Report: Internet shutdowns cost Ethiopia $9 million in the past few months

A new report released today by the Brookings Institution has indicated that Internet shutdowns in Ethiopia has cost $9 million in the past few months.

 The report quantifies the economic cost of internet shutdowns around the world over the past year, including those that occurred in Ethiopia. Brookings Vice President, Darrell West, authored the study, in which he examines 81 short-term shutdowns that occurred in 19 countries between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016. He identifies the duration and scope of each shutdown, determines the population affected, and estimates its impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP). West identified that internet shutdown that occurred in Ethiopia during that time and estimates that it cost a total of US$9 million, contributing to a total global cost of US$2.4 billion due to internet blackouts. A table showing the cost incurred by each of the 19 examined countries is included below. According to the study, it will only become more expensive for nations to shut down the internet as the digital economy expands. And without coordinated action by the international community, this damage is likely to accelerate in the future and further weaken global economic development. “As long as political authorities continue to disrupt internet activity,” writes West, “it will be difficult for impacted nations to reap the full benefits of the digital economy.” By Elias Meseret for DireTube News

Ethiopian protesters ramp up attacks on foreign companies

Oromia: Deadly stampede at Ethiopia protest

Dozens of people have been killed and injured in Ethiopia's Oromia region after security forces fired on a protest at a festival, say witnesses.

Some died in a panicked stampede after troops opened fire, the reports said.

Thousands had gathered for a religious festival in Bishoftu, 40km (25 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.

Some reports said troops responded after anti-government protesters threw stones and bottles, while others said demonstrators were entirely peaceful.

Ethiopia's government said in a statement that "lives were lost", adding: "Those responsible will face justice".

An Oromo activist, Jawar Mohamed, is quoted as saying nearly 300 people were killed and many more injured. He said troops and a helicopter gunship had opened fire, driving people off a cliff and into a lake.

There has been no independent confirmation of this.

There have been months of deadly clashes in Ethiopia recently.

People in the Oromia and Amhara regions have complained about political and economic marginalisation.

The US has expressed concern about what it termed the excessive use of force against protesters.

• What is behind wave of protests?
• What do Oromo protests mean for Ethiopian unity?

Crowds at Sunday's Oromo festival, which AP news agency said had attracted two million people, chanted "We need freedom" and "We need justice", witnesses said.

Some participants crossed their wrists above their heads, a gesture that has become a symbol of Oromo protests.

The unrest was sparked last November by a plan to expand the capital into Oromia. This led to fears that farmers from the Oromo ethnic group, the largest in Ethiopia, would be displaced.

The plan was later dropped but protests continued, highlighting issues such as marginalisation and human rights.

Ethiopian runner makes protest sign as he crosses line in Rio

An Olympic marathon runner from Ethiopia staged a daring protest against his home government when he crossed the line in Rio on Sunday.

As he took the silver medal, Feyisa Lilesa crossed his arms above - a gesture made by the Oromo people who have suffered brutal police crackdowns.

Feyisa is from Oromia, home to most of Ethiopia's 35 million Oromo people.

He repeated the protest gesture later at a press conference, saying his life would be in danger if he returned home.

Human rights groups say that Ethiopian security forces have killed hundreds of people in recent weeks as they crack down on anti-government protests.

Ethiopian Airlines Inaugurates its new Aviation Academy

In line with its vision 2025 strategic road map, Ethiopian Airlines Group has invested USD 100 million in breakthrough expansion and upgrading its Aviation Academy. The scale and scope of the expansion seals the Academy’s position as the largest and the finest Aviation Academy in Africa with annual intake capacity of 4,000 students.

The new Ethiopian Aviation Academy has many class room buildings. The Technical block is housing the Pilot Training School and the Aviation Maintenance Training School; while the Commercial and Leadership block accommodates the Inflight Services Training School, Commercial and Ground Services School and Leadership School. It also has separate Administration building, workshops, auditorium, students’ dormitory and large cafeteria. As an ATO (Authorized Training Organization), the B-777, B-787, B-737, B-767/757 and the Q-400 full flight simulators which enables the academy to offer full type rating trainings for pilots.

Currently, the academy has the best aviation training technology like full range of fleet cabin emergency, evacuation and door trainers fitted with standard swimming pool for cabin crew ditching exercises and more than 20 pilot training aircraft, the finest expertise, dedicated and experienced instructors and a perfect environment for students.

Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian said, “Education is the greatest equalizer in today’s global village. We are proud to be in a position to avail the latest and next generation aviation technology training machines and facilities where we can train the continent’s youth and prepare them for the 21st century African Aviation development. The Ethiopian Aviation Academy is positioning itself to be the catalyst leader in aviation training technology in supporting the African Union to realize its vision 2063”

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest and most profitable airline in Africa, is continuouslyexpanding rapidlyin the development of most departments. The New Cargo Terminal,expected to be operational towards the end of 2016,will have an annual storage,for both dry and perishable goods, of 1.2 million tons with capacity to handle eight B747-800 freighters at any one time. Construction of just the first phase will cost about a total of US$ 150million.

A four star hotel construction is a further development taking place at Ethiopian Airlines.The hotel, to be built on 40,000sqm located in front of Millennium Hall on Bole Road, will be operational in 24 months.

The academy a full ICAO TRINNAIR PLUS member has been accredited by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as Authorized Training Center (ATC) was also recognized as Airline Training Services Provider of the Year in 2014 by AFRAA. It is certified by the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, the U.S Federal Aviation Administration, the European Aviation Safety Agency and IOSA (International Air transport Association (IATA) safety Audit). The academy will be able to take 4000 students a year at the end of 2025.

Afar State People and Government Delegation arrived Mekelle, Tigrai

A twelve member delegation from the people and government of Afar State, Ethiopia arrived in Mekelle, Tigrai to show their support to the recently displaced Tigraians from Amara cities, towns and villages.

The Afar State delegation led by Ali Abdella Ali representing the regional government included elders from the five zones of the state.

The Afar delegation donated more than 10 and half million birr to support the innocent civilian Tigraians deported and displaced from many parts of Amara State.

Mr. Ali Abdella Ali said the peoples of Afar and Tigrai are united by history, blood, language, culture, and struggle to over throw the old system. He added the main purpose of the delegation coming to Mekelle was not only to deliver the money, but to bring the message of the people of Afar to the people of Tigrai. The Afar official said the people of Tigrai and Afar are two sides of one coin.

Meanwhile Ethiopian Somali Diaspora in London, UK strongly condemned the lawlessness in Amara region and defending Federalism in Ethiopia. The Somali State people did the same thing last week. Somali State civil society delegation arrived in Mekelle, Tigrai State

Ethiopia blocks social media sites over exam leak

Ethiopia has blocked social media sites across the country after questions from end-of-year university exams were posted online last month, sparking a national scandal.

The online leak of national of the exam papers, which many have called an embarrassment for the government, forced the tests to be postponed.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Viber have been inaccessible in the Horn of Africa's most populous country since Saturday morning, and will continue to be so until the national school examinations are concluded on Wednesday, according to government officials.

A government spokesman said the ban was aimed at stopping students taking university entrance exams this week from being "distracted".

"It's blocked. It's a temporary measure until Wednesday. Social media have proved to be a distraction for students," government spokesman Getachew Reda told AFP news agency.

Ethiopia is one of the first African countries to censor the internet, beginning in 2006 with opposition blogs, according to experts.

Prominent blogger Daniel Berhane denounced the move as a "dangerous precedent".

"There's no transparency on who decides why it's necessary or who decides for how long," he said.

"This time it's for a few days but next time it could be for months... They're flexing their muscles. They got multiple tools and they're testing them." Berhane said

Source : aljazeera

What Your Toes Can Say About Your Character

Everybody knows the famous saying – your eyes are the mirror of the soul, but if you want to know more about a man, his character and qualities, look at his feet and fingers.

Reading personality from the foot comes from China and India and it had been practiced for thousands of years, and roots in the belief that our feet is a mirror as well for our body and soul.

The shape of the toes and the character of the man.

See and compareyour or somebody else’s toes with the image below.


Example no. 1
Indicates a creative personality. People with this form of the fingers are very smart, and always find creative solutions to any problem. However, sometimes due to insecurity, they are leaving already begun work halfway.

Example no. 2
People with this form of the fingers are energetic and have creative potential. I can always stand behind of what they actually believe.

Example no. 3
Indicator leadership qualities. The main objective of these people – success in his career. And only one thing it can derail them… They Crave for incredible perfectionism! And another interesting fact: some Indian legends tell that the mother did not allow the children to marry women where the second finger on his feet longer than the other. It was considered a sign of a commanding character.

Example no. 4
For these people the greatest value are the family and close friends. Owners of this form of fingers is characterized by the ability to listen to others and certainly identify with the other party. Sometimes they put everything on their heart, so this kind of empathy is often not useful.

Example no. 5
Talk about ambition, but not the desire to take responsibility. A man with such toes is fun and engaging, but very often naive like a child.

You can find out a lot about a man just by looking at his fingers.

Witch type are you? Find out and share it with your family and friends.