The Federal High Court in Lagos has ruled against the sale of Nigeria Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines. In his ruling on Monday, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa prohibited the sale and directed that the Federal Government’s plan to establish a national carrier, Nigeria Air, should not proceed. The plaintiffs in the case include the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited. The six plaintiffs initiated legal action against the first to fourth defendants, namely Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika (former Minister of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Aviation), and the Attorney-General of the Federation. The plaintiffs sought the court’s intervention to nullify the entire bidding/selection process for the “Nigeria Air” project, along with the endorsement, award, or selection of Ethiopian Airlines by the Former Minister, Hadi Sirika, and the Former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.

Ethiopia has earmarked several billion dollars to cushion the cost-of-living impact of economic reforms being implemented to win support from the International Monetary Fund. It plans 550 billion birr ($5.9 billion) in additional spending, of which 40% will go into food, fuel and fertilizer subsidies, as well as increasing salaries for government workers, according to Eyob Tekalign Tolina, state minister in the finance ministry.

A group of Malian nationals residing in Ivory Coast convened in Abidjan on Sunday to express their opposition to Mali's planned exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) next January. Approximately three million Malians live and work in Ivory Coast, and they are increasingly concerned about their future if the military junta's decision is implemented. He raised concerns about the potential impact on the diaspora if Mali were to withdraw, posing the question of what would happen to young Malians living abroad. In January, Colonel Assimi Goita's military junta announced the country's withdrawal from ECOWAS in a letter. Additionally, the military junta has decided to terminate the fragile peace agreement with armed rebel groups in the northern area.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa ordered the suspension of the federal government’s plans to establish Nigeria Air as the national carrier. The court’s ruling was in favour of the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, along with five other stakeholders in the aviation industry, who had brought the lawsuit challenging the sale of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines. The plaintiffs in the case include the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited. The defendants are Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, the former Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Federal Ministry of Aviation, and the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. The plaintiffs requested that the court invalidate the entire bidding and selection process for the Nigeria Air project, including the defendants’ approval and selection of Ethiopian Airlines.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia has imported 14 million litres of cooking oil to ensure sufficient supplies of the basic commodity, its trade minister said, after the country's central bank floated the national currency last week to help secure international support. The Ethiopian birr slipped against the dollar last week after the National Bank of Ethiopia adopted a market-determined foreign exchange rate to secure a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) lending programme and to make progress on a long-delayed debt restructuring. It clinched an IMF deal worth $3.4 billion and funding from other creditors including the World Bank shortly after. Traders in the capital Addis Ababa said the price of cooking oil had gone up by around 25% following the central bank's move. The ministry closed more than 2,000 stores for "unjustified price hikes and hoarding" after the new exchange rate policy was put in place, it said on Saturday.

The US will hand over its last military base in Niger Monday, ahead of the September 15 deadline for US forces to leave the country under an agreement with Nigerien authorities. Airbase 201 in the city of Agadez is one of two hubs the U.S. has used for counterterrorism operations in Niger. Last month, US troops withdrew from Airbase 101, a small drone base in Niger’s capital, Niamey. “Anything extractive is going to be outside of a major city, you’re lacking security at this point," she said. She said humanitarian workers are now required to have military escorts when working outside of major cities, which can lead to them being targeted by armed groups in conflict with the military.

Israel’s Dog Unit (IDU) assisted the IDF and Israel Police in a search on Monday for the missing 10-year-old girl Haymanot Kasau, who was last seen in February. Kasau, who immigrated with her family from Ethiopia to Israel and lived in the absorption center in Safed, was last seen on security footage that showed her at the entrance of the absorption center, wearing a pink sweatshirt, a black skirt, and white sneakers. “We are not giving up – we are bringing Haymanot Kasau home,” said the unit on Facebook. Soldiers in the IDF's Oketz unit hugging a dog during a break, photo taken by Topaz Luk from the IDF spokesperson's unit (credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES)“The mission is not yet complete, we are continuing to dedicate ourselves to it.”Joining the searchThe 500-meter radius around the area of Kasau’s disappearance was searched, said the IDU, who added that representatives from The Jewish Agency for Israel and volunteers from many other organizations also participated in the search. The unit is a civilian group that assists with locating missing persons and provides security dogs, rescue dogs, and rehabilitation dogs.

Hundreds of protesters marched across Mogadishu’s Lido beach on Monday to condemn the August 2 attack. “What had happened here was mass killing and it is a national disaster and someone needs to be accountable for it. I advise all Somali youth to be alert to what is going on in Mogadishu. At least 37 civilians were killed and 212 were injured in an explosion at a popular beach restaurant Lido beach on Friday. There was no immediate claim of responsibility by the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, which has claimed similar attacks in the past, including the car bomb attack in 2022.

However, a team of developers from Uganda has created the Blind Assistant app, which can read documents aloud to help address this issue. Susan Nakajje, one of the co-founders of the Blind Assistant app, shared that they initially teach users how to use smartphones. However, the Blind Assistant app has addressed these issues, allowing us to read independently and at our own pace." The Blind Assistant app, created by Suzie Water Harvesting Co., is just one of many accessibility apps utilizing the camera, mobility, and connectivity of smartphones. The Blind Assistant app allows students to independently read text in real-time, eliminating the need for assistance from peers or teachers.

On Sunday, demonstrators in Lagos expressed their thoughts on an early request made by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to halt the weeks-long protests in the country against economic challenges. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated, “As the president of this country, I must ensure public order. Another protester, Ayisat Omolara, expressed her disappointment with the president's speech this morning, stating that he failed to acknowledge their dialogue and demands, and instead told irrelevant stories. Tinubu's supporters claim that the protests are driven by political motives. His election last year faced opposition challenges, as he secured only 37% of the vote, the narrowest victory margin for any Nigerian president in history.

Toronto will soon get a new link to Morocco this winter as Royal Air Maroc (RAM) expands its transatlantic network with non-stop service to Casablanca. RAM’s Toronto Pearson-Casablanca flights will start December 8, with service operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. RAM’s North American network currently serves Montreal, as well as a selection of U.S. airports – these being Miami, Washington-Dulles and Newark. Royal Air Maroc will be the third carrier to offer flights between Africa and Toronto-Pearson, adding to flights offered by Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa and Egyptair from Cairo. The new Toronto service also offers connections to destinations such as Madrid, Barcelona, Tunis, Milan-Malpensa and Cairo.

First up, local talents Kid Bigfoot, Gran Gran and Tronee Threat will support the intense and experimental seven-piece, TEKE::TEKE. Gran Gran has that new-grass exploratory Rust Belt ballad thing going on and Tronee Threat is a deeply-personal hip-hop artist. Multi-Grammy award-winning dobro player Jerry Douglas will bring the Jerry Douglas Band to the Foundry Oct. 11. Westhoff says that the Foundry’s first season was a successful proof of concept for the community to get behind the theater going into season two. I’m interested in what people do with traditional music forms that simultaneously honor them and move them forward.

Ethiopia’s textile manufacturers are facing a growing crisis as they struggle to compete with the widespread distribution of “bonda” clothing—second-hand garments that are flooding the market at low prices. The Ethiopian Textile and Garment Manufacturers Association has raised alarms about the impact of these illegal imports, which are significantly undermining the competitiveness of local producers. The influx of bonda clothing has made it increasingly difficult for Ethiopian textile manufacturers to sell their products. Ageazi G/selassie, the general secretary of the Ethiopian Textile and Garment Manufacturers Association, emphasized the severity of the issue. The study found that bonda clothing accounted for 53% of the country’s textile market, with its low price driving high demand.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police said they rescued 90 Ethiopian migrants who were being held against their will at a property in Johannesburg. Police carried out a search at the property on Sunday for a person reported to have been kidnapped and discovered the migrants, they said. The Ethiopian migrants are believed to have been illegally trafficked. Authorities, including Interpol, have raised concerns over the trafficking of Ethiopian migrants through several southern African countries in an attempt to ultimately reach South Africa. In 2022, the bodies of 30 Ethiopian migrants were found in a mass grave in Malawi.

In a significant move towards a more sustainable future, Ethiopian Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Satarem America Inc., a leading provider of sustainable energy solutions. Under the agreement, Satarem will be responsible for producing SAF in Ethiopia, while Ethiopian Airlines has committed to acquiring the SAF from Satarem. This collaborative effort marks a major milestone in Ethiopian Airlines’ journey towards reducing its carbon footprint and contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. As one of Africa’s largest and most experienced airlines, Ethiopian Airlines has long been at the forefront of sustainability initiatives. The partnership with Satarem will further bolster these efforts, solidifying Ethiopian Airlines’ position as a pioneer in adopting eco-friendly aviation solutions.