A SPOKESMAN for the taoiseach has defended his visit to a 'male-only' monastery site in northern Ethiopia while female members of his staff were forced to wait outside. Leo Varadkar visited the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum on Friday. A spokesman for the taoiseach said the monastery "sets its own access code and has done so for hundreds of years". "The taoiseach and Irish government imposes no such rules when it comes to properties owned by the Irish State and does not support such rules." He met members of the Irish Defence Forces who are training the Malian Army and saw projects funded by Irish Aid in Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News January 14, 2019 01:41 UTC