Prelude to a clash of cultures: UN and West use South Africa to push gay agenda

Obama administration behind UN push

The United Nations endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people for the first time ever Friday, passing a resolution hailed as historic by the U.S. and other backers and decried by some African and Muslim countries.

The declaration was cautiously worded, expressing "grave concern" about abuses because of sexual orientation and commissioning a global report on discrimination against gays.

But activists called it an important shift on an issue that has divided the global body for decades, and they credited the Obama administration's push for gay rights at home and abroad.

"This represents a historic moment to highlight the human rights abuses and violations that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face around the world based solely on who they are and whom they love," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement.

Following tense negotiations, members of the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council narrowly voted in favor of the declaration put forward by South Africa, with 23 votes in favor and 19 against.

Backers included the U.S., the European Union, Brazil and other Latin American countries. Those against included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan. China, Burkina Faso and Zambia abstained, Kyrgyzstan didn't vote and Libya was suspended from the rights body earlier.

The resolution expressed "grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity."

More important, activists said, it also established a formal U.N. process to document human rights abuses against gays, including discriminatory laws and acts of violence. According to Amnesty International, consensual same-sex relations are illegal in 76 countries worldwide, while harassment and discrimination are common in many more.

"Today's resolution breaks the silence that has been maintained for far too long," said John Fisher of the gay rights advocacy group ARC International.

The White House in a statement strongly backed the declaration.

"This marks a significant milestone in the long struggle for equality, and the beginning of a universal recognition that (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) persons are endowed with the same inalienable rights — and entitled to the same protections — as all human beings."

The resolution calls for a panel discussion next spring with "constructive, informed and transparent dialogue on the issue of discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against" gays, lesbians and transgender people.

The prospect of having their laws scrutinized in this way went too far for many of the council's 47-member states.

"We are seriously concerned at the attempt to introduce to the United Nations some notions that have no legal foundation," said Zamir Akram, Pakistan's envoy to the U.N. in Geneva, speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Nigeria claimed the proposal went against the wishes of most Africans. A diplomat from the northwest African state of Mauritania called the resolution "an attempt to replace the natural rights of a human being with an unnatural right."

Boris Dittrich of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights program at Human Rights Watch said it was important for the U.S. and Western Europe to persuade South Africa to take the lead on the resolution so that other non-Western countries would be less able to claim the West was imposing its values.

At the same time, he noted that the U.N. has no enforcement mechanism to back up the resolution. "It's up to civil society to name and shame those governments that continue abuses," Dittrich said.

The Obama administration has been pushing for gay rights both domestically and internationally.

In March, the U.S. issued a nonbinding declaration in favor of gay rights that gained the support of more than 80 countries at the U.N. In addition, Congress recently repealed the ban on gays openly serving in the military, and the Obama administration said it would no longer defend the constitutionality of the U.S. law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

The vote in Geneva came at a momentous time for the gay rights debate in the U.S. Activists across the political spectrum were on edge Friday as New York legislators considered a bill that would make the state the sixth — and by far the biggest — to allow same-sex marriage.

Asked what good the U.N. resolution would do for gays and lesbians in countries that opposed the resolution, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Daniel Baer said it was a signal "that there are many people in the international community who stand with them and who support them, and that change will come."

"It's a historic method of tyranny to make you feel that you are alone," he said. "One of the things that this resolution does for people everywhere, particularly LGBT people everywhere, is remind them that they are not alone."

Source: Associated Press

China extending military reach

The DF-21 could be used to hit targets hundreds of miles away

A maritime arms race is under way in the South China Sea. Beijing is rapidly developing a host of military capabilities that will enable it to project power well beyond its own shores.

It is already the dominant regional naval power and many of its new systems could one day threaten US naval dominance as well.

No wonder then that so many of its neighbours are worried; particularly those like Vietnam and the Philippines who are engaged in long-running maritime disputes with Beijing.

According to Dr Andrew Erickson, a China expert at the US Naval War College: "China does not want to start a war, but rather seeks to wield its growing military might to 'win without fighting' by deterring actions that it views as detrimental to its core national interests."

Three weapons systems are emblematic of China's broadening strategic horizons.

China's first aircraft carrier will begin sea trials later this year. Late last year, the first pictures were leaked of the prototype of Beijing's new "stealth" fighter. And US military experts believe that China has begun to deploy the world's first long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting a moving ship at sea.

Dr Erickson says China's capabilities thus far have been focused on developing a regional anti-access or area denial strategy to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence.

In part this strategy rests upon developing credible weapons systems to hold US carrier battle groups at risk should Washington elect to intervene.

The 'carrier killer'

China deploys a formidable array of missiles and other weapons that range far out from its own shores.
Of these, the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile is unique; a land-based system that could potentially target US carrier battle groups that have long been the corner-stone of Washington's maritime might.

The DF-21D (known in the West as the CSS-5) is fired from a wheeled transporter vehicle and has a range in excess of 1,500km. It is armed with a manoeuvrable warhead that gives the Chinese military the ability to strike ships in the western Pacific Ocean.

American officials and the director-general of Taiwan's National Security Bureau say that China has already begun to deploy the DF-21D.

It is easy to see why China would want such a missile. It is all about limiting the pre-eminent naval power in the region, the US, from intervening in any future crisis involving Taiwan.

Home of the Flying Shark

Ever since the Pacific campaign of World War II, aircraft carriers have been the dominant means of projecting naval power.

American carrier battle groups incorporate large flight-decks with a diverse array of aircraft for a variety of missions. Each carrier is accompanied and protected by several other warships and submarines.

China too is now entering the carrier race, albeit from a standing start. An old Soviet-era carrier - the Varyag - was purchased from Ukraine and has been extensively refitted.

China's first carrier will operate the new J-15 Flying Shark strike fighter, based on another Russian design, the Sukhoi SU-33 jet.

According to the respected industry journal Aviation Week & Space Technology, China may well have acquired an SU-33 prototype from Ukraine as well.

The carrier is reported to be due to begin sea trials in the summer. Once operational it would give the Chinese Navy a significant new capability in its continuing disputes with its maritime neighbours.

But Western experts note that this carrier will largely serve a training role. Carrier operations require significant expertise which can only be built up over time. The vessel is unlikely to deploy the wide range of aircraft available to the commander of a US Naval carrier air group.

Nonetheless, Dr Erickson says China will use the carrier to "project a bit of power, confer prestige on a rising great power, and master basic procedures".

Great ambitions

China's land-based aviation is also advancing steadily. Traditionally it has mostly fielded large numbers of locally-produced copies of Soviet-era jets.

However the unveiling of the Chengdu J-20 is believed to bring China into the restricted ranks of those countries able to build a fifth-generation radar-evading or "stealth" fighter.

Its maiden flight, last January, came only hours before a visit by the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to Beijing, a coincidence which many analysts saw as a deliberate signal by China.

Douglas Barrie, from the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London, says China's J-20 cannot match the US equivalents.

But he added: "The aircraft does mark China's ambitions in terms of developing its air combat capability, and of its defence aerospace industrial base."

Questions though still surround the project.

"Whether the J-20 is an actual fighter prototype or a technology demonstrator, remains to become clear, and this will in part determine how quickly China introduces such a capability into service," Mr Barrie said.

"An introduction into service, perhaps around the turn of the decade, would seem reasonable."

That said, what would be the strategic significance of the J-20, given that by then the US will field hundreds of fifth generation fighters?

Mr Barrie argues that the introduction of significant numbers of J-20-based fighters would "pose an increased challenge to other regional powers, and to US forces in Asia Pacific".

But across the board experts are cautious about all of China's apparent great leaps forward in terms of military hardware.

US commanders are watching developments closely. China is putting down markers for the future. But in the near-term it still must look on jealously at America's maritime power.


Source: BBC Defense News

Nigeria's pastors 'as rich as oil barons'

Nigeria's pastors run multi-million dollar businesses which rival that of oil tycoons, a Nigerian blogger who has researched the issue has told the BBC.

David Oyedepo owns this $30M Gulfstream jet

                                                                 

Mfonobong Nsehe, who blogs for Forbes business magazine, says pastors own businesses from hotels to fast-food chains.

"Preaching is big business. It's almost as profitable as the oil business," he said.

The joint wealth of five pastors was at least $200m, he said.

Mr Nsehe said the richest of them, Bishop David Oyedepo (pictured above) of the Living Faith World Outreach Ministry, was worth about $150m.

Bishop Oyedepo owned a publishing company, university, an elite private school, four jets and homes in London and the United States, according to Mr Nsehe.

'Private jets'

The Nigerian blogger said Bishop Oyedepo was followed on the rich list by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of the Believers' Loveworld Ministries. He was worth between $30 and $50m.

"Oyakhilome's diversified interests include newspapers, magazines, a local television station, a record label, satellite TV, hotels and extensive real estate," Mr Nsehe said.

He said three of the other richest pastors were:

• Temitope Joshua Matthew of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (worth between $10m and $15m);
• Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre (worth between $6 million and $10 million) and
• Chris Okotie of the Household of God Church (worth between $3 million and $10 million).

Mr Nsehe said representatives of all the clergymen, except Pastor Ashimolowo, confirmed ownership of the assets he had listed on his blog.

"These pastors are flamboyant. You see them with private jets and expensive cars. This extravagance sends out the wrong message to their followers," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

He said the pastors acquired their wealth from various sources, including their congregations.

"We have Nigerians who are desperate, looking for solutions to their problems. They go to church for salvation, redemption and healing and pastors sometimes take advantage of them," Mr Nsehe said.

Source: BBC Africa

Herman Cain says Obama 'was raised in Kenya'

Obama and Cain (r) - AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Jim Cole 

Republican Presidential candidate and Tea Party favorite, Herman Cain says President Obama 'was raised in Kenya. 

In an interview with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg for Bloomberg View,  Cain, pandering to the tone deaf fringe that forms the base of his support, stated that President Obama "was raised in Kenya" and that's why "he's out of the mainstream." 


Memo to Herman for starters.... Barack Obama's father was Kenyan, but the president never lived in Kenya. Rather, he (the president) lived in Indonesia from ages 6 to 10 before returning to Hawaii, where he was born. 


Cain explained that his family had been in America since the slavery era and implied that Obama's Kenyan father had influenced his outlook, as had his academic career. 


In reading the Bloomberg View piece, Cain's ignorance and possible prejudice (born out of sheer intellectual laziness) towards African immigrants who are not descendants of slaves (he actually uses the latter to 'validate' the veracity of his citizenship and consequently his candidacy), may be the most telling tales of his make-up.


Here are some excerpts from the interview:


"Most of the ancestors that I can trace were born here in the United States of America," [Cain] said, hitting those last four words with a hammer. "And then it goes back to slavery. And I'm sure my ancestors go all the way back to Africa, but I feel more of an affinity for America than I do for Africa. I'm a black man in America." ...

"Barack Obama is more of an international," Cain said. "I think he's out of the mainstream and always has been. Look, he was raised in Kenya, his mother was white from Kansas and her family had an influence on him, it's true, but his dad was Kenyan, and when he was going to school he got a lot of fellowships, scholarships, he stayed in the academic environment for a long time. He spent most of his career as an intellectual."

When Goldberg told Cain that Obama hadn't grown up in Kenya, but Indonesia, Cain responded, "Yeah, Indonesia." Cain, a Tea Party favorite who has said his popularity proves the group isn't racist, argued that his candidacy would eliminate race as an issue in the 2012 campaign.

"This isn’t why I’m running, but my candidacy would take race off the table. Right now, every time someone criticizes Barack Obama, they try to play the race card, the White House, all his supporters, they try to play the race card."

Seems Cain didn't realize that his candidacy has indeed brought race to the table, given that he has to continually prove to the fringe elements in his party that he is a different kind of black man, one that would not threaten the 'heritage' of their (his supporter's) ancestors. 


The critical point that Herman however misses, due to his limited worldview and lack of requisite insight, is that most black people are in-fact conservative, the African immigrants in particular.


That Barack Obama may have followed his father's footsteps, with regard to academic pursuits, is in fact a good thing. If there were enough father's in the inner city to set the right tone and precedent for their children, then we would have less black males walking around with sagging pants and looking to other avenues, besides the most sure one (education), to advance their lives, in an increasingly competitive world.


Yes Herman, unlike you, I am proud to be called an African-American. I am an African immigrant that has imbibed the best of this great country into my being. I have set the tone for my children, from both a cultural, spiritual and educational perspective and that is why, they will be able to hold their heads high, in any quarters, with a true sense of belonging in this country (long after I have gone back to where I was born, much like Barack's father).


But again, unlike you Herman, while you carry the weight of a debilitating inferiority complex around with you, they will be self assured in both their American heritage and that of their ancestors.... yes Herman, that African heritage that actually made you who you are today, even though you may not know it.


And what do you think the true American heritage entails by the way, Herman? Yep, you guessed it. A unique concoction of the cultures of Europe, Africa and the Americas. While only one of those cultures dictated the tenor of the heritage, in the early going, it has become what it has become.... a melting pot of the best the world has to offer.


Embrace it or leave it!





Source: Bloomberg View

Retreat to advance

Give up the busy badge. Step back from the busyness of life so you can be more strategic with how you spend your time and energy. How are you going to retreat today? 

Water The Bamboo® Founder Greg Bell, offers insights into stepping back.... to go forward. 

Hedge funds 'grabbing land' in Africa

Hedge funds are behind "land grabs" in Africa to boost their profits in the food and biofuel sectors, a US think-tank says.

In a report, the Oakland Institute said hedge funds and other foreign firms had acquired large swathes of African land, often without proper contracts.

It said the acquisitions had displaced millions of small farmers.

Foreign firms farm the land to consolidate their hold over global food markets, the report said.

They also use land to "make room" for export commodities such as biofuels and cut flowers.

"This is creating insecurity in the global food system that could be a much bigger threat than terrorism," the report said.

The Oakland Institute said it released its findings after studying land deals in Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Mali and Mozambique.

Risky manoeuvre

It said hedge funds and other speculators had, in 2009 alone, bought or leased nearly 60m hectares of land in Africa - an area the size of France.

"The same financial firms that drove us into a global recession by inflating the real estate bubble through risky financial manoeuvres are now doing the same with the world's food supply," the report said.

It added that some firms obtained land after deals with gullible traditional leaders or corrupt government officials.

"The research exposed investors who said it is easy to make a deal - that they could usually get what they wanted in exchange for giving a poor tribal chief a bottle of Johnnie Walker [whisky]," said Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute.

"When these investors promise progress and jobs to local chiefs it sounds great, but they don't deliver."

The report said the contracts also gave investors a range of incentives, from unlimited water rights to tax waivers.

"No-one should believe that these investors are there to feed starving Africans.

"These deals only lead to dollars in the pockets of corrupt leaders and foreign investors," said Obang Metho of Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia, a US-based campaign group.

However, not all companies named in the report accept that their motives are as suggested and they dismiss claims that their presence in Africa is harmful.

One company, EmVest Asset Management, strongly denied that it was involved in exploitative or illegal practices.

"There are no shady deals. We acquire all land in terms of legal tender," EmVest's Africa director Anthony Poorter told the BBC.

He said that in Mozambique the company's employees earned salaries 40% higher than the minimum wage.

The company was also involved in development projects such as the supply of clean water to rural communities.

"They are extremely happy with us," Mr Poorter said.

Source: BBC Africa

Little motivation from Get Motivated Seminars but overall a worthwhile exercise

Rudi Giuliani was a speaker at the event

The last time I personally attended a seminar on motivation was in 2004. It was held at the Key Arena, if my memory serves me correctly and for all intents and purposes, did very little to motivate my left leg, much less my overall being.

Perhaps, it may have been as a result of growing pains. It sure would get better, I thought then.

The only source of motivation I have ever made use of since then has been that most vital of all, intrinsic motivation.

The latest installment of the Get Motivated Motivational Seminars was held at the Key Arena, Seattle on June 7th, 2011.

Among the slated marquee speakers were Rudi Giuliani, Rtd. General Colin Powell, Joe Montana, Laura Bush, Bill Cosby, Dan Rather and Rtd. General Stanley McChrystal.

I unfortunately arrived late for the event and missed Laura Bush's 'motivational' lecture as well as Steve Forbes' supposed forays into political and economic revisionism. I however plan on attending his seminar. Why? Because you can always learn something from people you disagree with ideologically, particularly if they have been quite successful in the business world, of which I am part.

With regard to former FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) Laura Bush, the peer reviews were not that enthralling. I did wonder exactly what sort of inspiration she would have to offer, given that in 8 years of her husband's presidency, she really never offered much. 

I however had the opportunity to start my day of 'motivation' with the inspiring speech of Rtd. General Colin Powell. Of course, that would be right after the organizers of the event had me and just about everyone in the room feeling 'dirty' by shamelessly promoting an investor's tool from TD Ameritrade.

The tool is obviously supposed to help the individual investor better manage their money and it is, as the 'sales professional' put it, 'what the big boys use.' Really? I thought to myself, in utter amazement at the rather in-your-face plug for the product and the company, by a supposed motivational seminar.

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with providing people with veritable tools for success. It however needs to be done in a way that does not distract from the core subject matter of the event. 

I was rather impressed with Gen. Powell as he stayed on topic and provided insights into his leadership skills, while reiterating the fact that the skill set he had applied all through his illustrious career, was adaptable to any environment.

After a one hour lunch, Bill Cosby was next and funny enough (quite apt qualification by the way), his session seemed to wake up the room and although it had little to do with motivation, his demeanor and seeming sense of assuredness, was probably more inspirational than any motivational insights he would have provided.

Then came another sales pitch by another 'relative unknown', at least to most of the audience. This time, it was on the importance of time management, family, spirituality and purpose. Or so I thought, but for the intermitent interjections of unbecoming innuendo, that bothered on self aggrandizement. This gentleman was supposed to either be an adviser to leaders in politics and business or a real estate mogul? I really wasn't sure (as I am sure others weren't either) and he will forever remain nameless.

Former New York Mayor Rudi Guiliani came next. He of course really never disappoints. He was true to his ever calm and composed disposition and carefully delivered his points with the precision of a dartsman. He however veered into political territory with jabs at disgraced Congressman, Anthony Weiner, albeit unnecessary, but never distasteful.

Former NFL great, Joe Montana then followed. His delivery was as exact as a perfect spiral dart to Jerry Rice and I believe he needs to be a staple of these seminars, going forward.

Rtd. General Stanley McChrystal, former Afghanistan troops commander, was next. I decided to leave at this time.... simply on the basis of principle. What exactly did he have to offer I asked, as did quite a few of those present? Insights into the art of gross insubordination and professional indiscipline?

I am sorry, the organizers had no business inviting a man with no claim to fame, except wanton disrespect of his civilian superiors, namely the Vice-President of the United States and other top administration officials. I presume his motivational line would be "how to get fired for not learning to think before you speak". 

I had my motivational fix for the day however it had been packaged and all-in-all, not a bad day out of the office for most, I would presume, but with a lot of room for improvement. 

Splitville USA: Bachmann and Palin camps at loggerheads?

Bachmann (L) and Palin - AP Photo

Political observers have been trying for weeks to cast a potential 2012 catfight between tea party poster girls Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann—even though Bachmann has long been a vocal supporter of Palin and vice versa.

But as the Minnesota lawmaker prepares to launch her White House bid, it appears at least one person in the Bachmann camp is willing to take on Palin.

Per Politico's Ben Smith, Ed Rollins, Bachmann's newly hired political adviser, let loose on the former Alaska governor in a radio interview today with Fox News's Brian Kilmeade, implying she's a joke of a candidate.

"Sarah has not been serious over the last couple of years," Rollins said. "She got the vice presidential thing handed to her. She didn't go to work in the sense of trying to gain more substance. She gave up her governorship."

Bachmann, he said, is the more established GOP candidate; he called her the 2012 field's "best communicator" since Mike Huckabee decided to skip the race.

"Michele Bachmann and others [have] worked hard, she has been a leader of the tea party, which is a very important element here," he said. "She has been an attorney. She has done important things with family values."

It's unclear if Bachmann agrees with her new political strategist's comments, but Rollins' remarks are notable in that Bachmann will have to seek to distinguish herself from Palin sooner rather than later, especially as the ex-Alaska governor considers her own 2012 run.

So far, few candidates—with the exception of Rick Santorum—have been willing to aggressively go after their potential opponents, out of fear of alienating GOP supporters. The dirty work is usually left to political strategists, and Rollins, long a vet of bruising presidential campaigns, has proven repeatedly in the past to be up to the task.


Source: Associated Press

Obama in statistical dead heat with Romney amid voter anxiety over the economy

President Obama tonedeaf to economic problems?

The Ticket - President Obama is statistically tied with Mitt Romney ahead of next year's presidential election, as a new poll finds voters increasingly pessimistic about the nation's economy.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll released Tuesday finds Obama's ratings bounce in the aftermath of Osama bin Laden's death has completely dissipated in the last month over concerns about how he's handling the slow pace of economic recovery.

According to the poll, Americans are closely divided over Obama's job performance--49 percent disapprove, 47 percent approve. By comparison, Obama's approval was at 56 percent in a Washington Post/Pew poll and at 52 percent in a Gallup poll conducted in the days after bin Laden's death.

According to the latest ABC/Post survey, 59 percent of respondents disapprove of Obama's handling of the economy—the highest number of his presidency. Perhaps most troubling to Obama's upcoming re-election bid is that slightly more voters--45 percent—now trust congressional Republicans over him—42 percent—to handle the economy. Those numbers mark an 11 point improvement for the GOP since March.

In another bad sign for Obama, 66 percent of those polled say the nation is on the wrong track, the highest number since he was elected in 2008.

Not surprisingly, the poll finds Obama's 2012 bid has taken a hit amid economic worries. The poll finds Romney with a narrow lead over Obama among registered voters—49 percent to 46 percent, within the margin of error. But Obama leads all other 2012 GOP hopefuls tested in the poll, including Sarah Palin who trails Obama by 15 points--more than any other potential Republican candidate.


Memo to President Obama: "It's the economy stupid".....

Steve Jobs to deliver Apple keynote speech

Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs

NEW YORK – Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs will take a break from medical leave to deliver the keynote speech at next week's Apple conference, the company said Tuesday.

The keynote will feature a new "iCloud" service, the company said. It didn't explain what the service will do, but Apple has been in talks with all four major recording companies on allowing users to store their songs on Apple-run servers rather than on their home PCs, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The person was not authorized to speak publicly on the deals and spoke recently on condition of anonymity.

Jobs went on medical leave in January for unspecified reasons, handing over day-to-day control to chief operating officer Tim Cook. Investors were rattled because Jobs is seen as the creative force behind the company, crucial to shaping hit products like the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Even while on leave, Jobs has remained involved in larger decisions at the company, and demonstrated the new iPad model at a news conference in March.

Apple shares rose $10.42, or 3.1 percent, to close at $347.83.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off Monday in San Francisco.

Jobs decision to appear at the conference indicates he believes iCloud will be another breakthrough service for Apple.

ICloud could give users a wide array of music for their iPhones, iPads and Wi-Fi-capable iPods, without having to connect them to their home PCs to transfer songs. Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. have recently launched similar services.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, that iCloud would allow users to scan their home music collections and have it duplicated in the "cloud" of Apple-run computers. That would remove the time-consuming hassle of having to upload every song to the online storage locker.

Eliminating that hurdle would give iCloud a leg up over the comparable services from Google and Amazon.com, which requires uploads of existing song collections. Neither Google nor Amazon has secured deals with the recording companies.

It's unclear how Apple intends to make money from the iCloud service, although a subscription plan seems likely.

Apple's statement also said the keynote speech will feature Apple's new Mac software, Lion, and the next version of Apple's iPhone and iPad software.

The June developers' conference has in years past been the opportunity for Apple to reveal the year's new iPhone model, ahead of a retail launch a few weeks later. But this year, analysts are speculating that the new iPhone won't arrive until the fall. Apple launched a version of the iPhone 4 for Verizon's network in February, and a June-July release of a new model could disappoint new owners of that phone.

Tuesday's brief statement did not mention any new hardware.

Source: Associated Press