Nigerian Times

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, by Joe Rosenthal / The Associated Press . Re: Clint Eastwood: Spike Lee Should "Shut His Face", Lee Responds, "We're Not On A Plantation" African-American film director Spike Lee has issues with the racial cast in Clint Eastwood 's 2006 films Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima on the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima for the Japanese island, because Eastwood failed to represent the heroic roles of African-American soldiers in World War Two . Eastwood said it would be inaccurate and inappropriate to include an African-American soldier among the six men who were Raising the flag on Mount Suribachi in Iwo Jima . If someone tells a story and you disagree with it, simply go and tell your own version of the story and as Clint "Cowboy" Eastwood said, Spike Lee should shut his face! Spike Lee is a good director, but not as great as Clint Eastwood. Spike Lee knows that over one million African-Americans fought in WW Two...

I have been honored and privileged to work with so many dedicated people on Hillary 's historic campaign. Your enthusiastic commitment to her campaign through the primaries has been inspirational. As you know, Hillary will be holding an event tomorrow in Washington D.C. to thank all of her supporters, to express her support for Senator Obama , and to talk about the issues that have been at the core of her public service, the issues she will continue fighting for. Hillary wanted to make sure her online supporters were a part of this special event, just as you have been a part of her campaign from the very beginning. So, we will be streaming it live over the website at HillaryClinton.com. We invite you to visit our website on Saturday June 7, at 12 p.m. EDT to watch Hillary speak live. Thank you for everything you have done for our campaign. Sincerely, Maggie Williams Campaign Manager Hillary Clinton for President

Senator Barack Obama An Historic Day Senator Obama has accomplished an incredible first for the African-American community, and for the United States. Barack Obama is the first African American to be nominated for President on a major party ticket. This historic event shows just how far this country has come to healing the racial divides that have plagued our history as a nation. But along the way the campaign provided some painful reminders of just how much further we have to go to achieve true equality for all Americans. This is a day that should make us all proud, and then it should make us redouble our efforts to protect those rights that many have given their lives to secure. And for 100 years, that's exactly what the NAACP has done. As a bipartisan, 501 C3 organization we don't get involved directly with candidates. What we do, I think better than any other organization, is organize the voting efforts of the African American community. This year the NAACP is focused o...

5 Jun 2008 12:50 Africa/Lagos Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on Obama's Rezko Connections WASHINGTON, June 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sen. Clinton: "We still don't have a lot of answers about Senator Obama and his dealings with Mr. Rezko." (WJLA-DC ABC's, "Chesapeake Challenge," 2/11/08) Click Here To View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8AkWh_lU1c (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO ) Paid for by the Republican National Committee. 310 First Street SE, Washington, D.C.20003 - (202) 863-8500 - www.gop.com Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Republican National Committee CONTACT: Republican National Committee, +1-202-863-8614 Web site: http://www.gop.com/

And today we stand in shame with 2.3 million of our citizens behind bars, most for nonviolent drug offenses. More than 1 in 100 adults in the United States is incarcerated, and 1 in 9 black men ages 20 to 34 is behind bars. The United States, with less than 5 percent of the global population, has almost 25 percent of the world's prisoners. ~ By Chris Hedges , in America's Democratic Collapse , Truthdig . Posted June 3, 2008 . Continue reading

Howard Dean 4 Jun 2008 20:40 Africa/Lagos A Statement by Democratic Leaders on the End of the Presidential Primary Process WASHINGTON, June 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DGA Chairman Joe Manchin and DNC Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement: (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/DNCLOGO ) "We have come to the end of an exciting primary and caucus process -- the voters have spoken. As the Democratic leaders of the Senate, House of Representatives, the Governors and the Democratic National Committee we commend all of the participants of the 2008 primary process, especially Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for making this such a transformational election. Because of the enthusiasm our candidates have inspired, our party has brought record numbers of voters to the polls, gained millions of newly registered Democrats and now has advantages in states many thought were difficu...

Illinois senator Barack Obama has laid claim to the Democratic presidential nomination, taking a historic step toward his once-improbable goal of becoming the United States' first black president. (June 3) | 4-Jun-08 12:39 AM GMT Tuesday night June 3, 2008, U.S. Senator Barack Obama became the first African-American to win the presidential nomination of an American political party when he reached the required number of 2, 118 national convention delegates of the Democratic Party. "Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America," Barack Obama declared. Senator Barack Obama acknowledged his formidable Democratic presidential rival, Senator Hillary Clinton. "Our party and our country are better off because of her, and I am a better candidate for having had the hono...

3 Jun 2008 16:54 Africa/Lagos Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to Hold Conference Call Regarding Senator Obama's Campaign Stop in St. Paul Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will host a conference call today to discuss Senator Obama's campaign stop in Saint Paul, MN. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO ) WHAT: Press Conference Call with MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty WHEN: Today, June 3, 2008 3:20 p.m. EDT/ 2:20 p.m. CDT CALL-IN: 888-425-9978 PASSWORD: GOP Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. /PRNewswire-USNewswire -- June 3/ Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Republican National Committee CONTACT: Republican National Committee Press Office, +1-202-863-8614 Web Site: http://www.gop.com/

1 Jun 2008 19:57 Africa/Lagos Howard Dean and Jim Roosevelt Discuss Rules and Bylaws Committee Meeting on ABC's This Week WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee Co-Chair Jim Roosevelt discussed the Rules and Bylaws Committee's decision to seat the Florida and Michigan delegations yesterday and Democratic Party unity this morning on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Below are excerpts from Dean and Roosevelt's appearance: (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/DNCLOGO ) On the Rules and Bylaws Committee's Decision to Seat Delegations from Florida and Michigan: Dean: "Well, first, let me thank Jim and former Secretary Alexis Herman who is the other co-chair of the rules committee. They did an incredible job and so did the rules committee. The fact is, that we actually did what Michigan and Florida asked us to do. Michigan, this, the plan that...

The June 9, 2008 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, June 2), "The Politics of Endangered Species" explains how environmental activists hope to use the Endangered Species list to fight global warming. Sharon Begley spotlights the less glamorous, but essential species that are in trouble. Plus: why candidates are courting "Low Info" voters; Barack Obama's Friday morning prayer calls and how drone technology has changed warfare and the NIH's new program for studying rare and mysterious diseases.(PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES 06/01/2008 1 Jun 2008 17:42 Africa/Lagos NEWSWEEK Cover: The Politics of Endangered Species Endangered Species Act Being Used as a Political Tool by Both Environmentalists and Bush Administration Endangered Species Can Help in the Fight Against Global Warming if They Can Make it on the Endangered Species List NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- To make it on the Endangered Species list, animals need to be under threat o...

I do not need to write a thesis on Obama Resigns From Trinity United Church . Barack Obama does not know what CHRISTIANITY means. What a pity. He is so desperate to become the first black president of America that he has dumped the church that made him what he is now enjoying from the majority of 12 million African American voters. He has betrayed Rev. Jeremiah Wright and the Trinity United Church. Is this the right man for the leadership of the United States? A man who is not sure of his faith?

Dear Orikinla, Hillary has consistently stood up for the voters of Michigan and Florida. She, like you, has insisted that the voice of all Americans be heard. Today, the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee announced their decision on seating Florida and Michigan's delegations. In recent days, almost 350,000 of Hillary's supporters wrote in to the committee to make clear what an important principle it is for our party to count every vote. Our campaign has released an official statement about the results of the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting and I'd like to share it with you, our most dedicated supporters. I know how passionate you are about the importance of counting every vote cast in Florida and Michigan and I appreciate everything you are doing. Sincerely, Maggie Williams Campaign Manager Hillary Clinton for President

This is my rejoinder to the report on Former Bush Aide: McClellan Is Getting Ripped For Telling The Truth posted on Huffington Post . Any dummy can write a book on how President George W. Bush and his goons lied and misled America into one of the dumbest wars in history. The Downing Street Memo and Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson have already shown us the facts, so any dummy writing another book on it is only desperate to fish in the troubled waters and make money from the political Fiasco of Dubya. Writing best selling books on the falsehood of the mission to Iraq is medicine after death. If President George W. Bush had been impeached in 2005, thousands of American soldiers would have been saved from dying in the war in Iraq. In fact, I condemn all the office holders in the American government for misleading America into a wrong war in Iraq. From the messenger who filed the classified lies of the Weapons of Mass Destruction to the President who told the lies, they are all guilty. A...

29 May 2008 09:00 Africa/Lagos Africa's Mobile Industry to Pay $71 Billion in Tax By 2012 JOHANNESBURG, May 29/PRNewswire/ -- - GSMA Says Cutting Mobile-Specific Taxes Would Boost Government Revenue The mobile industry will generate $71 billion in tax revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa between 2000 and 2012, but that figure would be higher still if governments removed taxes that treat mobile phones and services as luxury goods, according to research commissioned by the GSMA. The research by Frontier Economics found that uptake of mobile services in the region is being held back by mobile-specific taxes on handsets, airtime and telecom equipment, which increase costs for consumers and deter investment by mobile operators. If all mobile specific-taxes in Sub-Saharan Africa had been removed in 2007, an additional 43 million people in the region would be connected by 2012 leading to an increase in overall tax receipts of $930 million between 2007 and 2012, according to the research....

I have read Reuben Abati's "Disasters, Crocodile Tears And The Next Tragedy" and I wish that every literate person in Nigeria will sit down and read it and meditate on it. Then look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself the question of how much your life is worth as a Nigerian. How much are you worth to Nigeria? How much have you done to separate yourself from the dogs and pigs in Nigeria? Who Are the Dogs and Who Are the Pigs? The dogs and pigs are those who have no scruples and would careless to do anything to belong to the Joneses. They have no dignity and no integrity. They will say anything and do anything to ape the Joneses. Only Nigerian fools will boast of living in mansions while they cannot boast of good and safe roads. Only Nigerian fools will boast of going to Nigerian universities when they cannot boast of any Nigerian university among the top 30 universities in Africa! Only Nigerian fools will boast of the Nigerian parodies of American TV reality shows...

28 May 2008 13:00 Africa/Lagos From Peru to Nigeria, Entrepreneurs are Battling Poverty Lessons from the Poor Examines Success Stories from Around the World " . . . fascinating . . . profoundly hopeful . . . " -William R. Easterly Professor of Economics, New York University Former Research Economist, World Bank " . . . important . . . informative . . . " -Mark C. Casson Professor of Economics, University of Reading OAKLAND, Calif., May 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Can the billions of people living below the poverty line teach the world a lesson about economics that most politicians and academics don't seem to understand? Internationally acclaimed political analyst and author Alvaro Vargas Llosa says they can. In Lessons from the Poor: Triumph of the Entrepreneurial Spirit (May 30, 2008/The Independent Institute/ $16.95), Vargas Llosa and a team of economists examine a series of success stories from around the world. Their case studies show how entreprene...

"Last time I was on the roundtable I was trying to make a point about Senator Clinton's toughness and strength, which I respect, and I chose the wrong words and the way to say it and, you know, I'm sorry I said it that way, it was the wrong thing." You can watch the full video by clicking on the video player .

Sonny Okosuns (1947-2008) The Ozzidi King of Nigerian Afro-Highlife music passed on last Saturday May 24, 2008, at the Howard University Hospital, Washington D.C., United States of America, after protracted illness. He was one of the legendary icons of modern African music whose protest songs became popular for the liberation struggle in his native Nigeria and many other African nations. He became a household name in South Africa when he lamented about the evils of Apartheid in Papa's Land and Fire in Soweto . His song Free Mandela was inspirational in the campaign for the freedom of Nelson Mandela . Click here to watch the video of Sonny Okosuns Power To The People on Kisses & Roses

In memory of the children of Ijegun Comprehensive High School, Ijegun Nursery and Primary Schools who lost their precious lives in the Pipeline Explosion on Thursday May 15, 2008, in Ijegun, Lagos, Nigeria . This is for all the children in Nigeria as I join them to celebrate the Children’s Day . The nostalgia of my childhood is overwhelming, because the unforgettable memories of growing up in the loving care of my parents are now flooding back to me. I love my childhood. I had a happy childhood after the Nigerian civil war. I grew up in a happy home at #28 Obalende Road, Obalende, Lagos. I love children, because as Whitney Houston sang in The Greatest Love of All , they are indeed our future. Nigerian School Children in class. Photo Credit: Khaled Hassounah 85% of the children in Nigeria are from poor families who are mostly in the rural areas. When I travel to different states in Nigeria and I see the children in their dilapidated houses and bad roads, I feel sad and disappointed, be...

25 May 2008 16:10 Africa/Lagos NEWSWEEK Cover: Obama, Race And Us Despite Decades of Progress, Race Is Still an Issue for Many White Americans as Well as Some Democrats Newsweek Poll Shows Misconceptions About Obama May Be a Hindrance to His Campaign but There Are Ways He Can Overcome Challenges NEW YORK, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Barack Obama's success on the campaign trail indicates that the United States may be ready to elect its first non- white president. A recent Newsweek poll, however, suggests that although he is poised to secure the Democratic nomination, Obama is still facing problems winning over white voters. In the June 2 Newsweek cover package "Obama, Race and Us" (on newsstands Monday, May 26) a team of Newsweek correspondents offer an open memo to Obama, with suggestions on how he can overcome race issues and convince doubters, of all skin colors or backgrounds, that they will be better off during an Obama presidency than a McCain presidency. Newsweek pollste...