Bill Cosby faces growing chorus over sex abuse claims

This time it started with a stand-up comedy video that went viral and an ill-considered Twitter campaign.

Now Bill Cosby, oft-celebrated comedian and star of one of the highest-rated US television programmes in the 1980s, is being asked to once again publicly deny allegations that he committed multiple sexual assaults over the course of his career.

For the moment the comedian is only commenting through his lawyer.

"Over the last several weeks, decade-old, discredited allegations against Mr Cosby have resurfaced," writes Mr Cosby's lawyer, John P Schmidt, in a statement on Mr Cosby's website. "The fact that they are being repeated does not make them true. Mr Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment."
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CBS report: 135,000 Ethiopians living in Israel at end of 2013

The report also stated that in 2013, 1355 new immigrants arrived from Ethiopia, nearly a 50% reduction in aliya from the previous year.

The Ethiopian population in Israel stood at some 135,500 at the end of 2013 – 85,900 who were born in Ethiopia and 49,600 born in Israel to Ethiopian fathers, according to a report released by the Central Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, the eve of Sigd, a national holiday marked by Ethiopian Jews.

The majority of the Ethiopian population lives in two central localities – 38 percent in the Center and 24% in the South, with Netanya having the largest Ethiopian community at 10,900, followed by Rishon Lezion with some 7,400; Beersheba with 7,100; Jerusalem with 5,900; and Tel Aviv with 2,300.

Ethiopia says China's ZTE could lose part of $800 mln in row over terms

Nov 18 (Reuters) - Ethiopia has told Chinese telecoms firm ZTE Corp it risked losing part of its deal worth $800 million to expand the nation's network because of differences over costs of upgrading existing systems, an Ethiopian minister and executive said.
The deal last year with monopoly state-run operator Ethio Telecom was part of a $1.6 billion package, split between ZTE and another Chinese firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.
The African nation of more than 90 million people wants to double mobile subscribers to 50 million in 2015 and expand its 3G service. The overall contract includes a plan for Huawei roll out a high-speed 4G network in Addis Ababa.
"We have contractual issues unresolved," Communications and Technology Minister Debretsion Gebremichael told Reuters. "Swapping existing technology with no additional costs is one."
He said Ethiopia's government expected the firms to upgrade existing equipment without extra charge, but added ZTE had said this would cost an additional $150 million to $200 million.
"Discussions with Nokia and Ericsson is plan B in case it does not work out," the minister said in Paris, where he was attending a business forum.

UNHCR starts relocation of 15,000 stranded South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia

MATAR WAY STATION, Ethiopia, November 18 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has begun relocating nearly 15,000 South Sudanese refugees who had been stranded for a few months at a way station in western Ethiopia after the refugee camp where they were due to live was flooded.
A first group of 125 refugees left Matar Way Station on Monday and headed along the Baro River to the Itang Transit Centre, where they spent the night before resuming their journey on Tuesday by road towards Pugnido Refugee Camp, some 300 kilometres away.
They were expected to reach the camp, home to some 45,000 mainly South Sudanese refugees, later on Tuesday. A further 29 refugees with special needs, including pregnant women, lactating mothers, the blind and older people will be flown to Pugnido on a helicopter.
Two boats were chartered by the International Organization for Migration for the maiden relocation voyage – one for passengers and the other for luggage. The refugees were provided with water, high energy biscuits, and relief items such as blankets as they boarded the boats wearing life jackets.
The refugees seemed to be happy that this particular ordeal was coming to an end. "I'm glad that we are leaving this place. I have never been happy here. Now I can smile again," said 26-year-old Nyapal, who arrived at Matar pregnant with her first child after fleeing the violence in South Sudan. She flew on the helicopter to Pugnido.
Nyapal walked through the bush for 20 days before arriving in Ethiopia in July. "It was very tough. We drank any water we saw on the way," she recalled. Her husband, medic Baro, made his way to Ethiopia separately. "It was very risky for the family to be together while fleeing," he explained: "I saw a lot of people who were shot dead."
Another young couple, Biel and Nyabol, were also happy to leave. "We just want to relocate and stay in Ethiopia in peace," said Biel, fighting back tears. Both she and her husband lost their parents.
The refugees had been stranded at Matar close to the border with South Sudan after heavy rains and floodwaters from the Baro River swamped the Nip Nip refugee camp, where they were originally destined to live. The floods also made access roads impassable.
Valentin Tapsoba, UNHCR's recently appointed representative in Ethiopia, was present at the launch of the operation and thanked the government and people of Ethiopia for taking in the refugees and sharing their meagre resources. He also presented two four-wheel-drive vehicles and an ambulance to the government's Administration for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) for the relocation.
More than 190,000 South Sudanese refugees have sought refuge in Ethiopia's Gambella region since conflict broke out in South Sudan in mid-December 2013. Some 100 refugees continue to cross into Ethiopia every day, mainly through the Burbiey border point from Jonglei and Unity states in South Sudan. The new arrivals cite food shortages and insecurity, including sporadic fighting between rival warring factions, as reasons for their flight. Ethiopia is currently Africa's largest refugee-hosting country with more than 600,000 refugees.
UNHCR is currently working with the Ethiopian government to find land where some 50,000 flood-affected refugees can be relocated. Most of the refugees in Leitchour and Nip Nip camps had moved to higher ground.
By Reath Riek at Matar Way Station and Sulaiman Momodu at Itang Transit Centre, Ethiopia

6,200 Eritreans cross into Ethiopia in 37 days: UNHCR

According to a UNHCR report last July, there are a total of 629,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Ethiopia.

World Bulletin/News Desk
Over 6,200 Eritreans have crossed into Ethiopia over the past 37 days, an official with the UN refugee agency said Monday.
"More than 5,000 Eritrean asylum seekers crossed into the Ethiopian territory in October alone," spokesperson for the UNHCR office in Ethiopia Kisut Gebregziabher told Anadolu Agency.
"In the first week of November, more than 1,200 Eritreans have arrived in Ethiopia," he added.
Among those who managed to cross into Ethiopia, he said, were some 78 children.
According to a UNHCR report last July, there are a total of 629,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Ethiopia.
Some 99,000 of them are Eritreans. Most of them fled their country due to oppression and forced military service, Gebregziabher told AA earlier.
Eritrea and Ethiopia used to be a single country, but a 1993 referendum saw Eritreans vote for independence.
Tension between Addis Ababa and Asmara and has persisted since a bloody two-year border war, in which tens of thousands were killed, ended in 2000.
There are four refugee camps in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Regional State that cater to Eritrean refugees: Shimelba (set up in 2004), May Ayni (2008), Adiharush (2010) and Hitsats (2013).

Bad Breaking News! Ebola Patient Dr. Martin Salia Has Died in Nebraska: Officials

Dr. Martin Salia, a surgeon who was diagnosed with Ebola in Sierra Leone and flown to Nebraska over the weekend for treatment, has died, hospital officials said Monday.

Salia, 44, became the second person to die of the disease in the United States. Thomas Eric Duncan, who contracted Ebola in Liberia and traveled to Dallas, died last month.

Salia landed Saturday in Omaha. He was the 10th patient to be treated on American soil and the third at Nebraska Medical Center. Hospital officials had said that he was perhaps sicker than any other patient flown to the United States from West Africa.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share this news,” said Dr. Phil Smith, medical director of the hospital’s biocontainment unit. “Dr. Salia was extremely critical when he arrived here, and unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we weren't able to save him.”

The hospital planned to release further details later Monday.

Salia, a native of Sierra Leone and a legal U.S. resident, was living in Sierra Leone and working at a hospital when he was diagnosed last week. The Ebola outbreak, the worst in recorded history, has killed more than 5,000 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

Salia has a wife and two children who live in the Washington suburb of New Carrollton, Maryland. A son, Maada, told NBC News last week that Salia knew the risk of working in West Africa but wanted to do his part.

“Even though he knows the sickness is already out, he decided to still go and help his people because he wanted to show that he loves his people,” the son said. “He’s really, really a hero to me.”

Ethiopian Named African Airline of the Year - 14 November, 2014

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest and most profitable airline in Africa, is pleased to announce that it was named the African Airline of the Yearby the African Airlines Association at its 46th Annual General Assembly held in Algiers between 9 and 11 November 2014.

Ethiopian was crowned Airline of the Year for its exceptional results in 2013, consistent profitability, and sound strategy, which has enabled it to forge win-win partnerships with fellow sisterly African airlines. This is the third year in a raw that Ethiopian has continued to receive the award from AFRAA.

Upon receiving the award, Ethiopian Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam remarked: We are highly honored for this recognition by fellow sisterly airlines in Africa. The award goes, first and foremost, to the more than 8,000 employees at Ethiopian, who work very hard every day to provide the best services on the ground and in the air to our valued customers. We also thank our customers for giving us the opportunity to serve them and for travelling on Ethiopian in great numbers. It is also a testimony of the soundness of our Vision 2025 fast, profitable and sustainable growth strategy.