's sultry vocals didn't hook you, her lacquered red lips, tight, braided ponytail, and oversized gold hoops likely did. The Nigerian-born, British-bred crooner was a knockout, and she's still bowling people over decades after her last big hit. Jean Paul Gaultier sent Sade look-alikes down his Spring runway, and Olivier Rousteing borrowed her signature hoops and shoulder pads for his Balmain collection.
~ By Hanna Hanra.

Jean-Paul Gaultier, spring/summer 2001 haute couture collection: satin bustier.
© AFP/CORBIS.

Did you know that Sade Adu made more money than the current British music rave of the moment, the multiple Grammy Awards winning Adele in the U.S? Sade Adu made a whopping £10.5 million in 2011 according to figures from Billboard. She was second only to Lady Gaga. But out grossed Paul McCartney, Elton John and Coldplay!

Singer/songwriter Sade performs at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 3, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.



~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, aka Orikinla Osinachi.

© EKENYERENGOZI MICHAEL CHIMA, 2012. All Rights Reserved. No part of the content of this feature, including the photographs should be reproduced without the authorization and permission of the author and copyright owner.




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13yr-Old Girl Escapes from Ritual Murderers in Nigeria

Emmanuela.

A 13 year old Nigerian girl Emmanuela who is a Junior Secondary School pupil of Shadoff Secondary School had a narrow escape from human ritual cultists in Nigeria where another 13 year old girl Yetunde Rachael Samuel , a Junior Secondary School pupil of Oluyori Comprehensive College was murdered in the night of October 5th, 2012, and neatly deposited inside a medium size freezer.

The following are the words of Emmanuela narrating how she escaped from the cultists who were actively engaged in the ritual murder of several people they kidnapped.

“I entered the bus from Igbogbo around 7pm. I was going to my church for our Thursday vigil. When I entered the bus, I noticed that all the passengers in the bus were sleeping. They were about ten. I felt something was wrong and I quickly told the driver to stop for me that I had forgotten my transport fare at home.

The conductor then said that I should not worry that he would not collect money from me. I insisted I would get down, shouting that I was going to church and I would not be able to come back home even if he did not collect money from me. But he refused. As we were arguing on that, the conductor immediately brought out a handkerchief and waved it on my face and that was the last thing I remembered.

“I then saw myself at a shrine with other victims. The following day at the shrine, they began to kill others with knife and machete one after the other. Although we were blindfolded, yet, I was able to see a bit of what was going on. They decided Sunday would be my turn when they would conclude their rituals.”

“We were there without food or water, and when it got to my turn on Sunday, I was taken to the shrine again along with the remaining two. But I heard one of them saying ‘no, they should return me back to where they picked me. We were three left out of about eleven people.”

But instead of returning me back to where they picked me , they kept me somewhere. The following day which was Monday, they took the three of us back to the shrine. The other two were killed that day, leaving only me. One of them again told the men that they should look for another person to replace me and that they should return me immediately. But they refused saying that they cannot return me and that they should manage and use me like that.

After the argument, I was laid at the shrine, at that point, with the little consciousness I had, I was praying, I was weak and could not even move my body. I realised that the killer could not bring his knife on me. The next thing I heard was that ‘take this girl away’. Again, that was what I saw until I found myself at the Ita Elewa, Ikorodu late at night.”

Emmanuela said: “It was dark, I didn’t know how I got there; I just suddenly discovered I was out of their hands, but I was very weak. There, I saw a man in a suit walking on the street. I approached him and asked him where I was? He told me Ita-Elewa; I begged him to take me to my church because it was very close to the area they dropped me. He obliged me. When I entered the church, I fell and lay by the gate.

“As a member of the drama group, we usually hold drama rehearsals every Tuesdays. So, it was co-incidental that the members of the group were there at that time. Somebody who was sent by our leader to check the gate saw me and took me inside, prayed for me and gave me food to eat. Throughout my stay there, I was never hungry, until I came out.”

Asked to describe the area where the ritual took place, Emmanuela said what she saw were materials and accessories used by ritualists, such as charms, knives, machetes among others.

She explained that it was an isolated area, adding “there is no living house in the area. I really don’t know the place, but what I saw there were things used by ritualists. I can’t really say whether it was in Ikododu or its outskirts and I can’t determine the time we spent on the road because I didn’t even know how I got there.”

www.vanguardngr.com/2012/10/how-girl-13-miraculously-escaped-from-ritualists-10-others-used-for-rituals/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

These voodoo crimes can only happen in an uncivilized nation like Nigeria.
The simple solution to it is to comb all villages and forests in Nigeria and destroy all shrines and arrest all the native doctors and spiritualists in every village and town for interrogation and prosecution.

All the rituals these black savages do have not turned them into Bill Gates or Warren Buffet and even when you visit their villages, there is nothing spectacular about the architecture to show they have made money.

With all the bragging and noise about Nigerian billionaires, their villages are still looking like Europe in the Middle Ages and even in Lagos, there is no single spectacular feature of architecture to impress foreign tourists, except the bad roads, cheap call girls and second rate five star hotels with unhygienic kitchens and dirty poorly paid staff whose sight can make foreign tourists from the US and Europe sick.

Dirty and filthy Nigerians who as we all know are the beneficiaries and errand boys and girls of the cultists doing these evil rituals for political contractors and political godfathers in the corridors of power, including the cultists on the campuses who are the rookies of their bosses in government offices and private boardrooms. How many students who are cultists have been arrested and prosecuted?
How many of their girlfriends have reported them to the police?

Are their girlfriends not the same girls here who collect thousands of naira as cash gifts from them and also collect other expensive gifts from these cultists?
All the Blackberry girls and girls with their expensive Brazilian hair and other fake attachments are the beneficiaries of these cultists who have been kidnapping innocent people and using them for their bloody get-rich-quick rituals in different shrines in Nigeria and later come online pretending to be innocent.

And many of those here reading this gory report are among their beneficiaries, well wishers and employees who never bother to ask the sources of their ill gotten riches, and come here posing and posturing as good people in our midst, but are dogs and vipers on the prowl camouflaging as church going Christians and mosque going Muslims. But by their live styles and what they do indoors they have made Nigeria a bloody nation of bastards, idi-ots breading id-ots and crooks and rogues of all sorts. All those engaged in all forms of malpractices in all spheres of activities in the Nigerian society are as bad and evil as these same cultists. And if we don't expose them all, they will continue with their crimes and evils destroying innocent lives in Nigeria.

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French Film Wins 7,000€ Prize for Best Feature at 9th African Film Festival of Cordoba

TEY (Senegal, France) by Alain Gomis won the 7,000€ Griot for Best Feature Length Narrative Film.
SYNOPSIS:
Today is the last day of Satché’s life. He knows this to be true even though he is strong and healthy. Nonetheless, Satché accepts his imminent death. He walks through the streets of his hometown, goes to the decisive places of his past: his parents’ house, his first love, the friends of his youth… It is a way for an exile who has returned to get to know his homeland again.

19 October, Cordoba, Spain – The 9th African Film Festival of Cordoba has granted 10 awards to 8 African films. The jury of “the African Dream” section for feature-length films, composed of Sylvia Perel (Argentina), Tanya Valette (Dominican Republic) and Carolyn Kamya (Uganda) has selected the winning films out of 7 films in competition, from countries such as Rwanda, Egypt, South Africa, Morocco, Algeria, Senegal and Mozambique.

1. The Griot for Best Feature Length Narrative Film, accompanied by 7,000€ and a trophy, goes to TEY (Senegal, France) by Alain Gomis for the reasons of depth, poetic fluency, and essential thematics of life and death.

 This award is granted by the organizer NGO of the festival, Al Tarab.

2. The honorary Griot for Best Director, along with a trophy, goes to KIVU RUHORAHOZA(Rwanda) director of Matiere Grise (Grey Matter) for the originality, creativity, and lucidity of his vision, as well as for having the courage to recall an individual heart wrenching moment of his nation.

3. The Griot for Best Actress, along with 2,500€, to SOUFIA ISSAMI for her role in Sur la Planche (Morocco, France, Germany) by Leila Kilani for the honesty and intensity in the composition of her character. This award is granted by the Spanish foundation Women for Africa (Mujeres por África).

4. The Griot for Best Male Actor, along with 1,500€, goes to SAUL WILLIAMS for his role inTey (Senegal, France) by Alain Gomis for his ability to carry subtle and true emotions throughout the film with an elegance and direction that still moves us. This award is granted by the Corte Inglés department store.

The jury for documentaries and short-films (respectively « On the other side of the Straits » section and « Africa in Short » section) is composed of Andres Duque (Spain-Venezuela), Ishtar Yasin (Irak-Costa Rica) and Samir Ardjoum (Algeria); the jury has selected the winning films out of 16 films from 8 countries: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, Tunisia, Tanzania and Egypt. According to the jury, winner films are:

5. The Griot for Best Documentary, along with 3,000€ and a trophy, goes to Ganster Project(South Africa, Germany) by Teboho Edkins in that we seldom see a project in which a director risks his life to enter a society of gangsters, attains the confidence necessary to film them from the inside without prejudices, and assumes a rite of initiation for a talented filmmaker. This award is granted by the NGO in charge of organizing the festival, Al Tarab. Also, it has been decided to grant an honorable mention for the feature length documentary films category, to Bîr d’eau, a Walkmovie-Portrait d’une Rue d’alger (Algeria, Switzerland) by Djamil Beloucif for its formally attractive presentation, transformative properties, and depiction of characters and dialogue regarding urban space in an endless complexity which redefines our everyday understanding.

6. The Griot for Best Short film, along with 2,000€ and a trophy, goes to Sur la route du paradis

 (On the Route to Paradise) (Morocco, France) by Uda Benyamina, for her careful and sensible assessment of the reality that is being without papers in Europe, for appealing to emotion with open sensibility, and resistance falling into a patriarchal tone. This award and its trophy are given by the Spanish foundation Puerta Africa. And lastly, also receiving an honorable mention for a Shortfilm, is Brûleurs (Algeria, France) by Farid Bentoumi for its radical yet formal bid, simple efficiency, and comprehension of moments inseparable from poetry which would be merely dismissed in other films.

A part, les suivants prix honorifiques ont été décernés :

7. The Audience Award goes to 678 (Egypt) by Mohamed Diab.

8. The SIGNIS Award for Best Feature Length Narrative Film, along with a trophy, goes toMATIÈRE GRISE (Grey Matter) (Rwanda, Australia) by Kivu Ruhorahoza for the courage to speak out against the devastating effects of war on youth. Also, a honorable mention goes to SUR LA PLANCHE (Morocco, France, Germany) by Leila Kilani for the depiction of living conditions of young women who leave their birthplace for work in the big city and their struggle to survive. SIGNIS is the International Catholic Association of Radio and Television.

9. The Youth Jury award for the Best Short film goes to Kaa El Bir (Tunisia), by Moez Ben Hassen for the different perspectives and interpretations provided by his work and for the sensitivity in narrating a delicate subject.

10. The award Cordoba Solidaire City goes to Vol Spécial (Swaziland) by Fernand Melgar for the exceptional dramatic tension with which he presented the drama of being expelled from a country, and for his way to reflect values such as friendship and solidarity, as well as for the strength of human relations in internment centers for foreigners and their extreme living conditions. Furthermore, the jury has decided to grant a special mention to the documentary Hospedes da Noite (Mozambique, Portugal) by Licínio Azevedo, for its great artistic quality, which stresses the strength of his message : in between misery and poverty, there is the need and willingness to live, as well as the joy and fight to feel like a human being.

11. The honorary ASECAN Critic's Prize for Best Feature Length Narrative Film, and trophy, to Skoonheid (Beauty) (South Africa, France) by Oliver Hermanus for the great strength of the authorial vision which depicts a story that crudely denounces the hypocrisy of a society laden with violence. ASECAN is the acronym for the Andalusian Screenwriters Association.

12. The ASFAAN Honorary Award for Career accomplishment in African Cinema has been granted to the career cinema of African director Merzak Allouache for his cinematic trajectory which represents a life dedicated to reflecting; despite difficulty, on the socio-political reality that is Algeria over the last 40 years. ASFAAN is the acronym for the Andalusian Audiovisual Festivals Association.

FCAT, one of the biggest European festivals of African cinema, welcomes this year over 100 African filmmakers including Abderrahmane Sissako, Merzak Allouache, Nadia El Fani et Kivu Ruhorahoza. This year it features, among others, on a retrospective section on Algerian cinema, a panoramic selection of Middle East films and a special section as a tribute to filmmaker Chris Marker.

The festival was accompanied, among others, by 4th Africa Produce film co-production forum, where 11 African filmmakers competed with their projects to get funding from European producers. In this frame, filmmaker Hawa Essuman (Ghana / Kenya) has been granted a 25,000 euro fund for the development of her film Djin. The fund, granted by italian foundation lettera27 (which, in turn, in funded by Moleskine) is known as The Director’s Eye, and has been presented to the public last Sunday.

About the African Film Festival of Cordoba

The African Film Festival of Cordoba (FCAT) is an independent and competitive film festival and one of the biggest African film festivals in Europe. The festival celebrates its 9^thedition between the 13^th and the 20^th of October in the Andalusian city of Cordoba.  

The festival -organized by NGO Al Tarab, with support, among others, of the Cordoba Town Hall, the Andalusian regional government and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID)- has been running for a week in the city of the Mosquee with the screening of 94 films from Africa or about Africa, a forum for film professionals (FCAT Espacio Profesional), which includes a film co-production forum; also exhibitions, workshops and parallel activities for all audiences.   

Further information on www.fcat.es

Pictures of the closing ceremony available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcatarifa/sets/72157631805768685/

------------------------------------------------------------

Contact the press office:

Marion Girard Cisneros
media@fcat.es
+34 608 414 702

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Is China Taking Over Africa?

The dramatic - and largely unknown - rise of China's economic empire into Africa and how it will change the 21st century and impact America's role in Africa. This is the dramatic - and largely unknown - story of the rise of China's economic empire in Africa, and how it will transform geopolitics.

China has now taken Britain's place as Africa's third largest business partner. Where others only see chaos, the Chinese see opportunities. With no colonial past and no political preconditions, China is bringing investment and needed infrastructure to a continent that has been largely ignored by Western companies or nations. Travelling from Beijing to Khartoum, Algiers to Brazzaville, the authors tell the story of China's economic ventures in Africa. What they find is tantamount to a geopolitical earthquake: The possibility that China will help Africa direct its own fate and finally bring light to the so-called 'dark continent', making it a force to be reckoned with internationally.





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Richard Chandler Corporation Invests in Union Bank of Nigeria

19 Oct 2012 04:08 Africa/Lagos


Richard Chandler Corporation Invests in Union Bank of Nigeria

SINGAPORE, Oct. 18, 2012/PRNewswire via African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Richard Chandler Corporation today announced that it has invested US$112 million to support the recapitalisation of Union Bank of Nigeria by Union Global Partners Limited (UGPL) consortium. This investment equates to a 13.4% position in Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN).


Founded in 1917, UBN is one of Nigeria's most recognised and established banks, with a strong heritage and a pedigree brand. UBN has a nationwide platform of over 400 branches, approximately US$6.6 billion of total assets and approximately US$ 3.5 billion of customer deposits. UGPL has recapitalised UBN with US$ 500 million, acquiring a 65% shareholding in the bank.


Nigeria has a population of 167 million, making it the seventh most populous country in the world and Africa's largest nation. Gross domestic product is projected to grow by more than 6.5% between 2012 and 2015 - one of the fastest rates in the world. The Government has introduced effective policy measures which have stabilised the banking sector in response to the impact of the recent financial crisis in Nigeria. The banking system is poised to support and accelerate Nigeria's long-term economic growth.

Richard F. Chandler, Chairman of the Richard Chandler Corporation, remarked:


"The Richard Chandler Corporation believes in building and developing great companies which can make a significant contribution to their nation's economy. UBN has a strong heritage and brand which has attracted a stable low-cost depositor base. UBN is well positioned to allocate credit to those who need it most and use it best. This should enable businesses and entrepreneurs to flourish, supporting and accelerating Nigeria's economic growth."


Dick Kramer, Chairman of UBN remarked:


"The Richard Chandler Corporation is a globally-renowned business group, with a strong track-record of investing in and building businesses in high-growth emerging markets. UBN and UGPL highly value the strategic investment of the Richard Chandler Corporation and its passion for building great companies. Furthermore, the Richard Chandler Corporation is one of the world's leading social development groups with healthcare and education initiatives across Asia and Africa."


About the Richard Chandler Corporation


The Richard Chandler Corporation is an international business group founded by New Zealand-born entrepreneur Richard F. Chandler. The Richard Chandler Corporation builds and operates businesses in energy, consumer and financials, healthcare, and education, with operations in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. The Corporation's vision of Building Great Companies and Great Nations reflects its belief in the power of business to drive national prosperity. In all its work, the Corporation places a special emphasis on good corporate governance as a crucial element of business sustainability and increasing stakeholder value. More information about the Richard Chandler Corporation is available on its website at www.richardchandler.com.


About Union Bank of Nigeria


Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) was established in 1917 as Colonial Bank, and acquired by Barclays Bank in 1925. The bank listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 1971. In 1972, twelve years after Nigeria's independence from Britain, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) acquired a 51% stake in the bank. In 1979 Barclays Bank divested fully, and the bank was renamed the Union Bank of Nigeria Limited. In 1993, the FGN sold its shareholding to Nigerian individuals, making UBN a wholly private Nigerian enterprise. Today Nigeria is one of Nigeria's largest corporate and retail banks. In addition to its commercial banking activities, UBN also owns subsidiaries that are active in real estate, insurance and asset management.


Further Information


For more information, please visit: www.richardchandler.com


For media enquiries please contact:

Peter Stephens

Director of Communications & Trust

+65-6210-5555

ps@richardchandler.com

Source: Richard Chandler


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