Ethiopian This Week

Israel attack to Iran is imminent say top officials

2012-02-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

Israel seems unmoved, and United States Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has reportedly concluded that an Israeli attack on Iran is likely in the coming months. US President Barack Obama said yesterday that he does not think Israel has decided whether to attack Iran, telling NBC News in an interview that the US was "going to be sure that we work in lockstep as we proceed to try to solve this hopefully diplomatically". Despite harsh economic sanctions and international pressure, Iran is refusing to abandon its nuclear programme, which it insists is purely civilian, and threatening Israel and the West. It is beginning to cause jitters in world capitals and financial markets. "Of course I worry that there will be a military conflict," Britain's Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said in a magazine interview last week. He said Britain was "straining every single sinew to resolve this through a combination of pressure and engagement", rather than military action. Read more…

Al-Qaeda cell plotting terror acts in Ethiopia arrested

2012-02-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

The Joint Anti-terror Taskforce of the National Intelligence and Security Service and the Federal Police has announced it has arrested an organized cell of Al-Qaeda plotting to carry out terror acts in Ethiopia for the first time. In a press release it sent to ERTA on Sunday, the Joint Anti-Terror Taskforce disclosed that there was and is an external Al-Qaeda attack threat against the nation. The Taskforce said it has currently discovered that there are Ethiopian citizens who have established close relations with Al-Qaeda and organizing its cell in the nation as well as giving training and education. The Taskforce said the suspects’ operation is making use of the tendency of extremism being witnessed in recent years. The statement said the Taskforce has discovered the eight suspects arrested have created relations with Al-Shabaab in Somalia and Al-Qaeda as well as its cells in Kenya, Sudan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia and South Africa to carry out their terror mission.The Taskforce also said its investigation group is carrying out thorough investigation on the suspects in line with the Anti-terror Law after taking investigation period from the court. Source ( Newsdire )

በአርዱፍ የተያዙት ኢትዮጵያውያንና ጀርመናውያን በሽምግልና እንዲፈቱ ጥረት ተጀመረ

2012-01-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

አብዮታዊ ዲሞክራስያዊ የአንድነት ግንባር የተባለው የአማጽያን ቡድን በአፋር ክልል በነበሩ ጎብኚዎች ላይ ባለፈው ሳምንት በከፈተው ጥቃት አምስት ጎብኝዎች ተገድለው ሁለት ጀርመናውያንና ሁለት ኢትዮጵያውያን እንደተጠለፉ የዜና ዘገባዎች መዘገባቸው ይታወሳል

የተጠለፉት ሰዎች በሽምግልና እንዲፈቱ ጥረት እንደተጀመረ በኢትዮጵያ የውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስቴር የፓብሊክ ዲፕሎማሲ እና ኮሙኒኬሽንስ ዳይረክተር አቶ ጌታቸው ረዳ ገልጸዋል።

አቶ ጌታቸው አያይዘውም አርዱፍ የሚባለው ድርጅት የትጥቅ ትግሉን ትቶ በሀገሪቱ ህጋዊ በሆነመንገድ እየሰራ ነው። ይህ ቡድን ግን እንደተለመደው ኤርትራ የፈጠረቸው አካል ነው። የኢትዮጵያ ወታደሮች በአከባቢው ስላልነበሩም የተከፈተ ግጭት አልነበረም። ታጣቂዎች ሾልከው በመግባት በጎብኚዎቹ ላይ የጥይት እሩምታ ነው ያወረዱባቸው ሲሉ የአማጽያኑ ቡድን ጎብኚዎቹ የተገደሉት የኢትዮጵያ ወታደሮች በከፈቱት ተኩስ ነው ላለው ምላሽ ሰጥተዋል። Click here to listen the interview

http://www.voanews.com/templates/mediaDisplay.html?mediaPath=http://www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/amharic/dalet/AMH_af_ARDUF_Ethio_Erit_Response_1_25_12.Mp3&mediaContentID=138151398

Source ( VOA)

Canada could review Ethiopia aid over farm evictions

2012-01-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

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

EAF lifts suspension against 33 athletes

2012-01-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

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 )

Ethiopia indefinitely bans Olympic champion Bekele and 34 others

2012-01-20T17:58:00.000-08:00

"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 …

Ethiopia says Eritrea-trained gunmen killed tourists

2012-01-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

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…

Jailed Swedish Journalists decided to seek clemency

2012-01-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

"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…

EAL employees get 20% pay raise

2012-01-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

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)

Mossad Involved in Mabhouh Assassination, Ethiopian Plane Outburst

2012-01-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

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)

Happy European New Year

2011-12-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

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

Vaclav Havel, dissident playwright and former Czech president, dies

2011-12-19T03:56:00.000-08:00

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…

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

2011-12-19T02:35:00.000-08:00

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….

Former Prime minister of Ethiopia admitted to hospital

2011-12-07T17:51:00.000-08:00

Fikreselassie Wogderes, the prime minister during the Dergue Regime, was admitted to Black Lion Hospital on Monday, November 28, 2011, after he had a stroke, according to sources. Although the stroke was caused due to high cholesterol, he is recovering now at the hospital. Fikreselassie, who was among the 23 Dergue officials charged with genocide, was pardoned along with 16 of his colleagues in September right before the Ethiopian New Year after spending 20 years in prison. They had all been sentenced for life, a decade and a half after the Special Prosecutors Office charged them with genocide. Their pardon came nine months after religious leaders first started lobbying for it. Fikreselassie is not the only of the former officials who is sick. His colleague, Fisseha Desta, vice president during the regime, also seeks medical treatment overseas. He is trying to go to India to get treatment, according to sources. (Addis fortune)

Amnesty urges Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia to arrest former president George Bush

2011-12-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

"International law requires that there be no safe haven for those responsible for torture; Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia must seize this opportunity to fulfil their obligations and end the impunity George W. Bush has so far enjoyed." The group claimed Bush authorised the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" and "waterboarding" on detainees held in secret by the Central Intelligence Agency between 2002 and 2009. Read more…

Ethiopia apologizes for the arrest of Slovak Ambassador

2011-12-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

Slovak Ambassador to Ethiopia Milan Dubček is set to return to the Slovak Embassy in Addis Ababa in a few days after being recalled to Slovakia by Foreign Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda following a diplomatic spat over the former’s arrest on November 5, the TASR newswire reported. Dubček was given no explanation at the time for why he had been arrested and subsequently held incommunicado for two days by Ethiopian authorities. The EU delegation in Addis Ababa received an apology from the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry on November 24 in which it explained what had happened and promised that a similar event would not reoccur. "We (now) view the explanation and apology as sufficient," Dzurinda said at a press conference. An earlier response by Ethiopian officials was rejected by Dzurinda. In their latest apology the Ethiopians stated that the problem was that Dubček (who is the son of Alexander Dubček, the Czechoslovak communist leader during the Prague Spring) had been out for a walk in the city without his identity papers, meaning that Ethiopian police officers weren't able to identify him, said Dzurinda. "Ethiopia has guaranteed that it will remove the flaws in its system and ensure ... that similar misunderstandings aren't repeated," added Dzurinda. Source (TASR)

Anti-Gay Sentiment Flares in Ethiopia as Addis Ababa Preps for AIDS Conference

2011-11-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

The leaders of Ethiopia's main religious denominations faced journalists briefly in an Addis Ababa conference room Tuesday. Abune Paulos, the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was there, along with representatives of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council, the Roman Catholic Church, and Protestant denominations. But before anything could be said, Ethiopia's Health Minister Tewodros Adhanom arrived and asked for a word with the religious leaders in private. Read more ...

Ethiopia: Editor of independent Newspaper left the country over fear of imprisonment

2011-11-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

Kebede said he received a tip about a week ago from confidential sources alleged government plans to re-imprison him. Kebede also said that the paper was unlikely to continue publishing. Both federal prosecutor Birhanu Wendimagegn and Ministry of Justice spokesman Desalegn Teresa denied allegations that they were planning to arrest dawit Kebede. It is noticed that sometimes In June Authorities Imprisoned Awramba Times Deputy Editor Woubshet Taye on terrorism charges. Read more…

A glimpse of light after sorrow nightmare

2011-11-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

Aberash Hailay, on Monday November 14, returned after an intensive treatment in Bangkok and thanked the Ethiopian Women Lawyer’s Association (EWLA), Sheik Mohammed Al-Amoudi who covered her treatment costs, her Airline colleagues, to members of the media and the Ethiopian public for their support, in a press conference held at the Sheraton Addis.Aberash said “I don’t care if Fisseha is jailed for one year or 30 years because what has happened has already happened, but there should be a punishment for those would be attackers of her female sisters that would deter them from committing such crimes.” Aberash is blinded by the crime allegedly committed by Fisseha Tadesse her ex-husband two months back. Source ( Capital Ethiopia)

የመምህር የኔሰው ገብሬ ጉዳይ አነጋጋሪ እየሆነ ነው::

2011-11-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

ከተለያዩ የዜና ምንጮች ተከታትለን ለአምደኞቻችን ልናቀርበው ያሰብነውን ዜና ይዘን መጣን:: ባለፈው ሳምንት በዋድሮ ዋካ ዞን በመምህርነት ተቀጥሮ ይሰራ የነበር የ29 አመት ወጣት የኔሰው ገብሬ አሟሟት ጉዳይ ቡዙዎችን አያነጋገረ ይገኛል:: ከቮይስ አፍ አሜሪካ እስከ ቢቢሲ የዜና አውታሮች ድረስ ካገር ውስጥ ደግሞ የዋልታ ኢንፎርሜሽን ማእከልን ጨምሮ የተለያዩ ዘገባዎችን በሟች ዙሪያ በማስደመጥ ላይ ናቸው:: አንባቢያን ትክክለኛውን ጭብጥ እንድታገኙ ከግራም ከቀኝም እጃችን የገባውን ዜና ይዘን ቀርበናል::የየትኛው ወገን ዜና ተአማኒ እንደሆነ እናንተው ፍረዱ....
ቪኦኤ የአማርኛ ክፍል ድህረ ገጽ ይህን አለ::

http://www.voanews.com/templates/mediaDisplay.html?mediaPath=http://media.voanews.com/audio/amh_update_on_yenesew.Mp3&mediaContentID=134147048

የዋልታ የዜና ማእከል ደግሞ ወሮ ታደለች በቀለን ( የአቶ የኔሰው እህትን ( በናት በኩል ማለት ነው ) ስለ ወንድማቸው አቶ የኔ ሰው ባህሪይ ግድያና አቀባበር የሰጡትን ቃለ ምልልስ ይዞ ቀርቧል::
http://www.ethiotube.net/video/16426/Yenesews-sister-speaks-

የቢቢሲ የዜና ወኪል ሟች የኔ ሰው ገብሬን በተመለከተ የሚክተለውን ዜን ሰርቷል:: እቺን ይጫኑ::
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7R2Q-H3SZ4&feature=player_embedded

Ethopian troops cross south & central border of Somalia

2011-11-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

Ethiopian troops are once again crossing the borders of Somalia, in the South and Center of the Country. The news was reported by eye-witnesses. "There are several hundred soldiers from Ethiopia on trucks and on a few armored vehicles", asserted Ibrahim Warsame, an elderly tribal leader answering on the phone from Gurael, in Somalia's central province of Galguduud, a long-dated stronghold of the Jihadist warriors of 'al-Shebaab al-Mujahedin', the bridgehead for 'al-Qaeda' in the Horn of Africa. Source ( AGI)

Saif Al Islam Gadafi captured in South Libya

2011-11-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

The legacy of Saif Al Islam has ended.

Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of slain Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, has been captured in a firefight in the Libyan desert after weeks on the run, senior Libyan military commanders said Saturday. Saif al-Islam Gadhafi was caught by revolutionary fighters after 15 days of pursuit in the area between the southwestern oasis town of Obari and southern town of Sabha, military commanders in Tripoli told CNN. The International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, which wants Saif al-Islam Gadhafi for alleged crimes against humanity, including murder, committed during the uprising, confirmed the arrest. "We are in touch and coordinating with the Libyan ministry of justice to ensure that any solution with regards to the arrest of Saif al-Islam Gadhafi will be in accordance with the law," ICC spokeswoman Florence Olara said.
Click here to see the legacy of Saif Al Islam and how captured in southern Libya

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15804466

Kuwaiti Held for Allegedly Beating Ethiopian Maid to Death

2011-11-16T16:07:00.000-08:00

A Kuwaiti citizen has been allegedly blamed for beating his housemaid to death. The Kuwaiti has been held for the alleged crime. According to sources, the man has confessed to having committed the crime. Sources report that the Kuwaiti has confessed that he “brutally beat up” his housemaid for seven days, as she refused to continue working for him. According to sources, the accused had hired the Ethiopian housemaid to work on probationary basis in his house. The victim was hired from a recruitment firm located in Hawally. Sources state that, during the training period, as the victim experienced difficulties in providing satisfactory work for her sponsor, he decided to return her to the domestic labor office.
According to sources, when the sponsor and the victim were on their way to the recruitment firm office, they started augmenting on an issue, as a result of which, he lost control and suddenly punched her in the face several times. On reaching the office, the victim alighted down the vehicle and fell unconscious. Some of the housemaids staying at the office confirmed that the victim was brutally beaten up by her sponsor, as a result of which she bled to her death.
During preliminary interrogation, supervised by high-ranking officials, the accused denied the charges, saying that the victim succumbed to her illness. However, he confessed to the crime when he was referred for further interrogation to the Public Prosecution.
However, another source reports that the suspect had hired the victim from Maids Employment Office on the Ibn Khaldoun Street. According to a preliminary forensic report, the victim succumbed to "severe beatings that led to serious physical injuries and severe internal bleeding." The report also noted that the victim showed “signs of dehydration.” Reports of abuse of housemaids in Kuwait have been frequently surfacing in the news. Foreign maids are reported to have been suffering from physical and mental abuse in the oil-rich Kuwait, where they are rapes and brutally beaten, which has resulted in suicide attempts in many cases. Some maids even complain of being pushed to work harder and for longer hours and sleep less. They allege their rights are not protected in the country. Even a 2010 US Department of State report singled out Kuwait for not doing much to prevent human trafficking. According to the report, migrants are subjected to “forced labor by their sponsors and labor agents.” The report states that migrants suffer from physical and sexual abuse, nonpayment of wages, and restrictions on movement. Source ( Ezega.com)

Slovak ambassador to Ethiopia recalled for consultations

2011-11-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

Slovakia has recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia, Milan Dubček, Foreign Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda announced at a news conference on Thursday, November 10. He said that the Foreign Ministry had been waiting for three days for an official response from Ethiopia after it sent a diplomatic note demanding not only an explanation but also an apology for Ambassador Dubček's detention between November 5 and 7, the SITA newswire reported. The Slovak diplomat was detained (and subsequently released) by the Ethiopian authorities in Addis Ababa at the weekend, the TASR newswire wrote. Dzurinda said that Dubček will remain in Slovakia until Ethiopia acts in line with diplomatic practice and international standards, i.e. until the Ethiopian authorities make an apology and provide guarantees that no such moves will be repeated with respect not only to Slovakia, but also to any other EU-member country. Dzurinda added that he had spoken to Dubček since he was released on Monday evening and that the ambassador had told him that he was unaware of having committed any crime. Dzurinda said that as far as he knows Dubček hasn't been charged with any offence. The Foreign Ministry said the ambassador's detention has raised concerns among fellow EU-member states, and that a session of diplomats from EU countries had taken place in Addis Ababa following the incident. Source ( SITA)

Ethiopia charges six journalists with terrorism

2011-11-12T03:07:00.000-08:00

In an interview with Agence France-Presse, government spokesman Shimelis Kemal accused the journalists of "abetting, aiding, and supporting a terrorist group." Kemal accused Ethiopia's neighbor, Eritrea, of involvement in a vague plot against the country. "They have received from the Eritrean government weapons and explosives for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities in Ethiopia," Kemal said. "Ethiopia's terrorism charges against journalists critical of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government are becoming vague and ludicrous," said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. "The authorities have failed to provide any hard evidence and should drop these charges immediately." Read more…

Ethiopian child mortality malnutrition rates drop; says, state minister; UNICEF attributed

2011-11-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

Reducing malnutrition, which is an underlying factor in at least half of all under-five deaths, has had a profound impact on the survival rates of children," Kestebrhan Admassu ( the Ethiopian state minister of health ) told a gathering of representatives of United Nations agencies. The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) attributed the reductions to increased access to health posts in remote and drought-stricken areas, and a growing number of health workers. The number of health posts has surged to more than 9,000 in 2011 from a handful in 2004 with priority shifted towards food-insecure areas, UNICEF said, Read more…..

South Sudan security detains two journalists over criticism of marriage

2011-11-10T04:16:00.000-08:00

South Sudan National Security Services (NSS) agents in the temporary capital of Juba arrested Peter Ngor, editor of the private daily Destiny, and ordered the indefinite suspension of his newspaper for running an October 26 opinion article by columnist Dengdit Ayok, news reports said. The article, titled "Let Me Say So," criticized the president for allowing his daughter to marry an Ethiopian national and accused him of "staining his patriotism," news reports said. "It's alarming to see the world's newest nation already arresting journalists under vaguely worded accusations," said CPJ East Africa Consultant Tom Rhodes. "We call on the authorities to release the journalists and lift the ban on the newspaper Read more…

Frehiwot Dado wins New York marathon women’s title

2011-11-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ethiopian Frehiwot Dado captured the 42nd New York Marathon women's title on Sunday, winning in two hours, 23 minutes and 15 seconds to edge compatriot Buzunesh Deba by four seconds. Dado, a 27-year-old making her New York debut, won her third consecutive Rome Marathon title last March in 2:24:13 but eclipsed that time as her personal best with her closing run in ideal conditions. Deba, who lives and trains in the parks and streets of the "Big Apple", settled for second with reigning London Marathon champion Mary Keitany of Kenya in third for the second year in a row in 2:23:39. Keitany led from the start until the final mile, when Dado took the lead for good after working with Deba to chase down the Kenyan for most of the 26.2-mile journey. "I'm very happy because there was a runner leading in front of us and I didn't think we would catch her, but I was very happy when we were able to catch her," Dado said through a translator. "Once we saw her, we said to each other, 'Let's catch her,' and working together we were able to catch her." "I'm so happy," Deba said. "People were cheering me and I had so much confidence." Keitany, who set the world half-marathon record of 1:05:50 earlier this year, was on an early pace to challenge the women's world record of Britain's Paula Radcliffe, 2:17:42 from 2005 in London, and the course record of 2:22.31 set by Kenya's Margaret Okayo in 2003. Source (AFP)

Ethiopia: Man said his sex partner stole him winning lottery ticket from his pants pocket

2011-11-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

He, ( Alemayheu Yitayew) said the suspect, 25-year-old Kyla Lee Smith, knocked on his door Sunday evening. He invited her in and the two had sex. Yitayew said Smith left around 5:30 a.m., and at 7:30 a.m. he realized the winning lottery ticket was missing from his pants pocket. According to the police report, Yitayew went to the lottery commission on Monday, October 24, to report the ticket stolen. Read more…

Judje Shemsu ruled out Swedish journalists involved in a terror attack

2011-11-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

An Ethiopian court acquitted two Swedish journalists of terrorism charges on Thursday but said allegations they had assisted the secessionist ONLF rebel group still stood, and kept them in detention. Reporter Martin Schibbye and photographer Johan Persson were arrested in July after they entered Ogaden province from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region with a team of fighters from the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). "Though the prosecutors have provided witnesses and evidence to support their accusation, the court does not believe it is substantial enough to prove that the journalists were involved in carrying out a terror attack," Judge Shemsu Sirgaga ruled. Shemsu, however, ordered the pair to defend themselves against allegations they had helped the ONLF and had entered the country illegally without a permit. Source (Reuters)

US government seeks $70M from African official

2011-10-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

The son of Equatorial Guinea president plundered his country natural resources through corruption, spending more than $70 million in looted profits on a Malibu mansion, a Gulfstream jet and Michael Jackson memorabilia, the U.S. government said. in what appeared to be a concerted action, France last month seized 11 luxury sports cars belonging to Teodorin Nguema Obiang Mangue, a government minister in the West African country and heir-apparent to the presidency. And a Spanish investigative judge has been asked to seize properties in Madrid and Las Palmas in the Canary Islands owned by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, his sons and some ministers, acting on a case brought by the Pro-Human Rights Association of Spain. Read more ….

US claims the existence of its drones in Ethiopia are not in strike mission

2011-10-29T00:34:00.000-07:00

The White House on Friday confirmed the existence of US drones in Ethiopia, but said they are not conducting strike missions. "The UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) are not conducting any strike missions from Ethiopia," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters at his daily briefing, stressing the aircraft were deployed in the East African country to counter terrorism and to promote stability in the Horn of Africa, reported Xinhua. The spokesman was responding to a question about a Washington Post report Thursday that the US is operating armed Reaper drones in Ethiopia to carry out counterterrorism missions. The drone base is located at the Arba Minch airport, about 300 miles south of Addis Ababa and about 600 miles east of the Somali border, the report said. This is within reach of standard models of the Reaper, about 1,150 miles. The report came at a time when the US has been expanding the use of drones on counterterrorism missions, and have increasingly targeted al-Qaeda's affiliates outside South Asia, particularly in Yemen and Somalia. Source ( newkerala.com)

Video footage shows 'Gaddafi's killer'

2011-10-25T03:35:00.000-07:00

Video footage has emerged of fighters loyal to Libya's National Transitional Council claiming to be the assassins of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
On Monday, his body remained on display to the public and it is still unclear where he will be buried. Saadi Gaddafi, Gaddafi's son, said he was "outraged by the vicious brutality" shown towards his father and his brother Motassim, who were both killed last week. More video clips showing Gaddafi's last moments are slowly trickling in, and they are likely to come under closer scrutiny in the coming days as the UN, rights organizations and US, backs an investigation into the deaths source ( Aljazera)
Click here; please be advised that the clip is disturbing and graphic

Video footage showed Mummer Gadafi , shortly before he was killed

2011-10-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril announced the death, and later said the colonel had been killed in crossfire between Gaddafi loyalists and fighters from the transitional authorities. He confirmed that Col Gaddafi had been taken alive, but died of bullet wounds minutes before reaching hospital. Video footage suggests he was also dragged through the streets. It is unclear from the footage, broadcast by al-Jazeera TV, whether he was alive or dead at the time. Watch this exclusive video, please be warned that the video is graphic . Click here

Swedish Journalists’ Terror Trial Opens in Ethiopia

2011-10-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

The two Swedes, freelance investigative reporter Martin Schibbye and photojournalist Johan Persson, were arrested in July in Ethiopia’s Somali region while traveling with rebels of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, which is fighting for regional autonomy. The government alleges the pair were not just journalists, but were actively supporting the rebels and has charged them under an anti-terrorism law. The trial’s brief opening session was adjourned to allow time for two surprise co-defendants to be given court-appointed lawyers. Lead defense attorney Sileshi Kesela told reporters he had used the opening session to demand the prosecution share evidence confiscated during the arrests, including a video shot by the defendants and their press credentials.“It was the court which asked did you not receive any of the evidence, and we indicated we haven’t received this and this evidence, one written material and one cassette,” said Kesela. Read more…

Ethiopia’s ‘Distorted’ Monetary Plan Needs Reform, IMF Says

2011-10-14T04:28:00.000-07:00

“High and rising inflation and entrenched negative real interest rates also threaten Ethiopia’s macroeconomic stability.” The coffee-producing nation’s commodity-dependent economy grew 8 percent last year, versus 10 percent in 2010, the fifth- fastest in sub-Saharan Africa after the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Nigeria, IMF data showed. Read more…

Ethiopia Faces Threat from Wahabi Muslim Extremists

2011-10-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

Some Wahabi Muslim extremists in Ethiopia are being engaged in underground violence and unrest instigation activities by abusing the freedom of religion and faith guaranteed by the constitution says, Ethiopian government official. Arab Wahabi missionaries, mainly from Saudi Arabia, continue to make inroads into the Ethiopian Muslim community, but are meeting increasing resistance in doing so, according to a recent US cable released by Wikileaks. The indigenous Muslim culture (mainly Sufi Muslim community) has come under attack since 9/11 by Wahabi missionaries engaging in what amounts to cultural imperialism against Ethiopian Islam. Read more....

የኢትዮጵያውያን ሰቆቃ በሊቢያና በማልታ ሰማዮች::

2011-10-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

በየለቱ በሞትና በህይወት መካከል ናቸው:: ትናንት አብረዋቸው የነበሩ ጔደኞችቻቸው ዛሬ የሉም:: ወይ ውሀ በልቷቸዋል ከዛ የተረፉትን ደሞ ጥይት እስከ መጨረሻው ዝም አሰኝቷቸዋል:: ስደት, ተስፋ መቁረጥ ከምድር ወደ ባህር ከባህር ወደ ምድር በሰው ሰራሽም ሆነ በተፈጥሮ ማእበል እየተንገላቱ ዛሬም አሉ...መኖር ከተባለ...በቻድና በኒጀር በረሀ የቀሩትን ደሞ የበረሀው ሰማይ ይቁጠራቸው..ይሄ ኢትዮጵያውያኑን ብቻ ሳይሆን ከተለያዩ የአፍሪካ አገሮች ወይ የተሻለ ኑሮ ፍለጋ አለያም ካገራቸው ፖሎቲካ ለመሸሽ የተሰደዱትን ሁሉ ይጨምራል:: ቢቀናን ቢለው ከሊቢያ ወደ ማልታ አቅንተውም ነበር...ማልታ ሲደርሱ ግን የስደተኞች ካምፕ ሳይሆን የካምፕ ጽሁፍ በትልቁ የተለጠፈብት እስር ቤት ውስጥ ነው ያስገቧቸው:: በሩ ከውጭ ይቆለፋል ..በቀን ላንድ ስአት ብቻ የጸሀይ ብርሀን እንዲያገኙ ይወጣሉ:: ዛሬ በሊቢያ ምድር ኢትዮጵያውያኑ ብቻ ሳይሆኑ በሺዎች የሚቆጠሩ አፍሪካውያን የኮለኔል ጋዳፊ ደጋፊዎች ናችሁ በሚል ባዲሱ የሽግግር መንግስት ቁም ስቅላቸውን እያዩ ነው:: ሚስቶቻቸው የተደፈረባቸው , ሰርተው ያፈሩት ሀብት የተወረሰባቸው , የተደበደቡና የተገደሉትን ቤት ይቁጠር..:: በስድተኞች አንጻር በሊቢያ ምድር ላይ የሚታየው የነጠረ እውነታ ይህ ነው:: የኢትዮጵያ በዚህ ሳምንት አዘጋጅ በሊቢያ ስላሉ ኢትዮጵያውያን ሰቆቃ የሚመለከት ከጀርመን ድምጽ ያገኘውን ዘገባ እንደሚከተለው አቀናብሮታል:: http://ia700704.us.archive.org/20/items/EthipiansSufferInLybiaAndMalta/LybiaSagaEditedv..mp3

Ethiopian faces deportation

2011-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Pune: The city police arrested an Ethiopian national, Gebreyesus Kiberab for illegally staying in the country for 15 years. Kiberab is one of the victims of the German Bakery blast, on September 28 Kiberab has been working as a disc jockey (DJ). The deputy commissioner of police (special branch), Makrand Ranade, said they would discuss the matter with the Ethiopian embassy and serve a leave-India notice on him or deport him. Kiberab was injured on his leg in the German Bakery blast and was treated at Sassoon General hospital. Source (dailybahskar.com)

Steve Jobs Has Died at Age 56

2011-10-06T09:48:00.001-07:00

Apple is reporting that co-founder and longtime CEO of the company, Steve Jobs, has died at the age of 56. Jobs was just 21 when he helped found the fledgling computer company. Apple is now one of the largest companies in the world. Its resurgent success was largely due to Jobs’s uncompromising vision as CEO, where he introduced not only many Mac products but also the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Jobs suffered from a rare form of pancreatic cancer. He stepped down as CEO earlier this year. He had left Apple previously in 1985 but returned in 1996 and created one of the largest tech company turnarounds in US history. “We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today,” read a statement attributed to Apple’s board of directors. ”Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.” The long, sad fight with cancer was brutal to watch. He will be missed. Source (Forbes)

2013 U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery Begins on October 4, 2011

2011-10-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

The Embassy of the United States of America today announced the beginning of the 2013 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery application season. Applications for the 2013 DV Program will be accepted from October 4 to November 5, 2011. Applicants may access the electronic Diversity Visa entry form (E-DV) at dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. Paper entries will not be accepted. Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter as heavy demand may result in website delays. No entries will be accepted after noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), on November 5, 2011. The annual DV program makes visas available to persons meeting the simple, but strict, eligibility requirements. Every DV lottery entrant must have at least a high school education or its equivalent as defined by local requirements or have two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least three years of training or experience. Applicants who do not meet the educational or work experience requirements will be disqualified. A computer-generated, random lottery drawing chooses selectees for Diversity Visas.The visas are distributed among six geographic regions globally, with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration, and with no visas going to nationals of countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the past five years. Within each region, no single country may receive more than seven percent of the available Diversity Visas in any one year. or detailed information about entry requirements, along with frequently asked questions about the DV lottery, please see the instructions for the DV-2013 Diversity Visa lottery on the Department’s Consular Affairs Website at dvlottery.state.gov.

Diageo to Buy Ethiopian Brewer for $225 Million, Agency Says

2011-10-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

The world’s largest distiller, agreed to buy Ethiopia’s state-owned Meta Abo Brewery for $225 million after outbidding SABMiller Plc and Heineken NV. (HEIA) Diageo, which makes Guinness stout, will expand Meta Abo and introduce new products, Wondafrash Assefa, a spokesman for Ethiopia’s Private and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency, said today by phone from Addis Ababa. SABMiller, the world’s second-biggest brewer by volume, bid $190 million for the asset, and Heineken offered $188 million, he said. London-based Diageo, which sells spirits including Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka, is among consumer-goods companies seeking sales growth in emerging markets to offset weaker demand in western Europe and the U.S. Africa is attractive as consumers have increasing disposable income, Nick Blazquez, head of Diageo’s Africa unit, said in April. Meta Abo is the last of Ethiopia’s state-owned brewing assets to be sold. Heineken, the world’s third-largest brewer, bought two beermakers in the country for about $160 million in May. Source (Bloomberg)

Ethiopia land dream shattered

2011-10-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

According to Steven Golding, president of the Marcus Garvey-founded Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) Kingston Chapter who visited Ethiopia in May this year, the land offer no longer exists. "Going there, we found in actuality, there is not a land grant offer to take up," Golding, whose father, Bruce, is Jamaica's prime minister, told the Sunday Observer. In fact, according to the younger Golding, persons who actually took up Selassie's offer many years ago have lost some of the land and are now living in unacceptable conditions. Shashemene gained international attention in the African diaspora when 500 acres of its fertile land was granted to the 'Black People of the West' in 1948 by Selassie, the Ethiopian emperor at the time. It was a gesture of appreciation for their massive support to Ethiopia during the Italian occupation of 1935-1941. Read more…

Rachel's legacy: clean water for 55,000 Ethiopians

2011-10-01T00:55:00.000-07:00

More than $1.26 million flowed into Rachel's campaign after her death from injuries in a car crash on Interstate 90 in July. Rachel and her mother had started the campaign for her 9th birthday. The campaign closed Thursday, although the charity said it was launching a new campaign on Friday in Rachel's memory. "Knowing that Rachel's decision to give up her ninth birthday will now help save thousands of people brings me to tears," Rachel's mother, Samantha Paul, said in a statement. Paul will travel to Ethiopia on the anniversary of Rachel's death to see the impact of the projects, the charity said. Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water, said Rachel's campaign was the largest in the organization's five-year history. The money will be used to work with WaterAid and A Glimmer of Hope, two of the organization's best implementing partners, he said. Charity: water said it would share on its website the impact of the projects when they are completed in 18 months. Donors will be able to see photos, stories and GPS coordinates, Harrison said. Meanwhile, the charity said it is launching a campaign, at the request of Rachel's family, to continue bringing clean water to those in need. The projectcan be found at mycharitywater.org/rachelswish. "We know that Rachel's spirit will live on through inspiring others to act in service and unselfishness," Harrison said. Source (Seattle Times)

Nine Ethiopian band members killed, 17 injured

2011-09-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia has been plunged into mourning after nine artists were killed and 17 seriously injured in a car accident. Police said the accident happened on Monday in the Amhara region while the artists were travelling to South Sudan for a concert that was scheduled for this weekend. The well known artists are members of the Tigray Cultural Squad who played “significant roles” in the struggle against the military regime in Ethiopia. The injured and bodies of their colleagues were evacuated from the area by helicopter According to the Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau, all of them are members of the Tigray Cultural Squad who “played significant roles in the bitter struggle to ensure equality, freedom and democracy in Ethiopia.” They are Berhane Gebremeskel (Gano), Berhane Gebrehiwot (handebet), Berhane Andey (Kunama), Letemeskel Gbrehiwot (Agew), Tekie Tesfamariam, Haile Gerlasie, Berhane Gebremichael, Ashenafi Mengistu and Habtome. Ethiopia has one of the highest number of traffic accidents on the continent with around 2,000 people being killed on the roads annually. Source (Africa Report)

Model wife killed German beer king for money, claims his son

2011-09-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

"If my suspicions prove to be wrong, I can live with it," Mr Nerger 64, the son of the deceased told the Frankfurter Neue Presse newspaper. "Should I be right, I hope that the culprits get their punishment." Frankfurt's prosecutors are investigating the claims and staff at the hospital where Schubert died have been interviewed. Also under investigation is an accusation that Miss Kifle was "seen dancing in a disco a few days after her husband died". "We are carrying out a death investigation process," said Hubert Harth, Frankfurt's chief public prosecutor. Miss Kifle and her lawyer, Hubert Kestler, have strenuously denied the accusations. Schubert is said to have met his young wife in a restaurant five years ago at a gala lunch he was hosting. Read more…

Ethiopian athletes smuggled into South Africa

2011-09-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

The 15 Ethiopian athletes who disappeared from the Games Village last week at the All-Africa Games in Maputo, are now all in South Africa, according to the Mozambican police.
The spokesman for the General Command of the police, Pedro Cossa, told reporters that all the fugitive athletes are currently in South Africa, and that a Mozambican, whom he named only as Jorge, has confessed to helping them cross the border in exchange for $300 to $400 per athlete. Cossa said the police suspect that this man, who is trained in international relations, has a long track record of trafficking people over the border into South Africa. He claimed that Jorge had been in contact with an individual inside South Africa (whom he did not name) who made arrangements to receive the Ethiopians. The disappearance of the Ethiopians was announced on September 14 by the games organising committee (COJA). The head of the Ethiopian mission himself had informed COJA that 15 of the athletes had vanished from the village, but no names were released. COJA informed the police and immigration authorities, but by this time it was likely that the Ethiopians were already in South Africa.
Ninety-six Ethiopian athletes attended the games, and between them they won 28 medals (six gold, 10 silver and 12 bronze). - Independent Foreign Service source (Daily News)

Ethiopia reporter flees, other opposition arrested

2011-09-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

The New York-based journalists group said late Wednesday that Argaw fled over the weekend after being interrogated over the identity of a government source mentioned in a leaked U.S. cable. Argaw was the local correspondent for Kenya's Nation Media Group. The leaked 2009. cable said Argaw was told by an unnamed source that the government would target six journalists from a newspaper seen as critical of the government. That paper closed later that year after citing harassment and intimidation. Shimeles, the government spokesman, said Argaw was not pressured to name a source and that Ethiopian law allows journalists to protect their sources. Read more…

Mozambique probing case of missing Ethiopian athletes

2011-09-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

The Games Organising Committee deputy director, Penalva Cesar, confirmed at a press conference that the 15 athletes from Ethiopia were reported missing by the chief of the delegation himself Monday. Mozambique News Agency AIM reported that the case was initially taken to the security organising sub-committee. Penalva said that wherever the athletes are staying, their Games identification and entry visa would be valid until the last day of the Games, Sep 18, and after that period other means will be used."If they do not appear until Sunday, the last day of the 10th All Africa Games, their entry visas will also expire, they will be in a condition of illegality which entails a criminal situation," said Cesar.The Games Organising Committee accredited over 20,000 people, among them 4,982 athletes from foreign countries. Sourec (DECCAN HERALD)

Happy Ethiopian New Year

2011-09-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and netters of Ethiopian This Week.com ,
We wish you a happy , prosperous and peaceful new year , መልካም አዲስ አመት::
Click here

Ethiopia: Two Swedish and three Ethiopian born journalists Charged with Terrorism

2011-09-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

Ethiopia charged two Swedish journalists with terrorism after detaining them in July with rebels in the Ogaden region, State Minister of Communications Shimeles Kemal said. Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye appeared in court yesterday, Shimeles said in a telephone interview from Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, today. Prosecutors have a video showing the journalists handling guns, he said. “They have entered the country with a bunch of terrorists,” the minister said. “They have even taken weapons training. Their activity is a bit more than mere journalistic activity.” The journalists will be tried for engaging in terrorism, assisting a terrorist organization and entering the country illegally, Shimeles said. They were detained with members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, which has been fighting since 1984 for self-determination of Ogaden, located in a province that borders Somalia. The Swedish Foreign Ministry hasn’t received official notification of the charges, Teo Zetterman, a spokesman for the department, said in a telephone interview from Stockholm today. Ethiopia also brought terrorism charges against two ONLF members and three other journalists, including Elias Kifle, who runs the Washington-based Ethiopian Review website and Woubshet Taye, the deputy editor of the Addis Ababa-based Awramba Times. “He is innocent, everybody is innocent, it is clear,” Awramba Times’s editor, Dawit Kebede, said in a phone interview today. “I believe it’s a systematic way to put pressure on our newspaper.” Source (Bloomberg)

Convoy with Gaddafi loyalists enters Niger

2011-09-07T03:26:00.000-07:00

As rebel negotiators press Gaddafi loyalists in the town of Bani Walid to surrender peacefully before a September 10 deadline, a long convoy of Libyan Army vehicles was reported on Tuesday to have crossed the country’s southern border into Niger in what could represent a shift in the balance of power after six months of conflict. The convoy’s movements were reported by several news agencies quoting witnesses and military officials from France and Niger. The convoy reportedly comprised of about 200 to 250 vehicles. Ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was not part of the convoy from Libya on Monday, Al Arabiya television reported. Arabiya cited Niger’s Foreign Minister Bazoum Mohamed, although no interview was aired.
Libya’s interim ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) also confirmed that Gaddafi’s loyalists crossed into Niger in a convoy of vehicles, carrying gold and cash. Source ( Indian Express)

Ethiopia arrests dozens over 'terror plot'

2011-09-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

Suspects were detained on August 28 on charges of colluding with the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), an Eritrea-based rebel group that Ethiopia lists as a terrorist organisation, to plant explosives and conduct bomb-training courses, government spokesman Shimeles Kemal said. He claimed they were members of the OLF. Nine of the detained are members of two opposition prominent parties, Demelash Woldemikael, deputy commissioner of federal police, told the Reuters news agency. Ethiopia has been accused of cracking down on opposition campaigners from the Oromo ethnic group, the Horn of Africa nation's biggest with 27 million people out of a population of 80 million. Rights groups have criticised Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian prime minister, for crushing dissent. Meles says "terrorists" are using political party membership to hide their activities.Opposition politicians dismissed the charges, saying that the government is "well-known for its fabrications". "[The government doesn't] want to know the facts, so they come up with their lies," Andualem Arage, a senior member of the opposition Medrek coalition, said. "They are doing this to prevent people from standing up for their rights," Arage added, claiming the government is fearful Arab Spring-type protests could erupt in Ethiopia. Demelash denied any political motives behind the 29 arrests. "Their political activity had nothing to do with their incarceration," he said. "They were posing as peaceful activists but were in fact operating with the OLF, which is responsible for past killings of innocent civilians." source ( Aljazera)

WikiLeak released detail documents on Ethiopia and high profile politicians including the PM.

2011-09-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

Scholars describe the weakening of state institutions, escalating corruption and economic mismanagement; Click here to read more

Sadistic brutality In Gadfhi’s family on Ethiopian Nanny

2011-08-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

"She took me to a bathroom. She tied my hands behind my back, and tied my feet. She taped my mouth, and she started pouring the boiling water on my head like this," she said, imitating the vessel of scalding hot water being poured over her head. She peeled back the garment draped carefully over her body. Her chest, torso and legs are all mottled with scars -- some old, some still red, raw and weeping. As she spoke, clear liquid oozed from one nasty open wound on her head. After one attack, "There were maggots coming out of my head, because she had hidden me, and no one had seen me," Mullah said. Read more…

Gaddafi family members flee to Algeria

2011-08-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Muammar Gaddafi's second wife, two of his sons and his daughters have entered Algeria, according to the Algerian foreign ministry. "The wife of Muammar Gaddafi, Safia, his daughter Aisha, and sons Hannibal and Mohammed, accompanied by their children, entered Algeria at 08:45am local time [0745GMT] through the Algeria-Libyan border," the ministry said in a statement on Monday published by the APS news agency. However, it gave no information on the toppled Libyan leader, whose whereabouts has remained a mystery since rebels seized control of Tripoli, the Libyan capital, last week. It said their arrival had been reported to the United Nations and the Libyan rebel authorities. Ahmed Bani, military spokesman of the council, said he was unsurprised to hear Algeria had welcomed Gaddafi relatives. Throughout the six-month Libyan uprising, rebels have accused Algeria of providing Gaddafi with mercenaries to curb the revolution. Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting on these developments from Tripoli, said: "There have been rumours over the last few days that said the family members had gone and that Gaddafi himself may have gone." "This was denied by Algerian authorities some days ago. But there is no smoke without fire. We don't know where Gaddafi himself is, but we know these family members are in Algeria. "The Algerian government has always got on really well with the Gaddafi regime. Algeria is one of the few countries that has not yet recognised the NTC." Earlier, the Egyptian news agency MENA, quoting unidentified rebel fighters, had reported that six armoured Mercedes sedans, possibly carrying Gaddafi's sons or other top regime figures, had crossed the border at the southwestern Libyan town of Ghadamis into Algeria. Algeria's foreign ministry had denied that report. Source ( AlJazera)

Special Report: Irene claims first 2 victims

2011-08-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

CBS News Special Report: Large and dangerous Hurricane Irene is whipping the East Coast with 85 mph winds, flood tides and tornadoes. Already 400,000 people are without power and two have been killed..watch here

Ethiopia to Buy 300,000 Tons of Wheat

2011-08-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

To fill its empty food reserve warehouse, the Ethiopian government announced today (August 25, 2011) that it is going to purchase 300,000 tons of wheat from abroad. This is indicated by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who spoke a pledging conference organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) to mobilize resources to feed over the 12.4 million drought and famine affected people in the horn of Africa including Ethiopia. “…The Ethiopian government has decided to buy and import 300,000 tons of wheat to replenish the strategic reserve of the country and to ensure that there is adequate food in the pipeline,” he said. Read more ….

Apple CEO resigns, says no longer fulfill his duties

2011-08-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs has resigned as chief executive officer of Apple Inc, saying he could no longer fulfill the duties of the job. Jobs, 56, who fought and survived a rare form of pancreatic cancer, revolutionized consumer electronics for a decade with the introduction of the iPod, iPhone and iPad. With his passion for minimalist design and marketing genius, Jobs changed the course of personal computing and the entertainment industry. He has been on indefinite leave since January because of an unspecified medical condition.

Watch the video here

Watch the live situation in Libya

2011-08-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

Click here

A BBC journalist and callers grilled Gebarab at the spot.

2011-08-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

On Have you say program, Alex jacana a BBC journalist interviewed Eritrean president political advisor Yemane Gebraeab. Gebarab denies the involvement of his government in supporting ALSHEBAB and other terrorist factions in the horn. At one point, the president advisor even claimed the Al SHEBAB is targeting Eretria as the enemy state. Needless to say that Asmara was harboring Shek Aweys and other top Somali separatist leaders. Mr. Yemane was grilled enough by the host and callers , even stranded by his words. Click here.

Gaddafi's days numbered, forces weakened - US says

2011-08-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces have been weakened and his days appear to be numbered, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday. "Gaddafi's forces are weakened and this latest defection is another example of how weak they've gotten," Panetta said, in an apparent reference to reports that Libya's Interior Minister Nasser al-Mabruk Abdullah had defected. "I think the sense is that Gaddafi's days are numbered," Panetta said, speaking at event in Washington alongside Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Source (REUTERS AFRICA)

China loans Ethiopia US$500 million

2011-08-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ethiopian Finance and Economic Development Minister, Sofian Ahmed who signed the agreement with his Chinese counterpart said the loan will be used to implement 15 development projects. “The projects to be implemented have already been finalised and will be discussed with the Chinese government,” Ahmed said. Read more…

Ethiopia: 'Ten children die each day' in Kobe, Dollo Ado refugee camp’

2011-08-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Averages of ten children under the age of five die every day from malnutrition and disease in Ethiopia's Kobe refugee camp, the UN's refugee agency said Tuesday."Since the Kobe refugee camp opened in June, an average of 10 children under the age of five have died every day," according to Adrian Edwards, a spokesman with the office of the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees. "While malnutrition is the leading cause of the high mortality, suspected measles is compounding the problem. "The combination of disease and malnutrition is what has caused similar death rates in previous famine crises in the region," Edwards said. Some 25,000 people are currently registered at the Kobe camp, part of the 121,000-strong Dollo Ado refugee complex, Edwards explained, saying the complex had more than doubled since the beginning of the year. Edwards said a mass vaccination campaign targeting children between the ages of six months and 15 years was completed at the Kobe camp on Monday. "The majority of refugees arriving from Somalia are from rural areas, and the camps in Ethiopia may be the first time they have been in contact with formal health facilities," he said. Some 200 to 250 Somalis arrive at the refugee complex every day, Edwards added, fleeing violence and what the United Nations has described as the region's worst drought in decades source (AFP)

Ethnic Politics Split US Ethiopians

2011-08-15T16:54:00.001-07:00

At a summer camp, young Ethiopian-Americans learn Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia. The program is run by the Ethiopian Community Center in Seattle. Even though there are community centers for different ethnic groups, the leaders here want to put ethnicity aside, and bring all Ethiopians together as Ethiopians. “That is the first thing, and when people come here, we want them to feel that this is their home. This is their place equally,” says Mulumebet Retta, who heads the center. “What we are trying to do here is whether you are an Amhara, an Oromo, Tigrey, Guragi, Gambella, whatever ethnic group you are, you are an Ethiopian, Read more....

UN says, Money raised from Eritrean-Americans helped finance militants in East Africa

2011-08-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

Tens of millions of dollars are sent annually to Eritrea through a 2 percent income tax imposed on people of Eritrean origin who live outside the African country. Not all Eritrean immigrants pay, but some do out of a sense of duty to the impoverished country. Others pay because the Eritrean government can penalize them if they refuse. Those who pay “are indirectly supporting the dictatorship,” said Solomon Assefaw of Oakland-based Eritrean Youth for Change, which opposes the Eritrean government. “No other country in the world does this except the Eritrean government.” Oakland is one of the top U.S. hubs for Eritrean immigrants, many of them refugees who fled during a 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia. Read more…

Undercover Report reveals, Ethiopia uses food assistance as tool for political oppression, Government denies

2011-08-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

Posing as tourists the team of journalists traveled to the southern region of Ethiopia.There they found villages where whole communities are starving, having allegedly been denied basic food, seed and fertiliser for failing to support Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The investigation has also gathered evidence of mass detentions, the widespread use of torture and extra-judicial killings by Ethiopian government forces. Ambassador Abdirashid Dulane, the Deputy Head of Ethiopia’s UK Mission, has rejected the allegations saying that the Newsnight/Bureau report “lacked objectivity, even-handedness”.” Read more…

Click also here to watch Angus Stickler's full report and Ethiopian government reaction on the issue,

Sudan's Bashir to Attend Chad President's Inauguration amid his arrest warrant

2011-08-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

Reports from Sudan say President Omar al-Bashir will visit Chad Sunday to attend the inauguration of his Chadian counterpart, Idriss Deby, for a new five-year term in office. This will be Mr. Bashir's second visit to Chad in as many months, defying International Criminal Court warrants seeking his arrest on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Chad is a member of the ICC, but has so far refused to detain Mr. Bashir. Sudan Media says President Bashir will lead a high-level delegation to the Chadian capital Ndjamena, to participate in Mr. Deby's swearing-in ceremony. Mr. Deby won a fourth term in office in the April 25 presidential election after receiving 89 percent of the vote. President Deby has ruled Chad since seizing power in a 1990 coup. Under his rule, the nation has become an oil producer, but remains one of the poorest in the world. Source ( VOA)

Ethiopia: country’s food reserve is completely exhausted, says WFP Director

2011-08-06T04:39:00.000-07:00

WFP's Ethiopia Country Director Abdou Dieng says despite a good response to international appeals for food aid, Ethiopia faces a critical shortfall in emergency supplies. He says the reserve established by the government to prevent a recurrence of past food crises is almost empty. "There is food reserve, but today it's almost at zero level. We cannot count on that. Now what we are trying to do is increase the level of the food which can be kept in the reserve. We can go up to one million tons [and] we're talking about 80 million people here who need food, so this is exactly where we are working together to try to increase the food reserve," , Read more....

US 'confident' Mubarak trial will be fair

2011-08-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

The United States said Wednesday it is confident that the trial underway in Egypt of former strongman Hosni Mubarak will be fair and transparent. "We'll obviously follow the trial closely," State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner told reporters. "It's very important that it be a free, be a transparent and... fair process," Toner said."We have confidence that they can do that," he said. "We believe that Egyptian authorities are able to carry out a... a fair trial in this case. And that's really ultimately up to them to do so." Mubarak, overthrown in February amid a pro-democracy uprising, went on trial Wednesday on murder charges, the first Arab ruler to appear in court in person in a historic moment for a region whose leaders are rarely held to account.The former president, looking pale and dressed in white, pleaded not guilty as he lay on a stretcher in a metal-barred cage to the premeditated murder of protesters who took to the streets to topple his regime. His lawyer, Farid al-Deeb, will argue that Mubarak, 83, is too sick to stand trial and that he did not sanction the brutal crackdown on protesters that left more than 850 people dead by the time Mubarak resigned on February 11. Source (AFP)

Four UN blue helmets die after landmine detonates in Abyei area of Sudan

2011-08-03T03:29:00.000-07:00

Four United Nations peacekeepers serving in Sudan’s troubled Abyei area were killed today and seven others were injured after a landmine detonated during a patrol, the UN reported. The Ethiopian blue helmets, part of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), were on patrol in Mabok, southeast of the town of Abyei, when they were killed. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced sadness at the deaths. “The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those killed, as well as to the Government of Ethiopia,” the statement noted. “He also expresses his concern for the well-being of the seven other peacekeepers who were injured in the explosion.” More than 500 troops, all Ethiopian, have been deployed since the Security Council voted in June to establish UNISFA after north-south violence in Abyei and surrounding areas forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes. Source (UN News)

Adopted Ethiopian girl Hana found dead, she was maybe abused

2011-08-02T04:22:00.000-07:00

An investigation into possible neglect is under way after an adopted 13-year-old girl died at a home in Skagit County. Hana Grace Williams, who was adopted from Ethiopia in 2008, was found dead on May 12 in the yard of her home. The Skagit County Medical Examiner’s Office said she died of hypothermia. A source close to the investigation said Hana was 30 pounds lighter than when she arrived from Ethiopia. The Washington state Department of Social and Health Services says all eight of her siblings have been removed from the home. The prosecutor’s office said it is still waiting for more information before making a decision on charges. Hana’s parents could not be reached for comment Sunday. Source ( KING 5 News
NWCN.com) , watch the video here

World Bank Drought Plan Focuses on Ethiopia, Kenya

2011-07-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

The bank's Country Director for East Africa Johannes Zutt says over $600 million is being made available to those affected by the drought in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. But only $9 million is going directly toward disaster relief in Somalia, the worst hit country in East Africa. According to the director, The Horn of Africa faces recurring droughts, but climate change is making them more intense. “In the longer term, it's important for the countries of the Horn to prepare for recurring droughts;” said the director. He added that all climate models agree that temperatures in the Horn of Africa will increase by one to three-and-a-half degrees Celsius over the coming decades. Read more...

UN calls for suspension of giant Ethiopian hydropower dam

2011-07-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

The lake, the largest desert lake in the world and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, sits astride the Kenya-Ethiopian border. In a letter to the Ethiopian and Chinese governments after its annual meeting, the committee underlined the importance of Lake Turkana as an outstanding research area for animal and plant communities. But Ethiopia has categorically denied the accusation and further signed an agreement with Kenya to export electric power. The transmission line connecting the two countries is nearing completion. Read more….

Eritrea planned massive bomb attack on African Union summit, UN says

2011-07-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

According to the report, Eritrean intelligence services planned an operation to detonate a car bomb at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa at the end of January this year, when 30 of the continent's leaders were meeting there. Separate bombs were to be placed between the Ethiopian prime minister's office and the Sheraton Hotel, where most of the heads of state were staying, as well as in a giant open-air market in the hope of "kill[ing] many people". "If executed as planned, the operation would almost certainly have caused mass civilian casualties, damaged the Ethiopian economy and disrupted the African Union summit," the report said. General Te'ame Goitom, Eritrea's external intelligence operations chief in the horn, allegedly told one of the would-be attackers that the intention was to "make Addis Ababa like Baghdad". The monitoring group said it had an audio recording of a conversation between Te'ame and the attacker, as well as records of payments made to the bombing team by a senior Eritrean army official. Read more...

እንደገና ድርቅ እንደገና ረሀብ እንደገና የህጻናት ዋይታና ለቅሶ....:: አዝጋሚ ሞት::

2011-07-26T06:22:00.000-07:00

ምስራቅ አፍሪካ ዛሬም ልጆቿን በየመንገዱ ላይ ትቀብራለች:: ህጻናት ዛሬም በየመጠሊያው ቦታ ውስጥ ሳይቀር በየቀኑ ይሞታሉ:: መጠለያው ማገገሚያ ሳይሆን መቀበሪያቸው ሆኗል:: አለም ዝምታን መረጠ...የቴሌቪዥን መስኮቶች በአጽም ብዛት ሞልተው እስኪታዩ አጥንትና ጅማቶች እስኪቆጠሩ ድረስ በዝምታ ተሸብበው ማየትን ፈልገዋል:: ወይም በራሳቸው ችግር ተወጥረዋል:: ወይም የግሪክን የኢኮኖሚ ቀውስ እያሰቡም ይሆናል:: ወይም የፍጋኒስታን ጉዳይ ፋታ አልሰጣቸውም ይሆናል:: እውነታው ግን ምስራቅ አፍሪካ ዛሬም ልጆቿን እያለቀሰች ትቀብራለች:: ማነው የሚደርስላቸው ተጠያቂውስ ማነው?
ይህቺን ሪፖርት ለማጣቀሻ ያዳምጡ::

Somali pirates' attack on India-bound Ethiopian ship foiled

2011-07-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

An Ethiopian cargo vessel was attacked by Somali pirates near the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Eden. The Somali pirates launched the strike using rocket-propelled grenades which hit a crane on the deck of the ship. None of the crew was inured. The crew increased the speed of the ship and adopted anti-piracy measures to evade the attack. The pirates then tried to hijack the ship, but failed. The Ethiopian ship is now sailing towards India. Captain DK Singh, marine consultant and member of Forward Seamens Union of India (FSUI), said: “The use of modern firing equipment made the situation worse for merchant ships passing through this region. Deployment of navy of 28 countries in the IRTC region has also made it difficult for pirates to launch an attack on a merchant ship. So they are now focusing more on region close to India.” In the last one month, there have been around 15 attacks on merchant ships. In one of most major attacks, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) oil tanker MV Jubaa XX was attacked on July 16 and then hijacked. The tanker was carrying oil worth millions of dollars. Out of the 16 crew members onboard MV Jubaa XX,five are Indians, three are Bangladeshi nationals, one Sudanese national, Myanmarese, a Kenyan and four are Somalis. Source ( DNA)

Bomb blast hits Norwegian PM's office

2011-07-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

A bomb has blown out most windows of a government building housing the Norwegian prime minister's office and left at least two people dead and several others injured, news agencies and witnesses say. Friday's blast targeted the 17-storey building housing Jens Stoltenberg's office in the capital Oslo, as well as nearby ministries, including the oil ministry, which was on fire. Camilla Ryste, a government spokeswoman, told the Associated Press news agency Stoltenberg was safe. Police confirmed the attack was a bomb but did not give further details. Hanne Taalsen, a journalist working for TV2, told Al Jazeera the blast happened at 3:20pm local time and that there were "massive damages in the streets" around the building.

Reuters correspondent, Walter Gibbs, said he counted at least eight injured people. There was no immediate claim for responsibility but the tangled wreckage of a car was outside one building. An Associated Press reporter said newspaper offices in the area were also damaged and smoke could be seen drifting in the streets. The reporter said he saw a young man with a bleeding leg being helped away from the area. It was not immediately clear whether there were other injuries. Kristina Overn, a Norwegian journalist, said people were surprised that Norway had been targeted.

"People are really surprised. I am very surprised. People are shocked that this could happen in Oslo," she told Al Jazeera. "People are quite calm, they are not running around or anything. But people are quite shocked. I think most Norwegians consider themselves to be outside of incidents like this." Peter Svaar, a journalist working for NRK, said "the whole of downtown Oslo is sealed off" and spoke of a "very chaotic situation". The attack comes days after Norwegian prosecutors filed a terrorism charge against Mullah Krekar, founder of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, who is accused of threatening a former minister, Erna Solberg, with death. "Norway will pay a heavy price for my death," he said. "If, for example, Erna Solberg deports me and I die as a result, she will suffer the same fate." It is not clear whether Friday's attack is related to the threat. Source ( Aljazeera News)

Somalia's new women's minister snatched by rebels

2011-07-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Somalia's new minister for women was snatched by Islamist rebels 30 km outside the capital, Mogadishu, almost immediately after her appointment was announced, a relative said on Thursday. Asha Osman Aqil was grabbed in an area controlled by al Shabaab militants late on Wednesday after the country's fragile government announced its new cabinet. "Asha is now being interrogated in Balad by al Shabaab," a relative who did not want to be identified for fear he would be attacked by the rebels, told Reuters. "She told them she is aware of her nomination and had not contacted the government at all and had not accepted the vacancy." The rebels and the government have not commented. Al Shabaab often target government ministers and killed Interior Minister Abdi Shakur Sheikh Hassan in a suicide bomb attack last month. Somalia has been without an effective central government since the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. The United Nations declared famine in parts of Somalia on Wednesday and several regional analysts blamed the continued conflict for the disaster. Source (Reuters)

Chief Minister installed webcam in his office as an anticorruption measure

2011-07-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

“Instead of taking action against corruption, I believe that we have to create an atmosphere where everything should be in a transparent way,” Mr. Chandy, who recently became chief minister of Kerala state after his coalition won a close election, said in an interview in his office. “The people must know everything.” “I have been getting a lot of brickbats because of the cameras,” Mr. Manivannan said in a telephone interview. “My colleagues were telling me, ‘What are you trying to prove — that you are the only honest one?’ ” Once the new camera is installed, Mr. Manivannan said it would record everything. But anyone interested in viewing segments of the video would have to request the clips, at no cost. That should ease tension in the office, he said, while still keeping things on the up and up. Read more…

Insane penalty kick: player would be disciplined, says the coach

2011-07-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

The United Arab Emirates crushed Lebanon 6-2 in a friendly on Sunday. So maybe in an effort to make things interesting or maybe just because he simply does not conform to acceptable standards of penalty kicks, the U.A.E.'s Awana Diab decided to attempt an absolutely ridiculous penalty. And it worked. Diab's setup seemed like any other for a penalty, but as he ran up to the ball, he stopped, turned around and backheeled the it toward the goal. Stunned by the audacity, madness and nerve it takes to try and score a penalty with your back to the goal, the keeper just stood and watched as the ball trickled into the net.Acrobatics aside, the back-flip penalty kick has nothing on this U.A.E. manager Srecko Katanec did not appreciate Diab's creativity, though. He immediately substituted the player out of the match and after the game said that he would be disciplined for the "disrespectful act." Source (Yahoo sports)
Watch the video here.

Yonas Alemayhehu , Owner of ABAY Market wins $238,000 from VA Lottery Scratcher

2011-07-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

When the children of an Alexandria restaurant owner graduate from college, they'll have the numbers 3-6-2-3 to thank for it. Thanks to those four digits, in that exact order, Alemayehu Yonas is $238,000 richer - and it all started after winning $25 from a Virginia Lottery Scratcher. Yonas originally won the $25 off a Scratcher he bought from the 7-Eleven on South George Mason Drive in Bailey's Crossroads to purchase 25 $1 Pick 4 tickets, marking off the numbers 3, 6, 2 and 3 on each of them. He did the same thing on 26 more tickets he bought for the same drawing. On July 14, the day he played each of those tickets, the winning numbers were 3-6-2-3, and Yonas walked away with $238,900 in winnings. "This is my hobby," Yonas, who owns the Abay Market restaurant in Falls Church, calmly told Virginia Lottery officials. Yonas also said, as mentioned, that the winnings were going to help put his sons through college. He also gave $2,700 to the clerk at the 7-Eleven. Source (ABC 7 News)

Ethiopia Inflation Rate jumps to 38.1% in June from Year Ago, CSA Says

2011-07-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia inflation rate climbed to 38.1 percent in June from a year earlier as food costs increased and the central bank boosted the money supply. Inflation accelerated from 34.7 percent in May, the Central Statistical Agency, based in the capital, Addis Ababa, said in an e-mailed statement today. Food prices surged 45.3 percent in June after rising 40.7 percent in the previous month, it said. Drought in East Africa has pushed up food prices in the region, with 4.57 million Ethiopians requiring food aid for the rest of the year, State Minister of Agriculture Mitiku Kassa said yesterday. Money supply growth of as much as 40 percent has played a “significant role” in rising prices, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on July 5. Inflation may undermine economic growth in Ethiopia, Africa’s largest coffee producer, the International Monetary Fund said on May 31. The economy will probably expand 6 percent in the fiscal year through July 7, 2012 from 7.5 percent in the past year, the IMF said. Ethiopian authorities brought inflation down to 5.3 percent in August 2010 from a peak of 64.2 percent in July 2008. A 17.5 percent devaluation of the Ethiopian birr against the dollar on September 1 boosted import costs, pushing up inflation since then. Source (Bloomberg)

President Lee of S.Korea spent hours in cleaning sewage and public toilets in Kebena

2011-07-12T05:28:00.001-07:00

A day earlier, Lee, wearing a mask and carrying a disinfectant tank on his back, sprayed into sewage and public toilets in Kebena, a less-developed village in Addis Ababa, the office said. First lady Kim Yoon-ok joined Lee in some of the volunteer work during the weekend, the office also said. The president of a country participating in volunteer manual work during an overseas trip is unprecedented, said a Blue House official. “Korea, when it helps others, cannot help with a large amount of money,” Lee said during a meeting with volunteer workers yesterday. “Many advanced countries and China give a lot [to Africa], but our help could be evaluated highly if our affection, sincerity and thoughtfulness for others are contained in it.” Read more…

Ethiopian runners dominate New Milford's Moonlight Run 5K

2011-07-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

With more than three miles already behind them in the New Milford Moonlight Run 5k road race, Ethiopians Kumse Megersa and Abiyot Endale were still running side by side and matching each other stride for stride. They had separated themselves from the rest of the pack, and the only thing that stood between them and the finish line was about a hundred yards of wet grass. It was just a matter of who could get there the quickest. As they ran behind the Young's Field tennis courts and turned down the final stretch, Megersa shifted into high gear and took the lead for good. His winning time of 14 minutes, 15 seconds, was three seconds faster than Endale's. "We've run in a lot of races together and I know he as a very good kick in the last 100 meters, 200 meters," Endale said. Not far behind them was former Danbury High and Syracuse University cross country and track and field star Brady Becker, who finished sixth in 15:20. "I ran with them for the first mile or so," Becker said. "I thought they would go out a little faster, so I was kind of surprised. They started pulling away after that, and that kind of snapped me back into reality." The 2007 Danbury High graduate went from a powerhouse high school program with the Hatters to a strong college program with the Orange. "It was nice to be able to go from one serious team to another," Becker said. "The team element was never lost in the transition." The top female finisher in the Moonlight Run is quickly becoming a familiar face at the front of the pack in area road races. Malika Mejdoub won with a time of 19:27 and was out in front for the entire race. Mejdoub ¬-- a native of Morocco and one-time Torrington resident who now lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, and one day hopes to run in the Olympics -- won the John DeMille Firecracker 8K in Bethel on July 4 and the Fairfield Half Marathon on June 30. Source ( Newstimes.com)

UN calls for long-term solution to Ethiopia's drought crisis

2011-07-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

The UN's emergency relief coordinator on Saturday called for long-term solutions to curb the effects of a severe drought in Ethiopia. "We need to plan for the long term to help people rebuild their communities when the situation improves," Valerie Amos told reporters in Addis Ababa. She cited better access to water, health care and education as key after spending the day in Ethiopia's Somali region, one of the worst-affected areas of the country. Read more....

South Korean president arrives in Addis

2011-07-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

South Korean President, Lee Myung-bak and 170 South Korean delegates arrived in Addis Ababa for a three-day official visit.Hailemariam Desalegn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, welcomed the South Korean president and his delegates at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.The visit is the first by a South Korean President in nearly 30 years.President Lee is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the national palace later today to cement cooperation on agriculture and trade The president will also sign four agreements with different government ministries, including the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED).Meanwhile, First Lady Azeb and her South Korean counterpart, Kim Yoon-ok, will hold separate talks with a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony A visit to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Park and Addis Ababa University, where President Lee is expected to deliver a speech, is on the South Korean president’s agenda tomorrow. Source ( Walta )

Africa's worst drought in 60 years threatens famine for 10m

2011-07-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

Suddenly there is talk of famine in Africa again. Ten million people are at risk of starvation in the worst drought conditions in 60 years in Ethiopia, Somalia and northern Kenya. Tens of thousands of people have left their homes in search of water and food. Hundreds of thousands of farm animals have died. Every day some 1,200 Somalis are crossing the border into Kenya where, near the town of Dadaab, the world's biggest refugee camp, 50km square, has developed. Many of the children arriving there, after month-long treks across the unyielding desert, are so weak that they are dying despite receiving emergency care. Millions more are hungry and have begun the slow journey to wasting from malnutrition. Source ( THE INDEPENDENT)
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Ethiopia kills ONLF fighters, Swedish newsmen wounded

2011-07-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

"(The) ONLF believes that these photojournalists are now in the hands of the Ethiopian government and fears for their lives and safety," it said in a statement. "The ONLF further condemns the Puntland authorities who facilitated the arrest and passed their information to Ethiopian security agents," the group added. Officials from the Swedish embassy in the capital were not immediately available for comment. The ONLF said it lost contact with the journalists on July 1 and blamed authorities in the breakaway Somali state of Puntland for their arrest. Read more…

Hundreds jailed for religious attacks in Ethiopia

2011-07-02T02:12:00.000-07:00

Mobs of Muslim youths carried out week-long attacks on Protestants after rumours that desecrated pages from the Koran had been found at a church construction site. Authorities reported a single death from the attacks. Regional officials told Reuters almost all the displaced people have returned to their homes, some of which were repaired with support from local Muslims. Read more…

UN agency welcomes safe return of two missing staff in Ethiopia

2011-06-30T15:56:00.000-07:00

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed today ( June 30th ) that two Ethiopian staff members who went missing after a deadly incident in mid-May have been safely recovered. “WFP confirms that the staff members have been brought to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, where they are receiving medical treatment and stress counseling and being reunited with their families,” the Rome-based agency said in a press statement. The two staff members went missing on 13 May after the convoy in which they travelling on a monitoring mission in Ethiopia’s Somali region was attacked by assailants. One member of the convoy, the driver Farhan Hamsa, was killed in the attack, and another staff member was injured.
WFP said it had worked closely with national and regional authorities to ensure the safe return of the two staff members. “This incident underscores the need to ensure the safety and security of UN staff,” the statement stressed. Source ( UN News Center)

South Sudan is planning Oil pipeline through Ethiopia

2011-06-29T03:13:00.000-07:00

The breakaway region of Sudan, to be known from July 9 as the Republic of Southern Sudan (RoSS), is planning an oil pipeline through Ethiopia as one of its option to circumvent the 2005 oil sharing agreement with Khartoum, South Sudan’s oil minister Dr Luol Deng said in Dubai on Tuesday. Producing more than 70 per cent of Sudan’s oil, the South Sudanese administration feels the 2005 agreement, which calls for a 50-50 sharing of oil revenue between the two entities, is unfair and cannot be implemented. However, all the oil refineries, storage facilities and ports lie in the Khartoum controlled territory, which receives the crude through two pipelines. “Oil sharing has been one of the highly contested issues between us (North and South) and we have had continuous discussion over this. For now we will continue with the current mechanism and use North’s facilities, but in the future as we gain independence and pump more oil these two pipelines would be insufficient, that is why we are planning to have another one through Ethiopia,” said Dr Deng. Presently, South Sudan’s only source of income is oil and the administration feels the country has the resources to change that. The landlocked country has millions of acres of fertile land and importantly enough water to work the land as well. The Vice-President says the country has wildlife greater than those of Kenya and Tanzania — two countries famous for its wildlife tourism.The UAE would be hosting an investment and trade conference on South Sudan in the month of October.Source ( KhaleeJ Times )

U.N. Security council approves Ethiopian troops for Abyei

2011-06-28T03:47:00.000-07:00

The United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the deployment of 4,200 Ethiopian troops to Sudan’s disputed Abyei region, a move diplomats said was aimed at defusing tensions in the run-up to the southern third of the country declaring independence on July 9. The resolution, which was drafted by the United States and authorizes the deployment of the troops for a six-month period, comes a week after north and south Sudan signed a deal in Addis Ababa to demilitarize Abyei and allow Ethiopian peacekeepers to monitor the situation. Diplomats said the resolution gave the force, called the United Nations Interim Security Force, the authority to take “necessary actions,” including the use of military force, to protect civilians or in self-defense. The resolution comes against a backdrop in which the Security Council has been authorizing the use of force in recent months to protect civilians in countries like Libya and the Ivory Coast, where nations are deemed to have failed to shield citizens from atrocities.
In 2011, the splitting of the north and south into separate countries was imperiled by fighting over a border region claimed by both. In 2005, the country’s opposing political parties signed a peace accord aimed at ending Africa’s longest-running civil war, which killed an estimated 2.2 million people — 10 times as many as in Darfur. Source ( NewYork Times)

Ethiopian journalist likely held under anti-terrorism law

2011-06-26T21:02:00.000-07:00

Authorities have not disclosed the reason for Alemu's arrest, but a local lawyer who requested anonymity for fear of government reprisals told CPJ that she has been transferred into preventive detention for a period of 28 days, pending further investigations. This is the minimum period for preventive detention under Ethiopia's 2009 anti-terrorism law, according to legal experts. Ethiopia's code of criminal procedure allows for preventative detention for a minimum of 14 days, they said. Read more….

Ethiopia donates over 5.4 million birr to 3-11 Japan tsunami victims

2011-06-26T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just before the handover ceremony, prayers for the 3.11 victims were offered by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Ethiopian Catholic Church, the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Council, the Ethiopian Evangelical Mekaneyesus Church and the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Union. The donated money was collected from Midrock Ethiopia Technology Group PLC., Ethiopian Leather Industry PLC., the Privatization and Public Enterprise Supervisory Agency, the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, the Ethiopian Chamber of Sectoral Associations, the National Bank of Ethiopia and Ethiopian Bankers Association. Read more...

Rains in Ethiopia bring relief and threat of Diarrhea UN says

2011-06-24T02:16:00.000-07:00

Although recent rains in Ethiopia temporarily relieved a severe water shortage, they have also brought an increased threat of diarrhoea, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported today.
"The recent rains, coupled with existing risk factors such as poor hygiene and sanitation practices, have elevated the threat of acute watery diarrhoea (AWD) in areas previously affected by outbreaks," OCHA said. The rains helped reduce water trucking requirements, but now the UN and its partners are focusing on rehabilitation of water schemes, sanitation and preparedness for flooding, OCHA said. They are also undertaking AWD preparedness and prevention activities, including the distribution of water and sanitation supplies. The agency said that a deteriorating nutritional situation in southern Ethiopia "continues to raise concern." In particular, the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region had seen a 90 per cent increase n the numbers of persons seeking nutritional aid since March. Source ( allafrica.com)

Sudanese Forces to Withdraw from Abyei Region as Ethiopian Army takes its position

2011-06-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

Sudan’s army seized the main town in Abyei on May 21 after accusing Southern Sudan’s security forces of attacking its troops. The south is due to become independent on July 9. Fighting in Abyei and the northern Sudanese border state of Southern Kordofan has raised concern of a return to the two- decade civil war in sub-Saharan Africa’s third-biggest oil producer that ended in 2005. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon backed the agreement in a statement released in New York and said both sides to the conflict should “establish an administration and police service and to provide their full cooperation to the United Nations and government of Ethiopia in deploying peacekeeping troops and police to the area.” Read more…

Clinton warns African leaders: Reform or face Uprisings

2011-06-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a warning to African leaders today: reform or potentially face the same unrest that has threatened to topple longtime rulers in North Africa and the Middle East. In a speech to the African Union in Ethiopia, Clinton said that citizens are no longer accepting repressive governments and that the internet and social media are providing a platform like no other for these ideas to spread and take root. “This wave of activism, which came to be known as the Arab Spring, has particular significance for leaders in Africa and elsewhere who hold on to power at all costs, who suppress dissent, who enrich themselves and their supporters at the expense of their own people,” she said. “If you believe that the freedoms and opportunities that we speak about as universal should not be shared by your own people, men and women equally, or if you do not desire to help your own people work and live with dignity, you are on the wrong side of history, and time will prove that,” Clinton added pointedly. Africa’s leaders might have good reason to follow her advice, as Clinton has a track record of being right about this. In January, in a speech to Arab leaders at a conference in Qatar, Clinton warned that they must reform soon or watch progress “sink into sand.” Just days later Tunisian strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali became the first dictator to fall and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak soon followed suit. Over the following months uprisings threatened to topple the rulers of Libya, Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Morocco and elsewhere. Source (ABC News)

Food Shortages in East Africa including Ethiopia Expected to Affect More People, says FAO

2011-06-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

In Ethiopia, the U.N. agency said millions more require emergency food assistance. What’s more, the lack of rain is blamed for the deaths of 220,000 cattle in the Borena Zone along the southern border with Kenya.The drought has destroyed crops and killed livestock, bringing high levels of malnutrition to the region. “Most parts now of Somalia, parts of Kenya, parts of Ethiopia specifically, and even parts of northern Tanzania and some parts of Uganda to the northeast have been affected by less rainfall, infrequent rainfall and a late start of the rainfall. So, this compounded an already problematic region in terms of food security,” Read more....

No suspicious items were found in the vehicle of Pentagon scare suspect, says FBI special agent

2011-06-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

Previously, FBI Special Agent Brenda Heck, who heads the bureau's counterterrorism division in its Washington field office, told reporters that a non-explosive material was found in a backpack the suspect was carrying at the time of his arrest.A law enforcement official speaking on the condition of anonymity said tests were being done to determine the substance and the exact concentration. A law enforcement source told Milton that the suspect now identified as Melaku was carrying a notebook that contained the phrases "al Qaeda," "Taliban rules" and "Mujahid defeated croatian forces" when he was detained.Despite the references to the terror organization that organized the 9/11 attacks, the group fighting U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the Arabic word for "holy warrior," the law enforcement source told Milton that the suspect is not thought to have been involved in a terrorist act or plot. Read more….