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Pirates win 9th in row, top Brewers in 14th inning
Milwaukee Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado, right, reaches for the throw as Pittsburgh Pirates' Gaby Sanchez, left, scores from third on a pinch-hit by Russell Martin in the fourteenth inning of the baseball game on Sunday, June 30, 2013, in Pittsburgh. The Pirates won 2-1, in 14 innings. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of the baseball game on Sunday, June 30, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Kyle Lohse throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning of the baseball game on Sunday, June 30, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Clint Barmes, top, hops as the ball gets away while Milwaukee Brewers' Carlos Gomez steal second base in the first inning of the baseball game on Sunday, June 30, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
A young baseball fan wears a yellow poncho as he waits out a rain delay in the baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, June 30, 2013, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
PITTSBURGH (AP) ? Pinch-hitter Russell Martin singled home the winning run in the 14th inning and the Pittsburgh Pirates earned their ninth straight victory, defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 Sunday.
The Pirates extended their longest winning streak since 2004, when they took 10 in a row. Pittsburgh reached the midpoint of its season with the best record in the majors at 51-30.
Gaby Sanchez led off the 14th with an infield single. With one out, he stole second for his first steal in more than a year. After a walk, Martin hit a soft liner to center off Francisco Rodriguez (1-1).
Sanchez chugged around third and slid home ahead of the throw by Carlos Gomez.
Vin Mazzaro pitched five perfect innings. He was among six Pirates relievers who combined for 11 scoreless innings after Charlie Morton was pulled following a rain delay of 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Justin Wilson, Bryan Morris, Jason Grilli and Mark Melancon each pitched a scoreless inning following Mazzaro ? allowing a total of two hits and no walks.
Tony Watson (2-1) struck out four in three hitless innings.
Andrew McCutchen hit a tying single in the Pittsburgh eighth.
Bidding for the franchise's first winning season or playoff berth in 21 years, surprising Pittsburgh enters July with the most wins in the majors. The crowd of 35,351 was about three 3,000 shy of capacity, snapping the PNC Park-record sellout streak of five games.
The vast majority of those on hand waited out a downpour not long after Milwaukee scored an unearned run in the second inning off of Morton, making his fourth start since returning from 2012 elbow surgery.
The Pirates trailed for roughly the next four hours ? after the delay, Tyler Thornburg and Mazzaro traded shutout innings ? until tying it in the eighth against Jim Henderson. Marte walked with one out, advanced on a groundout and came home on McCutchen's single.
The Pirates almost won it in the ninth, loading the bases against former Pittsburgh pitcher Michael Gonzalez. But pinch-hitter Brandon Inge struck out swinging to end the inning.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases again in the 13th with one out, but Rodriguez got Pedro Alvarez to ground into a 3-6-3 double play. Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke utilized five infielders ? all playing in ? for the sequence.
Martin Maldonado had three hits for Milwaukee, which got its only run when Yuniesky Betancourt came home on Logan Schafer's bunt in the second.
NOTES: LF Schafer robbed Sanchez of a home run by reaching over the left-center field wall for a catch in the seventh. ... After a team off-day Monday, Pirates LHP Jeff Locke (7-1, 2.06) carries a personal seven-game winning streak into Tuesday's series opener against Philadelphia. The visiting Phillies counter with rookie RHP Jonathan Pettibone (3-3, 4.17). ... After the Brewers begin a four-game series in Washington on Monday, the lone NL team they will have yet to face will be the New York Mets.
Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-30-BBN-Brewers-Pirates/id-187240ea39d34f6a894412fc0728d3e2
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Gay Nuptials Resume in California (WSJ)
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BlackBerry still promising BBM for iOS before the end of the summer
We're still getting asked this all the time, so just in case you were wondering, BBM ? aka BlackBerry Messenger ? is still coming to iOS, and it'll be with us by the end of the summer. BlackBerry CEO, Thorsten Heins, used this mornings earnings call to let us know, but didn't provide any other, more specific details. And, since we're only just at the beginning of summer, it's not likely its just around the corner. Ah, well. Who's waiting, oh so patiently, for BBM?
More: CrackBerry earnings call live blog
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/3zflYjegVGs/story01.htm
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NFL says no to promoting Obamacare (Washington Post)
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128838/Startup_Plans_Constellation_of_Tiny_Monitoring_Satellites
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INSIGHT: From remote Mauritania, hacker fights for Islam worldwide
By Elise Knutsen
DAKAR (Reuters) - In Nouakchott, a dusty city wedged between the Atlantic ocean and western dunes of the Sahara, a young hip-hop fan coordinates a diverse group of hackers targeting websites worldwide in the name of Islam.
Logging on to his computer, he greets his Facebook followers with a "good morning all" in English before posting links to 746 websites they have hacked in the last 48 hours along with his digital calling card: a half-skull, half-cyborg Guy Fawkes mask.
He calls himself Mauritania Attacker, after the remote Islamic republic in west Africa from which he leads a youthful group scattered across the Maghreb, southeast Asia and the West.
As jihadists battle regional governments from the deserts of southern Algeria to the scrubland of north Nigeria, Mauritania Attacker says the hacking collective which he founded, AnonGhost, is fighting for Islam using peaceful means.
"We're not extremists," he said, via a Facebook account which a cyber security expert identified as his. "AnonGhost is a team that hacks for a cause. We defend the dignity of Muslims."
During a series of conversations via Facebook, the 23-year-old spoke of his love of house music and hip hop, and the aims of his collective, whose targets have included U.S. and British small businesses and the oil industry.
He represents a new generation of Western-style Islamists who promote religious conservatism and traditional values, and oppose those they see as backing Zionism and Western hegemony.
In April, AnonGhost launched a cyber attack dubbed OpIsrael that disrupted access to several Israeli government websites, attracting the attention of security experts worldwide.
"AnonGhost is considered one of the most active groups of hacktivists of the first quarter of 2013," said Pierluigi Paganini, security analyst and editor of Cyber Defense magazine.
An online archive of hacked Web sites, Hack DB, lists more than 10,400 domains AnonGhost defaced in the past seven months.
Mauritania, a poor desert nation straddling the Arab Maghreb and black sub-Saharan Africa, is an unlikely hacker base. It has 3.5 million inhabitants spread across an area the size of France and Germany, and only 3 percent of them have Internet access.
Much of the population lives in the capital Nouakchott, which has boomed from a town of less than 10,000 people 40 years ago to a sprawling, ramshackle city of a million inhabitants. In its suburbs, tin and cinderblock shanties battle the Sahara's encroaching dunes and desert nomads stop to water their camels.
In the past six months experts have noted an increase in hacking activity from Mauritania and neighbouring countries. In part, that reflects Mauritania Attacker's role in connecting pockets of hackers, said Carl Herberger, vice president of security solutions at Radware.
"This one figure, Mauritania Attacker, is kind a figure who brings many of these groups together," Herberger told Reuters.
MODERN TECHNOLOGY, ANCIENT MISSION
Mauritania Attacker says his activities are split between cyber cafes and his home, punctuated by the five daily Muslim prayers.
Well-educated, he speaks French and Arabic among other languages and updates his social media accounts regularly with details of the latest defacements and email hacks. He would not say how he made a living.
His cyber threats are often accented with smiley faces and programmer slang, and he posts links to dancefloor hits and amusing Youtube videos. But his message is a centuries-old Islamist call for return to religious purity.
"Today Islam is divisive and corrupt," he said in an online exchange. "We have abandoned the Koran."
Mauritanian Attacker aims to promote "correct Islam" by striking at servers hosted by countries they see as hostile to sharia law. "There is no Islam without sharia," he said.
Mauritania is renowned for its strict Islamic law. The sale of alcohol is forbidden and it is one of only a handful of states where homosexuality and atheism are punished by death.
The quality of Mauritania's religious scholars and koranic schools, or madrassas, attract students from around the world. Mauritanians have risen to prominent positions in regional jihadist groups, including al Qaeda's north African branch AQIM.
As hackers from the region organise into groups, the Maghreb is emerging as a haven for hacktivism as it lacks the laws and means to prosecute cyber criminals, Herberger said.
"There's a great degree of anonymity and there's a great degree of implied impunity," he said.
Security sources in Nouakchott said they were not aware of the activities of Mauritania Attacker.
He says he supports Islamists in Mauritania but opposes his government's support for the West, which sees the country as one of its main allies in its fight against al Qaeda in the region.
With tech-savy young Muslims in the Maghreb chafing under repressive regimes, analysts anticipate a rise in hacktivism.
Hacking is a way for young people to express religious and political views without being censored, says Aaron Zelin, fellow at the Washington Institute.
"These societies are relatively closed in terms of people's ability to openly discuss topics that are taboo," he said.
For disillusioned youth in countries like Mauritania, where General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz seized power in a 2008 coup before winning elections the next year, hacking has become "a way of expressing their distaste with status quo," Zelin said.
JURY OUT ON GROUP'S REACH
AnonGhost's global reach is its greatest weapon, but it has yet to stage a major attack on a Western economic target.
Most of AnonGhost's campaigns have simply defaced Web sites, ranging from kosher dieting sites to American weapon aficionado blogs, with messages about Islam and anti-Zionism.
It has attacked servers, often hosting small business websites, located in the United States, Brazil, France, Israel and Germany among others.
Mauritania Attacker and the AnonGhost crew say these countries have "betrayed Muslims" by supporting Israel and by participating in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"We are the new generation of Muslims and we are not stupid," read a message posted on the Web site of a party supply business in Italy. "We represent Islam. We fight together. We stand together. We die together."
The team has also leaked email credentials, some belonging to government workers from the United States and elsewhere.
As part of a June 20 operation against the oil industry, carried out alongside the international hacking network Anonymous, Mauritania Attacker released what he said were the email addresses and passwords for employees of Total.
A spokesperson for the French oil major did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
One security expert said AnonGhost's attacks exploited "well-known vulnerabilities in configurations of servers" in target countries rather than going after high-profile companies.
Carl Herberger, vice president of security solutions at Radware, remains unconvinced AnonGhost has the technical skills to wage full-scale cyber terrorism by harming operational capabilities of companies or government agencies.
"The jury is still out," he said, but cautioned against underestimating the emerging group. "You're never quite sure what they're going to do on the offensive, so they have to be right only once and you have to be right always."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/insight-remote-mauritania-hacker-fights-islam-worldwide-114622150.html
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Student debt stalemate will hammer millions of undergrads
student-loans
Sharon Epperson CNBC.com
CHITOSE SUZUKI / AP file
Boston College students walk across the college campus in Boston, March 29, 2005.
Time is running out for Congress to act. And low-income college students will pay a high price if a deal can't be reached by Monday's deadline.
Interest rates on many new subsidized Stafford loans will skyrocket?from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent?on Monday, unless the Senate reaches a compromise.
Read More: Senate Can't Save Student Loan Rates
More than 7 million undergraduates receive these loans, for which the federal government pays the interest while the students are enrolled in school.
But the nation's student debt crisis affects so many more.
More than 38 million Americans have student loan debt, totaling nearly $1 trillion, a staggering number that has quadrupled in 10 years and keeps rising. Student loan debt now surpasses credit card and auto loan debt in this country?and it's only expected to get worse before it gets better.
Most in Congress agree the loan rates should to stay lower than 6.8 percent, at least for the subsidized Stafford loans used by the country's lowest-income students. But they're stuck on how to get there.
Republicans want to let the rates fluctuate with the markets every year and use the proceeds for deficit reduction. Democrats say that's unreasonable and want to cap how fast rates can rise.
"I see the debate about interest rates as a distraction from the real problem, which is the amount of debt," said Mark Kantrowitz, founder of FinAid.org and senior vice president and publisher of Edvisors.com.
"Each year the average cost of graduation goes up by about $1,000 or more. And having less expensive debt is going not going to make much of a difference if the total amount owed keeps on going up."
A study done this spring by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that the share of 25-year-olds with student debt has increased from just 25 percent in 2003 to 43 percent in 2012. The average student loan balance among those 25-year-olds with student debt grew by 91 percent over that time, from $10,649 in 2003 to $20,326 in 2012.
The amount of debt has risen as tuition, room, board, fees and other college expenses have soared. The cost of attending college has risen about 4 percent in the past year alone?and has far outpaced the rate of inflation in recent years.
Total charges for a full-time undergraduate at an in-state public college rose from $17,136 in 2011-2012 to $17,860 in 2012-2013, according to the College Board. Private college costs for one year totaled $39,518 in the past year, up from $37,971 the previous academic year.
"Grants are not keeping pace with the increases in college costs," Kantrowitz said. "When grants are relatively stagnant or even going down that causes students to borrow more."
But many families don't plan or try to calculate the total cost of attendance for a student's college and graduate studies?and that may be at the crux of the student debt crisis.
Sallie Mae CEO Jack Remondi said poor planning exacerbates a borrower's burden, regardless of the rate on the loan. Sallie Mae is the largest provider of private student loans.
"If you overborrow, whether the rate is 4 percent or 7 percent, you're still going to encounter difficulties," Remondi said. "A plan that takes into consideration what your income potential is going to be when you graduate and what that debt burden is going to be is critical."
Unfortunately, many students and parents have failed College Planning 101.
Less than a third of low-income parents said they knew how they would pay for their child's college education before they enrolled, according to a Sallie Mae study. Only 37 percent of middle-income families had a plan. Among high-income families, only slightly more than half said they had a plan to pay for college before their children enrolled.
Yet this critical lesson can significantly cut borrowing costs: As long as your total student debt at graduation is less than your annual income, you should be able to pay back your student loans in 10 years or less, Kantrowitz said.
Keeping that formula in mind when choosing a college, graduate school and course of study can help students significantly cut borrowing costs.
?By CNBC's Sharon Epperson. Follow her on Twitter @sharon_epperson.
Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/663286/s/2def8c16/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Cbusiness0Cstudent0Edebt0Estalemate0Ewill0Ehammer0Emillions0Eundergrads0E6C10A480A484/story01.htm
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The FDA Has Shuttered 1,677 Illegal Prescription Drugs Websites
We've all seen those pop-up ads peddling discount prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies. Ohhhh! Cheap Xanax! They always seem a little dubious, but as of this week, you're probably going to see fewer of them. In partnership with international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, the FDA has just shut down 1,677 illegal online pharmacies, and seized a whopping $41,104,386 worth of illegal drugs.
A lot of these websites looked legal from the outside?many claimed to be Canadian pharmacies offering "brand name" or "FDA-approved" drugs. They would show fake licences and certifications so U.S. buyers would think they were okay, when in reality, many of these sites were pushing fake 'scrips. Seized sites have been marked very clearly with a banner identifying them as illegal, like the one seen above. Any doubts you ever had that a URL like c-v-s-pharmacy dot com was legit can be put to rest. [FDA]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/the-fda-has-shuttered-1-677-illegal-prescription-drugs-596585072
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iMore weekly photo contest: Sunsets!
Alright iPhoneographers, our weekly photo contest is back! This week, the topic will be sunsets. It's summer time and we know lots of you are out and about whether it's on a beach, hiking, or doing other fun summer activities. Sunsets are one of the most beautiful things in nature and summer is a perfect time to catch lots of them. We want to see what kind of sunsets you're seeing where you're at.
The contest begins today and ends Tuesday, July 2nd, at 10pm Eastern time.
The prize: A 4-pack of 5x5" DeepSquare Prints of your own photos
In addition to a thumbs up from the iMore crew and all of us yelling about how great of an iPhoneographer you are, you'll also win a 4-pack of 5x5 inch DeepSquare Prints from our friends over at Static Pixels who were nice enough to sponsor this week's photo contest.
Static Pixels will allow you to turn any four of your photos into beautiful DeepSquare prints to hang on your own walls.
The rules of entry are very simple. The photo must have been taken with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch (we'll check the EXIF data of the original file to verify) and any edits must have been done with an iPhone or iPad app. No Photoshop, Lightroom, or other external editing programs! If you have external lens accessories such as an Olloclip or other snap-on lens, you are more than welcome to use them.
You can submit as many photos as you'd like, but remember, this is a contest, so make sure you submit your best work!
Now, before you run off to take your photo, remember that it's not technical skill alone that will claim this prize. Even if you're not the best photographer (yet!), a great eye and a great subject can still get you the win.
However, a little help can never hurt, so make sure you check out our iPhone photography series for some tips.
Submitting your photos is easy. just head over to the iMore Photography Forum and post your photos to the official contest thread. Don't forget to state which apps, if any, you used to edit your photo!
That's it! Now go out and shoot!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/4LnTTsTd8L4/story01.htm
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FACTORY78: Free Media and business networking conference 24th ...
MBW to bring together UK Black leading entrepreneurs in what has been described as the first of a kind Conference.
Free media and business networking conference 24th August 2013 at University College London.
MBW PR and creative agency is a new approach created by the African super woman Faustina Anyanwu to help African women and other women of colour in business and entertainment to take their place in the global branding. MBW which simply means My Black Woman was born over a 2 year close observation and experience in the media and business. Having started her own business from scratch without a prior experience in the industry, Faustina who (is) was a Nigerian Nurse Midwife, has proven that dreams do come true by self training herself and publishing one of the best African magazines ever in the UK, has over the few years in the industry discovered the loop hole for which African women have fallen behind in global branding.
Understanding the importance of approaching the media appropriately as a medium to get your business in the global scene, and having seen that African enterprises at this moment have not realized this important strategy in adding value to their worth. Speaking of the need for African women to embrace the media as a powerful tool in putting themselves forward, Faustina says, ?There are businesses and there are brands, these are two different things by mile. There is not going to be total liberation until we embrace reading and the media as an essential tool?.?
Our people are yet to understand the real power of the media in pushing brands and setting trends. This is what we want to share with the entrepreneurs. This time it is free for all to attend but in the years to come people may have to pay tens of pounds to get a ticket to the now annual conferenceThe event has been designed to be fun, educational, interactive and relaxed to enable all who attend to have something to take home from it.?
?We want to see more and more Black owned businesses taking coming up especially here in the UK, I know we can do it says Engr VCA the publisher of C.Hub magazine and one of the key speakers at the conference?. Also giving the keynote lecture is one of London?s most powerful business consultants ? Morton Patterson of mortonpatterson consulting .?
Also speaking is the women4Africa Co-Founder and media icon Tola Onigbanjo, Beverly Andrews who is an established name in the Jewish community and a PR guru who used her know how to push her film making to the top of UK?s film lists. We also will have Nena Ubani of Duchess TV , we also are lucky to have Obi Emelonye Last Flight to Abuja Director and first Nollywood global star coming to grace the occasion, media houses confirmed to attend the conference are Tropics Magazine editor Valerie. We also have some more surprises in stock to wow the audience making it an unforgettable event of their lives.?
There will of course be refreshment for all attendants. Those with VIP tickets will however be treated to free copies of latest C.Hub magazine .
This conference will be hosted by Dr Page Ben of University College London and Faustina who will also be speaking. It is also expected that MBW will unveil her plans for the Black woman and Black businessmen and women come 24th August 2013. It is a bank holiday that can not be wasted.?
For more information and or interviews please contact
Gayle- 07908769102
Source: http://www.factory78.com/2013/06/free-media-and-business-networking.html
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This Photo Makes Me Want to Go to Mars Right Now
NASA just has released this photo captured almost two weeks ago during spacesuit check tests at the Orion Crew Module mockup. I cannot stop staring at it in awe - it is almost the real thing, it gives you a heavy deja vu, because you saw such scenes billion times when you crawled through the NASA image archives of the Apollo missions.
It is good to see the almost final version of the Orion mockup, in 2011 I visited the Building 9 at Johnson Space Center, where I was lucky to take a look at the mockup being under construction:
Photo: Attila Nagy
I strongly wish the bold plans that NASA is dreaming about come true. Against all odds. Here is the full photo and caption:
Stepping into the Orion Crew Module NASA astronauts Cady Coleman and Ricky Arnold step into the Orion crew module hatch during a series of spacesuit check tests conducted on June 13, 2013 at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the agency?s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Orion crew module will serve as both transport and a home to astronauts during future long-duration missions to an asteroid, Mars and other destinations throughout our solar system.
Photo: NASA
Source: http://space.io9.com/this-photo-makes-me-wanna-go-to-mars-right-now-572700511
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Posted by gramskimberlee22 at 4:23 AM No comments:
Paula Deen Loses Major Endorsement Deal Over Ham-Handed Remarks
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/paula-deen-loses-major-endorsement-deal-over-ham-handed-remarks/
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Kris Jenner on North West: Happy! Healthy! Amazing!
Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/kris-jenner-on-north-west-happy-healthy-amazing/
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Websites in 2 Koreas shut down on war anniversary
A man walks by a gate at Cyber Terror Response Center of National Police Agency in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 25, 2013. South Korea said multiple government and private sector websites were hacked on Tuesday's anniversary of the start of the Korean War, and Seoul issued a cyberattack alert warning officials and citizens to take security measures. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Members of Korea Freedom Federation wave their national flags during a ceremony to mark the 63rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 25, 2013. The three-year Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, when Soviet tank-led North Koreans invaded South Korea. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
South Korean elementary school students participate in a ceremony to mark the 63rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 25, 2013. The three-year Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950, when Soviet tank-led North Koreans invaded South Korea. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? Major government and media websites in South and North Korea were shut down for hours Tuesday on the 63rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War, and Seoul said its sites were hacked and alerted people to take security measures against cyberattacks.
It was not immediately clear if the shutdown of North Korean websites, including those belong to Air Koryo and the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, was due to those sites being hacked. Rodong Sinmun, Uriminzokkiri and Naenara websites were operational a few hours later.
South Korean National Intelligence Service officials said they were investigating what may have caused the shutdown of the North Korean websites, and North Korea didn't make any immediate comment.
Seoul said experts were also investigating attacks on the websites of the South Korean presidential Blue House and prime minister's office, and some media servers.
Tuesday's attacks in South Korea did not appear to be as serious as a March cyberattack that shut down tens of thousands of computers and servers at South Korean broadcasters and banks. There were no initial reports Tuesday that banks had been hit or that sensitive military or other key infrastructure had been compromised.
It wasn't immediately clear who was responsible, and North and South Korea have traded accusations of cyberattacks in recent years.
Operators of several Twitter accounts who purported to be part of a global hackers' collective claimed that they attacked North Korean websites. The Associated Press received no answer to several requests to speak to the Twitter users. Shin Hong-soon, an official at South Korea's science ministry in charge of online security, said that the government was not able to confirm whether these hackers were linked to Tuesday's attack on South Korean websites.
South Korean officials blamed Pyongyang for the March attacks and said in April that an initial investigation pointed to a North Korean military-run spy agency as the culprit.
North Korea in recent weeks has pushed for diplomatic talks with Washington. But tensions ran high on the Korean Peninsula in March and April, with North Korea delivering regular threats over U.N. sanctions and U.S.-South Korean military drills.
Investigators detected similarities between the March cyberattack and past hacking attributed to the North Korean spy agency, including the recycling of 30 previously used malware programs ? out of a total of 76 used in the attack, South Korea's internet security agency said.
The March 20 cyberattack struck 48,000 computers and servers, hampering banks for two to five days. Officials have said that no bank records or personal data were compromised. Staffers at TV broadcasters KBS, MBC and YTN were unable to log on to news systems for several days, although programming continued during that period. No government, military or infrastructure targets were affected.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service said North Korea was behind a denial of service attack in 2009 that crippled dozens of websites, including that of the presidential office. Seoul also believes the North was responsible for cyberattacks on servers of Nonghyup bank in 2011 and Joongang Ilbo, a national daily newspaper, in 2012.
North Korea also blamed South Korea and the United States for cyberattacks in March that temporarily disabled Internet access and websites in North Korea, where a small number of people can go online.
Experts believe North Korea trains large teams of cyber warriors and that the South and its allies should be prepared against possible attacks on key infrastructure and military systems. If the inter-Korean conflict were to move into cyberspace, South Korea's deeply wired society would have more to lose than North Korea's, which largely remains offline.
Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-25-Koreas-Cyberattack/id-f4d09ecf60c64bb69d5519a51e6d11d2
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Sanofi plans late-stage diabetes combo drug tests in 2014
A 19-year-old Michigan man celebrated his birthday for the first time late last year after spending the first 18 years of his life not knowing when he was born, reports MLive.com. "It was pretty awesome to have a birthday," said Noah Boyce of his special day?Dec. 10, 1993. His father, David Boyce, had repudiated his [...]
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sanofi-plans-stage-diabetes-combo-drug-tests-2014-121543793.html
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You Can Finally Buy the Magical Spray That Waterproofs Everything
We first heard about Rust-Oleum's liquid-repelling product, NeverWet almost two years ago. It looked absolutely magical, and now you can finally buy it.
Home Depot is carrying NeverWet for $20 a can. Spray the silicon-based coating on electronics, clothing, or almost any surface and it'll become almost completely impervious to moisture. Of course, we're skeptical until we try it out ourselves. But in the convincing demo you see liquid hit a surface and immediately scurry away without leaving any damage. Spill mustard on your white shoes? Don't worry about it. Drop your iPhone in the toilet? It will survive. We've all had accidents with our expensive gadgets, so a $20 waterproofing solution is hard to disagree with. Just, you know, try not to inhale it. [NeverWet via LancasterOnline]
Source: http://gizmodo.com/you-can-finally-buy-the-magical-spray-that-waterproofs-563613333
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Egypt court: Brotherhood members planned jailbreak
CAIRO (AP) ? An Egyptian court on Sunday said Muslim Brotherhood members conspired with Hamas, Hezbollah and local militants to storm a prison in 2011 and free 34 Brotherhood leaders, including the future President Mohammed Morsi.
The court statement read by judge Khaled Mahgoub named two members of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood ? Ibrahim Haggag and Sayed Ayad ? to be among the alleged conspirators in the attack on Wadi el-Natroun prison on Jan. 29, 2011.
It is the first statement by a court that holds members of the three Islamist groups ? the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the Palestinian Hamas, and Lebanon's Hezbollah ? responsible for a series of jailbreaks during the chaos of Egypt's 2011 uprising. Two other prisons in which Hamas and Hezbollah members were held were also attacked.
Morsi and other Brotherhood leaders have maintained that they were freed by local residents. Hamas, the Palestinian chapter of the Brotherhood, has denied involvement in the attacks on prisons.
The court statement is likely to further fuel opposition to Morsi's rule just a week before his opponents are scheduled to stage massive protests to force him out of office. The planned June 30 demonstrations mark his first anniversary in office as Egypt's first freely elected leader.
The past year has seen growing polarization as Egypt struggles with a host of problems that many accuse Morsi of failing to effectively tackle. They include surging crime, rising prices, power cuts, fuel shortages and unemployment.
Morsi has not spoken publicly about his escape from Wadi el-Natroun since he gave an account of what happened in a frantic phone call he made to Al-Jazeera Mubasher TV moments after being freed.
"From the noises we heard ... It seemed to us there were (prisoners) attempting to get out of their cells and break out into the prison yard and the prison authorities were trying to regain control and fired tear gas," Morsi said in the call.
By the time they got out, the prison was empty, and there was no sign of a major battle, he said.
The prison breaks took place during the 18-day popular uprising that toppled the 29-year regime of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The breaks led to a flood of some 23,000 criminals onto the streets, fueling a crime wave that continues to this day. Among those who escaped were around 40 members of Hamas and Hezbollah as well as the 34 Brotherhood leaders.
A total of 26 top police, prison and intelligence officials have testified before the court, which held its hearings in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia. Some gave their testimony in closed session.
The case began in January when a former inmate appealed a three-month sentence passed by a lower court that convicted him of escaping Wadi el-Natroun. The defendant was acquitted by judge Mahgoub, who on Sunday referred to prosecutors the testimonies and evidence gathered during the trial on the jailbreak at Wadi el-Natroun in order "to reveal the truth and honor the state's right to mete out justice."
There was no immediate word from the office of the country's top prosecutor on whether his office planned to take up the case.
In Egypt's polarized political climate, Morsi's opponents have been using his escape from Wadi el-Natroun against him, saying friends of the Brotherhood violated the country's security and fed its instability. The eagerness of some in the intelligence and security agencies to blame Hamas could in part reflect resentment of the Brotherhood's ties with the militant group, which they have long seen as a threat.
The Wadi el-Natroun prison in which Morsi and his Brotherhood comrades were held is part of a four-jail complex northwest of Cairo. A total of 11,171 inmates were released from the complex. Thirteen inmates were also killed, according to Mahgoub, who said the attackers used machine-guns mounted on pickup trucks and SUVs as well as huge earth-moving vehicles that demolished parts of the walls and gates.
The last two hearings of the trial witnessed scuffles between supporters and opponents of Morsi. Sunday's hearing was held amid tight security with stringent control over who gets to enter the tiny courtroom.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-court-brotherhood-members-planned-jailbreak-093513553.html
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Sharapova beats Mladenovic in Wimbledon's 1st Rd
Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts after winning the first set against Kristina Mladenovic of France during their Women's first round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
Maria Sharapova of Russia serves to Kristina Mladenovic of France during their Women's first round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
Kristina Mladenovic of France serves to Maria Sharapova of Russia during their Women's first round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)
LONDON (AP) ? Done with her pre-tournament verbal volleying with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova improved to 11-0 in first-round matches at Wimbledon by beating 37th-ranked Kristina Mladenovic of France 7-6 (5), 6-3 Monday.
The third-seeded Sharapova, who won her first Grand Slam title at the All England Club in 2004, struggled through the opening set. But at 5-all in the tiebreaker, Sharapova hit a cross-court backhand winner to earn a set point, which she quickly converted with an over-the-shoulder backhand volley winner off Mladenovic's lob.
Sharapova drew attention over the weekend by delivering a sharp news-conference rebuke to Williams over critical comments attributed to the top-seeded American in a recent magazine article.
Williams has won their last 13 head-to-head matches, including the French Open final this month.
Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-24-Wimbledon-Sharapova/id-3955cdbcd77944368fe42169010d6798
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Wing walker, pilot die in crash at Ohio air show
CINCINNATI (AP) ? A plane carrying a wing walker crashed at an air show and exploded into flames Saturday, killing the pilot and stunt walker, authorities said.
The crash of the 450 HP Stearman happened at around 12:45 p.m. at the Vectren Air Show near Dayton in front of thousands of horrified spectators. No one else was hurt.
A video posted on WHIO-TV shows the plane turn upside-down as the performer sits on top of the wing. The plane then tilts and crashes to the ground, erupting into flames as spectators screamed.
Ian Hoyt, an aviation photographer and licensed pilot from Findlay, was at the show with his girlfriend. He told The Associated Press he was taking photos as the plane passed by and had just raised his camera to take another shot.
"Then I realized they were too low and too slow. And before I knew it, they hit the ground," he said.
He couldn't tell exactly what happened, but it appeared that the plane stalled and didn't have enough air speed, he said. He credited the pilot for steering clear of spectators and potentially saving lives.
"Had he drifted more, I don't know what would have happened," Hoyt said. He said he had been excited to see the show because he'd never seen the scheduled performer ? wing walker Jane Wicker ? in action.
On the video, the announcer narrates as the plane glides through the sky and rolls over while the stuntwoman perches on a wing.
"Now she's still on that far side. Keep an eye on Jane. Keep an eye on Charlie. Watch this! Jane Wicker, sitting on top of the world," the announcer said, right before the plane makes a quick turn and nosedive.
Federal records show that biplane was registered to Wicker, who lived in Loudon, Va. A man who answered the phone at a number listed for Wicker on her website said he had no comment and hung up.
One of the pilots listed on Wicker's website was named Charlie Schwenker. A post on Jane Wicker Airshows' Facebook page announced the deaths of Wicker and Schwenker and asked for prayers for their families.
A message left at a phone listing for Charles Schwenker in Oakton, Va., wasn't immediately returned.
Dayton International Airport spokeswoman Linda Hughes and Ohio State Highway Patrol Lt. Anne Ralston confirmed that a pilot and stunt walker had died but declined to give their names. The air show also declined to release their identities.
The show was canceled for the rest of the day, but organizers said events would resume Sunday and follow the previous schedule and normal operations. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash.
Another spectator, Shawn Warwick of New Knoxville, told the Dayton Daily News that he was watching the flight through binoculars.
"I noticed it was upside-down really close to the ground. She was sitting on the bottom of the plane," he said. "I saw it just go right into the ground and explode."
Than Tran, of Fairfield, said he could see a look of concern on the wing walker's face just before the plane went down.
"She looked very scared," he said. "Then the airplane crashed on the ground. After that, it was terrible, man ... very terrible."
Wicker's website says she responded to a classified ad from the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, Va., in 1990, for a wing-walking position, thinking it would be fun. She was a contract employee who worked as a Federal Aviation Administration budget analyst, the FAA said.
She told WDTN-TV in an interview this week that her signature move was hanging underneath the plane's wing by her feet and sitting on the bottom of the airplane while it's upside-down.
"I'm never nervous or scared because I know if I do everything as I usually do, everything's going to be just fine," she told the station.
Wicker wrote on her website that she had never had any close calls.
"What you see us do out there is after an enormous amount of practice and fine tuning, not to mention the airplane goes through microscopic care. It is a managed risk and that is what keeps us alive," she wrote.
In 2011, wing walker Todd Green fell 200 feet to his death at an air show in Michigan while performing a stunt in which he grabbed the skid of a helicopter.
In 2007, veteran stunt pilot Jim LeRoy was killed at the Dayton show when his biplane slammed into the runway while performing loop-to-loops and caught fire.
Organizers were presenting a trimmed-down show and expected smaller crowds at Dayton after the Air Force Thunderbirds and other military participants pulled out this year because of federal budget cuts.
The air show, one of the country's oldest, usually draws around 70,000 people and has a $3.2 million impact on the local economy. Without military aircraft and support, the show expected attendance to be off 30 percent or more.
Thomas reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Kerry Lester in Chicago and Randy Pennell in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
Raw video of crash: http://bit.ly/11Vf7JA
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wing-walker-pilot-die-crash-ohio-air-show-191655523.html
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Diverse faith leaders unite over religious freedom concerns ...
Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2013 / 06:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Religious leaders from a variety of faith backgrounds are speaking out against the declining role of religion in society, as well as threats to religious freedom for all faith groups.
?Our biggest challenge is coming from those who want to challenge the role of religion in society,? said Rabbi Abba Cohen, vice president for federal affairs and Washington director of Agudath Israel of America.
?We live in a world now where threats to one religion could certainly affect others,? he told CNA.
Rabbi Cohen was one of numerous religious leaders to attend the 2013 National Religious Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Ethics and Public Policy Center?s American Religious Freedom Program, the event featured presentations and discussions by Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Latter-day Saint, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish Orthodox, Seventh-day Adventist, Muslim and Sikh speakers.
The speakers join a growing number of religious freedom advocates who have voiced fears over increasing threats to religious liberty within the United States. The second Fortnight for Freedom ? announced by the U.S. bishops with the participation of those from a variety of faith backgrounds ? is currently underway as a special time of prayer, education and action on behalf of religious freedom, particularly in the areas of health care, marriage, immigration and social aid.
Among the concerns raised by the bishops and members of other faiths is a new mandate issued by the Department of Health and Human Services to require employers to offer health insurance covering contraception, sterilization and some early abortion drugs, even if doing so violates their firmly held religious beliefs.
Rabbi Cohen explained that while the HHS mandate does not require his community to violate their beliefs, ?nonetheless, we have weighed in very strongly? on the issue ?because it might create general principles, general perceptions of religion that could affect all religions.?
?If there?s hostility towards religion, that?s going to result in bad regulation, and if there?s bad regulation, that in turn is going to result in more hostility towards religion,? he explained.
?That has an effect on the American psyche.?
The rabbi also noted that ?a lot of the rhetoric that surrounds that dispute is one of compromise,? in which the government will provide some accommodations if religions give up some of their terms.
?That belittles the right of religion, but also the role of religion,? he said.
The Very Reverend Dr. Chad Hatfield, Chancellor of St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, echoed the Rabbi Cohen?s statements, telling CNA that ?I think that there is a clamp-down on religious liberty in this country, but it?s so incredibly simple that we aren?t catching the signs.?
?If one religious identity?s freedoms are taken, then all suffer,? he added.
He warned, however, against over-correction, such as moves by the Russian Orthodox Church to establish Russian Orthodoxy as the official state religion.
?There is a problem when the Church relies on the fist of Caesar to protect it rather than the loving hand of Jesus,? he cautioned, although he noted that ?the government should guarantee us our freedom to express ourselves.?
Shaykha Reima Yosif, who started an organization to empower Muslim women through the arts, noted the threat in the U.S. posed by ?small groups trying to dictate what is religion, and small groups trying to infringe upon people maintaining their particular religious identity and practicing their faith in their own way.?
The disrespect of religious freedom leads to discrimination as well as other ill effects on society, she explained, saying that? ?we are really debilitating the economic wellbeing of society? with restrictions on religious practice.
Tags: Religious freedom
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Source: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/diverse-faith-leaders-unite-over-religious-freedom-concerns/
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2 Lebanese soldiers killed in clashes in south
BEIRUT (AP) ? A Lebanese security official says clashes have erupted in the south between Lebanese factions supporting opposing sides in the Syrian civil war. Two Lebanese soldiers were killed.
It's the latest spillover from the civil war next door.
The official says supporters of a radical Sunni cleric and Shiite gunmen fired machine guns and rocket propelled grenades in fighting that broke out Sunday in Sidon, a port city in southern Lebanon.
Two soldiers were killed and four others were wounded, the official said. He spoke anonymously in line with regulations.
The fighting began when followers of Sheik Ahmad al-Assir opened fire at an army checkpoint. Al-Assir is a critic of Hezbollah, which is fighting in Syria alongside President Bashar Assad's army. Al-Assir's followers support Sunni rebels fighting to topple Assad's regime.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-lebanese-soldiers-killed-clashes-south-131957227.html
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Volvo demos smartphone-enabled self-parking car prototype (video)
Volvo's no stranger to autonomous vehicles -- it's been working on SARTRE for several years now -- but yesterday the company shared some info about a new self-parking concept it plans to demo next week. The prototype car (a V40) is able to find a space and park in it without a driver on board, all while avoiding pedestrians, vehicles and other obstacles. What's most interesting is the level of integration Volvo is showcasing here -- sensors, electronics and controls are seamlessly built into the car, making the tech look production-ready. Vehicle to infrastructure communication is used to alert the driver when the service is available, and the car is smartphone-enabled for easy drop-off and pickup. You'll recall that Audi showed a similar self-parking concept at CES, so it certainly looks like the space is heating up. Hit the break for Volvo's video and PR.
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Mobile
Via: Autoblog
Source: Volvo
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/8WKf1yVs_cU/
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Supported by Startup Europe – European Commission, SEN HGL is a community of national policy makers, programme leaders, officers of EU bodies and Member States (MSs) developed to catalyse government actions aimed at shaping a policy framework friendly for tech entrepreneurship ecosystems.
Under this idea, the forum also serves to connect with tech entrepreneurship community (startups/scaleups, investors, corporates/mid-caps, etc.) so that group members have first-hand information that can help then to define MSs actions in the area.
What is the idea behind SEN HGL?
Every day it is getting more and more apparent that tech entrepreneurs and startups are creating a lot of added value in Europe. This added value is not only money but also a lot of growth and jobs. Young companies power job creation, with enterprises five years or younger generating almost 50% of all new jobs according to OECD, and also contribute disproportionally to growth with just 6% of firms contributing 50% of growth.
For this reason, we are certain that MSs, through joint actions and working together at all levels, can make Europe a place to be for tech entrepreneurship.
Mapping. Tech entrepreneurial ecosystems in Europe are becoming increasingly complex, with larger numbers of actors and layers. For this reason, policy makers need to have a clear picture of what the pan-European entrepreneurial landscape looks like. SEN HLG aims to develop a clear image so that policy-makers and programme leaders (both at national and EU level) can implement effective measures and policies.
Issues analysis. Many public administrations have entrepreneurship-enabling porgrammes and policies, however their results are not always as good as they might hope. For this reason, SEN HLG wants to promote a culture of trans-national and multi-layered debate to analyse key issues and to develop responsive actions and robust solutions.
Funding tools. With ecosystems mapped and main issues identified, the next step is to take common and tailored actions that foster entrepreneurship-friendly environments. SEN HLG has been created to provide an active forum where members can develop and implement effective funding tools that increase the flow of liquidity available for all actors of the pan-European ecosystem.
Serendipity acceleration. By gathering under a common umbrella, SEN HLG members are likely to stumble upon new and unexplored opportunities that will drive support for entrepreneurial actors. Such opportunities arise from the network's open networking and win-win approach to sharing lessons learned and discussing problems that national public administrations face.
Who is behind SEN HGL?
Startup Olé Accelerator: Startup Olé Accelerator (SOA) has become a landmark in the European entrepreneurial ecosystem thanks to its broad experience in organizing major international tech events such as Startup Olé and by coordinating and actively participating in successful EU-funded projects (Welcome – SEP).
SOA also leads other three Startup Europe Initiatives: Accelerator Assembly, SE University Network and SE LATAM Assembly, connecting accelerators, boosting talent and knowledge transfer between universities and innovation centres and building bridges between European and Latin American Ecosystems.
Such expertise has allowed SOA to develop a broad agenda of contacts (investors, startups/scaleups, corporates/mid-caps, public administrations, media and universities) that bring a high added value to SEN HGL.
Proudly powered by STARTUPOLE ACCELERATOR ©2017. All Rights Reserved.


text:
HomeIn FocusSierra Leonean achievers in USA receive NOSLINA 2015 Awards
Sierra Leonean achievers in USA receive NOSLINA 2015 Awards
May 1, 2015 Abdul Rashid Thomas In Focus 1
Dennis Kabatto
Sierra Leone Telegraph: 01 May 2015
Welcome to the 17th Anniversary of NOSLINA (National Organization of Sierra Leoneans in North America) weekend.
On Saturday, 2nd May 2015, members of Sierra Leone's most prestigious Diaspora establishment – NOSLINA, will gather at Metro Points in New Carrollton, Maryland, USA, to accord awards to 15 deserving individuals and organizations for their impeccable contributions to the amelioration of the plight of Sierra Leoneans both at home and in North America.
What started 17 years ago as a means of strengthening the linkage between Sierra Leoneans at home and in the Diaspora, has evolved, and is now providing serious international and national influence, affecting the lives of countless people.
"This year, the NOSLINA awards are that much more significant, because, whilst each year we have honored those who have gone 'above and beyond' to support Sierra Leone, the past 12 months have been particularly difficult on that nation. The deadly Ebola virus has all but ravaged a country whose healthcare infrastructure was already weak – to say the least," Suna Nallo, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management Professional, who was re-appointed Executive Director of NOSLINA at the organization's elections in October, said in a statement.
Ms Nallo (Photo) said that the people honored this year, took initiatives to relieve the pain, suffering, and other ill effects of those affected by the Ebola virus. "Some people, such as our healthcare workers and including the late Dr. Sheikh Humaar Khan, paid with their lives. Others, such as the Paramount Chiefs of the District of Kailahun implemented processes and mandates which led to the eradication of the disease in their District," she added.
The Grand Chief Patron for the evening is the past President of the Sierra Leone Grammar School Alumni Association Washington, DC Metro Area – Dr. Radcliffe Thomas.
Internationally acclaimed recording artist Freddy Cole "Shabaka", Ms Ebun Taylor and inspirational female leader – Dr. Fuambai Ahmadu (Photo) will host the ceremony.
The Reverend Alice Fitzjohn will receive the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award for her services that has produced tremendous positive impact on Sierra Leoneans in America and the motherland.
Emmerson Bokarie – Sierra Leone's leading popular music artist will provide entertainment. "NOSLINA is very important to my country and I'm always proud to be a part of NOSLINA," Emmerson said during a radio interview last week on Labbrish, a weekly reggae show on Pacifica Network Station WBAI, 99.5 FM New York.
NOSLINA officials are pleased that each of this year's recipients has lived up in their special ways to support the NOSLINA 2015 theme: Lifting the Burden Together, a Time for Healing and Resurgence.
"Together we will prepare the way to help the nation of Sierra Leone heal, come back and indeed surpass it prior status quo."
These are some of the recipients of this year's award:
DISTINGUISHED LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
The Reverend Alice Fitzjohn, for a lifetime of service that has produced tremendous positive impact on Sierra Leoneans both here and in Sierra Leone.
DIAMOND AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE:
"The Organization's Highest Award" The Council of Paramount Chiefs – Kailahun District, for having made a profound impact on innumerable numbers of lives in the Republic of Sierra Leone through efforts at fighting the Ebola disease in Kailahun District, enabling them to be the first area in the country of Sierra Leone to not only start showing a decline, but to eradicate the disease.
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD:
Ms. Fatmata Koroma, Chief Executive Director/Founder of Therapeutic Interventions Inc., for providing Sierra Leoneans and the surrounding and international communities with programs on education, health and wellness.
Mrs. Nora Wellington, CEO/Founder of N. Wellington Associates LLC, for providing coaching and counseling services for elderly citizens and their primary care givers on best-practices associated with long term care.
Mr. Lamin Bah, Founder/President/CEO of Global Clothing Industries, LLC. for providing fulfilling employment for refugees from Sierra Leone, other African nations, and Asia.
Mr. Bankole Jones, CEO/Founder of African Calabash Magazine, for providing a magazine with the main focus of showcasing the culture, lifestyle, education and business relevant to Africans in the Diaspora and at home in Africa.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD:
Annie Walsh Old Girls Association (AWOGA), for working as a team on goals and objectives, including; providing financial and moral support to its alma mater in its mission to educate and develop young girls in Sierra Leone in pursuit of excellence in all areas.
African Foundation for Development in Sierra Leone (AFFORD-SL) for facilitating the creation, protection and maintenance of jobs through practical support of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
Prince of Wales Alumni Association (California Branch), for actively engaging the raising of funds to implement programs geared towards improving education at the Prince of Wales School and ultimately in Sierra Leone.
HUMANITARIAN LEADERSHIP AWARD:
Reverend Gloria Cline-Smythe, for volunteering; offering dedicated service – especially in times of crisis; and working and interacting among all sectors regardless of religious or social backgrounds.
Mrs. Imodale Caulker-Burnett, for starting the Lesana Community Development and Rehabilitation Services (LCDRS) in order to provide support and funding to improve the quality of life for the people of Mambo, Kagboro Chiefdom.
Mrs. Nadia Bangura, for efficiently and effectively providing, for over 20 years, unwaveringly support to the Sierra Leone Community and Diaspora in her capacity of Confidential Assistant to the Ambassador.
DISTINGUISHED POSTHUMOUS AWARD:
Dr. Sheikh Humaar Khan, for his contributions, through his field of medicine, to Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans whose lives he touched, saved, and ultimately died for.
Mrs. Florence Magainda Margai, for having made a profound impact on the people of Sierra Leone, particularly in promoting malaria research and educational support by being instrumental in the founding of a school that services two chiefdoms – Mano SaKrim and Yakemo Kpukumu Krim.
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mohamed Kutubu Koroms says:
Some of the honorees are unworthy of any recognition and this accounts for the organization not being different in orientation than any of the ethnic or cultural entities in the community – not considering professor Alusine Jalloh of the University of Texas, makes NOSLINA a huge joke.
At the very least the PDDA headed by Dr.Joe Nuni should have been considered for recognition.
I am not the least surprised at the narrow mindedness of the selection committee, especially with my friend Kwame Fitzjohn as one of the members of the committee.
Why are Gloria Cline Smythe and Alice Fitzjohn recipients?
If you want to make this truly national next time around, please ask members of the community to suggest candidates. This will help make the exercise indeed worthy of what it is claimed to be.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


At the conclusion to Donkey Kong, Mario captured the great ape once again. Now Mario is carrying Donkey Kong to his hideout, and only Donkey Kong Jr. can rescue his Papa.
Donkey Kong Jr. features four stages set in the jungle and Mario's hideout. The hero must climb to the top of each stage to grab Mario's keys. Nitpickers, Snapjaws and Sparks stand in the way, so Junior must deftly climb the vines and chains to avoid them.
In the final stage, Junior must use the keys to unlock Donkey Kong's cage.
The son of Donkey Kong is a small gorilla with a "J" on his vest. He has to climb through Mario's traps to steal the keys to his Papa's cage.
The giant gorilla has been captured by Mario, and is being carried to Mario's hideout.
The hero of Donkey Kong has turned villain. Mario stands at the top of the screen and sends dangerous creatures after Junior. He holds the keys to Donkey Kong's cage.
A metal crocodile with a chainlink tail. Red Snapjaws wander around and climb the vines and chains. Mario sends out blue Snapjaws with a crack of his whip, climbing down vines quickly before falling off the screen.
A yellow and purple bird found on Stage 2. Mario sends them flying from the top of the screen, where they swoop down and drop eggs.
A crow that lives in Mario's hideout on Stage 4. They appear from the top of the screen and swoop down to attack Junior from the side. Climb the chains carefully to avoid them.
A red spark that appears on Stage 3. It moves around the electric platforms. Junior has to jump over them to avoid them.
A blue spark on Stage 3 that Mario sends out with a flick of a switch. The blue spark follows a path down, crossing between platforms.
The keys to Donkey Kong's cage. On Stages 1-3, Junior has to climb past Mario's traps and grab it to clear the stage. On Stage 4, the keys are suspended on chains and Junior has to push them into the locks to free Donkey Kong.
Fruit that hangs from vines. If Junior hits the fruit it will fall down and destroy any enemies immediately below.
Appearing on Stage 2, the Springboard is used to cross a difficult gap. If Junior times it right, he can use the Springboard a shortcut straight onto a higher platform.


Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are available in India along with these attractive offers. Avail the offers before they run out.
Claimed to throw a tough competition to Apple iPhone 7, Google's flagship smartphones-Pixel and Pixel XL are finally available in India, across various e-commerce websites.
Although available in the market, Google Pixel smartphones are pretty hefty priced and are not quite affordable for consumers looking for reasonably priced mobile phones.
These Google pixel models are available on Flipkart, Reliance Digital, Croma, and nearly 1000 other mobile retailers across the country.
Apart from knowing about the specifications of these smartphones, the consumers should also be aware of the pretty attractive offers that the online retailers are offering on these Pixel phones. Lets take a look at them!
Available at a price of Rs. 76,000 the Quite Black smartphone has an inbuilt 128 GB storage capacity. Having a 12.3 MP camera, the Google Pixel phone is available with no cost EMIs from Rs. 4,223/month with FlipKart, and however if a buyer needs to return the phone with Flipkart, the buyer can get nearly Rs. 27,000 off as exchange discount.
This 32 GB smartphone is now available for purchase with Flipkart. Available at a price of Rs. 57,000, the SBI Credit Cards users can avail up to 10% discount and Axis Bank Buzz Credit Cards will receive extra 5% off on purchase of the phone from Flipkart.
Purchasing the phone from Flipkart can fetch the consumers with Rs. 27,000 off as an exchange discount. Consumers can enjoy this Quite Black smartphone at Rs. 66,000 with no cost EMIs from Rs. 3,667/month.
Priced at Rs. 67,000, the silver mobile is available at Flipkart with very many attractive offers. The SBI credit card users can purchase the smartphone at 10% Instant Discount, whereas the Axis Bank Buzz Credit Cards can avail up to extra 5% off with Flipkart.
Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 64-bit Processor, the smartphone is priced at Rs. 66,000. Consumers can also buy the smartphone with no cost EMIs from Rs. 3,667/month and other EMIs from Rs. 3,107/month. Rs. 27,000 exchange offer is also available with this mobile.
This Google Pixel XL smartphone can be purchased by the SBI credit card users at 10% Instant Discount, whereas the Axis Bank Buzz Credit Cards can avail up to extra 5% off with Flipkart. Priced at Rs. 67,000 the smartphone avails the 10 days replacement offer along with 1 year manufacturer warranty.
In just a day after the smartphone was launched, it has already gone out of stock on Flipkart. Priced at Rs. 76,000, purchasing the phone from Flipkart can let the users get up to 10 days replacement offer along with 1 year manufacturer warranty.


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Q: Windows 10 Phone Store Logo Error I created my app in Unity and after publishing for Android and iPhone, i'm trying to get the Windows 10 Phone version published.
I added my image assets to Unity, but when I open the generated project in Visual Studio, I get the following error in the Visual Assets tab:
A mixture of mages with and without the "scale" or "targetsize" qualifiers exists in the project for the logical name "Assets\StoreLogo.png" for the "Scale 100 50x50 px" image.  All the other images are importing correctly.
The only related question I see on SO is:
Adding all images to the Package.AppXManifest results in a compiler warning
but in my case it is an error instead of a warning

The image with the correct scale does exist in my Assets folder, even though I had to add it manually:

Just wondering if anyone knows how to debug/fix this? rename the image, create a new image etc?   ie: Why the 50x50px scale 100 image is not working as expected.
My Unity version is 5.3.4, Visual Studio 2015

A: It's basically saying that StoreLogo.png will be ignored since there is a file with same name plus the scale qualifier: StoreLogo.scale-100.png.
When packaging the two files are considered the same, but to prevent unexpected behavior you should delete one of them. It basically means that if you change StoreLogo.png, but not StoreLogo.scale-100.png, the output will not change since the packaging process will always ignore the StoreLogo.png file.
I would rename the StoreLogo.png file to just Logo.png and keep them both. But you can also delete one of them and get rid of the warning.

A: Seems that the order of adding the PNG to the project matters.  So, for the StoreLogo you would need to add the 50x50 resolution PNG first.
And if you are using version control, make sure it is checked-in.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It should be no surprise that today the Amana brand of heating and cooling systems is part of a leading global organization specializing in indoor comfort enhancements. After all, Amana brand has a rich history of technological developments that have resulted in energy-efficient heating and cooling performance for any home and any budget. The Daikin organization, which includes Amana brand, has over 90 years in the development of innovative technology that has improved indoor comfort for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Together the strength of the combined organizations provide you with durable, time-tested products and systems that provide energy-efficient performance appreciated around the world and in your home.
Americans have been relying on premium, long-lasting Amana brand products since 1934, when Amana, Iowa, native George Foerstner accepted the challenge of building a dependable beverage cooler. The Amana brand successfully met that challenge and, two years later, the company introduced another innovative product that soon became indispensable for commercial establishments such as grocery stores and restaurants – the walk-in beverage cooler, also known as the cold storage locker.
The residents of Amana, Iowa, began a long history of pioneering and craftsmanship, and that spirit continues today in the manufacturing of quality Amana brand Heating and Air Conditioning products. From the technology behind our unique heat exchanger to the inclusion of high-quality filter driers in each of our air conditioners and heat pumps, we remain committed to Amana brand's legacy of providing homeowners with heating and cooling products that are built to last.
Because of the craftsmanship that goes into every Amana brand HVAC product, we are able to offer outstanding limited warranty* coverage. These warranty* coverages continue the legacy of Amana brand products that Last and Last and Last®.
*Complete warranty details available from our local dealer or at www.amana-hac.com.
In 1997, Amana Brand Corporation, a well-known manufacturer of home appliances and HVAC units was acquired by Goodman Manufacturing Company L.P. Goodman, an HVAC manufacturer in Houston, TX, sold the appliance business unit to Maytag Corporation in 2001. As part of the sale, Goodman retained the name of the Amana brand HVAC product line. Today the Amana brand of heating and air conditioning systems is a part of Daikin Industries LTD, parent company to Goodman.
In 2014, Amana brand was part of an acquisition performed by Daikin Industries, LTD. that ensured that Amana brand heating and cooling system would be designed, engineered and assembled in the USA. Daikin Industries, Ltd. (DIL) is a global Fortune 1000 company. It is a worldwide leader for residential and commercial HVAC. The company provides innovative, premium quality indoor climate management solutions to meet the changing needs of residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
In 2016, the new 4.2 million square foot, $400 million facility commenced operations, consolidating manufacturing, engineering, logistics, marketing, sales and more at one facility. With the ability for multiple departments to collaborate under one roof, the Amana brand has positioned itself to provide improved efficiency, quality, communication and delivery and to better meet the needs of our customers.
For additional information regarding Daikin, click here.


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Vitamin E prevents brain damage during stroke
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: vitamin E, stroke prevention, brain damage
https://www.naturalnews.com/045095_vitamin_E_stroke_prevention_brain_damage.html
(NaturalNews) A variety of vitamin E may prevent brain damage caused by stroke and may even be able to prevent strokes from occurring in the first place, two new studies have indicated.
Animal studies by researchers from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have shown that, if the blood vessels surrounding the area of a stroke can be triggered to dilate and redirect blood flow around the damaged area, much of the stroke-induced brain damage can be prevented.
Scans of brains undergoing strokes show one or more clusters of tissue that have gone dark in the vicinity of obstructed blood vessels.
"That part of the brain is not getting blood or oxygen and the cells are dying. There's not much we can do for a patient at this point and that's frustrating," said Wexner researcher Dr. Cameron Rink.
There is currently no known drug that is able to induce redirection of blood flow after a stroke has already occurred. In 25 years of research, 1,000 separate drugs have been tried in the hopes of reducing brain damage following a stroke; all have failed but two: aspirin and the clot-buster tPA, which is only helpful in 4 percent of cases.
Makes blood vessels adapt
That's why, for the past 12 years, Rink has focused instead on finding ways to prevent stroke. For the past two years, he has used funding from Ohio State's Center for Clinical and Translational Science and the American Heart Association to study the effect of the nutritional supplement tocotrienol, a vitamin E variant that naturally occurs in palm oil and can also be purchased over-the-counter as a nutritional supplement.
Using a technique called laser capture microdissection, in which microscopic samples are taken from brain tissue and blood vessels, Rink has shown that just 10 weeks of supplementation with tocotrienol stimulates blood vessels to remodel, allowing them to spontaneously expand in response to an increased need for oxygen-rich blood, a process known as arteriogenesis. These physiological changes, Rink believes, would make the brain better able to redirect blood flow away from stroke regions, reducing brain damage.
"We know that people who have good collaterals have better recovery from strokes," Rink said. "We think that tocotrienol helps improve the function of collaterals, which would offer someone better protection from an initial or secondary stroke."
Rink has high hopes for tocotrienol, which does not seem to have any side effects or to interfere with the drugs commonly used to treat cardiovascular disease. He believes that, some day, people could take a daily tocotrienol supplement to lower their stroke risk.
He is currently carrying out a study to see if tocotrienol supplementation reduces the risk or damage of second strokes in stroke survivors. He is also analyzing micro-RNA collected from blood vessels involved in strokes, in the hopes of identifying what role gene expression plays in stroke, and whether tocotrienol might influence the way key genes are expressed.
Protects white matter
Another recent study, conducted by researchers from the University of Science in Penang, Malaysia, and published in the journal Stroke, found that people who took a daily tocotrienol supplement for two years showed significantly fewer white matter lesions than those who did not take the supplement.
The brain's white matter is the region most affected by stroke.
"This new study is very significant," researcher Kalyana Sundram said. "Many compounds have been shown to display neuroprotective effects in animal models of stroke. But they failed in human clinical trials. This may be because the human brain has so much more white matter (about 50 percent) than rats (about 10 percent), for example."
http://www.newswise.com
http://www.prnewswire.com
Vitamin E at FETCH.news


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Football: Mourinho issues Rashford with England Under-21 warning
Rashford controls the ball during the World Cup 2018 football qualifier between England and Malta on Oct 8, 2016.PHOTO: AFP
Oct 19, 2016, 11:00 pm SGT
http://str.sg/4fsE
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) - Jose Mourinho does not want Marcus Rashford to be selected for next year's European Under-21 Championships if the Manchester United striker is a regular in the senior England squad.
The United manager was responding to stories that England's governing Football Association were keen to include Premier League stars, such as Rashford, in their Under-21 squad for the tournament in Poland in June.
Mourinho has no problem with Rashford - who turns 19 on the last day of this month - being a part of that squad, but only if he has not established himself in the senior set-up.
"We are in mid-October, the Championships will be in the summer," United manager Mourinho said on Wednesday (Oct 19).
"I think we have to wait and see what happens until then. Because if the player becomes a regular in the 'A' national team, if you want to call it that, then to say it is important for his development (to be) with the Under-21s, makes no sense."
Gareth Southgate has been promoted from his post as England Under-21 boss to be the manager of the senior England team on an interim basis, with the FA still to announce if the former England defender will succeed Sam Allardyce on a permanent basis after the veteran coach was forced out after just one game following indiscreet comments made to undercover reporters.
"If he's an Under-21 player in the national team, then he is an Under-21 player and there is no discussion about that," said Mourinho of Rashford.
"But if he becomes a regular choice for Gareth Southgate in the first team, then we have to speak because we don't want him going."
Rashford has five England caps to his name, four of them as a substitute in competitive internationals.
Mourinho was speaking as he put the finishing touches to plans for the Europa League group game with Fenerbahce at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The game could be the opportunity for Wayne Rooney and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to feature in the starting side as Mourinho juggles his squad ahead of Sunday's trip to Chelsea.
Rooney has not started the last four United games and has also seen his place in the England run-on XI disappear under new manager Southgate.
"Wayne is working well, he is one of those responsible for the atmosphere for the players," insisted Mourinho. "He is positive, he is a good example. We count on him to start or be on the bench. He will be there tomorrow (Thursday)."
As for Mkhitaryan, a £26 million (S$44 million) pre-season signing from Borussia Dortmund, the Armenian has not been involved since defeat in the Manchester derby in early-September as he struggles to recover from a thigh injury.
"He was injured and was injured for quite a long time," said Mourinho. "Now he is not injured anymore. He has been training with the team without any limitation. "I cannot confirm if he plays tomorrow."
The only player whom Mourinho confirmed would start against Turkish side Fenerbahce was England left-back Luke Shaw, who has not kicked-off a game for United since the manager criticised hium following last month's defeat loss at Watford.
Shaw insisted he had taken Mourinho's comments in his stride and was keen to improve.
"Of course," said Shaw. "I said before I'm a grown man and I can take what the manager said.
"I'm still young and I need to take on board what he said and improve. I'm always going to listen to what the coaches saying have a good attitude about it."
Shaw added: "I was disappointed with the result but not what the manager said. I take it on board and look to improve. Hopefully, I can do that in the next matches."


White Converse are so hard to keep clean. Over several uses, the heel of the shoe had black stains and I found it was due to the oils from resting my foot on the car mat. I tried scrubbing it clean with a brush and the stain cleaner. The stain would not remove. I decided to bling the section that was stained which happened to be the back strip of the shoe. It was so simple and instead of throwing the shoe away, I was able to save them. I get so many compliments. Here are some basic simple tips on how to do it yourself. I also provided links to purchase online. You will need at least 55 crystals per shoe, five row, eleven per row. You can buy the Swarovski Flat Back Crystals and E6000 glue at Michaels online. You will need a pair of tweezers and a toothpick to position the stone in place. E600 glue is the best!


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Marriott announces five new hotel signings in Africa
Marriott International announced rapid expansion plans across Africa with five new hotel signings.
The new signings will further consolidate Marriott International's presence in Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and South Africa and mark the company's entry into Mozambique. The signings put Marriott International on track to increase its portfolio by 50 percent with over 200 hotels and 38,000 rooms by 2023 estimated to generate 12,000 new job opportunities.
Marriott International's planned growth reinforces its commitment to Africa and underscores the substantial emphasis that countries across Africa are placing on the travel and tourism sector. The company estimates that the five new projects signed will drive investment of over $250 million by the property owners and will generate substantial economic activity.
"Marriott International's acquisition of Protea Hotels followed by the acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has given an impetus to our organic growth on the continent. Today we are seeing strong owner interest in our brands, backed by our combined loyalty program, the collective strength of our global platform and our highly-experienced, local teams," said Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. "African economies have sustained unprecedented rates of growth, which have mainly been driven by a strong domestic demand, improved macroeconomic management, and increased political stability. The continent is still under capacity as far as branded hotel supply is concerned, presenting us with a fantastic opportunity to grow our brands and enhance our footprint," he added.
Today, Marriott International is present in 21 countries on the African continent: Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, and Zambia. The company is set to expand into new markets including Benin, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Senegal.
"The increasing demand for conversion deals from new and existing partners is a strong reflection of Marriott International's powerful network, loyal customer base and commitment to deliver value for owners," said Kyriakidis. "We've developed a conversion-friendly strategy, which allows us to deliver value to our partners through a flexible, cost-efficient process that yields almost immediate results. That strategy gives our partners access to world-class reservation systems and our loyalty program."
Recent conversions to the company's brands include Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi, Hurlingham, Four Points by Sheraton Arusha, The Arusha Hotel, Tanzania and the iconic Mena House, Cairo which joined the Marriott Hotels and Resorts global brand portfolio earlier this year.
Amongst new conversion deals, Marriott International has signed the Marriott Marrakech Hotel in Morocco. With over 360 rooms, the hotel is slated to be rebranded in 2020.
Marriott International has signed two new hotels under the Protea Hotels by Marriott brand including Protea Hotel by Marriott Accra Kotoka Airport, Ghana and Protea Hotel by Marriott Nairobi, Kenya. Protea Hotel by Marriott Accra Kotoka Airport is planned to be a 200-room hotel strategically located in the prestigious airport residential area of Accra offering a restaurant, a lobby bar and lounge, small conference and meeting facilities, an air crew lounge, a gym and a roof-top pool bar and lounge with uninterrupted views of the city. Protea Hotel by Marriott Nairobi will be located approximately 5 km from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Mombasa Road. Expected to open in 2021, the 250-room hotel will include a restaurant, a bar, a fitness center, a pool and 600 square meters of meeting space. Earlier this year, Marriott International signed Protea Hotel by Marriott Pretoria Loftus Park, South Africa, which is slated to open later this year.
The company also signed Four Points by Sheraton Nampula, Mozambique, which will be its first hotel in the country. The hotel, expected to open in 2023, is part of a mixed-use development comprised of a shopping center, apartments, residential homes, a hospital, offices, and the hotel. The 185-room property includes 100 hotel rooms and 85 extended stay units, food and beverage facilities, conferencing facilities, a fitness center, and a pool.
Later this year, Marriott International will debut the AC by Marriott brand into Africa with the opening of the 188-room AC by Marriott Cape Town, Waterfront, conveniently located just minutes away from the buzzing Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and just a 25-minute drive from Cape Town International Airport. The company has also signed its second AC by Marriott hotel in Africa, AC by Marriott Umhlanga Ridge, Kwazulu Natal, Durban. The 205-room hotel will be a part of a mixed-use development comprised of offices and high-end residential apartments and boasts dramatic views of the Indian Ocean. Slated to open in 2023, the hotel is within easy access from major highways and in close proximity to the King Shaka International Airport.
The company expects to introduce some of its other well-known select-service brands like Aloft Hotels, Element, Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott with hotels already under development. It is also looking for opportunities to bring Fairfield by Marriott to the continent.
"Africa is a very compelling story for us. With our history on the continent, our footprint and strong pipeline, a diverse portfolio of brands and a robust management infrastructure, we believe that we enjoy the trust and the confidence of Africa's hotel development community," he added.
Marriott International is enjoying a strong year of new hotel openings in Africa, which includes its first hotel in Mali - Sheraton Bamako - as well as the first Marriott Hotel in Accra. The company also debuted the Protea Hotel by Marriott brand in North Africa with the opening of Protea Hotel by Marriott Constantine.