Incident: Ethiopian B763 near Cairo on Nov 20th 2010, medical emergency

By Simon Hradecky, created Sunday, Nov 21st 2010 15:14Z, last updated Sunday, Nov 21st 2010 15:14Z

An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300, registration ET-ALJ performing flight ET-701 from London Heathrow,EN (UK) to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) with 154 passengers, was enroute near Cairo (Egypt) when a female passenger showed symptoms of angina pectoris with her health condition deteriorating prompting the crew to divert to Cairo for a safe landing. The passenger was taken to a local hospital. The aircraft departed Cairo after about 50 minutes on the ground.

The Aviation Herald

Ethiopia launches electric car

Ethiopia has launched an electric car, despite suffering from power shortages. It is only the second African country to do so, after South Africa. Two versions of the Solaris Elettra will be manufactured in Addis Ababa, costing around $12,000 and $15,000.The cars will be sold in Ethiopia and exported to Africa and Europe.

But some doubt if Africa, where erratic power supplies, low levels of personal wealth and poor infrastructure are common, is ready for electric cars.

Carlo Pironti, general manager of Freestyle PLC, the company producing the Solaris, told the BBC's Uduak Amimo in Addis Ababa that Ethiopia's electricity shortages were not a major obstacle to operating an electric car.

"Ethiopia in future will have lots of power supply," he said.

"In any case, the car can be recharged by generator and by solar power."

Taxes on cars in Ethiopia can be more than 100% and many Ethiopians with low incomes will struggle to afford an electric car.

To overcome this problem, Mr Pironti says his company will develop a credit system for less affluent customers.

Six Solaris Elettras will be produced every week for the next three months, rising to 30 per week when Freestyle's factory in Addis Ababa is fully operational, he says.

Mr Pironti says he wants to take the Solaris "from a green country to a green world," referring to the company's plans to export the car from Ethiopia to Africa and beyond.

But Wayne Batty, senior writer at South Africa's Topcar magazine, believes only a small percentage of Africa has the necessary infrastructure to support an electric car.

Mr Batty told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that electric cars are fine for short trips of 40 to 50 km (25 to 31 miles), but African countries lack the recharging points for longer journeys.

Ethiopia's electric car comes after Rwanda launched its first bio-diesel bus last week.

It is currently building a huge hydro-electric dam on the Omo river and hopes to become a major exporter of energy when that is completed.

BBC.

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Doctors dare death to save Ethiopian national

His doctors had given up hope as his condition deteriorated with each passing day. But 64-year-old Worku Hassen, an Ethiopian national, was a fighter. From a losing battle against thyroid cancer which damaged his spine to a paralytic attack, Hassen braved it all with a smile. His strong will to live and positive approach gave doctors the confidence to put him through a thrombolysis — treatment for clearing blood clots — soon after the surgery for thyroid cancer.

Hassen, an economist, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer earlier this year, which spread to his spinal cord, involving two vertebral columns. "The sixth vertebra — known as D6 — was completely damaged by the tumour. And the tumour was exerting pressure on the nervous system. The lower end of the cord was also damaged," said Dr Sunil Katoch, senior consultant, orthopaedics, Max Healthcare.

As his condition started deteriorating, doctors decided to operate on the thyroid cancer and the spinal defects simultaneously. In an eight-hour-long surgery, the spine was reconstructed using a special type of bone cement and spacer — a device which helps in maintaining the gap between the vertebras. "We first removed the tumour from the thyroid gland. It was a big tumour that was exerting pressure on the spinal cord, thus causing the paralytic attack. He couldn't walk and his bladder movement were also affected," said Dr Harit Chaturvedi, head onco-surgeon, Max Healthcare.

Recalling the pain and trauma he underwent, Hassen said: "It was the most difficult period of my life. I was shattered when doctors in Ethiopia told me that they won't be able to do much and I should go abroad. The cancer was in the fourth stage and was spreading fast." His son, an intensivist in US, asked him to go to India.

Hassen's ordeal didn't end with the surgeries. Three days after the operation, he developed clots in the lungs. His saturation had dropped to 50%. "It was a tricky situation and we had no option but to go for thrombolysis to get rid of the clot. This could have proved fatal as thrombolysis soon after surgery results in uncontrolled bleeding," said Dr Chaturvedi.

As feared by doctors, Hassen bled excessively in the neck, the part from where the tumour was removed. He was taken to the operation theatre within 48 hours. "It is nothing less than a miracle that he is alive and doing so well. We had lost all hope at one point. It's been a few months since his surgery and he has made remarkable progress," said Dr Katoch.

When in India for his last few sessions of chemo and radiation therapy, Hassan was all set to get back to work. "I have been out of work for a long time. Now, I want to get back to my research," he said.

Read more: Docs dare death to save Ethiopian national - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Docs-dare-death-to-save-Ethiopian-national/articleshow/6962599.cms#ixzz15tCKVvzq

Defending champion Merga pulls out of Delhi half Marathon

NEW DELHI: An estimated 30,000 Delhiites are set to run in the company of world-class athletes and India's most sought after celebrities in the third edition of the $210,000 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday.

The competitive part of the 21-km half marathon involves 8,680 Indian and foreign athletes, the 6-km Great Delhi Run will bring 20,000 plus fun-loving residents out on the streets, the 2.5-km wheelchair race will see 200 differently-abled and the 4-km run will get over a thousand senior citizens to brave the early morning chill.

Thirty elite runners from overseas -- including 12 Kenyans and eight Ethiopians -- will hit the road. Runners from six other nations will also be there.

Ethiopian Deriba  Merga, two-time defending champion, had to pull out of the race at the last moment and that has left the field open for the Kenyan athletes in the $25,000 men's half marathon.

And the pick amongst the Kenyans will be Geoffrey Mutai, the long-distance runner's forte being cross-country running.

"The course is good, I should be able to run close to 59 minutes," Mutai said.

Mutai's countryman Joel Kimurer won the Prague Half Marathon in March and will be looking to do it again here.

In the women's section, 2009 champion Keitany of Kenya is not competing this time and in her absence the favourite will be the 2008 winner Aselefech Mercia of Ethiopia.

Kenya have enough fire power here, too, to spoil the Ethiopian party.

Sharon Jemutai, fresh from her maiden major marathon victory in Hamburg, will be another strong contender to take home the winner's purse of $25,000 and so will be another Kenyan Lydia Cherome.

Sveitlana Kouhan of Belarus and Ukraine's Olena Burkovska are expected to spring a surprise in the field dominated by the Africans.

The celebrity list comprise industrialists, Bollywood actors and a handful of sportspersons.

The likes of Anil Ambani, Dhanraj Pillay, Arshad Warsi, Gul Panag and Rahul Bose will be part of the race to spread the message of importance of 'being healthy.'

Bipasha Basu has replaced Shahrukh Khan as the face of the event.

Times of India

Chinese invest over 12.9 bln Birr in Ethiopia's industry sector alone

Addis Ababa, November 20, 2010 (ENA) -Chinese investors have engaged in industry sector in Ethiopia with over 12.9 billion Birr making use of existing sound investment policy put in place in the country.

Corporate service director with the Ministry of Industry, Melaku Taye told ENA on Saturday that the investors have created more than 76,000 permanent and temporary jobs for Ethiopians.

Melaku said the investors are engaged in processing of agricultural products, chemical and chemical products, pharmaceuticals, leather and leather products, textile and garment, cement and glass manufacturing.

The number of investors engaged in the industry sector has been increasing from time to time, he said, adding, the investors are contributing share towards development of the sector.

Eight cement factories worth 3.1 billion Birr have been constructed in different parts of the country by Chinese investors alone during the past couple of years.

Five of the factories have already entered production phase. The remaining three are expected to go operational in the current Ethiopian year.

He said replacement of imported products by local ones enables to increase the amount of foreign currency earned by the country.

The country registered successive and rapid economic growth during the past seven years through its agriculture led industry policy, he said.

Upon going fully operational the factories will have capacity to produce 3.5 million tons cement annually.

Chinese investors with 11 billion Birr combined capital have received investment licenses, he said, adding, some 1.5 billion Birr worth of the stated projects have already created jobs for 14,000 citizens.

He said the Chinese government has been providing support to Ethiopia in its efforts to become competitive in the industry sector.

China will contribute significant share towards success of the five-year Growth and Transformation Plan, he said.

A cement factory constructed with 432 million Birr in Sululta Town of Oromia State by Chinese investors will be inaugurated next Wednesday.

The factory has created jobs for more than 500 citizens.

University of Axum to receive books from Metro State College of Denver.

DENVER  - A semi-truck parked at Metro State College on Saturday contained 450 boxes of books, which weighed nine tons.

 It's an effort Metro State staff and a small group of students launched half a year ago.

"What a wonderful gift this is to the University of Axum," Dr. Ali Thobhani, Metro State's director of international studies, said.

The University of Axum in Ethiopia is 5 years old with about 5,000 students, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the library shelves.

"You see the library, most of the stacks are empty - nothing - and only a few books available," Thobhani said.

Last spring, Thobhani visited Axum University with other Metro State staff, including psychology professor, Dr. Mary Ann Watson.

"The libraries were just totally empty. It was just sad," Watson said.

The empty shelves prompted Metro State to launch a massive book drive.

"Between faculty, and the bookstore, and every department on campus, they contributed books to the book drive," Dr. Watson said.

"It is really wonderful to see how students have responded to our appeal for help," Thobhani said.

The government is also responding.

The Department of Defense Humanitarian Program is paying for the shipping to Ethiopia.

"We know they will be greatly appreciated," Thobhani said.

Metro State also raised $25,000 to replace an elementary school  near Axum made of tree branches.

Axum is one of Denver's 10 international sister cities.

"It's just a wonderful feeling. The campus community really came together," Thobhani said.

The $25,000 donation will be presented for the new elementary school when the president of Metro State delivers the commencement speech at Axum University in June.

(KUSA-TV © 2010 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)

Wesley Snipes to serve 3-Year Prison Sentence

A federal judge ordered actor Wesley Snipes to surrender to authorities Friday so he can begin serving a three-year prison sentence for tax-related crimes.

U.S. District Court Judge William Terrell Hodges in Ocala, Fla., rejected a request from the actor's attorneys to review Snipes' sentence and grant a new trial. Snipes has been free on bond for more than two years while appealing.

"The defendant Snipes had a fair trial; he has had a full, fair and thorough review of his conviction and sentence. ... The time has come for the judgment to be enforced," the judge wrote in his 16-page decision.

The 48-year-old star of the "Blade" trilogy and Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever" was convicted in 2008 on three misdemeanor counts of willful failure to file his income tax returns. He was acquitted of two more serious felony charges. more on

Moderate drinking is beneficial for cardiovascular health

ScienceDaily (Nov. 19, 2010) — Many studies support the assertion that moderate drinking is beneficial when it comes to cardiovascular health, and for the first time scientists have discovered that a well-known molecule, called Notch, may be behind alcohol's protective effects. Down the road, this finding could help scientists create a new treatment for heart disease that mimics the beneficial influence of modest alcohol consumption.

"Any understanding of a socially acceptable, modifiable activity that many people engage in, like drinking, is useful as we continue to search for new ways to improve health," said Eileen M. Redmond, Ph.D., lead study author and associate professor in the Department of Surgery, Basic and Translational Research Division, at the University of Rochester Medical Center. "If we can figure out at the basic science level how alcohol is beneficial it wouldn't translate to doctors prescribing people to drink, but hopefully will lead to the development of a new therapy for the millions of people with coronary heart disease."

Read more

Adopted Kids From Ethiopia, China and Haiti Become U.S. Citizens

Four-year-old Mirette Franklin from
 Ethiopia recites the Pledge of Allegiance.

This week, 18 children from Haiti, Ethiopia, China, and other countries were sworn in as U.S. citizens in New York City. Their adoptive parents stood proudly beside them. Many of these fresh-stamped Americans were orphans before finding their forever families.

November 20 is National Adoption Day. For anyone interested in an expanded, richer family experience, plenty of kids from all around the world and right here in the USA are ready and willing to bring the love. Source

Two-year-old Theo was an orphan in Ethiopia
before his adoption by Jamie Lieberman.
 His mother sheds a few tears as her son
receives his American citizenship.

Researchers Find Soybeans Halt Prostate Cancer

Researchers at Northwestern University have found that genistein, a natural chemical found in soy, inhibits prostate cancer cells from becoming metastatic and spreading to other parts of the body.

Advocates of holistic living have long championed the fact that food can be used to fight serious illnesses and diseases, including cancer. For the most part, traditional medicine has cautioned against these claims, but this new research might be proof that they can’t avoid.

The study examined 38 men that were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. When administered once a day in pill form, one month prior to surgery, it was found that the soybean drug had beneficial effects on the prostate cancer cells.

When examined after surgery, researchers found that patients that received genistein enjoyed an increased expression of genes that suppress the invasion of cancer cells and decreased the expression of genes that enhance invasion.

 Although the results are promising, scientists say that another phase of the study is needed to determine if the soybean drug can really prevent cancer cells from moving out of the prostate and into the rest of the body

If additional phases of the study are successful, it will be the first instance of a non-toxic drug that targets and inhibits cancer cell movement.

“If this drug can effectively stop prostate cancer from moving in the body, theoretically, a similar therapy could have the same effect on the cells of other cancers,” said Raymond Bergan, professor of hematology and oncology at Northwestern University.

Man Dies After Giving His Brother Life-Saving Liver Transplant

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (AP) — He knows all about the stages of grief. Denial and isolation top the list. But how can he possibly deny all that's happened? In the mirror, he sees the 14-inch scar across his abdomen. Beneath the scar, lodged below his heart, is a piece of Ryan, his brother.

Journal entry, Aug. 22: "I missed you today Ryan. It hurt so much I felt like my heart had blisters on it. God, why do we need death to reawaken what we should already know?"

The grief comes in waves, sometimes gently washing over him, sometimes crashing down hard and threatening to drown him. When the waves come, and they always do, he may cry or shut himself up in a room and talk to Ryan alone. Or he finds a quiet place and sits down with his laptop. And then he chronicles his agony and shares it with the world, processing his pain in a way that is opposite of isolation, with words that ache as his soul aches.

He writes of guilt and self-pity. Of feeling wrecked and undeserving. Of a faith now tested. They are raw and withering, these painfully candid expressions of a man wrestling with so much more than the sorrow that comes with losing a loved one. Read more >>

Hundreds Line Up For Free Dentist Visit

St. Louis, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) —

We're used to seeing people line up for free medical or dental care in places like Haiti or Ethiopia. But as jobs vanish and medical costs rise we're now seeing the same thing in the United States.

Union, Missouri dentist Dr. Michael Edwards adopted a child from Ethiopia. The Franklin county dentist had thought about offering a day of free dental care in Ethiopia. But he decided to try it first in Union, MO. His clinic in Union was flooded with people who've been caught up in the slow collapse of the American dream.

The clinic handled a hundred patients on Friday. It's underwritten by a national group called 'Dentistry from the Heart'.

Did Tony Parker Cheat on Eva Longoria with Teammate's Wife?

Eva Longoria(Desperate House Wife actress) found hundreds of text messages to husband Tony Parker(NBA Player) from the wife of one of his teammates, the actress tells pal Mario Lopez of Extra.

The woman's identity wasn't revealed nor was the name of the San Antonio Spurs player. A source tells PEOPLE the woman was actually the wife of a former, not current, teammate.

Longoria, 35, filed for divorce on Wednesday amid reports that Parker, 28, cheated on her. The divorce petition cites "irreconcilable differences" and Longoria is seeking spousal support.

Longoria says that Parker cheated on her earlier in their marriage and that he kept in touch with the woman on Facebook, according to Lopez.

"She is devastated, she wants us all to know that," Lopez says. "But she's strong."

Three years after a storybook wedding in a European castle, Eva Longoria filed for divorce Wednesday from basketball star Tony Parker.

The Desperate Housewives star's documents were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court just one day after her rep denied that Parker had done the same in a Texas court.

The petition cites only the standard "irreconcilable differences" for the split. But this past week the couple have been rocked with infidelity rumors, with claims that Tony has been unfaithful.

Source People

An American Band selected Organic Ethiopia Sidama Homecho Waeno coffee for their online store

Wilco have already inspired a Toronto sandwich shop with no connection to the band, and teamed up with with Chicago's Intelligentsia Coffee for a mug. Now they've turned to their neighborhood roaster -- which provided coffee at the band's Solid Sound Festival this past summer -- for Wilco-approved beans. The energizing product is now available from the band's online store.

The "Wilco Selects" coffee brand was personally tasted by the band's John Stirratt and Patrick Sansone (also of the Autumn Defense) at Intelligentsia's Cupping Lab earlier this fall.
The unanimous selection is the Single Origin, Organic Ethiopia Sidama Homecho Waeno. This coffee comes from the Sidama region of Ethiopia and is grown by the Homecho Waeno co-op. There's also a decaf option, called the "Wilco Doesn't Select" because, the band admits, they didn't taste-test it themselves.

"In full disclosure, no decaf coffee was selected by the members of Wilco during the tasting field trip," reads the product description. "But our friends at Intelligentsia tell us this is as good a decaf as it gets."

Source

Wilco online Store

Andrew Romanoff’s Ethiopian Journal

Dear Colorado,

I arrived in Addis Ababa on Saturday night, 23 hours after leaving Denver. The Frankfurt airport now seems as distant as its charm.



This is my third trip to Africa in the last two years, the first since joining International Development Enterprises. IDE equips the world's poorest farmers with the technology and training they need to lift themselves out of extreme poverty. I came to Ethiopia to meet some of our field staff and the families we serve. more on >>

Google and Microsoft have tried to buy Twitter

Earlier this year, as part of an on-going dialogue between Google's corporate development team and Twitter, Google floated the idea of an acquisition with a price around $2.5 billion, we've heard from a source close to an executive involved in the talks.

We'd caution that this was not a formal offer – more of a casual offer to offer.

The overture was refused – even characterized as "insulting."

A second source, a Twitter shareholder, tells us he was told Twitter turned down a $4 billion offer about three months ago. This source does not know who the buyer was. 

Both sources speculate that Microsoft may have made an offer too.  This makes sense to us. One reason Google would buy Twitter is to keep it out of Microsoft's hands.The logic goes the other way, too. If and when Twitter truly goes "in-play," we fully expect those two companies to bid against each other aggressively.

Twitter is said to be seeking more funding at a $3 billion valuation. If the company is turning down $4 billion offers, that figure makes sense.

As we all digest this news – GOOGLE TRIED TO BUY TWITTER! – there is one larger to point to remember: People at companies like Twitter, Google, and Microsoft are talking to each other all the time. Informal offers are a part of everyday life on corporate development teams at a companies as large as Google and Microsoft. For startups like Twitter, this kind of talk is excessively common as well. During its first five years, no fewer than 11 companies talked to Facebook about a possible acquisition.

Google declined to comment on this story.

Read more on Business Insider

Ethiopia inflation rises to 10.6

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's annual inflation rate rose to 10.6 percent in October from 7.5 percent in September on rising prices of food and imported goods, the statistics office said on Monday.

The Central Statistical Agency (CSA) said the overall food price index in Africa's second most populous nation increased 5.4 percent in October, with all food components except cereals rising.

Ethiopians are watching for the effects of the birr currency's devaluation in September on inflation, which rose to record levels in 2008 and 2009 on the back of global food and fuel prices.

The CSA said non-food inflation rose by 18.7 percent, with imported goods like cigarettes, construction materials and clothing showing big increases.

"Cigarettes and tobacco increased by 33.9 percent, clothing and footwear by 25.1 percent, house rent, construction material, fuel and power by 16.5 percent," the CSA said in a statement.

The Horn of Africa nation devalued the birr by 16.7 percent in September and targets annual inflation of 6 percent over the next five years.

After the high rates of inflation in 2008 and 2009, the rate plummeted from July 2009 to October 2009 after the government stopped state borrowing and increased bank reserves.

Analysts say there is a risk inflation will continue to rise after the devaluation.

Oversharing a Child’s Story: A blog by a women who adopted three Ethiopians at once.

By LISA BELKIN

Oversharing a Child’s Story

A recurring theme here on Motherlode is the intersection, overlap and separation of our children’s lives from our own. Where is the line between helping and hovering? Between caring and smothering? Protecting and snooping? Letting go and abandoning? Sharing and betraying?

A number of readers have suggested guest posts on facets of this subject lately, and I’d like to spend the day exploring these questions through their words.

First up is lie Ruby, the author of The Language of Trees, and the mother of three children whom she and her husband adopted from Ethiopia nearly two years ago. Theirs is probably a fascinating story. I wouldn’t know, though, because Ruby won’t share it with me. She won’t share it with anyone but the closest of friends, she writes, even though complete strangers ask often. It is her children’s story, she believes, and theirs alone to tell.

MY RIGHT NOT TO TELL

by Ilie Ruby

Everyone wants to know the story of how we adopted three children from Ethiopia. But do I have a right not to tell it, existing as I do right out here on the front line, looking as I do, a Caucasian mom with three African kiddos? Taking my children to the grocery store or to the library without announcing where they came from? Do I have a right to live in the world, fully and enthusiastically and not announce my history or that of my children? I think, yes. Read more on NYTimes 

Little Ethiopia in Washington DC

Popular news read news last month
Washington (CNN) -- A record shop blares the contagious thump-thump of Ethiopian music. The aroma of strong coffee fills the air. And thick spices tickle your nose virtually every half a block. 

This is 9th and U Street in Washington, D.C. -- the unofficially designated "Little Ethiopia". Africans have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and it's clear here in the 25 shops and restaurants huddled together in one city block.

"You see within the Ethiopian community when you have someone start a business, that person becomes a role model for others," explains Tsehaye Teferra, President of the Ethiopian Community Development Council. "So you are absolutely sure that you get three, four businesses the next day in the same location."

It's a phenomenon that began in the 1970s in Washington's Adams Morgan neighborhood on 18th Street. But when the area became trendy, rent skyrocketed and the Ethiopians moved to less expensive ground.

Tefera Zewdie, owner of Dukem restaurant, credits himself as being one of the first to start the big move, when he opened a tiny grocery store in 1997 selling Ethiopian CDs, meat and spices. It grew to a sandwich take-out, then a small restaurant, to now a restaurant so popular, lines form out the door nearly every night.

"I remember it was if I'm not mistaken somewhere between 2000, 2001 it was something big for us to see one non-Ethiopian coming to the restaurant. If you turn around right now, we have 95 percent of them are non-Ethiopian," says Zewdie.

It's the food that has drawn Washingtonians and tourists to Little Ethiopia -- the brave ones curious to try the family-style eating where utensils are not even a suggestion. Here, everyone eats with their hands from the same plate.

"You don't find many Ethiopian restaurants elsewhere," says a Dukem customer from Indianapolis, Indiana. "There was one in my hometown briefly and unfortunately it didn't survive so I have to come back to D.C. to have Ethiopian food."

The popularity of the food is evident in how many entrepreneurs have a restaurant as a second business. There's the Tesfaye family, whose brothers together run a successful parking management business in and around D.C., and who opened Etete restaurant as a surprise for their mother.

"Her dream was always owning a restaurant," says Yared Tesfaye. "She loves feeding people, she loves cooking."

The brothers also bought the building next door to the restaurant, where their sister now has a salon.

And then there is Tutu Belay, who started a telephone directory of Ethiopian-owned and Ethiopian-friendly businesses 16 years ago. It's grown from 80 pages to more than 900. She and her husband, Yehunie Belay, a famous Ethiopian singer, also own a restaurant downstairs from their offices called Little Ethiopia, where Yehunie performs.

Restaurants are in nearly every other building, and they're not confined to Ethiopian. There is also an Ethiopian-owned Mexican and an Ethiopian-owned Italian restaurant.

The Ethiopian population in the Washington, D.C. metro area is the largest in the U.S. Tutu Belay, who has done extensive research on the population for her business, estimates it to be about 250,000 -- though other estimates are much lower.

But it is large enough that there is even a second unofficial Little Ethiopia in Alexandria, Virginia -- just over the Potomac River from D.C. 

Proof that in the Ethiopian community, where there is one entrepreneur, dozens more will follow.

Man Shoots TV Over Palin Dance

NOVEMBER 17--Like most Americans, Steven Cowan has been perplexed by Bristol Palin’s (Sarah Palin's daughter) curious ability to keep advancing in TV’s "Dancing with the Stars" competition.

However, unlike other viewers, Cowan, 67, allegedly became so enraged by Palin’s success that he actually fired a shotgun round into his television, triggering a 15-hour standoff with Wisconsin cops.

According to a criminal complaint, Cowan’s wife called police Monday evening to report that her husband had blasted the TV and was threatening to kill himself. Cowan, who had been drinking, became angry while watching Palin, 20, perform on the ABC program.

As Palin, pictured at left, was dancing, Cowan “jumped up and swore, saying something to the effect of, ‘The fucking politics.’ Steven was upset that a political figure’s daughter was dancing on this particular show when Steven did not think that she was a good dancer,” the complaint notes. Cowan is pictured in the above mug shot.

Janice Cowan told Dane County Sheriff's Office deputies that she called 911 after her husband blasted the TV and then pointed the shotgun at her. She added that Cowan warned her that he would kill himself if she brought anyone back to their home in the town of Vermont.

After a lengthy standoff with cops, Cowan surrendered yesterday at 11 AM. He is facing disorderly conduct and weapons charges.

He was sitting in the Dane County jail last night when Palin landed a spot in the “Dancing with the Stars” finals. However, a sheriff’s spokesperson told TSG that Cowan “currently does not have access to television.”

Source: Smoking Gun

A 64-year-old man died on Ethiopian Airlines flight to Washington DC

A flight headed to Washington, D.C., was diverted to Boston on Wednesday after a 64-year-old man died on board, CNN reported. The man died on Ethiopian Air Flight 500, CNN reported. The man's name, nationality and cause of death were not immediately available.

The flight was headed to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., from Rome when it was diverted to Boston. The plane landed at Logan Airport at 7:15 a.m. and continued to Washington at 9 a.m.
Source

You are from Africa, right? So Did you have lions in your backyard? Do you speak African? Did you ride elephants to school?

This is an excerpt from the article by Ryan Platt about presentation and discussion at James Madison University(JMU) to hear tales of migration and courage, and to catch a glimpse into the African world.

Josh Fine was just one of many speakers who told of his experiences coming from an African culture to a very different U.S. culture. And in most cases, it's a difficulty.

"When I first got here, no one really understood where I was coming from or where my vision was coming from. It shocked me," he said.

The differences between cultures, according to Fine, could be frustrating at times.

"Nobody knew where I was from, and I got questions that my friends and I laughed about and dreaded back home," Fine said. " ‘Did you have lions in your backyard? Did you ride elephants to school?' I even had a girl ask me, ‘Do you speak African?' "

But Fine is not alone. Several African students spoke during the event in between speakers to give their input of what it's like being an African in America.

Kofi Boafo is one of those students. Boafo is a sophomore integrated science and technology major who, came to JMU to further his education. His goal is to eventually return to Africa and help his homeland.

"I wanted to study ISAT because of the energy program, because Africa has such problems," said Boafo, who plans on returning to Ghana after graduation to work on developing a strong energy source for Ghana.

But students are not the only part of the Africana picture at JMU.

Professor Godfrey Vincent from the history department is from Trinidad and Tobago and related stories of his journeys to the traveling tendencies of the African people.

"My journey to the U.S., to New York, to Baltimore, from Baltimore back to New York, then finally to Virginia is like the African people," Vincent said. "They've been traveling all over the world, they are travelers."

As travelers, Africans have made their marks on places across the globe, from Europe to Asia to the Americas, Vincent explained.

Vincent brought up the point that people can encounter an African who isn't dark skinned.

"Africa comprises white people, black people, people who look different from other people," Vincent said. "In Egypt and Ethiopia, there are all kinds of different looking people there."

The presentation aimed to challenge many of the stereotypes of Africans in the United States.

"A lot of people think that Africa is still the land of Tarzan and Jane - that is not Africa," Vincent said. "People tend to think of African people as living in huts - that is not Africa. Africa lives in a modern age with computers and Internet and skyscrapers."

Read the full article.

Stratex International plc secures an option for Gold exploration in Northern Ethiopia

Stratex International plc (Stratex or the Company) has signed a binding Heads of Terms agreement with privately owned LozBez Mining Private Limited Company (LozBez), for the AbiAdi-Gichke Gold Project (AbiAdi) project located in the prospective Tigray province in northern Ethiopia.

Highlights

• Licence area covers 967 sq km of highly prospective ground for gold and base metal mineralisation in northern Ethiopia within the Arabian-Nubian Shield
• Agreement in line with Stratex’s strategy to increase land position in prospective Ethiopian gold sector
• Gold mineralisation identified over a strike length of approximately 5 km associated with intrusive rocks and major NE-trending linear feature
• Stratex to undertake due diligence on AbiAdi over a three month period for an initial expenditure of US$50,000
• Stratex to earn 75% of AbiAdi through the expenditure of US$1 million over a 36 month period
• Option to earn a further 10% of a joint venture company (JVC) formed with LozBez following initial expenditure

Stratex International‟s Executive Chairman David J. Hall said, “We are delighted to sign an agreement with LozBez, which gives us access to this highly prospective ground in northern Ethiopia. We have a strong exploration portfolio in the region, the value of which was recently underpinned by our agreement with Thani Ashanti, an AngloGold Ashanti joint-venture company, to fast-track the development of our prospective licence

areas in the Afar Depression of eastern Ethiopia and Djibouti. We look forward to developing our presence further within the Ethiopian gold arena through our relationship with LozBez.

“The new AbiAdi licence area is strategically located across a significant northeast-trending structure where shear- and intrusion-associated gold mineralisation extends over more than 5 km, with historical chip sampling assay grades of up to 8.45 g/t Au and 41.9 g/t Ag in separate samples. Interestingly the geological setting is very similar to the Zara gold deposit in Eritrea where Chalice Gold has defined an indicated resource of 5 Mt grading 5.3 g/t Au for 840,000 oz.”

Detailed Information

Under the terms of the agreement, following expenditure of US$50,000 during an initial three month due-diligence period, Stratex can earn up to 75% of AbiAdi following the funding of all exploration to a total expenditure of US$1 million and the completion of 3,000 metres of diamond drilling over a 36 month period.

Upon earning the 75%, Stratex and LozBez will form a JVC, into which AbiAdi will be placed. Stratex may then earn a further 10% of the JVC through additional expenditure of US$2 million, the total expenditure of US$3 million giving Stratex 85% of the JVC. Stratex can commission a feasibility study at any time following the initial expenditure of US$1 million and the formation of the JVC.

Following the completion of the feasibility study and the decision to proceed to mine production, if either party fails to contribute to the construction and commissioning costs, their equity share will be reduced using an industry-standard contribute-and-dilute formula. Should either party be reduced below 10%, their equity share will be diluted to a 2% Net Smelter Return royalty.

Stratex’s interest in AbiAdi will reside in Stratex East Africa (SEA). As announced on 12 October 2010 SEA, presently owned 100% by Stratex, will hold all Stratex's Ethiopian and Djibouti assets. Under the terms of Stratex's agreement with Thani Ashanti, an AngloGold Ashanti Limited joint venture company, Thani Ashanti will acquire a 5% interest in SEA (and thereby a 5% interest in AbiAdi) once Thani Ashanti has expended their minimum US$500,000 commitment at the Company's Afar Project.

AbiAdi Licence Details

The AbiAdi project is located in the Tigray province of northern Ethiopia, approximately 60 km north-west of the provincial capital of Mekele, and 80 km south of Stratex‟s existing Tigray Exclusive Exploration Licence. The licence area is underlain by limestone, phyllite (fine grained sedimentary rock), volcanic rocks, and granite, which are all Proterozoic in age. The licence forms part of the highly prospective Arabian-Nubian Shield.

LozBez has completed a preliminary programme of geological mapping and sampling of outcropping rocks and stream sediments across the central-eastern portion of the licence. This work has identified a prospective northeast-trending structure and an elongate intrusive, both of which contain anomalous concentrations of gold over a distance of more than 5 km, with historical chip sampling assay grades up to 8.45 g/t gold and 41.9 g/t silver in separate samples. The geochemical analyses were undertaken at the Geological Survey of Ethiopia‟s laboratory in Addis Ababa that provides a good service but is not ISO-certified. Local artisanal miners are exploiting both alluvial and bedrock mineralisation and are recovering coarse flakes of gold up to 2 mm in size.

Stratex East Africa Ltd (SEA) – Ethiopia and Djibouti Portfolio

• 5.45% shareholding in PLUS-quoted exploration company Sheba Exploration (UK) plc (Sheba)
• A joint venture with Sheba to (i) earn-in to an initial 60% of the prospective 37 sq km Shehagne gold project in Ethiopia, and (ii) explore targets in northern Ethiopia on a 70:30 joint venture basis
• Berahale and Gademsa EELs cover a combined area of 1,225 sq km in northern and central Ethiopia respectively and are prospective for gold and base metals
• 2,780 sq km land position over new epithermal gold discovery and multiple related gold targets in the Afar Depression of eastern Ethiopia and Djibouti, collectively named as the Afar Project
• Stratex International has signed a binding Heads of Agreement with Thani Ashanti, an AngloGold Ashanti Limited joint venture company, to fast-track development of the Afar prospects. Thani Ashanti can earn 51% of the currently identified prospects (collectively the Afar Project) by spending US$3 million on exploration and development over two years

For further information please visit www.stratexinternational.com

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