Amharic

NATO Summit 2012 - Chicago

NATO leaders have mapped a path out of the war in Afghanistan, backing plans to hand Afghans the combat lead in the country from the middle of 2013. The move has come at a major summit in United States president Barack Obama's home city of Chicago. The 28 NATO leaders and their 22 partners in the war agreed to shift their focus from training to support. And they stressed foreign soldiers would still participate in combat operations when needed until late 2014.

Australia will boost its aid to Afghanistan as part of an agreement signed by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her Afghan counterpart in the United States.

Interview with Dr. Demissie Oluma

Dr. Demissie Oluma, Head of Public Relations for the Ethiopian Democratic Hibrehizb Unity Movement (EDHUM), talks about the aim of the upcoming Alliance Building Conference and the importance of building strong unity within the Ethiopian diaspora. The conference will be held in Ottawa-Canada from May 18-21, 2012.

Interview with Melat and Hizkias Mengistu

Melat and Hizkias Mengistu, Co-Conveners of the Ethiopian Home Work Club of Melbourne (EHWCM), talks about the opening of the Club. The aim of the Club is tutoring and mentoring Ethiopian-Australian students free of charge in mathematics, science and English. The Ethiopian Home Work Club of Melbourne will be open on the 26th of May, 2012.

Budget 2012-13

The 2012-13 federal government's budget will deliver a slim surplus of 1.5 billion dollars in the next financial year, with a prediction it will rise to 7.5 billion dollars in 2015. The government says the surplus will continue to grow by carefully balancing, cutting or deferring programs.

It's announced what it calls a 'benefits of the boom package' worth 3.6 billion dollars to help low and middle income families and vulnerable Australians with the cost of living. The budget also allocated an extra 158 million dollars over 5 years to Australias multicultural broadcaster SBS.

Reaction to the Labor government's fifth federal budget has been mixed.

Business and some welfare groups say it fails to help essential sectors of the community although others are happy.