Muara Teweh!

AllAfrica - Ikechukwu Chukwu has been a teacher for seven years, but that was not his original plan because he did not train to be one. Having read Bio-Chemistry at the University of Calabar, Cross River State; he was searching “for greener pastures”, he says, when he, literally, ‘contacted ICT’ following his employment in the Administrative Department of an IT firm in Port Harcourt .

A series of trainings followed and in five years, he became a Systems Analyst. He was later employed as a Systems Analyst by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Education Department and deployed to the Government Science and Technical College , Garki, Abuja. Today, he teaches Computer Studies in the school.

Deputy Head Teacher Ronald Ddungu trained as a Mathematics teacher and teaches the subject in senior classes One to Six (Age 13 to 19) at Gayaza High School in Kampala , ‘Uganda’ . He has taught for 16 years, but began to use ICT only three years ago. “I learnt by observing and applying. I was fascinated by people who wrote and put things on the internet and inspired to do the same. Now I have my own website that I am putting together”, he says. His contact with the International Education and Research Network of Teachers, based in the United States , gave him the opportunity to participate in a Teachers Forum, a one-month on-line course, where participants were taught how to use projects to teach. » Read more after the jump →

The online source training classes of Idaho Small Business Development Center’s Region II office at Lewis-Clark State College is helping NxLevel develop online training classes that be used both nationally and internationally.

Jill Thomas-Jorgenson, Director of the Region II ISBDC office, has been working on the online project since November of 2006 and recently received an earmark grant for $151,046 to continue work on the project. Although Thomas-Jorgenson is currently going through the process of applying for the grant to receive the money.

NXLevel is a training program that provides helps business owners and entrepreneurs advance their skills in starting, growing, and managing their businesses. The classes provide business skills training, which including preparing a business plan, and provides hands-on practical guidance in bookkeeping, marketing, financial projections, and negotiating with lenders. It also provides a standardized curriculum that is cost-effective and flexible that focuses on the community level.
» Read more after the jump →

PT Bumi Resources, Indonesia’s largest coal miner, says it is considering raising its $455 million takeover bid for zinc hopeful Herald Resources Ltd.

The coal miner said it was “undertaking an internal review” as to whether to raise the bid, which will only be increased with shareholder approval and appropriate financing in place.

On Monday, Herald Resources withdrew its recommendation for the $2.25-a-share Bumi bid and instead recommended the $2.50-a-share offer by Tango Mining Pte Ltd.

Tango is the Singapore-based bidding vehicle for Indonesian state-controlled mining group PT Antam Tbk (Antam) and Chinese government-backed miner Shenzhen Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet Co. Ltd.
» Read more after the jump →

The first time has awarded Petrobangla a license to explore Dighipara coal zone in a joint venture with a competent private mine developer, to be selected as the strategic partner through an open tender.

The government is letting Petrobangla forge a partnership with a private mine developer to tap into the country’s coal resources, with the prospect of needing billions of dollars of investment, if the exploration turns out to be successful, said a competent source.

The Bureau of Mineral Development (BMD) on February 27 granted the license to explore the 4,000 hectare Dighipara zone, where high quality coal had been discovered before. It has 100 million tons of proven coal deposit and 600 million tons of probable deposit.
» Read more after the jump →

The biggest Polish coal producer comprising of 16 mines, increases investments. It is going to modernize exploration and improve security. On Thursday, a new line transporting coal will be launched in Marcel mine near Rybnik.

“The investment was worth PLN 90m (EUR 25.5m). We estimate the costs will be covered within 4-5 years”, Zbigniew Madej, KW spokesman said.

On March 10th, the supervisory board accepted the management’s plans for 2008.

“We expect that the company will have a bigger income than in 2007. We don’t give details because you must always provide one-time events in the mining industry”, Zbigniew Madej explained.
» Read more after the jump →

The Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC), wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, announced a $73 million investment for machinery and equipment to accelerate mining operations at the Bingham Canyon Mine. The investment will enable Kennecott to move more material per day, accelerating near-term copper delivery to help meet global demand and provide potential expansion opportunities for future operations at the Bingham Canyon Mine. The money will be used to purchase additional haul trucks, graders, dozers, electric shovels and drills.

KUC is also looking at other opportunities to further expand the mine in the future. As world demand grows, the additional equipment will be used to accelerate mining activities in those expansion scenarios.
» Read more after the jump →

Brazilian power company MPX is negotiating long-term PPAs with mining companies and financing from a number of banks for its US$2.7bn, 1.4GW coal-fired project in Chile’s central SIC grid, CEO Eduardo Karrer told BNamericas.

MPX expects preliminary agreements on both fronts within the next few months.

SUPERPORT

The Castilla project at Punta Cachos, 80km from region III capital Copiapó, would be key part of a superport similar to the Açu port MPX is developing in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state.

The Chilean port would import coal - probably from Australia and/or Indonesia - for power generation and export minerals such as iron ore and copper concentrates from mines in the area, which MPX estimates to have a combined 1.6GW power demand. » Read more after the jump →