Published: Mon 22 Jul 2024, 8:48 PMAt least 20 people were killed by a landslide in southern Ethiopia on Monday morning, the country's state broadcaster reported. A local official said the death toll from the incident, at around 10am (0700 GMT), was likely to rise further, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) reported. Meskir Mitku, the district general administrator of Gofa district in the Southern Ethiopia region, said women, children and local police were among the dead. Photographs on Facebook shared by EBC showed scores of people on a blank hillside searching for victims.

ADDIS ABABA - At least 50 bodies were pulled from the mud on July 22 following two landslides in southern Ethiopia, a local official said. "There was a heavy rain yesterday night and some people died from a landslide," said Kassahun Abayneh, the government spokesperson for Gofa district in the South Ethiopia regional state. "In the (Monday) morning, locals, including police, gathered at the site to save those who were affected by the first landslide. That is when the second landslide happened around 10:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) today and those who gathered there died." Meskir Mitku, the district general administrator of Gofa district in the Southern Ethiopia region, said women, children and local police were among the dead, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) reported.

In a significant development, the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA) has elected a new president and leadership team during its general meeting held on July 18, 2024. Sebsebe Abafira, who previously served as the President of the Oromia Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, was elected as the new President of the ECCSA. The General Assembly also elected Aynalem Abayeh (PhD) as the Vice President, along with nine members for the Management Board. In addition to Sebsebe Abafira, two other candidates were vying for the ECCSA presidency – Mesebenbet Shenqute, the President of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations, and Assefa Alamrew, the President of the Amhara Regional Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations. The organization has 21 members, including regional chambers of commerce and sectoral associations, urban chambers of commerce and sectoral associations, the national council of sectoral associations, and six nationally organized sectoral associations.

In a move to bolster educational cooperation between India and Ethiopia, the Government of India has announced a scholarship program for Ethiopian students in the 2023/24 academic year. Under this initiative, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will be providing scholarships to a total of 55 Ethiopian students. In the first round of selections, 35 students have reportedly started the visa processing after being accepted into the program. “We are committed to facilitating these academic opportunities and fostering greater people-to-people linkages between our two nations.”With 35 Ethiopian students already in the process of securing their visas, the first round of the ICCR scholarship program is off to a promising start. As the remaining 20 scholarships are awarded, the initiative is expected to further deepen the educational and cultural exchanges between India and Ethiopia.

Four residents of the town of Alamata were taken hostage by “Tigray militants,” their families and a witness who was released after his arrest told the BBC. According to family members and an eyewitness, four young people from Alamata, a town in the disputed region between Amhara and Tigray, were kidnapped by security forces from the Tigray region last Friday. The kidnapped individuals were reportedly involved in activism related to identity issues. The victims, Abadi Fentaw, Ambachew Haile, Kadir NurAddis, and Moges Meles, were taken to central Tigray. According to the same witnesses, “at least six militants armed with rifles, along with two of their leaders,” arrived and took the four individuals with them.

The action-packed series set in Rome in 79 A.D., stars the legendary Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian, the founder of the Flavian dynasty, and is inspired by Daniel Mannix’s classic non-fiction book of the same name. When asked what drew him to the series, Hashim said: “For me, (it was) Kwame where he was from and what he represents. “I thought it was really beautiful to see how the gladiators, who were essentially prisoners made to fight till their death, fought for their lives daily, the way they found humanity and friendship, I thought that was really, really beautiful. Said Johannesson: “Roland is a whirlwind to work with. We practically did a tour of every restaurant in Rome, we had all types of pasta and, you know, during those dinners, you kind of get to see who Roland really is.

With more than 10,000 participants the AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference, is opened today in Munich, Germany. “We’ve seen incredible breakthroughs at AIDS 2024, including a new case of long-term HIV remission and a promising twice-yearly injection to prevent HIV,” Sharon Lewin, IAS President and AIDS 2024 International Co-Chair, said. All around the world, regressive policies, attacks on human rights, the spread of misinformation, cuts to global health funding, and waning trust in international institutions are roadblocks to progress. “For over 20 years, American leaders across political parties have come together, recognizing the critical need to end the AIDS epidemic. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for the State Department Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, cautioned against complacency at this critical juncture.

Catania, Milan, Naples, Olbia, Pisa, Rome, Turin, Venice, and Verona are the cities where airBaltic offers direct flights. Martin Gauss, President and CEO of airBaltic: “Over the years, the passenger demand for Italy has significantly increased and so has airBaltic presence in the country. We have continued to expand our network there, now offering local travellers convenient direct flights to nine cities in Italy. The airline connects both cities with five weekly flights, providing passengers with a seamless travel experience and global connections. airBaltic Marks One Year of Enhanced SAF UsageSince May 2023, airBaltic has been offering passengers the voluntary option to participate in achieving climate neutrality goals by opting additionally for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

President Sheikh Mohamed met with Bahrain’s King Hamad at his residence in the capital on Monday. During the meeting, the leaders reflected on the strong bonds between their nations while committing to enhancing co-operation to achieve sustainable development goals. The meeting was also attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun, Adviser for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court. Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

Ethiopia's controversial Nile dam https://www.newarab.com/analysis/arab-leagues-role-nile-dam-dispute The Arab League's role in the Nile dam dispute https://www.newarab.com/analysis/ethiopias-nile-dam-what-next-egypt-and-sudan Ethiopia's Nile dam: What next for Egypt and Sudan? https://www.newarab.com/analysis/egypt-ethiopia-and-religion-nile-dam-dispute With God on our side: Egypt, Ethiopia, and religion in the Nile dam disputeThis Egyptian demand derives from a 2015 Declaration of Principles signed by the leaders of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, a document that calls for utilising the Nile for the benefit of the three states. Egypt's worriesFears about the consequences of the GERD on Egypt's water and food security are palpable inside Egyptian state institutions. Fears about the consequences of Ethiopia's dam on Egypt's water and food security are palpable inside Egyptian state institutions. Ultimately, whether the dam will cause harm to Egypt or not will depend on how Ethiopia operates it when construction is complete.

They're big, they're sporadic, and they're capable of burning and melting everything that gets in their path - we should really just leave them alone, right? After the object hit the crust, it opened up a hole which caused hot lava to spurt upwards. (YouTube/Photovolcanica)The impact of the object continued as the hole grew and began spitting out bigger and bigger globs of lava. "The hole is much bigger and lava is shooting out of it, let's hope it stops doing that." AdvertThey believe the sudden awakening of the volcano and the violent expulsion of lava is largely a result of the steam produced due to organic matter falling into the volcano.

Some of Amhara and Oromia’s political elite have rejected the dialogue process and are in armed conflict with the government. This can lead to ‘ethnic outbidding’ – when ethnic political groups adopt a radical position to outbid their opponents in order to garner support from their ethnic base. The National Dialogue Commission should pause the dialogue process on the basis of the multipartiality principle. This would help legitimise the national dialogue process and address Ethiopia’s political quagmire. Ethiopia’s competing political elites need to set aside factionalism and ethnic rivalry in favour of a negotiated political settlement through dialogue.

In a significant development, hotels across Ethiopia have restarted accepting full payment in US dollars from foreign passport holders for the services they provide. Aster Solomon, the president of the Addis Ababa Hotels Association, explained to Capital that the directive allowing hotels to collect service fees in US dollars from foreign nationals has been on the books for years. “The directive was already in place at the legal level, but the control was low, so that foreign nationals could only pay for the services used by the hotels where they were staying,” Aster stated. The government has now moved to tighten the controls once again, compelling hotels to accept full payments from foreign nationals in US dollars only. With the NBE’s renewed enforcement of the directive, hotels across Ethiopia have begun implementing the same, ensuring foreign guests pay the complete service fees in US dollars once again.

Total revenue from foreign trade in operating industrial parks reached only $115.2 million, representing just 46% of the planned figure. Currently, 13 industrial parks across the country, excluding those operated by private investors, are experiencing reduced production capacity due to limited access to international markets. In the 2024 fiscal year, exports from all industrial parks amounted to $115.2 million, with Bole Lemi and Hawassa industrial parks contributing 50% of this total. The total number of industrial parks has decreased from 22 two years ago to 18, including private investors. Only four industrial parks are currently generating export revenue, while the others are deteriorating.

Amhara (Ethiopia) — Two Sudanese refugees were reportedly killed and 10 others were injured in an attack launched by gunmen on Saturday evening on the Awlala forests in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, where refugees have been holding a sit-in since the beginning of May. More than 6,000 Sudanese refugees have been protesting in the Awlala camp since the beginning of last May, demanding to be relocated to a safer place outside the region. On Friday, Ethiopian authorities transferred 300 South Sudanese refugees from Awlala camp to the Iftet camp. Sudanese refugees from Komer camp told Radio Dabanga that they heard that the camp lacks protection and infrastructure and is two kilometres away from the road. Sudanese refugees from the two camps camps told Radio Dabanga that the authorities already moved 300 refugees from South Sudan to Aftit camp on Friday.