MOGADISHU, SOMALIA — Ethiopian Woyanne troops have killed more than 40 people this afternoon in an area near the town of Afgoye known as Arbiska. The people were civilians traveling in passenger vehicles.
The victims were in two passenger vehicles. The killing of these civilians appears to be intentional as del datetime=”2008-08-15T21:58:49+00:00″>Ethiopian Woyanne troops continued to fire on the passengers until there was no movement (perhaps to make sure everyone in the vehicles is dead).
This brutal killing of civilians riding in passenger vehicles seems the worst atrocity aimed at passengers, although in the past del datetime=”2008-08-15T21:58:49+00:00″>Ethiopian Woyanne troops killed unarmed civilians in several occasions and at several places.
The number of civilians del datetime=”2008-08-15T21:58:49+00:00″>Ethiopian Woyanne troops killed in the last 24 hours exceeds 50 when we include other civilians del datetime=”2008-08-15T21:58:49+00:00″>Ethiopian Woyanne troops killed this morning in an area near former military camp located off the main road that links Mogadishu and Afgoye and others who were killed near Makka Al-Mukarrama street.
The killings of these civilians by del datetime=”2008-08-15T21:58:49+00:00″>Ethiopian Woyanne troops comes at a time when this morning del datetime=”2008-08-15T21:58:49+00:00″>Ethiopian Woyanne troops were targeted with explosions in the area between Mogadishu and Afgoye as well as four attacks they faced several days ago when they were traveling on the main road that links Mogadishu and Baidoa.
(DPA) BEIJING — Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie is taking a big gamble in a return to the 10,000 metres at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday. Even his Dutch manager Jos Hermens admitted to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa: “I don’t think he will get a medal.”
Gebrselassie, 35, ruled the 10,000m in the 1990s with four straight world titles 1993-1999 and two Olympic golds 1996 and 2000.
He switched to the marathon after coming fifth in the 2004 Olympic 10,000m and last year in Berlin ran a world record 2 hours 4 minutes 26 seconds, his 25th world record in the sport of athletics.
Now the friendly man returns to the 10,000m for various reasons: Beijing’s heat and humidity and pollution, to ensure that he can run fast a few more years without losing too much energy, to be fit for the Berlin marathon next month, and simply to satisfy Ethiopia.
“The whole of Ethiopia wanted him to run the marathon. But he is 35 and wants to compete again in four years in London (at the Olympics). Haile believes he can ran fast there at age 39,” says Hermens.
Hermens did not hide his belief that Gebrselassie should have skipped the Olympics altogether because preparation for the 10,000 differs too much from the build-up to the September 28 Berlin marathon
“He has to do it for the country, the whole country wants it,” said Hermens.
Gebrselassie remains the sentimental favourite but countrymen led by Kenenisa Bekele have run away from him and are expected to do so in Beijing as well.
Bekele has lowered Gebrselassie’s former world record to 26:17.53 and even if the Olympic race is slower and more tactical Gebrselassie no longer has deadly kick with which he used to shock the opposition.
He had a 26:51.20 two months ago in Hengelo, Netherlands, and believes he could possibly run around 26:35.
However, he will likely only see the heels of his former heir Bekele like in every big race over the distance 2001-2004.
Perennial runner-up Sileshi Sihine is also to run past him in an expected Ethiopian one-two and the presence of Kenyans and Eritrea’s danger man Zersenay Tadese who beat Bekele for the world cross-country title in 2007.
Given the tough opposition, Bekele, Sihine and the other Ethiopians can’t afford to wait for Bekele during the Beijing race like they did to no avail in Athens.
Gebrleassie played a key role in mediating in a big row between Hermens (who also manages Sihine and other Ethiopians) and the nation’s athletics federation over Gebrselassie’s appearance in Beijing.
While Hermens said Gebrselassie should not run, the federation insisted and made it clear that they decide whether he runs in Beijing or not.
Hermens named Gebreselassie “the great mediator” and accused the federation of being “clueless.” He lamented an amateurish Ethiopian Olympic preparation for several athletes and warned that “even athletes in top form can be wrecked by this.”
But Gebrselassie is still dreaming that he can defy the odds in Beijing.
“I still have two big goals, to win another Olympic gold and to run in a marathon below 2:04 hours,” he said.
BEIJING (AP) — Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia has won the 10,000 meters in an Olympic record 29 minutes, 54.66 seconds — the second fastest time ever for a woman at that distance.
The two-time 10,000 world champion sat just behind Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse until the start of the last lap, then went to the front with 350 meters to go.
She surged ahead down the back stretch and finished almost two seconds clear of Abeylegesse, who took silver in 29:56.34. The pair were only the second and third women to break the 30-minute barrier.
Wang Junxia of China set the world record of 29:31.78 in 1993.
Shalane Flanagan set a U.S. record 30:22.22 to win bronze.
Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba won the women’s 10,000m in a new Olympic record by beating Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse in a thrilling battle in Beijing.
During a fast race which was stretched from the start, the pair were neck and neck going into the final six laps.
But at the sound of the bell, world champion Dibaba kicked out and held on to win in 29 minutes 54.68 seconds.
America’s Shalane Flanagan took the bronze medal while Britain’s Jo Pavey came 12th in a new personal best.
The winning time was the second-fastest ever and Pavey, who finished fourth at last year’s World Championships, slipped off the main group with 11 laps to go.
“I’m disappointed, you feel like you’ve made a fool of yourself,” Pavey told BBC Sport. “It was such a blistering pace.
“I’m disappointed because my training has been going well in the last year.”
Netherland’s Loran Kiplagat, formerly of Kenya, took control early on dragging the runners through the first kilometre in three minutes.
And as the field began to stretch, Abeylegesse bypassed the Dutch pace setter to signal her intent having finished second to Dibaba at last year’s World Championships in Osaka.
Her efforts reduced the number of runners in contention to four on a humid evening, but that was cut further to just Abeylegesse and Dibaba with six laps left.
Dibaba, however, was waiting on her rival’s shoulder and was merely waiting to strike, taking the lead as the bell sounded.
She then carved out an unassailable gap down the back straight to seal a superb World and Olympic double.
Britain’s Kate Reed, competing in her first Olympics, ended 33rd.
Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba easily sails to victory today at the Women’s 10,000, earning the first gold medal for Ethiopia in Beijing… Photos and more details later
Sorry to inform you that the server hosting the video stream crashed due to heavy traffic. It is disappointing that NBC decided not to air the event and blocked other stations from carrying it. This is the ugly fact about greed and monopoly.
To watch the Women 10,000 meter today at 10:45 AM Eastern USA time, click here, then click on the TV box, then select SPORT TV and Danmark – Bejing 1 Olympics Live – 790kb. It works only on Internet Explorer.
BEIJING (Reuters) – World 10,000-metre champion Tirunesh Dibaba says she expects to run both the 10,000 and 5,000m events in Beijing, hoping to become the first woman to scoop the Olympic distance double.
In 2005 Dibaba became the first woman to win both races at a world championships when she led an Ethiopian podium sweep in both events in Helsinki.
She retained the 10,000 title in Osaka last year after suffering from abdominal pain mid-race but skipped the 5,000 days later.
“My expectation is that I will run both,” she told Reuters after arriving in Beijing. “It’s being said that it’s a little hot here, so the final decision will be made after the 10,000.”
The Ethiopian 10,000m team includes her sister Ejegayehu who narrowly and embarrassingly lost gold to China’s Xing Huina at the 2004 Olympics, and Mestawet Tufa.
The elder Dibaba has painful memories of Athens when she thought she had won the 10,000m final and did not react when the Chinese athlete, whom she thought was a lapped runner, swept past her in the final metres of the race.
In the 5,000m team will be the defending champion Meseret Defar, whose world record Tirunesh Dibaba slashed by 3 seconds in June, and the African champion Meselech Melkamu. Dibaba took bronze in Athens.
“I’m in great condition,” Defar said after running 14:12.88 in Stockholm last month. “It’s given me a great feeling before the Olympics.”
The women’s 10,000 metres is the first medal event on the track on Friday’s opening day of the athletics programme, with the 5,000 final a week later.
Ethiopia is also strongly represented on the men’s side where Kenenisa Bekele, gold medallist four years ago over 10,000m, is expecting to double up in both distance events.
Sileshi Sihine and 1996 and 2000 10,000 metres champion Haile Gebrselassie complete a high quality team for the longer race.
The men’s double was last achieved at the Olympics by Ethiopian Miruts Yifter in 1980. The 10,000 was added to the women’s programme in 1988 with the 5,000 arriving in 1996. (Editing by Alison Williams)
BEIJING (AP) — Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia has won the 10,000 meters in an Olympic record 29 minutes, 54.66 seconds — the second fastest time ever for a woman at that distance.