Nigerian Times

28 Jul 2011 17:16 Africa/Lagos PR Newswire WASHINGTON, July 28, 2011 WASHINGTON, July 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Should Congress fail to raise the national debt ceiling by Aug. 2, The American Legion says the paychecks of servicemembers must not be sacrificed. "We visited this same issue last April when the federal government narrowly averted a shutdown," said Jimmie L. Foster, national commander of The American Legion. "At that time, we urged Congress not to default on payments to our troops, and we are urging the same course of action again." Foster, a military retiree with 24 years of service in the Army and Marine Corps, said it was inconceivable to him that Congress would subject its men and women in uniform to such stress – twice in only four months. "As a nation that shows so much support for those who defend us in Iraq and Afghanistan, we really need to consider the message being sent to our military by the political brinksmanship that Congre...

This morning President Obama delivered a statement once again calling on Congress to compromise to avoid defaulting on the Nation’s debt and calling on the American people to make their voices heard in this debate. Read the President’s statement: Good morning, everybody. I want to speak about the ongoing and increasingly urgent efforts to avoid default and reduce our deficit. Right now, the House of Representatives is still trying to pass a bill that a majority of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have already said they won’t vote for. It’s a plan that would force us to re-live this crisis in just a few short months, holding our economy captive to Washington politics once again. In other words, it does not solve the problem, and it has no chance of becoming law. What’s clear now is that any solution to avoid default must be bipartisan. It must have the support of both parties that were sent here to represent the American people -– not just one faction. It will h...

Citibank Sets New Standard for Digital Banking with Debut of Citibank for iPad® App One-of-a-kind app offers traditional ledger-style banking as well as rich graphics and visual representations of consumer accounts and transactions NEW YORK – July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Furthering CEO Vikram Pandit’s vision to become the world’s digital bank, Citibank today unveiled its first-ever consumer banking app designed specifically for iPad. Citibank for iPad® provides U.S. consumer banking clients with an engaging, visually rich tool to track, analyze and plan their finances. “Our iPad app is all about listening to our clients and understanding that they need their digital banking experience to be more engaging and dynamic – beyond the standard static tables you find with other iPad apps,” said Tracey Weber, Head of Internet and Mobile Banking, North America Consumer Banking, Citi. “We’re offering a whole new way of banking, with enhanced visuals and interactive tools. We’re focused on contin...

The Celine Dion Signature print advertising campaign was shot by renowned photographer Peter Lindbergh. Introducing Celine Dion Signature New York, NY (July 28, 2011) /PRNewswire/ — Coty Inc. announces an iconic new fragrance, Celine Dion Signature, launching worldwide in September 2011. Developed as an ode to Celine’s power to connect and inspire through her music, this timeless scent is the latest addition to the Celine Dion portfolio of fragrances. Since its introduction in 2003, the Celine Dion Fragrance House has continually remained a top performer in major markets across North America and Europe. “Celine Dion is a signature icon. Her extraordinary ability to move and connect emotionally with her fans has played a major role in the global success of her fragrance franchise,” says Steve Mormoris, Senior Vice President Global Marketing at Coty Beauty. “This fragrance is the ultimate olfactive expression of Celine’s inspiring presence and innate charisma that continue to captivate a...

28 Jul 2011 17:45 Africa/Lagos British Airways Celebrate One Year to go to the London 2012 Olympic Games CRAWLEY, England, July 28, 2011/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- British Airways, the official airline partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is emblazoning 'One Year to Go' onto the belly of an Airbus A318 aircraft, to celebrate the milestone 365-day countdown to the start of the Olympic Games. Flight 'BA001' from London City Airport to New York will display the celebratory message on its underbelly, as it departs at 1.05pm flying past the Olympic Park just minutes later. It is expected that the message will be visible to those in parts of East London and at the Olympic Park. Footage will also be made available at youtube.com/flybritishairways. Garry Copeland, British Airways director of engineering, said: "This is the first time in the history of British Airways that we have branded the entire underbelly of an aircraft with a celebratory message. W...

Sudan Tribune Sudanese female journalist in a protest against censorship (FILE) 25 Jul 2011 16:01 Africa/Lagos Sudan / Another woman journalist jailed for reporting rape allegations PARIS, July 25, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Amal Habani, a woman reporter for the daily Al-Jarida, was today sentenced to a fine of 2,000 pounds (600 euros) or a month in jail for reporting a woman activist's claims that she was raped by members of the security forces. As Habani refused to pay the fine, she was immediately taken to Omdurman women's prison, northwest of the capital, to begin serving the jail sentence. Photograph of women protesting against rape in war torn Sudan. Credit: Rights Monitoring Organization . Habani was convicted by Judge Modather Al-Rasheed of the Khartoum media court, who fined her editor, Saadeldin Ibrahim, 5,000 pounds (1,500 euros). Agence France-Presse quoted her lawyer as saying they were found guilty of publishing false information and violating jour...

25 Jul 2011 19:56 Africa/Lagos First Lady Michelle Obama in CHRIS BENZ PR Newswire NEW YORK, July 25, 2011 NEW YORK, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- First Lady Michelle Obama stays cool in the Summer heat while wearing CHRIS BENZ' Resort Nelda Dress for her appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Thursday, July 21st, 2011. The episode, which is set to air in October, focuses on redesigning and expanding a North Carolina community resource center for homeless female veterans. ABOUT CHRIS BENZ The CHRIS BENZ collection is a reflection of Chris' Seattle upbringing and his ability to transform his influences to create a unique American style. His collection reflects the ease and carefree attitude one can expect from a true American Sportswear collection, which is made in the USA. In February 2007, Chris Benz presented his first ready-to-wear collection to high acclaim from fashion press and retailers during New York Fashion Week. Chris grew ...

25 Jul 2011 16:18 Africa/Lagos Nigeria security forces in random killing following bomb blast LONDON, July 25, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Nigerian authorities must immediately put a stop to unlawful killings by security forces, Amnesty International said today after at least 23 people were killed by police following a bomb blast on Saturday in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri. The bomb, allegedly set off by the Islamist group Boko Haram, went off in the Budum market in central Maiduguri and injured three soldiers. According to reports received by Amnesty International, the Nigerian Joint Military Task Force (JTF) responded by shooting and killing a number of people, apparently at random, before burning down the market. “President Goodluck Jonathan must get a grip on the Nigerian armed forces and immediately prevent them from carrying out further human rights violations and unlawful killings,” said Tawanda Hondora, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Af...

Go back to school with the latest technology. AT&T Campus Guide connects, informs and engages college communities through an innovative mobile platform, complete with important contacts, maps, events calendars, news updates, social networking, course information and more. (PRNewsFoto/AT&T Inc.) 25 Jul 2011 14:00 Africa/Lagos Get Ahead of the Class with AT&T Campus Guide New Mobile Platform Connects, Informs and Engages Campus Communities PR Newswire DALLAS, July 25, 2011 DALLAS, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- It's time to ditch the bulky directories and printed flyers. With AT&T Campus Guide, on-the-go students, faculty, alumni and staff can access campus information right on their smartphones. Community members can check out upcoming events, catch up on university sports scores and read course materials – all without skipping a beat in their busy schedules. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110725/CG40358) AT&T* is the first carrier to offer th...

RESTON, Va. , July 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released its monthly analysis of U.S. web activity at the top online properties for June 2011 based on data from the comScore Media Metrix service. Several Travel subcategories ranked among the top-gainers in June as summertime officially began. Sporting Goods and Toy sites also saw gains as parents looked for ways to keep their kids occupied during the summer recess. Google Sites ranked as the #1 property in June with 182.5 million visitors, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 178.4 million and Microsoft Sites with 173.6 million. Amazon Sites jumped 1 position to rank #6 with 95.8 million visitors, Disney Online jumped 8 positions to #32 (32.6 million visitors), and Twitter.com jumped 9 positions to #37 (30.6 million visitors). Expedia Inc appeared in the top 50 ranking at #39 (28.1 million visitors). Top 50 Ad Focus Ranking Google Ad Network led the June Ad Fo...

KCBS News: Dr. Percy Lee talks about the new Novalis Tx radiosurgery machine at UCLAs Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. 25 Jul 2011 07:00 Africa/Lagos New Cancer Treatment Device Goes Into Service Today MANCHESTER, England, July 25, 2011/PRNewswire/ -- - Experts Welcome Latest Advance as Promising Development for UK Patients A treatment system called the Novalis(R) Tx(TM) has gone into service today, which has the ability to destroy cancerous cells virtually anywhere in the body in a single, 20-minute session, without the need for a single cut of the scalpel. The Novalis Tx, installed in The Christie at Salford Royal, a brand new radiotherapy centre in the North West, treats cancer using a specialised technique called radiosurgery which is especially beneficial for tumours of the brain and spine previously thought untreatable by surgeons. Using powerful, highly accurate beams of radiation shaped to fit the precise shape of even the most complex tumours, the system is able to treat p...

Tony Bennett is the last person to work with Amy Winehouse. 23 Jul 2011 21:55 Africa/Lagos Tony Bennett Statement on the Passing of Amy Winehouse PR Newswire NEW YORK, July 23, 2011 NEW YORK, July 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Singer Tony Bennett, who recorded the classic pop standard "Body And Soul" with Amy Winehouse at Abbey Road Studios in London this past March, made the following statement upon news of her passing: "Amy Winehouse was an artist of immense proportions and I am deeply saddened to learn of her tragic passing. She was an extraordinary musician with a rare intuition as a vocalist and I am truly devastated that her exceptional talent has come to such an early end. She was a lovely and intelligent person and when we recorded together she gave a soulful and extraordinary performance. I was honored to have the opportunity to sing with her. It had been my sincere hope that she would be able to overcome the issues she was battling and I send my deepest sympathy ...

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe sitting in the audience at the 2nd Eko International Film Festival. "I came to see films and I saw films ; that is what film festivals are all about, not talk shops,” said Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the CEO of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) on the fourth day of the 2nd Eko International Film Festival when Joseph Ugochukwu Ubaka’s Lilies of the Ghetto and Abba Makama’s Direc-Toh were screened at the Silverbird Galleria in Lagos, Nigeria. Bic Leu of Finding Nollywood and Faruk Lasaki, Director of the Changing Faces at the 2nd Eko International Film Festival. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe and Deborah, a guest from the United States. Hope Obioma Opara, President Eko International Film Festival and Joseph Ugochukwu Ubaka, Director of Lilies of the Ghetto. . Miss. Geraldine Ijeoma Alozie Click here for the Photo Gallery of the 2nd Eko International Film Festival .