Eurozone economic activity 'hits a two-year high'

Eurozone economic activity rose at its fastest pace in November for two years, according to an influential survey.

The latest Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) figure rose to 53.7, up from 53 in the previous month, confirming the bloc's recent economic recovery.

The growth was driven by manufacturing output, which scored 54.6, its fastest growth since September 2007.

Figures released earlier this month showed that the eurozone emerged from recession between July and September.

'Fragile' growth

Any PMI score above 50 indicates an expansion in economic activity.

"The November survey suggests that the eurozone continued to expand at a robust pace, raising hopes that GDP growth in the final three months of the year could outpace the 0.4% rise seen the third quarter," said Chris Williamson at Markit Economics, which compiles the PMI.

But he added that the new orders index fell to its lowest level since February. This, together with rising unemployment, "highlighted the fragility of the recovery," he said.

Despite the two-year high, analysts were not getting carried away by the survey.

"The eurozone numbers are not going to set anything alight," said Peter Dixon at Commerzbank.

"It's an expansion that is consistent with [a recovery] which is slow and steady and [the eurozone economy] will probably continue to expand for some months to come, but I don't think we should be expecting a massive pick-up in activity from here."

BBC News

Iran war games to defend nuclear sites

Iran has begun five days of large-scale war games to simulate attacks on its nuclear sites, officials said, warning it will retaliate if provoked.

The head of Iran's air defence said the aim of the exercises was to thwart aerial reconnaissance and air attacks.

Another official warned Tehran would retaliate with a missile strike on Tel Aviv, if it was attacked by Israel.

Iran is under intense pressure over its nuclear programme, which critics say is intended to produce nuclear weapons.

The US and Israel have not ruled out the prospect of a military attack to prevent Iran developing nuclear bombs. Tehran insists its programme is peaceful.

Annihilation warning

The head of Iran's air defence, Brig Gen Ahmad Mighani, told state media the aim of the war games, which will cover an area of 600,000 sq km (230,000 sq miles), was "to display Iran's combat readiness and military potentials.

IRAN'S NUCLEAR SITES
Map showing Iranian nuclear sites
Iran insists that all its nuclear facilities are for energy, not military purposes
Bushehr: Nuclear power plant
Isfahan: Uranium conversion plant
Natanz: Uranium enrichment plant, 4,592 working centrifuges, with 3,716 more installed
Second enrichment plant: Existence revealed to IAEA in Sept 2009. Separate reports say it is near Qom, and not yet operational
Arak: Heavy water plant

Key nuclear sites in detail
A high-stakes game
Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issue

"Due to the threats against our nuclear facilities it is our duty to defend out nation's vital facilities," he said.

Meanwhile, Mojhtaba Zolnoor, an aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Iran would respond to any Israeli attack.

"If the enemy attacks Iran, our missiles will strike Tel Aviv," he was quoted as saying by the official Irna news agency.

The commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards' air force wing said Iran's air defence forces would "annihilate" Israeli warplanes if they attacked.

"Their [Israeli] F-15 and F-16 fighters will be trapped by our air defence forces and will be annihilated," Amir Ali Hajizadeh told Iran's Fars news agency.

"Even if their planes escape and land at the bases from which they took off, their bases will be struck by our destructive surface-to-surface missiles."

Deal in doubt

The exercises come as the UN Security Council's permanent members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany, urge Tehran to reconsider its rejection of a proposal that would see some of its nuclear material being enriched outside Iran and returned as fuel rods.

The deal - brokered by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency - envisages Iran sending about 70% of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France, where it would be processed into fuel rods for a research reactor in Tehran.

Such a process would prevent Iran enriching uranium to the degree necessary to make a bomb, the UN says.

But Iran has rejected a key part of the deal, seeking further guarantees.

The UN Security Council has called on Iran to stop uranium enrichment and has approved three rounds of sanctions - covering trade in nuclear material, as well as financial and travel restrictions.

BBC News

How Do You Feel When You Are Being Criticized?

It is quite natural for individuals to feel embarrassed, hurt or discouraged when their thoughts, opinions, suggestions, performances, etc are being criticized by other individuals in the society, community or public forum. Criticism can help people to improve on what they have already done, but it can also be a source of discouragement to other people who easily get discouraged at the slightest encounter with difficulties or challenges of life.

Some Individuals expect encouragements from others after a performance, delivering speeches, displaying their skills, publishing their works, etc, but when criticisms are received instead, the feeling that creeps in is usually a bad one. On the other hand, some people want their works, performances, skills, etc to be criticized so that they can easily locate the areas that need to be improved on in whatever they do. Those people who want to be criticized also expect their critics to be constructive, which means that the criticisms should be useful and helpful to improving on what they have already done.

But the question is: how do you feel when you or your works are being criticized? Do you feel bad, discouraged, embarrassed or hurt? If this is so, what you have to know is that in whatever you do, there is always somebody by the side who will tell you that you are wrong. This is a fact, but how you react or respond to this will go a long way in determining the kind of person you wish to become, and to a large extent, it determines the kind of height you are able to attain in life. People must talk, you cannot stop them from doing so, but you can stop them from influencing your positive judgments. You have to learn how to lay strong foundation with the stones that people throw at you in order to come out stronger and better. You have to conquer the bad feeling that criticisms bring by giving it positive interpretations.

Have you stopped doing what you are supposed to be doing because people have told you that you are wrong? All you need to do is try to make amendments where they will be needed, and continue to give your best and do your best to ensure that you are on the right part.

Whenever you desire to do something that is important to you in every aspects of life, expect to encounter oppositions and criticisms on your way because everybody cannot feel the same way you do, but the way you handle these oppositions and criticisms surely helps you to improve on the skills you already have. Whenever you feel that your critics are not trying to be constructive, ignore them, and keep searching for the tools that will help to put your works or skills in the right shape.

Historians Should Explain this if They Can

Whenever I come across these incidents in American history, I have continued to wonder if they were just mere coincidence or maybe they were predestined to happen the way they followed in sequence. I am now calling on historians to try and give explanation for this, if they can.

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John .F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John .F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.
Both were particularly concerned with Civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.
Now it will be getting really weird.
Lincoln’s Secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy’s Secretary was named Lincoln.
Both Presidents were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.
John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.
Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.
Lincoln was shot at the theater named “Ford”.
Kennedy was shot in a car named “Lincoln” made by “Ford”.
Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse, and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.
And here is the kicker……..
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe
Weird, isn’t it. You can pass it on to as many people as you can, because this is one history lesson that people would not mind reading any day.

Youth and Unemployment in Africa: A Panacea

Unemployment has been a perennial problem in Nigeria and Africa at large. Every regime promises to address the issue of unemployment but in the end we see that the problem keeps on increasing. The rate of unemployment now is alarming and it is obvious that African governments are helpless in the face of this intimidating challenge. The youth in this case are the most affected. The majority of African youths are jobless. They parade around all the cities looking for jobs which are not there. This explains why the number of unemployed is most in the cities in Africa than in the rural areas. Frustrated by lack of job, some of these job seekers resort to crime in order to make ends meet. To them it is either they get a job or they become social misfits. But the fact is that there are no jobs for the teeming youths who are becoming restive by the day. Violence and crime are on the increase.
Most times we blame the government for unemployment. If government will initiate good policies that can boost economic development that will at least increase the rate of employment. Again it is evident that most African governments do not care about the welfare of the masses. In this case, what do the youth do? Should you sit and blame government while you perish in hunger? Even if governments start creating jobs, do you think that governments will employ all the job seekers in the continent? Definitely not. There is no way that can be possible. In the West it is not the Government that employs most workers but companies, corporations, organizations, banks, etc owned by private individuals. Therefore, government alone cannot solve the problem of unemployment. It is individuals that can solve their unemployment challenge and that of others. That is how it is in the West. Individuals establish companies. By that they solve their problem of joblessness. In addition they create job for others.
In Africa the problem of unemployment can only be solved when the youths discard their old and wrong ‘dependency mentality’ that once you are a graduate or school leaver, government will give you a job. It is a dependency mentality. When government does not create jobs, people with this mentality get frustrated and disappointed. No wonder violence is on the increase in Africa. So the first step towards overcoming unemployment is cultivating the right mentality of self employment. You did not go to higher institution to learn how to become a servant. Open your brain and see opportunities all around you.
Some are looking for job in banks, companies, firms, etc. Have you asked yourself: who founded those banks, companies and firms? Are they superior beings? If they are human beings like you, then why can you not found one? The rich dad in Robert Kiyosaki’s ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ will always advise his son to put his brain to work. That is all you need. If those people who are not graduates can be making it on their own, what about you? Use you brain. Think of what you can do - a service you can render and people will be happy to part with their money in return. That is it. You have something you know how to do best. You have talents, potentials in you. Do not allow them to rust where you are looking and desiring to work in the ‘brain child’ of others. I may not wish to tell you the disappointments and frustrations that follow job seekers as well as employees. You may have known them already but let me tell you that there is fulfillment in self employment. There is freedom and there is prestige in being independent.
Right mentality leads to right attitude. The worst thing that can happen to a man is self rejection. Dependency mentality has elements of self rejection in it. It makes you not to believe in your abilities to create jobs. So you resign your happiness to whims and caprices of government, who as it appears, has rejected your service. That is too bad.
Obstacle to self employment is not lack of money as some have believed. It is lack of good ideals/goals and pride. Most unemployed youths have no plan of working for themselves. First of all, set goals for your life, meditate on them, and I tell you, where there is a will there is a way. Goal setting is the starting point of every achievement and not money. Another obstacle is pride. Many believe that because they are graduates they cannot start small. It is a lie. You have to start from somewhere. Before you become a graduate you passed through nursery/primary school. That is how the journey is. Bury your pride (what is your pride when you have no job and are without money). According to Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, the world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions show that he knows where he is going. It is not where you start from that matters but where you are going. Therefore develop good ideals/goals for your life and start from somewhere so that you can actualize your goals.
Your generation is looking up to you. So think and create a job for yourself and others or sit and wait until government gives you a job. The choice is yours!

The Power of Belief

Before I go on to discuss the topic I will like to let you know that you are a unique being with unique qualities. You are wonderfully made by God the creator, loaded with potentials to become what you want to be. You are full of abilities to achieve just what you want to achieve. In fact you have the power to effect any desired changes. And that is the power of belief. God packed every thing you need to live inside of you: your heart, lungs, kidney, brain, blood, etc are all inside of you. Likewise, the power for you to succeed is in you and not in anyone else. The only thing you have to do is to have belief in yourself, believe in your God-given abilities. This is sine-qua-non of success in life.

The power of belief is so great a force that it can either make or mar someone’s success depending on what type of belief he has about himself. It is a force that shapes our realities. This is to say that your belief determines what you can get in life; how far you can go in life and what you do with your life. Little wonder men say that you are what you believe.

At this point I will like to tell you that there is a positive and negative belief. It may also interest you to know that both have the same magnitude of power. While the former has the power to bring positive changes the latter saps an individual the power to make any progress towards the direction of success. A positive belief is a belief in the possibilities whereas a negative belief is a belief in the impossibilities. The former is a belief in one’s abilities while the latter is a belief in one’s disabilities. Positive belief is optimistic but negative belief is pessimistic. Sadly enough many people believe in impossibilities and They know all the rules that will not work, this is why they fail. It is not because God did not give them the abilities. It is because they do not believe in their God-given abilities.

According to our belief so shall it be to us. What do you believe about yourself? Have you realized that you have all it takes to be great? Do you know that God has put in you the power to be successful? Have you known that God’s deposits in you can only be activated through positive belief? Of course, God put all you need in you so that you can excel but you need to believe in those talents He deposited in you. Believe in the abilities God put in you; believe that you are made unique to contribute uniquely to your generation. Otherwise your belief will be negative and can only attract negative things to you.

Who has ever doubted what God made and still succeeded? You are that which God made. Therefore believe in yourself.

China joins supercomputer elite

China has become one of a handful of nations to own one of the top five supercomputers in the world.

Its Tianhe-1 computer, housed at the National Super Computer Center in Tianjin was ranked fifth on the biannual Top 500 supercomputer list.

The machine packs more than 70,000 chips and can compute 563 trillion calculations per second (teraflops).

It is used for petroleum exploration and engineering tasks such as simulating aircraft designs.

However, the fastest machine is the US-owned Jaguar supercomputer, which now boasts a speed of 1.759 petaflops.

One petaflop is the equivalent of 1,000 trillion calculations per second.

The Cray computer has more than 220,000 chips and is owned by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. It is used to conduct research in climate science, materials science and nuclear energy amongst other areas.

TOP FIVE SUPERCOMPUTERS
Jaguar, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US. (1.759 petaflops; 224,162 processors)
Roadrunner, Los Alamos National Laboratory, US (1.042 petaflops; 122,400 processors)
Kraken XT5, University of Tennessee, US(831.7 teraflops; 98,928 processors)
Jugene, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany (835.5 teraflops; 294,912 processors)
Tianhe-1, National SuperComputer Center, China (563.1 teraflops; 71,680 processors)
Source: Top 500 Supercomputers

It has taken the top slot from another US machine, nicknamed Roadrunner.

The IBM computer is owned by the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and was the first machine to push through the petaflop barrier.

It is currently able to run at 1.042 petaflops and uses the powerful "cell" chip designed for the PlayStation 3.

It is used to monitor the US nuclear stockpile, as well as conduct research into astronomy, genomics and climate change.

The Top 500 list is dominated by machines in the US, which is home to 277 of ranked systems. It has eight of the top 10 machines.

Europe has 153 systems on the list, including the world's fourth most powerful machine. The IBM BlueGene/P supercomputer at the Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ) in Germany is the fastest machine outside the US and is able to run at more than 800 teraflops.

The UK has the largest number of European machines on the list, with 44 systems.

BBC News

US demands Afghan 'bribery court'

The Afghan president must set up a "major crimes tribunal" and an anti-corruption commission, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says.

She told ABC television that Hamid Karzai "can do better".

The Afghan leader - recently re-elected in a poll marred by fraud allegations - has come under growing Western pressure to deal with corruption.

One of Mr Karzai's spokesmen insisted the Afghan leader's administration was "serious" about tackling corruption.

The American ambassador in Kabul has warned against a US troop surge unless Mr Karzai takes action against corruption.


Now we believe that President Karzai and his government can do better
Hillary Clinton
US Secretary of State

His views are at odds with US generals recommending a major troop deployment.

Afghanistan's chief prosecutor has said he has a list of senior officials and ministers suspected of taking bribes, but refused to publish their names.

Chief prosecutor Ishaq Aluko told the BBC last week that he had asked the president and Supreme Court to set up a special court to deal with the cases.

The presidential election in August was tainted with accusations of fraud and vote-rigging. Mr Karzai's main rival pulled out of a run-off vote.

No aid

Mrs Clinton, in an interview on ABC, said Washington expects "a major crimes tribunal" to be set up and "an anti-corruption commission established and functioning".

She said the Afghan government needed to take action against people who have "taken advantage of the money that has poured into Afghanistan" in the past eight years.

She said she had made it clear that civilian aid would not be given unless the US could track it if it went to government ministries.

Mrs Clinton said the goal of the US was to defeat al-Qaeda, and help Afghans defend themselves against the Taliban.

"Now we believe that President Karzai and his government can do better," she said.

People's needs

"We've delivered that message. Now that the election is finally over, we're looking to see tangible evidence that the government, led by the president but going all the way down to the local level, will be more responsive to the needs of the people."

Corruption in Afghanistan - which is the world's largest producer of opium - is linked mainly to illegal drugs, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

It has also said the unprecedentedly large amount of international assistance, and pressure to spend resources quickly, also contribute to corruption.

Afghanistan is regularly listed as among the worst five countries - out of 180 - for corruption by watchdog groups.
BBC News

No public probe into Iraq 'abuse'

Fresh allegations of abuse by the UK military in Iraq do not warrant a new public inquiry, the Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell has said.

He told the BBC the claims were taken seriously and would be investigated but that allegations did not mean facts.

He said a special unit within the Ministry of Defence, overseen by him, had been set up to examine the claims.

Lawyers for former Iraqi detainees want an inquiry into 33 abuse claims, which include the rape of a 16-year-old boy.

'Sexually humiliated'

Mr Rammell said there should not be a wider public inquiry because each case first had to be examined and disciplinary action taken if there was evidence of wrongdoing.

He said: "There is no credible evidence that endemic abuse was a coherent part of the way our military operated."

The "vast, vast majority" of the 120,000 British soldiers who had served in Iraq had adhered to "the highest standards of behaviour," he added.

Phil Shiner, Iraqis' lawyer: Abuse in army is 'systematic'

Earlier, Mr Rammell told the BBC seven of the allegations had come in within the last month, and the rest date back "significantly beyond that period".

A public inquiry is already under way into the death of Iraqi civilian Baha Mousa, who died in British custody with 93 separate injuries.

A report by the Independent newspaper said 33 cases of alleged abuse had now come to light.

One claimant alleges he was raped by two British soldiers in 2003, while others say they were stripped naked, abused and photographed, the Independent said.

Another detainee said that when he was arrested he was kicked and hit, and an electric baton was used on parts of his body.

'Random detentions'

A fellow Iraqi, detained in 2006, claimed he was sexually humiliated.

The lawyers said that since the British withdrawal from Basra in the summer, they had heard a host of allegations of abuse dating back to 2003.

Mr Rammell added: "While there have been instances when individuals have behaved badly, only a tiny number of individuals have been shown to have fallen short of our high standards."

A legal letter was given to the MoD last week by the Iraqis' lawyer, Phil Shiner.

Mr Shiner is asking for a judicial review of the cases.

I met this boy and it was extremely difficult taking his statement because he broke into tears many times and I had to comfort him
Mazin Younis

He said: "I have it on good authority that there are hundreds of cases that are going uninvestigated.

"But if you are an Iraqi and terrible things have happened to you then how would you know that we have a judicial system in this country to deal with it?

"My guess is that many of them will remain buried."

Mazin Younis, the Iraqi human rights campaigner who has been compiling the allegations, said many alleged victims waited years before coming forward because they were afraid of what would happen if they complained.

"They all feared that the British would come back and punish them. Now the British are out," he told the BBC.

He said many people were detained at random and abused.

"The norm, kind of is for a large number of troops - 50 to 100 - to raid a house, take all the men with them.

"When I say take them they will be beating, kicking them and hooding them."

Mr Younis said some of the alleged cases were similar to cases of sexual humiliation seen at the US detention centre Abu Ghraib and that only a full public inquiry would establish what had really happened.

He described meeting the 16-year-old boy who said he had been raped by two soldiers.

"I met this boy and it was extremely difficult taking his statement because he broke into tears many times and I had to comfort him," he said.

BBC News

9/11 suspects face New York trial

he alleged 9/11 mastermind will be transferred from Guantanamo to New York for a trial in which the death penalty will be sought, the US has confirmed.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others would be tried in a civilian court near Ground Zero, the attorney general said.

Five other Guantanamo detainees would face military trials, Eric Holder said.

The move is part of US President Barack Obama's efforts to close Guantanamo, but some relatives of 9/11 victims say they oppose a federal court trial.

"Today I am announcing that the Department of Justice will pursue prosecution in federal court of the five individuals accused of conspiring to commit the 9/11 attacks," Mr Holder told a news conference.


I am absolutely convinced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be subjected to the most exacting demands of

justice

Barack Obama

In quotes: US reaction
A triumph of justice?
New York voices

"I fully expect to direct prosecutors to seek the death penalty against each of the alleged 9/11 conspirators."

Four men - the two Yemenis, a Saudi and a Pakistani-born Kuwaiti - will face trial alongside Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of helping finance and plan the attacks of 11 September 2001 in which nearly 3,000 people were killed.

Responsibility for the case will go to the Southern District of New York, with proceedings taking place at a court not far from where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center fell.

No date was given for a trial, but US media reports say Congress needs at least 45 days' notice before the detainees can be transferred to the US.

'Unnecessary risk'

The five men had until now been facing prosecution at US military commissions in Guantanamo. The government had faced a 16 November deadline to decide how to proceed in their cases.


Paul Reynolds
Paul Reynolds, BBC World Affairs correspondent
The decision to prosecute in a federal court is a major step towards President Obama's target of closing Guantanamo by 22 January. However, problems remain.

About 70 prisoners are in limbo. There is not enough useable evidence for a military or a civilian trial yet no other country will so far take them and release is seen as too dangerous.

Guantanamo Bay, as the attorney general indicated, is therefore unlikely to close by the deadline.

The announcement also confirmed military commissions will go ahead in some cases, so the move to civilian trials is not a general one.

It remains to be seen whether the trial will accept any alleged confession by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as it might have been based on water-boarding, or whether, in a courtroom close to Ground Zero, he will seek to glory in the attacks.

Mr Holder said he was confident that the defendants would get a fair trial that was "open to the public and open to the world".

Of the five detainees referred for military commission trials, one is Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, accused in connection with the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen.

Speaking in Tokyo ahead of Mr Holder's announcement, Mr Obama said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would face "most exacting demands of justice". Mr Mohammed has been described by US investigators as "one of history's most infamous terrorists". They say he has admitted being responsible "from A to Z" for the 9/11 attacks.

Believed to be the number three al-Qaeda leader, he was captured in Pakistan in March 2003. He told a pre-trial hearing at Guantanamo in December 2008 that he wanted to plead guilty to all charges against him.

But intelligence memos released earlier this year revealed he had been subjected to harsh interrogation techniques including water-boarding on multiple occasions since his capture - potentially rendering some evidence inadmissible.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed pictured upon capture in Pakistan in March 2003 (left) and more recently at Guantanamo Bay (right)
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in March 2003

The decision to hold the trial in New York faces opposition from some lawmakers and relatives of those who died.

Congressmen Howard McKeon, the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said the decision would introduce "unnecessary risk to the citizens of New York".

But Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said the decision demonstrates "to the world that the most powerful nation on earth also trusts its judicial system".

The move is part of a White House bid to close Guantanamo by 22 January 2010.

Mr Obama's administration says it will try some detainees in US courts and repatriate or resettle others who are not perceived as a threat.

However, questions remain over the fate of those assessed as dangerous but who for legal reasons could not be prosecuted in a US court - prompting suggestions that the deadline will slip.

BBC News

Greek Church acts on crucifix ban

The Greek Orthodox Church is urging Christians across Europe to unite in an appeal against a ban on crucifixes in classrooms in Italy.

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled last week that the presence of crucifixes violated a child's right to freedom of religion.

Greece's Orthodox Church fears the Italian case will set a precedent.

It has called an emergency Holy Synod meeting for next week to devise an action plan.

Although the Greek Orthodox Church has been at odds with Roman Catholicism for 1,000 years, the judicial threat to Christian symbols has acted as a unifying force.

The European Court of Human Rights found that the compulsory display of crucifixes violated parents' rights to educate their children as they saw fit and restricted the right of children to believe or not to believe.

'Worthy symbols'

The head of the Greek Church, Archbishop Ieronymos, shares Catholic complaints that the court is ignoring the role of Christianity in forming Europe's identity.

It is not only minorities that have rights but majorities as well, said the archbishop.

One of his subordinates, Bishop Nicholas from central Greece, lamented that at this rate youngsters will not have any worthy symbols at all to inspire and protect them.

Crucifixin San Remo town hall 6.11.09
The mayor of one Italian town displayed a 2m high crucifix in protest

Football and pop idols are very poor substitutes, he said.

The Greek Church has ostensibly intervened in this case in response to an appeal by a Greek mother whose son is studying in Italy.

But without doubt it is concerned that its omnipotence in Greece is under threat.

A human rights group called Helsinki Monitor is seeking to use the Italian case as a precedent.

It has demanded that Greek courts remove icons of Jesus Christ from above the judge's bench and that the gospel no longer be used for swearing oaths in the witness box.

Helsinki Monitor is urging trade unions to challenge the presence of religious symbols in Greek schools.

The socialist government here is also considering imposing new taxes on the Church's vast fortune, but at the same time is urging it to do more to help immigrants and poor Greeks.

BBC News

Dell to acquire Perot for $3.9bn

Computer giant Dell is buying IT services provider and fellow Texan firm Perot Systems for $3.9bn (£2.4bn).

Dell said the takeover, which it hopes to conclude between November and January, will help it provide a wider range of services to its customers.

The all-cash deal will see Perot shareholders receive $30 per share, a 68% premium on the company's closing share price on Friday.

Perot is controlled by billionaire Ross Perot who twice ran for US president.

He ran as an independent candidate in both 1992 and 1996.

'Premium asset'

"We consider Perot Systems to be a premium asset with great people that enhances our opportunities for immediate and long-term growth," said Dell's chairman and chief executive.


The acquisition makes such great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other
Michael Dell

"This significantly expands Dell's enterprise-solutions capabilities and makes Perot Systems' strengths available to even more customers around the world," Michael Dell added.

While Perot specialises in IT support for the likes of hospitals, government departments, and banks, Dell is best known for its personal computers.

Mr Perot said the sale was a "great opportunity" for his company, which he founded in 1988.

Mr Dell said the "the acquisition makes such great sense because of the obvious ways our businesses complement each other".

The takeover news comes a month after Dell reported that its second quarter revenues fell 22% from a year earlier to $12.8bn, as it continued to be hit by the global slowdown in sales of personal computers.

BBC News

Aggrieved PDP members can quit – Ogbulafor

ABUJA — NATIONAL Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor has told those not satisfied with the choice of Professor Chukwuma Soludo as the party’s candidate for next year’s gubernatorial election in Anambra State to either toe the party line or quit.

However, former state chairmen of the party in the state have called for Ogbulafor’s resignation, saying he is the problem of the party.

Speaking while inaugurating the Dr. Osita Ogbu-led Anambra Caretaker Committee in Abuja, Ogbulafor who noted that the members of the party must abide by its constitution said, “PDP has a constitution that guides us and we stick to our constitution and we don’t see why people should be taking the party to court.”
NATIONAL Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor , OFR

NATIONAL Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor , OFR

Ogbulafor said, “we stand firm on the decision of the party, the decision of the party is supreme. So no matter whatever happens, we are not going to rescind our decision but rather to build on it to make sure that Chukwuma Soludo is given all the necessary backing by the party to win the election come 2010.”

According to Ogbulafor, “Time has come when we must set aside all misunderstandings and complaints. All governorship aspirants from Anambra state must put their hands on deck. Every party or association and town unions have constitutions that guide them. If you come into an association, you better abide by the constitution of that association or town union. When you don’t like it, you quietly walk out.

“The party you belong to and you take us to court, it is an unbecoming behaviour. So we feel that you should in fact, have a rethink in your behaviour knowing very well that you have great men of heroes past and great men of heroes present from Anambra.

“We should have every reason to stand tall and be counted. I want to very sincerely plead with all Anambrarians to please give peace a chance. I want to seriously plead with all of you to go and plead with all those who are not here, all aspirants who lost should lose gallantly and to know that the party has made a choice. No going back.

“It is only in Anambra that we involved distinguished men, governors, senators, ambassadors, minister to be involved in primaries congress. In the history of this party, it has never been done. So you can see that the party has done everything humanly possible to make sure that there is fairness, equity, transparency. We invited you to Yar’Adua Centre and you saw it on TV.

It was a disgrace we had there. Eventually, it is only one person that will emerge, and it is God that crowns. If it is not your time it is not your time, no matter what you do. But if it is your time, with little push you are there.
Anambra PDP candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo (middle) flanked by his running mate, Senator Emmanuel Anosike (left) and Hon. Chuma Nzeribe (right) at a press conference in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

Anambra PDP candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo (middle) flanked by his running mate, Senator Emmanuel Anosike (left) and Hon. Chuma Nzeribe (right) at a press conference in Abuja. Photo: Gbemiga Olamikan.

The 18-member Caretaker Committee, has the former Economic Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dr. Osita Ogbu as the Chairman. He was however absent at the inauguration as he was said to be out of the country.

Other members are Vincent Achigwe, Chief Chisata Okoye, Emmanuel Nsoedo; Chief Alphonsus Oguonu; K.G. Enemuoh; Mrs. Oby Okeke-Okwubanego; Chief Solomon O. D. Onyekwelu; Chief Dennis Ngene and Chief Odumegwu Sunny.

Others are Mbamalu Emmanuel; Chief Joe Oforkansi; Dr. Ugochukwu Okafor; Okwudili Uzoka; Ike Onyeabor; Handel Okoli and Dr. Harry Oranezi while Anthony Muobike is the Secretary.
Ogbulafor should resign, says Ex-chairmen

Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, former Chairman of the Anambra State chapter of the party, Chief Dan Ulasi, warned that they were prepared to drag Ogbulafor before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

“If I were in his shoes I will resign. Things have happened in the past two, three weeks in the party, within the party and the presidency that have brought him to where he is. He knows the feeling of government and top hierarchy of the party about him”, he said.

He also accused the National Chairman of constituting the Caretaker Committee for the state without the consent of other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Supported by another former Chairman of the party in the State, Ifeatu Obi Okoye, he noted that “there has been a deliberate effort to make sure that nothing works in Anambra state.

“There were three main blocks running for governorship in Anambra state. Forget about the number of aspirants who collected nomination forms. There was the group of Chief Chris Uba that was effectively on the ground. There was the group led by Ukachukwu effectively on the ground and the group led by Senator Annie Okonkwo effectively on the ground. Apart from these three groups any other person you hear of was just exercise in futility.”
Vanguardngr

Worthy Goals And Ideals

A major ingredient of success is worthy goals and ideals. Perhaps your deepest subconscious drive, according to Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, is the need for meaning and purpose in life. To be truly happy, you need a clear sense of direction. You need a commitment to something bigger and more important than yourself. You need to feel that your life stands for something, that you are somehow making a valuable contribution to your world.
Happiness has been defined as “the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” you can only be happy when you are working step by step towards something that is really important to you.
Think about what sort of activities and accomplishments you most enjoy. What were you doing in the past when you were the happiest? What sort of activities gives you your greatest sense of meaning and purpose in life? You must know that any goal that does not give you happiness and satisfaction is not a worthy goal. It is the sense of fulfillment that follows accomplishment of any goal that makes that goal a worthy one. Therefore if there is any ideal you set whose attainment does not make you feel great, that ideal cannot be a worthy ideal for you.
Think about the goals you may have set before now. Do they give you direction? Assuming you have realized all of them how great and fulfilled would you be? These shall be your guiding questions as you formulate your goals and ideals.
In goal setting you must know that your ideals are different from mine. You are the king of your goals. Your goals must be relevant to your purpose in life. They must aim at your fulfillment without which those goals are useless. Think therefore about your purpose in life so that you can rightly set worthy goals and ideals. Worthy goals and ideals are channels through which your purpose can be accomplished in life. A writer once said that a man without purpose cannot set worthy goals and that his life will be directionless and unexciting.
Do you know that you can give your life meaning? Do you know that you can excite your life? Do you believe that you can achieve great things in life? Yes you can. You can do all these but you have to start by setting goals and ideals relevant to your dreams.
When can you start? Now is the best time to start setting your goals.
Good luck as you journey to success!

Deadly shootings at US army base

A US Army major has opened fire on fellow soldiers at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, killing 13 people and injuring 30, officials say.

Base commander Lt Gen Bob Cone said that the gunman had not been killed, as earlier stated, but was in custody.

It is not clear what motivated the attacker, named as 39-year-old military psychiatrist Major Nidal Malik Hasan.

But some reports said the US-born Muslim was unhappy about being sent to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Lt Gen Cone said one of the dead was a policeman and others were soldiers.

MAJOR NIDAL MALIK HASAN
US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan
US-born Muslim raised in Virginia
Joined the army and trained to be a psychiatrist
Treated soldiers returning from combat zones
Described as a devout Muslim who attended prayers regularly
Said to have been unhappy about imminent overseas deployment

Profile: Major Nidal Malik Hasan

President Barack Obama described it as "a horrific outburst of violence".

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, he said: "It is difficult enough when we lose these brave men and women abroad, but it is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on US soil."

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims, adding: "We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident."

Eleven victims were initially reported dead, but two of the injured later died, bringing the death toll to 13.

'Racial harassment'

The gunman is now said to be wounded after being shot four times, but is in a stable condition in custody.

"His death is not imminent," said Lt Gen Cone.

Barack Obama: 'A horrific outburst of violence'

An official said authorities initially thought one of the victims was the shooter, causing a delay in identifying Maj Hasan as the suspect, AP reported.

Maj Hasan is a military psychiatrist and was reportedly due to be sent on a mission to Iraq or Afghanistan.

His cousin said Maj Hasan had been resisting such a deployment.

"He hired a military attorney to try to have the issue resolved, pay back the government, to get out of the military. He was at the end of trying everything," Nader Hasan told Fox News.

He also said that Nidal Malik Hasan had been battling racial harassment because of his "Middle Eastern ethnicity".

Prior to Fort Hood, Maj Hasan served as a psychiatrist at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, which treats wounded troops from combat zones.
SHOOTINGS AT FORT HOOD US MILITARY BASE
Location of shootings
Shooting starts 1330 local time (1930 GMT) at Soldier Readiness Processing Center near Howze Theater where graduation ceremony is due to take place
Thirteen people are killed and 30 injured
Soldiers close off Howze Theater to protect about 600 people inside
Gunman Major Nidal Malik Hasan is shot and detained
Built in 1942, Fort Hood is the largest US base in the world, home to about 40,000 personnel and includes two museums and a lake. It has been a focus for anti-war protesters

Reaction: US base shootings
In pictures: Fort Hood shootings

Witness' account

The shooting had begun at about 1330 (1930 GMT) on Thursday at a personnel and medical centre at Fort Hood, where soldiers who are preparing to deploy go for last-minute medical check-ups, Lt Gen Cone said.

He said the gunman had two weapons, one semi-automatic, which "might explain the rate of fire".

Asked whether the shootings were a terrorist act, Lt Gen Cone said: "I couldn't rule that out but I'm telling you that right now, the evidence does not suggest that."

Two more suspects were apprehended in an adjacent facility, he said, but eyewitness accounts suggesting there might have been more than one gunman were later discounted.

A serviceman stationed at Fort Hood, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC: "I heard the emergency announcement over the speakers outside and saw people rushing to get indoors."

Local congressman John Carter, speaking to NBC News, said gunfire had erupted half an hour before a graduation ceremony was due to begin.

'Like a city'

Fort Hood, near the town of Killeen, is the largest US base in the world.

Home to about 40,000 US troops, the base lies between Austin and Waco, about 60 miles (100 km) from each city.

Soldiers at Fort Hood are among those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some will have returned from there.

The base has a centre that deals with combat stress.

Hilary Shine, of the Killeen Fire Department told the BBC's News Channel Fort Hood was like a small city.

"It has schools, a hospital, a convenience store even. And it has a large daytime population - including civilians working on the base - with as many as 80,000 in this area during the daytime."

BBC News

Twelve shot dead at US army base

Fort Hood
The shooter was killed by police, the base's commander said

Twelve people have been killed and 31 injured in a shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, the commander there has said.

Lt Gen Bob Cone said one shooter had been killed in the incident and two suspects arrested. All were American soldiers. The base is locked down.

The motivation for the shooting is not known, he said. One of the dead was a policeman but the others were soldiers.

President Barack Obama described it as "a horrific outburst of violence".

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, he said: "It is difficult enough when we lose these brave men and women abroad, but it is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on US soil."


FORT HOOD
Largest US base in the world
Home to about 40,000 personnel
Built in 1942
Focus for anti-war protesters
Includes two museums and a lake

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims, adding: "We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident."

Mr Obama said the White House was working with the Pentagon, FBI and Department of Homeland Security to make sure Fort Hood was secure.

Fort Hood, near the town of Killeen, is the largest US base in the world.

Home to about 40,000 US troops, the base lies between Austin and Waco, about 60 miles (97 km) from each city.

Army spokesman Lt Col Nathan Banks at the Pentagon earlier told the Associated Press news agency the shootings had begun at about 1330 (1930 GMT) on Thursday at a personnel and medical processing centre at Fort Hood.

A serviceman stationed at Fort Hood who asked to remain anonymous told the BBC: "I heard the emergency announcement over the speakers outside and saw people rushing to get indoors.

"In our office we're okay but we're hearing about the deaths. It's horrible and very shocking.

"We are still on lockdown. I am hearing that at least nine people may be dead. This is so terrible and frightening."

The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says units at Fort Hood are among those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some will have returned from there.

The base has a centre that deals with combat stress, our correspondent adds.

Map showing Texas

Hilary Shine, of the Killeen Fire Department told the BBC's News Channel Fort Hood was like a small city.

"It has schools, a hospital, a convenience store even. And it has a large daytime population - including civilians working on the base - with as many as 80,000 in this area during the daytime."

Local congressman John Carter, speaking to NBC News, said gunfire had erupted half an hour before a graduation ceremony was due to begin.

Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson said in a statement: "I am shocked and saddened by today's outburst of violence at Fort Hood that has cost seven of our brave service members their lives and has gravely injured others.

"My heart goes out to their loved ones."
BBC News

Twelve shot dead at US army base

Fort Hood
The shooter was killed by police, the base's commander said

Twelve people have been killed and 31 injured in a shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, the commander there has said.

Lt Gen Bob Cone said one shooter had been killed in the incident and two suspects arrested. All were American soldiers. The base is locked down.

The motivation for the shooting is not known, he said. One of the dead was a policeman but the others were soldiers.

President Barack Obama described it as "a horrific outburst of violence".

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, he said: "It is difficult enough when we lose these brave men and women abroad, but it is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on US soil."


FORT HOOD
Largest US base in the world
Home to about 40,000 personnel
Built in 1942
Focus for anti-war protesters
Includes two museums and a lake

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims, adding: "We will make sure that we get answers to every single question about this horrible incident."

Mr Obama said the White House was working with the Pentagon, FBI and Department of Homeland Security to make sure Fort Hood was secure.

Fort Hood, near the town of Killeen, is the largest US base in the world.

Home to about 40,000 US troops, the base lies between Austin and Waco, about 60 miles (97 km) from each city.

Army spokesman Lt Col Nathan Banks at the Pentagon earlier told the Associated Press news agency the shootings had begun at about 1330 (1930 GMT) on Thursday at a personnel and medical processing centre at Fort Hood.

A serviceman stationed at Fort Hood who asked to remain anonymous told the BBC: "I heard the emergency announcement over the speakers outside and saw people rushing to get indoors.

"In our office we're okay but we're hearing about the deaths. It's horrible and very shocking.

"We are still on lockdown. I am hearing that at least nine people may be dead. This is so terrible and frightening."

The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says units at Fort Hood are among those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some will have returned from there.

The base has a centre that deals with combat stress, our correspondent adds.

Map showing Texas

Hilary Shine, of the Killeen Fire Department told the BBC's News Channel Fort Hood was like a small city.

"It has schools, a hospital, a convenience store even. And it has a large daytime population - including civilians working on the base - with as many as 80,000 in this area during the daytime."

Local congressman John Carter, speaking to NBC News, said gunfire had erupted half an hour before a graduation ceremony was due to begin.

Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson said in a statement: "I am shocked and saddened by today's outburst of violence at Fort Hood that has cost seven of our brave service members their lives and has gravely injured others.

"My heart goes out to their loved ones."
BBC News

MALOUDA: DROGBA ON FIRE

Florent Malouda believes the form of Didier Drogba can be the difference between ourselves and Manchester United on Sunday.

We enter the Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge two points clear of our title rivals, with Drogba on top of his game, his brace against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday taking his season's tally to 12.

Malouda, who was also team-mates with the Ivorian at Guingamp in France, is not surprised at Drogba's purple patch.

'He has not changed, the fact he had a good pre-season without injuries can explain it, he is really happy and enjoying his form at the moment,' said the 29-year-old. 'He is training harder than ever and had some rest because of the ban, but is now back in the competition and scoring goals.

'He always believed in himself, even in the second division in France he was dreaming about it and preparing himself. Even at this level he is working harder and harder,' Malouda continued.

'I knew him from Guingamp and he has always been a leader, always speaking in the dressing room and bringing the team behind him. With JT and Lamps he is one of our world-class players and when he is like this every team has to fear him.'

Now Drogba will be looking for his first goal against United since netting the winner in the 2007 FA Cup Final, and Malouda is hoping that would be enough to secure a vital victory.

'We have no choice, we have to win because we are two points in front and we want to stay in front. It's going to be a big, big, big game and we have to play at our best level in front of our fans,' he insisted.

'We have a home record and we're trying to keep it. Before the international break it would be a good result to win at home. To be five points clear would be a good thing for us, we have never been five in front for a long time.'

There are of course plenty of games left in the title race, in which ground will invariably be gained and lost. Malouda admitted he has not yet begun looking up United's results.

'I think about our team and I'm not looking too much at the results of Man U,' he said. 'At the moment we are on top and if we keep on going like this and playing like we are we won't be far, but nobody can say who is going to win this title.'
Chelseafc.com

CBN raises alarm on rising cases of bank fraud

THE Central Bank, CBN, yesterday, raised an alarm on rising cases of fraud in the nation’s financial institutions even as it granted the request of shareholders of Equatorial Trust Bank Limited to recapitalise the bank, following a proposal by the bank’s shareholders to the apex bank.

The CBN said that as at December 31, 2008, a total 1,974 cases of fraud and forgeries, amounting to N24.49 billion and various other sums in foreign currencies were reported by banks.
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor CBN and Mike Adenuga Junior, Chairman & CEO Globacom.

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor CBN and Mike Adenuga Junior, Chairman & CEO Globacom.

According to the CBN in its 2008 Banking Supervision report, 746 of the cases amounting to over N6.37 billion were reported to have been successful. Arising therefrom, 316 staff of the banks were dismissed and 220 others had their appointments terminated.

Reviewing the non-performing loans in the banks in 2008, the CBN said “Non-performing credits increased from N0.4 trillion in 2007 to N0.5 trillion in 2008. The ratio of non-performing credits to total credits of 6.26 per cent during the review period was far below the trigger level of 35 per cent for setting up a Crisis Management Unit as stipulated in the Contingency Planning Framework for Systemic Distress.

“The ratio was lower than 21.6 per cent, 18.12 per cent, 8.77 per cent and 8.44 per cent recorded in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Provision for bad and doubtful debts grew from N0.2 trillion in 2004 to N0.4 trillion in 2008.

The ratio of bad debt provision to total credits was 22.6 percent in 2004; 19.1 percent in 2005; 6.3 percent in 2006; 8.1 percent in 2007 and 6.1 percent in 2008”.

According to the CBN, “In many of the banks, Board and Management oversight needed improvement as evidenced by lapses in risk asset quality, corporate governance and abuse of insider-related facilities.

“Most of the banks reported increased earnings and profitability due to increased lending and business diversification. The crisis in the capital market threatened the liquidity in the banking system due to banks’ exposure to margin loans.

The CBN took some actions, such as the stoppage of liquidity mop-up and reduction of liquidity ratio from 40 per cent to 30 percent, to assist banks in their liquidity management.

“Some of the banks had their foreign lines reviewed downward by their foreign correspondent banks, which reduced supply of foreign exchange in the market and exerted pressure on the exchange rate.”

According to the report, “The minimum liquidity ratio for banks was reduced from 40 to 30 percent during the year. Compliance with the prescribed minimum liquidity ratio of 30 and 60 percent by banks and discount houses respectively, was closely monitored on daily and monthly basis. Two banks failed to meet the minimum prescribed liquidity ratio of 30 percent in the month of December 2008. Compliance with the capital adequacy ratio requirement of banks and discount houses was also monitored throughout the year. In the month of December 2008 two banks failed to meet the minimum prescribed capital adequacy ratio of 10 per cent.”

Returns ETB to shareholders

In a statement signed by the M.M. Abdullahi, Head, Corporate Affairs, CBN said “having reviewed the terms and conditions of the Deeds of Covenant, the CBN has consented to the request aimed at further strengthening the bank. In granting these requests, CBN noted that the Special Examination had not raised issues of serious supervisory concern or criminal activity by any member of the Board of ETB.

However, the CBN will closely monitor the implementation of the terms of the Covenant to ensure that the lapses are fully rectified and in the overall interest of the banking system.”

In the statement, the CBN further said “Following the special examination of all banks operating in the country, and the subsequent actions by the CBN, the shareholders of Equitorial Trust Bank Limited requested the permission of the Central Bank of Nigeria to be allowed to rectify lapses identified in the bank.

In pursuance to that, the shareholders executed a Deed of Covenant, the specific terms and conditions of which included the following:

“The willingness of the shareholders to recapitalise the bank by way of injection of additional capital latest by June 30, 2010; restructuring, diversification and enlargement of the capital base of the bank either by way of a public offering of shares, securing a core investor or merger with a local bank within one year period; addressing the corporate governance issues in the bank which were mainly ascribed to the previous Executive Management team in the bank; reconstitution of the Board of Directors of the bank through the retirement of two non-executive directors and the appointment of four new non-executive directors, including Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr. (CON), an erstwhile member of the board, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria; and Convening a general meeting of the bank’s shareholders to ratify, through a resolution all the nominated appointments to the bank’s board”.

Deregulation: CBN raises alarm

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has picked hole in the planned deregulation of the downstream oil sector, saying that it will cause inflation. Speaking during the 66 Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, CBN Governor, Mr Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, stated that inflation had decelerated and that seasonal factors and the planned deregulation of the downstream oil sector of the economy pose a major threat to inflation outlook in the near or medium term.

In his submission, the deregulation heightens the criticality of the policy dilemma being faced by the CBN, disclosing that the current accommodative monetary policy could be inflationary.
He stated that this is beside the existing paradox of the co-existence of system wide liquidity shortages as reflected in the data on monetary and credit aggregates and abundant liquidity with some banks as evidenced from the data on standing facilities.

However, a member of the National Stakeholders Working Group, (NSWG), of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, has said fuel had since been deregulated in the South-East and some parts of the northern part of the country.
This is just as many Nigerians are railing against the impending deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry when palliatives are not yet in place.

According to Ohuabunwa, petroleum products had since been sold at market prices, which are usually higher than the government-regulated prices.
Investigations showed that by yesterday P.M.S was selling at between N80 and N90 in Owerri and some other parts of the East. In many parts of the North, the product sells above the official pump price.
“It seems the East and certain parts of the North have long deregulated their own P.M.S. (premium motor spirit or petrol),” the NEITI chieftain said at a one-day road show in Owerri led by NEITI Chairman, Prof. Asisi Asobie.

“So when they talk about deregulation, I laugh. We have long deregulated it in the East and the North - in certain parts of the North. It’s only certain parts of the West and Abuja that are still regulated. That is the way it is. It is not a fair deal that you’re paying for the commodity higher than other people are paying in the country is not the best.”
Ohuabunwa, who is the South-East representative in NEITI, also lambasted the governors of the five South-eastern states for staying away from the accountability agency’s road show in Owerri, which he said would have been an opportunity for them to answer questions on the application of oil revenues, among other issues.

He said of the absence of the five governors from the region who failed to show up, and sent no representatives: “I must say I am not happy; I am disappointed because I am aware that attempts were made to make sure the South-eastern governors are here and I am the representative on the NEITI board. So, I feel disappointed because when you go to other regions, you see their governors – government people are interested in what’s going on. We’ve brought this show here and we can’t find our people.”

Meanwhile, Nigerians have called on Federal Government to rather increase the prices of petroleum products and ensure its availability in the market instead of subjecting them to unnecessary suffering in search of the commodity produced in the country.
This view is being expressed by many Nigerians some of whom have spent several hours on queue at various filling stations in Abuja.
According to them, it is better the product is supplied and available to buy than its absence at the fuel stations thereby forcing Nigerians to sleep at filling stations every day.

Meanwhile, petrol is now being sold at N250 per litre as a press time on Tuesday in Abuja. Fuel scarcity in the country has entered the 7th day with Nigerians counting losses and struggling to cope with the hardship caused them.
Though, there is no increase in the pump price of petrol yet, motorists believe that with the scarcity, if the price is increased above the current N65 per litre, marketers might be encouraged to supply enough for sale.
However, transport fares in the city has continued to increase as a normal taxi drop that hitherto costs between N200 to N250 now goes for as much as N300 to N400.

National President of National Union Roads Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Gidado Haman, has explained that his members have no option than to increase the fares since they go through all kinds of difficulties to buy fuel and most has to buy through black market stating that transport would go much higher if the situation does not improve.
He wondered why Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) could not do its work of ensuring there is no hoarding of the product by marketers as, according to him, someone is responsible for the flooding of the black marketers in the city and must be checked.

Background To Tibetan Uprising (twentieth Century History)

In the early years of the twentieth century, China was largely a backward country. The economy was largely agrarian, but the political structure was imperialistic in nature. There was widespread internal disenchantment. Tribal leaders asserted some levels of control, and government began to loose control.

Frustrated by the Qing court’s resistance to reform, young officials, military officers and students began to advocate the overthrow of the Qing dynasty-( a succession of related rulers), and creation of a republic.

On October 10, 1911, there was a revolutionary military uprising which led to the abdication of the last Qing monarch. This uprising was being inspired by the revolutionary ideas of Sun Yat-sen, who is frequently being referred to as the father of the Chinese nation, as a result of being instrumental to the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in October 1911, the last imperial dynasty of China.

In the mid 1920s, some Chinese patriots began moves at changing the backward state of China. It was at this stage that Sun Yat-sen established a new revolutionary base in South China, and set out to unite the fragmented Chinese nation. With the Soviets assistance, Sun Yat-sen organized the Kuomintang (KMT) or “Chinese Nationalist People’s Party” along Leninist lines, and extends into an alliance with the fledgling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Kuomintang had three cardinal principles namely; democracy, social welfare and progress.
After Sun’s death in 1925, one of his Protégés, Chiang Kai-Shek seized control of the Kuomintang, and succeeded in bringing most of south and central China under his rule.

Under Shek’s leadership, irreconcilable differences grew within the Kuomintang. Many members of the party followed the communist ideology led by Mao Tse-Tung. Civil war ensued between Chiang’s Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) led by Chairman Mao.

After the Japanese have been defeated at the end of the Second World War, Sino- Japanese war ended too with the surrender of Japanese Emperor Hirohito, and the hostilities between the Kuomintang and the CCP resumed. At the beginning of the year in 1949, Mao’s Communist Party took Beijing, and controlled the entire country by the end of the year. The Communist troops became repressive to the minorities especially the Tibetans.

In 1950, Communist China overran the territory of Tibet, and annexed it. The Tibets began acts of insurrection against Chinese Government. Pockets of resistance against China were frequent in the mountainous region of Tibet. China used its troops to crush them, but the Tibetan militants were not moved as they continued forming different militant formations, religious monks, and civilian volunteers. Tibetan Movements created external wings. The Tibetan Brigade was formed in Diaspora and received logistics support and arms supply from the US government, but they could not make much impact due to disadvantages associated with geography.

Tibetan Movements fizzled out in the 1980s when China and US government established some form of understanding.

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