Ethiopian Airlines eyes at tapping growth of China, India

Ethiopian Airlines hopes to tap surging growth in China and India by launching new flights aimed at making Addis Ababa its gateway to Africa, according to Reuters.
Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake said "Even one percent of that market is huge. We will expand our routes into China and India and also the frequency of our flights."
Ethiopian Airlines is one of a trio of African carriers along with South African Airways and Kenya Airways spearheading change in Africa's growing airline industry with modern planes and solid safety records.
Girma said Ethiopian was considering raising its number of weekly flights to China to 14 from 11. Ethiopian Airlines operates 10 flights a week to New Delhi and Mumbai. (WIC)

100 million Birr hotels near completion

More than 90 percent of work on the construction of two four star hotels launched by Jupiter International Hotels Enterprise at a cost of close to 100 million Birr have been completed, deputy president of the enterprise said.
The enterprise is owned by two brothers who returned to Ethiopia after many years abroad. Enterprise deputy president, Berhan Asrat told Ethiopian News Agency that work on the construction of the hotels is being speeded up with a view to making them operational in the Ethiopian Millennium.
The hotels are being constructed in Kazanchis and Bole areas.
The hotels would have various facilities including 144 guest rooms, restaurant, gymnasium and business centers. High speed broad band internet service aiming at providing services for foreign businesspersons would be installed in every room.
Up on completion within a month time the hotels are expected to create jobs for 260 citizens. The enterprise has also plans to construct branches in various African countries. (ENA)

Four People missing following volcanic eruption in North Ethiopia

People and animals believed to be trapped between cracks. Four people have been reported missing after a volcanic eruption took place in the north-eastern Afar region of Ethiopia early this week.
The eruption took place on Monday around 5pm, the lava flowing through two local areas (Dyoluna and Gmoyeta) of Yelamari village, some 70km away from Teru district of Afar region.
The lava flow forced hundreds of villagers to flee from their areas and there are fears that some people and animals might have fallen between the cracks on the ground caused by tremors during the volcanic explosion. (The Sub-Saharan Informer)

Japan to donate $1 million for infectious disease prevention and control

The government of Japan will hand-over $1 million to UNICEF for infectious disease prevention and control in Ethiopia on Monday, 20 August, 2007, UNICEF disclosed.
The funds will be used to fight malaria which is prevalent in over 75 per cent of Ethiopia putting over 50 million people at risk.
H.E. Mr. kinichi Komano, Ambassador Etraordinary and plenipotentiary of Ethiopia and Mr. Bjorn Ljungqvist, UNICEF Representative to Ethiopia will speak at the signing ceremony to be held in the UN Conference Center. on August 20,2007 (UNICEF)

Task force says it cracks down on latest attempts of terror

The joint National Intelligence and Security Service and the Federal Police Anti-Terrorism Taskforce has disclosed that it has foiled attempted acts of terror.
In a statement it sent to ENA on Tuesday, the taskforce said this latest attempt of terrorism was found to be an orchestration of the rogue Government in Asmara, which handed down the missions of evil to OLF.
The statement said the task force is working relentlessly to ensure that the people throughout the country celebrate the millennium free of security fears.
It said this latest attempt was targeted at bombing infrastructures and public institutions and assassinating figures, including the President of Adama University.
The task force said it apprehended the coordinators and those given missions in the foiled acts of terror as well as arms including 9 explosives, 12 fuses and a Kalashnikov. (ENA)

30 Zebras, dozens of fish found dead in Lake Chamo

Some 30 Zebras and dozens of fish were found dead in Lake Chamo, a rift valley lake located in south Ethiopia.
The dead Zebras are believed to have drunk water from the lake. The report quoted people living within the periphery of the lake as saying that the fish and Zebras were dead as a result of the pollution of the lake.
Experts from south Ethiopia's Arba Minch University were also quoted as saying that the fish and Zebras might have been infected by pollution.
Local people expressed their concern as they consume the water and fish from the lake. Some of them said they were not able to do their day-to-day activities due to the stinking smell that comes from the dead fish and animals. (The Daily Monitor)

Over 27,000 children of pastoralist to receive basic alternative education in Somali State

The Somali State Education Bureau said it would provide basic alternative education for over 27,000 children of pastoralists in the coming academic year.
Pastoral Education Coordinator with the Bureau, Ahmed Abdulkarim, told WIC that 273 centers were constructed with the participation of the public in areas where there are no regular schools.
Ahmed said 520 coordinators and facilitators close to the pastoralist were trained in two rounds, adding that over 27,000 children would therefore benefit from the basic alternative education to be given for three years beginning next month.
The students would thus acquire knowledge equivalent to that of regular primary school and that will boost education coverage of the state from 35 to 43 percent, he elaborated. (WIC)