• diary political and General News Events from Feb 2

Nigeria, Africa's fastest-growing telecoms market with over 20 million telephone users, introduced the unified licence system last February at the end of a five-year exclusivity deal given to three GSM firms in 2001 to operate nationwide mobile networks, for which they paid $285 million each.
Under the unified system, telecoms operators using the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) platform, which were previously limited to specific geographic regions, can offer roaming facilities across licence areas.
This allows them to break into the exclusive preserve of the operators that use the GSM standard.
The NCC awarded four unified licences in May 2006 out of about two dozen applications.
The new regime was introduced despite fierce opposition by the four GSM companies operating in the world's eighth-biggest oil exporter, which wanted to protect the exclusivity that allowed them to charge up to six times more than CDMA providers for a similar service.
Nigeria's cellular market is dominated by MTN, a unit of Johannesburg-based MTN Group , local firm Globacom, Celtel, controlled by Africa's third-ranked mobile firm Celtel, a unit of Kuwait's MTC , and Mtel, an arm of debt-laden Nitel, recently acquired by Nigeria's industrial conglomerate, Transcorp.
With a population of about 140 million people and a telecoms market penetration rate ranked among the lowest in the world, experts say the potential of Africa's most populous country for further growth is enormous.
Nigeria's telecoms sector has attracted investments of around $10 billion in the last five years, according to the industry regulator.
NIGERIA-LICENCE (UPDATE 2)|LANGEN|ABN|E|RBN|AFN|MD|GFN|RNP|DNP|PCO
Document LBA0000020070112e31c000w1

The AFP Asia news agenda
AFP

966 words

11 January 2007

09:53 PM

Agence France Presse

AFPR

English

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.
HONG KONG, Jan 12, 2007 (AFP) -
Duty editor: Talek Harris
News desk: + 852 2829 6211
ASIA NEWS HIGHLIGHTS ON FRIDAY:
+ Bangladesh puts off controversial polls
+ Asian leaders start arriving for summits
+ 18 dead, dozens missing in Indonesia landslides
DHAKA: Reporting on Bangladesh's political turmoil after president steps aside as interim government chief, declares state of emergency and delays contentious general elections (BANGLADESH-POLITICS)
CEBU, Philippines: Leaders from the region begin arriving in the Philippine resort of Cebu for ASEAN and East Asia summits that begin on Saturday (ASEAN-SUMMIT)
JAKARTA: Floods and landslides on Indonesia's Sulawesi island kill at least 18 people and leave dozens missing (INDONESIA-DISASTER-LANDSLIDE)
OTHER NEWS ITEMS:
BANGKOK: Moving story as Thai premier Surayud Chulanont heads to the ASEAN summit at 0130 GMT, leaving behind a country rattled by bombs and rumours of another coup (THAILAND-POLITICS-SUMMIT-ASEAN)
-- Golf: Asia plays Europe in the Royal Trophy tournament (GOLF-ASIA-EUROPE-ROYAL)
-- Football: The ASEAN Football Championship gets under way, with Malaysia taking on the Philippines and Thailand playing Myanmar (FBL-ASEAN)
BEIJING: Monitoring after last week's police raid on an alleged Islamist training camp that left 19 people dead (CHINA-ATTACKS-XINJIANG-THREAT)
-- Reporting on visit by US President George W. Bush's special envoy on Sudan, Andrew Natsios, who is in Beijing to discuss the bloodshed in war-torn Darfur. He is due to give a press conference at 0600 GMT (SUDAN-DARFUR-UNREST-US-CHINA)
-- Monitoring further reaction to abduction of five Chinese telecommunications workers in Nigeria (NIGERIA-UNREST-OIL-CHINA)
-- We have moved a feature and analysis package from Shunde, in southern China, where protests by farmers against unilateral appropriation of their land for development projects have been on the rise, as have their feelings of frustration and impotence in the face of intransigent and corrupt officialdom (CHINA-UNREST-SOCIAL-LAND-PROTEST, CHINA-UNREST-SOCIAL-FARM-PROTEST,ANALYSIS)
COLOMBO: Reporting as Sri Lanka's army and Tamil Tiger rebels step up violence in the island nation's bitter ethnic conflict (SRILANKA-UNREST)
ISLAMABAD: US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher holds talks with Pakistani officials (PAKISTAN-US-AFGHANISTAN)
JAKARTA: Reporting on continuing search for a missing airliner after a fisherman chanced upon part of the tail and aircraft seats washed up on a beach (INDONESIA-ACCIDENT-AIR)
-- An Indonesian woman dies of bird flu, bringing the country's death toll from the disease to 59, the highest in the world (HEALTH-FLU-INDONESIA)
KATHMANDU: Monitoring as Nepal's government says it will have parliament pass an interim constitution on January 15 to pave the way for Maoist rebels to join the political mainstream (NEPAL-POLITICS)
KUALA LUMPUR: US Assistant Trade Representative for the Asia-Pacific Barbara Weisel holds press conference at 0230 GMT on negotiations with Malaysia for a free trade agreement (MALAYSIA-US-TRADE)
MANILA: Reporting on security situation in southern Philippines after deadly bombings caused security fears for the Asian summits in Cebu (PHILIPPINES-ATTACKS)
NEW DELHI: Reporting as India announces industrial output for November around 0630 GMT (INDIA-ECONOMY-INDUSTRIAL)
-- Covering investigation into the discovery of the bodies of at least 17 children outside New Delhi (INDIA-CRIME-MURDER-CHILDREN)
-- Reporting on latest developments in takeover battle for the nation's fourth-largest mobile phone group, Hutchison Essar (INDIA-HONGKONG-BRITAIN-TELECOM-HUTCHISON)
-- Monitoring as millions of Hindus gather at the Ganges River in the northern city of Allahabad for the Kumbh Mela ritual bathing ceremony (INDIA-RELIGION-FESTIVAL)
SEOUL: Samsung Electronics is to release Q4 results (SKOREA-IT-COMPANY-SAMSUNG-EARNINGS)
-- Following a labor dispute at Hyundai Motor as the union decides on whether to go on strike (SKOREA-AUTO-HYUNDAI)
-- Covering the Supreme Court's rejection of a claim by Starbucks that its trademark rights were infringed upon by a local coffee chain (SKOREA-US-TRADE-COURT-PATENT-STARBUCKS)
SINGAPORE: Reporting on world oil prices which are trading at 19-month lows (COMMODITIES-ENERGY-ASIA-OIL-PRICE)
-- AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes in Singapore to sign an agreement with maintenance firm ST Aerospace at 0730 GMT (ASIA-AIRLINE-AIRASIA)
-- Moving a story on the 19th century technology used in repairing damaged submarine cables which carry Asia's high-tech Internet traffic (ASIA-QUAKE-INTERNET-REPAIR)
SYDNEY: Covering reaction to controversial Muslim cleric's attack on white Australians' convict ancestry (AUSTRALIA-RELIGION-ISLAM)
- Cricket. Tri-nations one day international. Australia v England, in Melbourne (CRICKET-TRI-AUS-ENG)
- Tennis. Sydney International tournament (TENNIS-WTA-ATP-AUS)
- Tennis. Kooyong Classic in Melbourne (TENNIS-AUS-CLASSIC)
TAIPEI: Reporting on the investigation into the alleged irregularities of the debt-stricken Rebar group as the financial crisis swirling around the conglomerate escalates (TAIWAN-BANKING-JUSTICE)
-- The third court hearings to be held on corruption charges against the ailing wife of Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian (TAIWAN-POLITICS-CORRUPTION-JUSTICE)
TOKYO: Japan's electronics firm Sharp Corp., a leading maker of liquid crystal display panels and televisions, holds New Year press conference (JAPAN-ELECTRONICS-COMPANY-SHARP)
-- Reporting on foreign exchange trading in Tokyo and Singapore the day after the dollar rose against the yen as sentiment toward the US unit remained positive after an unexpected fall in the US trade deficit (FOREX-ASIA)
-- Monitoring Japanese share prices following a 0.62-percent loss in the previous session amid nervousness ahead of earning results and a local interest rate decision (STOCKS-JAPAN)
SYDNEY: Cricket. Tri-nations one day international. Australia v England, in Melbourne (CRICKET-TRI-AUS-ENG)
- Tennis. Sydney International tournament (TENNIS-WTA-ATP-AUS)
- Tennis. Kooyong Classic, in Melbourne (TENNIS-AUS-CLASSIC)
WELLINGTON: Tennis: Semi-finals in Heineken Open men's ATP tournament in Auckland (TENNIS-ATP-NZL)
afp
Document AFPR000020070112e31c001gt

While Xechem International, Inc. Complete Research Report, Others Receive Order, Make Delivery, Complete Installation, Announce Purchase, and Acquire Contracts
2,924 words

11 January 2007

M2 Presswire

MTPW

English

(c) 2007 M2 Communications, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Dallas, Texas - StockGuru Pre-Market Updates for Friday include Mobilepro Corp. (OTCBB MOBL), Unico, Inc. (OTCBB UCOI), One Voice Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB ONEV), Universal Property Development and Acquisition Corporation (OTCBB UPDA), Nighthawk Systems, Inc. (OTCBB NIHK), and Xechem International, Inc. (OTCBB XKEM). StockGuru Pre-Market Updates feature companies with significant moves in either volume or price in the past two trading sessions. In our update we analyze recent news about the companies featured and detail the movement in the stock.
If you would like to feature your publicly traded company in our alerts or on StockGuru.com, email [e-mail] or call [phone].
Xechem International, Inc. (OTCBB XKEM) Thursday's market went up 1.27% to $0.024 per share, with a total of 4,861,672 shares traded. The company announced that Amalfi Research Group, Ltd. has recently completed a research report on the company. The entire comprehensive report and other relevant company information can be viewed at http://www.xkem.octrader.net or call 1-800-277-9081 for additional information. Amalfi Research Group, Ltd. is a provider of market intelligence, analytical reports, and strategic advisory services for the capital markets, with primary focus on emerging small cap organizations.
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.
For a quote and the latest news on this company, please visit: http://www.stockguru.com/profiles/XKEM.php .
Nighthawk Systems, Inc. (OTCBB NIHK) Thursday's market went up 10.70% to $0.09 per share, with a total of 5,010,428 shares traded. The company announced that it has received an order for multiple NH100 wireless rebooting devices from Rice University in Houston, Texas. The NH100 units will be used to control power to digital components of a wireless internet network being built for the Houston affiliate of Technology For All, a non-profit organization that brings technology to Houston's underserved communities. Nighthawk solutions like the NH100 enable network operators to wirelessly and conveniently extend their reach, allowing them to turn on, off or reboot remotely located equipment at any time, in seconds, from virtually anywhere. Expensive truck rolls, inconvenient site visits and third-party service contracts are no longer required with Nighthawk products in place.
Nighthawk Systems, Inc. engages in the design and manufacture of remote power control products. Its products include CEO700 for remote power connect/disconnect of customers by electric utilities; PT1-LC, designed for load control programs; FAS8 used in firehouse automation; and EA1, which is used for in-building alerts. In addition, the company offers AL100 for remote public alerting; NH100 for rebooting or on/off applications to a single device; and NH8 for rebooting or on/off applications for up to eight electrical devices from a single unit. It serves electric utilities, traffic control, computer systems, commercial lighting, and irrigation markets primarily in the United States. The company was incorporated in 1992 and is based in San Antonio, Texas.
For a quote and the latest news on this company, please visit: http://www.stockguru.com/profiles/NIHK.php .
Universal Property Development and Acquisition Corporation (OTCBB UPDA) Thursday's market went down 3.64% to $0.106 per share, with a total of 5,210,881 shares traded. The company and Texas Trading, Inc. will this week make its first delivery of unleaded gasoline to a distributor serving the San Antonio, Texas market. This delivery signals the continued expansion of UPDA and is the result of the evolution of UPDA's network of vendors and partners in the energy industry. Working in conjunction with partners experienced in the blending of fuels, UPDA has agreed to the development of a unique formula for unleaded gasoline and will increase the volume of its production utilizing the storage facility UPDA's US Petroleum Depot subsidiary has acquired in Brownsville, Texas. UPDA is also in the process of cultivating a distribution network to market and deliver this gasoline to independent dealers and retail outlets. As this network matures, UPDA anticipates the acquisition of additional storage and blending facilities.
Universal Property Development and Acquisition Corporation (UPDA), an oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, development, and production of oil and natural gas primarily in Texas. The company holds interests in certain oil and gas properties located in north Texas, which consists of 2,489 acres and 61 wells in Archer, Coleman, and Palo Pinto Counties. It also has interests in a 243-acre oil and gas lease situated in Victoria County; an 80-acre lease located in Fayette County; a 266.73-acre oil and gas lease situated in Starr County; and a 40-acre oil and gas lease located in Young County in Texas. Further, UPDA hold interests in the Catlin Common/Gifford oil and gas leases situated in Jack County, Texas, which comprises approximately 30 leases and 64 wells, covering approximately 2,700 acres. The company sells oil and natural gas to end users, marketers, and other purchasers that have access to nearby pipeline facilities. UPDA was incorporated in 1982 under the name Tahoe Lake Concession and changed its name to BAOA, Inc. in 1983. Further, it changed its name to Call Solutions, Inc. in 2000; to Procore Group, Inc. in 2003; and to Universal Property Development and Acquisition Corporation in 2005. The company is based in Juno Beach, Florida.
For a quote and the latest news on this company, please visit: http://www.stockguru.com/profiles/UPDA.php .
One Voice Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB ONEV) Thursday's market went down 11.39% to $0.014 per share, with a total of 5,212,972 shares traded. The company announced that it has completed the installation of equipment and services in Mexico in support of the upcoming launch of its MobileVoice(TM) service. "This is another significant milestone for our company," said Dean Weber, president and CEO of One Voice Technologies. "We have completed our MobileVoice installation and have begun testing with our carrier partner. Our MobileVoice service is already working extremely well and it is very impressive to see MobileVoice installed in a large carrier's data center in another country, in another language. We look forward to a successful long-term relationship with this partner."
One Voice Technologies, Inc. engages in the development and sale of voice recognition-based software for the telecom and interactive multimedia personal computer sectors. It provides MobileVoice Activated Dialing for native and non-native speaking individuals; MobileConference that allows users to connect up to 64 people in a single conference call by speaking their name, group name, or phone number; and Mobilevoice Email, a voice-to-text email solution that enables subscribers to send free-form email messages to personal computers, mobile phones, or wireless alphanumeric paging devices while on the road. The company also provides MobileVoice SMS, a mobile voice-to-text SMS solution that enables subscribers to send free-form messages from phone-to-phone with only their voice; and MobileVoice Instant Messaging takes instant messaging mobile, allowing people to chat and send quick messages using free form dictation. In addition, it provides MobileVoice Voice Mail, which enables subscribers to record and send messages in their own voice; MobileVoice Email Reader that allows subscribers to manage their email accounts from any phone; and Media Center Communicator Version 2 that enables to send or read email; SMS text messaging; text instant messaging; personal computer-to-personal computer calls; video conferencing; and personal computer-to-phone calling. The company also provides Communicator's EMail reader, which speaks the user's email messages to him/her eliminating the need to use confining keyboard and mouse interfaces; Communicator's PC-to-phone calling that allows phone calling to preset contacts or keyed entries. It provides Media Center Communicator's Instant Messenger allows for online chat sessions with other users on the One Voice network; and Media Center Communicator allows the user to send a quick message to someone on the road. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in La Jolla, California.
For a quote and the latest news on this company, please visit: http://www.stockguru.com/profiles/ONEV.php .
Unico, Inc. (OTCBB UCOI) Thursday's market went up 4.00% to $0.0104 per share, with a total of 7,549,565 shares traded. The company announced the purchase of a WesTech 40-foot thickener, which will be used to thicken the tailings at the reconstructed mill and processing facility at the Deer Trail Mine in Marysvale, Utah. Delivery of the thickener tank to the site is expected next week. WesTech thickeners ( www.westech-inc.com ) are manufactured in Salt Lake City. Due to its proximity to the Deer Trail Mine property, parts for future repair, service and maintenance can be acquired without significant delays. WesTech supplies process equipment for water, wastewater and industrial applications. From screening and headworks to tertiary treatment, from petrochemical process to water reclamation and drinking water, from small communities to large cities and factories, WesTech offers standard and custom process solutions for efficient solids-liquid separation.
Unico, Inc. engages in the exploration, development, and production of precious metals, primarily gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper concentrates. Its mining properties include Deer Trail Mine, Bromide Basin Mine, and Silver Bell Mine. The company, formerly known as Red Rock Mining Co., Incorporated., was founded in 1966 and changed its name to Industries International, Incorporated. Subsequently, the company changed its name to I.I. Incorporated and to Unico, Incorporated in 1979. Unico is based in San Diego, California.
For a quote and the latest news on this company, please visit: http://www.stockguru.com/profiles/UCOI.php .
Mobilepro Corp. (OTCBB MOBL) Thursday's market went up 1.54% to $0.066 per share, with a total of 8,706,932 shares traded. The company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, CloseCall America, Inc., is acquiring wireless contracts representing approximately 7,000 wireless customers plus related inventory and other related assets from TCS. In exchange for the assets, MobilePro will issue to TCS approximately 9 million restricted shares of its common stock, and will pay TCS an earn-out amount in cash based on the revenue or gross profit generated by those customers over the next three years. In addition, TCS has been granted certain registration rights with respect to the shares of common stock. MobilePro Chairman and CEO Jay Wright said, "We are pleased to announce this transaction with TCS which scales up our cellular customer base and allows us to offer for the first time the popular RIM Blackberry products. We expect the transaction to be immediately accretive to our revenue and earnings per share, and to increase wireless as a percentage of our overall revenue. In short, we believe the deal makes financial and strategic sense for us."
Mobilepro Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a broadband wireless, telecommunications, and integrated data communication services company in the United States. The company offers a suite of voice and data communications services, including local exchange, long distance, enhanced data, Internet, cellular, and wireless broadband services. It operates in three segments: Voice Services, Internet Services, and Wireless Networks. The Voice Services segment offers various telecommunications services, including local, long-distance, 1-800-CloseCall anytime/anywhere calling, digital wireless, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), and dial-up and digital subscriber line Internet services. It also offers payphone services, including coin calls; noncoin calls, such as calling card, credit card, collect, and third-party billed calls; and dial-around calls. The Internet services segment provides broadband, dial-up, Web hosting and Web design services, co-location, VoIP, and other related Internet services to business and residential customers. The Wireless Networks segment deploys, owns, and manages a broadband wireless access network, which enables a range of free and fee-based services, and provides access to data, voice, and video. It also provides municipal services to the city's police, fire, emergency, and administrative personnel. Mobilepro markets and sells its communications services to residential and business customers through 11 offices in 8 states. As of March 31, 2006, the company served approximately 155,000 billed accounts representing approximately 270,000 equivalent subscriber lines, including 140,000 local and long-distance telephone lines, 62,000 dial-up lines, 6,000 broadband lines, 6,000