A federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that parents in Maryland have no right to be informed when their children are being instructed with LGBTQ materials or to opt their children out of that instruction. The legal advocacy group Becket Law, which is representing the parents challenging the Montgomery County Board of Education, said on Wednesday that the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling. The firms said the ruling means that parents of children enrolled at Montgomery County Public Schools “have no right to be notified or opt their kids out of” materials that teach transgenderism and other sexual ideologies. There is “no evidence at present that the board’s decision not to permit opt-outs compels the parents or their children to change their religious beliefs or conduct, either at school or elsewhere,” the court argued. Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, said in a statement after the ruling that the court “told thousands of Maryland parents they have no say in what their children are taught in public schools.”

In 2022, 528 Ethiopian troops hailing from the Tigray region and serving as peacekeepers within the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) formally sought political asylum in Sudan. (Photo: UNISFA)Addis Abeba – Former Ethiopian peacekeepers of Tigrayan origin, who were stationed in the Abyei region bordering Sudan and South Sudan, are currently facing heightened security concerns amidst the escalating conflict in Sudan. Seeking asylum in Sudan two years ago amidst the Tigray war, these ex-peacekeepers now face escalating risks as recent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified. In 2022, 528 Ethiopian troops hailing from the Tigray region and serving as peacekeepers within the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) sought political asylum in Sudan. Their asylum request coincided with the peak of the Tigray war and reports of the detention of ethnic Tigrayan military personnel in Ethiopia.

Gedion Timothewos, Minister of Justice (Photo: Social Media)Addis Abeba – The Ministry of Justice has announced that a roadmap for the implementation of the recently approved transitional justice policy is currently underway. According to the Ministry’s statement, the roadmap, which is expected to be completed within three weeks, will outline the specific processes, timelines, stakeholder roles, and budgetary requirements for carrying out the policy’s directives. Earlier this week, state media reported last week that the implementation phase of the transitional justice policy has begun, and consultations are being held to determine the next steps in accordance with the schedule. During a consultation forum, Tewodros Mihret, President of the Supreme Court, stated that “the transitional justice policy is applied to bring justice and reconciliation to the severe trials and abuses that a society has gone through.”He added that “the policy aims to provide justice for past crimes, ensure lasting peace, and offer a comprehensive response.”The Council of Ministers unanimously approved the transitional justice policy on April 17, 2024, following discussions and the incorporation of additional input, the Ministry stated. The policy aims to address the wide range of victims of human rights violations, conflicts, narratives, and abuses that have occurred throughout different periods in the country, as previous attempts to resolve these issues were considered insufficient and inflexible, according to the Ministry.

South Florida heat also affecting pets at animal shelters The heat impacting South Florida is also affecting our pets, especially those housed at animal shelters.

Emirates will resume flights to Nigeria in October after a nearly two-year suspension, during which the airline was in discussions with government authorities to repatriate its outstanding ticket sales revenue that was withheld in the country. Emirates in 2022 operated 438 flights to Nigeria before suspending them in October of that year, Cirium said. Nigeria ranked as the top country worldwide for withholding airlines' revenue, according to Iata data. Nearly 20 routes in AfricaWith the resumption of operations to Nigeria, Emirates has 19 routes to Africa, with 157 weekly flights from Dubai. The Emirates Boeing 777-300ER serving Lagos will operate with eight first-class suites, 42 business-class seats and 304 seats in economy.

Addis Abeba — Former Ethiopian peacekeepers of Tigrayan origin, who were stationed in the Abyei region bordering Sudan and South Sudan, are currently facing heightened security concerns amidst the escalating conflict in Sudan. Seeking asylum in Sudan two years ago amidst the Tigray war, these ex-peacekeepers now face escalating risks as recent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have intensified. In 2022, 528 Ethiopian troops hailing from the Tigray region and serving as peacekeepers within the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) sought political asylum in Sudan. Their asylum request coincided with the peak of the Tigray war and reports of the detention of ethnic Tigrayan military personnel in Ethiopia. Speaking anonymously, he highlighted the lack of security guarantees amidst escalating tensions between conflicting factions in Sudan.

The MoU signing ceremony is scheduled for the 28th of this month. (68/2015) concerning domestic workers, covering aspects such as monthly salary, end-of-service benefits, weekly and annual leaves, and other entitlements. Moreover, Al-Ali emphasized that recruitment of Ethiopian domestic workers will now be exclusively facilitated through the Ministry of Labor and its online system to ensure efficiency and prevent previous issues. The Ministry will allocate workers to authorized recruitment offices for local access by citizens and residents. This initiative aims to address labor shortages in Kuwait, particularly following restrictions on new visas for Filipino workers.

In the Holiday Experiences segment, the Hotels & Resorts division achieved a record result of 117.4 million euros in the months from January to March 2024. Underlying EBIT more than quadrupled compared to the previous year and reached a record level of 70.1 million euros (previous year: 14.8 million euros). As a result, the underlying EBIT fell by 17.6 million euros to –326.1 million euros (Q2 2023: -308.5 million euros). Underlying EBIT improved by 13.0 million euros to -89.1 million euros (previous year: -102.1 million euros). At -72.1 million euros, underlying EBIT in the Western Region (France, Belgium, Netherlands) was 12.9 million euros lower than in the previous year (Q2 2023: -59.2 million euros).

Take a journey into the vibrant heart of Ethiopian cuisine at a unique restaurant and cookery school that combines rich tastes and fresh flavours with health-packed ingredients. Flavour, freshness and health are an essential trio for Delina founder Nazareth Kelif, who shares the distinct flavours of East Africa from her restaurant in Shepherds Bush Market. “Ethiopian food is quite unique,” explains Nazareth, who launched her business from her kitchen table a decade ago. “And with so many fresh vegetables, delicious spice blends and our traditional fermented flatbread, it is such a healthy cuisine generally and caters for all different diets. “I just loved the vibrant hustle and bustle, and our food was always fresh.

Twenty-four years later, the residents of Katogota, a village in the Ruzizi Plain in eastern DRC, continue to mourn and demand justice. In a recent memorial procession, villagers walked to the Ruzizi River to honor the victims. Under the theme "The fruit of justice will be peace," the victims' families, organized as the Association of Katogota Massacre Victims, rallied to show that their quest for justice continues. There needs to be a transitional justice mechanism at the national level. Despite the ongoing efforts, the implementation of transitional justice mechanisms remains slow, leaving the victims' families in a prolonged state of uncertainty and pain.

Despite the gravity of the situation, his speech revealed a profound bias and a troubling dismissal of the Amhara Fanos. Contrastingly, his reference to the Amhara Fanos was starkly dismissive, labeling them merely as “those fighting in Amhara, those that call themselves the Fano.” Such a characterization not only undermines the legitimacy of the Amhara Fanos but also trivializes their cause and the sacrifices they have made. Ambassador Massinga must understand that this narrative falsely portraying the Amhara Fanos as instigators rather than victims perpetuates a grave injustice. By diminishing the significance of the Amhara Fanos, who represent a robust resistance movement with substantial support from the Amhara people, Ambassador Massinga commits a severe oversight. To truly engage with Amhara Fano, we must start by addressing them appropriately as the Amhara Fanos.

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor recorded RM43bil worth of investment last year, of which RM31bil was foreign direct investment (FDI) and RM12bil, domestic direct investment (DDI), the state assembly was told. “The DDI for manufacturing is RM5.1bil and total investment for the sector was RM14bil. “The service sector contributed RM28.4bil consisting of RM21.5bil FDI from Singapore, China and South Korea, with a recorded DDI of RM6.8bil,” he said here on Thursday (May 16). Hahasrin Hashim (BN-Panti) wanted to know the total investment the state received last year. “Sub-sectors for the service sector included ICT, which involved data centres, cloud sharing services, software and system design, as well as creative and digital content,” he added.

It is an issue that FOX 5 has covered extensively for the last year - thousands of parents gathering at rallies, protests, and school board meetings. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia ruled that Maryland parents cannot opt their children out of LGBTQ-inclusive book curricula in classrooms. Last year, at rallies and school board meetings, FOX 5 also spoke with MCPS parents who opposed the opt-out policy, advocating for inclusive materials in the curriculum. READ MORE: Protesters flock to MCPS school board meeting over opt-out policy"We need many more books," said Phillip Alexander Downie in August. And I think that's something that every resident in Montgomery County can get behind."

By Andualem Sisay Gessesse / Djibouti – Africa Improved Foods (AIF), an African-focused public private investment engaged in producing nutritious foods, eyes expanding its manufacturing of plant to Ethiopia by investing some $40 million. You know Ethiopia has a population exceeding 100 million and a lot of people are struggling with malnutrition,” said Ramesh Moochikal, CEO of Africa Improved Foods. But if we set up a new plant in Ethiopia, the Ethiopia factory will serve the Ethiopian market by itself. So, our Rwanda factory continues to produce and the Ethiopian factory will take care of Ethiopia by itself. a Dutch company, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and FMO is the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, according to Mr. Moochikal.

“Discussions covered entire range of bilateral relations including development cooperation and capacity building in the spirit of South-South Cooperation.”The second round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Eritrea was held in New Delhi on 15 May, 2024. Discussions were held in a cordial and constructive manner on wide range of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues. They focused on further promoting developmental cooperation and capacity building in the spirit of South-South cooperation. [SOURCE: Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India]2nd India-Eritrea FOC held in New Delhi today. Discussions covered entire range of bilateral relations including development cooperation and capacity building in the spirit of South-South Cooperation.