Canada could review Ethiopia aid over farm evictions

The African nation is the third-largest recipient of Canadian foreign assistance, receiving nearly $170 million per year. While much of that money is dedicated to maternal and child health, Canada has also contributed tens of millions towards improving Ethiopia's agricultural sector, working specifically toward improving the livelihoods of thousands of poor villages and farmers in the country… Read more

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EAF lifts suspension against 33 athletes

The Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) has performed a U-turn in lifting its suspension of double Olympic champions Kenenisa Bekele (pictured), Tirunesh Dibaba and 33 others which had put their appearance at the London 2012 Games in jeopardy. EAF President, Bisrat Gashawten Tirfe, told The Associated Press by telephone: "We have agreed to discuss all the matters concerning their problems." The athletes were suspended last week for not reporting to the Federation's training camp. As insidethegames reported exclusively, Bekele was so upset about the ban, which he only heard about after watching a report on Ethiopian television, that he raised the possibility with his manager, Jos Hermens, of running for another nation.The crisis started last Thursday when the EAF wrote in an email that it had decided that "any international competition, including the Dubai Marathon, is closed from January 20, 2012, until end of the [Olympic] event on August 2012" for the 35 athletes who did not attend the camp early this month. The group also included Dibaba's husband, Sileshi Sihine, a two-time Olympic silver medallist in the 10,000 metres. Bekele has struggled for most of the past two years with injuries and dropped out of the 10,000m in Daegu, but ended the year on a high by winning the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Brussels in 26min 43.16sec, replacing Britain's Mo Farah, who won world silver and world gold over 5,000m, as the fastest of the season.Source ( The games )

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Ethiopia indefinitely bans Olympic champion Bekele and 34 others

"We have banned 35 athletes, including Kenenisa and Tirunesh, from competing in any event," he told Reuters. "It has been two months now since we summoned every athlete in contention, but this group has so far failed to respond." He said the ban would be reconsidered as soon as the athletes reported for training. Bekele, who has yet to decide if he will compete in London anyway, told Reuters he had been injured. Read more …

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Ethiopia says Eritrea-trained gunmen killed tourists

Afar is known to be a haunt of Ethiopian rebels who regularly cross over the border with Eritrea, Ethiopia's bitter foe, Addis Ababa says. Eritrean rebels and bandits are also in the area at times. "The group of foreign tourists was attacked by gunmen late on Monday, by members of a group that was trained and armed by the Eritrean government. It's the usual terrorist activity by the regime," Bereket Simon, Ethiopia's government spokesman, told Reuters. Read more…

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Jailed Swedish Journalists decided to seek clemency

"There is a tradition of clemency and pardon in Ethiopia and we choose to trust that tradition," the two men said in a short statement. "They will first consult with their lawyers and people who are familiar with this tradition of clemency in Ethiopia about when is a good time and so on," she told Reuters. The case prompted anger among rights groups, which called for the men's release. The Swedish government, European Union and United States have expressed concern. Read more…

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EAL employees get 20% pay raise

Ethiopian Airlines announced a 20% pay raise for all employees effective as of the first month of 2012. The board of directors of Ethiopian approved the salary increment according to the Public Relations Department of the airline. The 20 percent raise was granted by the board and management of Ethiopian Airlines to acknowledge the dedication, hard work and success of all airline employees said the Public Relations Department. Ethiopian Airlines employs 5635 employees, with 28% maintenance and engineering, 29% marketing and sales, 12% cabin crew, cockpit crew 6% and 25% employed in various sectors of the airline.
Source: (The Reporter)

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Mossad Involved in Mabhouh Assassination, Ethiopian Plane Outburst

Mauritanian authorities have exposed a Mossad network in the country involved in the assassination of Hamas official Mahmoud Mabhouh and the outburst of the Ethiopian plane in

Lebanon where a Hezbollah target was on board. According to Al-Huriyeh (Freedom) Mauritanian newspaper, the Mauritanian authorities have exposed the network in which businessmen and activists from different Arab nationalists work .The sources indicated that members recruited by the Israeli espionage network were captured after pursuing them and monitoring their suspicious activities.
The espionage network was revealed after the police arrested an agent, named as Fares al-Banna, who was recruited by a tourism agency. The police found documents with the suspect, including a letter addressed to the Emirati embassy in Mauritania, in which he confirmed he is ready to confess information related to the assassination of [Palestinian figure Mahmoud] Mabhouh in Dubai, and the explosion of the Ethiopian plane in Lebanon. The suspect also vowed in the letter that he would reveal detailed information about an Israeli espionage network in Mauritania. The daily stated that the Mauritanian authorities have opened an investigation on the issue in order to pursue details in this case. Source (Al-Manar)

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Happy European New Year

Ethiopian This Week management team, wish to all of its readers and followers on social media a Happy and prosperous European New Year. As we are heading to the New Year, we will be widely open our eyes and ears to present news from every corner of the planet. Our motto is very simple, we report, you judge the news according to its content. Let’s Keep in touch; Share your views and insights. Though we always agree not to disagree, your views are always respected. Love each other and most importantly have faith of what you do. Have a blessed new year.
Respectfully
ETW Editor

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Vaclav Havel, dissident playwright and former Czech president, dies

The death was announced by his assistant, Sabina Tancevova, the Associated Press reported. Mr. Havel underwent surgery for lung cancer in 1996 and had suffered from lung ailments in recent months. The former dissident playwright, who was 75, died on Sunday morning after a prolonged period of bad health. Accordning to BBc News Mr Havel's coffin is being taken from his country cottage to the capital, Prague. and will lie in state from Wednesday and a state funeral is expected on Friday.The Czech Republic is observing a week of mourning and hundreds of candles have been lit in Wenceslas Square - once the focal point of the "Velvet Revolution" that overthrew the country's communist regime. Read more…

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N. Korean Leader Kim Jong Il has died on a train over mental damage

North Korea on Monday urged its 24 million people to rally behind 20-something heir-apparent Kim Jong Un as the nation mourned the death of supreme leader Kim Jong Il.South Korea, meanwhile, put its military on high alert, while people in the streets of Pyongyang broke into tears as they learned the news that Kim had died at the age 69 of heart failure. The United States said it was in close contact with allies South Korea and Japan.The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country, people and military "must faithfully revere respectable comrade Kim Jong Un." Read more….

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