How true is it that Israel deceitfully gave Ethiopian Jews birth control injections?

Ethiopian Jewish leaders recite prayers during the Sigd festival in Jerusalem. (Photo: AFP)

When it was reported earlier this week that Israeli officials had been giving birth control to arriving Ethiopian Jews "without their consent", the international media had a field day. Twitter lapped it up, too. Here was hard evidence, observers said, of Israeli racism. Some even used the word "sterilisation" and haughtily reminded Israelis that the Holocaust, that thing they go on about all the time, also started with the sterilisation of "undesirables". Echoing Lib Dem MP David Ward's recent chastisement of "the Jews" for failing to learn anything from their experiences during the Holocaust, bloggers and observers accused Israel's sterilisers of repeating the very history that Israel's founders sought to escape from.

ከሊፍት ሥር ሞተው የተገኙት ግለሰብ ጉዳይ እያነጋገረ ነው

አቶ ተካ አስፋው ጀባ የተባሉ የቅመማ ቅመም ነጋዴ በአዲስ ከተማ ክፍለ ከተማ መርካቶ በሚገኘው ምዕራብ ሆቴል ከሊፍት ስር ባለ ጉድጓድ ውስጥ ሞተው ተገኙ፡፡ የ65 አመት እድሜ ባለፀጋ የሆኑት አቶ ተካ እሁድ ታህሳስ 21 ቀን 2005 ዓ.ም ከጠዋቱ አራት ሰዓት አካባቢ ጀምሮ ከሚሠሩበት የቅመማ ቅመም ንግድ መደብራቸው እንደጠፉ የሚናገሩት ቤተሰቦቻቸውና የስራ ባልደረቦቻቸው፤ ከአራት ቀናት በኋላ ታህሳስ 24 ቀን 2005 ዓ.ም ምዕራብ ሆቴል ውስጥ ከሊፍት ስር ወድቀው መገኘታቸውን ከፖሊስ ተደውሎ እንደተነገራቸው ለአዲስ አድማስ ገልፀዋል፡፡

ሟች በጠፉ ማግስት በኤፍ ኤም ሬዲዮ ጣቢያዎች የአፋልጉኝ ማስታወቂያ ማስነገራቸውን እንዲሁም በአካባቢው ለሚገኘው 4ኛ ፖሊስ ጣቢያ ስለመጥፋታቸው ማስታወቃቸውን የገለፁልን ቤተሰቦቻቸው፤ እያሽከረከሯት የነበረችው መኪና ድሬ ታወር አካባቢ ቆማ መገኘቷንም ተናግረዋል፡፡

የወላጅ አባታቸውን መጥፋትና በኋላም ሞቶ መገኘት በሚኖሩበት አሜሪካን ሃገር ሆነው በስልክ መስማታቸውን የነገሩን አቶ ፈለቀ ተካ፤ ዝርዝር ጉዳዩን እዚህ ከመጡ በኋላ ከሟች የስራ ባልደረቦችና እዚህ ካሉ ቤተሰቦቻቸው መረዳታቸውን ለዝግጅት ክፍላችን ገልፀዋል፡፡

ካሚላት ላይ አሲድ ደፍተናል ያሉ ወጣቶች ቃላቸውን ሰጡ:: ፖሊስ ጉዳዩን እያጣራሁ ነው ብሏል

በካሚላት መህዲን ላይ አሲድ ደፍቷል በመባል የተከሰሰው እና የዕድሜ ልክ እስራት የተፈረደበት ደምሰው ድርጊቱን እንዳልፈፀመና “የፈፀምነው እኛ ነን” ያሉ ወጣቶች ሰሞኑን ለፖሊስ ቃል መስጠታቸውን ምንጮች ጠቆሙ፡፡ ከዛሬ ስድስት ዓመት በፊት የፍቅር ጓደኛው በሆነችው ካሚላት ላይ የአሲድ ጥቃት ማድረሱ በሰው ምስክርና በማስረጃ ተረጋግጧል ተብሎ የተከሰሰው ደምሰው፤ጉዳዩን እንዳልፈፀመ በመናገር ቢከራከርም በሰውና በሠነድ ማስረጃዎች ተረጋግጧል በማለት ፍ/ቤት በሞት እንዲቀጣ ወስኖ ነበር፡፡

Julphar recruits staff for $9.6m Ethiopia plant

Ras Al Khaimah-based pharmaceuticals firm Julphar is set to open its first overseas manufacturing plant in Ethiopia next week.

Once fully operational, the $9.6m, 40,000m2 plant in the capital of Ethiopia will produce 25m bottles of suspension and syrup, 500m tablets and 200m capsules annually, which will be exported throughout Africa.

In an interview with Manufacturing Executive Middle East, the company's senior director for sales and marketing, Dr Aly Mousa, said Julphar is currently in the process of recruiting 50 staff in roles including quality control, quality assurance, production, maintenance, administration and regulatory affairs.
"Ethiopia is an extremely interesting, dynamic and important market opportunity," said Dr Mousa. "As business and commerce across the African continent grows along with a rapidly increasing population, the demand for quality, affordable healthcare is greater than ever. Our objective is to provide greater access to medicines throughout Africa, and in therapeutic areas needed the most, such as anti-viral."

Agriterra Assigns 20% South Omo Block to Marathon Ethiopia for $28 Million

LONDON--Agriterra Ltd. (>> Agriterra Ltd), a pan African agricultural company, said Thursday it has completed the assignment of its 20% interest in the South Omo Block to Marathon Ethiopia Ltd. BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation (>> Marathon Oil Corporation), for $28 million, plus closing adjustments.
MAIN FACTS:
-In addition, $12 million has been lodged with the Government of Ethiopia, on account, pending finalization of any tax payable by Agriterra related to this transaction; tax will be calculated at 30% of the net gain realized after attributable past costs incurred by Agriterra in the development of the Block.
-A further $10 million (subject to applicable tax) will be payable to Agriterra on Marathon Oil's participation in a commercial discovery in the Block.
-Shares at 0945 GMT up 2.79% at 4 pence valuing the company at 36.08 million pounds.
http://www.4-traders.com

Development Bank of Ethiopia withdraws Habesha Cement loan

The Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) has withdrawn an ETB1.52bn (US$82.9m) loan agreement made with Habesha Cement for construction of a new plant.

The bank had approved the loan last year which was expected to cover over 70 per cent of the financing  for the proposed factory. However, the DBE has now withdrawn the offer on the grounds of inability to disburse funds at this time. It has similarly pulled out of loan agreements with five other companies. The bank has pledged to aid the companies in seeking foreign financing should they wish to proceed.

Last July, South Africa-based cement producer PPC made a US$12m cash investment in July to obtain a 27 per cent stake in Habesha Cement while the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) simultaneously invested US$9m for a 20 per cent equity stake in Habesha.
http://www.cemnet.com

Abandoned as a baby, woman finds lost mother in Ethiopia

Lydia Dawson was just 5 months old on the day her life was changed forever.

The baby lay cradled in her 13-year-old mother's arms as she prepared the family meal in their tiny village in western Ethiopia. Without warning, the teenage mother suffered a seizure and accidentally dropped Lydia into the open fire.

Precious seconds passed before the baby's tortured screams brought her father running to pull her from the flames.

Lydia's family lived in a place so remote and so primitive that the nearest medical care was 100 miles away. By the time the terrified family reached the hospital — five days later — Lydia's legs were so badly infected they had to be amputated, one above and one just below the knee.

Lydia's parents — too poor and too scared to remain far from home for very long — made the wrenching choice to leave Lydia at the hospital to be raised by American missionaries.

She was only a baby and already her life was marked by tragic loss.

Goodbye to the vibrant Ethiopian fans – and their beautiful women

The supporters of the Walyas Antelopes have been the most colourful addition to the Afcon in 31 years. Losing them in the first round takes away some shine from the tournament

They came to South Africa in thousands and bestowed their unmistakable dynamism and energy on the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. It can be construed that the fans of Ethiopia’s Walyas Antelopes came to the tournament in droves because it was the first time that their country was playing in the continent’s biggest football showpiece in 31 years.
So they arrived – young and old, well, mostly young – men and women, wearing their bright green, orange and red national colours. Some had faces painted, others had fancy hairstyles while some remained plain

 

Of their women, former footballer turned pastor and analyst Idah Peterside blurted on television: “The Ethiopian women are beautiful, they’re like magnets.”
They sang songs in Amharic and chanted for their team. They were rambunctious, they challenged referees’ calls, they invaded the pitch, twice, yet they remained loyal till the end even as their side was eliminated in the group stage by Nigeria.

A group of Ethiopian fans also used the opportunity offered by the tournament to protest the incarceration of their leaders by the Ethiopian government. Mainly Muslims, they wore white jalabiyas and massed together separate from the larger group.
One thing I noticed about the Ethiopians, unlike many other journalists who complained every time their teams exposed some weakness, the east African journalists were calm and watchful in the media tribune. They did not come to this tournament expecting so much, only to enjoy the spectacle.
And what a spectacle the fans created for everyone who saw them.

They possessed a great deal of heart and were not afraid to show it. After the ugly incident against Zambia that forced Caf to fine their federation $10,000 for a pitch invasion and throwing of missiles, they held out a large banner on the stands that read: “We apologise for our behaviour but we love the game.” True spirit!
Losing the Ethiopians in this tournament is ending one big chapter for them. Coach Sewnet Bishaw told journalists that the team is in a new phase of life.
“We have opened a new chapter for this generation after 31 years. We scored our first goal at the Afcon in 37 years.  We are trying to make our people happy,” he said.

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi also hailed their style of play which involved passing around the ball very well, a style perfected on the training ground.
“If they keep the team together for the next five years, they will be a force to reckon with on the continent,” Keshi said.

Ethiopia will go back home looking ahead to the next Afcon and the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. A consistent football policy will keep them on the radar for a long time to come.
We need Ethiopia to play more often on the big stage, football cannot afford to miss their fans nor their beautiful women for another three decades.
http://www.goal.com

Ethiopia leave South Africa with hope,their appearance has added vital colour and enthusiasm to the tournament

Salahdin Said

Ethiopia's trip to the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa was their first in over 31 years.

While they did not manage to secure a win in a difficult group, drawing with holders Zambia and losing aagainst Burkina Faso and Nigeria, they have provided hope to the future footballing prospects of their country.

"As a beginner in this tournament, I think we can give hope, a bright future for our guys, hope for the country. Anything is possible and we can (bring) the coming generation (with us) by giving them hope," said captain Debebe Degy after their 2-0 loss to Nigeria in Rustenburg.

"We have seen through this game how much we can work and do something and now that you have seen the game, we tried to dominate the game," he continued.

Ethiopian Dubai Double!

Dubai (UAE): Lelisa Desisa and Tirfi Tsegaye stormed to victory in an Ethiopian clean sweep at a fog-wrapped Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon today (Jan 25).
It was Ethiopians all the way as they swept their Kenyan rivals from the board in both men’s and women’s races at the 14th Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard.
Desisa, 23, only got away from his rivals in the final 200m as the marathon debutant won in 2.04.45, for the 13th fastest time in history – and with four other men close behind, the quintet beat last year’s Dubai record of being the first marathon in history to feature four sub-2.05 men. Long-time race leader Berhanu Shiferaw was second in 2.04.48, while another compatriot, veteran Tadesse Tola clocked a personal best 2.04.49 in third.
The early fog for the 7am start (15C) dissipated when the leaders hit the coast after eight kilometres, but on the lengthy stretch down the beach road, the fog returned even thicker, bringing high humidity with it.
“I tried to push the pace at 38k,” said Desisa, “but the others responded strongly, so I decided to wait until the end. I have a good sprint and I was confident that it would win me the race. I had aimed for 2.06 for my debut but when I saw the time at the finish I was shocked. If I can find a similarly good course, and my coach agrees, maybe next time I can go for the world record.”
By contrast, the women’s race lived up to predictions in all but the finishing time, according to the winner. Tirfi Tsegaye, who was a big pre-race favourite following her victory in Paris last year and a second place in Berlin last October, took the tape in 2:23:23 to follow the 2011 and 2012 Dubai wins of training partner Assefelech Mergia.

SKY Energy manufactures the first Ethiopian-made solar PV module

In December 2012, SKY Energy International (Sunrise, Florida, US) and Metals and Engineering Corporation (METEC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) produced the first solar photovoltaic (PV) module at their new manufacturing facility in Addis Ababa.

The factory currently features one PV module production line supplied by Spire Corporation (Bedford, Massachusetts, US) with an annual capacity of 20 MW. SKY Energy notes that workers are still calibrating the machines, and expects 250 kW of module output in 2013.

SKY Energy handled the logistics of the manufacturing equipment, as well as the initial purchase of raw materials for the factory. Training for Ethiopian operators was conducted in the United States, and the final phase of training is expected to take place in February 2013.

The company states that it anticipates continuing the relationship with METEC and the Ethiopian market to certify and sell the PV modules.

A costly amnesty for Ethiopian expats?

Ethiopian illegal residents waiting to complete the paper work at their consulate in Dubai on Monday for seeking amnesty. — KT photos by Juidin Bernarrd

Some Ethiopian illegal workers say their consulate has charged them thousands of dirhams for an outpass allowing them to leave the UAE during a two-month amnesty without penalty — something the Consul-General puts down to confusion.

Ethiopian Consul-General Mesganu Arga Moach said the most it should cost anyone to leave the country was Dh78, if they already had a passport — though renewal would be another Dh300.

However, Ethiopian citizens spoken to by Khaleej Times say they had been asked to pay up to Dh4,000, including Dh550 for a bond to build a dam on the Nile river, Dh490 for passport renewal, Dh270 for a community card and Dh25 for typing.

Ethiopian Revival Continues

Dr. Ed Dove
(Featured Columnist)

While the main media focus from this match has concentrated on Nigeria, the Super Eagles win and their progression to the Afcon’s knock out stages. I wish to begin by congratulating the Ethiopian team who will soon depart from South Africa at the bottom of Group C.

Despite this, the Black Lions can hold their heads high.Critics were quick to write them off before the tournament. The fallen giants of the African game had been 31 years away from Africa’s centrepiece, and few expected anything from a squad low on cosmopolitan experience, and high on domestic based players—many of whom were localised at two of Ethiopia’s top teams.

A brave draw against holders Zambia, despite being reduced to 10 men, won them many admirers. Even though the optimism of that balmy afternoon was replaced by despair as they were beaten 4-0 by Burkina Faso, few will have read too much into that scoreline.

Playing attacking football and not afraid to be creative in the midfield—Ethiopia have won themselves many plaudits in this tournament, so much so that few batted an eyelid as they held continental giants Nigeria for well over an hour in Rustenburg.

I, for one, hope that 2013 marks a permanent end to the Walias’ exile from international competition, and that this talented, underrated collection of players are soon gracing our screens once more.
http://bleacherreport.com

Ethiopia fans apologise for bad behaviour

RUSTENBURG, South Africa, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Ethiopia fans took the unusual step of apologising for their unruly behaviour in last Monday's match against Zambia by waving a banner during the game against Nigeria on Tuesday.

"We apologise for our behaviour, but we love the game" was written in huge letters on the banner against the background of the green, yellow and red colours of the Ethiopian flag.

It was unfurled at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace during the team's final Group C match.

The fans threw missiles including plastic vuvuzelas, bottles and other objects on to the field at Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium after their goalkeeper Jemal Tassew was shown a red card for a challenge on Zambian midfielder Chisamba Lungu.

The game was held up for nine minutes while the debris was cleared and the Ethiopian FA was fined by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
http://sports.yahoo.com

New and Next: Meet R&B Pop Trio, the EriAm Sisters

Haben, Salina and Lianda Abraham
Photo Credit: Calvin Evans

ESSENCE.com's "New and Next" column spotlights the brightest new talents we think you should know. This week we meet R&B pop trio, the EriAm Sisters. The teen sisters, whose name reflects their Eritrean and American heritage, were semi-finalists on America's Got Talent where judge Piers Morgan hailed them as the "next Destiny's Child." Meet Lianda, 19, Salina, 18 and Haben, 15.

ESSENCE.com: How would you describe your music?
Salina: We like to say it's R&B pop with a different twang to it because we try to incorporate our African and Eritrean roots into it.
Lianda: That's a question that we sometimes struggle with because we started singing when we were in our pre-teens only knowing that we loved music but not entirely sure what we were as music. We've always written songs together and our younger sister Haben has recently started to produce so being more in control of our own sound has really helped us to develop it.

Amanuael - You Haven't seen The last Of Me

Ethiopia-Nigeria Preview BBC Football

Africa Cup of Nations

    Venue: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
    Date: Tuesday 29 January
    Kick-off: 17:00 GMT

Coverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website, TV coverage on Eurosport and ITV

Nigeria go into their final group game chasing their first win, while Ethiopia are bottom of the pile with a point.

The Super Eagles stand in second place in Group C with two points, having conceded late equalisers to Burkina Faso and Zambia.

Nigerian captain Joseph Yobo and Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses face late fitness tests.

Ethiopia may be without striker Adane Girma, who scored their only goal of the finals, and Asrat Mergasa.

Girma has a leg injury after coming off in the Ethiopians' defeat to Burkina Faso and Mergasa has a knee injury.

Ethiopia coach Sewnet Bishaw:

"Before the match I will tell my players to play football and to gain experience out of a huge team like Nigeria.

"We are here to play football and everybody is surprised by our football.

"Our mission is to show the rest of the world that we can play football. That is the message to my players."

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi:

"I am standing by my players, especially John Obi Mikel after his penalty miss against Zambia.

"We have all to play for against Ethiopia and my wish is that we build a commanding lead and hold it."
http://www.bbc.co.uk

Ancient Stone Tools In Ethiopia Date Back 1.75 Million Years, May Show Rise Of Homo Erectus

By: Tia Ghose, LiveScience Staff Writer
Published: 01/28/2013 03:22 PM EST on LiveScience

Scientists have unearthed and dated some of the oldest stone hand axes on Earth. The ancient tools, unearthed in Ethiopia in the last two decades, date to 1.75 million years ago.

The tools roughly coincided with the emergence of an ancient human ancestor called Homo erectus, and fossilized H. erectus remains were also found at the same site, said study author Yonas Beyene, an archaeologist at the Association for Research and Conservation of Culture in Ethiopia. Collectively, the finding suggests an ancient tool-making technique may have arisen with the evolution of the new species.

"This discovery shows that the technology began with the appearance of Homo erectus," Beyene told LiveScience. "We think it might be related to the change of species."

The findings were described today (Jan. 28) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,

Ethiopia’s Eleni Gebrehiwot wins Eurocross

By IAAF

 Kenya’s Albert Rop and Ethiopia’s Eleni Gebrehiwot were the winners of the ING Eurocross — an IAAF Cross Country Permit Meeting — in Diekirch, Luxembourg, on a snow covered course and in almost freezing condition on Sunday.

Albert Rop had been a pre-race favourite and he confirmed the pundits’ opinion when he took the initiative early in the men’s 10.2km race.The 18 year-old Kenyan was in the lead right from the start but two others initially went with him: his fellow Kenyan Alex Kibet and Burundi’s Onesphore Nkunzimana, the latter a three-time winner of the event in the past.

Kefa Cafe Silver Spring, MD - Cafe run by two Ethiopian women ranked second out of hundreds of coffee shops

              

Taxi driver, Semere Issak, killed in crash in Indianapolis

Princess Aida Desta, the granddaughter of Emperor Haile-Selassie laid to rest

The Emperor and Empress arrive at the Cathedral of St. George to celebrate their Silver Jubilee
The Empress is attended by her granddaughters, Princess Aida Desta and Princess Seble Desta

By Henock Yared

The funeral of Princess Aida Desta, the granddaughter of Emperor Haile-Selassie of Ethiopia (1930-1974) was held on Thursday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa.

The Ceremony was attended by members of the royal family, religious leaders and government officials, including the veteran former chairman of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Sebhat Nega. Born in 1927, Princess Aida was the daughter of the heroic Ras Desta Damtew, who was killed by the Italians in 1937, and Emperor Haile Selassie’s eldest daughter, Princess Tenagnework Haile-Selassie. In 1974, Princess Aida was seized at the palace of Mekele by the revolutionary soldiers sent to arrest her husband, Prince Ras Mengesha Seyoum, the great grandson of Emperor Yohannes. But, he had escaped days earlier and was able to establish and chair the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU,) which would fight the Derg regime until its fracture in 1977 between rival factions. Princess Aida however, had decided to remain behind and share the fate of her grandfather, grandmother and her family. Her brother prince Rear Admiral Eskinder Desta was executed along with other former officials widely known as the sixties on Friday November 23, 1974. She was imprisoned together with her mother Princess Tenagnework and her sisters Princesses Seble, Sofia, and Hirut, as well as Sara Gizaw, Duchess of Harar. She received praise and was called by many, Aida the beautiful and the talented princess.

Ethiopian child on the mend after surgery in Calif. for deadly brain tumor

Kalkidan Sirbaro, left, poses with neurosurgeon Samuel Ciricillo at a postoperative checkup, January 23, 2013, in Sacramento, California. The 7-year-old was discovered with a life-threatening brain tumor in Ethiopia; family physician Sarah Jones, taking photo at right, arranged for her care in U.S. | Renee C. Byer/MCT/Sacramento Bee

 Dan Hill | The Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kalkidan Wondemu Sirbaro, a 7-year-old girl from Gurage, a village in southern Ethiopia, had a checkup at the Sutter Medical Center neuroscience facility in downtown Sacramento last week.

But according to the health professionals involved, it is miraculous Kalkidan made it to Sacramento to receive treatment for her craniopharyngioma, Kalkidan's form of cancer discovered in the fall.

"Things like this do not happen," said Dr. Sarah Jones, the Sutter family doctor who orchestrated Kalkidan's treatment. "There's something special about this child. Why would opportunities like this open up for her?"

The little girl giggled as the elevator whisked her to the fifth floor. But she dragged her feet on the walk to Dr. Samuel Ciricillo's office, fearing needles or cold tools.

Ethiopian woman died after alleged drunk driver hit 17 cars in Atlanta

SNELLVILLE, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -

Gwinnett County deputies said the driver of a pickup truck responsible for what could be as many as 17 hit-and-run accidents and a fatal crash has not been granted bond after he appeared in court Thursday morning.

According to the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Owen Snider, 70, of Stone Mountain, hit five vehicles in DeKalb County and anywhere from eight to 12 vehicles in Gwinnett County along Highway 78. Investigators were still trying to figure the total number of vehicles on Thursday.

The hit-and-run spree ended when police said Snider caused a fata
l accident at Highway 78 and Walton Court in Snellville.

Police said Snider struck the rear of a gray 2000 Toyota Camry, driven by Yeshihareg Abebe, 51, of Grayson.

Protesters occupy Eritrean embassy in London

The Eritrean Embassy in London was 'occupied' on Thursday as the situation in the north-east African country grows ever more tense.

Video and photos shared by people at the embassy in Angel, North London, show dozens of protesters entering the building following a demonstration outside.

According to reports soldiers have now surrounded the ministry of information building in the capital, Asmara, with state television and key state media websites operating only sporadically.

Eritrea has been criticised as as one of the world's most repressive and closed countries, and has come at the bottom of the worst human rights offenders lists in recent years.
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Burkina Faso-Ethiopia Preview: Walya Antelopes eye an upset against The Stallions

The east African nation will feel charged up ahead of this encounter, and take comfort from the encouraging display in their 1-1 stalemate against champions Zambia

PROBABLE LINEUPS

BURKINA FASO DiakiteH.Traore, B.Kone, Koulibaly, Panandetiguiri Pitroipa, Rouamba, Kabore, KoffiA. Traore, Dagano

ETHIOPIA TadelleHailu, Eliase, Tesfaye, Butako Bekele, Megresa, Bekele, Said Kebede, Girma

Minnows Ethiopia and Burkina Faso lock horns in a must win encounter for both teams on Friday as far as qualification to the quarter-finals of 2013 Africa Cup of Nations is concerned. Following a clean bill of health by the medical team, both coaches are expected to retain squads that did duty in the first game, save for a forced change by the Walya Antelopes with Sefnet Bishaw expected to call upon the services of reserve custodian Zerihun Tadele in the absence of suspended Jemal Tessaw, following his red card.
Bishaw will be hoping his charges pick up from where they left off against Zambia's Chipolopolo in the opening game.
The east Africans earned several plaudits for a display that secured them a credible draw against the defending champions, despite playing for more than an hour with ten men.
On the other hand, Burkina Faso's Stallions will feel prepared for this duel, and take comfort in the encouraging display in the 1-1 stalemate against Nigeria's Super Eagles in their first game.
Both coaches seem satisfied with the results earned thus far and have promised to prepare their players to build on from that form.
"Playing Zambia in the opening game was a very difficult task. Our players now need to gather confidence and get into their stride immediately because our next achievement is to prevail against Burkina Faso," said Ethiopia coach Bishaw at a press conference.
"Ethiopia will not be easy. They are very confident and I believe they have produced the surprise result of the tournament so far. With accurate finishing, they would have beaten Zambia. We will be ready for them," declared Paul Put to reporters.
Alain Traore, who struck at the death to deny Nigeria maximum points, will be the key man once again for the Stallions alongside midfielder Jonathan Pitroipa, who caused a great deal of trouble during the match.
Pitroipa will likely be supporting captain Moumouni Dagano and Traore, and the pair have more than enough natural ability to test Zerihun Tadele and the defenders charged with protecting Ethiopia’s goal.
Ethiopia’s hopes will once again be pegged on Adane Girma, who secured the vital draw against Zambia in the opening contest.

DID YOU KNOW?

• This will be the first meeting between the two nations in a competitive tournament.

• Both teams have previously hosted the Africa Cup of Nations. The Walya Antelopes staged the event in 1962 while the Stallions hosted the competition 36 years later.
  

• Burkina Faso are considered the weakest of the eight west African nations at the 2013 Afcon, despite gracing the tournament in eight of the last nine occasions.

• Ethiopia are the lowest ranked team at the 2013 Afcon as they are positioned at 110, while Burundi are placed 92nd.

• The Walya Antelopes are making a return to the competition after a 31-year absence.

• Paul Put took over from Portuguese manager Paulo Duarte in March following the Stallions’ woeful return from the 2012 Nations Cup, where they lost all three of their games and crashed out in the group stage.

• Captain Moumouni Dagano (pictured right), who joined the national team in 1999 while playing for local side Etoile Filante, remains Burkina Faso’s all time top scorer with 31 goals.
  

• Ethiopia will face Burkina Faso without the services of goalkeeper Jemal Tessaw, who was red carded for a professional foul during the opening match against defending champions Zambia.
  http://www.goal.com
  

 

Ethiopia among AFCON's best eight-Super Sport

The first round of games have been done - eight of them in all. As the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations readies for the second salvo, the wind of public opinion is blowing in favour of the less fancied side, which is a good sign that continental football is growing.
Gary Al-Smith chooses some of his preferred sides who have had the better stories in the first round.
Cape Verde
Let's begin from the first game, where Bafana played Cape Verde. Being the only first timers can be daunting enough, but the Blue Sharks' fiary tale continued on opening day. Thirty-nine times smaller than the capitals of Egypt and Nigeria, the islanders from the archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean exhibited cohesion and little fear as they played a draw with their hosts.

Ethiopia
Scoring their first African Cup of Nations goal since 1976, the Ethiopian have been liveliest bunch of players and fans so far. With frenzied cheering the whole game through, the fans fought their warriors for the title of the most hearty display.
Beaten just once since September 2011, resurgent Ethiopia finally got the respect they deserve when they outplayed holders Zambia - African champions - despite going almost an hour with ten men.
They lost their first choice goalkeeper to a red card on 36 minutes, failed to convert a penalty, went a goal down, yet battled back to earn a 1-1 draw. Brilliant.
Not so brilliant was TV cameras showing Ethiopian fans hurling missiles at the Zambian players. That was poor sportsmanship and their $10,000 fine is deserved.
DR Congo

DR Congo, Ethiopia upstage Drogba

After an Africa Cup of Nations build-up dominated by Ivory Coast and Didier Drogba, it was minnows Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia who stole the limelight in the first group games.

The Congolese cast aside unhappiness over bonuses and poor treatment by team officials to wipe out a two-goal deficit and finish stronger than Ghana in a 2-2 thriller.

Ghana were seeded first and DR Congo last in Group B and the Port Elizabeth match followed a predictable course when Italy-based duo Emmanuel Agyeman Badu and Kwadwo Asamoah scored for the Black Stars.

But the Leopards are nothing if not unpredictable and instead of throwing in the towel, they hit back with impressive captain Tresor Mputu scoring before Dieumerci Mbokani levelled off a penalty kick.

Saudis Turn to Ethiopian Maids After Asian Backlash

Zeini Kadir, an Ethiopian maid, rides her family's horse near her home on the way home to Seero village.

Zeini Kadir escaped at dawn, when the gates of the house in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, were open for morning prayers.

Barefoot, she ended up at an agency catering to Ethiopia
n workers like her. After flying to Addis Ababa, she rode two buses and walked three hours to the mud-walled home where she grew up. She’d lasted just three months, cooking and cleaning seven days a week in the 18-room house where she said she was beaten with a stick. Still, she sai
d she would have stayed in Saudi Arabia if she could have found another job.
“It’s different from house to house,” Zeini, 19, said, smiling. “Not all employers are bad.” Anyway, “what jobs are there here?”

So few that her father, Kadir Biftu, borrowed 6,000 birr ($327) to send her in August to the Persian Gulf port city, where she could earn enough to pay the debt in months -- something he couldn’t do in a year as a farmer. “We’ll be very happy if she goes back to Saudi Arabia,” said Zelika Kusay, Zeini’s mother, after a snack of maize browned over a fire.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has imported female servants for decades. The Indonesian government stemmed the flow after the beheading of an Indonesian maid convicted of killing her employer in June 2011. Maids from the Philippines had also stopped arriving, after Filipino lawmakers wrote a report on alleged abuses, including rapes and beatings.