More than 17 million people have received aid over the last five years, according to an Ethiopian government aid agency. The Ethiopian Social Rehabilitation and Development Fund (ESRDF) says it has set up over 3,000 projects countrywide.

The government's anti-corruption commission has filed charges against 54 current and former officials of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), as well as a number of businessmen, according to the private 'Reporter' newspaper.

The top United Nations environmental official is calling for a speedy ratification of the Kyoto climate protocol before September.

The move to liberalise African banking is gaining momentum. Do African banks have reasons to fear the consequences of liberalisation or does it give them opportunities to restructure and compete with international banks in African-wide or regional markets?

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