Ethiopian Airlines Voted Best Airline from Africa by Kuala Lumpur Airport

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest and most profitable airline in Africa, is pleased to announce that it has been voted as the Best Foreign Airline of the Year from Africa at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ( KLIA) 9th Annual Awards held on 21 November 2014.

Ethiopian started flights to Kuala Lumpur on 30 October 2012. Commenting on the award, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Group, Ato Tewolde Gebremariam, said: “We are highly honored by the recognition from Kuala Lumpur Airport, one of the best airport hubs in Asia. Ethiopian is the airline of choice for travelers between Africa and Asia, thanks to our extensive network, ideal connectivity options with minimum layover in Addis Ababa and our globally recognized African flavored Ethiopian hospitality. In 2015, we plan to further expand our service in Asia by starting flights to Tokyo and Manila and avail better connectivity options for our esteemed customers.”

Ethiopian was voted in August 2014 in Anaheim, California as the Best Airline in Africa by Passenger Choice Awards, the most extensive survey of passengers in the industry. Recently, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) recognized Ethiopian as the Best in Africa at its 46th Annual General Assembly held in Algiers in November 2014.
Ethiopian is a global Pan-African carrier currently serving 84 international destinations across 5 continents with over 200 daily flights using the latest technology aircraft such as the B777s and B787s.
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Ethiopia to Make USD 20 Billion Investment for Power Development

During the second phase of the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II), which runs from 2015 to 2020, Ethiopia is going to spend a total of USD 20 Billion Birr on its power development program.
Commenting on this Mekuria Lemma, head of Strategy and Investment Division at the Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), said this expenditure is in line with what the nation has been spending annually in the past three years, USD Two Billion.

Hundreds Take Over SD Streets to Protest Ferguson Decision

Two separate protests sent hundreds of people onto the streets and onto a freeway of San Diego Tuesday night, leading to arrests the evening after a grand jury decided not to indict white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of black teen Michael Brown.

Traffic came to a halt as crowds set out from the City Heights Performance Annex to march around the San Diego Police Department’s Mid City division. They chanted "Hands up, don't shoot," the phrase that has come to represent all rallies held in Brown's honor.

SDSU Students Protest Ferguson Decision

"It's showing community participation within this context of showing outrage against violence against people of color," said protester Chase Fite.

About an hour an a half in, protesters marched onto Interstate 15 at University Avenue, forcing California Highway Patrol to issue a Sig Alert. Police and CHP quickly herded the crowd back onto surface streets, but off- and on-ramps to University Ave. were closed.

Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Hundreds-Take-Over-SD-Streets-to-Protest-Ferguson-Decision-283919561.html#ixzz3KQ6ZDaXj
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Police soon formed a blockade about 35 officers-wide, systematically pushing people back in an effort to regain control of the area.

SDPD says some arrests have been made from the group that went onto the interstate, but they did not release details about what those charges were.

One man in a camouflage shirt was seen being hauled away by officers, who were carrying him by his arms and legs.
At their meeting place, protesters covered the sign for the Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park with a banner that made it read “Michael Brown Memorial Park.” Henwood was an SDPD officer who was gunned down in City Heights while on duty in 2011.

The SDPD told NBC 7 the protest was supposed to be confined to the park, which sits near the Mid City police division, but excitement sparked other plans.

Still, many San Diegans in the crowd advocated for peace across the nation.

"Hold on babies. Don't tear up your place. We're behind you. The world is behind you," one person told NBC 7.

Missouri Triples National Guard Presence in Ferguson

A second protest originated at the Federal Building, where people listened to speeches before weaving their way through downtown streets.

Chanting "Peace through revolution. Touch one, touch all," the demonstrators held signs that read "No justice, no peace" and "Jail the killer cop."

Ferguson Protests Continue Across U.S. for 2nd Day

At San Diego State University Tuesday, students also stood in solidarity with the Ferguson protesters. Some held their arms in a "hands up" position.

The local activists’ movements are similar dozens of demonstrations across the country that have now entered their second day — though San Diego’s protests have been far more peaceful.

In Ferguson itself, Gov. Jay Nixon has called in over 2,200 National Guardsmen after rioting, looting and fires broke out when the grand jury’s decision was initially announced. The Associated Press reports 61 people were arrested in the St. Louis suburb Monday night.
More than 200 protesters gathered in Los Angeles Tuesday afternoon, forcing road closures. The night before, marches had briefly stopped traffic on Interstate 10.

Officer Wilson: "I Never Wanted to Take Anyone's Life"

In Oakland, 40 people were arrested for a variety of crimes Monday night, and more protests are expected.

Ed. Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the group responsible for covering the sign at Henwood Memorial Park. We regret the error.

Happy Thanksgiving/መልካም የምስጋና ቀን

Ethiopia Seeks Tech Companies to Share Chinese Mobile Contract

Ethiopia Seeks Tech Companies to Share Chinese Mobile Contract

Ethiopia will give other companies parts of a telecommunications project it awarded to ZTE Corp. (000063) after a contract dispute with the state-owned Chinese company, Communications and Information Technology Minister Debretsion Gebremichael said.

The government has held talks with Helsinki-based Nokia Oyj (NOK1V) and Ericsson AB of Sweden about them taking over segments of the contract, which seeks to double mobile-phone network capacity in the Horn of African country and expand 3G coverage nationwide by June, Debretsion said.

“We’ve already started negotiations with Ericsson and Nokia,” he said by phone yesterday from the capital, Addis Ababa. “We didn’t sign as we have to close the issue with ZTE before getting into any other major contractual agreement.”

Neither ZTE nor Nokia immediately responded to e-mails seeking comment. Ericsson doesn’t comment on “rumors or speculations,” spokeswoman Elisabeth Mansi said by e-mail.

Ethio Telecom, the state-owned monopoly provider, in July 2013 signed deals worth $1.6 billion with ZTE and China’s Huawei Technologies Co. to improve Internet and phone services. In line with a previous ZTE contract, the companies agreed to provide most of the financing themselves from Chinese lenders.

ZTE’s work has been delayed by at least six months after it rejected a “mandatory” provision to upgrade existing infrastructure at no extra cost as it expanded networks, Debretsion said. Although the company has now agreed to the condition, other firms need to be involved to make up for lost time, he said.
Completing Work

Ethiopia to deploy 210 volunteers to Ebola-hit countries within two weeks

Nov 26,2014

ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia on Tuesday announced that it will be deploying about 210 volunteers to Ebola-hit West African countries in two weeks.

Responding to the call of the African Union (AU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country's commitment to the African solidarity, Ethiopia earlier pledged to provide support to the Ebola-affected West African countries by deploying health professionals, said Ahmed Imano, Director of Public Relations and Communication at the Ministry of Health.

Ahmed said the East African country had also pledged to provide

financial support amounting half a million U.S. dollars to support the intervention in addressing the epidemic.

To implement the pledge, Ethiopia has recruited the 210 volunteers out of the 1,100 registered volunteers, according to the director, who was speaking to the press in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The volunteers would be deployed in the three most affected countries -- Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

Ethiopia Hopes to Set World Record for HIV Tests

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Nov 25, 2014, 1:24 PM ET
Associated Press

Ethiopia is attempting to set a world record for the number of HIV tests carried out in one day.

The country's health officials said Tuesday they hope to break the record this coming weekend in honor of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. The previous record for number of HIV tests carried out in one day occurred in Argentina in November 2012, when 1,380 people were tested. Ethiopian officials hope to carry out 2,000 tests.

The Ministry of Health said the tests would occur in the country's Gambella region, where 6.5 percent of residents have HIV or AIDS.

Dr. Warren Naamara, who is with UNAIDS, said some 800,000 Ethiopian have been infected with HIV since the outbreak of the disease in the 1980s. A quarter of those infected were children.