Nairobi, Kenya – Ethiopia is set to meet its domestic electricity demands and consequently facilitate its economic development thanks to the inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Expected to be Africa’s largest hydropower facility, the dam’s first turbine began generating electricity. The $4.2-billion (3.7-billion-euro) dam is ultimately expected to produce more than 5,000 megawatts … Read more
BOGOTA: While the Colombian government fumes over being listed as a “hunger hotspot” by UN agencies, Heidy Garzon, a single mother of nine, worries where her family’s next meal will come from. “We don’t know what we’re going to eat tonight,” Garzon told AFP in a shantytown neighbourhood of Ciudad Bolivar in the south of Bogota, two … Read more
GENEVA – The raging Ukraine conflict will certainly dominate the UN Human Rights Council session beginning next week, with Russia’s top diplomat among those set to address the increasingly polarised assembly in person. Hours into a full-fledged Russian invasion of its neighbour early Thursday, Moscow confirmed that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was still planning to … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – The number of COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 11,146,001 on Wednesday evening, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, said the overall death toll of the continent stands at 247,783. A total of 10,311,143 patients across … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – A total of 11,135,316 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Africa as of Tuesday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The specialized healthcare agency of the African Union said the COVID-19 death toll across the continent stands at 247,553, while 10,296,875 patients have recovered from the … Read more
NAIROBI – Vast swathes of land stretching from southern Ethiopia to northern Kenya and Somalia are in the grip of a severe drought that has left 13 million people facing hunger. Across these regions, where people eke out a living from mainly agro-pastoral activities, the three rainy seasons since the end of 2020 have been … Read more
GUBA, Ethiopia, Feb 20, 2022 (AFP) – Ethiopia began generating electricity from its mega-dam on the Blue Nile on Sunday, a milestone in the controversial multi-billion dollar project. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, accompanied by high-ranking officials, toured the power station and pressed a series of buttons on an electronic screen, a move that officials said initiated … Read more
JIZAN, Saudi Arabia: For Farah al-Malki, growing coffee plants in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern region of Jizan is more than just a profession. It is a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. The 90-year-old patriarch has a long history with coffee, which spread from Ethiopia to Yemen and then to the rest of the … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 11,001,034 as of Friday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The death toll across the continent has reached 243,497 and 10,126,527 patients have recovered from the disease so far, said the healthcare agency of the African … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – The African Union (AU) on Sunday called on all actors to the conflict in Northern Ethiopia to find a lasting political solution as it reiterated its call for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire.” AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (AU-PAPS), Bankole Adeoye, told reporters on Sunday that immediate and unconditional … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – Just three months ago, foreigners were fleeing Ethiopia in droves, responding to alarming security warnings from mostly Western embassies about a possible rebel advance on the capital. This week, traffic is moving in the opposite direction, as delegations from across Africa fly in for the latest summit of the African Union this … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 10,809,836 as of Tuesday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The specialized healthcare agency of the African Union said the COVID-19 death toll across the continent stands at 239,615 and some 9,791,949 patients have recovered from the … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 10,609,112 as of Tuesday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) said the death toll across the continent stands at 237,197 and some 9,534,559 patients have recovered from the … Read more
WASHINGTON – A veteran US diplomat who has handled turbulent ties with Turkey was named last week to tackle crises in Sudan and Ethiopia as the outgoing envoy looked to make progress in Addis Ababa. David Satterfield, the outgoing US ambassador to Turkey who has worked extensively in the Middle East, will become special envoy … Read more
NAIROBI – The Ethiopian government announced it was pardoning a number of high-profile political prisoners, including members of the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), in a bid to promote “national dialogue”. The surprise move comes amid a lull in the brutal 14-month conflict in northern Ethiopia after a dramatic shift in battlefield fortunes at … Read more
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 10,159,243 cases as of Wednesday evening, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) said the death toll across the continent stands at 232,363 with 9,046,310 recoveries so … Read more
Karachi – The year 2021 remained a hub of conflicts across the world from an assault on the US Capitol, horrific bloodshed in Ethiopia, Taliban’s triumph in Afghanistan, great-power showdowns over Ukraine and Taiwan, amid dwindling US ambition on the global stage, Covid-19, to a climate emergency, according to the Foreign Policy report. However, some … Read more
Premier League trio Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez will be star attractions in Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations, which promises to be “exceptional” according to the top football official in the continent. The 36-match group phase kicks off on January 9 at the newly built Olembe Stadium in Yaounde and the tournament concludes … Read more
The top UN rights body agreed to send international investigators to conflict-hit Ethiopia amid warnings of looming generalised violence, in a move slammed by Addis Ababa. Following an emergency meeting, the 47-member UN Human Rights Council narrowly voted in favour of ordering the probe into a wide range of alleged violations by all sides in Ethiopia’s 13-month conflict. … Read more
ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) — The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surpassed the 9-million mark on Wednesday as the continent strives for adequate access to vaccines. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said that as of Wednesday evening, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 9,033,788 as … Read more
LALIBELA, Ethiopia: – Father Tsige Mezgebu was leading an afternoon prayer service in August when a column of haggard-looking rebels entered Lalibela, prompting worshippers to cry out “God save our city!” He immediately feared the worst for the 11 mediaeval rock-hewn churches that make Lalibela, in northern Ethiopia’s Amhara region, a holy site for the … Read more
ADDIS ABABA: Nine rebel groups battling Ethiopia’s government will “collaborate and join forces” Friday, they said in a statement announcing the alliance, which comes as fears grow of Tigrayan fighters advancing on the capital. The alliance, due to be signed in Washington later on Friday, includes the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Tigray People’s Liberation … Read more
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia declared a nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday and ordered residents of Addis Ababa to prepare to defend their neighbourhoods amid fears that Tigrayan rebels were heading for the capital. The measures came after several days of reported advances by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group, which is locked … Read more
ISLAMABAD: The 75th Independence Day of Pakistan was celebrated on Saturday at various embassies and missions of the country across the world by holding flag hoisting ceremonies and exhibitions. The envoys of Pakistan in respective ceremonies hoisted the national flag, while the national anthem was played. The events were attended by the diplomatic community, officials … Read more
MAKKAH: The Technical and Service Authority at the Grand Mosque in Makkah has intensified its preparations amid Covid avoidance for the Umrah season which allowed recently for the green-list countries. In this regard sterilization and perfuming processes of the Grand Mosque and its outdoor parks are going on round-the-clock to prevent the spread of the … Read more
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will impose a three-year travel ban on citizens travelling to countries on the kingdom’s ‘red list’ under efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus and its new variants, state news agency SPA quoted as saying on Tuesday. It cited an unnamed interior ministry official as saying some Saudi citizens, who in May … Read more
UNITED NATIONS: The World Food Programme (WFP), a Rome-based United Nations (UN) agency, warned that famine could become a reality for millions of people around the world, without urgent funding to stave off a catastrophe, and without access to families cut-off by conflict. “I am heartbroken at what we’re facing in 2021. We now have … Read more
Authorities in Ethiopia say thousands of Ethiopians have fled to neighbouring Sudan to escape violent attacks in the northern Tigray region. Alsir Khaled, head of Sudan’s refugee agency in the eastern border town of Kassal, said several Ethiopian soldiers were among those crossing the border. “Refugees are pouring in, and the situation is changing by … Read more
