Fox confirmed Friday that after eight seasons, 24 will air its series finale on May 24. Star Kiefer Sutherland told EW.com that producing a ninth season for another network like NBC was not an option because he and executive producer Howard Gordon were ready to call it quits.

“The writers are producing the equivalent of 12 films a year, which is unheard of, and Howard felt to do a ninth would be potentially damaging,” said Sutherland. “We both felt strongly that there has been a demand and an interest in a 24 film, which would be a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day, so we felt it was time to move in that direction.”

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/03/26/24-to-end-this-season-film-version-in-the-works/

Lost is also ending

The Wall Street Journal: Is there such a thing as a satisfying ending when people are so attached to a show and its characters?

Damon Lindelof: That paradox is the operative question. As soon as we said we were pushing for an end date three years ago, we knew the fans would get behind that and now that we’re here, we’re looking down the barrel of the gun. How can you wrap it up not just for the characters but wrapping up a very intricate mythology which will essentially tell people their theories are wrong? People don’t want to hear that. We resigned that we won’t satisfy everybody so it became about satisfying ourselves.

Carlton Cuse: Our focus has always been on the characters and we spend 80% or 90% of the time talking [in the writer's room] about characters and 10% talking about mythology. So our main concern is to have satisfying resolutions to the characters. We can’t answer every last question about the show. If we did that, the show would be so pedantic that it would be uninteresting. Take “Star Wars,” for example. When the Force was a more ambiguous notion, it was more satisfying than when George Lucas tried to explain it as particles in the blood stream of a Jedi.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703837004575013182487704058.html

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African boys attending traditional “initiation” ceremonies, where they live in seclusion for up to six weeks in a passage to manhood, will be allowed to watch TV during the World Cup.

President Jacob Zuma said on Friday some tribal chiefs had relaxed initiation rules for the month-long tournament, hosted from June 11 in South Africa, the first African country to stage the world’s most watched sporting event.

“This World Cup tournament has caused some communities to break with tradition. Parents of young boys who will be at initiation schools in Limpopo next month have been allowed to bring them television sets so that they can watch soccer,” he said.

“It is reported that the province’s House of Traditional Leaders wants to ensure that being in the bush does not disadvantage the boys.”

Each year, Xhosa boys in their late teens live in the bush, learning survival skills to prepare them for manhood. They are also circumcised in a traditional ceremony.

Football fever is building in South Africa ahead of the tournament, with many cars adorned with flags and offices and streets full of people wearing replica soccer shirts, especially on Fridays.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE64K0AN20100521?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FAFRICATopNews+%28News+%2F+AFRICA+%2F+Top+News%29

Born and raised in France, but playing international football for Morocco through his parentage, Chamakh has made 53 appearances for the north African country, scoring 27 goals, and was part of the side which reached the Final of the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations.

Manager Arsène Wenger said: “We are delighted that Marouane Chamakh has joined us. He is a player we have admired for some time now and I know he will provide our squad with great quality. Chamakh has proved he is a great player with his performances for Bordeaux and Morocco in recent seasons and we’re all looking forward to him joining us.

“Chamakh is a striker of real quality and has all the attributes suited to come to England and do very well. He is also a fighter, not only a good football player, but a fighter as well. He is very good in the air and also a good team player. He is a great addition to our squad.”

Read more at http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/marouane-chamakh-completes-move-to-arsenal

1. Mxit is Imported into Kenya

Mxit is a massive mobile social network that was started in South Africa a couple years ago. Today, Safaricom announced a partnership with them, using their marketing muscle (7 pages of ads in today’s newspaper) to import Mxit into Kenya.

http://whiteafrican.com/2010/05/21/mxit-is-imported-into-kenya/

2. Facebook Zero

This week Facebook launched 0.facebook.com, where they worked out deals with 50 mobile operators in 45 countries to either zero-rate data costs coming to that URL, or paying that data cost themselves. This means that anyone, even those with no airtime on their mobile phone, can still take part in Facebook. http://whiteafrican.com/2010/05/21/facebook-zero-a-paradigm-shift/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+white_african+%28White+African%29

Kenya Signs the “New Treaty”

Egypt and Sudan oppose Nile deal

Egypt insisted it can block dams and other projects upstream on the Nile, challenging a new deal among African nations seeking to alter historic water sharing arrangements and secure more water for farms and growth.

Four African countries signed the agreement in Uganda last week in a bid to access a greater share of water from the Nile, despite colonial-era pacts that give Egypt the lion’s share of the water and allow it to veto upstream projects such as dams.

“Any project that takes away from the river’s flow has to be approved by Egypt and Sudan in accordance with international treaties,” Egypt’s Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Nasreddin Allam said.

“Egypt is closely watching energy generation projects in the (Nile) basin,” he said.

Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia signed the deal on May 14, creating a permanent commission to manage the Nile’s waters that did not include Egypt or Sudan. Kenya, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo are expected to sign within a year.

The new commission would ostensibly have the power to veto energy and irrigation projects in signatory states.

Egypt, almost totally dependent on the Nile and already threatened by climate change, is closely watching hydro-electric dams in East Africa it fears may restrict the river’s flow.

Egypt has already warned that the new agreement lacked legitimacy and plans to press donors for support.

Yet upstream countries say they need more water too. Power shortages have hindered investment in Africa even though alternative sources to hydroelectric power exist. (Reuters) http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/Egypt%20asserts%20right%20to%20block%20upstream%20Nile%20dams%20/-/1066/920984/-/x2svj2z/-/index.html

controversial deal has been signed to share the waters of the world’s longest river.

But Egypt and Sudan are not happy at four African countries signing the new deal on the Nile.

Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania signed the new framework on Friday while Kenya issued a support statement.

Ten nations share the resources of the river.

Colonial-era agreements gave the biggest share of water to the two downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan.

But as Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall explains, upstream nations are now pushing for a greater share.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/05/201051414933108616.html

Al Jazeera English – Africa – Ethiopia rejects Egypt Nile claims

Al Jazeera English – Africa – Ethiopia rejects Egypt Nile claims.

Defending champions Italy will naturally be one of the leading contenders to emerge triumphant at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ South Africa. The only country along with Brazil to have won the tournament twice in succession, Marcello Lippi’s men will be vying to match the performance of their pioneering predecessors in 1934 and 1938. FIFA.COM

Italy Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo)

Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Andrea Cossu (Cagliari), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)

Forwards: Marco Borriello (AC Milan), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal/ESP)

PARAGUAY

Having just put together their best ever qualification campaign, Paraguay are entitled to think big ahead of their fourth consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup™ finals. Under the guidance of Argentinian coach Gerardo Martino, the current Albirroja crop look to have what it takes to build on the progress made by their predecessors at France 1998 and Korea/Japan 2002, where the Paraguayans reached the Round of 16 before being knocked out by France and Germany respectively. While maintaining the defensive standards set by those two sides, Los Guaraníes have added an exciting attacking dimension to their game thanks to the emergence of a clutch of powerful and talented forwards with the ability to unsettle any opposing rearguard. That new-found offensive threat could make all the difference as Paraguay look to make amends for their first-round elimination at Germany 2006, a setback that several members of the current squad experienced at first hand and are determined not to repeat in South Africa.FIFA.COM

Paraguay Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Valladolid/ESP), Aldo Bobadilla (Deportivo Independiente de Medellin/COL), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno)

Defenders: Claudio Morel Rodriguez (Boca Juniors/ARG), Denis Caniza (Leon/MEX), Paulo da Silva (Sunderland/ENG), Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM/MEX), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro/BRA), Julio Manzur (Tigres/ARG), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo de Almagro/ARG), Marcos Caceres (Racing/ARG), Antolin Alcaraz (FC Bruges/BEL)

Midfielders: Edgar Barreto (Atalanta/ITA), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul/MEX), Osvaldo Martinez (Monterrey/MEX), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Enrique Vera (Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito/ECU), Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg/GER), Sergio Aquino (Libertad), Eduardo Ledesma (Lanus/ARG), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors/ARG), Marcelo Estigarribia (Newell’s Old Boys/ARG)

Forwards: Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City/ENG), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica/POR), Edgar Benitez (Toluca/MEX), Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad), Jorge Achucarro (Newell’s Old Boys/ARG)

NEW ZEALAND

After a disastrous campaign four years ago, New Zealand bounced back in emphatic fashion under coach Ricki Herbert to qualify for their first appearance on the world stage in 28 years following a debut showing at Spain 1982. Herbert, and assistant Brian Turner, were both key figures in the campaign nearly three decades ago.  The duo have turned the All Whites into a solid unit whose rearguard, the fifth-placed Asian nation Bahrain was unable to breach over 180 minutes of the intercontinental play-off.

Four years after elimination by the Solomon Islands, the Kiwis claimed the Oceania crown to earn a trip to the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where they showed solid form after a poor opening against European champions Spain. The dramatic South Africa 2010 play-off victory against Bahrain united the Rugby-mad nation behind the All Whites like never before, resulting in a national record crowd in the capital Wellington for the decisive qualifier. FIFA.COM

New Zealand Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne (Team Wellington), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory/Australia), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix)

Defenders: Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls/USA), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers/England), Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland/Denmark), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town/England), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)

Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay Rowdies/USA), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (unattached), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell/Scotland), David Mulligan (unattached)

Forwards: Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets/Australia), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle/England), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough/England), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United/Australia), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion/England)

SLOVAKIA

Appearing for the first time in a major international competition, Slovakia have been striving to relive the glory years enjoyed by the former Czechoslovakia since going it alone in 1993.

While their team is hardly filled with household names, Slovakia can nonetheless rely on a well-organised collective with plenty of admirable qualities. Likewise, their continuing progress gives them good reason to be optimistic about their voyage to South Africa.

Slovakia Provisional Squad

Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw), Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui), Lubos Kamenar (Nantes), Dusan Pernis (Dundee United); Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg), Martin Petras (Cesena), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool), Lubomir Michalik (Leeds), Jan Durica (Hannover), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz), Marek Cech (West Brom), Tomas Lubocan (Zenit St Petersburg), Kornel Salate (Slovan Bratislava); Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava), Jan Kozak (Timisoara), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague), Miroslav Karhan (Mainz), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu), Mario Pecalka (Zilina), Stanislav Sestak (Bochum), Marek Hamsik (Napoli), Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City), Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea), Dusan Svento (Salzburg), Zdeno Strba (Xanthi); Erik Jendrisek (Schalke), Robert Vittek (Ankaragucu), Martin Jakubko (Saturn Moscow), Filip Holosko (Besiktas).

Equity Bank and Safaricom have launched a unique banking service that enables individuals to withdraw money from theirbank accounts via their mobile phone handsets.

The service also allows Equity customers to deposit money into their accounts through Safaricom’s M-Pesa agents.
The new account dubbed M-Kesho has been designed to mainly tap into the huge number of Kenyans — especially from poor areas — who own mobile phones but lack access to bank accounts.
With a deposit of as little as Sh100, individuals will be able to credit and withdraw money from the account using the M-Pesa money transfer service.
The account holders will neither be required to pay monthly fees nor have a minimum balance. The cash deposited will raise an annual interest depending on the amount an individual has, among other considerations.
The new service was unveiled in Nairobi on Tuesday at a ceremony attended by President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Cabinet ministers.
The President and the PM welcomed the product, saying it was a good example of lowering barriers for the poor to access financial markets and encouraging them to save and access credit at the same time.
Such access would help the poor build their assets through savings and affordable credit, the President said, adding: “Unfortunately, a significant proportion of Kenyans still remain outside the realm of formal financial services.”
Safaricom chief executive Michael Joseph said the new venture would drive customers to save money in their bank accounts and enjoy the benefits of having the added value services of both M-Pesa and an Equity Bank account.
The National Financial Access Survey done last year found 32 per cent of Kenya’s bankable population is excluded from formal and informal financial services.
About 27 per cent access only informal financial services, while the formal banking sector serves 23 per cent of the bankable population.
The M-Kesho account launch will initially benefit the more than 4.5 million Equity Bank account holders and 10 million M-Pesa customers.
Equity Bank boss James Mwangi said the partnership would propel financial services to the “last mile”.
“When all the 10 million M-Pesa accounts are changed into bank accounts, Kenya will top the list of the most banked developing country in the world,” he said.
Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta and his Information and Communications counterpart Samuel Poghisio said the initiative was a revolutionary step in demystifying banking and making it easy for every Kenyan to keep their money in a secure place.

The entire article, excluding the video, was taken from http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Banking%20via%20phone%20made%20possible%20/-/1056/920928/-/egk5rtz/-/index.html

The Netherlands national soccer team (Oranje) is consistently one of the best teams in Europe and the world. (WorldSoccerShop.com Summer 2010 Magazine). The Netherlands will start as favourites in Group E, but will be wary of three formidable adversaries in Denmark, Cameroon and Japan.

Netherlands Provisional Squad

Goalkeepers: Michel Vorm (Utrecht), Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax), Sander Boschker (Twente)

Defenders: Vurnon Anita (Ajax), Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart/Germany), John Heitinga (Everton/England), Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg/Germany), Andre Ooijer (PSV), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord), Edson Braafheid (Celtic/Scotland)

Midfielders: Ibrahim Afellay (PSV), Orlando Engelaar (PSV), Nigel de Jong (Manchester City/England), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan/Italy), Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar), Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax), Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich/Germany), Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid/Spain)

Attackers: Ryan Babel (Liverpool/England), Eljero Elia (Hamburg/Germany), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan/Italy), Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool/England), Robin van Persie (Arsenal/England), Jeremain Lens (AZ Alkmaar), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich/Germany)

DENMARK

Denmark has a golden opportunity to make a splash in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The Danes topped Portugal in UEFA’S World Cup Qualification Group 1, and now they’re eying Holland in Group E. (worldsoccershop.com). After a six-year absence, Danish Dynamite is once again set to explode on the elite world footballing scene. The Scandinavians missed out on both the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany and UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, but the FIFA founder members blazed an impressive trail en route to a berth in South Africa next summer. (FIFA.COM)

Denmark’s provisional FIFA World Cup: Jesper Christiansen (FC Copenhagen), Kim Christensen (IFK Gothenburg), Stephan Andersen (Brondby), Thomas Sorensen (Stoke City); Daniel Agger (Liverpool), Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn), Patrick Mtiliga (Malaga), Per Kroldrup (Fiorentina), Simon Busk Poulsen (AZ Alkmaar), Simon Kjaer (Palermo), William Kvist (FC Copenhagen); Christian Poulsen (Juventus), Christian Eriksen (Ajax), Daniel Jensen (Werder Bremen), Jakob Poulsen (AGF Aarhus), Michael Silberbauer (FC Utrecht), Mikkel Beckmann (Randers), Thomas Enevoldsen (FC Groningen), Thomas Kahlenberg (Wolfsburg), Dennis Rommedahl (Ajax), Jesper Gronkjaer (FC Copenhagen), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Feyenoord), Martin Jorgensen (AGF Aarhus); Michael Krohn-Dehli (Brondby), Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal), Soren Larsen (Duisburg)

Standby: Anders Moller Christensen (Odense), Leon Jessen (FC Midtjylland), Mikkel Thygesen (FC Midtjylland), Morten Rasmussen (Celtic)

CAMEROON

Though their light may have faded somewhat since they brightened up the world stage at the 1990 FIFA World Cup™, Cameroon are not a side to underestimate at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The top African nation in FIFA’s rankings, they also bring Africa’s richest pedigree to the finals. They have appeared a continental-best five times in the World Cup, and no other African side has yet eclipsed their historic run to the Italy 1990 quarter-finals – though Senegal equalled the achievement in 2002.

However, the team have not managed to advance past the group stage in three finals appearances since then, winning just once in their nine matches. They lost out on Germany 2006 entirely after missing a penalty kick in the final moments of their last qualifier against Egypt. But the long road to the 2010 World Cup has forged considerable momentum behind what many Cameroonians are hoping is the right mix of players, and a new generation of Roger Millas and Francois Omam-Biyiks. (FIFA.COM)

Cameroon provisional squad: Hamidou Souleymanou (Kayserispor), Carlos Kameni (Espanyol), Guy Roland Ndy Assembe (Valenciennes), Amour Patrick Tignyemb (Bloemfontein Celtic); Jean Patrick Abouna Ndzana (Astres de Douala), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Tottenham), Sebastien Bassong (Tottenham), Gaetan Bong (Valenciennes), Aurelien Chedjou (Lille), Geremi Njitap (Ankaragucu), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Makadji Boukar (Al Nahdha), Nicolas Nkoulou (Monaco), Rigobert Song (Trabzonspor); Marcel Ndjeng (Augsburg), Eyong Enoh (Ajax), Jean II Makoun (Lyon), Georges Mandjeck (Kaiserslautern), Joel Matip (Schalke), Patrick Mevoungou (Canon Sportif de Yaounde), Landry Nguemo (Celtic), Alexandre Song (Arsenal); Vincent Aboubakar (Coton Sport), Eric Choupo-Moting (Nuremberg), Achille Emana (Betis), Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan), Mohamadou Idrissou (Freiburg), Dorge Kouemaha (Club Brugge), Achille Webo (Mallorca), Jacques Zoua (FC Basle).

JAPAN

Boasting one of the strongest squads in Asian football, Japan, winners of three of the last five editions of the AFC Asian Cup, have high hopes for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ – their fourth appearance at the global showpiece.

First on the agenda is an improvement on the disappointing showing at Germany 2006, when the Samurai Blue exited at the first hurdle after a 3-1 reverse against Australia, a 0-0 draw with Croatia and a resounding 4-1 defeat by Brazil. Japan will also be facing their first finals without iconic midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata. The former Roma schemer featured in each of the national side’s games at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006 before hanging up his boots after the latter event aged just 29.

Explore previous posts to see Group A – D

Five years ago, after months of late nights, testing and preparation, YouTube’s founders launched the first beta version of YouTube.com in May, with a simple mission: give anyone a place to easily upload their videos and share them with the world. Whether you were an aspiring filmmaker, a politician, a proud parent, or someone who just wanted to connect with something bigger, YouTube became the place where you could broadcast yourself.

Click on the image to enlarge or visit the Official YouTube Blog for more information

Also YouTube is officially launching a localized version of the popular video site in South Africa. This custom site will provide South Africans a unique view of the largest video sharing site in the world by focusing on content relevant to them….Read more here

http://www.blackweb20.com/2010/05/17/youtube-south-africa/