The Internet Society (ISOC) is organizing a high level policy meeting on “Broad and equitable access to the Internet”, which will take place on 16 October 2008 in Dakar, Senegal.
This event, which is specifically addressed to high level policymakers, is organized by ISOC in collaboration with ISOC Sénégal and the Agence de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes (ARTP) of Senegal, following three days of regional meetings dedicated to Internet Governance and Development (13-15 October 2008).
Broad and equitable access to the Internet is intended to address the regulatory challenges that African policy makers face in this new era of Internet and telecommunication infrastructure development. In particular, it will feature discussions among key area specialists and decision makers about the regulation of undersea cables as well as the new wireless technologies that so many African countries are successfully deploying to connect their rural zones. The meeting will also examine how to optimise the use of universal service funds, which can be instrumental in providing access to areas that are not typically attractive for commercial operators.
The meeting is expected to trigger high level policy discussions between the participants on the issues that African heads of states, ministers, regulators, and other policy makers have identified as important for Internet development on the continent. These discussions will develop the dialogue from other recent fora, including Connect Africa in Kigali, the Second Conference of African Ministers in charge of communication and information technologies in Cairo, and the 9th Forum on Telecom/ICT
Regulation and Partnership in Africa in Dakar.
For additional information please contact Mr Dawit Bekele, Regional Bureau of ISOC via email [email protected] or phone +251 911 22 13 33, or visit the website.
Rupa Mohan, Editor, [email protected]
Internet Society (ISOC), www.isoc.org
ISOC’s key initiatives target the critical issues that affect all aspects of Internet development and growth. They embody ISOC’s philosophy that the Internet is for everyone and they provide the organization with a solid foundation from which to positively influence standards development, access, business practices, and government policies. www.isoc.org
TORONTO, September 28th. Ethiopia’s Mulu Seboka didn’t let humid and breezy conditions slow her down as she set a new personal best of 2:29:06 to convincingly win the 9th Annual Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Her performance smashed the previos course record by more than four minutes, set last year by compatriot Asha Gigi, who was third today. Ukraine’s Olena Shurkhno ran a very smart race to come through for second in 2:30:13, a PR by more three minutes. The men’s race proved far more tactical, and was decided in an exciting sprint to the line as Kenneth Mungara held off fellow-Kenyan Peter Kiprotich by 2 seconds for the victory, 2:11:01 to 2:11:03.
A record of more than 10,000 runners took off in a combined field of marathoners [3100] and half marathoners [7300], from the new Start/Finish venue at Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall, in the heart of downtown. Another 4,700 took part in the separate 5K fun run. Although the temperature did not rise much during the morning, it was already 17 degrees celcius at the 7:30am Start, with cloudy skies and high humidity. Seboka was content to sit in with the pacemakers and a group of 3 Ethiopians and 3 Kenyans for the first half of the contest. The group passed 10k in 35:05 and 21.1k in 1:13:49. Shurkhno, who appeared relaxed and focused all week in Toronto prior to the race, was content to sit back, patiently, almost a minute behind at halfway. By 30k, as they emerged from Tommy Thomson Park into a stiff breeze, Seboka and Gigi were alone at the front. With Shurkhno closing fast, and only 13 seconds back, Seboka made her decisive move. She looked strong and confident throughout the morning and the result never looked in doubt over the last 10k. “I wasn’t expecting the time to be that good,” said the diminutive Ethiopian who just turned 24 years old on Thursday. “But I was certain I would win! My fitness is good and nothing was going to stop me.” Seboka and the other Ethiopians said they were definitely inspired by watching Haile Gebreselassie’s world record run in Berlin on the internet before leaving their hotel for the start line in Toronto. “I left my village on my own when I was 17 to run in the big city. Haile is like a father to us, an inspiration, although he often tells me not to run so much.” But it was perhaps Seboka’s prodigious training regimen, of more than 200 km some weeks, with 40k runs most mornings and another one-hour run in the afternoon, that gave her an unassailable strength on the Toronto Waterfront. “This is my personal best. I’m still young. My dream is to be a champion. This is an important step. Perhaps I now have a chance to make the team for the World Championships,” she said. Shurkhno, who had set her previous PR of 2:33:37 only 5 months ago at the Country Music Marathon, was equally delighted with her disciplined performance, running only a minute slower in the second half than the first. In contrast, the other Africans wilted in the humidity: Gigi to 2:33:24; Caroline Cheptonui to 2:34:27 for 4th; and Atsede Bayisa to 2:35:56 for 5th.
The men’s race started promisingly. A group of 10, that included last year’s champion and Canadian All-comers record-holder, John Kelai, followed the 3 pacemakers nicely through 10k right on schedule for an expected sub-2:10, at 30:19. At halfway, only Zimbabwe’s George Mujaji had dropped off the back, and at 64:41, the group had only slipped from 3:02s to running 3:05s per kilometer. In the park, between 25k and 30k, the group steadily broke up, with only Peter Kiprotich, who had run 2:08:49 in Frankfurt last autumn, Kenneth Mungara, Prague winner in April, and Ethiopia’s Amensisa Ketema hanging onto a reduced pace from pacers Paul Kimugul and Willian Chebon. They passed 30k in 1:33:09. with the sub 2:10 looking decidedly unlikely. By the time Kimugul and Chebon stepped off at 32k, Kiprotich had a gap of about 25 metres on Mungara with Ketema a further distance back. Interestingly, Kiprotich then appeared to slow down to allow Mungara to catch him. The two then worked with some purpose getting back to 3:01 and 3:02 kilometres from 33km to 35km, and widening the gap to some 100m over Ketema. Between 37km and 38km first Kiprotich and then Mungara each tried a couple of time to get away. It was not until after 41km that Mungara made a successful effort and opened up a 5 metre gap that Kiprotich was unable to close, despite a thrilling sprint up Bay Street to City Hall. Ketema crossed third in 2:11:52. David Taurus came through for 4th in 2:12:13; Kelai was 5th in 2:12:43 suffering from cramps, with Rome winner Jonathan Yego 6th in 2:13:23.
Canada’s Dylan Wykes had a strong run in the conditions, in just his second marathon, finishing first non-African in 11th in 2:16:21, and helping Team Canada defeat Team Mexico and Team England in the developmental International Team Challenge.
Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it will commence new flight services to Ouagadougou effective 26 October 2008. With six weekly flights, Ethiopian will link Ouagadougou to all the major capitals of Asia, as well as the cities throughout Africa.
Ethiopian will operate Boeing 757-200 aircraft to Ouagadougou, offering a total capacity of 160 seats – 16 in Cloud Nine and 144 in Economy.
The new flights will offer direct connections via Addis Ababa to Ethiopian’s vast network across the globe among which are: Bangkok, Brazzaville, Beijing, Beirut, Bombay, Bujumbura, Cairo, Dar es Salaam, Delhi, Dubai, Entebbe, Guangzhou, Harare, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Juba, Khartoum, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Kinshasa, Lilongwe, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, Nairobi, Paris, Tel Aviv, Washington DC and Zanzibar.
The new direct routings will save hours of current flight options for passengers going to or from Ouagadougou. For example, the new Ouagadougou-Dubai connection will be 3 hours and 45 minutes faster than the current same-airline option.
Hifab Oy has signed a new agreement with the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO) for the supervision of construction of a new power transmission connection from Ethiopia to Sudan. The main benefit of this interconnection is the possibility to transfer excess Ethiopian hydro power to the neighbouring country, thus replacing expensive oil-based thermal generation in Sudan and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Hifab Oy, together with its JV partner Fichtner from Germany, will supervise the construction of the transmission lines and substation on the Ethiopian side.
The value of the consultancy contract is EUR 1.5 million, and it will be completed in 20 months. The financing of the Ethiopia-Sudan project is from the World Bank.
Ethiopia-Sudan is a third consecutive contract between EEPCO and Hifab Oy during 2008.
Juhani Antikainen
Hifab Oy
Lars Sonckin kaari 16
02600 Espoo
Finland
Tel +358 9 540 655 50
Fax +358 9 540 655 55
Mobile +358 50 546 0348
Mail [email protected]
http://www.hifab.se
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – A team of American investors, including a leading stockbroker and several hedge fund managers from Wall Street, USA, divulged on Thursday interests to invest in agriculture and manufacturing sector in Ethiopia.
The delegation consists of seven investors, who own investment companies over $100 million in African countries, coming to visit leading Ethiopian businesses and gain an overview of the Ethiopian economy and the promising opportunities within the investment infrastructure. Their visit has been facilitated by an Ethiopian company called Access Capital Services S.C.
A team leader, Zoran Milojevic representing Auerbach Grayson & Company Incorporated said at a press conference held at Access Capital office that under his company’s long-term view of the global economy and trends in capital and other markets it is working with other Wall Street companies to ease the current global securities markers crisis, including the weekend’s $ 700 billion rescue package.
Auerbach Grayson & Company Incorporated is a stockbroker committed to serving the international needs of major global institutional investors. Clients typically have assets ranging from $ 100 million to several billion dollars. Through its worldwide networks of broker partners in 122 countries, it also offers research, execution and clearance in equities, derivatives and fixes-income instruments, according to information disclosed.
Access Capital Services S.C. has been set up to assist investments into growth businesses in Ethiopia through investing its own shareholder funds as well as bringing together investors and institutions with capital to invest and entrepreneurs seeking funding for business growth opportunities.
According to Ermias Amelga, Chief Executive of Access Capital, excellent investment opportunities are available in Ethiopia, particularly for those willing to take direct risks by investing in the shares of Ethiopian business.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (APA) – A five-day African forum on agriculture opened Monday in Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, and will discuss the challenges facing agricultural production on the continent.
The 12th forum which is attended by African ministers of agriculture is being held under the theme “Making agri-business work for rural livelihoods”.
Ethiopian State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Abera Deresa said despite difficulties, Africa is showing a great progress in utilizing its agricultural potentials than ever before.
He underscored the need for African leaders to allocate enough resources to boost agricultural production in the continent.
Five years ago at the forum, African leaders agreed to allocate about 10 percent of GDP for agriculture.
Dr. Abera Deresa said Ethiopia’s annual budget allocation to the agricultural has shown a remarkable growth and has reached 16 per cent of the national GDP in 2007.
The forum which is organized with support from the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (NEPAD-CAADP), in collaboration with the German Technical Co-operation Agency (GTZ).
TORONTO, September 28th. Ethiopia’s Mulu Seboka didn’t let humid and breezy conditions slow her down as she set a new personal best of 2:29:06 to convincingly win the 9th Annual Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Her performance smashed the previos course record by more than four minutes, set last year by compatriot Asha Gigi, who was third today. Ukraine’s Olena Shurkhno ran a very smart race to come through for second in 2:30:13, a PR by more three minutes. The men’s race proved far more tactical, and was decided in an exciting sprint to the line as Kenneth Mungara held off fellow-Kenyan Peter Kiprotich by 2 seconds for the victory, 2:11:01 to 2:11:03.