THE arrival of three Ethiopian athletes yesterday in Australia boosted hopes of a race record in tomorrow’s Melbourne marathon.
Asnake Fekadu, Terefe Yae and Yared Mekonnen landed in Melbourne early yesterday morning after organisers had been left in the dark as to whether they had collected the necessary visas and connected with their booked flights.
Fekadu, the fastest of the three, has a personal best of two hours, 10 minutes and 26 seconds and ran 2:11.04 behind world record-holder Haile Gebrselassie in Dubai in January.
He has a credible chance of breaking the Melbourne race record of 2:11.08, set by American marathoner Bill Rodgers in 1982.
Yae and Mekonnen have best times of 2:11.43 and 2:14.16 respectively.
South Africa is the most networked economy in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Mauritius and Botswana, according to the latest edition of “The Global Information Technology Report” by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
In North Africa, Tunisia has overtaken Egypt as the most network-ready, while Morocco is ranked third.
The report focuses on the role of networked readiness in spurring innovation and economic growth. The report is in its seventh year and covers 127 economies worldwide. Africa was represented by 27 countries.
The report, which saw Nordic countries taking the lead and Africa holding the last positions, is considered the authoritative international assessment of the impact of ICT on the development process and the competitiveness of nations.
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“The successful experience of the Nordic countries, Singapore, the United States or Korea shows that a coherent government vision on the importance of ICT, coupled with an early focus on education and innovation, are key not only for spurring networked readiness, but also to lay the foundations for sustainable growth,” said Irene Mia, senior economist of the Global Competitiveness Network at the WEF and co-editor of the report.
To compile the index, the WEF used a combination of data from publicly available sources, as well as the results of the “Executive Opinion Survey,” a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the WEF with its network of partner research institutes and business organizations in the countries included in the report.
Tunisia was the highest placed country in Africa at 35. South Africa was 51, Mauritius 54, Egypt 63, Morocco 74, Botswana 78, Senegal 85, Algeria 88, Kenya 92, Namibia 93, Nigeria 94, Mauritania 97, Tanzania 100, The Gambia 101, Burkina Faso 103, Madagascar 104, Libya 105, Uganda 109, Zambia 112, Benin 113, Cameroon 118, Mozambique 121, Lesotho 122, Ethiopia 123, Zimbabwe 125, Burundi 126 and Chad 127.
In a separate study, “The Global Competitiveness Index,” South Africa, Botswana and Mauritius fall in the top half of the rankings. Featuring 134 global economies, the competitiveness index is the most comprehensive study from the WEF. This year, the report was expanded to include Brunei Darussalam, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Malawi.
“The ‘Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009’ offers policy-makers and business leaders an important tool in the formulation of improved economic policies and institutional reforms,” said Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman.
The index is based on 12 pillars of competitiveness: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, financial market sophistication, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication, and innovation.
For Liz McCartney, selection as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 could not have come at a better time.
“With the recent storms in Texas and southwest Louisiana, we have experienced a sudden drop in volunteers,” said McCartney, whose St. Bernard Project helps Hurricane Katrina survivors rebuild their homes just outside New Orleans, Louisiana.
“While other areas need help, this recognition is letting the American people know that the New Orleans area still matters,” McCartney said.
The diverse group of honorees includes a Cambodian activist who offers free schooling to children who work in Phnom Penh’s trash dump; a Georgia prosthetist-orthotist who provides limbs and braces to hundreds of people in Mexico; and a Virginia woman who tapes video messages from incarcerated parents for their children.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper announced the 10 honorees Thursday on “American Morning.”
“Our Top 10 CNN Heroes are proof that you don’t need superpowers — or millions of dollars — to change the world and even save lives,” Cooper said.
CNN launched its second annual global search for ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary deeds in February. The network has aired weekly CNN Hero profiles of those people, chosen from more than 3,700 nominations submitted by viewers in 75 countries.
A panel made up of world leaders recognized for their own dedication to public service selected the Top Ten. The Blue Ribbon Panel includes humanitarians such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Kristi Yamaguchi and Deepak Chopra.
“What an incredible group of people and how difficult it was to select only 10,” said Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a panel member.
Archbishop Tutu added, “They all deserve to win. Thanks for saluting these remarkable human beings.”
Each of this year’s Top 10 CNN Heroes will receive $25,000 and will be honored at “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute,” airing from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on November 27.
Hosted by Cooper, the Thanksgiving night broadcast will culminate with the announcement of the CNN Hero of the Year, selected by the public in an online poll that began Thursday morning.
Continuing through November 19, viewers can log on to CNN.com/Heroes to participate in the poll. The person receiving the most votes will receive an additional $100,000.
In alphabetical order, the Top 10 CNN Heroes of 2008 are:
Tad Agoglia, Houston, Texas —
Agoglia’s First Response Team provides immediate help to areas hit by natural disasters. In a little over a year, he and his crew have aided thousands of victims at more than 15 sites across the United States, free of charge.
Yohannes Gebregeorgis, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia —
Moved by the lack of children’s books and low literacy rates in his native Ethiopia, Gebregeorgis established Ethiopia Reads, bringing free public libraries and literacy programs to thousands of Ethiopian children.
Carolyn LeCroy, Norfolk, Virginia —
After serving time in prison, LeCroy started The Messages Project to help children stay connected with their incarcerated parents. She and volunteer camera crews have taped roughly 3,000 messages from inmates to their children.
Anne Mahlum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania —
On her daily morning jogs, Mahlum used to run past homeless men. Today, she’s helping to transform lives by running with them, and others as part of her “Back On My Feet” program.
Liz McCartney, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana —
McCartney moved to New Orleans to dedicate herself to helping Hurricane Katrina survivors move back into their homes. Her nonprofit St. Bernard Project has rebuilt the homes of more than 120 families for free.
Phymean Noun, Toronto, Ontario —
Growing up in Cambodia, Noun struggled to complete high school. Today, she offers hundreds of Cambodian children who work in Phnom Penh’s trash dump a way out — through free schooling and job training.
David Puckett, Savannah, Georgia —
Puckett started Positive Image Prosthetics and Orthotics Missions — PIPO — to provide artificial limbs and braces and care to people in southeastern Mexico. Since November 2000 his mission has helped more than 420 people, free of charge.
Maria Ruiz, El Paso, Texas —
Several times a week, Ruiz crosses the border into Juarez, Mexico, to bring food, clothing and toys to hundreds of impoverished children and their families.
Marie Da Silva, Los Angeles, California —
Having lost 14 family members to AIDS, the Los Angeles, California, nanny funds a school in her native Malawi — where half a million children have been orphaned by the disease.
Viola Vaughn, Kaolack, Senegal —
The Detroit, Michigan-native moved to Senegal to retire. Instead, a group of failing schoolchildren asked her to help them pass their classes. Today, her “10,000 Girls” program is helping hundreds of girls succeed in school and run their own businesses.
“It is very rewarding to be able to honor these amazing, often unheralded individuals who are making a tremendous difference in their communities and beyond,” Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide, said. “These stories of selfless achievement deserve to be told, and our multiple platforms around the world allow us to do that.”
Once again the Internet has proven its ability to quickly respond to political gaffes. Less than two hours after last night’s Presidential debate ended sites began popping up to support “That One” for President.
For those who might have missed the debate (and shame on you if you did), “That One” is how Senator John McCain referred to Senator Barack Obama when talking about who voted for an energy bill. In response, the Web sites ThatOne2008.com and ThatOne08.com have sprung up to exploit McCain’s rather derisive choice of terms for his opponent. Instead of regarding the term as the dismissive reference that was intended, they’re embracing it.
ThatOne2008.com is a simpler site, with just a video clip of McCain saying “that one” in the debate as well as links to Obama’s campaign site, an Obama iPhone app, and a link to where you can buy shirts that read “I’m voting for that one.”
ThatOne08 takes it a step further, rewriting Obama’s biography information by replacing his name with the words “that one.” It also has its own selection of shirts, as well as a link to a Facebook page for supporters of “That one 08.”
While I respect the speed and creativity of the people who made these sites, it terrifies me to think about the implications of these sites. There were a lot of intelligent and meaningful things said by both candidates in last night’s debate, but gaffes like this are all most people will pay attention to.
Al-Shabab fighters have killed at least fourteen Somali soldiers in an attack on a military checkpoint south of the capital, Mogadishu.
Heavily armed fighters from the military wing of the Union of the Islamic Courts (UIC), al-Shabab, attacked and took control of Sarkuusta checkpoint near an Ethiopian base in southern Mogadishu, Press TV’s Somali correspondent reported Wednesday.
They left the checkpoint after firing several mortars 19 of which landed on a nearby Ethiopian Woyane base.
Ethiopian TPLF soldiers Thugs locked to the scene and went on a shooting spree, killing three civilians.
Also on Wednesday, two Somali soldiers were killed by unknown gunmen in a Mogadishu teashop. Four civilians were also injured in the violence.
