On Monday night, the Goshen Board of Education heard that Goshen High School is again considering changing its schedule from longer block periods to a seven-period day, something similar to a previous schedule they had but not entirely the same. It was explained that the change will create a better chance at success when implementing the Leadership Academy. Do you prefer the seven-period schedule or the block schedule?

The controversial deal has received condemnation from other Red Sea neighbours, including Egypt and Eritrea, which fear a possible naval access to the Red Sea which Ethiopia lost the right to use following Eritrea’s secession in 1993. Regrettably, the West’s perception of Horn of Africa countries is weak with little attention currently paid to the rising concern among Africans that the port agreement could enflame conflict in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Rising fear of conflict to engulf the entire continentThe rupture in Ethiopian-Somali ties could have grave consequences for the region and the Red Sea countries as a whole. There is also rising fear of conflict extending to endanger ships passing from Egypt’s Suez Canal which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea. The political and economic grievances of the Horn of Africa region are so great that they can’t solve them alone.

Since then, dozens of U.S. universities have partnered with the Ministry of Education and Ethiopian public universities with an intensity and persistence unusual in Sub Saharan Africa. Together, U.S. and Ethiopian universities are collaborating to advance the quality of education in a wide range of fields including entrepreneurship, agriculture, peace building, public health, and other areas. The international affairs directors and vice presidents from the first ten universities transitioning to autonomy and five other universities that are aggressively pursuing internationalization joined the workshop. The program was led by Dr. Erich Dietrich, Vice Provost of New York University Abu Dhabi and an expert in the internationalization of higher education and equity in access to higher education. As Ethiopia moves ahead with its transition of public universities to autonomous governance, the U.S. government is committed to being an essential partner to the Ministry and Ethiopia’s public universities.

"The reality is that in Israel you will see Jews who look Black, brown, Asian, African and everything in between." More than half of Jews in Israel are Sephardic: non-European Jews of Turkish, Persian, Arab and African descent, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. About 45% of Jews in Israel are Ashkenazi: Jews who arrived in Israel from Europe, from Russia to Spain and almost every nation in between. ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS SWARM NYC CANCER HOSPITAL, ACCUSING ‘COMPLICITY IN GENOCIDE’Israel also boasts a burgeoning Black population among its already diverse population, experts note. It's paradise on Earth," Thomas Hand, an Israeli citizen born in Dublin, Ireland, told Fox News Digital during an interview in New York City in late 2023.

There is no space for mediation with Ethiopia unless it retracts an “illegal” MoU signed with Somaliland on January 1, 2024, reads a statement from Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a response to a statement from the AU Peace and Security Commission released yesterday, calling for dialogue between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu and recommending the deployment of High Representative Olesegun Obasanjo to mediate talks between the two parties as tensions in the Horn continue to climb. The Somali government says it “welcomes” the AU’s affirmation of Somalia’s sovereign integrity, but refuses talks with Ethiopia until it retracts its land lease deal with breakaway Somaliland. The Somali government is “ready to engage… [in] a mutually beneficial relationship that is grounded in international law that can lead to economic development and shared prosperity,” according to the statement.

Ambassador Mesganu Arega, State minister of the Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Ministry (Photo: Mesganu Arega/X)Addis Abeba – Ethiopia said it “categorically rejects” the statement issued by the Arab League following an extraordinary meeting on 17 January 2024 concerning the MoU recently signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland. State minister of the Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Ministry, ambassador Mesganu Arega posten on X that the Arab League’s statement is “an attempt to interfere with the internal affairs & sovereignty of Ethiopia”. The state minister dismissed the League’s statement stating that “Ethiopia enjoys excellent bilateral relations with many of the Arab states but the League is serving the interests of few.”#Ethiopia categorically rejects the #Arab League statement . “By the same token the statement by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sami Shoukri, portraying Ethiopia as a distablizer is irresponsible. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Arab League chief, described the Ethiopia-Somalia MoU as “a blatant attack against Arab, African and international principles, and a clear violation of international law”.

Landlocked Ethiopia’s efforts to gain sea access and project power in the Red Sea were rebuffed by its neighbours and set back Ethiopia’s attempts at rebuilding strained diplomatic relationships. Addis Ababa has also lost patience with the LAPSSET corridor project, despite being afforded a central role in the project. Previous governments in Addis Ababa have stated that Ethiopia would be the “second country” to officially recognise Somaliland. Addis Ababa would ostracise fellow members of the AU, as well as Western donors. China is also Ethiopia’s largest bilateral investor, creating another potential avenue for pressure on Addis Ababa.

Paris court upholds Ethiopian road awardsThe Paris Court of Appeal has refused to revive an ICC claim against an Ethiopian state agency based on an arbitrator’s alleged ties with a partner at Clyde & Co – including their participation on a roundtable at Paris Arbitration Week.

Arab foreign ministers met on Wednesday to discuss a recent deal between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland to grant Addis Ababa access to the Red Sea coastline, a move that Mogadishu has strongly condemned. Somalia, which requested the meeting, maintains that Somaliland’s deal with Ethiopia is a breach of international law and its own sovereignty. It sits on a strategic location close to the Bay of Aden close to the southern mouth of the Red Sea. “This unilateral move by Ethiopia poses a threat to Arab national security and Red Sea shipping,” Somalia’s ambassador to the Arab League Elias Abu Bakr said. Its secession deprived Ethiopia of access to the Red Sea coastline.

The Israel Defense Forces published on Wednesday the names of four Israeli soldiers who were killed over the past day. Yair Katz, 34, both combat soldiers of the 14th "Mahatz" Armored Brigade's 87th Battalion, were killed on Tuesday fighting in northern Gaza. Anwar Serhan, 26, was killed on Wednesday in a car accident in the West Bank while on army duty. Since the beginning of the ground operation,192 soldiers have been killed in Gaza. Oriya Ayimalk Goshen, 21-years-old from Jerusalem, was killed Wednesday in combat operations in the southern Gaza Strip.

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in 2023, at an estimated $1.37 trillion, showed a marginal increase (+3%) over 2022, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade (UNCTAD) FDI report released today. International investment project announcements, including greenfield (mainly industry), project finance (mainly infrastructure) and cross-border merger and acquisitions (M&As), were mostly in negative territory. Key trends among top FDI recipient economies– In developed regions, international investment project announcements were down across the board. However, project finance deals fell by one third, more than the global average decline, weakening prospects for infrastructure finance flows. While greenfield project numbers held steady, international project finance plummeted, with 40% fewer deals than in 2022.

In a strategic move to drive investment opportunities across Africa’s travel and tourism sector, Africa Travel Week (ATW) has secured a partnership with Tourism Investment Forum Africa (TIFA). Scheduled to run alongside WTM Africa from 10 – 12 April at the CTICC in the Host City of Cape Town, TIFA actively positions African destinations as attractive investment locations, further promoting growth and development in related sectors of their economies. “TIFA provides an important platform for policymakers and investment professionals from Africa and around the globe to engage, collaborate, and secure business,” explains Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director at Africa Travel Week. “By working closely with ATW this year, we’re expecting an even larger turnout of eager investors, influential business leaders, multilateral organisations, and development agencies seeking sustainable projects in which to invest capital. If this is on your radar for 2024, don’t leave TIFA and WTM Africa off your business calendar.

The Ethiopian Air Force (EAF) has acquired Akinci unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Turkey and Russian Sukhoi Su-30K combat aircraft as it continues with modernisation efforts. The Baykar Bayraktar Akinci UAVs, meanwhile, were first observed in November last year. It can be armed with a variety of weapons – the Ethiopian aircraft have been seen with underwing MAM-L missiles manufactured by Roketsan. These have been used against the Tigray People’s Liberation Forces, along with Wing Loong and Qods Mohajer-6 UAVs acquired from China and Iran respectively. It is likely the new Akinci UAVs will also be used in combat.

Addis Abeba – Following the opening statement of the Chairperson of the PSC for the month, Amma A. Twum-Amoah, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the AU, Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) is expected to brief the AU Peace and Security Council (AU PSC) today. Somalia deemed Ethiopia’s latest MoU with Somaliland as a threat to its territorial integrity. Somalia has also sent requests to the AU and the United Nations (UN) Security Council (UNSC) to convene meetings on the issue. Apart from bringing the relationship between Ethiopia and Somalia to near breaking point, the situation is also fueling regional tensions. Somalia’s President announced that his country is willing to enlist the support of anyone willing to help the country secure its territorial integrity.

Ethiopia pulls out of IGAD summit in Uganda over sea deal in SomaliaADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The Federal Republic of Ethiopia has pulled out of the meeting set to be held on Thursday in Uganda, following a controversial deal it signed with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, which has been fighting for statehood. Djibouti President Omar Guelleh, the chairman of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), summoned a meeting to discuss the turmoil, with Uganda agreeing to host the meeting scheduled for 18th January 2024. "Nevertheless, Ethiopia stands ready to discuss an alternative date in line with rules of procedure governing meetings of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)," the statement noted. The agreement with Somaliland dictates that Ethiopia will get 20 kilometers of the Red Sea for its military base. In return, Ethiopia will recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state, despite it remaining part of Somalia.