Archive for the ‘General News’ Category

By Hayeon Lee |NowLebanon Over the last two weeks, four Ethiopian women in Lebanon were found dead, probably from suicide. From the moment she arrived in Lebanon, Martha (not her real name), an Ethiopian woman in her twenties, was subjected to abuse by her employer and her three children – a 9-year-old and two teenagers. They beat her ceaselessly, verbally abused her, locked her in the ... Full story

By David H. Shinn As a reader during the past 25 years of political commentary by the Ethiopian diaspora and based on my own contacts with that community, I am struck by the prevailing belief that the U.S. government has the ability to change Ethiopian polices and alter the fundamental direction of events in Ethiopia. This view is misguided. The policy conundrum came to my attention again ... Full story

By Isaac Ugbabe Echoing the Ethiopian government’s recent call for food aid, British diplomat, Paddy Ashdown, has requested the international community’s urgent assistance in preventing a looming humanitarian crisis. Reuters reports that 160,000 tons of food are required if the devastating effects of poor rainfall are to be avoided. According to the Economist magazine, this year has seen the worst drought in East Africa since possibly ... Full story

By Ely Portillo | Charlotte Observer CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA — A man accused of murdering his girlfriend Saturday turned himself in to authorities Monday night, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. Investigators say Davon Londell Thomas, 27, shot his girlfriend, 23-year-old Tigist Yemane, a native of Ethiopia, shortly before 5 AM Saturday morning at his parents’ home on Willowglen Trail near Reedy Creek Park. They say he then fled ... Full story

ATLANTA — Bartow County Sheriff’s Office Investigators have arrested two Atlanta men — who are natives of Ethiopia — in connection with more than $2,000 worth of fraudulent purchases. According to Sheriff’s Office reports Asaye H. Tewolde, 33, of Atlanta and Henok Biede Weldemicael, 26, also of Atlanta each have been charged with 72 counts of financial transaction card fraud from purchases they made in Bartow ... Full story

By Cleve R. Wootson Jr CHARLOTTE, NC (Charlotte Observer) — Staying in Ethiopia was a death sentence for the pretty, thin 17-year-old girl with a heart defect. Tigist Yemane was weak. She couldn’t walk more than a few steps without passing out. Without an operation, doctors told her in 2004, she would be dead in six months. In the United States, ... Full story

Ybase Chekol, an Ethiopian Christian man, says his ancestors were among a group of Jews known as the Falash Mura who were forced to convert to Christianity more than 100 years ago. Now, he and his family have moved to Israel, where Israeli law allows the Falash Mura to become citizens – if they embrace Judaism. But as Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston reports from Jerusalem, discrimination makes ... Full story

BAKO, Ethiopia — For centuries, farmers like Berhanu Gudina have eked out a living in Ethiopia's central lowlands, tending tiny plots of maize, wheat or barley amid the vastness of the lush green plains. Now, they find themselves working cheek by jowl with high-tech commercial farms stretching over thousands of hectares tilled by state-of-the-art tractors — and owned and operated by foreigners. With memories of Ethiopia's devastating ... Full story

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MINNEAPOLIS (Star Tribune) — A 25-year-old Richfield, Minnesota, resident will spend at least 32 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to killing his sister and assaulting her infant. Guuci Beyena Mekonnen, an Ethiopia native, entered his plea last week and was sentenced by Hennepin County Judge Tanya Bransford on Monday to a sentence determined by the plea deal. If he had gone to trial and ... Full story