ethiopia turns to hydro electricity to remedy power shortage
addis ababa jan afp
ethiopia which has just inaugurated its largest hydro electric power station to
date hopes to soon complete programme that will generate not only enough
power for the country needs but also for export
the gilegel gibe ii dam inaugurated last wednesday is kilometres miles
south of the capital addis ababa on the river omo the new station which cost
million euros and which was financed partly by italy will produce
megawatts mw
the plant is three kilometres downstream from first hydro electric dam gilegel
gibe
third dam gilegel gibe iii was started further downstream still and is one
third completed according to the authorities who expect it to become
operational in it will have capacity of mw
on the blue nile to the west another hydro electric plant at tana beles is
nearly finished and will come online in march according to the ethiopian
government it will have the capacity to produce mw
ethiopian prime minister meles zenawi champion of renewable energies
stressed at the inauguration ceremony for the dam that it is possible to speed
up development without polluting the environment
he also reaffirmed that his government wants to double the country energy
capacity over the current level of mw in the next five years
but the focus on hydraulic resources is causing problems with ethiopia
neighbours particularly now that fourth dam is planned on the omo river
last june addis ababa and nairobi held talks on gilegel gibe iii the kenyan
government has not opposed the dam but environmental and civil society groups in
kenya argue that the project will have serious environmental consequences as the
omo river feeds into lake turkana
numerous experts including the kenyan palaeo anthropologist and ecologist
richard leakey have said the project will have catastrophic effect on the
environment and on those living downstream from the dam as well as on the
ecosystem of lake turkana situated in very arid region
likewise taking water from the blue nile has also triggered recurrent disputes
with egypt to the north
ethiopia has branched out into new means of clean energy production the country
has invested in wind farm which will be africa biggest currently under
construction in the northern tigray region in partnership with french company
vergnet it should be producing mw by
in october ethiopa encouraged companies to invest in the country geothermal
resources which could if fully exploited the government says produce
mw against the mw currently produced
ethiopia has signed deals to export electricity to sudan and djibouti
the authorities have said they will not start exporting electricity to the
neighbours until the country internal requirements estimated at mw
have been met
but those internal requirements keep on rising notably because of the
electrification programmes undertaken for the country million inhabitants
and because of the construction of new factories such as cement and glass
works both heavy consumers of electricity
tennis major redevelopment for australian open unveiled
melbourne jan afp
the australian open will become the first grand slam in the world to boast three
undercover courts after organisers unveiled multi million dollar
transformation of melbourne park on tuesday
victorian state premier john brumby said million dollars million us
had been earmarked for the first stage of redevelopment to stop rival cities
like shanghai or dubai from poaching the tournament
the plans include facelift of margaret court arena including the installation
of retractable roof and an extra seats as well as new eastern plaza
that will house new courts
it will make the first grand slam of the season the only major tournament to
boast three covered courts rod laver arena and hisense arena are the others
rod laver arena and hisense arena will also be refurbished
the state government said the revamp would ensure the event stays in melbourne
beyond
the open is the biggest sporting event anywhere in the world for the month of
january and is the largest annual event anywhere in the southern hemisphere
brumby said in statement
that why the victoria government is making this significant investment to
keep this prestigious tournament in victoria
melbourne park contract to host the event expires in and there are fears
it will then be vulnerable to cashed up rivals in asia and elsewhere seeking the
prestige of staging tennis major
shanghai dubai madrid and sydney have all previously expressed keen interest
in hosting the tournament
the world best players love coming to melbourne and our significant
investment in melbourne park will guarantee the australian open remains in
melbourne until at least brumby added
the open has been played exclusively in melbourne since moving from the
grass courts of kooyong to the purpose built hardcourt venue at melbourne park
in
tennis australia president geoff pollard said the plans were major boost for
the game in australia
this is an historic day for tennis and the culmination of lot of work by
lot of people he said
work is due to begin immediately after the current australian open and stage one
of the project is scheduled to be completed by
us military leads surge in haiti relief effort
port au prince jan afp
us military surge and request for more un troops and police brought
drip of hope monday to despairing survivors still seeking basic supplies and
security nearly week after the killer earthquake
even as pledges of improved security were made thousands of homeless haitians
were facing the very real threat of roving bands of looters swarming through the
ruins of port au prince with police and military officials tasked with
protecting the city nowhere to be found
more than marines arrived aboard the amphibious ship uss bataan boosting
overall us troop numbers to either in haiti or offshore
un secretary general ban ki moon also asked the security council to authorize
the deployment of extra un troops and police beyond the roughly
troops police and civilian personnel already here as part of the un
peacekeeping mission deployed since to help stabilize the country
approximately us troops were already on the ground overseeing the aid
effort and trying to provide desperately needed security us commanders promised
more than personnel in total would be in the disaster zone in the coming
weeks
we will stay as long as is required said major general cornell wilson we
are working in conjunction and coordination with un forces and the government of
haiti for security issues
the surge comes six days after magnitude quake devastated the city of
port au prince and surrounding areas leaving tens of thousands dead hundreds
of thousands homeless and countless injured haitian officials have warned that
may have perished
to back up relief for the thousands of wounded the us hospital ship comfort was
also expected to arrive tuesday
the armed military presence is certainly needed according to top us officials
and aid agencies
pillaging led haitian police to open fire in port au prince on sunday killing
one man as looters ransacked supermarket and violence flared
and the streets of the capital were largely lawless monday as desperate
survivors helped themselves to whatever they could find scattering only briefly
when isolated police officers fired shots in the air
looters roamed from shop to shop some clearly survivors scavenging for food and
water as the unrest across the region was stoked by delay in supplies
reaching the hundreds of thousands who have been without steady source of food
or water since the quake struck
the roaming gangs were stealing anything they could find sneakers fabric
music stereos
wanted to get my possessions from my house but the looters prevented me
wailed one distraught elderly man near what remains of his rubble strewn home
they ve already stolen almost everything own my rice my spaghetti my
milk the man said
the international committee of the red cross warned that incidents of violence
and looting are on the rise as the desperation grows
us commanders denied that security was deteriorating with lieutenant general
ken keen the top officer on the ground insisting the level of violence we
see now is below pre earthquake levels
would characterize the security situation in port au prince today as stable
agreed rear admiral michael rogers adding that were instances of isolated
events but no sense of widespread panic
us army paratroopers set off in waves of navy seahawk helicopters from their
main hub at port au prince airport to establish bases beyond the capital from
which to kickstart humanitarian operations
us military aircraft would be helping to distribute daily food rations
in the coming days officials said
food rations provided by the united nations and humanitarian organizations began
to trickle out to desperate recipients including at challe camp for
displaced haitians but one desperate father there said the aid was not nearly
enough to feed so many hungry people
tuesday quake destroyed the main port spilling wharves huge cranes steel
containers and other heavy equipment into the shallow bay
captain james mcpherson of the us coast guard acknowledged air relief was the
only way to make food and water deliveries until an alternative to boat drop
offs could be found
what we need to do is restore the port get cargo moving mcpherson told cnn
obviously ship can move multiple tons of cargo we need to do that for the
long term success of haiti
us southern command said rescue and salvage vessel had arrived monday and
would send down divers to assess the port damage
salvage operation would follow to clear channel debris but the huge
undertaking was expected to take weeks if not months
the afp tuesday economics news advisory
paris jan afp
we shall shortly move the following economics business and financial news
stories
ethiopia economy energy electricity water
addis ababa
ethiopia which has just inaugurated its largest hydro electric power station to
date hopes to soon complete programme that will generate not only enough
power for the country needs but also for export
words by emmanuel goujon
stocks china policy focus
shanghai
shanghai stock market is set for major changes in that could help close
the gap with london and new york as the chinese city strives to become global
financial centre analysts say
words by arcy doran
asia taiwan technology it computer economy analysis
taipei
wrong footed by rocketing consumer demand asian technology suppliers are
scrambling to expand capacity before inventories run dry of everything from
semiconductors to flat panel screens
words by peter harmsen pictures
china economy growth policy japan analysis
beijing
china is expected to raise interest rates and let its currency appreciate in the
coming months as policy makers resort to more aggressive measures to prevent the
economy overheating analysts say
words by allison jackson pictures
germany budget politics
wuppertal germany
german cities complain they are bearing the brunt of deep tax cuts by chancellor
angela merkel government and nowhere is feeling the pain more sharply than the
rust belt town of wuppertal
words by mathilde richter pictures
reconciliation with taliban leaders unlikely gates
aboard us military aircraft jan afp
us defense secretary robert gates on monday said it was unlikely taliban leaders
would reconcile with afghanistan government but that lower ranking insurgents
might be open to making peace with kabul
gates welcomed plans announced on sunday by president hamid karzai government
to launch new bid at making peace with islamist militants but said taliban
chief mullah omar and other leaders would be reluctant to lay down their arms
until circumstances changed on the battlefield
just speaking personally be very surprised to see reconciliation with
mullah omar gates told reporters aboard his plane en route to india
think it our view that until the taliban leadership sees change in the
momentum and begins to see that they are not going to win that the likelihood
of reconciliation at senior levels is not terribly great he said
but he added that we may see real growth of reintegration at the local
district and provincial level as insurgents come under pressure and know
they re not going to win
those who left the insurgency needed assurances that their families would be
protected from retaliation he said
karzai new reconciliation plan will be announced ahead of major
international conference on afghanistan due in london on january his
spokesman waheed omar said on sunday
conceding that past efforts at peace have failed omar said the new plan would
include economic incentives as many taliban fighters had joined for cash rather
than to support hardline religious ideology
president barack obama administration had not yet seen the details of kabul
new initiative but gates said wooing insurgents was vital to resolving the war
karzai has long called for peace talks with the taliban even offering
government posts to its leaders but the insurgents have refused dialogue
until the withdrawal of nato led troops on which kabul relies for security
omar said the new plan would reach out to militants in all ranks from the
political leadership to fighters on the ground
alert
venezuela seizes three banks orders two others closed
paris symbol of jewish life reopens as jeans shop
paris jan afp
celebrated kosher restaurant in the heart of paris jewish quarter has
reopened as jeans shop the latest loss for historic district that now
caters mostly to trendy parisians and tourists
for decades the goldenberg pletzl restaurant better known as jo
goldenberg served up potato latkes matzo ball soup or corned beef
sandwiches to parisian jews and tourists in le marais district until it shut
down four years ago
the establishment targeted in grenade and machine gun attack in that
left six people dead reopened this month as the temps des cerises cherry
time jeans shop offering designer labels
all that is left to remind passers by of the famed restaurant is red
goldenberg pletzl sign with white lettering on rosiers street which has been
centre of paris jewish life for centuries
the reactions have been mixed said saleswoman at the new shop some people
are happy that there is business here while others who think back at what
was here are not so pleased
paris officials had fought to turn goldenberg into heritage site possibly
opening up small library there said dominique bertinotti the mayor of the
district
goldenberg new owners were asking prices that were beyond reason said
bertinotti it was impossible for the city to get long term lease and
impossible for the local jewish community to rent it
long time marais resident samuel adoner milo lamented the loss and said some
days he had hard time recognising his old neighborhood
look that where the old library used to be said milo on recent walk
down rue des rosiers now it nike store
at age the neighbourhood activist has persuaded local officials to put up
plaques detailing some of the district history such as july roundup of
jews that devastated the community
there used to be hammam kosher butchers barber shop all of that has
changed said milo
families used to live in these apartment buildings now it become very very
expensive to live here
once one of paris poorer districts le marais has fallen victim to
gentrification with an influx of so called bobos bourgeois bohemians who
want to live in paris but can afford real estate in upscale neighborhoods
many jewish families meanwhile have moved to the paris suburbs buying up large
houses after scoring mammoth profit off their small apartment
the city stepped in once already in to save the district from demolition
said elisabeth kurztag from the paris museum of judaic art and history
this allowed new wave of jewish immigrants from north africa to move in and
open up shops bakeries such as moskovitch and korcarz along with chez marianne
restaurant remain popular spots
big chain stores have the means to set up shop and this has led to commercial
makeover said bertinotti who talks about the changes as part of broader
paris wide trend
many traditional shops have shut down throughout paris according to recent
study for the city
afghan troops vital cog in us surge against taliban
camp fiddler green afghanistan jan afp
afghan army platoon sergeant gul wazir sizes up four new interpreters joining
his unit as they prepare for foot patrol that could turn deadly in remote
southern afghan town
wazir and his man unit operating alongside america st battalion th marine
regiment are vital cog in helmand province which is the focus of surge in
us troops fighting the taliban insurgency
need you to tell us if you hear of anything from the other side we want to
know everything if we are going to enter village wazir told the new recruits
as his american counterparts stood nearby
we have only one enemy the taliban we should finish the enemy and bring
freedom to our countrymen
the year old father of one began working alongside us forces six years ago
the training has paid dividends as his men are now professional soldiers using
state of the art american weaponry
he has also learned valuable lessons in planning and strategy as well as how to
manage information the military term for countering taliban propaganda
he says he believes the marines value his work and living in the same barracks
or together in the field he has come to appreciate what some afghans see as an
invading force
but following president barack obama setting of an month timeline to begin
drawing down us forces wazir said he feared the worst
we are happy we are working with them we cannot do anything if they want to
leave soon but we are grateful for all the assistance wazir said
these are good fighters and want to believe we are ready once they the
americans leave but so will the taliban
obama the head of us and nato forces general stanley mcchrystal and afghan
president hamid karzai say they are determined the country will take
responsibility for security within five years
to make sure they plan to reach benchmark of security forces
comprising army and police within months
there are nearly troops in the afghan army which is projected to grow
to next year karzai allies would like it to grow as high as
soldiers
these ambitious figures have sown concerns that recruits will be taken on to fit
the quantity not quality requirements of government in hurry to finally
prove it is up to the job
experts warn the nation lacks literate young men senior soldiers with
leadership skills facilities for training and money for weapons
with almost more troops due to arrive in afghanistan from the united
states and its nato allies in western leaders are eager to show afghan
forces are making enough progress for them to start thinking about withdrawal
western public opinion has turned against the commitment to afghanistan as
voters grow weary of rising death toll in far away war
general egon ramms german commander in the nato led force in afghanistan
said late last year that of afghan soldiers trained had defected
and an estimated percent of the armed forces were drug addicts
hoping to strengthen its forces the afghan government recently announced
percent pay rise for soldiers and police which has boosted recruitment and
morale
sergeant galen haffner who oversees wazir unit said the afghan soldiers were
fierce on the battlefield but still rough around the edges
getting past the language barrier was also problem and instructions relayed
through the chain of command needed to be carefully repeated
these are real warriors they are probably better off than most of these young
american guys who are out here in combat haffner said
but don think they are ready to do it on their own
in particular he highlighted problems checking soldiers backgrounds for
possible links to the taliban
there really is no question about their capability to fight but once we pull
out they would have to do it on their own haffner said
without logistical help from us and any additional support from the afghan
government they will fail
when the ship comes home piracy money draws somali youth
mogadishu jan afp
for local youth in the somali coastal town of harardhere where the ransom for
greek supertanker freed monday brought windfall of nine million dollars the
lure of piracy has never been so strong
on december the european union naval force combatting sea bandits from
somalia gathered its commanders to cut cake celebrating the mission first
anniversary and trumpet year of success
meanwhile the pirates were cutting their own cake in the indian ocean defying
warships with their nimble skiffs to hijack more vessels and rake in record
ransoms
lots of militiamen are joining our piratehood every day and this is one of the
reasons for the increased number of attacks abdi yare said from somalia
piracy capital of harardhere
days after he spoke to afp his fellow pirates released the vlcc maran centaurus
supertanker the size of three football pitches carrying two million barrels
of crude oil in exchange for an estimated nine million dollars
somali pirates still hold at least other vessels with trophies ranging
from british chemical tanker to ship carrying korean cars and more
around seamen
would say right now there are around of our pirates out at sea hunting
ships on given day abdi yare said
this is very high number considering the weather and for sure the number
will increase once the wind dies he added
somalia pirates have at times squabbled but are by and large less fractious
than other groups in the country clan society and remain one of somalia
best organised paramilitary outfits
ransoms for the most valuable ships they seize can often fetch three million
dollars and more even the small share rank and file pirate is left with after
the bounty is divided constitutes powerful magnet for somali youth
with no effective central authority since to provide security and state
of perpetual civil conflict making regular business almost impossible career
in buccaneering is seen by many jobless young men as rare opportunity
young unemployed men hear about the huge amounts of money the pirates can make
with ransoms and that all the encouragement they need said mohamed abdule
an elder in haradhere
in the pirates had it easy armed with kalashnikovs and grapnels all they
had to do was stray few miles off the coast of puntland to pick one of the
vessels that bottleneck into the gulf of aden each year
the threat to one of the world busiest and most crucial maritime routes
spurred naval powers into scrambling warships to the region and the pirates now
face multi billion dollar armada of more than nations
but as navies perfected their act so did the pirates who ventured hundreds of
miles into the indian ocean where naval forces are stretched too thin to create
an effective net
nobody is really hunting us our teams go and seize ships under the noses of
the foreign forces boasted hasan ganey another harardhere based pirate when
we see the navy we simply change tack and they don follow us
one pirate freshman said business was brisk and explained he also enjoyed
spirit of camaraderie he did not find elsewhere
there is great business out here you go with friends you seize ship
without firing single shot and weeks later you come back with big money said
the year old who gave his name only as gure
we prefer to do this piracy thing until change comes to this country he told
afp by phone from harardhere
the commander of marine forces in somalia embattled transitional federal
government admitted that pirate numbers were soaring
can see percent increase in the rate at which young men are enlisting
with the pirates over the past few months farah qare said
hope newly established home grown marine forces can offer solution to the
problem in that way we will no longer be waiting for foreign forces to
protect our waters qare added
many are occasional pirates who sign up for one off expedition and return to
civilian life when the first ransom is paid making it difficult to accurately
estimate the number of pirates in somalia
in the hobyo harardhere region currently the busiest piracy hub in somalia by
far the pirates were believed to number around in mid figure
pirates themselves and officials alike say is likely to have risen since
elders in harardhere said that what was once tiny and sleepy fishing village
is becoming modern day klondike bursting at the seams with pirate class of
nouveaux riches and new arrivals hoping to be like them
most of them are new to ocean sailing there are lots of them right who can
go out because of the waves but as soon as the weather eases hundreds of them
will flock out mohamoud adan tuke said
predict will be the worst yet for people sailing the indian ocean
kabul on high alert after brazen taliban attacks
kabul jan afp
the afghan capital was on high alert tuesday day after taliban gunmen and
suicide bombers struck the heart of kabul launching wave of attacks and
triggering battles with security forces that left five people dead and sent
terrified residents fleeing
the authorities are likely to face questions about how the militants were able
to penetrate the highly fortified centre of the city although the nato chief
praised local security forces for their defence of the capital
our security measures are always strict we are always on high alert and we
will be tomorrow and after interior ministry spokesman zamary bashari said
late monday
heavily armed militants targeted government buildings near the presidential
palace two shopping centres cinema and kabul only five star hotel in
coordinated blitz of attacks launched at rush hour on monday
several suicide bombers blew themselves up at key sites setting off blazing
fires that sent plumes of black smoke into the sky as afghan security forces
battled militants on the otherwise deserted streets
several children were also briefly taken hostage security official said in
the most dramatic strike on kabul since the taliban laid siege to government
buildings in february killing at least people
the capital has avoided many of the bloodiest attacks waged by the islamist
militants since they launched an insurgency against the government and foreign
troops after the toppling of the taliban regime in the us led invasion
one child was killed along with four members of the security forces and more
than people were wounded interior minister mohammad hanif atmar said after
president hamid karzai declared the situation under control
seven militants were also killed either by blowing themselves up or by being
shot dead by the security forces
they were killed taking the shame of defeat with them to the grave said
atmar
the taliban strike coincided with the swearing in of number of karzai new
cabinet ministers at the presidential palace part of the painfully slow process
of forming government since the fraud tainted election last year
the enemies of the afghan people conducted series of attacks today causing
fear and terror among the population karzai said
the government had said on monday that karzai was to announce new plan aimed
at forging peace with the taliban although the militants have repeatedly
rebuffed efforts at negotiation
nato secretary general anders fogh rasmussen commended the role of the afghan
security forces in defending the city and restoring order
the attackers made it clear in their choice of targets that their aim is to
reverse the progress that afghans are making in building better lives and
better future he said
the taliban waging an increasingly deadly insurgency against the western backed
kabul government and the nato led foreign troops claimed responsibility saying
it had sent in squad of suicide bombers
witnesses described terrifying scenes in the capital
saw four people wrapped up in blankets coming and the guard went forward and
asked them what are you doing said local grocer ismail who was in his shop
in one of the malls when militants stormed in
one of them opened his blanket and showed the guard suicide vest packed with
explosives and said to him get out of my way or you ll die
the head of afghanistan national directorate for security amrullah saleh
said militants took two children hostage but later freed them after
negotiations
the united states condemned the attacks as ruthless act by the taliban
whose rebellion to topple the government and oust foreign troops has been
gaining strength in recent months
the last major attack on the capital was on december when suicide car
bomber blew up his vehicle outside the homes of former senior government
officials killing eight people and wounding more than
afp features
paris jan afp
we will shortly move the following stories
highlights
when the ship comes home piracy money draws somali youth
paris symbol of jewish life reopens as jeans shop
somalia piracy shipping feature
mogadishu
for local youth in the somali coastal town of harardhere where the ransom for
greek supertanker freed monday brought windfall of nine million dollars the
lure of piracy has never been so strong
words by mustafa haji abdinur picture
lifestyle france jews history
paris
celebrated kosher restaurant in the heart of paris jewish quarter has
reopened as jeans shop the latest loss for historic district that now
caters mostly to trendy parisians and tourists
words by philomene bouillon picture
britain oly gbr
london
