Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from November 2004

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from November 2004

The Attacks On the Daniels.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Olusola Olaosebikan Accusations buzz back and forth over the death of three students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in the wake of vicious attacks against Governor Gbenga Daniel and his wife....

No Longer At Ease.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Bamidele Johnson With His Rejection of His Nomination for a National Award, Professor Chinua Achebe Widens the Camp of Credible Nigerians, Giving the Olusegun Obasanjo Regime a Wide Berth ...

Why I Rejected the Award.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Professor Chiuna Achebe Spoke to the British Broadcasting Corporation About the Nigerian Award Which He Rejected Why did you decide to decline the honour? Nigeria has disappointed me and has...

Government Loses No Sleep.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Femi Fani-Kayode Presidential Assistant, Femi Fani-Kayode Reacts to Professor Chiuna Achebe's Rejection of the National Award Though I can confirm that we have not received Professor Chinua...

In Drums She Trusts.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Despite being a few months away from bagging a Bachelor's degree in Chemical/ Polymer Engineering, Tosin Olakanye alias Ayanbinrin does not want to be an engineer. What does she want to be? A career...

Obj, Insensitive to the Plight of Nigerians.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Desmond Utomwen Nasiru Garba Dantiye, All Nigeria People's Party, ANPP House of Representatives Member From Jigawa State, Condemns the Incessant Increase in the Prices of Petroleum Products. He...

How Failure Leads to Success.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Sylvester Asoya In His New Book, a Date With Failure, Somi Uranta Examines How Failure Results in Success. He Spoke With Sylvester Asoya On the Lessons He Intends to Teach With the Book. ...

A Servant's Story.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Sylevester Asoya In Service of God And Man, a New Book, Documents a Priest's Life of Struggles Over the years, many Catholic priests- notably Fathers Mathew Hassan Kukah and George Ehusani-...

The Body Beater.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Gbenga Ogundare A Uniquely Gifted Nigerian Slaps His Own Face to Make Music Ololade Omotoye aka Jojo Bodybeats is not yet a star. Soon, however, he will be. Omotoye is a practictioner of...

Our Position Statement By the Ogun State Government On the Ilaro.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) The Government of Ogun State views with concern some reports and inferences on the recent incidents in Ilaro, headquarters of Yewa South Local Government of the State. Given the sensitive nature of the...

Why We Raided MASSOB Headquarters.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Uba Aham Imo State Director of State Security Serviecs, Alex Amaechina, Speaks to Uba Aham On the Reason for the Raid On the MASSOB Headquarters What motivated the 13 October raid in Okwe,...

The Raid On Biafran Headquarters Security Operatives Storm MASSOB.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Uba Aham The raid on the headquarters of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, in Okwe, Onuimo council area of Imo State on 13 October was long expected....

Building Unusual.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Olusola Olaosebikan Ondo State Government, Using a New Technology, Builds an Ultra-Modern Block of Classrooms in Two Weeks When Dr. Olusegun Agagu, the executive governor of Ondo State, told...

A Village of Crimes.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Adeola Daramola Criminals Invade Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos, Offering Cheap Computers, GSM Handsets And Accessories It is considered Nigeria's Silicon Valley. But unlike Santa Clara...

The Tragedy of a National Assembly.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Rotimi Fasan It is now five years into the peculiar brand of Nigeria's democracy that is now irretrievably nascent. And the worst hit by this nascent syndrome is the National Assembly. This...

Vandals Reign Here.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Oluokun Ayorinde Deaths From Fire Outbreaks At Vandalised Petroleum Products Pipelines Do Not Deter Vandals As NNPC Counts Its Multi-Billion Naira Losses The sight was gory and repulsive....

Road Map to Peace.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Okafor Ofiebor The Rivers State Government Embarks On Disarmament And Peace Process The meeting between Dokubo Asari and Peter Odili, Rivers State Governor at Government House, Port...

Only God Can Call Obj to Order.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Ernest Omoarelojie It Has Been a No-Love-Lost Relationship Between the Federal And Lagos State Governments Over the Creation of Additional Local Government Areas. in a Bid to Ease the Logjam,...

Our Reconciliation Task.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Okafor Ofiebor Fred Alasia, Chief of Staff to Governor Peter Odili, is Co-Ordinating the Peace Process in Rivers State. He Spoke to Okafor Ofiebor On His Assignment. Excerpts: As...

A New Dawn for Zenith.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Clement Oriloye The Successful Completion of Zenith Bank Initial Public Offer, Ipo Earns It a Place On the Nigerian Bourse. Just before Professor Charles Soludo, Governor of Central Bank of...

A Marching Order.
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Ben Adaji Three Principal Officers of Taraba State House of Assembly Lose Their Posts On 11 October, seven months after the impeachment of Uba Maigari Ahmadu as Deputy Governor of Taraba...

Which Budget, Please?
November 1, 2004... (From The News (Nigeria) - AAGM) Byline: Oluokun Ayorinde Because of the Shoddy Implementation of Past Budgets And Their Non-Impact On the Economy And the People, Apathy Trails the 2005 Budget Presented Two Weeks Ago By President...

Yes, there are Aussie 'Bridgets'.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) SINGLE Australian women may be looking for love, but most are doing so without resorting to huge Bridget Jones-style undies, according to a new survey. The survey by online dating service Match.com set out to...

Students climbing corporate ladder.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) Move over Donald Trump, two young Canberra entrepreneurs are on the way up the corporate ladder and they mean business.At the Young Achievement Australia ACT and region awards on Friday night, Australian National...

Stromlo open to visitors again.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) MOUNT Stromlo Observatory, one of Australia's premier research institutions and one of Canberra's favourite tourist attractions, reopened to the public yesterday. The reopening came 22 months after the 2003...

Smoke wafts again over Stromlo, as friends return.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) CHARRED metal and brick buildings, blackened wood and shattered glass still dot the top of Mt Stromlo, a reminder of the inferno that engulfed the observatory in January 2003. But the mood yesterday was one of...

Teddies ready for a picnic.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) THREADBARE teddy bears received some tender loving care at a special teddy bear medical centre yesterday. Ambulance officers bandaged bears and performed check-ups outside the Canberra Centre as part of Emergency...

A family with every reason to celebrate.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) FRIDAY was a night of happy insomnia for the proud parents of one of Australian film's hottest talents, Cate Shortland. Somersault, a film written and directed by the former Duffy resident and Stirling College...

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - SUBZERO.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) Winner of the 1992 Melbourne Cup SUBZERO raced into the hearts of many Australians when he won the 1992 Melbourne Cup. The Lee Freedman-trained grey retired from racing about 10 years ago. But the former champion...

and loving every minute of the fame game - Outspoken.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) I t's Susan Sarandon's 58th birthday and she's under press arrest in a Manhattan hotel suite conducting interviews for Alfie, the remake of the '60s classic, in which Jude Law replaces Michael Caine as the adorable...

On the edge Neil Lade.
November 1, 2004... (From Canberra Times) D rowning in nightmare waves of memories, lost in ultramarine. Crushed between lapis lazuli and a hard place. Metamorphosis at pressure point in deep blue sleep. Like a beaten slave through whipped sour screams of...

TWO PEOPLE DIE IN WEEKEND ACCIDENTS.
November 1, 2004... (From New Zealand Press Association) Wellington, Oct 31 - Two people are dead after road accidents over the weekend. A 35-year-old man died on Friday night when his car collided with a milk tanker on State Highway 2 at Awakaponga, 25km...

GMA to lift Bicol economy via railways.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ronnie Lorejo and Juan Escandor Jr. LEGAZPI CITY-President Macapagal-Arroyo on Saturday vowed to help the Bicol region rise from being the second poorest region in the country to a higher...

Alleged robber, 18-year boy in riot catch up to All Souls' Day.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Margaux C. Ortiz and Edson C. Tandoc Jr. AN ALLEGED robber met his end in an encounter with police beside the Manila Memorial Park in Para[currency]aque City early yesterday morning. The...

Juvic steady but Pinoys still way off.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE PHILIPPINES got another two-under-par 70 from Juvic Pagunsan yesterday and climbed to a share of 23rd place after 54 holes of the World Amateur Golf Team championships in Puerto Rico. Pagunsan...

Appointment of military man as BCDA head draws flak.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tonette Orejas CLARK SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE-His military background, the corruption scandal rocking the Armed Forces and the tradition of civilian leadership in the Bases Conversion Development...

Are expired drugs dangerous?
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE BUREAU of Food and Drugs defines the expiry date of a medicine as the date after which the drug "is not expected to retain its claimed safety, efficacy and quality or potency or after which it is not...

Baguio dad wants suggestive souvenirs out of stalls.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) BAGUIO CITY-The city's risque souvenirs, like the man-in-the-barrel and the wooden penis ashtrays, may soon be a thing of the past if the city council has its way. Councilor Elmer Datuin called for the...

Monuments and memories.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Recah Trinidad WE GO visit tombs today, not just to remember, but because we must never forget. There are monuments, memories that the harshest of seasons cannot erase. Indeed lighting...

Not necessarily winner by majority votes.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Belinda Olivares-Cunanan AS I had noted earlier, the US presidential election looks so much like our local elections, with charges of "fraud" and intimidation flying around. The latest charge is...

Bush or Kerry-who would make better ally?
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Heherson T. Alvarez (Alvarez organized and led the overseas democratic movement against martial law in the US as founding chair of the Ninoy Aquino Movement (NAM), which was named "the biggest...

Cagayan Valley groups push mining ban.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya-Environmental groups in Cagayan valley have urged government officials to impose a moratorium on mining in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, pending the resolution of legal issues on some...

Businesses flourish in time of remembrance.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tina G. Santos, Edson C. Tandoc Jr., Tarra V. Quismundo and Margaux Ortiz THE DEAD bring out the best in Filipino entrepreneurs. Since Saturday, vendors have staked out cemeteries in Metro...

12 cell phones lost during Davao parade.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) MATI, Davao Oriental-As thousands of residents and tourists were watching Wednesday's colorful street-dancing parade held during the town's 101st founding anniversary, cell phone thieves struck and...

US election fires up passions for or against Bush.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Amando Doronila NO AMERICAN presidential election in the past four decades has aroused more intense international interest and partisanship than the current neck-and-neck race for the White...

The nation's ghosts.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE TWO days we troop to the cemeteries and remember our dead offer a welcome respite from the charges and counter-charges of corruption in the military. We all know we cannot wish the scandal away, but...

Halina Perez's parents can't visit her grave today.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) STA. MARIA, Laguna-With her mother working abroad and her father in jail on murder charges, her grandmother and an uncle are the closest of kin who can visit the grave of former movie actress Halina Perez at...

LRT admits P197-M tax debt.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nancy C. Carvajal THE LIGHT Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) has acknowledged owing Pasay City P197 million in taxes but may ask President Macapagal-Arroyo to have it condoned. "We acknowledge...

Whale-shark town seeks GMA help.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) LEGAZPI CITY-Local officials, environmentalists, fishermen and concerned residents have asked President Macapagal-Arroyo to help them put an end to rampant illegal fishing in Donsol town in Sorsogon and act...

RP youth chess squad off to Greece tomorrow.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD sensation Wesley So heads a crack squad of 10 young chess players set to leave tomorrow to participate in the 2004 World Youth Chess championships slated Nov. 3-14 at the Creta Maris in...

Hospice care for the dying alive and well in RP.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ma. Ceres P. Doyo "DEATH is the natural end of life. It is not the failure of medicine." These were the words of the late Dr. Josefina B. Magno, hospice pioneer in the United States and the...

RP to import P12-B worth of rice in '05.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carlito Pablo THE PHILIPPINES will import close to one million metric tons of rice in 2005 at an estimated value of P12.6 billion due to insufficient domestic production of palay. This was...

Cojuangco should shelve Clark project.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Manolo R. I[currency]igo (Christian Filipinos will mark All Saints' Day today, an annual rite where their dearly departed one are remembered. In our case, my family will take this occasion to...

Kin of slain newsman appeal for help.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) MANAOAG, Pangasinan-The family of a community newspaper publisher, who was killed in a road accident here on Wednesday, appealed to the driver of a van who hit his motorcycle to surrender to the police. ...

Bigotry.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Antonio J. Montalvan II ONE can easily rattle off places around the world where there is harmonious co-existence among peoples of differing religious persuasions. Closer to home is Malaysia, one...

Top killers attributed to lifestyle.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Lynett A. Villariba WHAT KILLS Filipinos? What killed the person you loved at whose grave you are lighting a candle or laying a sprig of roses today? Dr. Omar Arabia II, a known...

Lawyers seek role in court-martial.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Philip C. Tubeza TO SEE for itself if military justice was "real or a myth," the Integrated Bar of the Philippines has asked the defense department to allow it to observe the trial of Maj. Gen....

May Ryan have another 50th birthday show.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tina Arceo-Dumlao FROM the moment the CCP Main Theater curtains went up for "The Musicman at 50," it was very apparent that the birthday concert of Ryan Cayabyab was put together very well. ...

Key suspects seen driving victim's car.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ruth L. Navarra THE SECOND time they saw the black car was on television. The first time around, it was parked in their neighborhood. What residents of Sitio Maagay 1 in Barangay Inarawan,...

13th fire hits Metro in 5 days.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edson C. Tandoc Jr. ANOTHER fire hit Metro Manila, reducing to ashes a two-story house in Caloocan City and destroying at least P1 million in property. It was the 13th incident in five days,...

Mythological monsters for All Saints' Day.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Neal H. Cruz I DON'T know why we have to borrow the Halloween and its pumpkins, witches and black cats from the West. After all, we have our own home-grown mythological monsters that in the old...

'Pi[currency]a' in paradise.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Bea Zobel Jr. MENTION El Nido and one imagines beautiful beaches, blue skies and waters, fascinating cliffs and islands. El Nido is the site for one's dream vacation. No wonder, then, that my...

Neat Laurel back in top form, captures SLR Cup.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edwin Villanueva, Contributor STAR jockey Jesse Guce was right. Neat Laurel was due for a win. Displaying the big kick that catapulted her to victory in the PSA Cup a few months ago, Neat...

6 NPA rebels killed in Aurora.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CITY OF SAN FERNANDO-The Philippine Army reported killing six New People's Army rebels in a clash in the marshlands of Dipaculao town in Aurora on Sunday. Col. Ruben Rafael, 702nd Infantry Brigade...

Military says drugs good for 6 months after expiry.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Christian V. Esguerra and Blanche S. Rivera STILL reeling from a corruption scandal, the Armed Forces may have just been plunged into another controversy. AFP information officer Lt. Col....

MONIQUE of Notting Hill.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Marinel R. Cruz ACTRESS Monique Wilson says she is into collecting things that express how she feels and what she believes in. "Like this Celtic pendant that I got from Cardiff in Wales,"...

Pagulayan stakes Tokyo title Thursday.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) ALEX Pagulayan opens his title retention bid in the Tokyo 9-ball Open on Thursday in Japan. Pagulayan, the reigning World Pool League champ, is seeded in the finals along with 2002 winner Francisco...

Scope of sports news.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Raul J. Palabrica MENTION the word "sports" and to most Filipinos the first thing that comes to mind is basketball. This American invention is practically a year-round affair in our country. ...

Paterno cited for successive game-winners.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jasmine W. Payo RARELY does a player hit two game winning baskets in a row. But Jerome Paterno of Air Philippines Flight pulled off this remarkable feat and was honored by the PBL Press...

Coming home.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Manuel L. Quezon III WHEN I was around 11 years old, my father took me to visit the Maine Memorial in Washington's Arlington National Cemetery. Arlington is the American version of our Libingan...

More pots, more kettles.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Conrado de Quiros WHAT is Angelo Reyes doing telling the congressmen to leave his mother alone? Who dragged his mother into the picture in the first place? Didn't he tell the Inquirer his sudden...

Raise toll slowly, traders ask.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CITY OF SAN FERNANDO-Business groups here have urged the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) to implement the 600 to 700 percent increase in toll rates for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) "on a staggered...

Comelec employee slain.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga-A Commission on Elections employee was gunned down by four men in Candaba town on Monday. Chief Insp. Jovencio Flores, Candaba police director, said Comelec investigator Baltazar Costa...

Pacquiao not taking Thai fighter lightly.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Salven L. Lagumbay, Contributor REIGNING pound-for-pound featherweight king Manny Pacquiao has tapped two tough Mindanao fighters as sparmates when he officially kicks off his rigid preparation...

Phillip charged, Ramon cleared in P15-M case.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Marinel R. Cruz THE MAKATI City Prosecutor's Office has recommended the filing of estafa charges against actor Phillip Salvador in connection with the P15 million that his former live-in...

Premier City gains badminton finals.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Musong R. Castillo PREMIER City Club topped the North leg of the Battle of the Courts: Platinum Inter-Club badminton championship yesterday and advanced to the National Finals after going...

Armed man kills cop.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CITY OF SAN FERNANDO-A man armed with an M-16 rifle fired at a jeepney full of police recruits, killing one and wounding another on Monday here. Supt. Nicanor Targa, city police chief, said police failed to...

Dads in fisticuffs.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) COUNCILOR Vic Lagera of Roxas, Palawan, on Tuesday punched and knocked down Roxas Vice Mayor Mario Rodriguez after a heated argument during the municipal council's special session. A police report said...

RP's sick image blamed on misunderstood icons.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Vincent Cabreza BAGUIO CITY-Ifugao scholars are concerned that the Filipinos' misappreciation of one of their anthropological relics could have convinced them that the country really is the...

X-file case: Spirits show up in photos.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jerry E. Esplanada EVEN the country's foremost authority on paranormal phenomena and mysticism still gets goose bumps every time he checks out his private collection of "spirit photographs." ...

Bank lending to farm sector seen declining.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Doris C. Dumlao BANK lending to the agriculture and agrarian sectors is slowing down, reflecting the reluctance of the banks to shell out more funds beyond the minimum required by the Agri-Agra...

APFI details comprehensive courses for new filmmakers.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nestor U. Torre THE ASIA Pacific Film Institute leads off with a basic program on Jan. 10, 2005 that offers an exciting curriculum for new filmmakers. The basic course runs 16 weeks at the...

Bayron blows RP bid for HK crown sweep.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) HONG KONG-Overnight leader Jay Bayron of the Philippines limped home with a fat six-over 77 as Taiwan's Chan Shih-chang rallied to win the individual crown in the Hong Kong Open Amateur Golf Championships...

China rate hike-its impact on Asia, currencies and oil.
November 1, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Rico Hizon, Contributor CHINA jolted the financial markets with a surprise rate hike, its first in nearly a decade. The move follows widespread speculation that China would be forced to...