- Symantec launches online marketing tool for partners
- UNHCR outraged at corruption claims by Kenyan Politicians
- Half a million may go hungry in Namibia.
- The 2002-03 Monsoon: Better to be Safe than Sorry
- GMC debuts all-new midsize pickup van.
- Rebel group guilty of Kisangani massacres killing 183 people.
- NAIROBI, 17 July (IRIN) - A report by a UN expert has detailed "the massacres" of at least 183 people in Kisangani, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, allegedly committed by one of the main rebel groups in the country, the Rwanda-backed Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma).
- The killings started following a mutiny in Kisangani on Sunday, involving troops of the RCD-Goma, the de-facto authority in eastern Congo. The group briefly occupied a local radio station and appealed to the public to expel Rwandan troops from the country. A number of people were immediately killed by a mob, after which RCD-Goma troops retaliated.
- In a briefing to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson cited accounts by witnesses in Kisangani detailing the shooting of police and soldiers who were ordered to lie down, with their hands bound; others were hacked to death with machetes or had their throats slit on the Tshopo Bridge in the city.
- "It appears that some of the bodies were decapitated before being thrown in the river. Some of the bodies were reportedly put in plastic bags," she said.
- Among the dead were 103 civilians and at least 60 soldiers and police officers. But the report indicated that a further 20 unidentified bodies were also observed in the Tshopo River after the mutiny.
- "The authorities should take immediate steps to arrest those among them who ordered or were involved in the actual massacre of civilians, soldiers and policemen," she said. The report was compiled by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, Asma Jahangir, following her visit to the Congo from 16 to 22 June.
AMD’s newest mobile processor delivers exceptional notebook PC performance for business and home consumers
July 15, 2002, Sunnyvale, CA: AMD today introduced the high-performance mobile AMD Athlon™ XP processor 1800+ with QuantiSpeed™ architecture. With AMD PowerNow!™ technology, the newest mobile AMD Athlon XP processor gives business and home consumers a dynamic power management tool for performance on demand and enables a cooler, quieter notebook PC.“Notebook PC enthusiasts trust and depend on AMD to deliver an exceptional computing experience with leading-edge software application performance,” said Ed Ellett, vice president of marketing for AMD’s Computation Products Group. “AMD is dedicated to excellence and continuously innovates with the customers’ needs in mind. The newest addition to the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor family gives business and home consumers greater choices in the notebook PC market with solutions they can rely on for true, high-performance computing.”
Notebook PCs powered by the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+, based on 0.13 micron technology, are available today from Hewlett-Packard Company and ACER Europe.
“AMD mobile processors offer the ultimate price performance and are consistent with HP product offerings that serve our consumer and small office notebook PC users,” said Jonathan Kaye, notebook product marketing manager, HP Personal Systems Group. “The introduction of the newest mobile AMD Athlon XP processor will provide customers who rely on HP notebook PCs a broad range of performance and features for their specific computing needs.”
“The introduction of the new notebook Acer Aspire 1300, featuring the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+, provides users with a powerful platform designed to deliver exceptional performance for a wide range of applications, from office work to personal entertainment,” said Gianfranco Lanci, president ACER EMEA.
AMD’s high-performance mobile processors enable infrastructure partners to jump-start system performance by offering notebook PCs based on the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor and double data rate (DDR) memory. Systems featuring DDR memory can provide business and home consumers performance gains on memory-intensive applications such as Internet content creation, gaming and office productivity. With QuantiSpeed architecture, the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ also enables extreme performance for the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system.
“The ATI RADEON IGP320M chipset enables exciting new platforms and provides today's mobile customers with feature-rich, high-performance graphics in a power-efficient design," said Rajesh Shakkarwar, director of marketing, Integrated Products, ATI Technologies Inc. “The ATI RADEON IGP320M chipset can enable DDR memory technology on the AMD Athlon mobile platform, further enhancing performance of systems based on the AMD Athlon XP mobile processor.”
Availability
The HP Pavilion ZE1250 notebook PC featuring the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ is available today at retail stores in the United States. The Compaq Presario 900 series notebook PCs will also feature the new AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ and is expected to be available later this month directly through www.hp.com.Notebook PCs based on the mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 1800+ are also available today from ACER Europe in its Acer Aspire 1300 series.
Symantec launches online marketing tool for partners
New Internet Portal Provides Details on Promotions, Enables Partners to Initiate Co-Marketing Campaigns.July 15, 2002, Cupertino, Calif: Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq:SYMC), the world leader in Internet security, today announced the launch of PartnerPromos, an online tool that provides Symantec partners access to ongoing promotions, special incentives, rebate offers and collateral marketing materials. PartnerPromos enhances the functionality of PartnerNet, Symantec's online resource for partners, providing one-stop access to the information and tools partners need to become security experts.
The PartnerPromos site includes a powerful tool called PartnerMarketing, which enables partners to order Symantec approved collateral for co-marketed direct mail and e-mail campaigns. With this tool, partners can customize collateral templates with their logo, address and message to quickly and efficiently send out high-quality marketing materials. For a limited time Symantec will cover the cost of some mailings.
Partners log onto PartnerNet with a secure password/ID where they may access the PartnerPromos site, complete with a customized home page based on their partnership status within the Symantec Partner Program. The PartnerPromos home page includes five sections:
Lead Promo: Highlights the featured promotions for that tier. Enterprise Security Partners and Enterprise Solutions Partners will also be able to track their rebate status online.
Hot Promos: Features other promotions open to that tier.
Product Launches: Includes PowerPoint presentations and launch kits for new products and links back to PartnerNet for additional product information.Features: Links to PartnerMarketing, Webcast product overviews and event listings.
Awards: Highlights recent product and program awards.
"Being able to view the most current promotions, learn about new product launches and watch web cast trainings will provide us a competitive advantage and help us increase sales," said Bill Moore, principal at Integration Specialists, Inc., an IT security firm in Clearwater, Fla. "We're looking forward to using the tools on Partner Marketing and believe the e-mail templates will enhance our marketing efforts.""These newest enhancements to PartnerNet ensure that partners have the most current information on promotions and product information, enabling them to successfully sell Symantec's integrated security solutions," said Allyson Seelinger, vice president of North American enterprise and consumer channels for Symantec. "In addition to the information available through the PartnerPromos site, PartnerNet provides Symantec partners with information on products, licensing and services, and training and certification programs."
PartnerPromos is currently available in the United States and Canada and is planned to be launched globally over the next year. Access to Symantec PartnerPromos is limited to registered partners in the Symantec Partner Program. Partners can access the site via PartnerNet at partnernet.symantec.com. Current partners will receive their user name and password via e-mail. New partners will receive their password within a few weeks of being registered into the Symantec Partner Program.
The 2002-03 Monsoon: Better to be Safe than Sorry
Mumbai -- keralamonitor.com July 12, 2002. The performance of the monsoon this year has, so far, fallen way below expectations. With the economy overall showing signs of recovery, a reasonable monsoon would have reinforced the sharp recovery in the agricultural sector that was seen in FY02. Last year, GDP in agriculture grew by 5.8 per cent, and the growth in the last two quarters was over 7 per cent.In the last few days, expressions of concern about the performance of the monsoon have greatly increased. While the official position is still that "it is too early to write it off", there are growing signs that the government is getting ready to acknowledge that we are in a situation of drought.
The Performance So Far
On the basis of the first seven weeks, are we in a position to write off this monsoon? From an analytical perspective, it would help to look at the patterns followed by recent monsoons. Table 1 displays the progress of the monsoon until the second week of July for the last six years. With reference to the number of meteorological subdivisions in which the rainfall was in excess or normal, clearly, this year is the worst of the last six.
However, when this performance is juxtaposed with growth in agricultural GDP, recent history indicates that early success of the monsoon is no guarantee of good agricultural performance. In both 1997-98 and 2000-01, the performance of the monsoon in its first seven weeks was "reasonable": more than two-thirds of the subdivisions had received excess or normal rainfall. Yet, in both these years, total production in the kharif crop declined, as did agricultural GDP for the year.
In the same table, we present the magnitude of precipitation during the first seven weeks (netting out the total deficit from the total excess across all subdivisions), we find that in 1999-00, the size of the net deficit (-334mm) was comparable to this year's (-474mm). Again, in that year, despite the early deficit, agricultural production and GDP showed positive growth.
Based on the evidence presented in Table 1, it is clearly difficult to conclude that a good harvest will result from a good early performance of the monsoon. The story of 1999-00 also suggests that a relatively large early weakness in the monsoon may still result in agricultural growth. However, in terms of both the geographical spread and magnitude of this year's weakness, it is significantly worse than recent years.
The regional impact of the weak monsoons can be gauged by the area under various crops in various states. A more accurate assessment of impact can be made by taking the unirrigated area into consideration, but here we do not make that disaggragation. Using Table 2, we assess the likely impact of monsoons on the basis rainfall received in the states that dominate the production of four important kharif crops viz. rice, coarse cereals, soyabean and groundnut. Rice production is likely to take a hit Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, which account for about 25 percent rice production in India. Rice production in West Bengal- the largest producer - will be largely unaffected, as the monsoons have been reasonably good thus far.While good rainfall in augurs well for coarse cereal production in Maharashtra, UP and Karnataka are likely to be adversely impacted by deficient rainfall. The Soyabean crop in Madhya Pradesh (which accounts of over 65 percent of total soyabean production in India) will be a major casualty of the faltering rainfall. Production of groundnut is also likely to suffer as the rainfall in other major groundnut-producing states has been below normal. Gujarat, which ranks just below the three southern states, has had good rainfall this year.
If the current pattern persists, it will; undoubtedly weaken the recovery. Bolstered by three successive good crop cycles, rural spending power, would have been channelised into the buying of manufactured goods. The volatility that is now in prospect will obviously put pressure on household spending, with a premium on subsistence and hedging against the uncertainty.
It is legitimate to argue that it is still too early to write the monsoon off. It is also difficult to offer conclusive evidence that relates a weak early monsoon with agricultural performance. However, given the magnitude of the early weakness, perhaps the best advice that we can give is that it is "better to be safe than sorry". Measures to deal with drought situations where they loom will take time to activate and implement, so both central and state governments ought to be thinking about initiating them right away. They can always be shelved if the monsoon regains its normal intensity.
Table 1: Rainfall and Agricultural Production
Regions Total Total Net Kharif Agricultural Agricultural
with deficient Deficiency Excess Rainfall Production GDP GDP
rainfall in Rainfall Rainfall in Q3
(Number) June 1 to July 10 (mm) Growth Rate (% per year)
97-98 12 -236 377 141 -2.3 -2.4 -3.2
98-99 8 -274 834 560 1.3 7.1 5.9
99-00 12 -496 162 -334 1.9 1.3 0.2
00-01 10 -388 833 445 -1.7 -0.2 -0.8
01-02 7 -306 1170 864 n.a. 5.7 7.6
02-03 20 -714 240 -474 n.a. n.a. n.a.
Source: IMD, CSO and Ministry of Agriculture
Table 2: Major Kharif Crops and Rainfall during June 1 to July 10, 2002
Percentage Region Rainfall
Crop State Share in +/- over
Production normal
(mm)
Rice West Bengal 15.6 Sub Himalayan +8
Gangetic +26
Uttar Pradesh 14.4 East -32
West -52
Andhra Pradesh 11.7 Coastal -24
Telangana -29
Rayalaseema -2
Coarse Cereals Maharashtra 28.46 Madhya Mah +9
Marthwada +24
Vidarbha +23
Karnataka 19.48 Coastal -25
North Interior -12
South Interior -45
Uttar Pradesh 16.4 East -32
West -52
Soyabean Madhya Pradesh 65.5 West -25
East -36
Maharashtra 23.9 Madhya Maha +9
Marathwada +24
Vidarbha +23
Rajasthan 8.8 West -42
East -39
Groundnut Tamil Nadu 26.0 -23
Andhra Pradesh 21.1 Coastal -24
Telangana -29
Rayalaseema -2
Karnataka 14.9 Coastal -25
North Interior -12
South Interior -45
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and IMDUNHCR outraged at corruption claims by Kenyan Politicians
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has described as "malicious" and "outrageous" allegations of corruption and mismanagement levelled against it by a group of Kenyan politicians over the agency’s management of refugee camps in the northern part of the country.
"These allegations are baseless. They can only serve to mislead people and further worsen the plight of a particularly vulnerable group of people," Arun Sala-Ngarm, the UNHCR deputy representative in Kenya, said in the statement released on Wednesday.
The lawmakers, members of the ruling Kenya African National Union, said UNHCR had failed, to meet the needs of some 231,000 refugees in the Kakuma and Dadaab camps and that Kenyan citizens were being improperly misplaced to make way for them, AFP reported on Wednesday. The MPs were referring to the recent transfer of some 12,000 Somali ethnic Bantu refugees, from Dadaab to Kakuma, for relocation to the United States.
"UNHCR takes care of refugees in other parts of the world, especially Kosovo, giving them 11 dollars a day, while it bluntly ignores those from Africa, Kenya in particular paying them less than 10 US cent," AFP reported Ekwe Ethuro, MP for Turkana Central, the constituency in which Kakuma camp is situated, as saying.
The MP’s added that UNHCR had further engaged in "grand corruption" at the expense of the refugees’ host community. "UNHCR delivers only 10 percent of the total resources meant for refugees, while the remaining 90 percent is used to hire Kenyan policemen to clobber locals, buy satellite dishes and, eating protein rich foods and drinking beer, " AFP quoted Mohammed Shidiye from northeastern Kenya as saying.
The MPs' remarks followed an in incident on Friday, in which three residents of the local community were killed in a clash with the police, following a dispute over contracts UNHCR has issued the local community to supply dry firewood in the camp. The controversy over the camps began on 9 July, when politicians from the region issued UNHCR with a week's ultimatum to relocate.
UNHCR Regional Information Officer Jonathan Clayton told IRIN on Wednesday that the problem had been caused by a local group, which was demanding an increase in the price of a bundle of firewood from the current 30 to 45 shillings. "This is blatant extortion,” he said. “UNHCR has established a far tendering system. The MPs want the contracts for their own selfish gains without going through the tendering system.”
At present, 41 groups from Turkana District, where Kakuma is located, won the competitive bidding tender to supply 84,000 kg of firewood to the refugee camp, while 80 groups are supplying Dadaab, UNHCR said.
Clayton said that the land on which the Somali Bantus were settled had been unoccupied, and was only allocated after negotiations with local groups. "There was no question of locals being pushed away," he said.
UNHCR had initiated a number of environmentally friendly activities in the region, such as tree-planting and promoting fuel saving stoves, the delivery of firewood into the refugee camps, from which local communities were benefiting.
These efforts, costing millions of dollars each year, were being made in acknowledgement of the ecological destruction caused by large refugee movement, the UNHCR said.Clayton said UNHCR officials would meet Vice-President George Saitoti, a number of senior government officials and local MPs on Wednesday over the matter.
Half a million may go hungry in Namibia.
JOHANNESBURG, 17 July (IRIN) - Some families in Namibia have already run out of food, and many more will follow if something is not done soon, according to the country's Emergency Management Unit (EMU).
An EMU report said that nearly a half million people will require emergency food aid in Namibia in the coming months.
The report, based on a crop and food supply assessment mission in June, said total cereal output in 2001/02 is estimated at 37,300 mt, which was only 49 percent of last season and less that the 38,500 mt produced in 1997/1998, which was declared a drought year.
Although drought was the main reason for food shortages, the report found that there was also a shortage of agricultural inputs and damage to grain by small animals.
The region hardest hit by this year's poor harvest is Caprivi where forecasted yields of rain-fed coarse grain production is calculated at 3,000 mt.
According to the report, this was even lower than the 1994/1995 drought year when only 4,100 mt were produced.
Head of the EMU, Gabriel Kangowa told IRIN: "The Caprivi region is of great concern to the government. The drought has not only affected the people in the region but also their livestock. Grazing conditions are generally poor in most parts of the region."
Also, in some rural areas in Caprivi, water points were not working. In the Sangwali and Chichimani districts in Caprivi the water was found to be be "salty and not suitable for human and livestock consumption". Most rural communities in Caprivi use water from boreholes, wells and rivers.
According to the report to cabinet, only 9,000 of the almost 80,000 people in Caprivi indicated that they might pull through the drought. In the Kavango region 50,000 people would need assistance, while in the Oshikoto region more than 82,000 indicated that they were in need of food aid.
Kangowa told IRIN that cabinet was still examining the findings of the assessment.
The assessment mission recommended targeted emergency assistance of about 155,700 mt of food. Commercial millers have planned to import about 78,200 mt, comprising 32,600 mt of wheat and 45,600 mt of white maize, which will cover half of the shortfall.
The EMU also suggested that pre-school, school-feeding and vulnerable group feeding programmes be implemented.
It said that farmers should be encouraged to sell livestock. To help people in rural areas, the report recommended that water tankers were needed immediately.Already close to 14 million people in Southern Africa are in need of food aid between now and March next year.
GMC debuts all-new midsize pickup van.
July 15, 2002, Detroit: GMC announces the latest step towards Professional Grade with the debut of the 2004 Canyon, an all-new mid-size pickup."The mid-size truck segment is extremely important and highly competitive, " explained Craig Bierley, marketing director - mid-size trucks. "Canyon will dramatically enhance our competitiveness in this important segment," he added.
Production begins in the fourth-quarter 2003 at General Motors' Shreveport, Louisiana truck plant. GMC Canyon represents the sixteenth new truck introduced by the Professional Grade division since 1999
