• Chinese, Nigerian presidents satisfied with bilateral ties • Pang Yuliang Acquired German Parchim Airport

Investigations can routinely last two to three years, he said. In the meantime, the backlog of cases is growing, and he predicts it's only going to get worse.
"It doesn't matter where you live," Marvin said. "Every neighborhood has credit-card and Internet fraud. No one is living in a bubble."
[e-mail]
CHRIS RUSSELL| DISPATCH\ Brian Marvin, a financial-crimes detective with the Reynoldsburg police and a member of the FBI Cyber Crime Task Force, says he sometimes spends more time building a case against suspects than they eventually serve behind bars. Marvin's focus includes credit-card fraud, identity theft and check forgery.;Photo
Document CLMB000020070326e33p0001b

Intel-Powered Classmate PCs First To Ship In Volume To Emerging Markets
677 words

22 March 2007

07:43 PM

Korea Newswire

KORNEW

English

Copyright 2007. Korea Newswire.
Intel Corporation today announced that Intel-powered classmate PCs are shipping in volume to emerging markets. These affordable yet fully functional PC based on the Intel Celeron M processor is the first education-oriented mobile computer to ship in volume to Brazil and Mexico.
The Intel-powered classmate PC supports collaborative learning environments primarily for K-12 schools and is part of Intel's on-going commitment and dedication to equip children around the world with technology that will help advance learning and development.
Intel also plans to run Intel-powered classmate PC pilot programs in more than 25 countries this year, including Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. This year, Intel plans for these classmate PCs to be available in such languages as English, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.
The Intel-powered classmate PC is part of the Intel World Ahead Program to tap the combined power of technology, curriculum and teachers to improve education in developing countries. Intel will work with these countries to establish plans that include working with local industry to provide Internet connectivity, offering professional training for teachers on how to effectively use technology to improve teaching under the Intel Teach program and developing local content such as the science and math curriculum based on Intel's skoool™. Intel's skoool™ is an award-winning online digital learning tool that offers a scalable, multimedia, multi-device learning solution to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and science.
"Intel has a long history of supporting education initiatives driven by the belief that technology can open the world's opportunities for students," said Willy Agatstein, Intel vice president for sales and marketing group and general manager for Emerging Markets Platform Group. "Our goal is to provide students with the 21st-century skills they need, such as collaboration and critical thinking, to help ensure that they're prepared to succeed in the knowledge-based economy. We are working hard to help foster innovation, creativity and locally driven content and give children the support to communicate worldwide. We expect Intel-powered classmate PCs to be an important device to help in education as well."
The Intel World Ahead program is the company's comprehensive approach to bring uncompromised technology to everyone, anywhere in the world. Focused on people in the world's developing communities, it integrates and extends Intel's efforts to advance progress in the use of technology in four areas: accessibility, connectivity, education and content. Intel will invest more than $1 billion over the next 5 years in this program. Intel is also working with ministries of education in more than 30 countries to train 10 million teachers by the end of the decade on how to apply technology to improve learning, potentially benefiting more than 100 million students.
Intel is already working with local PC manufacturers, ISVs, education service providers, government agencies and non-governmental organizations to ensure local requirements such as language and education programs are met. Classmate PCs are rugged and include features that are commonly found in today's mainstream PCs (such as storage and built-in wireless), and are capable of running mainstream applications including video and educational software. These PCs are equipped with unique functions such as a water-resistant keyboard, an integrated educational feature set that allows teacher-student and teacher-parent collaboration, and an advanced theft-control feature using a network-issued digital certification. Intel works in each market with local software, hardware and communications companies that manufacture, distribute, service and support these Intel-powered classmate PCs. Additional information on Intel-powered classmate PC is available on www.classmatepc.com .
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
Document KORNEW0020070327e33m00002

Intel-Powered Classmate PCs First to Ship in Volume to Emerging Markets
717 words

22 March 2007

04:00 PM

Business Wire

BWR

English

(c) 2007 Business Wire. All Rights Reserved.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Intel Corporation today announced that Intel-powered classmate PCs are shipping in volume to emerging markets. These affordable yet fully functional PC based on the Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor is the first education-oriented mobile computer to ship in volume to Brazil and Mexico.
The Intel-powered classmate PC supports collaborative learning environments primarily for K-12 schools and is part of Intel's on-going commitment and dedication to equip children around the world with technology that will help advance learning and development.
Intel also plans to run Intel-powered classmate PC pilot programs in more than 25 countries this year, including Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. This year, Intel plans for these classmate PCs to be available in such languages as English, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai and Turkish.
The Intel-powered classmate PC is part of the Intel World Ahead Program to tap the combined power of technology, curriculum and teachers to improve education in developing countries. Intel will work with these countries to establish plans that include working with local industry to provide Internet connectivity, offering professional training for teachers on how to effectively use technology to improve teaching under the Intel(R) Teach program and developing local content such as the science and math curriculum based on Intel's skoool(TM). Intel's skoool(TM) is an award-winning online digital learning tool that offers a scalable, multimedia, multi-device learning solution to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and science.
"Intel has a long history of supporting education initiatives driven by the belief that technology can open the world's opportunities for students," said Willy Agatstein, Intel vice president for sales and marketing group and general manager for Emerging Markets Platform Group. "Our goal is to provide students with the 21st-century skills they need, such as collaboration and critical thinking, to help ensure that they're prepared to succeed in the knowledge-based economy. We are working hard to help foster innovation, creativity and locally driven content and give children the support to communicate worldwide. We expect Intel-powered classmate PCs to be an important device to help in education as well."
The Intel World Ahead program is the company's comprehensive approach to bring uncompromised technology to everyone, anywhere in the world. Focused on people in the world's developing communities, it integrates and extends Intel's efforts to advance progress in the use of technology in four areas: accessibility, connectivity, education and content. Intel will invest more than $1 billion over the next 5 years in this program. Intel is also working with ministries of education in more than 30 countries to train 10 million teachers by the end of the decade on how to apply technology to improve learning, potentially benefiting more than 100 million students.
Intel is already working with local PC manufacturers, ISVs, education service providers, government agencies and non-governmental organizations to ensure local requirements such as language and education programs are met. Classmate PCs are rugged and include features that are commonly found in today's mainstream PCs (such as storage and built-in wireless), and are capable of running mainstream applications including video and educational software. These PCs are equipped with unique functions such as a water-resistant keyboard, an integrated educational feature set that allows teacher-student and teacher-parent collaboration, and an advanced theft-control feature using a network-issued digital certification. Intel works in each market with local software, hardware and communications companies that manufacture, distribute, service and support these Intel-powered classmate PCs. Additional information on Intel-powered classmate PC is available on www.classmatepc.com .
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom .
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
Document BWR0000020070322e33m00a9l
Domestic news items from Xinhua -- March 21
804 words

22 March 2007

Xinhua News Agency

XNEWS

English

(c) Copyright 2007 Xinhua News Agency
BEIJING, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Following are domestic news items released by Xinhua on Wednesday:
Crowds gather at railway station, block trains in E. China over rezoning plan
1st Ld-Writethru: BOC refuses to accept transfer of frozen funds from BDA
Chinese students in Russia number over 10,000
Zinc to debut on China's futures exchange next Monday
U.S. confirms meeting DPRK on bank account, denuclearization issues
Central government adopts five-year health plan
3rd Ld-Writethru-China Focus: Six-party talks to be extended amid stalemate on DPRK frozen funds
Drought won't affect power generation in Three Gorges Area, claims engineer
China's vice finance minister calls for more private investment in health sector
2nd Ld: Six-party talks to be extended amid stalemate on DPRK frozen funds
Chinese state councilor meets Russian Federation Council members
Liang Guanglie meets with Lao deputy PM
China imposes anti-dumping duties on imported BPA
Suspected arsonist arrested after fire kills 17 in east China
5th Ld-Writethru-China Exclusive: Coal mine gas blast traps 21 miners in north China, 13 found dead
Feature: Promising land for movie lies in Asia: Luc Besson
1st Ld: Six-party talks to be extended amid stalemate on DPRK frozen funds
Lao ruling party discipline inspection officials visit China
URGENT: BOC refuses to accept transfer of frozen funds from BDA, chief Russian negotiator
China Mobile profits up, matching market's expectation
China, Russia to sign 4.3 bln U.S. dollar contracts during Hu's visit
Gold price higher in Hong Kong -- March 21
Weather information for Asia Pacific cities -- March 21
URGENT: Six-party talks to be extended amid stalemate on DPRK frozen funds
Chinese Assistant FM: SCO joint military exercises to be held in Russia in 2007
Feature: Water-stretched China realising that to save is to survive
4th Ld: Coal mine gas blast traps 21 miners in north China, 13 found dead
1st Ld-writethru: Chinese shares rebound to record high
Weather forecast for world cities -- March 21
Weather forecast for major Chinese cities -- March 21
Six-party talks likely to continue on Thursday, sources say
China to increase natural science research investment by 20 percent
Chinese president accepts credentials from seven new ambassadors
China's online sales to top 51 bln yuan in 2007
China starts to plant trees along the Qinghai-Tibet railway
3nd Ld: Coal mine gas blast traps 21 miners in north China
China's installed capacity to grow 10.5 percent annually
2nd LD: Coal mine gas blast traps 21 miners in north China
Taiwan share prices close 0.27 pct higher
Hong Kong stocks close higher -- March 21
Roundup: First Asian film awards shine HK film festival
Foreign exchange rates in Hong Kong -- March 21
Macao's inflation sees rise in February
Trading on Hong Kong Stock Exchange -- March 21
Roundup: HK share prices climb above 19,500 level again by adding 0.82 pct
China Enterprises Index close 0.63 pct up -- March 21
SW city to host China's first Int'l clown festival
East China transport chief to stand trial on corruption charges
Hushen index up - March 21
Shenzhen stock index up - March 21
Shanghai stock index up - March 21
1st Ld-Writethru: Top ROK negotiator: technical problems key to next step of six-party talks
Chinese shares hit new record high
Air quality of major Chinese cities -- March 21
1st LD: Coal mine gas blast traps 21 miners in north China
Teenager drug suspect taken in pre-trial custody in Macao
Bogus Hong Kong-dollar bills seized in Macao
Chinese central banker sees no exacerbated inflation in near future
Growth of China's textile industry slows
New cell phone users far outpace new fixed-line phone users
Coal mine boss arrested for alleged cover-up of fatal fire
China's Bohai Bank launches forex reform
Russia says six-party talks to end as scheduled
Hong Kong stocks close lower at midday -- March 21
China Exclusive: Feature: Nobel laureate's tour in China's countryside
URGENT: Coal mine gas blast traps 21 miners in north China
Top ROK negotiator: technical problems key to next step of six-party talks
Hong Kong stocks open higher -- March 21
Taiwan opposition party firmly against "second republic constitution"
Xinhua home news advisory -- March 21
Market exchange rates -- March 21
Chinese shares open higher on March 21
3rd Entertainment Expo opened in HK
2nd-LD-Writethru: China moves to meet surging demand for Chinese language teachers
BSC, Eagle establish investment alliance focusing on China's retail sector
China asks Nigeria to take immiedate action to rescue kidnapped Chinese workers
Reception held to mark 51st Anniversary of Independence of Republic of Tunisia
China grants official approval to four overseas banks to start full-range RMB business
Document XNEWS00020070321e33m0076h
RIGHTS-NIGERIA: 600 TRAPPED IN GRIM, OVERFLOWING DEATH ROWS
By Toye Olori

1,128 words

20 March 2007

Inter Press Service

IPRS

English

(c) 2007 Global Information Network
LAGOS, Mar. 19, 2007 (IPS/GIN) -- Some 600 people are now crammed into Nigeria's disease-infested death rows and the number is certain to rise under a justice system that has been resisting reform since the end of military rule in 1999.
The situation was highlighted dramatically this month when the U.N.'s special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, concluded a week-long visit here on Mar. 10. He charged there were only a "few tangible results" from efforts to reform the justice system, and one death row inmate had been waiting there for more than 20 years.
Novak levelled grave charges against the Nigerian police for breaking the law with impunity and extracting confessions and information by force. Abuse of suspects was "systemic" and "routine", he said at a press conference ending his visit.
"Detainees are beaten up. They are suspended from the ceilings for prolonged periods and beaten in that position as a way for the police to extract confessions or other information." The police also shot at their legs.
He also said the justice system discriminated against the poor, who could not pay for lawyers. Femi Falana, a lawyer and human rights activist from the Campaign for Democracy suggested to IPS that the situation could be even worse than Novak described. The visit was an official one and he believed Novak was given a "guided tour".
Activists campaigning for death row inmates have long claimed that some may have been wrongly sentenced because of improper investigations by the police, while those who had the money could buy their way to freedom. Nowak's charges are likely to be taken up by activists in their efforts to remove the lingering threat to execution which hangs over what must now be one of the largest death row populations in the world.
The last known executions in Nigeria were in November 1995 when Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni environmental activists were hanged during the era of General Sani Abacha who ruled from 1993 to 1998. But there could have been secret executions since the return to civilian rule.
A government-appointed committee on reform of the country's justice and prison system produced its first report in 2005. It recommended the release of all those who had been on death row for more than 10 years. It also called for the swift execution of all others who had exhausted their appeals, according to a copy of the report received by the Campaign for Democracy. This was suggested as a way of reducing overcrowding in the country's prisons.
The report is said to have criticised all levels of officials involved in Nigeria's capital punishment system. Appeals were sometimes long delayed. Officials failed to prepare execution orders for signatures. State governors ignored them when they arrived or failed to exercise their pardoning rights.
The government did not accept the committee's recommendations, sending it back to do a more thorough job. Its reported recommendation that death row numbers should be reduced by executions has been strongly criticised by the Campaign for Democracy.
John Uziegbe, a legal officer with the Legal Resource Consortium in the commercial hub of Lagos, believes that the way the system now operates shows that Nigerian governors are collectively observing a moratorium on the death penalty. "Most state governors are not ready to sign death warrants, not because of lack of political will but more an unwillingness to kill," he told IPS.
"They do not want to associate themselves with taking lives."
He added that Nigerian politicians knew from experience that capital punishment was no deterrent to crime. "Even under the military when public executions of armed robbers were carried out in the locality of the criminal, crimes were being committed in the vicinity at the same time," he said.
Other activists and many lawyers agree that capital punishment is unrelated to crime levels. "We have a growing crime rate because our government has not been able to provide for its citizens. So many unemployed youths are pushed into crime to survive," Lawrence Quakar, a lawyer and member of the Human Rights Law Service, said.
If the government had performed its duties by providing the people with basic necessities of life, we would not have cause to start arguing whether the death penalty should be expunged from the constitution," he added, saying that a return to state executions would make criminals even more violent. Unofficially, the unemployment rate is 60 percent.
Besides campaigning for a formal death penalty ban, rights activists have been pressing for an improvement in the conditions for Nigeria's estimated 40,000 prison population. Inmates are said to sleep on bare boards in overcrowded cells. Disease, especially tuberculosis, was rife with many dying because of inadequate medical treatment, Uziegbe said.
"Conditions in prisons are very terrible. From what I have seen there, the people awaiting trial suffer more than those already convicted. They are crammed into cells and not taken care of since there's no money for them," he said.
The U.N.'s Nowak also raised the issue of medical attention in prisons at his press conference in Lagos. He said the victims of police torture were left without medical treatment for the injuries inflicted.
Nowak's eventual report on Nigeria's justice and prison system may well increase the number of Nigerians in favour of a constitutional ban on the death penalty -- although a spate of gun crime and armed robberies, especially in Lagos, is also certain to keep the numbers in favour of capital punishment high. There are even some who would like to extend the number of capital offences.
"Capital punishment is the best antidote to the high level of corruption in Nigeria," said Bilikisu Amoda, a school teacher from Lagos. "If President Obasanjo's anti-corruption crusade is to work, those convicted of corruption should be executed as in China. Many Nigerians have died though the actions and inaction of corrupt officials."
But the enormous interest in Novak's statement and the outpouring of public sympathy over the hanging in Singapore of a 19-year-old Nigerian found guilty of drug smuggling last January suggest the numbers opposing capital punishment are rising. Civil society groups not only condemned Singapore's government over the hanging, but also their own for being slow to react and failing to prevent the execution.
The press compared the case to that of the well-known Nigerian actress, Hassanat Taiwo, who was arrested in Lagos for trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country to England. She admitted the offence and was able to pay an eight thousand dollar fine and go free in January.
Document IPRS000020070321e33k00033

Grim, Overflowing Death Rows
by Toye Olori

1,132 words

19 March 2007

05:06 PM

All Africa

AFNWS

English

(c) 2007 AllAfrica, All Rights Reserved
Lagos, Mar 19, 2007 (Inter Press Service/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
Some 600 people are now crammed into Nigeria's disease-infested death rows and the number is certain to rise with a justice system that critics say has been resisting reform since the end of military rule in 1999.
The situation was highlighted dramatically this month when the U.N.'s special rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, ended a week-long visit here on Mar. 10. He charged there were only a "few tangible results" from efforts to reform the justice system, and one death row inmate had been waiting there for more than 20 years.
Novak levelled grave charges against the Nigerian police for breaking the law with impunity and extracting confessions and information by force. Abuse of suspects was "systemic" and "routine", he said at a press conference ending his visit.
"Detainees are beaten up. They are suspended from the ceilings for prolonged periods and beaten in that position as a way for the police to extract confessions or other information." The police also shot at their legs.
He also said the justice system discriminated against the poor, who could not pay for lawyers. Femi Falana, a lawyer and human rights activist from the Campaign for Democracy suggested to IPS that the situation could be even worse than Novak described. The visit was an official one and he believed Novak was given a "guided tour".
Activists campaigning for death row inmates have long claimed that some may have been wrongly sentenced because of improper investigations by the police, while those who had the money could buy their way to freedom. Nowak's charges are likely to be taken up by activists in their efforts to remove the lingering threat to execution which hangs over what must now be one of the largest death row populations in the world.
The last known executions in Nigeria were in November 1995 when Ken Saro Wiwa and eight other Ogoni environmental activists were hanged during the era of General Sani Abacha who ruled from 1993 to 1998. But there could have been secret executions since the return to civilian rule.
A government-appointed committee on reform of the country's justice and prison system produced its first report in 2005. It recommended the release of all those who had been on death row for more than 10 years. It also called for the swift execution of all others who had exhausted their appeals, according to a copy of the report received by the Campaign for Democracy. This was suggested as a way of reducing overcrowding in the country's prisons.
The report is said to have criticised all levels of officials involved in Nigeria's capital punishment system. Appeals were sometimes long delayed. Officials failed to prepare execution orders for signatures. State governors ignored them when they arrived or failed to exercise their pardoning rights.
The government did not accept the committee's recommendations, sending it back to do a more thorough job. Its reported recommendation that death row numbers should be reduced by executions has been strongly criticised by the Campaign for Democracy.
John Uziegbe, a legal officer with the Legal Resource Consortium in the commercial hub of Lagos, believes that the way the system now operates shows that Nigerian governors are collectively observing a moratorium on the death penalty. "Most state governors are not ready to sign death warrants, not because of lack of political will but more an unwillingness to kill," he told IPS.
"They do not want to associate themselves with taking lives."
He added that Nigerian politicians knew from experience that capital punishment was no deterrent to crime. "Even under the military when public executions of armed robbers were carried out in the locality of the criminal, crimes were being committed in the vicinity at the same time," he said.
Other activists and many lawyers agree that capital punishment is unrelated to crime levels. "We have a growing crime rate because our government has not been able to provide for its citizens. So many unemployed youths are pushed into crime to survive," Lawrence Quakar, a lawyer and member of the Human Rights Law Service, said.
"If the government had performed its duties by providing the people with basic necessities of life, we would not have cause to start arguing whether the death penalty should be expunged from the constitution," he added, saying that a return to state executions would make criminals even more violent. Unofficially, the unemployment rate is 60 percent.
Besides campaigning for a formal death penalty ban, rights activists have been pressing for an improvement in the conditions for Nigeria's estimated 40,000 prison population. Inmates are said to sleep on bare boards in overcrowded cells. Disease, especially tuberculosis, was rife with many dying because of inadequate medical treatment, Uziegbe said.
"Conditions in prisons are very terrible. From what I have seen there, the people awaiting trial suffer more than those already convicted. They are crammed into cells and not taken care of since there's no money for them," he said.
The U.N.'s Nowak also raised the issue of medical attention in prisons at his press conference in Lagos. He said the victims of police torture were left without medical treatment for the injuries inflicted.
Nowak's eventual report on Nigeria's justice and prison system may well increase the number of Nigerians in favour of a constitutional ban on the death penalty -- although a spate of gun crime and armed robberies, especially in Lagos, is also certain to keep the numbers in favour of capital punishment high. There are even some who would like to extend the number of capital offences.
"Capital punishment is the best antidote to the high level of corruption in Nigeria," said Bilikisu Amoda, a school teacher from Lagos. "If President Obasanjo's anti-corruption crusade is to work, those convicted of corruption should be executed as in China. Many Nigerians have died though the actions and inaction of corrupt officials."
But the enormous interest in Novak's statement and the outpouring of public sympathy over the hanging in Singapore of a 19-year-old Nigerian found guilty of drug smuggling last January, suggest the numbers opposing capital punishment are rising. Civil society groups not only condemned Singapore's government over the hanging, but also their own for being slow to react and failing to prevent the execution.
The press compared the case to that of the well-known Nigerian actress, Hassanat Taiwo, who was arrested in Lagos for trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country to England. She admitted the offence and was able to pay an eight thousand dollar fine and go free in January.
Document AFNWS00020070319e33j001pd

Stockioi.coms watch list for: Monday, March 14, 2007 - (OTCBB: CYDF), (OTCBB: XKEM), (OTCBB: WITM), (OTCBB: LSPN), (OTCBB: REOS), and (OTCBB: ACLO) .
2,127 words

14 March 2007

M2 Presswire

MTPW

English

(c) 2007 M2 Communications, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
New York - Stockioi.com's Alerts for Tuesday include: Cyber Defense Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: CYDF), Xechem International, Inc. (OTCBB: XKEM), Wits Basin Precious Minerals, Inc. (OTCBB: WITM), Lifespan, Inc. (OTCBB: LSPN), ReoStar Energy Corp. (OTCBB: REOS), and ACL Semiconductors, Inc. (OTCBB: ACLO) .
Sponsored in part by: http://www.isthemarketopen.com
Cyber Defense Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: CYDF) Tuesday's market went up 5.65% to $0.0898 per share, with a total of 260,874 shares traded. The company announced it received an order from the United States Air Force Academy for its new generation CyberBug B and subsequent training of an academy operator. The first project is to build a situational awareness capability to aid an air base commander in responding to emergencies. The plan is to be able to launch a small UAV with an on-board video camera that would orbit over the area of interest and feed back both the video stream as well as location and orientation telemetry. The software in development would then process this information for display on command center computers. Previous sales to the Naval Post Graduate School and this recent sale to the Air Force Academy confirms the future opportunities for the integration of small tactical UAVs into our military forces. Initiating training at the academy level teaches familiarity with the system as our country's military officers deploy into future conflicts. "We are excited about the CyberBugs future as a value-added solution for our country and our Allies," said Billy Robinson CEO.
Cyber Defense Systems, Inc. engages in the design and development of unmanned air vehicles (UAV's). It develops CyberScout, a series of planned vehicles that employs vertical take-off and landing technique, and CyberBug, a scalable UAV that provides monitor routine surveillance and communication in crowded or remote locations. The airships and UAV's are used to provide surveillance 24/7 and include tracking devices for troop and weapon movement. It markets its airships and UAVs to various branches of the U.S. government and U.S. allies as multiuse platform vehicles capable of deployment in surveillance and communication operations, as well as for DoD homeland defense and intelligence agencies. The company was founded by William C. Robinson in 2000 and is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Xechem International, Inc. (OTCBB: XKEM) Tuesday's market went up 1.00% to $0.0202 per share, with a total of 16,691,337 shares traded. The company announced that its subsidiary Xechem Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd. expects at least a significant increase in its pilot scale production of NICOSAN(TM) with the arrival of a long awaited and very important piece of equipment in Nigeria. The device, a second spray dryer, will be joined by a third spray dryer currently in transit and scheduled to arrive in a few weeks. Installation of the second spray dryer just received is already underway; it should be operational within the next ten days. Dr. Ramesh C. Pandey, the Chairman and CEO, stated, "With this acquisition, we can increase our pilot scale production dramatically, allowing us to bring NICOSAN(TM) to as many as 30,000 patients per month within the next 90 days, which would result in sales of approximately US$500,000 per month, assuming we are successful in scaling up and marketing and distributing the product. We have sufficient raw materials on hand to handle this increase in production and are poised to begin operations of the full scale commercial manufacturing facility when construction is presently scheduled to be completed during the 4th quarter of this year. Upon our ability to raise sufficient funds to complete construction of our full scale facility on a timely basis, the Company believes it could produce sufficient product to serve the needs of approximately 50,000 to 100,000 patients by year end. Our current price of the product could in such event generate approximately $1 million to $2 million per month. Construction of our new manufacturing plant is continuing while we attempt to close on current funding proposals.
Xechem International, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, and production of generic and proprietary drugs from natural sources. Its principal product under development is NICOSAN/HEMOXIN, which would be used for the treatment of sickle cell disease. The company also applies its proprietary extraction, isolation, and purification technology to the production and manufacture of Paclitaxel, which is an anti-cancer compound used for the treatment of ovarian, breast, small cell lung cancers, and AIDS-related kaposi sarcomas. In addition, Xechem International engages in the research and development of other compounds using traditional medicinal plants, microbial fermentation, or semisynthesis to produce anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and memory-enhancing compounds. It operates in the United States, India, the People's Republic of China, and Nigeria. The company was founded by Ramesh C. Pandey in 1994. Xechem International is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Wits Basin Precious Minerals, Inc. (OTCBB: WITM) Tuesday's market went down 10.00% to $1.08 per share, with a total of 2,266,863 shares traded. The company is pleased to announce that it has entered into a letter of intent to purchase a 100% interest in "Maanshan Mining" (as described below) located in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Maanshan Mining estimates its 2007 free cash flow will be in excess of US$15,000,000. Wits Basin has obtained a financing commitment for up to US$20,000,000 to be used as a down payment on the purchase. The balance of the purchase price is to be paid for in equity securities upon completion of the merger with Easyknit Enterprises Holdings Limited (SEHK: 616 - News). The final terms of the equity issuance will be based upon completed due diligence but is estimated to be less than five percent of the outstanding share balance of the merged companies. Consummation of the purchase will require shareholder approval and is subject to various other conditions, including completion of definitive documentation. The timing for the submission to shareholders for a vote will occur after March 31, 2007 in order to allow completion of definitive merger documents with Easyknit as well as completion of required due diligence on the Maanshan Mining properties.
Wits Basin Precious Minerals, Inc., an exploration stage company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties in South Africa; Canada; and Colorado, the United States. It holds indirect interests in the FSC Project, an exploration project adjacent to the Witwatersrand goldfields in South Africa. The company also owns exploration rights in the Holdsworth Project, a property consisting of 19 contiguous patented mining claims covering approximately 304 hectares in the Wawa area near the town of Hawk Junction, Ontario, Canada; and in the Bates-Hunter Gold Mine in Central City, Colorado. In addition, Wits Basin has an option to earn a 70% interest in five mining claims covering approximately 1,295 hectares in the McFaulds Lake area of the James Bay Lowlands, Attawapiskat Region of northern Ontario. The company was incorporated as Meteor Industries, Inc. in 1992 and changed its name to Active IQ Technologies, Inc. in 2001. Further, it changed its name to Wits Basin Precious Minerals, Inc. in 2003. Wits Basin Precious Minerals is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Lifespan, Inc. (OTCBB: LSPN) Tuesday's market went down 4.76% to $0.20 per share, with a total of 256,430 shares traded. The company wishes to announce that the Company is currently in the final stages of completing its first major Property acquisition in the uranium exploration and development field. The Board of Directors has accepted the recommendations of the Company's consultants and is concluding the acquisition of a significant and formerly producing uranium property located within the Continental US. Upon completion of this acquisition the Company intends to make this Property the first of several for its uranium exploration and development division. Ultimately the Company intends to option and or acquire an extensive portfolio of properties capable of production located throughout the formerly prolific uranium exploration and production regions of the US.
Lifespan, Inc., a development stage company, provides various healthcare related products and services. The company markets a self activating pharmacy benefit card, which allows insured and noninsured consumers to achieve savings on their prescriptions instantly and manage escalating prescription drug costs. Lifespan was incorporated in 1997 as Eclipse Entertainment Group, Inc. and changed its name to Nations RX, Inc. in 2003. Later, it changed its name to Lifespan, Inc. in March 2006. The company is headquartered in Rancho Mirage, California.
ReoStar Energy Corp. (OTCBB: REOS) Tuesday's market went up 24.06% to $1.3150 per share, with a total of 182,998 shares traded. The company has announced several updates on its recently drilled Barnett Shale oil and gas wells, located in Cooke County, Texas and its pipeline interests in the same area.
ReoStar Energy Corp. ("ReoStar") has placed four wells in production since February 17, 2007. Three of the wells (Inglish B #2, Inglish D #4, and Inglish D #5) were completed using a "mighty-acid" frac. This is the first time ReoStar has used retarded 20% HCL acid in front of the slick-water sand frac. The Company's objective was to improve permeability in the limestone interfaces throughout the Barnett interval and it appears that this new completion technique is working towards that end. Furthermore, the "mighty acid" frac has improved the flow-back (recovery of completion fluid) of these wells which puts them into production at a quicker rate.
ACL Semiconductors, Inc. (OTCBB: ACLO) Tuesday's market went up 15.79% to $0.11 per share, with a total of 134,300 shares traded. The company announced that a letter to shareholders has been released to keep investors informed of company progress and goals ahead for 2007. Established in 2000, SMIC is headquartered in Shanghai. More than just a wafer foundry, SMIC provides a full suite of value-added services that include design services, mask making, IC manufacturing, and testing. Packaging and final testing are offered through SMIC's assembly and packaging facility in Chengdu. With strong internal offerings and collaboration with a global network of design service, IP, Library and EDA providers, SMIC offers its customers wide-ranging and flexible design support. SMIC ADS shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol SMI.
ACL has been a leading distributor of Samsung and other memory chip products, including DRAM, Flash, SRAM and Mask ROM products for the Hong Kong and Southern China markets since 1991, and has achieved annual sales in excess of one hundred million dollars since 2004. ACL Semiconductors has been in business in Asia for the past 15 years and has evolved as a stable distributor memory components and as specialists providing memory design support serving the OEM and ODM consumer electronics manufacturing base. The company has more than 200 customers in Hong Kong and southern China. ACL Semiconductors, Inc. trades on the OTCBB: under the symbol, ACLO.
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