Ethiopia: A little light for returnees from Saudi Arabia

n Ethiopian returnee from Saudi Arabia makes a free phone call to contact her family after arriving in Addis Ababa Bole International 

Thousands of Ethiopian nationals returning from Saudi Arabia had the opportunity to re-establish contact with their families thanks to a free phone service set up by the ICRC and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society.

“There is nothing more comforting for separated families than hearing the voices of their loved ones. It heals the pain of separation,” said Mulugeta Jaleta, who runs the Ethiopian Red Cross Society’s family links programme.

In November and December last year, around 24,000 Ethiopians returning from Saudi Arabia were sheltered in five temporary sites set up in Addis Ababa. “The phone service we provided helped returnees let their families know that they had arrived home safely,” added Mr Jaleta.

This Ethiopian Intersection Is A Beautiful Example Of Organized Chaos

           
      
Engineers have attempted for years to design the perfect intersection, with no traffic lights, and no signs. Their attempts have met with varying levels of success. What they should've done is just watched drivers in Meskel Square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Then they would've known just to say "screw it."P

There are very few things I would not attempt to do behind the wheel, at least once. Skid plate racing, for example, looks awesome. I'm not sure I'd try a trip through Meksel Square, even if you gave me a Volvo, a roll cage, a helmet, a helmet to go on top of my helmet, a nomex firesuit, and just for good measure, some bubble wrap.

Because while you're waiting for the intersection to clear, you might as well entertain yourself by popping some bubble wrap.

Ethiopia to host Cecafa

Ethiopia will host the 2014 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup with between November and December while Rwanda will host the Kagame Club Cup in August.

A Cecafa delegation will visit Addis Ababa after the Fifa World Cup [June/July] to finalise the arrangements and sponsorship package, Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye told supersport.com.

The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, has already honoured his pledge of $60,000 [Sh5.2 million] prize money. Cecafa and the Rwanda FA are finalizing a sponsorship package that will cater for all expense for the teams and delegations in the Kagame Club cup.

Meanwhile Cecafa have launched two new regional tournaments that are scheduled for commence in May this was announced in Nairobi on Thursday morning.

Paying for giant Nile dam itself, Ethiopia thwarts Egypt but takes risks

(Reuters) - Ethiopia's bold decision to pay for a huge dam itself has overturned generations of Egyptian control over the Nile's waters, and may help transform one of the world's poorest countries into a regional hydropower hub.

By spurning an offer from Cairo for help financing the project, Addis Ababa has ensured it controls the construction of the Renaissance Dam on a Nile tributary. The electricity it will generate - enough to power a giant rich-world city like New York - can be exported across a power-hungry region.

But the decision to fund the huge project itself also carries the risk of stifling private sector investment and restricting economic growth, and may jeopardise Ethiopia's dream of becoming a middle income country by 2025.

The dam is now a quarter built and Ethiopia says it will start producing its first 750 megawatts of electricity by the end of this year. In the sandy floor of the Guba valley, near the Sudanese border, engineers are laying compacted concrete to the foundations of the barrage that will tower 145 metres high and whose turbines will throw out 6,000 megawatts - more than any other hydropower project in Africa.

Maritu Legesse on Sheger FM with Meaza Biru-Interview

Meaza Biru of Sheger FM expressed her Happiness at the end of her interview with Maritu Legesse, the Queen of Amharic Traditional Music. Let me express my gratitude for Meaza, who always amazed me with her weekly interviews with personalities from all walks of life. Maritu Legesse, a well known Amharic Traditional singer was born in Wollo north east of Ethiopia, a rich & culturally diversified region. She began singing where she raised, married & gave birth for her ten children. She experienced music with Bati,Anchi Hoye,Tizita & Ambassel.

The Lyrics of her music originated from her source, tells the life philosophy of her time.she travelled all over the world with the ''Hizib le Hizib'' campaign, organized with the aim of recognizing countries who supported Ethiopia during the 1977 famine. After she relocated to the USA, her career overshadowed. She is not the only one who lost her reputation after she moved to the USA. Our poverty, economic deprivation & political confutation killed the talents of Tewodros Tadesse,MuluQen Melesse,Teshome Mitiku and so on. Maritu, the Queen, laid her own Hall of Fame within the hearts of Amharic Traditional Music fans.but for the time being she is far from her roots. She still has her amazing Sound, energy & Love for music. I wish Mulatu Astatke or Abrham Wolde gave her a chance to produce something new. Finally I want to declare my appreciation for Meaza.

Listen Part Two,
Listen Part Three,
Listen Part Four
Listen Part  Five

Prison for Ethiopian mother in baby's strangling

An Ethiopian woman who shook and strangled her 7-month-old son, then told police that he fell from a third-story apartment window, was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life in state prison.

Zewoinesh Badasso, 35, was convicted in February of first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of her son, David. A jury later found that Badasso was sane when she killed the child.

Deputy District Attorney Nicole Rooney told jurors in her opening statement in the guilt phase that Badasso strangled her son in two ways — with her hands and a ligature — on Sept. 7, 2012.

Rooney said Badasso grabbed, squeezed and shook the baby before killing him.

Prior to the killing, Badasso told a therapist that she had anger issues, a history of violence and had difficulty controlling her impulses, according to Rooney.

Ethiopian Man charged with killing wife on Auburn street is refused bail

A middle-aged man accused of murdering his young wife will remain behind bars after he was refused bail in a Sydney court.

Solomon Hailu Jenbare, 49, appeared briefly before Burwood Local Court on Thursday morning, almost two days after allegedly murdering his 25-year-old wife.

She was found with multiple stab wounds on an Auburn footpath late on Tuesday night and was taken to Westmead Hospital where she died shortly after arriving.