K'Naan New Tour Dates

The tour is on for 2009 again. See when he is on your city.

---------------------------

Jan 30 2009

University of Ottawa Ottawa 

---------------------------

Feb 5 2009 

Calvin College - Ladies Literary Club Grand Rapids, MI

---------------------------

Feb 6 2009 

Michigan Union Ballroom Ann Arbor, MI

---------------------------

Feb 7 2009 

Sleeman Center Guelph, Ontario 

---------------------------

Feb 8 2009

Subterranean Chicago, Illinois 

--------------------------

Feb 10 2009

The Annex Madison, Wisconsin

--------------------------

Feb 11 2009 

Varsity Theater Minneapolis, Minnesota

--------------------------

Feb 13 2009

Univ. of Nebraska - Nebraska Union Centennial Room Lincoln, Nebraska - Free show for Students - 

Any ticket sales would be at the door only.

---------------------------

Feb 14 2009

Owsley's Golden Road Denver, Colorado 

---------------------------

Feb 16 2009 

San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, California

---------------------------

Feb 19 2009

Toph's House Garberville, California 

---------------------------

Feb 20 2009 

Fox Oakland Theater Oakland, California

---------------------------

Feb 21 2009 

Long Beach Arena Long Beach, California

---------------------------

Feb 25 2009

S.O.B.'s - New York, NY

--------------------------

Feb 27 2009

The Kennedy Center - Millennium Stage Washington DC 

--------------------------

Mar 1 2009

Harpers Ferry Boston, MA

--------------------------

Mar 2 2009

World Café Live - WXPN Philadelphia, PA

--------------------------

Mar 6 2009

Bicentennial Park Miami, FL

--------------------------

Mar 7 2009 

Bicentennial Park Miami, Florida 

--------------------------

Mar 9 2009

Berbati's Pan Portland, OR

--------------------------

Mar 10 2009

Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room Seattle, WA

--------------------------

Somalis Cheer the Change in US Leadership

Embracing Barack Obama as a fellow African, many residents of Somalia's war-weary capital Mogadishu say they expect the new U.S. president to act more positively toward Somalia than his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Barack Obama, with a camel in the animal market of Wajir, a rural area in northeastern Kenya, near the borders with Somalia and Ethiopia (File Photo - 27 Aug 2006)
Mogadishu resident Mowlid Abdi Abdullah says he has never been interested in watching the inauguration ceremony of a U.S. president before. But he says Tuesday's inauguration of Barack Obama as the first black man to be sworn into the office was an event he could not miss.

Abdullah says Barack Obama is a son of Africa and as Africans, Somalis support the new president wholeheartedly. He says there is great hope among Somalis that Mr. Obama will make changes that can help bring peace to the long-suffering country.

President Obama inherits in Somalia what is arguably one of the most complex and difficult crises in the world today.

In late 2006, focused on countering the rise of a terrorist movement in the Horn of Africa, the Bush administration actively supported an Ethiopian-led military campaign to oust Islamists from power and to install a secular-but-weak government in Mogadishu.

More than two years of rebellion against what was widely perceived as an Ethiopian occupation turned the country into the world's worst humanitarian disaster. Currently, more than 40 percent of the population is dependent on food aid. Nearly one-and-a-half million people are internally displaced and 400,000 others have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Some 16,000 others have been killed.

Several U.S. missile strikes targeting suspected al-Qaida terrorists inside Somalia have deepened Somali resentment of the United States and helped fuel the recruiting activities of al-Shabab, the militant al-Qaida-linked group the United States had hoped to neutralize in 2006.

In a display of the reach al-Shabab now boasts, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday issued a joint statement warning of a possible attack by al-Shabab militants to disrupt the inauguration celebrations in Washington.

In Mogadishu, social activists like Saeeda Mohamed she is hopeful that President Obama will overhaul the U.S. policy toward Somalia to help begin a new relationship with the Somali people.

Mohamed says President Obama has a window of opportunity to improve the situation in Somalia by not repeating the mistakes made by the previous administration.

In a recent report critical of the United States' role in Somalia thus far, New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the Obama administration to formulate a policy that incorporates the input of civilians and humanitarian workers on the ground, and to place priority on supporting humanitarian assistance and defending human rights in Somalia.
By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
VOA
21 January 2009

Somali migrants die off Yemen

PressTv:Dozens of illegal Somali immigrants have drowned after their vessels capsized near the southern coast of Yemen due to bad weather.   The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Senior External Relations Officer, Leila Nassif said Sunday that as many as 200 people were aboard two boats when large waves capsized their vessels off Yemen. 

The bodies of the ill-starred immigrants were washed ashore. 

Dire economic conditions and violence in Somalia prompts many to escape from the conflict-plagued Horn of Africa state and cross to Yemen in hope of better living conditions. More than 4,500 migrants managed to reach poverty-stricken Yemen in 2008. 

Aid agencies say it is not just Somali refugees who are risking the crossing but also Ethiopians trying to raise themselves from poverty by seeking work and a better life in the Middle East, or Europe. 

Smugglers are known to cram dozens of men, women and children onto small boats and often beat and abuse the migrants during the journey, which can take up to three days. In a bid to avoid Yemeni coast guards, the smugglers often dump their passengers far from shore and force them to swim the rest of the way. 

The Gulf of Aden is not the only dangerous sea crossing for migrants. Hundreds of Africans die every year trying to make the journey across the Mediterranean to Spain, Italy and Greece. 

There are many reports of boat people dying at sea off Spain, usually because overcrowded vessels capsize or break apart, and survivors often throw bodies of fellow travelers overboard when they die of exposure or starvation. 

MP/MMN 

Weerar lagu qaaday Asluubta & Sarkuusta M/Muqdisho

Xoogaga MMIS garabka Dr.Cumar Iimaan ayaa Galabta weerar xoogan oo ka fool ka fool ah ku kala qaaday Ciidamada DKMG ah ee Fariisimaha ku kala leh Xeradii hore ee Asluubta iyo Sarkuusta Duleedka Mgaalada Muqdisho.

Xiriir aanu la sameynay Dr.Xasan Mahdi oo ka mid ah Mas’uuliyiinta ugu sar-sareysa MMIS garabka Dr. Cumar Iimaan ayaa sheegay in Dagaal socday wax ka badan Hal saac ay ku ekeeyeen labadaasi fariisin isla markaana ay la wareegeen gacan ku haynta fariisinka Sarkuusta.

Mar aanu weydiinay Khasaaraha dhinacooda soo gaaray ayaa waxa uu sheegay in uu Dagaalkaasi kaga geeriyooday Hal wiil mid kalana uu ka dhaawacmay, wuxuuna sheegay in aysan si dhab ah u sheegi Karin khasaaraha rasmiga ah ee soo gaaray dhinaca DKMG ah.

Waa Dagaalkii ugu horeeyay oo ka fool ka fool ah oo ay Xoogaga MMIS Garabka Dr. Cumar Iimaan ku qaadeen Xeradii hore ee Asluubta tan iyo markii ay Ciidamada Gumeysiga Itoobiya halkaasi ka guureen.

Sidoo kale Dagaalkan ayaa ku soo beegmaya xili ay Maanta Dagaalo xoogan ka kala dhaceen, Degmada Yaaqshiid, iyo Dharkaynleey.

Ciidamada Maxaakiimta Islaamka ee gobolka Sh/dhexe oo dadaal ugu jira soo celinta nabadda.

Ciidamada Maxaakiimta Islaamka ee gobolka Sh/dhexe oo dadaal ugu jira soo celinta nabadda.


Wararka ka imaanaya Gobalka shabeelada dhexe ayaa sheegaya in halkaas ay ka socdaan howlgalo lagu sugayo amaanka Degmooyinka Gobalka shabeelada dhexe oo maalmihii la soo dhaafay ay ka jireen waxoogaa amaan dari ah.

Ciidamo ka tirsan Maxkamadaha Islaamka Soomaaliyeed ayaa Isbaarooyin ka qaaday deegaano ku xeeran Degmada Cadale ee gobalka shabeelada dhexe, iyagoo halkaas ka cayriyay kooxo dadka ku hayay dhibaatooyin farabadan oo isbaarooley ahaa.

Dadka deegaanka ayaa si weyn u soo dhaweeyay howlgalkaas waxaana ay maxkamadaha Islaamka Soomaaliyeed ka codsadeen in ay sii wadaan howlgalada ceynkaan ah oo lagula dagaalamayo kooxaha isbaarooyinka ku dhibaateeya dadka shacabka ah.

Si kastaba ha’ahaatee Maxkamadaha Islaamka Soomaaliyeed ee ku sugan Gobolka shabeelaha dhexe ayaa mudooyinkaan waday howlgalo lagu xaqiijinayo amaanka Gobalkaas sida laga dareemayo deegaanada kala duwan ee Gobolka maadaama nabad galyo la'aanteed aysan nolol jiri karin.
by ahmed said olad

Ugandan peacekeeper killed in Mogadishu, Somalia

PRESSTV: Somalia: A roadside bomb attack has killed one Ugandan peacekeeper and has injured another one in Mogadishu, Somalia, says a Ugandan army spokesman.

"We lost a soldier in a roadside bomb explosion. Another soldier was injured, we're waiting for more details," acting army spokesman Chris Magezi told AFP in Kampala on Tuesday.

The latest death brings to nine the number of African Union peacekeeping troops killed in Somalia since the first Ugandan contingent was deployed in March 2007.

"Such attacks are expected and we are determined to continue what we came here for," the spokesman added.

There are currently around 3,500 AU peacekeepers in Somalia, mainly in Mogadishu.

AGB/HGL

Feature Opinion Article:

Warlords, Self-deception, And The Ruin of The Somali Nation

Other Somali  News:

AllAfrica: Somali kidnappers release two journalists

Warlords, Self-deception, And The Ruin of The Somali Nation

Somali Musings - Let us not forget that the Ethiopian army has been active in the Somali region of Gedo since 1996, when this army was engaged in operations then being directed against the now defunct Al-Itihad Al-Islamiya organisation. We should not be surprised by the news, currently reaching us from the Gedo region, that the infamous warlord-cum-parliamentarian Col. Barre Hirale has been re-armed by the Ethiopian state and is determined to retake the Somali port city of Kismayu. Barre Hirale's 

forces—backed up by the Ethiopian army—recently took possession of Burdhubo and Balad Xawo towns in the Gedo region.

Can anyone, in their right mind, really believe that the Ethiopian army can serve the best interests of the Somali people? How often must certain sections of the Somali community attempt to deceive themselves in the interests of personal greed? By all the established laws of humanity, and in all of the annals of human history treason has been the most heinous of crimes. We recently witnessed the resignation of the abominable Somali traitor Cabdullahi Yusuf Axmed as President of the Somali TFG, now we see others carrying on from where the hopelessly misguided octogenarian had left off. Surely now is the time to find a new way ahead for the Somali nation?

The Somali people simply cannot afford to remain in their current unfortunate situation. The Somali people have become nothing more than the captives of various warlords, with vicious and disgraceful reputations as men who have betrayed their own compatriots. The Somali people must learn to speak the truth to those in power, no matter how fearful their reputation. The time has come to seek the truth, and in doing so to name the various traitors who currently masquerade as Somali politicians. It is time to call this moribund class of parasitic cretins what they really are. They are not policy makers or law makers; they are not visionaries or peacemakers.

They are all treacherous villains who bleed the Somali nation of its vitality. These reckless Somali warlords burn the spirit of the Somali nation by sacrificing the youth of our nation for their own selfish ends. How many more young men's lives can we afford to lose needlessly in the endless wars for territory between glorified Somali gangsters who claim to be legitimate defenders of certain communities? The flawed ideas that underpin the phenomenon of Somali warlordism cannot be allowed to live on. If we, the honourable people of Somalia, continue to tolerate the existence of such foul and treacherous practices, then our ancient nation shall be dismembered by our enemies.

Surely if the Ethiopian army, for so long now involved in the killings of thousands upon thousands of innocent Somali civilians, is active inside the Somali national territory specifically because it aims to dismember the Somali nation? Can we really afford to lose more of the Somali national territory to an ancient enemy of the Somali people? It is people like Colonel Barre Aden Shire "Hirale" who facilitate the dismemberment of the Somali national territory. It is precisely such people who permit the Ethiopian state to interfere in Somali national affairs. We can do well without such interference and, in the long run, the Ethiopian authorities shall inevitably have to deal with the full consequences of their actions.

For now, let us demonstrate our refusal to submit to the will of the Ethiopian state. The Somali people are a people of faith, and as such, we cannot allow the most deplorable members of the Somali community to politically hold the rest of us hostage. We must make a stand, before it becomes too late. We, of the Somali nation, must all learn to recognise that our best interests are never served by the Ethiopian army or any other invading military force. Let us all, in the name of the Almighty, renounce the kind of self-deception that has brought us to our current and terrible political plight. The Somali people deserve so much more than the degenerate warlords who are responsible for the political ruin of our nation.

Reference: Original Article by Somali Musings

Warlords, Self-deception, And The Ruin of The Somali Nation

AllAfrica: Somali kidnappers release two journalists

Somali kidnappers release two journalists
Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:42:18 GMT

British reporter Colin Freeman of The Sunday Telegraph (R) and Spanish freelance photographer Jose Cendon


Somali abductors have released two foreign journalists, who had been kidnapped in the northern port city of Bosasso last November.

Colin Freeman, a correspondent for Britain's Sunday Telegraph, and Spanish freelance photographer Jose Cendon were released on Sunday, local authorities said.

“They treated us well and we are now safe. I am only tired and I am very eager to see my family,” Freeman told Reuters.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry also confirmed Cendon was alive and well. “Mr. Cendon has been freed and is safe and well, the foreign minister has spoken to him and his family,” a spokesman for the ministry said.

Meanwhile, Puntland's security minister, Abdullahi Said Samatar, told Reuters that the release was a result of efforts by local elders.

“The two European journalists were freed without any payment of a ransom,” he said.

Kidnappers in Somalia generally seek ransom payments and seldom harm their hostages. The Horn of Africa country is considered as one of the most dangerous for correspondents.

Freelance journalists Canadian Amanda Lindhout and Aussie Nigel Brennan were seized in the capital Mogadishu last August and are still held captive.

Somalia has been in turmoil since 1991 when warlords toppled the former dictator president Mohammed Siad Barre. Ever since, the Horn of Africa country has been covered with violence and insurgency.

MP/MMN

Somali Parliament face tough choice electing President

Looking at the TFG Parliament, they are in a tough position. Do they listen to their makers - the Ethiopian government. Or do they honor the Djabuuit Peace accord signed with Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS)?

Speaking in a press conference in Mogadishu, the ARS Secretary of Planning Mr. Mohamud Ahmed Tarzan said a hasty election of a new President will be unwise when the main focus at the present time is building a unity government.

“If the interim Parliament elects a new president it will negatively affect the Djibouti Accord which among its articles includes the formation of a unity government”said Mr. Tarzan.

On the contrary to ARS's view, Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin was at the airport to bid farewell to his guests. In a VOA interview, Seyoum said that as the current head of the East African regional grouping IGAD, he had urged Somalia's leaders to put aside the Djibouti accord and immediately choose a new president.

"As IGAD we have pronounced ourselves that the charter must be respected in letter and spirit, because that is the only legal instrument that provides legitimacy to the transitional arrangement," said Mesfin.

Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, widely known as Nur Adde, said lawmakers are faced with a tough choice.

"There are two options, one is to have the election within 30 days on the basis of the transitional charter, and at the same time there is this issue of Djibouti agreement which provides an enlargement of the parliament and a national unity government and election of the leadership," he said. "So this is not yet finalized, it is up to the parliament to decide."

In deed, the Somali transitional leadership is in a dilemma to form a new government, following the resignation of former president Abdullahi Yusuf, working hard to prevent Islamic insurgents from taking control as Ethiopian troops withdraw.

In fact, the TFG's two top leaders are on a whirlwind tour of East African capitals seeking support to bringing more AU and UN troops to Somalia.

Somali Islamic group, Alshabab denies fighting Ahlu-Sunna wal Jamaa'a

Shiikh Mukhtaar Roobow Abuu Mansuur recently denied reports that the clashes were between two Islamic groups.

There has been reports of fighting among Islamic insurgents Al-Shabab and rival Islamic group Ahlu Sunna Wal jamaa'a, as they battled for central towns Guri'el and Dhusa Mareb in the Galguduud state of Somalia. Numerous reports surfaced that Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama'a Islamic fighters recently took back control of Guri'el from Al-Shabab late December 2008.

The most recent reports of Somali fighters Al-Shabaab, reportedly getting forced out of a central town by the local Ahl-ul-Sunna wal-Jamaa militia they had recently ousted, were published on International news web sites. As recent as January 3rd, the two sides continued their combat in Guri'el and Dhusa Mareb. However, the Alshabab group formally denies them.

The Alshabab spokesman Shiikh Mukhtaar Roobow Abuu Mansuur recently denied reports that the clashes were between two Islamic groups. He said that the two sides did not engage in battle or combat, and rather blamed the Ethiopians for arming a separate group of fighters that are claiming to be of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama'a.

The Alshabab spokesman also commented on the take over of ICU soldiers of the TFG police stations in Mogadishu. He encouraged the ICU fighters to point their guns at the Ethiopian troops and not busy themselves on taking over empty compounds.

The Islamic insurgents of Alshabab is the most powerful group out of the numerous anti-government groups, and control the majority of Somali cities, where they commonly rule them on Islam Shari'ah law.

Somali insurgents take over police stations in Mogadishu, Somalia

As of January third, witnesses say Islamic insurgents have taken over the police stations in the capital of Somalia.

Somali Islamic insurgents took over sole control over the Somali capital Mogadishu on January 3rd taking over the small quantity of basis the TFG government had control of as of yesterday. The take over comes immediately after Ethiopian forces pulled out of the capital two years after guarding Somali TFG positions in the city.

Many Mogdishu residents breathe a fresh air sensing calm and order coming back to the city in the hope that the take over with bring back peace to the areas the insurgents control as it did to other parts of the country after they fell under the control of Islamic anti-governemtn groups.  On the opposite end, many westerners predict that the Ethiopian pullout and the resignation of former TFG president could bring chaos to Somali.

As of now, the Al-Shabab Islamic group control most of Somalia leaving on Baidoa under the control of the weak Transitional Federal Government.

Ethiopia wants no Alshabab in Somali Peace Talks

Ethiopia says it will not allow Somalia's al-Shabaab, the military wing of Islamic Courts Union, to take part in any peace negotiations.

The Ethiopian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday that al-Shabaab, 'with a declared objective of spreading extremism to the entire region', can not be considered a reliable partner in Somalia's peace talks.

The statement comes in response to a report published by International Crisis Group (ICG), which said the inclusion of al-Shabaab in the Somali peace process would be useful following the Ethiopian troops' withdrawal from the war-torn country.

Ethiopian trucks packed with soldiers and light and heavy equipment were seen leaving Mogadishu on Friday, the first signs of the expected withdrawal. Somali officials have said the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops will be done in stages.

ICU did not take part in Djibouti peace talks between the Somali government and the opposition group, Alliance for Re-liberation of Somalia, which led to setting a time-table for the Ethiopian forces' pull-out.

Ethiopian troops were deployed to Somalia in 2006 to help the transitional federal government oust al-Shabaab. However, their presence has been deeply unpopular with the Somali people.

"The decision of the US government to include al-Shabaab in the list of terrorist organizations is what emboldened extremists into vowing to establish a Taliban like Islamic Caliphate in the entire region," the statement added.

The resignation of top Somali government officials, including President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, has brought the already violent-ridden country to utter chaos.

ICU still holds sway over most parts of Somalia while the government's control has been limited to parts of Mogadishu and Baidoa city.

AKM/DT

Related News:
Ethiopian Troops Begin to Pull out of Somalia

PressTv: Danish warship rescues cargo ship, pirates

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:21:14 GMT Denmark's Absalon warship A Danish warship has rescued a Dutch cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, it also rescued five pirates after they were forced into the water.

Netherlands Antilles-registered cargo ship sent the Absalon warship a call for help noting that it was being attacked by five pirates in a speedboat Friday morning.

"Absalon immediately sent an armed helicopter to the area, and the helicopter fired warning shots at the pirates to get them to stop the attack," the navy said in a statement.

"The Dutch trade ship fired emergency flares at the pirate ship, which caught fire. The pirates jumped into the water and were rescued by Absalon crew members," it added.

The Danish warship then sank the burning pirate vessel to ensure that it does not pose a threat to civilian shipping activities in the area.

The rescued pirates will remain onboard the Absalon until the navy decides what to do with them, the statement said.

Denmark took command last September of the international Task Force 150, which is hunting down Somali pirates and arms smugglers in the northern Indian Ocean.

More than 100 attacks occurred in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia in 2008 alone.

HSH/RA

Greek Oil Tanker Crew Use Water Jets to Defend Against Boarding Somali Pirates

Somali Pirates: Crew Use Water Jets to Defend Greek Oil Tanker

Crewmen fired high pressure water jets Friday to fight off heavily armed Somali pirates trying to board a Greek oil tanker in the dangerous Gulf of Aden, officials said. It was the fourth pirate attack of the new year.

Armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, pirates in three speedboats twice tried to board the Greek-flagged Kriti Episkopi but were driven away when the crew turned fire hoses on them and EU aircraft scrambled from a nearby European Union naval flotilla to help, shipping company and Greek government officials said.

Read More on Huffington Post 

 

Ref: Somalia: Ethiopian Troops Invade Former Mogadishu Mayor's Compound 

Read the latest on this story.  Follow the link below

Young Somalis arrested in masses in Ethiopian Capital 

Source: Somalia blogs and news 
Technology  Somali Blogs  http://windowsandlinuxwebhost.blogspot.com/

Sports > http://torontobasketballfans.blogspot.com/

 Additional Somali Sources

Af Soomaali blog | Somalia Blog | YouSomali | Number 1 Somali Blogs |  Mogadishu News | Current Somali News  |  Somali News Articles | United Islamic Courts Blog | Somali News Blog | Somali By Somalis | Somali Cities Blogs | US Agenda In Somalia | Somali Music

Other Somali Sources Amin Arts Discussions | Somali News and Blogs

BBC: EU force 'foils Somali Pirates'

The EU anti-piracy task force is the bloc's first such naval operation

EU naval forces have forced back pirates raiding a Greek oil tanker off Somalia, the Greek government says.

Pirates in speedboats abandoned efforts to board the tanker when a frigate, jet fighter and helicopter approached, the Greek merchant marine ministry reports.

Earlier France's navy said one of its ships had seized two suspected pirate boats and was holding eight suspects.

The International Maritime Bureau says increased naval patrols have sharply reduced the number of pirate attacks.

The Greek-flagged Kriti Episkopi had been en route to Iran when it came under attack twice by pirates, officials say.

The captain alerted the Greek ministry, which in turn contacted the headquarters of the EU naval mission operating in the area.

"There were two failed attempts to board and the pirates fled after the crisis response group was activated with a fighter aircraft, a helicopter and a frigate sent to the area," a marine ministry official said.

Only two ships were captured by pirates last month, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

On Thursday the French navy said it had captured bandits trying to seize a Panamanian-registered cargo ship.

And a Malaysian military helicopter saved an Indian oil tanker from attack by gunmen.

But on the same day pirates still managed to hijack a cargo vessel with 28 Egyptian crew members on board.

Somali pirates still hold about 15 ships with more than 200 crew members.

There were more than 100 pirate attacks in 2008 in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

The EU anti-piracy task force set up last month is the first such naval operation of its kind. India, Iran, the US and China are among other nations with naval forces off Somalia. 

Somali Blog and News 

Ethiopian Troops Begin to Pull out of Somalia

Ethiopian military occupation of Somalia will end the next few days as a spokesman for Meles Zenawi said the troops' withdrawal will take several days.

Earlier on Friday morning, the Ethiopian military forces have begun pulling out as a convoy of about 30 Ethiopian military vehicles carrying troops and weapons vacated the Capital city, Mogadishu.

The troops helped the Somalia Transitional Federal Government fend off Islamic insurgents without much success. Even today as the Ethiopians started vacating Mogadishu, a roadside bomb killed 2 of the Ethiopian soldiers who then retaliated by killing nearby civilians by blindly opening fire.

"The withdrawal of our troops from Somalia has entered the implementation phase," Bereket Simon, special adviser to the Ethiopian premier, told Reuters news agency.
"The withdrawal is not an event that can be completed within a day. It will be finalised as quickly as possible.", said Zenawi's spokesman.

For the past two years as occupiers, Ethiopian forces took many casualties and suffered a steady drain on its resources as they fought Islamic revolutionists.

In the name of protecting the so called puppet TFG weak government, the Tigreans are said to committed war crimes by human rights organizations.

About 3,400 Ugandan and Burundian peacekeepers from the African Union in Somalia are taking up positions vacated by the Ethiopians. So far, Islamic Insurgents conducted several attacks against TFG and AU forces positions in the past week alone.

Somalia: Densily Civilian Populated Market Shelled in Mogadishu by TFG militia:

Persistent clashes between the Somali TFG militia supported by AU troops and Al-Shabab forces rocked the Somali capital on Thursday January 1st 2009. The armed resistant, Alshabab, reported attacked TFG and AU basis. As a retaliation, the TFG forces shelled the densily populated Bakaraha Market where there were reports of civilian casualties. Atleast two civilians are dead and many others injured, sources said.

This is the third time in this week where the fighting between the militia of the Somali Transition Federal Government and its watch force, the AU troops have been targeted by anti-government forces. In each attack, the TFG militia fired artillery shells at densely populated areas, mainly targeting the Bakaraha, the biggest market in Somalia.

Somalia: Ex-Mogadishu Mayer Arrested for Withholding TFG Weapons

Last Wednesday, Ethiopian troops arrested the former Mayor at his house in the area of KM4 in the district of Hodan in Mogadishu. The Somali TFG acknowledged the arrest as its Interior Minister said Mr. Dhere was arrested for not transferring weapons and militia forces he accumulated when he was the Governor of Benadir region and Mayor of Mogadishu.

On Wednesday, there were rumors among the Mogadishu residents that the Tigrean Military Sergeant commanding the Ethiopian troops had unfinished business with former Mayor of Mogadishu, citing previous reports where Mr. Dhere criticized the sergeant for evidently arresting and harassing a female member of the city's Tax collection staff.

The TFG Minister of Interior Affairs and Public Safety Mr. Muse Nur Amin also denied reports that Ethiopian forces arrested the former Mayor without the knowledge of the TFG in a press conference in Mogadishu, “We are aware of the arrest of the former Mayor and Governor” added the Minister.

HOL: Somalia: New President Election Committee To Be Assigned

The acting Interim Somalia President who is also the Speaker of the Interim Parliament Sheik Adam Mohamed Nur (Sheik Madobe) said that the Interim Parliament is going to assign a committee to the election of a new interim President on Thursday January 01, 2009.

Talking to Parliamentarian in the city of Baidoa, the seat of the interim Parliament, the Speaker said that a committee will soon be assigned to the task of managing the election of a new interim President. The Speaker also called all members of the interim Parliament to report to the Parliament so that they can take part in the election of the new interim President. He asked Parliamentarians who cannot report to Parliament in a week to send in their resignations so that their clans can name their replacements.

The Speaker’s speech come 5 days after the former interim President M r. Abdullahi Yusuf resigned from office after a heavy pressure from the international community forced him to do so.
According to Somalia’s interim Constitution, the Parliament has to elect a new President within 30 days of a President leaving the office.

So far only one candidate, Mohamed Qanyare Afrah, has announced his intention to run for the office. Mr. Afrah was also a candidate the last time the Parliament elected the former interim President but failed secure enough votes to win the post.

Source:Hiiraan Online

Malaysian helicopter saves Indian ship from Somali pirates

The incident, the first of 2009, involved an Indian ship with a dead weight tonnage of 92,687 tonnes, said Noel Choong, an official from the Kuala Lumpur-based IMB. Malaysian military helicopter, taking off from a warship sailing nearby, scared away Somali pirates trying to hijack an Indian vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.

The incident, the first of 2009, involved an Indian ship with a dead weight tonnage of 92,687 tonnes, said Noel Choong, an official from the Kuala Lumpur-based IMB.

"Two small boats carrying pirates came close to the Indian vessel and started firing on the bridge and the accommodation area," Choong told Reuters.

"The pirates tried to board the vessel repeatedly but failed, as the captain maneuvered the ship and increased its speed." A Malaysian warship, KD Sri Indera Sakti, which was about 15 nautical miles from the area, responded to the Indian vessel's distress calls and sent a helicopter which scared the pirates away, Choong said.

"We have been told that all crew members are safe, while the damage to the vessel is being assessed," said Choong, without saying how many crew were on board.

Last week, quick action by a German warship halted an attack on an Egyptian bulk carrier, while a Chinese commercial vessel was helped by a Malaysian warship earlier in December, he said.

In 2008, 111 ships were reported to have been attacked and 42 hijacked, Choong said. Fourteen of the hijacked vessels and more than 240 crew members are still being held by pirates.

Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden each year on their way to and from the Suez Canal.

Reuters

AP: Somali Pirates Seize Egyptian Cargo Ship

CAIRO, Egypt – An Egyptian official says that Somali pirates have seized an Egyptian cargo ship with 28 crew members on board.

The vessel, called Blue Star, was carrying 6,000 tons of fertilizers when it was attacked and snatched after it passed through the Red Sea and entered the Gulf of Aden on Thursday morning.

Egyptian deputy foreign minister, Ahmed Rizq, says 15 armed pirates seized the vessel and were steering it toward the coast of Somalia.

A statement from Rizq says contacts are under way with "international and regional parties" to get the ship released. - AP

New Talking Google Adsense Ad! Heard it Now what? Who gets Paid?

Up until now, Google Adsense Advertisements were simply click only ads where users who click on them are taken to the advertiser's web site. So, the publisher who's web site the ad appeared on get paid for the click. In other forms there is the Adsense video that is not so common as it requires that your web site meets a certain hits qouta before you can feature the video ads. But now, there is a third adsense ad type. The talking ad.

Just recently, the ad whose picture is shown below appeared on my web site. I didn't click on it or even move the mouse over it, but it just talked to me "something something pizza, get it in 30 minutes or it is free", it said.

Maybe it is a talking ad banner. None the less it delivered the message to the visitor. So the question is, do I get paid for the Google Adsense talking ads? Simply put, the ad just automatically played to a visitor, so someone has to get paid.



I am not sure if I will get paid for the delivery of the message of the ad. My assumption is that the banner is an animated gif with background sound, and what I heard is the background sound. Still, shouldn't Google and I get our commission? AFter all, the advertisement get its content across, without the visitor's interaction.

Talking ads are by no means a new concept. There is NetAudioAds' Pay Per Click program where publishers get paid for every visitor to their web site. It sounds good to have, but I didn't have much luck with it because the program has always been in Beta version.

K'Naan Somali Artist to Release Second Rap Album.

K'Naan will release his Troubadour sophomore album in January. The album was recorded at Tuff Gong studios and Bob Marley's home studio in Kingston, Jamaica last winter. Although the disc doesn't yet have a track list, you can hear first single "ABCs" on K'Naan's MySpace page. "ABCs" will also be used in the Madden NFL 09 video game.

"I'm here with Damian and Stephen Marley, my band, and my film maker friend Kim Chapiron," K'Naan wrote in a Feb. 13 MySpace blog entry. "I can't really talk too much about what's going on, but I can honestly say, it's sincere magic."

K'Naan was born in Somalia before his family immigrated to Canada. He released his The Dusty Foot Philosopher debut album in 2005.

You can see K'Naan, who's a practicing Muslim, with Orthodox Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre on Dec. 16 and at Montreal's Metropolis the next night.

AllAfrica: Somali Pirates to Release Saudi Tanker

Somali pirates have reportedly agreed to release the Saudi super-tanker, Sirius Star, withdrawing a 25 million dollar ransom demand.

"We decided to respect the request of Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister Saud Al-Faysal who asked us to release the ship..." Press TV correspondent quoted pirate's spokesman Mohammed Said as saying.

However, he did not say when the giant oil tanker would be released.

The news comes amid other reports suggesting the possible release of the 'arm-laden' Ukrainian vessel, MV Faina, which was captured by Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa in September.

The latest positive development in pirate-infested waters of Somalia comes a few weeks after Al-Shabaab forces took over the port town of Hobyo where many hijacked ships, including Sirius Star have been docked.

The capture of the 330-metre long Sirius Star, carrying two million barrels of oil on November 15, sent shockwaves through the shipping world prompting many shipping firms to consider a detour round South Africa.

The pirates demanded a $25 million ransom, but the Saudi authorities strongly opposed the idea of negotiating with hijackers and Prince Saud al-Faysal said it would be up to the owners of the vessel to decide how to deal with piracy.

However in spite of international pledges of tough action, the pirates continue to roam Somalia's waters and beyond, seizing half-a-dozen ships over the past two weeks and efforts to stop them have not been impressive.

FF/RA