Creative Expression and Control
Organizers argued that artistic freedom cannot be sustained without viable creative industries, fair compensation models, and regulatory environments that protect both expression and livelihoods. Across sub-Saharan Africa, however, constitutional guarantees of free expression remain uneven, producing a landscape where creative work is often entangled with political risk. The principle, she explained, reflects the extent to which artists can work independently and produce creative work without fear of restriction. Artistic expression, she noted, plays a vital role in shaping public discourse, strengthening cultural identity and advancing inclusive governance. Legal protections, they argued, are often undermined by restrictive legislation that curtails artistic rights and narrows the space for creative expression.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 14, 2026 13:42 UTC
Lives Between Shifts
By late afternoon, however, when most teachers gather their belongings and head home, Soliana’s second day begins. “When I graduated, I thought one job would be enough.”Across Addis Ababa, that assumption is quietly eroding. Addis Ababa has always embodied contradiction. “But until then, this is life.”In Addis Ababa, such lives are no longer exceptional. “I want him to have options.”What binds these three lives is not simply financial pressure, but a changing social norm.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 14, 2026 13:32 UTC
Federal army and Fano militia clash in Debre Tabor town
Residents told the BBC that the clashes, which caused significant damage in the town, erupted about a month after tensions escalated in the area and nearby communities. Four residents, who did not want to give their names, said they heard gunfire in the town between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning. In a statement, the Debre Tabor town administration said the forces, which it described as “invading,” caused widespread destruction and looted both government and private property. The administration said the armed militants “set fire to numerous town administration buildings, as well as those of the head of South Gondar Zone and Farta woreda, and destroyed electronics shops and other property.”It also said the militants set fire to ambulances and other vehicles. The town administration shared photos of the damaged buildings and property on its page.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 14, 2026 13:17 UTC
Denying Ethiopia Maritime Access Undermines Eritrean Sovereignty and Perpetuates Regional Instability
Ethiopia’s ports were not peripheral appendages but strategic arteries connecting the highland state to global trade, diplomacy, and military projection. Its integration into Eritrea created a profound geographic paradox – a peripheral port for Eritrea became an existential chokepoint for Ethiopia. Egypt, Syria, Iraq, and others provided ideological, diplomatic, and military support – not out of solidarity with Eritrean identity, but to weaken Ethiopia’s strategic position. Denying Ethiopia maritime access complemented Nile politics – a landlocked Ethiopia would be diplomatically constrained, economically dependent, and militarily limited. Therefore, unless Eritrea demonstrates a willingness to engage in good-faith negotiations to grant Ethiopia sovereign maritime access, its own sovereignty will remain perpetually questioned and geopolitically undermined.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 14, 2026 13:07 UTC
Ethiopia revokes accreditation of Reuters journalists
NAIROBI, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The Ethiopian Media Authority has declined to renew the accreditation for three Addis Ababa-based journalists from Reuters, the news agency said. The EMA also revoked the news agency's accreditation to cover the 39th African Union summit, which was taking place in the Ethiopian capital on February 14-15. Ethiopia has not publicly commented on the story. Advertisement AdvertisementWhile the EMA has informally indicated that the February 10 Reuters story prompted its decision, it has not made an official statement. "Reuters is reviewing the matter and will continue to cover Ethiopia in an independent, impartial and reliable way in keeping with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles," Reuters said in a statement.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 14, 2026 12:00 UTC
Over 50,000 IDF soldiers hold second passports, new data shows
The IDF has for the first time published data detailing the foreign citizenships held by its service members, revealing that tens of thousands of soldiers hold at least one additional nationality beyond Israeli citizenship. 2 View gallery ( Photo: Shutterstock )According to the data, 4,440 soldiers hold two foreign citizenships in addition to their Israeli citizenship, while 162 hold three foreign citizenships beyond their Israeli nationality. The IDF presented the information in two columns: one listing service members with one foreign citizenship in addition to Israeli citizenship, and another listing those with at least two foreign citizenships. The figures show that 12,135 soldiers hold U.S. citizenship, 6,127 hold French citizenship and 5,067 hold Russian citizenship in addition to their Israeli nationality. More than 3,000 service members hold German and Ukrainian citizenship, respectively, while more than 1,000 hold British, Romanian, Polish, Ethiopian and Canadian citizenship.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 14, 2026 01:09 UTC
Sudan protecting Africa from foreign interference in war with RSF, says FM
Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem has said his government is protecting Africa from external plots by confronting foreign interference in his country’s brutal civil war, deep into its third year, as he called on the African Union (AU) for support in its efforts to stabilise the country. “The war currently being fought in Sudan is a war against foreign interference. Ending the suspension of Sudan’s membership in the AU, in place for more than four years, would benefit Africa, he added. The statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not name the alleged foreign actors. “War is not our goal and we will continue to seek peace,” he said, accusing unnamed foreign actors of spurring the conflict.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 13, 2026 12:49 UTC
Italian cabinet approves new anti-immigration package
Italy’s conservative cabinet led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday approved a new anti-immigration package which includes the possibility of imposing a “naval blockade”. It also calls for stricter border surveillance, cooperation with European agencies, and expands the list of convictions for which a foreigner can be expelled. The move comes a day after the European Union approved changes to its asylum rules amid pressure from members states, including Italy, to take a tougher stance. “What we know for sure is that it remains a duty to rescue anyone in distress at sea. Since 2015, millions of refugees have entered European countries which has helped fuel anti-migrant sentiment and prompted a tightening of policies from national governments.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 13, 2026 12:10 UTC
Ethiopia and France Sign Bilateral Debt Restructuring Agreement and Announce Euro 81.5 Million Support Package
Ethiopia and France have signed agreements covering debt restructuring and financial support linked to Ethiopia’s ongoing economic reform program. The agreements were signed in Addis Ababa by Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide and France’s Minister Delegate for Europe and Foreign Affairs Eléonore Caroit. A key component of the signing was Ethiopia’s first bilateral debt restructuring agreement with a member of the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) under the G20 Common Framework, marking a step in Ethiopia’s external debt treatment process. As part of the same engagement, France announced additional financing totaling Euro 81.5 million, including Euro 80 million in budget support for Ethiopia’s Homegrown Economic Reform (HGER 2.0) program and Euro 1.5 million in technical assistance. The support follows France’s earlier contribution of Euro 100 million during the first phase of Ethiopia’s reform program.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 13, 2026 09:36 UTC
Retail revolution on Nairobi Exchange
The number of equity trades every day has been doubling or tripling on the Nairobi Securities Exchange after Safaricom launched its retail-focused Ziidi trading platform. There were 24,357 trades yesterday 12 February (according to the Nairobi Securities Exchange daily report) and 25,773 trades in equities on 11 February, the highest ever recorded on the Nairobi bourse. The breadth points to a market-wide rally rather than a sector-specific move.”President Ruto launched ZiidiKenya’s President William Ruto launched the Ziidi trading platform at the Nairobi Securities Exchange on 10 February. According to The Exchange Africa report: “Ziidi Trader is also designed to be more than a simple trading portal. The Exchange Africa says that although while standard NSE equity trades are settled on T+3 (transaction date plus three days), Ziidi Trader accounts will be credited as soon as trades are matched on the exchange.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 13, 2026 09:10 UTC
Time is of an essence in search for migrant boats off African coast
Every hour is crucial when searching for distressed migrant boats off the coast of West Africa. Migrants are usually trying to reach Europe via the Spanish Canary Islands which lies about 120 kilometres off the north-west coast of Africa. The 1,000 nautical mile route usually takes approximately 10 days, she said, but there are additional complications in searching for a vessel. Boats have previously drifted so far as to reach the Caribbean or South America without any survivors. “We suspect that the boats, if they are still out there, will be in that area.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 13, 2026 08:28 UTC
NYC’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant closes after anti-Zionist harassment: ‘So much animosity’
We should erase you from the map,'” Barhany told The Post Thursday. “Everything kind of changed — so much animosity,” Barhany previously told Jewish Week of the aftermath of the Hamas attack. I wanted to illuminate that,” Barhany told Jewish Week, in a story published Tuesday. “But from the moment we pivoted to be kosher, it became worse and worse.”4 Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant Tsion Cafe has closed due to its owner receiving harassment over the Gaza war. Some anti-Israel critics targeted Barhany and her restaurant for harassment simply because she is Israeli and Jewish, Treyger said.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 12, 2026 23:30 UTC
Netanyahu expresses ‘skepticism’ on any deal with Iran
Beachwood, OH (44122)TodayCloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low near 15F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%..TonightCloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low near 15F.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 12, 2026 20:16 UTC
Morocco: traders struggle to sell gold as prices rise
The price of gold has been on the rise in both local and international markets - a trend that analysts attribute to currency volatility, and geopolitical tensions. As a result, some traders in Morocco are having difficulty selling the product. Among them is Mouhcine Baydi, who says, ''we are having difficulty selling our product, especially in the purchasing process. Now this is impossible because the price of gold is not stable." Financial experts have warned individuals to stay up to date about market trends before investing in gold, and to invest with caution.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 12, 2026 19:08 UTC
Ethiopia's central bank relaxes foreign exchange directive
ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has relaxed the country's foreign exchange directive, lifting several restrictions on access to and use of foreign exchange. The NBE, in a statement issued Wednesday, said the newly introduced measures aim to further enhance the East African country's foreign exchange market. The new measures include permits for service exporters to hold 100-percent of their export proceeds in foreign exchange retention accounts for indefinite periods. In recent years, the Ethiopian government has been implementing various targeted measures aimed at easing the country's long-standing foreign exchange shortage. These efforts include a structural reform of the country's foreign exchange governance policy architecture, such as the introduction of a market-based foreign currency exchange regime.
Source:Ethiopian News
February 12, 2026 18:45 UTC