German car rental group Sixt said Tuesday it has agreed to buy up to 250,000 cars from automaker Stellantis in a "multi-billion euro" deal that includes electric vehicles. The purchases will extend to 2026 and concern Europe and North America, the two companies said in a joint statement. "The deliveries to Sixt will include a variety of classes from city cars to SUVs to vans and trucks, as well as a full range of propulsion types," the companies said. Electric vehicles will be included, but the statement didn't provide any specifics. In October, Sixt said it had bought "thousands" of electric cars from China's BYD Auto for its operations in Germany, France, Netherlands and the UK.

Cooking Smarter at Literati Bookstore: A discussion and book signing with chef Jeremy Scheck, author of “Scheckeats: Cooking Smarter” and Detroit chef Jon Kung, who recently released his first cookbook, "Kung Food: Chinese American Recipes from a Third Culture Kitchen.” Both chefs are hugely popular on TikTok. The class includes three whiskey cocktails, two shots, a cocktail recipe card, light refreshments and a DJ. The a la carte menu is available Jan. 31-Feb. 25, and there will be wine and cocktail offerings to match. Ethiopian cooking class with chef Helina Melaku at Motor City Street Dance Academy: The dance lessons will pause for a cooking class next month with chef Helina Melaku of Ethiopian pop-up Konjo Me. Food and restaurant newsMichel Agustin named executive chef at the Fed: Working his way up the ladder, Michel Agustin has been named the new executive chef at the Fed, a farm-to-table restaurant in Clarkston.

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry issued a statement reaffirming its support for the One China Policy. This follows China expressing support for Somalia after Ethiopia’s deal with Somaliland to lease 20 kilometers of coastline in exchange for diplomatic recognition. Ethiopia reportedly wants to build a naval base and commercial port there. Somalia views Somaliland as a breakaway province and demands that Ethiopia cancel the agreement. China on Thursday called for respect for Somalia’s “territorial integrity.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning posted on X that “Somaliland is part of Somalia.”

Landmines, unexploded artillery shells, and other types of remnants of war litter former battlefields throughout Ethiopia, resulting in accidental civilian deaths and hindering farmers from returning to their fields. These explosive remnants of war (ERW) imperil safety, threaten livelihoods, and hinders the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) of former combatants. To address this issue, the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia’s Office of Security Cooperation and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) launched a historic collaboration with the Ethiopian National Defense Forces and the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO) January 15. A subsequent delivery of equipment, training, and additional resources will take place within the next six months. For 120 years, the United States and Ethiopia have partnered in health and education, agriculture and food security, science and the environment, security, and many other areas to improve the lives of all Ethiopians.

Ethiopia’s Orthodox Church faced a crisis in 2023 when a group of rebel archbishops created a dissident synod. Abune is an honorific title used for bishops belonging to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Screenshot of the false post, taken on January 12, 2024"Abune Petros fled the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church today without authorisation of the church by presenting fake travel documents," it continues. The Ethiopian prime minister was also involved in mediating between the Holy Synod and the rebel group. The Ethiopian Epiphany is a colourful religious festival celebrated among followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church every January and listed by UNESCO as a cultural heritage of humanity (archived here).

A 20-member South Korea's Yeungnam University delegation has established the Park Chung Hee School of Policy and Saemaul (PSPS) Alumni Association that also comprises 45 Ethiopian alumni over the weekend. For another representative from Yeungnam University, the two countries' cooperation would allow Ethiopia to ease its technological gap through capitalizing on South Korea's immense technological prowess. "The cooperation is a good opportunity to not only transfer knowledge and technology transfer, but also to be replicated in education, energy and infrastructure arenas." Mentioning the Yeungnam University's PSPS is a national community development campaign, he noted that Ethiopia and South Korea have good relationships in the area and most of the alumni are from the former. The alumni association is expected to engage in technology and investment areas with its key partners such as South Korean Embassy and KOICA, it was learned.

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China expressed support for the government of Somalia amid a controversy about a deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland, which Mogadishu views as a breakaway province. In early January, the governments of Ethiopia and Somaliland announced they signed a memorandum of understanding that would give landlocked Ethiopia commercial and naval access to 20km of Somaliland’s coast. The 50-year lease deal would include official recognition of the restive region.

The "king" of Italian fashion, Giorgio Armani, unveiled Monday his latest men's collection marked by fluid cuts and soft lines. Loyal to his DNA of relaxed chic, Armani presented ample but refined trousers, and half-length unbuttoned coats that allowed freedom of movement. The ever-existing challenge for a designer is to "do the usual in an unusual way", Armani said after the show on the fourth day of men's Fashion Week. The pleated trousers were ample, to be combined with turtleneck sweaters and short vests of the same fabric. Milan's Fashion Week finishes Tuesday with digital shows before the fashion world moves on to Paris, first for men's fashion and then haute couture.

Beachwood, OH (44122)TodaySnow showers this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%..TonightA few clouds. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.

Hadiya Hossana held Ethiopia Coffee to a 1-1 draw as the Ethiopia Premier League entered week 11 on Monday, while Sidama Coffee emerged as 2-0 victors over Bahir Dar City. It was an explosive first half at the Adama Science and Technology University Stadium with Ethiopia Coffee and Hadiya having a go at each other over the first 40 minutes but with no goals to show for their efforts. However, Abdulkerim Worku struck for Ethiopia Coffee in the 41st minute to give them a 1-0 lead.

Early evidence suggests four bolts intended to prevent the door plug from shifting in its attachment brackets either failed or weren’t installed. Regardless, Boeing should have inspected the door plugs and assured these are in final condition prior to delivery. If Boeing, for any reason, removed the door plug on Alaska’s MAX 9, failure to reinstall the plug properly may not be an inspection escape. This door plug’s poor installation could, in theory, be the result of a production shortcut where the shop needed the door out of the way. Our team is now inspecting Spirit’s installation of the mid-exit door plug and approving them before the fuselage section can be shipped to Boeing.

Some 346 people lost their lives in the Boeing 737 Max crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 in late 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 less than five months later. The board received a first update within hours of the stricken Alaska Air 737 Max landing, Boeing Chairman Larry Kellner said at an all-employee meeting on Jan. 9. The most urgent is the future of its core 737 Max program at a time when some travelers are voicing concern about its safety. The 737 Max family is an integral part of global fleets, and the wait list for the alternative, an Airbus A320neo, stretches out several years. For years, Airbus and Boeing have faced off at air shows and in hotly-contested sales campaigns to bring home those big orders.

Beachwood, OH (44122)TodaySnow showers this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%..TonightA few clouds. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.

Farmers began a week of protests on January 8 over plans to axe certain subsidies for agriculture, after a court ruling forced the government to find savings in the 2024 budget. Around 100,000 tractors took to the streets over the course of the protests, according to the German Farmers Association (DBV). Workers from various sectors, from metallurgy and transport to education, have staged protests in recent weeks amid struggling economic growth and rising prices. The farmers' rallies have also attracted far-right demonstrators, sparking fears that extremists are seeking to exploit the protest movement. Pferdmenges said far-right protesters represented only a "very small number" of people at the farmers' protests.