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Japheth Korir working his way towards victory in Diekirch(Rosch Kohl)

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Kenya’s youngster Japheth Korir and Ethiopia’s Almensh Belete reestablished East African supremacy at the ING Eurocross in Diekirch (Luxemburg) on Sunday (12).

The 18-year-old Korir won the 10.2Km race ahead of fellow countryman Albert Rop and Tasama Dame of Ethiopia. Almensh Belete, at the age of 22 also still very young for long distance running, took the 5.35Km women’s race from Etenesh Diro of Ethiopia and Moroccan Fatiha Benchatki. In the past two years there had been no winners from Kenya or Ethiopia in Diekirch, an IAAF Cross Country Permit Meeting.

Sunshine on a wintry day provided fine conditions for the race. With temperatures around zero Celsius the grass and sand course was still covered with snow and frozen. Up to 2000 spectators followed the various races in which about 500 athletes competed.

Men’s Race - Korir displays great finishing speed

In the men’s race eight runners formed an early lead group, but they did not stay together for long. After two kilometres Kenyans Korir and Rop increased the pace and it was only Dame who could hold on while the others dropped back significantly. Among them was last year’s winner Elabassi El Hassan of Morocco, who would eventually finish sixth with 31:32.31, almost a minute behind the winner. Onesphore Nkunzimana (Burundi), the three-time Eurocross record winner, was even further behind. He would ultimately have to be content with 12th place in 32:28.97.

While the bigger leading group had broken up early the other three stayed together to the final stages developing a thrilling race for victory. The pace increased again, and again and it was then Dame who could not hold on with 600 metres to go. Meanwhile Korir and Rop exchanged the lead a couple of times before the 18-year-old finally secured a narrow victory. The bronze medallist from the World Junior Cross Country Championships in 2010 clocked 30:34.03 while Rop crossed the line in 30:35.56. Dame followed in third place with 30:59.56. Running alone for long parts of the race Canada’s Reid Coolsaet showed a fine performance, taking fourth in 31:17.09. Abdelhalim Zahraoui (Morocco/31:23.00), El Hassan and Taye Damte (Ethiopia/31:35.47) followed while France’s Marathon specialist, Driss El Himer, was the best European finishing eighth in 31:42.84.

Women’s Race - fourth time a charm for Belete

In the women’s race a leading group of five were together for most of the contest. With four Africans involved – Belete, Diro and Shankutie Mestawot-Tadessa (all Ethiopia) plus Benchatki – it was a surprise that a German set the pace at the front of the group. Working hard Susanne Hahn, the winner of the Eurocross in 2006, took to the front. “I ran as best as I could today,” she said. But in the final lap the Africans surged ahead and dropped the German.

The decisive moment came with around 300 metres to go. Belete strongly increased the pace and was successful with a long sprint. The 22-year-old, who had placed second in Diekirch in 2009 (behind her sister Mimi) and 2010 and finished fourth last year, won in 18:25.75, followed by Diro (18:28.15) and Benchatki (18:29.78).

Mestawot-Tadessa (18:41.62) faded badly in the closing stages of the race, but she just managed to defend fourth place in front of a strong finishing Hahn (18:43.75). Sonja Roman of Slovenia took sixth place with 18:46.22.

“After having placed second two times I am very happy to have finally won in Diekirch,” said Belete.

Jörg Wenig for the IAAF

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Ethiopians steal the thunder again - Athletics |nation.co.ke

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PAT BUTCHER | NATION Dejere Abera of Ethiopia (left) beats Kenyans Cosmas Kyeva (centre) and Julius Maisei at the finish line to win the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on February 5, 2012 in one of the closest finishes ever in a marathon race.

Posted Sunday, February 5 2012 at 20:04

Hong Kong

Losing a marathon by one second last year taught Dejere Abera of Ethiopia a lesson that he put to good use on Sunday, when he won the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon – an IAAF Bronze Label event - by less than a second.

Indeed so tight and exciting was the men’s finish that Eliud Cheptei in second place shared Dejere’s winning time of 2.11.27, while two more Kenyans, Cosmas Kyeva and Julius Maisei were just one second each further back.

Dejere improved the long standing course record by one minute and 42sec, but his colleague, Misiker Demissie took pride of place in that department when her runaway victory in the women’s race, in 2.30.12, took all of three and a half minutes from last year’s course record.

Given the tough course here, and the inevitable humidity, around 90 percent at one stage, albeit with reasonable temperatures of 16-19C, the times were never going to be of the order of last week’s Dubai record breaking spree.

But, like Dubai this was another Ethiopian double header to relish, and remind the Kenyans that they’re not going to get all their own way in Olympic year. (Globerunner)

The Hong Kong organisers eschew pacing, but with over a dozen men together at halfway, and eight still in contention past 35k, combined with some of the most clement conditions in race history, a men’s record was always on the cards. And not before time some would say, Ethiopian Belay Wolashe’s 2.13.09 had lasted since the second edition of the event, in 1998.

When the leading quartet broke away with 40k in sight, it was always Dereje who was forcing it from the front, mindful he said later of that one second defeat in Ottawa last year to Laban Moiben of Kenya.

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Dereje managed to get a 10 metres lead two or three times in the last kilometre, but though he was pulled back each time, and then balked by an errant cyclist on the last turn into the finish in Victoria Park, he never looked like losing at that point.

“It wasn’t a problem,” said an ebullient Dereje, though it wasn’t clear whether he was talking of the cyclist or the three close pursuers, “I knew by then I could win. This is my first time in Hong Kong, but I love it”. And so he should, his win netted him $50,000 with five figure time bonuses.

Though Cheptei shadowed him through the finish line, the Kenyan admitted he never felt he could win. “He was too strong, I was trying to go with him, but that was to make sure I stayed ahead of the third guy”.

Like several of his compatriots last year, Cheptei paid his own way here, but the $1500 investment paid off handsomely, when he picked up $20,000 and a share of the time bonus.

There was more confusion over Misiker’s change of name than her running tactics. It seems that the Ethiopian had an unhappy time running for Bahrain under the name of Teyba Naser and has reverted to a full Ethiopian name of Misiker Mekonnin Demissie, and has been living with husband Zereu Kelele in Albuquerque, New Mexico for some time.

There was no debate about her victory though. She led from the start, and though she had colleague Shitaye Gemechu and Kenyan Winfred Nyansikera right behind until past halfway, when she accelerated at 30k, she ran right away from them.

“It’s a very hard course, and it was a little humid, but I thought I could win from 30k,” she said, “I’d like to run Boston now (April), because last year I had to drop out. I’d like to run in the Olympics eventually, but Ethiopia has many strong women. It will have to be the next one in Brazil”.

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Ethiopian Christians arrested at private prayer in Saudi Arabia | Ya Libnan | World News Live from Lebanon

Ethiopian Christians arrested at private prayer in Saudi Arabia

JANUARY 30, 2012 ⋅ 10:49 PM ⋅ POST A COMMENT

Thirty five Ethiopian Christians are awaiting deportation from Saudi Arabia for “illicit mingling,” after police arrested them when they raided a private prayer gathering in Jeddah in mid-December, 2011. Of those arrested, 29 were women. They were subjected to arbitrary body cavity searches in custody, three of the Ethiopians told Human Rights Watch.

(Beirut) – Thirty five Ethiopian Christians are awaiting deportation from Saudi Arabia for “illicit mingling,” after police arrested them when they raided a private prayer gathering in Jeddah in mid-December, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. Of those arrested, 29 were women. They were subjected to arbitrary body cavity searches in custody, three of the Ethiopians told Human Rights Watch.

The Ethiopians gathered to pray together on December 15, during the advent of Christmas, in the private home of one of the Ethiopians, when police burst in and arrested them, three jailed members of the group, two women and one man, told Human Rights Watch.

“While King Abdullah sets up an international interfaith dialogue center, his police are trampling on the rights of believers of others faiths,” said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The Saudi government needs to change its own intolerant ways before it can promote religious dialogue abroad.”

In October, Saudi Arabia, together with Austria and Spain, founded the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, located in Vienna, and funded by Saudi Arabia.

The Ethiopian men spent two days at al-Nuzha police station in Jeddah, after which the police transferred them to Buraiman prison. The women had already been transferred to Buraiman prison. Two of the women said that officials there forced the women to strip, and then an officer inserted her finger into each of the women’s genitals, under the pretext of searching for illegal substances hidden inside their bodies. She wore a plastic glove that she did not change, the women told Human Rights Watch. Officers also kicked and beat the men in Buraiman prison, and insulted them as “unbelievers,” the jailed Ethiopian man said.

Both men and women complained of inadequate medical care and unsanitary conditions at Buraiman prison. There were too few toilets, they said. In the men’s wing, six of twelve toilets were reserved for Saudi inmates, while hundreds of foreign inmates were forced to share the remaining six toilets. One female detainee said she suffers from diabetes and was given an injection in the prison clinic that caused swelling, and has received no further medical attention.

The Ethiopians, speaking via telephone from prison, said that about 10 days after being arrested, some in the group were taken to court, where they were forced to affix their fingerprints to a document without being allowed to read it. Officials told the group that they were being charged with “illicit mingling” of unmarried persons of the opposite sex. Some of the Ethiopians have been living in the kingdom for 16 years, while others are newer arrivals. Some of the women and men did not have valid residency papers, but all faced deportation, including those with valid papers, the jailed Ethiopian man said.

In July 2006, the Saudi government promised that it would stop interfering with private worship by non-Muslims. In a “Confirmation of Policies,” a written document the Saudi government sent to the US government, Saudi Arabia said it would “guarantee and protect the right to private worship for all, including non-Muslims who gather in homes for religious practice,” and “ensure that members of the [religious police] do not detain or conduct investigations of suspects, implement punishment, [or] violate the sanctity of private homes.” In this document, the government also said it would investigate any infringements of these policies. Public worship of any religion other than Islam remains prohibited in the kingdom.

“Saudi authorities have broken their promises to respect other faiths,” Wilcke said. “Men and women of other faiths have nowhere to worship in Saudi Arabia if even their private homes are no longer safe.”

The Arab Charter of Human Rights, to which Saudi Arabia is a state party, guarantees “[t]he freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs or to perform religious observances, either alone or in community with others,” and prohibits “arbitrary arrest.”

Saudi Arabia has no codified criminal law or other law that defines “illicit mingling.” In 2006, Shaikh Ibrahim al-Ghaith, the president of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the religious police, told Human Rights Watch in an interview in Riyadh, “Mingling of the sexes is prohibited in public, and permitted in private unless it is for the purpose of corruption.”

Human Rights Watch called on the Saudi authorities to release the 35 Ethiopian men and women immediately if there is no evidence to charge them with offenses that are recognizably criminal under international norms. Saudi authorities should also investigate their allegations of physical and sexual abuse and, if warranted, compensate them for arbitrary arrest and any mistreatment they endured, and to hold accountable any officials found to be responsible for these acts.

Human Rights Watch also called on the authorities to allow members of the group who fear persecution in Ethiopia to lodge asylum claims with the UN Refugee Agency.