Thursday, October 31, 2013

Ethiopia private equity: where Schulze goes, others follow

When I heard about the US investor, Gabriel Schulze, who’d gone out on a limb and started up Ethiopia’s first private equity fund, I couldn’t wait to meet him.
The feeling wasn’t mutual. Famously reticent, it took me more than a year to convince him to meet me. But when we did, we ending up busting our two-hour time slot over tea and coffee at a private members’ club in London and speaking for six hours. You can now read the interview from that meeting, Portrait of a frontier investor, on FT.com.
Schulze (pictured below) says he prefers to speak only after he’s taken action. It’s clear plenty of others have already noticed, even if he says some thought he was “nuts” at first.

even years after he started looking at investing in Ethiopia, today private equity is queuing up to get into one of the world’s largest untapped markets with only the most nascent of private sectors. Ethiopian authorities restrict foreign investment into the fast-growing economy of 90m people, especially in retail, banking and telecommunications – all critical sectors for investors looking for scale and keen to tap Africa’s galloping growth story. Despite the restrictions, many are keen to find even the tiniest toe-hold in the nation ahead of liberalisation they hope will come one day, some day in the future.

Ethiopia's Awash International Bank : Growth amid challenges


Awash International Bank (AIB) has big plans amid Ethiopia's persistent inflation, the unavailability of trained manpower in the market and a lack of dependable infrastructure. In this interview, President of AIB, Tsehay Shiferaw reveals the bank's expansion plans.

The Africa Report: Could you please give us an overview of Awash International Bank (AIB)?

Tsehay Shiferaw: AIB is a pioneer private bank established in Ethiopia following the downfall of the military regime and the declaration of market-oriented economic policies, which happened in 1991. The bank was founded by 486 founding shareholders in 1994. It started banking operations on 13 February 1995.
We'll prioritise lending to the manufacturing sector, which is the engine of growth
By the end of June 2013, the number of shareholders had risen to 3,122 and its paid-up capital to 1.1bn birr ($58m). Our total number of branches reached 115 by the end of June 2013, indicating the fact that the bank continues to hold its leading position among private banks in terms of branch network.

And your market share?

Teagasc launch sustainable potato project in Ethiopia

Teagasc Director Professor Gerry Boyle is in Ethiopia this week to visit a pilot project called “Developing sustainable seed potato production systems for improved livelihoods”. This project is being implemented with Vita in the Chencha region of Ethiopia.
This is part of Teagasc’s new policy on international food security. Teagasc is partnering on the project with Vita, the Irish NGO, Wageningen University and Research, The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, The International Potato Centre (CIP), Arba Minch University and the Irish Potato Federation.
The project is intended to empower and strengthen the local knowledge base by funding and training three Ethiopian PhD students. Dissemination of the research will help local subsistence farmers and the research will ultimately be widely transferable across sub-Saharan Africa through a proposed Potato Coalition.
Professor Boyle will pay a return visit to the Ethiopian Agriculture Minister, Mr Tefera Deribew, on the afternoon of Thursday, 31st October following the Minister’s visit to Ireland in early October.
During the visit he will have an opportunity to see first-hand the Vita pilot project on sustainable seed potato systems, and explore the role of research-led agricultural development in the Chencha region of Ethiopia.
Formal and active collaboration between Teagasc and Arba Minch University has been initiated with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed yesterday, Tuesday, 29th October.
The Teagasc Director will also formalise and build on the collaboration between Teagasc and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday, 31st of October.
Professor Boyle will also discuss the outcomes of the visit, as well as Teagasc’s new Policy on International Food Security, with the Irish Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Vita CEO John Weakliam paid tribute to Professor Boyle and his colleagues in Teagasc for facilitating the use of the world class capacity of Teagasc in research, extension and education, in addressing the constraints to sustainable food production and improved livelihoods in Africa.
- See more at: http://www.agriland.ie/news/teagasc-launch-sustainable-potato-project-in-ethiopia/sthash.uQnsyj8f.dpuf#sthash.M0WUuIdy.dpufTeagasc Director Professor Gerry Boyle is in Ethiopia this week to visit a pilot project called “Developing sustainable seed potato production systems for improved livelihoods”. This project is being implemented with Vita in tTeagasc Director Professor Gerry Boyle is in Ethiopia this week to visit a pilot project called “Developing sustainable seed potato production systems for improved livelihoods”. This project is being implemented with Vita in the Chencha region of Ethiopia.Teagasc Director Professor Gerry Boyle is in Ethiopia this week to visit a pilot project called “Developing sustainable seed potato production systems for improved livelihoods”. This project is being implemented with Vita in the Chencha region of Ethiopia.

This is part of Teagasc’s new policy on international food security. Teagasc is partnering on the project with Vita, the Irish NGO, Wageningen University and Research, The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, The International Potato Centre (CIP), Arba Minch University and the Irish Potato Federation.

The project is intended to empower and strengthen the local knowledge base by funding and training three Ethiopian PhD students. Dissemination of the research will help local subsistence farmers and the research will ultimately be widely transferable across sub-Saharan Africa through a proposed Potato Coalition.

Professor Boyle will pay a return visit to the Ethiopian Agriculture Minister, Mr Tefera Deribew, on the afternoon of Thursday, 31st October following the Minister’s visit to Ireland in early October.

During the visit he will have an opportunity to see first-hand the Vita pilot project on sustainable seed potato systems, and explore the role of research-led agricultural development in the Chencha region of Ethiopia.

Formal and active collaboration between Teagasc and Arba Minch University has been initiated with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed yesterday, Tuesday, 29th October.

The Teagasc Director will also formalise and build on the collaboration between Teagasc and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday, 31st of October.

Professor Boyle will also discuss the outcomes of the visit, as well as Teagasc’s new Policy on International Food Security, with the Irish Embassy in Addis Ababa.

Vita CEO John Weakliam paid tribute to Professor Boyle and his colleagues in Teagasc for facilitating the use of the world class capacity of Teagasc in research, extension and education, in addressing the constraints to sustainable food production and improved livelihoods in Africa.
Teagasc Director Professor Gerry Boyle is in Ethiopia this week to visit a pilot project called “Developing sustainable seed potato production systems for improved livelihoods”. This project is being implemented with Vita in the Chencha region of Ethiopia.

This is part of Teagasc’s new policy on international food security. Teagasc is partnering on the project with Vita, the Irish NGO, Wageningen University and Research, The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, The International Potato Centre (CIP), Arba Minch University and the Irish Potato Federation.

The project is intended to empower and strengthen the local knowledge base by funding and training three Ethiopian PhD students. Dissemination of the research will help local subsistence farmers and the research will ultimately be widely transferable across sub-Saharan Africa through a proposed Potato Coalition.

Professor Boyle will pay a return visit to the Ethiopian Agriculture Minister, Mr Tefera Deribew, on the afternoon of Thursday, 31st October following the Minister’s visit to Ireland in early October.

Burkina govt cancels friendly

Ethiopia’s preparations ahead of the crucial return against Nigeria suffered a major blow after the Burkina Faso government cancelled the friendly scheduled for November 5.

The news just comes a day after both federations agreed on the friendly with a close source who sort anonymity intimating to supersport.com that the Burkina Federation’s hands were tied when the government met the order.

Getaneh back in training

Ethiopia's prolific striker Getaneh Kebede is up and running after a nagging ankle injury that has kept him out of action for two months missing key matches against Car and Nigeria.

Getaneh who has been receiving treatment at his South Africa based club Bidvest Wits has started light training and is hoping to be fit ahead of the crucial return leg against Nigeria in Calabar.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

ፓርላማው ያለ ማብራሪያ የሬዲዮና ቴሌቪዥን ድርጅት ቦርድ አባላትን ሾመ



-‹‹ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትሩ ማብራሪያ እንዲሰጡ አይገደድም›› አፈ ጉባዔ አባዱላ

ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር ኃይለ ማርያም ለኢትዮጵያ ሬዲዮና ቴሌቪዥን ድርጅት የሥራ አመራር ቦርድ አባልነት ስምንት ተሿሚዎችን ፓርላማው እንዲያፀድቀው በደብዳቤ በማቅረባቸው የተነሳው የማብራሪያ ጥያቄ ሳይመለስ ፀደቀ፡፡

ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር ኃይለ ማርያም ፓርላማው የመንግሥት ተጠሪ ሚኒስትር ዴኤታ በኩል ለኢትዮጵያ ሬዲዮና ቴሌቪዥን ድርጅት ስምንት የሥራ አመራር ቦርድ አባላትን ሹመት ማክሰኞ ዕለት ለፓርላማው አቅርበዋል፡፡

የሰሜን ዕዝና የአየር ኃይል ዋና አዛዦች በሌሎች ተተኩ



-የፓርላማው አባል የጠቅላይ ሚኒስትሩ የሕግ አማካሪ ሆኑ

በጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር ኃይለ ማርያም ደሳለኝ አቅራቢነትና በፕሬዚዳንት ሙላቱ ተሾመ አማካይነት የጄኔራል መኮንኖች ሹመት ከተካሄደ በኋላ፣ በመከላከያ ሠራዊቱ አመራሮች ላይ የኃላፊነት ሽግሽግ ተካሄደ፡፡

በሽግሽጉ መሠረት ኤርትራ ኢትዮጵያን ከወረረች ጀምሮ የሰሜን ዕዝ ዋና አዛዥ በመሆን ሲያገለግሉ የነበሩት ታዋቂው ሌተና ጄኔራል ሰአረ መኮንን በተሻለ ኃላፊነት ወደ ማዕከል እንዲመለሱ መደረጉን ምንጮች ገልጸዋል፡፡

Water Solutions: Power for Ethiopia, Water for Egypt,

Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a $4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 kms from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.

Dubbed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, it will be Africa's biggest dam and will depend on water from the 6,700-km Nile River, the world's longest river.
But Ethiopia must first resolve matters with Egypt, which, along with Sudan, claims the rights to the river following a 1929 agreement.
There should not be any concerns about a diminished water flow
That agreement excluded other countries along the Nile River trajectory, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Egypt fears that the dam will suck up water flows to the country and severely affect its domestic consumption.
About 86% of the Nile River's water actually originates from Ethiopia, a point the country is underscoring to press its case. In addition, it says that independent experts believe the dam will not affect water flows to Egypt.

Washington couple sentenced to decades in prison for death of daughter adopted from Ethiopia

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — A Washington couple accused of starving, beating and forcing their adopted daughter outside as punishment were sentenced Tuesday to decades in prison for her death.

Larry and Carri Williams were convicted Sept. 9 of manslaughter in the death of a teenage girl they adopted from Ethiopia. Carri Williams was also found guilty of homicide by abuse.
Hana Williams was found dead May 12, 2011, in the backyard of the family home in Sedro-Woolley, about 60 miles north of Seattle. The autopsy said she died of hypothermia, with malnutrition and a stomach condition as contributing factors.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Ethiopia to face Burkina Faso ahead of Calabar tie

Ethiopia’s head coach Sewnet Bishaw has disclosed that they are planning to face Burkina Faso in an international friendly next week.

“We want to use this game to prepare well for the 2014 World Cup qualifier return leg against Nigeria,” explained Bishaw.

He said the game will take place November 4-5.

The Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) also confirmed the friendly yesterday ahead of their return leg against African champions Nigeria in Calabar. Nigeria won the first leg 2-1 and Ethiopia will have to be at their best to win in Calabar.

Washington couple to be sentenced for manslaughter in death of daughter adopted from Ethiopia

A Washington state couple convicted of manslaughter in the death of a teenage girl they adopted from Ethiopia is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.
Larry and Carri Williams of Sedro-Woolley were convicted Sept. 9 in the 2011 death of Hana in the backyard of their home. The teen died of hypothermia, and the autopsy also noted malnutrition.
The Skagit Valley Herald reports prosecutors are recommending a sentence of 27 to 37 years for Carri Williams, who also was convicted of homicide by abuse. They are recommending a sentence of 14 to 18 years for Larry Williams, who wasn't home at the time of the death.

Commercial Bank to Launch Interest-Free Banking

Banks can offer interest-free banking services alongside their conventional operations


The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) will launch interest free banking as of Monday, October 28, 2013, in 23 selected branches in Addis Abeba and in other major regional towns.

The service, which will be offered on separate windows, can be used by individuals, government institutions and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). Services offered under the interest-free banking include deposits, foreign exchange and money transferring services, and will be available for customers who engage in trade partnerships, agricultural forwards contracts, construction, manufacturing and import-export trade, the Bank says.

Ethiopia opens Africa's biggest windfarm

A boy stands near one of Ashegoda's 84 wind turbines. Photograph: Reuters
Ashegoda windfarm outside Mekelle in Tigray state cost €210m and builds on plan to create 'climate resilient' economy by 2025
A windfarm billed as the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa has been opened by Ethiopia's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, a potentially crucial step for the continent's renewable energy industry.

The €210m (£179m) Ashegoda windfarm consists of 84 hi-tech turbines towering above an arid region where villagers herd cattle and ride donkey-drawn carts as they have for generations.

The project, outside Mekelle in Tigray state, about 475 miles north of the capital, Addis Ababa, has a capacity of 120MW and will produce about 400m KWh a year. It was completed in phases over three and a half years and has produced 90m KWh for the national grid.

Residents in Gambella set Indian-owned farm on fire

Residents of the Gambella Regional State, Godera woreda, attacked and set the property of the Indian farm, Verdanta Harvest Plc., on fire on account of destroying the rich forest resources in the woreda where Verdanta has some 5,000 hectares for tea plantation.

According to sources in the area, the vigilantes attacked the plantation compound on Tuesday late night and set ablaze stores, fuel tankers, machineries like tractors and excavators and logs of timber, allegedly harvested from the land the company took for tea plantation. Gatlowak Tute, president of the region, confirmed the occurrence and said that a 9-man team has been sent to the area to investigate the event. “So far, security forces have taken into custody few locals suspected of involvement in the incident,” Gatlowak told The Reporter.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Inside Ethiopian Running Haile Gebrselassie, Keninisa Bekele, Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba


                

Ethiopia bans citizens from travelling abroad for work

Many Ethiopians try to reach Saudi Arabia, travelling via Yemen by sea
Ethiopia's government has temporarily banned its citizens from travelling abroad to look for work, the state-run Erta news agency reports.

The foreign ministry was quoted as saying countless Ethiopians had lost their lives or undergone untold physical and psychological trauma because of illegal human trafficking.

The decision was meant to "safeguard the well-being of citizens", it added.

The travel ban will remain in place until a "lasting solution" is found.

A New Ethiopian Lodge With a Focus on Conservation

The first resort in Ethiopia’s wildlife-rich Bale Mountains National Park, Bale Mountain Lodge, opening Nov. 1, is poised to expand the African safari checklist beyond the Big Five.

Located about 250 miles southeast of Addis Ababa, the 15-room lodge lies within the 1,367-square-mile park of mountains, plateau and forests.

The nonprofit environmental organization Conservational International considers Bale Mountain a biodiversity hot spot based on its rare species, including Ethiopian wolves and Bale monkeys, plus endemic mountain nyala (a kind of antelope), black-maned lions and giant forest hogs.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Rap? Meh. Poetry is the rage at the Ethiopian Beat Making Lab

Munit Mesfin, the singer on this week's poem from The Beat Making lab, works with Samarwit, one of the lab's students.

 The spoken word scene in Ethiopia surprised me.


I was invited to a performance at a theatre in Addis Ababa and was blown away by the crowd. In an open-air theater that could easily seat 800 people, the venue was at capacity — standing room only. People were spilling into the aisles as the poets took stage.

  

 The spoken word artists performed with a talented live band. From what I was told, they were some of the best live musicians in the country. But the people weren't sandwiched into the theatre to hear the music. Everyone's eyes and ears were glued to the poets.

Adamasu was the drummer for the Beat Making Lab's poem.

US Doctor Helps Blind Ethiopians Gain Sight With $11 Procedure

Dr. Geoffrey Tabin developed a way to correct cataract blindness, an epidemic in Ethiopia.
 

A Calabar attack awaits Ethiopia-Stephen Keshi

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will qualify for the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil even if they lose 0-1 to Ethiopia’s Walia Antelopes in the second leg of their playoff tie on November 16.

Nigeria’s 2-1 win in the first leg in Addis Ababa on October 13 puts the African champions in the box seat ahead of the return fixture in Calabar but head coach of the Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi has dispelled fears that his players will sit on their lead.

Keshi insists the Super Eagles will “play our normal game” and attack the Ethiopians at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar.

Ethiopians gather in tribute to migrant dead-Video

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) STORY: Members of the Ethiopian and Eritrean community gathered in Rome on Monday to hold their own vigil for those who drowned in a migrant boat on October 3. Holding candles and carrying banners the emotionally charged gathering had been organized for those unable to attend the official commemoration ceremony that will take place in Sicily later on in the afternoon. More than 350 people, mostly Eritreans, were drowned in a shipwreck about one kilometer off the coast of the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on October 3.  

Ethiopia to increase number of hospitals

Ethiopia has been encountering a rising burden of non communicable diseases beside infectious diseases, perinatal and nutritional problems that have long been considered major struggle of public health importance.
However plans are underway to increase the number of hospitals in the country to 800 to further improve the health service delivery by the end of the GTP period.
Ministry Public Relations Directorate Director, Ahmed Imano, told WIC that efforts are underway to make Ethiopia a medical tourism destination by improving the health service delivery, to enable the country to earn foreign currency earnings.
Currently, there are 3, 245 health stations, 16,048 health posts and 229 referral hospitals across the country, according to Ahmed.

UK hand in glove with Ethiopia's booming leather sector

Pittards plans to substantially increase the size of its Ethiopian workforce
Amid the rhythmic clicking of rows and rows of sewing machines, hundreds of workers are busy creating a range of leather gloves, bags and jackets.

"I can tell when employees' skills have improved by the noises of the machines speeding up," says Tsedenia Mekbib, a general manager.

We are at a busy factory on the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

It is one of three such facilities in the city owned by UK leather goods company Pittards, which has a long history of operating in the country.

While an increasing number of Western firms of all sizes are now looking at doing business in Africa, Pittards has had a 90-year head start.

ብረታ ብረት ኮርፖሬሽንና ሚድሮክን ጨምሮ 20 ድርጅቶች እንዳይፈተሹ ያደረጉ ከፍተኛ የሙስና ተጠርጣሪዎች ተከሰሱ



-አቶ መላኩ ፈንታ የሦስት ልጆች እናትን አፋተው አግብተዋል ተባለ

-አቶ ጌቱ ገለቴን ጨምሮ 12 ተከሳሾች በሌሉበት ክሳቸው ተሰማ

በተጠረጠሩበት የሙስና ወንጀል ከግንቦት ወር 2005 ዓ.ም. መጀመሪያ ጀምሮ በቁጥጥር ሥር ውለው ነሐሴ 22 ቀን 2005 ዓ.ም. ክስ ተመሥርቶባቸዋል የተባሉት

ከፍተኛ የሙስና ወንጀል ተጠርጣሪዎች፣ የብረታ ብረት ኢንጂነሪንግ ኮርፖሬሽንና ሚድሮክን ጨምሮ 20 ድርጅቶች ከውጭ ዕቃ ሲያስመጡ እንዳይፈተሹ አድርገዋል በሚልና በተለያዩ የሙስና ድርጊቶች የተካተቱበት የክስ ቻርጅ፣ ጥቅምት 11 እና 12 ቀን 2006 ዓ.ም. ከአንድ ወር ከ15 ቀናት ቆይታ በኋላ ተነበበላቸው፡፡

ክሱን የመሠረተው የፌዴራል የሥነ ምግባርና የፀረ ሙስና ኮሚሽን ዓቃቤ ሕግ ሲሆን፣ በተለያዩ ሦስት የክስ መዝገቦች በድምሩ በ55 ተጠርጣሪዎችና በአምስት ድርጅቶች ላይ ያዘጋጀውን የክስ ቻርጅ፣ ለፌዴራል ከፍተኛ ፍርድ ቤት 15ኛ ወንጀል ችሎት አቅርቦ አሰምቷል፡፡

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Getu Gelete owner of the Getu Commercial Centre Charged in Absentia

Getu Gelete, major shareholder of Get-As International Plc – a durable goods importing conglomerate – became an additional entrant to a group of big-name businessmen that the government has charged with high-level corruption.

The businessman was one of the 31 defendants named today in an indictment file that the Fe
deral Ethics & Anti Corruption Commission (FEACC) submitted to the 15th criminal bench at the Federal High Court, on Chad Street, in Lideta area. The charges, however, were read in court in the absence of Getu who has not yet been placed under arrest. After establishing his absence, the Commission asked judges to pass an order to the police to take Getu under custody. Getu, however, travelled abroad over a month ago, Fortune learnt from sources. Family members and colleagues could not be reached to disclose his specific whereabouts, although people close to his family claim he is in the United States.

Telecoms slow down development of Ethiopian tech scene – iceaddis

The underperformance of the Ethiopian telecoms sector and the resultant low bandwidth available in the country is holding back the development of the local tech scene, according to Markos Lemma, co-founder of innovation hub iceaddis.

Lemma, who co-founded iceaddis in May 2011, told HumanIPO the tech space in Ethiopia had much potential.

“There is untapped potential and knowledge,” he said. “The ICT educational sector is growing.”

He said, however: “Even though there is a high potential in the tech space in Ethiopia, what is very visible right now is the challenges and the many problems which hold it back.”

Fit at 40: Ethiopian running legend shares his secrets

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - For anyone looking for the secret to staying fit into middle age, who better to ask than Haile Gebrselassie - the Ethiopian running legend who's still giving much younger men a run for their money.

Aged 40 but barely slowing down, Gebrselassie says his enduring presence in international athletics has nothing to do with fancy foods or the latest gizmos.

The key ingredient, he said, is in the mind.


                           

In Switch, Egypt May Join Ethiopia In Nile Dam Project

Cairo and Addis Ababa may soon reach a truce to calm their dispute over the construction of the Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. Both countries have recently shown good faith and agreed to negotiate about the project. Egypt has even agreed to take part in building the dam, though without declaring its conditions for doing so.
At a news conference Oct. 7, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced that his country welcomes the participation of Egypt and Sudan in the construction of the dam and stressed that his government considers the dam to be jointly owned by Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt. Cairo viewed his statement as a positive step toward reaching a consensus on the project, despite its earlier sharp criticism of it.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Al-Shabaab suicide bomber attacks restaurant in Somalia

At least 13 people are killed as attacker blows himself up in a restaurant near a military base in the city of Beledweyne
At least 13 people have been killed and another 10 wounded in a suicide bomb attack in Somalia.

The al-Shabaab group claimed responsibility for the explosion, which happened at a restaurant near a military base in the city of Beledweyne, around 210 miles north of Mogadishu. The city is under the control of the central government and African Union peacekeepers from Djibouti are stationed there.

"Our main target was Ethiopian and Djibouti troops who invaded our country. They were sitting there," al-Shabaab's military operation spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, said.

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan Mull New Probe Nile Dam Impact

Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt agreed to examine the regional impact of a $4.2 billion dam being built on a Nile river tributary in Ethiopia after experts said earlier studies were inconclusive.
A meeting of water ministers and delegates in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, on Nov. 4 will discuss conducting a new study of the hydropower project’s downstream effect and more detailed appraisals of its environmental and social impact, said Fekahmed Negash, head of the Ethiopian Water Ministry’s Boundary and Transboundary Rivers Affairs Directorate.
The 6,000-megawatt Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, set to be Africa’s largest when completed in 2017, has raised concern in Cairo that it will reduce the flow of the Nile, which provides almost all of Egypt’s water.

Ata wants Ethiopia shirt

Swedish based Walid Ata has expressed his desire to play for his motherland Ethiopia after declining to play for Sweden at the senior level.
Walid’s Father comes from Adi Bara in Eritrea and his Mother from Haweza in North Ethiopia and both migrated to Sweden . Walid himself was born in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia in 1986.

Ata's professional career begun in early 2008 when he joined AIK in Stockholm Sweden. During his engagement with AIK (for 3 years) he gained a lot of experience in all aspects of professionalism as a football player.
"Throughout these years I became a key player and performed very well in many games in the league as well as in some International games as well. These three successful years became my key to the Swedish U21 national team and generated many offers from international clubs, like Glasgow Rangers in Scotland, Valencienne in France and Dinamo Zagreb from Croatia just to name a few."

Saturday, October 19, 2013

የቴዲ አፍሮ አዲሱ ሙዚቃ ‹‹መሬት ሲማታ››


                  

ቴዲ አፍሮ በማርፈዱ ሸራተን እንዳይገባ ተከለከለ

ሰሸዋንዳኝ የአልበም ምርቃት የተጋበዙት ሠራዊት ፍቅሬና ሰይፉ ፋንታሁንም ተከልክለዋል

በሸራተን አዲስ ጋዝ ላይት ክለብ ከትናንት በስቲያ ሰተካሄደው የድምፃዊ ሸዋንዳኝ ኃይሉ “ስጦታሽ” አልበም ምርቃት በክብር እንግድነት የተጠራው ድምፃዊ ቴዎድሮስ ካሳሁን (ቴዲ አፍሮ)፤ ሰዓት አርፍዶ በመድረሱ እንዳይገባ ተከልክሎ ከበር ተመለሰ፡፡
ቴዲ አፍሮ ከምሽቱ 5፡30 ላይ የምርቃት ስነስርዓቱ ወደሚካሄድበት ጋዝ ላይት ክለብ ሊገባ ሲል የጥበቃ ሰራተኞች “ጥሪው 4 ሰዓት እንጂ 5፡30 ሰዓት አይደለም” በማለት እንዳይገባ እንደከለከሉት ለማወቅ ተችሏል። አርቲስት ሰራዊት ፍቅሬና ሰይፉ ፋንታሁንን ጨምሮ በርካታ ያረፈዱ እንግዶች ወደ ጋዝ ላይት ክለብ እንዳይገቡ መከልከላቸውን የዓይን እማኞች ገልፀዋል፡፡ ሸዋንዳኝ፤ ቴዲ አፍሮ እንዳይገባ መከልከሉን የሰማው መድረክ ላይ ሆኖ እንደሆነ የገለፁት ምንጮች፤ በዚህም ማዘኑን ተናግረዋል። አንዳንድ አስተያየት ሰጪዎች፤ ሁለቱ እንዳላቸው ቅርበት ቴዲ አፍሮ በፕሮግራሙ ላይ ቀድሞ መገኘት ነበረበት ብለዋል፡፡ ድምፃዊ ሸዋንዳኝን ስለ ጉዳዩ በስልክ ጠይቀነው፣ መልስ ከመስጠት ተቆጥቧል፡፡

Friday, October 18, 2013

Isaac Kinde - Forbes Top 30 Under 30 in Biotech and Life Sciences-Video

MD-PhD Candidate, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Kinde is developing techniques to improve the accuracy of DNA sequencing technology and demonstrating that it might be used to detect cancers arising from the colon, pancreas, and ovaries in a simple, noninvasive manner. Already, several patents have been applied for and he's been published in Science Translational Medicine, Nature and other journals.
   

Beni-Amer Boy: Eritrea's Most Iconic Image

Growing up as kid, it seemed like every Eritrean household in the diaspora had this boy's image on their wall. His inviting smile; his big pearly whites; his mud-stiffened ringlets hairdo known as the tiffa and tribal scars on his cheeks made him a memorable face. Although no one knows his name for certain, he does have a few aliases Eritreans commonly refer to him by, including Beni-Amer boy and smiling boy.

So who is he?

Despite being one of the most recognized images among Eritreans, we still don't know much about him. All we know is this iconic picture was taken in 1965 by James P. Blair, a retired National Geographic photographer. We also know the picture was shot in Tesseney, Eritrea, a mid-size town near the Sudanese border. Aside from these few facts, there isn't much information to go on.

ETHIOPIA'S CHIMSA AND WARGA LOOKING FOR A BIG PAYDAY AT THE TORONTO MARATHON

One of the deepest fields ever assembled for a Canadian marathon will be on the start line of the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday (20).

On paper the two favourites both hail from Ethiopia, with Derissa Chimsa looking like the man who will give his compatriot and defending champion Sahle Warga a run for his money.

The pair know each other well as they are training partners in Addis Ababa.

The 26-year-old Chimsa has a best of 2:05:42, a time he recorded at the 2012 Dubai Marathon. Last year, he also won the 2012 Prague Marathon in 2:06:25 and dipped under 2:07 a third time last autumn when finishing second at the Frankfurt Marathon.

Ethiopians try 'Twitter diplomacy' to lure top talent

A World Cup berth appears unlikely after their home defeat to Nigeria but a growing legion of Ethiopian fans are taking to Twitter to lure overseas-based players eligible to represent the Walyas

Nigeria came from behind to snatch a last-gasp 2-1 win over Ethiopia in the first leg of their playoff in Addis Ababa after two goals from Emmanuel Emenike helped them take a big step towards next year's finals in Brazil.

But Ethiopia's fans have now found something to cheer about as their largely-domestic based Walyas - named after an endemic antelope - could be boosted by a small contingent of players plying their trade in Europe.

Ethiopia suspends Saudi Arabia travel for workers

Many domestic workers in the Middle East report some form of abuse. 
The Ethiopian government will impose a six-month ban on citizens looking to travel to Saudi Arabia in what it said was meant to minimise their mistreatment at the hands of Middle Eastern employers.

Speaking in parliament, prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said the suffering of Ethiopians working in Saudi Arabia, particularly as househelps, had continued to get worse.

"As of the next month we will not send our citizens to Saudi Arabia to work, for [at least] six months," he said while responding to questions by legislators on Thursday.

Ethiopia sets sights on stars with space programme

Ethiopia unveiled Friday the first phase of a space exploration programme, which includes East Africa's largest observatory designed to promote astronomy research in the region.
"The optical astronomical telescope is mainly intended for astronomy and astrophysics observation research," said observatory director Solomon Belay.
The observatory, which will formally be opened on Saturday, boasts two telescopes, each one metre (over three feet) wide, to see "extra planets, different types of stars, the Milky Way, and deep galaxies," Solomon added.
The 3.4 million dollar (2.5 million euro) observatory, run by the Ethiopian Space Science Society (ESSS), is funded by Ethiopian-Saudi business tycoon Mohammed Alamoudi.

Lessons From a Failed Attack in Ethiopia | via Milinet | By Scott Stewart |


By Scott Stewart
An explosion ripped through a residence Oct. 13 in the Bole district of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital city, killing two men. The Ethiopian government said the two were Somalis who were in Ethiopia illegally. News footage of the scene showed a pistol, hand grenades and bomb components discovered after the blast.
The incident occurred just prior to a highly publicized soccer game in which the Ethiopian national team played a World Cup qualification match against the Nigerian national team in an Addis Ababa stadium just a few miles from the site of the explosion. An Ethiopian government spokesman noted Oct. 14 that an intact suicide vest and a soccer shirt were found at the site of the explosion, indicating that the two men likely intended to use their weapons and explosives to attack the stadium during the match or one of the many venues where large crowds would gather to watch the game on television. While the Ethiopians lost the soccer match against Nigeria, their luck clearly was better when the explosion killed the two would-be assailants before they could strike.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Ethiopian police torture political detainees: Human Rights Watch

(Reuters) - Ethiopian police investigators in Addis Ababa's main detention center have tortured political detainees and regularly mistreat people in custody to extract confessions, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Friday.

The Ethiopian government, long seen by the West as a bulwark against militant Islam in the Horn of Africa, has denied frequent accusations that it uses state institutions to stifle dissent and silence political opposition.

In a report about conditions inside Addis Ababa's Federal Police Crime Investigation Sector, known as Maekelawi, HRW said many former detainees were slapped, kicked and beaten with sticks and gun butts during investigations.

Water war: Ethiopia's new dam could mean a crisis for Egypt

A sharpening dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia about Nile River water reminds the world how much does not change across the centuries in international politics and conflict.
The plot of "Aida," the Giuseppe Verdi opera currently being presented by the Pittsburgh Opera, is set in ancient Egypt and turns on a war between Egypt and Ethiopia. Today the two countries don't even have a common border, but the crux of a serious problem lies in the fact that the Nile River rises in part in Ethiopia. That country has already completed 30 percent of the work on a dam that, according to the Egyptians, will draw heavily on water that feeds the Nile.
Egypt's population of 84 million draws an estimated 95 percent of its water from the Nile. It is generally agreed that without the Nile, there is no Egypt, dependent as its agriculture and general life are on the river. Egypt's claim to Nile water comes, first, from a 1959 treaty which recognizes its "natural and historic rights" to it; second, from Egypt's centuries-old pre-eminence; and, third, from its massive dependence on the river.

Al-Shabab warns of further unrest

Police tape can be seen outside of a residence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where an explosion killed two people Sunday.
The two young Somali men arrived a little under a month ago and rented a small service quarter in Bole-Mikeal, an upmarket neighbourhood a short drive from Ethiopia’s international airport.

The men claimed to be students, kept mostly to themselves and didn’t disturb anyone till this Sunday afternoon when, Ethiopian authorities said, they accidentally detonated a powerful homemade bomb in their room and died.

“They were Somali, they came a month ago to kill people but they killed themselves,” said a young girl, summing up all that anyone in the area seems to know of these mysterious tenants.

Ethiopia: From Solomon to Big Data

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country, boasting a unique cultural heritage, and apart from a short five-year occupation by Mussolini's Italy… it has never been colonised. Looking back, the history is so entrenched, the last emperor, Haile Selassie claimed descent from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. In the present, Addis Ababa is the seat of the African union, base for the Economic Commission for Africa and often referred to as "the political capital” of Africa. Whilst looking ahead, Ethiopia is beginning to take a surprising leadership stance… in the arena of Big Data.
Ethiopia is on course to build Africa’s most comprehensive disaster and risk management database. The aim is to gather enough information to help reduce future suffering caused by the slew of natural disasters that have plagued the region since time immemorial.  To date, they’ve carried out 100,000 household interviews and is set to have completed a detailed risk profile for all its 750 districts by 2015.
Tadesse Bekele, Deputy Director in Disaster Risk Management and Food Security Sector of the Ministry of Agriculture explained at 4th Africa Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in February: "I would encourage all countries in Africa to follow Ethiopia's example in developing in-depth information systems based on nationwide risk profiling of disaster-affected communities. It is important to get out of the vicious circle of managing from crisis to crisis."

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Ethiopian FA to investigate 'attack on Nigeria team bus'

The Ethiopian Football Association has said it will investigate Nigeria's claim fans attacked their team bus after the countries' World Cup play-off in Addis Ababa on Sunday.
Nigeria said midfielder Nosa Igiebor (pictured) was injured when the bus windows were shattered as the team left the stadium after their 2-1 win - and they have reported the incident to Fifa.
Newly-elected Ethiopian FA president Juniedin Basha said: "We saw the reports that Nigeria's bus was attacked and a player was injured.

Calabar Will Be Too Hot For Ethiopia- Gov. Imoke


Calabar Stadium

Cross River state Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, has said the Canaan city of Calabar, will be too hot for the Wayla Antelopes of Ethiopia, when they come for the return leg match against the Super Eagles on November 16.

It was generally assumed that the Ethiopians used the high altitude to advantage in the game against Nigeria last Sunday but still lost, but the Governor who spoke while watching the game between the Antelopes and the Eagles has now said there will be no hiding place for the visitors in Calabar.
 

Fifa dismisses Ethiopian protest

World football governing body FIFA have responded to Ethiopia Football Federation(EFF) protest letter against the referee decisions to disallow their goal against Nigeria over the weekend.

FIFA have categorically said in their response that the decision of the referee was final and it could not be overturned
"We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 13 October complaining about the referee decision to disallow goal against Nigeria.In respect ,we would like to draw your attention to article 14 paragraph 6 of the regulations for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil".

በስራ ሰዓት ፌስ ቡክ እየተጠቀሙ ስራ የሚበድሉን ለመቆጣጠር መመሪያ እየተዘጋጀ ነው


አዲስ አበባ ፣ ጥቅምት 6 ፣ 2006 (ኤፍ ቢ ሲ) ማህበራዊ ድረ ገጾች ቀላል የመገናኛ ዘዴ ከመሆን ባለፈ የስራ ሰአት እየተሻሙ መሆኑን ብዙዎች ይናገራሉ።

በአንዳንድ መስሪያ ቤቶች ፌስ ቡክን ያለ አግባብ በመገልገል ፥ ውድ የስራ ሰዓትን በማቃጠል ደንበኛን ያጉላላሉ ሲሉም ነው የሚናገሩት።

አስተያየት ሰጭዎቹ እንደሚናገሩት ሰራተኞቹ በስራ ሰአት “ ኦንላይን ” በመሆን ጉዳይ ለማስፈጸም የመጡ ደንበኞችን በአግባቡ ካለማናገር ጀምሮ ስራን ይበድላሉ።

ሁኔታው ወደ ሱስነት እየተቀየር መሆኑንም የሚገልፁ አሉ።