Thursday, September 7, 2006

Finding shelter away from flooding

Also in the news: KIL on the floods and Addisu’s visit, Professor Alemayehu interview, TPLF stealing food aid, Heavily-armed troops seen in addis and more of today’s top stories


Residents of the Southern Nationalities, Nations and People's State in Ethiopia walk through flooded lands after massive flashfloods in Tolta. The Red Cross has increased its emergency appeal for funds to help the survivors of deadly flooding in Ethiopia to 3.2 million euros (4.2 million dollars).AFP/File/Abraham Fisseha.

Villages on the shores of Lake Tana flooded

Lake Tana from space
A group of 20 people waded through waist-high water to reach dry ground, away from their flooded village on the shores of Lake Tana in Ethiopia's Amhara region. "The waters were so high," said one. "All the food [in the houses] is destroyed. Over 1,000 cows have died.

We came with our family ... and everyone from the village is coming." The lake waters have receded - but only to the edge of the road where aid vehicles stop. Bambiko village, the home of the 20 evacuees, was still under water. Before the flooding, the village was mostly grazing land. (More...)

KIL press release: On the floods and Addisu’s visit

(More...)

Professor Alemayehu on HR5680

Dr. Alemayehu is a professor at California State University, San Bernardino and a defense attorney. He is also the host of the TV show “In the public interest with Al Mariam”

“It is an outrage, that a country on the list of the top ten poorest countries in the world should spend such an enormous sum on lobbying firms, and then turn around and beg for international handouts to support public services and projects because they do not have money. In this case, it is criminal for the Ethiopian government to spend over $600,000 a year to make sure that it will not get the $20 million designated for implementation of H.R.5680.” (More...)

Discomfiture of democracy ? The 2005 election crisis in Ethiopia and its aftermath

The following academic article published by the Oxford university press takes an interesting look at the 2005 election crisis in Ethiopia and its aftermath.

Most observers, including donor country representatives, have now come to conclude that, in simple objective terms, the position of the incumbent government is seriously weakened despite its re-establishing some kind of order. There is no going back to things as they were before May 2005. Not only is the government’s political legitimacy seriously at issue, but it is also engendering contradictions between governance and socio-economic development. Development would benefit from middle-class dynamics, legal security of property, transparency of policy, and social mobility. Ignoring these contradictions and the profound desire for change among the Ethiopian public might prevent it from actually carrying out many of its political and economic programs. It could also generate sustained protest, growing insecurity, and durable instability, undermining a government’s functioning and even endangering the basis of neo-patrimonial rule.(More...)
Wanted: Assistant for Stephen Hawking

Renowned astrophysicist and best-selling author Stephen Hawking has announced he is looking for a graduate student to work for him for one to two years.

The mathematics professor at the University of Cambridge has done groundbreaking work on black holes and the origins of the universe, making him one of the best-known theoretical physicists of his generation.(More...)
-Who is Stephen Hawking? He is considered the greatest mind in physics since Albert Einstein....Learn more about him.

Today's Top Stories

-The TPLF Government Continues to Rob Food Aid - OLF
-Addis Patrolled by Heavily-armed troops
-Help Sought in Murder of Ethiopian Cabbie
-Ivorian cabinet quits over waste
-Iraq takes military reins from coalition
-Poll: Giuliani, Clinton favorites for 2008 nominations
-Climate change forged first civilizations: scientist
-Human heads dumped in Mexico bar
-Dylan's album at top of US chart

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