More than 2000 visited the ET Real Estate and Home Expo, an annual gathering of major local and international home developers in Addis Ababa. This year, its organizer 251 Communications and Marketing Plc held the sixth edition of the real estate exhibition at SkyLight Hotel on Saturday and Sunday. “As Ethiopia progresses in the development of homes, initiatives ET Real Estate and Home Expo hold immense potential in bolstering the involvement of the private sector within this domain,” he added. “This exclusive home expo serves as the primary platform uniting major real estate developers, the business community, and individuals seeking alternative pathways to homeownership,” Blen said. “It also emphasizes the pivotal role the private sector could undertake in bridging the gap between demand and supply.”

2024 begins with wars burning in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine and peacemaking in crisis. But in the 1990s, a flurry of agreements ended conflicts in places from Cambodia and Bosnia to Mozambique and Liberia. Ideally, world leaders would also give supposedly frozen conflicts the attention they need before it’s too late, as the tragedy in Gaza illustrates. Some Arab officials float the idea of Hamas’s military leaders or even fighters departing Gaza. In Burkina Faso, the Russians’ footprint is smaller but looks set to grow and may entail personal protection of military leaders.

Kenya's Beatrice Chebet shatters the women's world 5km record in a stunning display of athleticism at the prestigious Cursa dels Nassos road race in Barcelona. Chebet's remarkable feat also sees her clocking in six seconds faster than the existing women's world record in a mixed race, previously held by Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye at the 2021 Cursa dels Nassos. This victory marks the culmination of a stellar year for Chebet, who started by clinching the world cross-country title in Bathurst in February. Her dominance continued with the inaugural world 5km title in Riga in October, solidifying her status as a force to be reckoned with. Adding to her impressive resume, Chebet secured a bronze medal in the 5,000m at the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Rockets fired from Gaza raced toward central Israel overnight, triggering sirens throughout the central and southern parts of the country. As 2023 drew to a close, Palestinians in Gaza prayed for a cease-fire but had little hope the new year would be better. Israel and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah have exchanged regular cross-border fire, with the Israeli military saying it struck targets in Lebanon on Sunday. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, which has been attacking shipping in the Red Sea for weeks in what it calls a response to Israel’s war in Gaza, attacked a Maersk cargo ship, the US military said. Hamas and Islamic Jihad — both sworn to Israel’s destruction — have said that they continue to target Israeli forces operating in the enclave.

Upon landing, President Bihi was received by Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen, along with other high-ranking government officials. President Bihi is scheduled to engage in discussions with senior Ethiopian government officials, including a meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The Djibouti agreement, facilitated by Djibouti dictator Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, transpired just two days before President Bihi’s arrival in Addis Ababa. President Bihi’s visit is anticipated to discuss pressing issues with Ethiopian officials, sources said. HARGEISA (HORN OBSERVER) – Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi has embarked on a state visit to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, just days after the historic agreement between Somalia and Somaliland leaders to resume dialogue.

European countries received 330,000 illegal migrants in 2022, the highest rate since 2016, according to data from Frontex, the EU border agency. Curbing illegal migration has been an important point of co-operation between the administration of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Egyptian military and the EU. The main European destination for Egyptians is Italy, where one in three illegal migrant arrivals were Egyptian, according to a 2022 UNHCR report. The increase in migration by Egyptians is “influenced primarily by economic factors and the search for employment,” the EUAA said. Departures from Egypt dropped in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but illegal migration has since risen in 2021 and 2022.

World champion Beatrice Chebet ended her year on a high by running 14:13* to smash the women’s world 5km record at the Cursa dels Nassos, a World Athletics Label road race, in Barcelona on Sunday (31). She was closely followed by the quintet of Chebet, Taye, Rengeruk, Eisa and Cheptoyek. The opening kilometre was a swift and promising 2:49, well on schedule to challenge the world record. "I came to Barcelona determined to better the world record as I felt capable of that," said Chebet. "This world record means a lot for me, I can't believe it."

In Ethiopia, the Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC) has launched the One-Stop-Service (OSS), an initiative that concerns Ethiopian industrial parks and aims to simplify and streamline the accession process for investors and businesses. This service is currently available in several designated industrial parks across Ethiopia, including 12 industrial parks and the Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone. By eliminating the need to visit multiple government agencies and offices, the One-Stop service reduces time and costs and saves investors and businesses valuable time and money, IPDC said. Furthermore, the service promotes greater transparency throughout the business creation process and increases efficiency and transparency by streamlining administrative procedures. It also improves business support by providing comprehensive support services, promoting the growth and success of businesses within industrial parks.

The Ethiopian government on Saturday dismissed warnings by the Tigray authorities that the war-ravaged region was on the brink of famine. He likened the situation to the devastating famine in northern Ethiopia in the 1980s that cost the lives of around one million people. But federal government spokesman Legesse Tulu on Saturday denied the claims, while acknowledging that several million people in northern Ethiopia have been affected by drought as well as flooding. “Recently, a statement that in the Tigray region the crisis is transitioning to a famine and drought that rivals the 1984-85 famine and drought is completely wrong,” Legesse said at a televised press briefing in Addis Ababa. The situation on the ground in northern Ethiopia cannot be independently verified as media access is restricted by the federal government.

Hemedti visits Djibouti as East African countries attempt to broker a ceasefire between the RSF and the Sudanese army. The head of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has visited Djibouti, the nation at the forefront of regional initiatives to facilitate a ceasefire following over eight months of ongoing conflict. Djibouti is the latest stop on Mohamed Hamdan Daglo‘s first trip abroad since fighting erupted between the RSF and the Sudanese army in mid-April. Hemedti said on X that he discussed the latest developments in the war with Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh. IGAD, a bloc representing eight East African countries, has been trying to bring al-Burhan and Hemedti together since the war erupted.

DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has won a second term in office with a landslide victory, according to provisional results announced Sunday, in a vote opposition leaders have dismissed as a "sham". Provisional results from the single-round presidential ballot, declared by the country's electoral commission Ceni, showed that Tshisekedi had won 73 percent of the vote. The Democratic Republic of Congo's Constitutional Court is expected to confirm the provisional results on January 10. Tshisekedi, 60, first came to power in January 2019 after a disputed election that many observers said he had in fact lost. But opposition leaders say they have no confidence in the court or Ceni, which they argue is subservient to the government.

By aviation writer Scott MaymanAUSTRALIA has only has a handful of the controversial Boeing 737 Max jets. This type of aircraft makes up the entire fleet of vacation airline Bonza. But this type of aircraft has again made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Bonza CEO Tim Jordan has also confirmed the inspection will be carried out as recommended by Boeing and there’ll be no impact on operations. Unclear training about new computer methods led to the jets being grounded costing Boeing more than $US20 billion.

In October 2023, eerie tension enveloped the historic town of Lalibela. Young people who were suspected of supporting the Fano militia group were arrested in large numbers and transported to Kombolcha town, situated 319 km away from Lalibela. However, according to residents, upon retaking Lalibela, the government forces engaged in “revenge-motivated” killings of innocent civilians. Abebe, a daily laborer, was among the civilians killed by government forces in Lalibela. Another Lalibela resident, choosing to remain anonymous, stated that an estimated 10 to 15 innocent individuals were killed by the government forces.

The authorities in Ethiopia's war-scarred Tigray region warned Friday of a looming famine linked to drought and the lingering effects of the devastating two-year war in the north of the country. In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Getachew likened the situation to the Ethiopian famine in the 1980s which cost the lives of around one million people. The situation on the ground in northern Ethiopia cannot be independently verified as media access to Tigray is restricted by the federal government. Now they should do their part to address the looming humanitarian catastrophe," he said. USAID and the WFP halted all food aid to Ethiopia in June, alleging a "widespread and coordinated" campaign to divert donated supplies, but deliveries are slowly resuming.

It was a memorable year for Arab women in the world of sport and 2024 promises to be even better. Keep an eye on the talented Emirati as she builds up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. They are also the hosts of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and will be considered one of the favourites for the title. The Cairo native was a whisker away from clinching bronze in the 50 fly at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka last July, ultimately coming in fourth. “I’m so proud to bring this medal to the entire Arab world, and to Moroccan people specifically.