FortySouth

Last year I read an interesting essay (Founders Visa) by Paul Graham that suggested a new visa class be created for technology startup founders. Evidence has shown that a significant number of successful technology companies in the U.S. were founded by immigrants and so a more elegant system needs to be designed to not only attract but retain these entrepreneurs in the country. That sentiment has since picked up steam.

Senators John Kerry and Dick Lugar have introduced a Startup Visa Bill in Congress that “will allow an immigrant entrepreneur to receive a two year visa if he or she can show that a qualified U.S. investor is willing to dedicate a significant sum – a minimum of $250,000 – to the immigrant’s startup venture”. Continue reading

So it’s now official – the Kenyan Government will indeed push for the repealing of contentious sections contained in the Kenya Communications Act 1998, most notably a number of clauses in Section 88.

So what are they looking to amend?

1. Deletion of Section 88, which gives the Internal Security Minister authority to “take temporary possession of any telecommunication apparatus or any radio communication station or apparatus within Kenya”
2. Establishment of a Broadcasting Service Advisory Board which will deal with issues of content and registration of the stations
3. Expand the Appeals Tribunal, established under Section 102, from five to seven members to allow for the appointment of two other people in consultation with the media industry stakeholders

On the Media Act 2007, the government agreed to fund the Media Council, the Board constituted by the Act for regulation of the media. (The Kenya Communications Amendment Bill passed in December 2008 has erroneously been referred to as the Media Bill even by though we had a Media Bill in 2007, now it’s an Act of Parliament).

Once Parliament reconvenes, the AG says that the motion will be tabled. The amendment when presented will likely, pass with little or no filibustering.

This is a first step, hopefully the political will doesn’t peter out.

What, O what, to be made of this? Only from the Land of Lincoln:

Where the Illinois Senate finds the jurisdiction to reinstate a planet, is beyond me. Hmm.. maybe this has something to do with it:

What? No. Americans have discovered hundreds of planets.

Sigh. Stay classy Illinois!

[via Bad Astronomy]