By Dawit EndeshawADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - At least 372 people have died in two northern Ethiopian regions from drought-induced hunger in the last six months, a senior government official said on Wednesday, adding to the regions' challenges arising from conflict. Endale said the findings were from a 10-day assessment in the two regions, and it was possible there were more deaths. Legesse Tulu, government spokesperson, Mengasha Fentaw, spokesperson of Amhara region and Redaei Halefom, spokesperson of Tigray, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the deaths. In late December, Getachew Reda, the president of Tigray region's interim administration, said 91% of the region's population was at risk of starvation and death and the situation was beyond the administration's capacity to handle. Last May, the WFP suspended food aid to Tigray following reports of widespread theft of donations.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - At least 372 people have died in two northern Ethiopian regions from drought-induced hunger in the last six months, a senior government official said on Wednesday, adding to the regions' challenges arising from conflict. Endale said the findings were from a 10-day assessment in the two regions, and it was possible there were more deaths. Legesse Tulu, government spokesperson, Mengasha Fentaw, spokesperson of Amhara region and Redaei Halefom, spokesperson of Tigray, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the deaths. In late December, Getachew Reda, the president of Tigray region's interim administration, said 91% of the region's population was at risk of starvation and death and the situation was beyond the administration's capacity to handle. Last May, the WFP suspended food aid to Tigray following reports of widespread theft of donations.

Kenyan authorities on Wednesday proscribed the church of a religious leader who ordered his followers to starve themselves and their children to death so that they could go to heaven, as an organised criminal group. In an official gazette document published on Wednesday, the Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki declared the church an “organised criminal group”, paving the way for further investigation and possible prosecution of members deemed to have aided Mackenzie. Cabinet Secretary for @InteriorKE @KindikiKithure declares Paul Mackenzie's Good News International Ministries an organized criminal group. Prosecutors have said they will charge 95 people in total, on counts of murder, manslaughter, terrorism, and torture. In December, Mackenzie received a 12-month sentence for producing and distributing films that were not approved by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB).

Addis Ababa — The Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), which inaugurated a modern media complex today, must further invest in human capital and content to compete in Africa, veteran Ethiopian media professionals said. But the news agency should also invest on human resource to improve content and become competent media in Ethiopia and Africa. So, as much as the news agency has invested on the building and the technology, it should invest on human resource also. He believes that by nurturing its human resource and diversifying its content, ENA can become a true competitor and reliable source of information in Africa. Yet, Tibebu noted that the media complex needs human resource and content to thrive further.

Ethiopia, which is facing global condemnation for signing an illegal Memorandum of Understanding with the secessionist northern part of Somalia known as Somaliland to access the Red Sea, has asked for an extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of IGAD to “explain itself” on the matter. Somalia leaders said the agreements did not only violate the unity of Somalia and its Constitution but also threatened to stoke security tensions in the Horn of Africa. The international community including United Nations, European Union, IGAD and African Union have condemned Ethiopia’s violation of Somalia’s territorial integrity. Somalia ruled out talks with Ethiopia until Addis Ababa retracts its agreement with Somaliland. Abdishakur said, “Instead of operating beyond the boundaries of diplomacy, Ethiopia should retract its decision and respect Somalia’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Just 14% of 3.2 million people targeted for food aid by humanitarian agencies in the region this month had received it by Jan. 21, according to the memo by the Tigray Food Cluster, a group of aid agencies co-chaired by the U.N.’s World Food Program and Ethiopian officials. The memo urges humanitarian groups to “immediately scale up” their operations, warning that “failure to take swift action now will result in severe food insecurity and malnutrition during the lean season, with possible loss of the most vulnerable children and women in the region.”SOURCE: VOAShare

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was honored with the prestigious Agricola medal award from the FAO on 28 January, 2024 (Photo: PM Office Ethiopia/Facebook)Addis Ababa – The recent decision by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to award the prestigious Agricola Medal to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has sparked criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW). The organization argues that the award overlooks the severe humanitarian crisis and extensive food insecurity currently plaguing Ethiopia. Allegations have emerged during the Tigray conflict, suggesting that Ethiopian government forces employed deliberate tactics such as pillaging and attacking food systems, exacerbating food insecurity. The FAO’s recognition of Prime Minister Abiy has generated mixed reactions and criticism. Taye Atskesellasie, the PM’s foreign policy adviser, praised the FAO, stating, “Indeed, when the lives of farmers improve, so does the country’s.” ASAdvertisement

Approximately 80 percent of people fail to stick to their New Year's resolutions. Instead of grand over-reaching goals, sometimes smaller more manageable resolutions can help make you feel better and build confidence to make real life changes over time.

The economy is projected to grow 7.3 percent in the fiscal year ending March, the highest rate among major global economies. The federal fiscal deficit in 2013/14 was 4.6 percent of GDP when Modi took charge. General government debt, which includes federal and state government debt, could be 100 percent of GDP under adverse circumstances by fiscal 2028, the IMF said. DOUBLING FARMERS’ INCOMEModi’s critics said his government has not fulfilled the poll promise of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. However, the government says steps like cash payouts to farmers, and raising crop procurement prices, among others, has helped in augmenting farmers’ income.

Boeing is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons again after the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 incident. Critics said that before the merger, Boeing had a reputation as a company run by people with engineering backgrounds who cared about quality and safety first. After the first crash, Boeing successfully pushed to keep the planes in the air. It had just started deliveries of the 737 Max the year before. The airlines around the world that have already bought Boeing planes basically need to keep using those models, whatever the problems.

Not for India’s rural majorityBAHBOLIYA MAHADA: Jakir Khan, an Indian farm worker, says he has cut down on food as his income has halved. They said inflation was high and was forcing them to borrow money to sustain already reduced consumption. The report did not specify if the risk build up in consumer loans was seen in rural areas or urban. That has meant strong demand in urban consumption as seen in sales of items such as smartphones, television and cars. But two-wheeler sales, seen as a proxy for rural consumption, remain lower than pandemic levels despite a 9 percent rise in 2023.

LAKE NORMAN, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Lake Norman residents are sick of fighting algae blooms known as Lyngbya. They’ll meet Tuesday night to talk about getting state funding to find a solution to clear it. Lyngbya can produce harmful toxins, but the impacts of the toxins produced by these exact blooms are not well studied, according to Charlotte Mecklenburg Storm Water Services. There is no ‘no swim advisory’ due to the algae, however, an advisory was issued near the Denver side of the lake due to an untreated sewage spill this weekend. The meeting will be held at the Peninsula Club in Cornelius at 6 p.m.

Not for India’s rural majorityBAHBOLIYA MAHADA: Jakir Khan, an Indian farm worker, says he has cut down on food as his income has halved. They said inflation was high and was forcing them to borrow money to sustain already reduced consumption. The report did not specify if the risk build up in consumer loans was seen in rural areas or urban. That has meant strong demand in urban consumption as seen in sales of items such as smartphones, television and cars. But two-wheeler sales, seen as a proxy for rural consumption, remain lower than pandemic levels despite a 9 percent rise in 2023.

BELMONT, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Police released video Tuesday of two vehicles they believe were involved in a shooting that occurred in a Belmont neighborhood this week. The shooting occurred just after 11 p.m. Jan. 28 in the 500 block of Nixon Road, according to Belmont Police. The vehicles are in the background of the video, which was taken at night, making it difficult to determine a make, model, or color. Belmont Police said they have shifted patrol resources and are providing a heavier law enforcement presence in the neighborhood. Anyone with information concerning the two vehicles shown in the video or information related to the case is asked to call Belmont Police at 704-825-3792.

FARMVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) – On Sunday, NC Highway Patrol said they responded to a collision in on Wesley Church Road near Peace Street in Farmville where a vehicle struck a bicyclist. Liza said she knows both the rules of the road and the roadways of Farmville well. “I just recall a very loud sound and then the next thing I was hit,” Liza said. Cyclists are recognized as vulnerable road users by state law, but the consequences for harming these users are not strong. That’s the only way our communities are going to function in a safe way,” Liza said.