Somali president bends to rebel demand for sharia law

28 February, 2009

(CNN) -- Somali President Sharif Sheikh Hassan said Saturday he will give in to a rebel demand that he impose Islamic law, or sharia, in an effort to halt fighting between Somali forces and Islamic insurgents. more >>

Ethiopia exports to United States double under AGOA

25 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian tax-free exports to the United States more than doubled to $18 million last year from $8.9 million in 2007, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said on Wednesday. more >>

The destruction of Ethiopia's once beautiful Lake Koka

24 February, 2009

Al Jazeera - People & Power investigates the destruction of Ethiopia's once beautiful Lake Koka and the tragic effects this is now reaping on the local population. watch videos >>

Ethiopian Airlines cuts intl flights as crisis bites

23 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian Airlines said on Monday it was cutting flights to the United States and China as the global financial crisis hit passenger numbers. more >>

Court to make Bashir warrant ruling on March 4

23 February, 2009

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court is expected to announce next month that it will issue an arrest warrant for Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. more >>

Guantanamo detainee back in Britain

23 February, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian-born former British resident, returned to Britain from the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay on Monday, alleging he had been "tortured in medieval ways". more >>

Nigerian man accused in scheme to swindle $27M from Ethiopian government account in NYC

21 February, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Nigerian man has been charged with trying to swindle nearly $27 million from a Citibank account in New York held by Ethiopia's central bank. more >>

Ethiopia plans $720 million for roads in 2009

20 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia has set aside 8 billion birr to construct new roads and upgrade dilapidated ones in 2009, a government official said on Friday. more >>

Ethiopian Government Urges Japan to Lift Ban on Coffee Imports

20 February, 2009

(Bloomberg) -- Ethiopia urged Japan to lift a ban on imports of its coffee, saying the Horn of Africa country has taken measures to prevent pesticide contamination that led Japan to halt purchases last year. more >>

Ethiopian pop star jail term cut

18 February, 2009

BBC News, Addis Ababa - Ethiopia's most famous pop singer, Teddy Afro, has had his sentence for manslaughter reduced on appeal.
He was jailed for causing the death of a young homeless man through dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of the accident. more >>

Nigeria, Ethiopia top Africa investment index

18 February, 2009

LONDON (Reuters) - Nigeria and Ethiopia topped a new index of African potential investor destinations on Wednesday, with the survey organisers saying the continent offers good potential growth even against the global economic crisis. more >>

Japan finance chief quits over alleged drunkenness

17 February, 2009

TOKYO (AP) – Japan's finance minister resigned in disgrace Tuesday after slurring his speech and nodding off during the G-7 summit in Rome last weekend in yet another political distraction as the world's No. 2 economy battles an ever-deepening recession. more >>

Ethiopia to trademark two more coffee brands

17 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia said on Tuesday it planned to obtain trademark rights for two coffee brands, originating in its Limu and Lekempte regions, to ensure the fine beans are sold only by licensed distributors. more >>

Merkato Bus Terminal Gets Facelift

17 February, 2009

Addis Fortune - The over two million Birr worth makeover of the city bus terminal in Merkato, commonly known as Adarash, has been finalized after a delay of nearly one and half months from the intended date of completion. more >>

Ethiopian PM plans to quit in 2010

15 February, 2009

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Afriquejet - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Friday he was in consultations with his ruling party about the possibility of quitting as Prime Minister and retaining his role as the party leader after next year's elections. more >>

Ethiopia to construct $22 million international sports stadium

15 February, 2009

APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - Ethiopia on Sunday launched laid the foundation stone for the construction of a $22 million new international stadium, the Co-ordination Committee of the stadium said. more >>

Ethiopia PM defends arrest of opposition leader

14 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said the arrest of the country's opposition leader was not a political decision, arguing the authorities were left with no other choice. more >>

Ethiopia sees inflation down to single figures by July

14 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's high rate of inflation will be back to single figures by June or July this year, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said. more >>

GPAD Announces Anti-Corruption E-Discussion

14 February, 2009

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ECA) -- The Governance and Public Administration Division (GPAD) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) announces the creation of an e-discussion group on anti-corruption. more >>

Zimbabwe opposition doubts Mengistu extradition

13 February, 2009

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition said on Friday it doubted its unity government with President Robert Mugabe would extradite Ethiopia's former Marxist ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam, who has asylum there. more >>

Ethiopia expands road network

13 February, 2009

KHL Group - The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) has awarded China's Sinohydro Corporation a ETB 502.8 million (US$ 45.8 million) contract to upgrade and repair a 100 km-long road linking Ethiopia and southern Sudan. more >>

Somali president names Sharmarke as new PM

13 February, 2009

NAIROBI (AFP) – Somalia's new president on Friday named Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, a Canadian-Somali national, as the war-torn country's new prime minister. more >>

New PM Tsvangirai vows to rebuild Zimbabwe

11 February, 2009

HARARE (AFP) – Morgan Tsvangirai vowed to rebuild Zimbabwe's shattered economy and to end political violence, as he became prime minister Wednesday in a unity government with long-time rival President Robert Mugabe. more >>

Gaddafi wants Caribbean in Africa

11 February, 2009

BBC NEWS - Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi has said he would like a United States of Africa to include "Caribbean islands with African populations". more >>

Global crisis drives down Ethiopia flower earnings

10 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Income from Ethiopian flower exports has reached only 60 percent of a targeted $298 million over the last 18 months as the global recession hits the sector, a senior government official said on Tuesday. more >>

Qaddafi’s election as AU chairman gets mixed reactions in Ethiopia

08 February, 2009

APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) - The election of the Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi as chairman of the African Union during the just ended AU summit in Addis Ababa has been received here with mixed reactions. more >>

Digital scans of "Lucy" take pre-humans inside out

08 February, 2009

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Digital X-rays have turned Lucy, perhaps the world's best-known pre-human, inside out, and may answer questions about how our ancestors came down from the trees and walked, scientists said on Friday. more >>

DP World Opens New Terminal in Djibouti

08 February, 2009

DUBAI Khaleej Times Online - DP World, one of the world’s largest port operators, on Saturday officially opened its new Doraleh Container Terminal in Djibouti, the largest and most modern terminal in East Africa. more >>

Rebels target new Somali president with mortars

08 February, 2009

MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Rebels fired mortar bombs at the presidential palace in Mogadishu Saturday hours after Somalia's new President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed returned to the capital following his election at U.N.-led talks in Djibouti. more >>

Former Miss Ethiopia Sehin Belew says women do not have to be rich to be fashionable

05 February, 2009

VOA News - Take care of yourself…and then accept yourself. That's the message of Sehin Belew, a former Miss Ethiopia who has been living in the United States for the past couple of decades. more >>

Zimbabwe's MDC plan to extradite Mengistu Haile Mariam to Ethiopia

04 February, 2009

Times Online - The former Ethiopian dictator who slaughtered opponents on an industrial scale in the so-called "Red Terror" is to face justice after 17 years being sheltered by Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe. more >>

Gaddafi condemns Africa democracy

04 February, 2009

BBC NEWS - The new African Union (AU) chairman, Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi, has said that multi-party democracy in Africa leads to bloodshed. more >>

Ethiopian opposition leader Bekele freed on bail

04 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - A leading Ethiopian opposition politician was freed on bail on Wednesday after he was jailed last November after the government accused him of working with rebels, his party said. more >>

Jailed – judge who refused to say sorry

Since being feted by Tony Blair, Ethiopia's government has grown increasingly intolerant of dissent – and the leader of its main opposition party is paying the price.

By Daniel Howden

03 February, 2009

The Independent - Birtukan Mideksa has been sentenced to life in prison. She spends her days and nights in solitary confinement in a two-metre by two-metre cell. She cannot leave it to see daylight or even to receive visitors. Previous inmates say the prison is often unbearably hot. more >>

Ethiopian B-757 makes emergency landing in Rome, Italy

03 February, 2009

Rome, Italy (Avionews) - The occurrence happened this morning at Rome-Fiumicino's airport more >>

Iran sends first home-built satellite into orbit

03 February, 2009

TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran said on Tuesday it has launched its first home-built satellite into orbit, raising fresh concerns among world powers already at odds with Tehran over its nuclear drive. more >>

Ethiopian captain establishes domestic airline

02 February, 2009

Reporter - An Ethiopian pilot, Captain Abera Lemi, has established a domestic airline, called Air Ethiopia, which will provide passenger and cargo, ambulance, charter, scheduled and non-scheduled flight services. more >>

New Somali leader feted in capital of former enemy

02 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - African leaders feted Somalia's new moderate Islamist president on Monday as a hope for peace in the anarchic nation but hardline former allies declared war on his government and called him a traitor. more >>

Gaddafi elected as next AU leader

02 February, 2009

BBC NEWS - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been elected as chairman of the 53-nation African Union. more >>

Africa summit debates Gaddafi's unity plan

01 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - African leaders set aside the first day of an annual summit on Sunday to discuss Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's long-standing pet project to establish a United States of Africa. more >>

Sudan warns peacekeepers to quit Darfur town

01 February, 2009

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Peacekeepers on Sunday said Sudan's government had asked them to withdraw from a rebel-held Darfur town, amid reports state troops were preparing to attack the settlement. more >>

African Union summit opens

01 February, 2009

ADDIS ABABA, (AFP) – The African Union's 12th summit opened Sunday in Ethiopia with an agenda officially focused on infrastructure development but overshadowed by conflict and hunger on the continent. more >>

US, Ethiopia praise former Somali foe, now leader

01 February, 2009

After two years since Ethiopia-US alliance to oust Somali ‘Islamists’, today both Washington & Addis Ababa welcome return of ICU leader as president. more >>

Death toll from Kenya oil blaze rises to 111

01 February, 2009

MOLO, Kenya (Reuters) - The death toll from an oil spill blaze in central Kenya has risen to 111, making it one of the east African nation's worst disasters of recent times, police said on Sunday. more >>