US Deputy Secretary Burns Completes Week-long Trip to Africa

31 Jan 2012 05:26 Africa/Lagos

US Deputy Secretary Burns Completes Week-long Trip to Africa

WASHINGTON, January 31, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

January 30, 2012


Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns wrapped up his week-long visit to Africa today in Ethiopia. As head of the U.S. delegation to the African Union Summit, he met yesterday and today with a number of leaders in Addis Ababa, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, South Sudanese President Kiir, Sudanese Foreign Minister Karti, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles, Libyan Prime Minister al-Keeb, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang, and Kenyan Foreign Minister Wetangula. Over the weekend, the Deputy Secretary was in Uganda, where he met with Ugandan President Museveni and visited a public-private partnership at Wagagai, one of more than a hundred clinics that the United States supports in Uganda to provide preventive care and comprehensive maternal and child health services. He also traveled on January 28 to South Sudan, where he met with a number of senior officials including Vice President Machar.

Throughout his meetings at the African Union, as well as in Ghana, Uganda, and South Sudan, the Deputy Secretary highlighted our ongoing commitment to work with African partners to support gains in democratic governance, sustainable development, economic growth, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. His discussions also covered a range of security, political, and humanitarian challenges facing the continent. The Deputy Secretary expressed deep concern regarding the Government of Sudan's continued denial of humanitarian access to Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, and also underscored the need for Sudan and South Sudan to quickly reach agreement on oil and related financial issues. Various leaders he met with expressed concern about the growing threat posed to Nigeria and the region by Boko Haram. The Deputy Secretary stressed that the United States will continue to support the Government of Nigeria on this and other challenges facing the country. On Somalia, the Deputy Secretary noted U.S. support for the work of the African Union Mission in Somalia and the need for the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to make steady and sustained progress on the Roadmap in advance of the end of the TFG's mandate in August. The Deputy Secretary highlighted ongoing U.S. collaboration and partnership with the African Union on a broad range of issues, and assured leaders of the U.S. commitment to continue to assist the African Union in augmenting its capacity to address the many opportunities and challenges facing the continent.

In Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia, the Deputy Secretary took the time to engage with a cross section of young leaders, entrepreneurs, and civil society activists engaged in every sector of society. The Deputy Secretary's visit, coming on the heels of the Secretary's visit to West Africa last week, reaffirms the high priority that the Obama Administration attaches to Africa, and the special emphasis the United States has placed on engaging the continent's next generation of leaders.


Source: US Department of State

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New Political Party Announced in America

Emily Mathews

A new political party has been announced in America. The party called Revive America National Committee, Inc, has only one goal: to find intelligent and sustainable solutions to rebuild the America we all know is possible, according to the founder and Chief Executive Officer, Emily Mathews.

More details are in the following press release.

30 Jan 2012 13:35 Africa/Lagos



New Political Party Promises to Change the Course of the 2012 Election

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, a new national political party was announced in Washington, DC. The Revive America National Committee, Inc. ("ReviveAmerica") held its first national press conference to introduce the new party to the nation and to outline its mission, motivation, and future plans. "The most debilitating misconception in our quest for solutions is that there are two very distinctive, but extremely divergent, paths. The notion that there are not intelligent and clear solutions to most of our problems is categorically false," founder and Chief Executive Officer Emily Mathews said at the announcement. "We have one goal: to find intelligent and sustainable solutions to rebuild the America we all know is possible."

ReviveAmerica is well into the process of gaining ballot access for the 2012 election. The group is on track to be certified on the ballot in 15 states by April 1st, 35 states by July 1st, and the rest of the states, excluding California, by August 1st. In addition to the presidential and vice-presidential nominations, the names of at least 12 federal candidates will appear on election ballots as the candidate of ReviveAmerica. The group will hold its national convention in Philadelphia on August 23-26.

The latest USA TODAY/Gallup poll found that America is "more downbeat, more dissatisfied with its political leadership and more concerned about the country's direction than at almost any other point in modern times." Americans have lost all confidence in the U.S. political system. ReviveAmerica promises to restore their faith and prove that our challenges can be solved. The group has the energy, endurance, and the wherewithal to offer Americans a sensible and sustainable alternative. The party platform is grounded in extensive research and common sense, and was purposely designed to remain fluid as the national conditions change or when a better way is discovered. ReviveAmerica is much like a modern-day Constitutional Convention, where committed members engage in thoughtful debate outside the context of misguided labels and political maneuvering.

Ms. Mathews, a former management consultant and graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, continued, "Our current leaders underestimate the American public. They act as if we aren't smart and capable adults - like we can't comprehend the hard truths of our challenges or handle the hard choices that we must make to solve them. This is not only completely false; it's insulting. Americans fully recognize that it is impossible to sustain freedom and liberty without sacrifice, and that, due to three decades of political incompetence and irresponsibility, the time has finally come to buckle down and get serious about protecting our future.

"This country has tremendous resilience. Americans don't reject national reflection; we embrace it. We don't allow momentary lapses in judgment to derail us; we gain wisdom that makes us even stronger."

More information about ReviveAmerica may be found at http://www.revivethedream.com.

Contact:

William Cunningham
National Press Secretary
800.283.1196
media@revivethedream.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Revive America National Committee, Inc.

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

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New Political Party Announced in America

Emily Mathews

A new political party has been announced in America. The party called Revive America National Committee, Inc, has only one goal: to find intelligent and sustainable solutions to rebuild the America we all know is possible, according to the founder and Chief Executive Officer, Emily Mathews.

More details are in the following press release.

30 Jan 2012 13:35 Africa/Lagos



New Political Party Promises to Change the Course of the 2012 Election

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, a new national political party was announced in Washington, DC. The Revive America National Committee, Inc. ("ReviveAmerica") held its first national press conference to introduce the new party to the nation and to outline its mission, motivation, and future plans. "The most debilitating misconception in our quest for solutions is that there are two very distinctive, but extremely divergent, paths. The notion that there are not intelligent and clear solutions to most of our problems is categorically false," founder and Chief Executive Officer Emily Mathews said at the announcement. "We have one goal: to find intelligent and sustainable solutions to rebuild the America we all know is possible."

ReviveAmerica is well into the process of gaining ballot access for the 2012 election. The group is on track to be certified on the ballot in 15 states by April 1st, 35 states by July 1st, and the rest of the states, excluding California, by August 1st. In addition to the presidential and vice-presidential nominations, the names of at least 12 federal candidates will appear on election ballots as the candidate of ReviveAmerica. The group will hold its national convention in Philadelphia on August 23-26.

The latest USA TODAY/Gallup poll found that America is "more downbeat, more dissatisfied with its political leadership and more concerned about the country's direction than at almost any other point in modern times." Americans have lost all confidence in the U.S. political system. ReviveAmerica promises to restore their faith and prove that our challenges can be solved. The group has the energy, endurance, and the wherewithal to offer Americans a sensible and sustainable alternative. The party platform is grounded in extensive research and common sense, and was purposely designed to remain fluid as the national conditions change or when a better way is discovered. ReviveAmerica is much like a modern-day Constitutional Convention, where committed members engage in thoughtful debate outside the context of misguided labels and political maneuvering.

Ms. Mathews, a former management consultant and graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, continued, "Our current leaders underestimate the American public. They act as if we aren't smart and capable adults - like we can't comprehend the hard truths of our challenges or handle the hard choices that we must make to solve them. This is not only completely false; it's insulting. Americans fully recognize that it is impossible to sustain freedom and liberty without sacrifice, and that, due to three decades of political incompetence and irresponsibility, the time has finally come to buckle down and get serious about protecting our future.

"This country has tremendous resilience. Americans don't reject national reflection; we embrace it. We don't allow momentary lapses in judgment to derail us; we gain wisdom that makes us even stronger."

More information about ReviveAmerica may be found at http://www.revivethedream.com.

Contact:

William Cunningham
National Press Secretary
800.283.1196
media@revivethedream.com

This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Revive America National Committee, Inc.

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

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Over Half of Americans Still Not Likely to Vote for President Obama This Fall

Over Half of Americans Still Not Likely to Vote for President Obama This Fall


People thinking the country is moving in the right direction continues to inch up

HARRIS POLL LOGO Harris Poll Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Harris Interactive) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the calendar moved into a new year, it also moved into an election year and President Obama is starting this year exactly as he ended the last one in terms of his approval ratings. This month, just like in December, just over one-third of Americans (36%) give the President positive ratings for the overall job he is doing and slightly less than two-thirds (64%) give him negative marks. Looking at the possible swing states for the general election (Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia) two-thirds of Americans in these nine states (65%) give the President negative ratings while one-third (35%) give him positive marks. One thing to note is that this survey was conducted prior to the President giving his State of the Union address.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100517/NY06256LOGO )

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,016 adults surveyed online between January 16 and 23, 2012 by Harris Interactive.

Not surprisingly, just 6% of Republicans and 12% of Conservatives give President Obama positive ratings. Among Independents almost seven in ten (69%) give him negative ratings as do 58% of Moderates. Among the President's party, while two-thirds of Democrats (66%) give President Obama positive ratings, one-third (34%) give him negative ratings. Among liberals there is a wider gap as 60% give the President positive marks and 40% give him negative ratings.

Vice President Joe Biden fares a little worse. Just one in five Americans (22%) give the Vice President positive ratings for the job he is doing while almost half (45%) give him negative ratings. But, one-third (33%) say they are not familiar enough with him to rate his job performance.


Direction of the Country and Most Important Issue
One thing that continued to rise over the past few months is the direction Americans think the country is going. This month over one-quarter of U.S. adults (27%) say things are going in the right direction while just under three-quarters (73%) say things are going off on the wrong track. In December, one-quarter of Americans (24%) said things in the country were going in the right direction while three-quarters (76%) said things were going off on the wrong track.

One thing that probably won't change for a while is what Americans think is the most important issue for the government to address. More than two in five U.S. adults (42%) say the government should address employment/jobs while three in ten (31%) say one of the two most important issues for the government to address is the economy. One in five (21%) say the government should address healthcare, not Medicare while 12% say they should address the budget and government spending and 10% say taxes.


President Obama's re-election chances
The focus for the past few months has been on the Republicans as they decide which of the four remaining candidates will challenge President Obama this fall. But, looking at the President's re-election chances, if the election for president were to be held today, over half of Americans (52%) would be unlikely to vote to re-elect President Obama, two in five (41%) would be likely to vote for him and 7% are not at all sure. This is very similar to last month when 51% said they would be unlikely to vote to re-elect the President and 42% said they would be likely to do so. Looking at this by party, nine in ten Republicans (91%) and over half of Independents (52%) would be unlikely to vote for him as would 20% of Democrats. Also, in the likely 2012 swing states, 53% say they would be unlikely to vote for the President while 40% say they would be likely to vote for him.

When it comes to what Americans think will happen on Election Day, over one-third (36%) think President Obama will be re-elected while 41% think he will not be re-elected; one in five (22%) are not at all sure. Last month, 44% did not think he would be re-elected while just over one-third (35%) thought he would be re-elected.

So What?
Jobs and the economy are still the main issues that Americans want to see addressed. In his State of the Union address, the President definitely offered up his plans for help to grow the economy and to get more people back to work. But, two questions that remain are if they will actually work and will people believe in them. If so, this should give President Obama's re-election the shot it desperately needs right now. If it doesn't, this will be a long election year.

TABLE 1
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S JOB RATING - TREND
How would you rate the overall job President Barack Obama is doing?

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Arianna Huffington Receives Aenne Burda Award

Arianna Huffington Receives Aenne Burda Award



Arianna Huffington, founder and chief-executive editor of the Internet-newspaper The Huffington Post, was honored with the Aenne Burda Award during the last day (January 24) of the international digital conference DLD in Munich. Dr. Maria Furtwängler-Burda consigned the trophy, a statue of Pallas Athene. The award honors successful and creative female entrepreneurs with visionary ideas from the digital world, this year for the seventh time already. Maria Furtwängler pleaded in her laudatory speech for female empowerment as start-up founders. Arianna Huffington could serve as a role model here: “Arianna Huffington experienced backstrokes and was never deterred by them – her fearlessness is a stimulus for women, to get active themselves.”

Arianna Huffington, born as Arianna Stassinopoulos in July 1950 in Greece, counts as one of the leading and most influential women of the modern media generation. Still in May 2005, when “Huffington Post” entered the online-media world, nobody took her serious. Today, six years later, “Huffington Post” is a constant in American journalism. In February 2011 the internet corporation AOL acquired “Huffington Post” for $315 million. Huffington is also a successful book author and published, among others, “One Becoming Fearless: …in Love, Work and Life” and “Third World America”. In 2006 and 2011 Huffington was on Time Magazine’s “Time 100” list, which features the 100 most influential people worldwide.

The “Aenne Burda Award for Creative Leadership” honors women for their entrepreneurial and creative achievements within the digital industry. The price is consigned in memory of the visionary entrepreneur Aenne Burda, one of the gorgeous symbolic figures of the German post-war generation. After 1949, Aenne Burda grew the world’s biggest fashion publishing house. The award is consigned since 2006. Earlier honorees are Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Google (2006), Flickr founder Caterina Fake (2007), TV-presenter and entrepreneur Martha Stewart (2008), internet-pioneer and investor Esther Dyson (2009), chairwoman of the Mozilla Foundation Mitchell Baker (2010) as well as Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet (2011).

For more information: www.dld-conference.com
About DLD:

DLD is a Burda Digital company, one of the leading European Internet companies related to a media group. The group with managed revenues of Euro 1.2 billion contains the companies Tomorrow Focus AG, Burda Consumer Tech Group, Burda Direkt Services and Xing AG as well as a venture business with holdings in, among others, Zooplus, Glam Inc. and Ubermedia.

Further information:
Michael A. Pries
Corporate Communications
Hubert Burda Media
Tel.:+49 89 9250-3784
Mail: michael.pries@burda.com

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'The Artist' Tipped To Sweep the Oscars

24 Jan 2012 17:52 Africa/Lagos

Oscars Betting Suggests The Artist Will Sweep the Board, Report Sky Bet

LONDON, January 24, 2012/PRNewswire/ --



Leading online betting firm Sky Bet has unveiled its full list of Oscars betting [http://www.skybet.com/betting/tv-and-film-specials/oscars/t10003442.html ] markets following the announcement of the 84th Academy Awards nominations on Tuesday.

Black and white silent movie 'The Artist', which last week picked up the Producers Guild Award and also won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy/Musical, is Sky Bet [http://www.skybet.com ]'s clear favourite to win Best Picture at 2/7, with the odds having been cut from a pre-Christmas 2/1.

The French tribute to the silent movie has ten Oscar bids, although it was beaten by Scorsese's 3D charmer 'Hugo', which received 11 nods. This augurs well for its Best Picture hopes as the most nominated film has taken the top prize 15 times in the last 20 years and Sky Bet make 'Hugo' a 10/1 shot, behind Golden Globe Best Drama champion, 'The Descendants' (4/1).

'The Artist' dominates several other categories, with its helmsman Michel Hazanavicius odds-on favourite (8/13) to win Best Director and its leading man Jean Dujardin second in the Best Actor betting at 2/1. George Clooney is hot favourite at 2/5 to take home the lead actor gong for his performance in comedy-drama 'The Descendants'. Gary Oldman picked up his first ever Oscar nomination for 'Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy' and is quoted at 33/1.

Double Oscar winner and 17-time nominee, Meryl Streep, is the short-priced favourite at 1/2 to scoop a third gong for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady'. Viola Davis is her nearest rival for Best Actress at 9/4, with 'My Week with Marilyn' star, Michelle Williams, another threat at 11/4.

Sky Bet's Oscars betting expert, Helen Jacob, said: "The Artist seems way ahead of its rivals in the race to win the top Oscar.

"Other categories, however, are not so clean cut, with the battle for best actress between Meryl Streep and Viola Davis looking particularly close."

For Best Supporting Actor, Christopher Plummer ('Beginners') looks all but home and hosed at 1/12 and Octavia Spencer at 1/8 ('The Help') looks to have the Best Supporting Actress category sewn up.

Sky Bet is also offering a host of novelty special bets on the Oscars ceremony itself, which takes place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, February 26th.

Veteran actress Meryl Streep accidentally swore onstage at the Globes and Sky Bet go 7/2 that the Oscars best actress winner turns the air blue again in her acceptance speech. It's even money that the best actress cries during her speech and 10/1 that any recipient's address consists of a single 'Thank you!'

Sky Bet Odds: Oscars Betting

Best Film

The Artist 2/7 The Descendants 4/1 Hugo 10/1 War Horse 12/1 Midnight in Paris 25/1 The Help 25/1 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 25/1 Moneyball 40/1 The Tree of Life 66/1

Best Actor

George Clooney - The Descendants 2/5 Jean Dujardin - The Artist 2/1 Brad Pitt - Moneyball 14/1 Demian Bichir - A Better Life 25/1 Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 33/1

Best Actress

Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady 1/2 Viola Davis - The Help 9/4 Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn 11/4 Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs 14/1 Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 20/1

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist 8/13 Martin Scorsese - Hugo 2/1 Alexander Payne - The Descendants 11/2 Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris 16/1 Terrance Malik - The Tree of Life 20/1

Best Supporting Actress

Octavia Spencer 1/8 Berenice Bejo 8/1 Jessica Chastain 14/1 Melisasa Mccarthy 14/1 Janet McTeer 20/1

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer 1/12 Kenneth Branagh 7/1 Max Von Sydow 12/1 Nick Nolte 12/1 Jonah Hill 25/1


Oscars specials

Lead or supporting actress to cry during acceptance speech Evens

Lead or supporting actor to swear during acceptance speech 9/4

Lead or supporting actress to swear during acceptance speech 7/2

Lead or supporting actor to cry during acceptance speech 6/1

Any recipient's speech to consist of single "thank you" 10/1

Streaker to run on stage and interrupt ceremony 16/1

Any of the 6 major award winners to drop the statuette 16/1

Any winner to fall over on stage 20/1

George Clooney win best actor and Meryl Streep win best actress Evens

George Clooney win best actor and The Descendants win best picture 11/2

George Clooney to win an Oscar Yes 1/2 no 6/4

Bad night for the bookies? All pre-show favourites to win (George Clooney actor, Meryl
Streep actress, Christopher Plummer supporting actor and Octavia Spencer supporting
actress.) 6/4




Oscars best actress dress designer

Stella McCartney 5/1

Valentino 6/1

Donna Karan 10/1

Alberta Ferretti 10/1

Balenciaga 10/1

Dior 10/1

Carolina Herrera 10/1

Yves Saint Laurent 10/1

Catherine Malandrino 12/1

Raoul 12/1

Herve L. Leroux 12/1

Armani 12/1

Alessandra Rich 16/1

Givenchy 16/1

Versace 16/1

Emilio Pucci 16/1

Prada 16/1

Akris 20/1

Chris March 20/1

Gucci 25/1

Chanel 25/1

Victoria Beckham 33/1

Jenny Packam 40/1

Vivienne Westwood 40/1



Notes: Other on request.

To bet on the Oscars, click here [http://www.skybet.com/betting/tv-and-film-specials/oscars/t10003442.html ]

Notes to editor

About Sky Bet

Sky Bet is the sports betting division of Sky Betting and Gaming, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (Sky). One of the country's leading betting and gaming companies, Sky Bet is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire and fully licensed and regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). Sky Bet offers an online sports betting service http://www.skybet.com and boasts a recently enhanced mobile platform, Sky Bet Mobile. The Sky Bet app is free to download from the iTunes App store. Customers can also bet through their TV or by telephone.


For more information, please contact:

Helen Jacob, Sky Bet PR Manager
Helen.jacob@bskyb.com
+44(0)113-389-5941
+44(0)7866-442167

Source: Sky Bet

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PR Newswire's ProfNet Relaunches 'Expert Alerts' Newsletter for Journalists

24 Jan 2012 16:00 Africa/Lagos

PR Newswire's ProfNet Relaunches 'Expert Alerts' Newsletter for Journalists

New features include thorough expert info, job opportunities, and links to industry blog posts

NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PR Newswire's ProfNet, a service that revolutionized communications by linking journalists and other content creators with expert sources, has relaunched its free newsletter for journalists, Expert Alerts.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120124/NY40377)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110719/NY37427LOGO )

The updated version, sent to registered journalists by email, contains comprehensive information about experts who are available to discuss timely news topics, as well as links to media job listings and other industry news and resources. Expert Alerts is distributed weekly in three editions, covering various industry sectors:

Mondays: Business, Finance & Technology
Wednesdays: Government, Law, Education & Science
Fridays: Health, Entertainment & Living

Recent newsletters have included experts on the Super Bowl, SOPA, tax planning, wedding trends, the 2012 election, and more.

To view a sample, click here.

As with all of ProfNet's services for media professionals, the e-newsletter is available at no charge. To sign up to receive the Expert Alerts newsletter via email, writers can simply contact profnet@profnet.com with the edition(s) they're interested in receiving.

About ProfNet

ProfNet is a service of PR Newswire that links journalists and other writers with expert sources. Features include ProfNet Queries, via which writers can submit requests for subject-matter experts; Expert Alerts, a listing of experts who can talk about timely news topics; and ProfNet Connect, a searchable online database of nearly 50,000 PR professionals, experts and other writers. For more information, visit http://www.profnetconnect.com

About PR Newswire

PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) 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.


Media Contacts
Meryl Serouya
PR Newswire
201.360.6009
Meryl.Serouya@prnewswire.com

SOURCE PR Newswire Association LLC

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

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Statement on Chevron's Appeal of The $18 Billion Judgment in Ecuador

Chevron is trying to wriggle out of paying for damages for decades of oil pollution in Ecuador. Photo Credit:The Minority Report

Statement on Chevron's appeal today of the $18 billion judgment in Ecuador:

Karen Hinton, U.S. spokesperson for the Ecuadorians, said:

"For almost two decades, Chevron has stood in the way of a comprehensive cleanup of billions of gallons of crude oil and toxic waste water it deliberately dumped into the pristine rainforest. Thousands of people have died or have suffered from illnesses as the oil giant and its legions of lawyers fought to distract attention from the overwhelming evidence against the company. Chevron has always believed that Ecuador's many laws prohibiting environmental contamination should not apply to the company's misconduct.

"In its latest notice of appeal, Chevron again seeks special treatment not afforded any other litigant under Ecuadorian law. Chevron's request that a bond requirement be waived would force the Ecuador appellate court to violate laws protecting the winning side in any litigation from further attempts by the loser to delay the proceedings and cause further harm -- which in this case includes a grave risk of illness and death to thousands of people from indigenous groups and farmer communities sickened by the company's toxic dumping.

"The arbitral order cited by Chevron as justification for its request for a bond waiver is not binding on the rainforest communities as they are not a party to the proceedings. It is the position of the communities that the relief Chevron is seeking is beyond the scope of the authority given the arbitration, and in any event would violate Ecuador's laws and international treaties protecting the fundamental human rights of indigenous groups and others who continue to suffer from the abuses visited upon them by Chevron. These rights include the right to life and the right to seek legal redress.

"By seeking a special waiver of the bond requirement that applies to all litigants in Ecuador, Chevron is playing high-stakes poker by counting on Ecuadorian courts to violate the law just so Chevron can delay the enforcement of the Ecuadorian judgment as allowed by law.

"We want to reiterate that Chevron has every right to appeal to Ecuador's National Court of Justice to seek review of the trial and appellate court decisions, but it has no right to special treatment during the pendency of the appeal."

NOTE: PLEASE REVIEW BELOW

The Ecuadorians have leveled their own fraud charges against Chevron. In briefs submitted to U.S. and Ecuadorian courts, they submitted evidence that Chevron staked out "clean" spots to test prior to the judicial inspections, switched "dirty" samples for clean, sent dirty samples to a secret lab and doctored a "judicial playbook" document so two academic experts would endorse its sampling protocol, among other charges. These charges also will be presented to other countries' courts where the Ecuadorians will seek to enforce the judgment.

Chevron's key defense is the 1995 remediation agreement negotiated between Ecuador and Chevron two years after the Ecuadorians filed their original lawsuit in the United States. The agreement, however, released only government claims, not third party claims, and tests taken the trial showed that well sites allegedly cleaned during the remediation were just as contaminated as those that were not.

Yesterday's 2nd Circuit ruling marks Chevron's third consecutive setback in U.S. federal courts on the enforceability of the $18 billion Ecuador judgment. In September, a federal appellate panel blocked Chevron's attempt to seek an unprecedented worldwide injunction blocking enforcement. In January, a federal district recently denied Chevron's illegal attempt to freeze the assets of the plaintiffs. Also, on January 3rd Ecuador's appellate court confirmed the validity of the trial court judgment.

****************
The following is Chevron's own side of the story in video.

Illegitimate Case Against Chevron in Ecuador



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1 Out of 3 Women in U.S. Use Mobile Broadband

Survey Commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association® Shows Moms and Women Increasingly Favoring Wireless Technology for Daily Life Activities, Including Keeping Connected with Families.

Majority of women said wireless devices make the family feel closer when apart; keep the family informed about each other's activities and locations; and help coordinate schedules

Almost 45 percent said wireless devices help the family spend more time together

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A survey commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association® and using Qualtrics, revealed surprising responses from U.S. women about how they are using wireless technology, choosing their devices, replacing traditional communication tools with mobile and how wireless technology is allowing families to spend more time together and to be better connected. The results, which were obtained by surveying 1,005 women, were released today and show a pronounced shift to mobile from such communication modes as landlines and desktop computers, and a substantial favoring of wireless technology for a wide array of family activities and interactions.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120106/DC31329-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120106/DC31329-b)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120106/DC31329-c)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110630/MM28614LOGO-b)

When asked if the respondents were either primarily responsible or involved in making decisions on wireless devices and/or services for their family, more than 94 percent said yes. More than 74 percent of these women also paid their families' monthly wireless service bills.

Since these women play a leading role in deciding their families' wireless technology purchases, CTIA asked what the most important factors were when they chose their mobile devices. 36 percent said Internet connection speed was the most important; 25 percent said the price of the device (including service plan options); 17 percent said network coverage; 11 percent said design of the device (including screen size and shape); and eight percent said the operating system. These answers were similar to those given when respondents were asked about what the primary factors were when they chose a wireless device for others in the family. 36 percent said Internet connection speed was most important; 32 percent said price of the device (including service plan options); 11 percent said network coverage; nine percent said design of the device (including screen size and shape).

In addition to the factors the women used when choosing the mobile devices, the top five uses cited were:

Internet access, 81 percent
Email, 69 percent
Text messaging/instant messaging (IM), 64 percent
Camera/video, 41 percent
Search, 29 percent
Social networking, 26 percent
Games, 26 percent
Calendar/reminders, 21 percent
Maps/navigation, 18 percent
Entertainment, 13 percent

When asked what they thought was the most important function of their mobile devices: 61 percent said the Internet; 42 percent said text messaging/IM; and 40 percent said voice. More than 38 percent of women said their mobile devices were their main access point to the Internet and almost a third (32 percent) said mobile broadband had replaced their traditional Internet service. Almost half (48 percent) of the respondents said that their wireless phones have replaced their landline as their primary means of voice communications. 51 percent of the respondents said they spend between one and four hours using their wireless devices daily.

In response to what functions they used to perform on a computer that they now almost solely perform on their mobile devices:

51 percent said text messaging/IM
39 percent said email
34 percent said camera/video
32 percent said weather
31 percent said maps/GPS/navigation
30 percent said calendar/reminders
26 percent said games
24 percent said social networking
22 percent said search
21 percent said music

Another aspect of the survey addressed women's perceptions of how wireless technology was impacting family dynamics and behavior. Anecdotally, some might believe technology divides families, but the CTIA survey shows that almost 85 percent said wireless devices make the family feel closer when apart. Almost 80 percent said they use mobile devices to keep the family informed about each other's activities and locations while 70 percent said it helps coordinate schedules. In addition, almost 45 percent said wireless devices help the family spend more time together.

"It's undeniable that wireless devices have changed the way we live and work. As our survey has proven, mobile technology is also changing the way families interact and improving the quality of time they're spending with each other. As the father of a nine-year-old daughter, I know that's invaluable," said Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director of CTIA. "Interestingly, the results also showed that the most important factors when making purchasing decisions do not necessarily correlate with the most important functions of the devices. This is another example of the U.S. wireless industry providing their customers with phenomenal options and innovations, which Americans are recognizing as being indispensable."

The survey also asked moms what they thought consumed the most of their children's mobile screen time. The top five answers were: texting, single-player games, social networking, completion of schoolwork and assignments and music.

1,005 women in households with more than two people responded to the survey during the week of December 5, 2011. For more information on survey methodology and results, please click here.

About CTIA Shows
CTIA Shows bring together all industries advanced by wireless technology for intense business, learning and networking. International CTIA WIRELESS® takes place May 8-10, 2012 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS™ takes place Oct. 10-12, 2012 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. Visit www.ctiashows.com.

About CTIA
CTIA–The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry's voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry's leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, DC. Visit www.ctia.org.

SOURCE CTIA-The Wireless Association
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Top 100 VCs for 2012

Top Firms for Early Stage Companies
No. Deals in 2007*	VC	Location

19	Maryland Technology Development Corporation	Columbia, MD
16	Draper Fisher Jurvetson	Menlo Park, CA
15	Ben Franklin Technology Partners Southeastern PA	Philadelphia, PA
15	Innovation Works, Inc.	Pittsburgh, PA
14	New Enterprise Associates	Baltimore, MD
13	Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA	Bethlehem, PA
13	First Round Capital	West Conshohocken, PA
12	Mohr Davidow Ventures	Menlo Park, CA
11	Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers	Menlo Park, CA
10	Domain Associates LLC	Princeton, NJ
10	General Catalyst Partners	Cambridge, MA
10	Intel Capital	Santa Clara, CA
10	Village Ventures	Williamstown, MA
9	InterWest Partners	Menlo Park, CA
9	Labrador Ventures	Palo Alto, CA
9	Polaris Venture Partners	Waltham, MA
9	SV Life Sciences Advisers	Boston, MA
9	vSpring Capital	Salt Lake City, UT
8	Connecticut Innovations, Inc.	Rocky Hill, CT
8	HealthCare Ventures LLC	Cambridge, MA
8	Illinois Ventures LLC	Chicago, IL
8	North Bridge Venture Partners	Waltham, MA
8	Prism Venture Partners	Westwood, MA
8	Sigma Partners	Menlo Park, CA
8	True Ventures	Palo Alto, CA
7	ARCH Venture Partners	Chicago, IL
7	Atlas Venture, Ltd.	Waltham, MA
7	DCM Doll Capital Management	Menlo Park, CA
7	Khosla Ventures	Menlo Park, CA
7	Matrix Partners	Waltham, MA

7	New Leaf Venture Partners, LLC	New York, NY
7	OVP Venture Partners	Kirkland, WA
7	Pequot Capital Management, Inc.	Westport, CT
7	VantagePoint Venture Partners	San Bruno, CA
6	Accel Partners	Palo Alto, CA
6	Azure Capital Partners	San Francisco, CA
6	Band of Angels	Menlo Park, CA
6	CMEA Ventures	San Francisco, CA
6	Foundation Capital	Menlo Park, CA
6	Highland Capital Partners LLC	Lexington, MA
6	IDG Ventures Boston	Boston, MA
6	Lightspeed Venture Partners	Menlo Park, CA
6	Madrona Venture Group	Seattle, WA
6	Mission Ventures	San Diego, CA
6	Shasta Ventures Management LLC	Menlo Park, CA
6	Trident Capital	Palo Alto, CA
6	Union Square Ventures	New York, NY
5	5AM Ventures	Menlo Park, CA
5	Advantage Capital Partners	New Orleans, LA
5	Artiman Ventures	Palo Alto, CA
5	Bay Partners	Menlo Park, CA
5	Benchmark Capital	Menlo Park, CA
5	Canaan Partners	Westport, CT
5	DFJ Frontier	Santa Barbara, CA
5	Greylock Partners	Waltham, MA
5	Ignition Partners	Bellevue, WA
5	JumpStart, Inc.	Cleveland, OH
5	Menlo Ventures	Menlo Park, CA
5	Morgenthaler Ventures	Menlo Park, CA
5	New Jersey Economic Development Authority	Trenton, NJ

* First sequence financing in startup/seed or early-stage companies.
Note: Due to ties, there are 144 firms in our listing.

Click here for the rest

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Angelina Jolie Donates Proceeds of First Film’s Soundtrack to Bosnian Charity

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!Photo Credit:Saw Htoo.


UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie, left, and Brad Pitt, second from left in foreground, visit Bosnian Muslim refugee Sabina Karman, second from left in background, and her four children, in the village.

American actress Angelina Jolie who is well known for humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the SOS Children's Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina will receive a sizable part of the proceeds from the soundtrack LP of her thrilling new film In the Land of Blood and Honey, which is her debut as a director and screenwriter. The review was published in Supple Magazine last August.


Angelina Jolie in a dark blue asymmetrical Romona Keveza gown at the premiere of ‘The Land Of Blood and Honey’ in LA on December 8, 2011.

The SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been caring for the children adversely affected by the Balkans war back in the 1990s.

“We are happy that a portion of the proceeds from the film’s soundtrack will support SOS Children’s Village in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide stable, family-based homes to children, regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender, who do not have their own families to care for them”, Jolie said.

In The Land of Blood and Honey has received favourable critical reviews and last December the Producers Guild of America announced that the film would be honored with its 2012 Stanley Kramer Award and it has been nominated in the Best Foreign Language category for the 69th Golden Globe Awards.

The following is the Official Soundtrack List for Angelina Jolie’s In The Land of Blood and Honey:




Music Composed by
Gabriel Yared
(The Lives Of Others, Cold Mountain)
Release Date: 01/10/12
1. When The Heart Dies (3:59)
Performed by Nataša Mirković – De Ro
2. Sables Mouvants (3:15)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
3. Towards The Unknown (2:16)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
4. The Loss (3:04)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
5. Miss Sarajevo* (5:44)
Performed by Passengers and Luciano Pavarotti
6. Evo Jedne Što Se Svira Na Plaži
(Here’s One That Is Sung By The Sea)* (2:53)
Performed by Bombaj Stampa
7. The Waves (5:11)
Performed by Dado Džihan & Waves and Patterns
8. Moja Bozicna* (4:14)
Performed by Rade Šerbedžija & Miroslav Tadić
9. Zemlja (2:13)
Performed by Samir Besirevic
10. Tebi Za Ljubav (3:15)
Performed by Radisa Urosevic
11. Stani Draga (3:52)
Performed by Almer Imamovic
12. Od Srca (From The Heart) (2:58)
Performed by Boban Markovic Orkestar
13. A Wish (3:59)
Performed by Dado Džihan & Waves and Patterns


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

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