NIGERIA: MINISTER SAYS ECONOMIC OUTLOOK HEALTHY FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT

ABUJA, Feb 28 (NNN-NAN) — The Minister of Finance, Dr Mansur Muhtar, says Nigeria is set to attract more Foreign Direct Investments with the current relative stability in the exchange and inflation rates.

Speaking at an interactive forum hosted by the Presidential Committee on Tariffs and Fiscal Incentives in Abuja on Thursday, Muhtar said the macro economic outlook for 2010 was promising, especially in attracting investments to the agricultural sector.

He said the banking reform would be deepened and show more positive results, with the establishment of an Asset Management Company.

Muhtar said the reform in the banking sector would facilitate the diversification of the economy, with the agricultural sector on top of the list.

He said: “You will also note that agriculture forms the crucial component of the Seven-Point Agenda of the government.

“It is in that context that huge investments have been made in the last years. Priority attention has been given to critical sectors in the budget, including agriculture, but we have a number of initiatives.

“Huge investments, including the N100 billion facility released through the natural resources fund, aimed at diversifying the economy, will stimulate agricultural growth.

“There will also be investment in technology, research and extension services in the sector,” he added.

Gov. Bukola Saraki of Kwara, said agriculture contributed more than 40 per cent of the GDP in 2009, employing more than 31 million people.

He said more than $6 billion was spent yearly to import agricultural products into the country, which could have been committed to improving the sector.

An international farmer in Kwara, Mr Chris Okeke, stressed the need to review the agricultural policy to be more focused on diversification of the economy.

He said government should grant tax holidays to farmers and create waivers for importation of farm equipment such as tractors. — NNN-NAN

ISRAELI FORCES RAIDS AL-AQSA MOSQUE

GAZA, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) — Israeli forces raided the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem Sunday morning, reported the local ‘Voice of Palestine’ radio.

The radio said that large numbers of Israeli police personnel stormed the mosque from the Magharba Gate and tried to force out the Palestinians who had staged an overnight sat-in to prevent extremist Jews from entering the mosque while celebrating ‘Purim’.

The Palestinians continued to pray, while others used speakers to warn their peers, it said.

Israeli police, aided by border guards, closed down all entries leading to the mosque and were deployed all over Old Jerusalem.
Hundereds of Palestinians staged a sit-in at Al-Aqsa overnight to prevent Jewish extremists from raiding it.

According to local radio stations, Israeli police had tried during the night to get the Muslim protestors to leave the courtyards of the mosque, but failed to do so.

On Saturday, several Jewish groups called on extremists in Israel and their supporters to gather in the courtyard opposite the Buraq (Wailing Wall) before going off in parades in the city.

These groups declared their intention to storm Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday to perform religious rites and rituals as part of the celebrations marking the Jewish holiday of ‘Purim’. ? NNN-KUNA

TRY YOUR LUCK WITH OMIKUJI, JAPANESE FORTUNE-TELLING

TOKYO, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) — When you visit Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in Japan, you usually find Omikuji, sacred fortune-telling lots, along with good-luck charms.

People randomly choose a slip of folded paper from a wooden box after paying as little as JPY 20 (USD 0.2), which tells their overall fortunes ranging from “Daikichi (excellent luck)” to “Daikyo (great misfortune),” and gives advice about specific subjects, such as heath, marriage, travel, business and study.

In ancient times, Japanese often used lotteries to learn God’s will on important matters of national politics and festivals, and the current style of Omikuji is said to have originated 900 years ago.
Nowadays, most of people draw Omikuji just for fun.

Kazuko Nagata, a woman in her 30s, said she drew “Daikichi” on New Year’s Day and expects a lot of lucks to come this year.

However, Nagata said she tries to believe the fortune written on Omikuji only if she gets “Daikichi.”

In fact, when people draw “Daikichi,” they are encouraged to bring it back home in order to have a greater effect, but if some others are drawn, they tie Omikuji paper on a tree or a rope in the shrine after reading it, hoping bad fortune can be averted. ? NNN- KUNA

NIGERIASAT-2 PROJECT NEARING COMPLETION – NATIONAL SPACE AGENCY

ABUJA, Feb 28 (NNN-NAN) — Dr Seidu Mohammed, Director General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), says the NigeriaSat-2 project is 90 per cent ready.

He told NAN that NigeriaSat-2, also called Nigeria?s Second Earth Observation Satellite, would be launched into orbit in the third quarter of this year.

NAN reports that the NigeriaSat-1 was launched in 2003. It is a low earth-orbit micro satellite disaster-monitoring spacecraft.

Mohammed said the agency had conducted several tests, including those to ascertain the readiness of the second satellite for space flight.

He also said the spacecraft was fully ready in the laboratory, adding that the 27 engineers trained abroad for it had completed their programme and were back home.

“We are now identifying an appropriate launcher and getting all the necessary insurance policies in place.

“Our partners are working round the clock to make sure that we go according to schedule.
I hope with all this, we should be able to launch it this year.”

He said NigeriaSat-2, with a strength of 2.5 metres, had a high spatial resolution sensor and could capture the smallest area of the earth surface while NigeriaSat-1 was a medium resolution satellite with a strength of 32 metres.

“With this in place, Nigeria can now plan better for its cities. We can now support land reforms by delineating farm lands for farmers to have titles to plots and secure loans from banks,?? he said.

He also said NigeriaSat-2 would assist the country to monitor agriculture and embark on a detailed soil map of Nigeria.

“It is also our wish in 2010 to do a lot of capacity building.

” Nigeria needs to train people to understand how to use this technology,?? he added. — NNN-NAN

KUWAITI STUDENTS GATHER FROM ACROSS US TO CELEBRATE NAT”L, LIBERATION DAYS

BONITA SPRINGS, Florida, Feb 28 (NNN-KUNA) — The National Union of Kuwaiti Students (NUKS) USA Branch organized here a two-day festival, entitled ‘Olgun Festival’, for the Kuwaiti students to celebrate their country’s 49th National Day and 19th Liberation Day.

Many students from across the US, despite bad weather in some states, turned up for this festival to express their joy and celebrate these occasions in a festival that is filled with many activities and events.

During the opening ceremony Saturday evening, Counselor at the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington Reem Al-Khaled delivered a speech on behalf of Ambassador Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during which she extended on behalf of the students congratulations to the Kuwaiti leadership and wished Kuwait security and further development and prosperity.

In the speech, the counselor also praised the efforts exerted by the chairman and members of the union for organizing this great festival, which reflects the desire of the union for “further development and give a variety of the services and programs offered to the students.”

She noted that the title of the festival also reflects Kuwait’s beautiful history as it is the core of the most important trade “on which our state relied, which is the pearl trade that was the only source of income for the Kuwaitis then.”

She recalled the speech His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah delivered on the occasion of the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan, part of which emphasized the means to maintain national unity.

She continued to say that “citizenship is about a close relationship between the individual and the country, it is about duties jointly assumed by the state and the citizen in building the nation.”

She added that “true citizenship, which we ought to adhere to, is based on three core and crucial elements to consolidate the pillars of our national unity.”

She indicated that the first pillar is to have the feeling that the citizen is an “essential and active element in building the society and the state,” while the second pillar is an “enduring partnership between the citizen and the state,” and finally is that the “responsibilities of the citizen are doubled in tightening the conscious in the service of his country.”

She called on the students to pursue their studies and get the highest degrees to return home, where they are needed, and also called on them to respect the American laws especially those related to the residence and immigration.

Al-Khaled affirmed that the doors of the Embassy, General Consulate and the two Cultural Offices are always open to serve the students and to remove any difficulties they might encounter.

She praised NUKS for providing “an active channel to interact with the students if they face any problems or an emergency.” At the conclusion of the festival on Sunday, the students will also have a chance to meet with representatives of the Cultural Offices in D.C. and L.A. during an open meeting that will be held.–NNN-KUNA

NIGERIA: SOUTH-SOUTH GOVERNORS WANT SPEEDY ACTION ON POST-AMNESTY DEAL

BENIN, Feb 28 (NNN-NAN) — The South-South Governors have called for the review of the post-amnesty programme, an implementation timeline and benchmarks set, to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

The call was part of the communiqué the governors issued at the end of their meeting in Benin on Saturday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The communiqué, read by Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River, observed that while the amnesty programme had successfully brought the conflict in the Niger Delta to an end, the slow pace of implementation of the programme had led to frustration.

The governors agreed that it was vital that funds be released and properly managed for the implementation of the programme.

They called for governors’ involvement in the management of the programme to ensure optimal implementation of all aspects of the programme in the region.

The communiqué called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which promises 10 percent equity in incorporated joint ventures to oil-producing communities.

This they argued, would integrate the communities into the mainstream of national development agenda.

The governors urged the elites to avoid inflammatory and divisive statements and actions that could rock the stability of the nation.

The governors restated their loyalty to the President and commended Acting President Goodluck Jonathan for demonstrating quality leadership at the most difficult and challenging time in the country.

The Governors also welcomed President Umar Yar’Adua back to the country.

They accepted the recommendation of the summit committee, chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi and set up a Secretariat to coordinate the vision and integrated development agenda of the body.

They also accepted to set up a Business Council to coordinate the activities of the private sector for the economic development of the region.

Among the governors in attendance at the meeting were Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Liyel Imoke (Cross River). — NNN-NAN

CUBA AUCTIONS CIGARS FOR 805,000 EUROS

HAVANA, Feb 28 (NNN-Prensa Latina) — The total amount of money collected in an auction of six lots of PREMIUM Habano cigars reached 805,000 euros, during the closing of the 12th Habano Cigar Festival, attended by 1,800 people from 70 countries.

The auction from Feb 22 ended Saturday early morning at PABEXPO exhibition site in Havana, with the bidding for humidors and the best Habano cigars brands, including the famous Cohiba Behike (BH), which were recently presented.

The awards to the Best Habano Cigar of the Year went to Cuban Raul Valladares, representing TARACUBA, in the Production category, to Swiss Urs-Peter Tanner (INTERTABAK) in the category of Businesses, and in that of Communication, to Spanish Jose Ribagorda (ALTADIS).

These awards are granted to experts with a long career in promoting Cuban cigars around the world or due to oustanding achievements in that sector.

Of the lots in auction, the most significant was the lot number 6, Cohiba Humidor, made by Cuban craftsman Jose Ernesto Aguilera, with two towers and 350 Habanos, including Cohiba, the most emblematic cigars, and the new BHK as well.

That collectable piece of work was bought by Spanish Javier Estades for 40,000 euros.

The first (H. Upmann Humidor) and second (Hoyo de Monterrey, with 200 cigars) lots were sold at the auction for 55,000 and 100,000 euros, respectively.

The third (Romeo y Julieta Humidor, with a Giorgio Gucci handbag for women and 275 cigars) and fourth (Partagas Humidor, with 225 cigars and an Exclusive Decanter of Mas La Plana) lots were sold to Damian Martinez from Guatemala and Janis Wong from China, for 65,000 and 100,000 euros, respectively.

The latter also bought the fifth lot (Montecristo Humidor, with 300 cigars) for 110,000 euros.

As previous events of this kind in Havana, the auction was led by British Simon Chase and the amount of money collected will be donated to the Cuban public health system, the organizers explained. — NNN-PRENSA LATINA

INDIAN ACTRESS MINISSHA LAMBA LEARNS NEW LANGUAGE DAKINI FOR BENEGAL FILM

MUMBAI, India, Feb 28 (NNN-PTI) — Actress Minissha Lamba, who plays a village girl in Shyam Benegal’s upcoming film ‘Well Done Abba’, had to learn a new language, Dakini, for the role.

The veteran director is known to be a perfectionist and this time too he instructed the cast to not just get the mannerisms right, but also the language.

Lamba, who plays the principal protagonist in the movie, was in for some hard work as she had to learn a new language, Dakini, for the role of a girl living in a small town in Andhra Pradesh state.

“Since I am playing a village girl for the first time in my career, it was anyways a new environment for me. The setting of the story is somewhere in the interiors of Andhra Pradesh. I was required to learn the Dakini language and also get my Urdu right,” the actress told PTI. — NNN-PTI

NO IMF LOANS FOR ZIMBABWE UNTIL ARREARS ARE CLEARED: US

HARARE, Feb 28 (NNN-ZIMONLINE) — Zimbabwe will not access financial support from multilateral lenders until it clears outstanding debts, a top United States (US) embassy official said this week, rejecting suggestions that Harare was unable to access loans because of Western sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and his top allies.

US embassy economic officer James Garry told reporters that even if Washington was to repeal the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) sanctions law the southern African country would still not be able to get help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other funders because of unpaid debt.

The ZIDERA forbids US companies from doing business with Mugabe, members of his inner circle and companies associated with the Zimbabwean leader and his ZANU PF party.

The law also requires US representatives on the boards of the IMF and other institutions to oppose assistance to Zimbabwe although this requirement was apparently waived to allow restoration of Harare?s voting IMF rights.

Garry insisted the targeted sanctions were not a factor in Zimbabwe?s relations with the multi-lateral lenders.

He said: ?There never has been any connection between US sanctions and Zimbabwe?s relationship with the IMF. There is a widespread misapprehension that the US has some kind of veto at the IMF. It is not true.

?The IMF, for example, makes most of its decisions by majority vote, and voting strength is assigned essentially according to the country?s financial interest in the Fund. The US has just 16.77 percent of the voting power at the IMF, and it is not in a position to veto IMF decisions.?

The IMF cut balance-of-payments support to Zimbabwe in 1999 following differences with Mugabe over fiscal policy and other governance issues.

But relations between the Bretton Woods institution and Harare have had a lift since a new power-sharing government took over in Harare last February.

The IMF last more than a week ago voted to restore Zimbabwe?s voting and related rights, and its eligibility to use resources from the IMF?s General Resources Account, following a request from Finance Minister Tendai Biti.

However the money lender also said that Zimbabwe would still not qualify for loans until it fully settles outstanding arrears of about US$140 million.

Garry said the restoration of voting rights opened the door to closer cooperation with the IMF but said Zimbabwe must act to clear debts with IMF as well as other lenders such as the African Development Bank and the World Bank. — NNN-ZimOnline

INDIA: 3 IDIOTS BEST FILM; AMITABH, VIDYA BEST ACTORS

MUMBAI, India Feb 28 (NNN-PTI) — Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan bagged the Best Actor and Actress award for their performances in ‘Paa’ while ’3Idiots’ scooped six trophies including best film at the 55th Filmfare awards.

The year 2009′s biggest blockbuster ’3Idiots’ won best director award for Rajkumar Hirani, who also picked up the best story trophy with Abhijat Joshi at the ceremony held here on Saturday.

Hirani also won best Screenplay Award with Vidhu Vinod Chopra for the Aamir Khan starrer. The duo also bagged the Best Dialogue Award for the film.

Bachchan and his family skipped awards function to protest against a news report about Aishwarya Rai’s health in a tabloid owned by the same publication as Filmfare last week.

The Bachchans have sent a legal notice to the paper asking for retraction and apology. In Big B’s absence, Vidya collected Bachchan’s best actor award.– NNN-PTI