By Dawit EndeshawADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox followers gathered in the capital Addis Ababa on Friday and Saturday to celebrate Epiphany, also called Timket, a religious festival commemorating Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River. Although the religious festival was celebrated across the country, in some areas it was disrupted by conflict in the Amhara region. Gondar, Amhara region's second-biggest city, usually attracts many people during the Timket festival. But a few days prior to the festival clashes broke out between government forces and Fano, a local militia. "Many who planned to attend Timket in Gondar have already cancelled their plan," a resident of Gondar told Reuters.

STORY: Followers marched from churches to Jan Meda, an open field in the capital, while priests carried tents called tabots, replicas of the Ark of the Covenant that are sacred in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one of the world's oldest churches. The faithful wearing white traditional fabrics chanted, sang and bowed down before the tabots. At the gathering on Saturday, Abune Mathias, patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, underscored the significance and symbolism of the day and called for peace, unity and forgiveness. He also urged Ethiopia's leaders to work and advocate for peace. A two-year conflict in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region that ended in November 2022 drove people from their homes, destroyed harvests, leaving widespread hunger in the area.

Livermore, CA (94550)TodayCloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..TonightRain likely. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.

Igad was heavily involved in the 2005 peace process that ended a separate 22-year war in Sudan and the bloc also oversaw the installation of a transitional government in 2004, during a Somali civil war. Igad's military forces were also a precursor to African Union mission currently tackling Somalia's insecurity.

Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..TonightRain. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest churches in the world

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The festival, curated by Saudi-based music and media platform MDLBEAST, featured four stages showcasing laser shows and state-of-the-art sound systems. From local acts to international sensations, the diverse lineup treated music lovers to an unforgettable experience. The latter expressed his excitement at being part of the festival, telling Arab News: “I enjoyed performing to the crowd in this amazing place. This is unique, and we look forward to coming back again.”Local house music DJ Azm said: “Performing at Balad Beast for the second time was an incredible experience. There was such a diverse range of genres that appealed to everyone’s tastes, and the sound quality was absolutely impeccable.

Fascinated by science, creativity, and the ability to shape human interaction with the world, Alfadhel explored several academic paths before discovering her passion and purpose in product design. I’m looking forward to producing the most unique leather sheets in the industry. Lamees Alfadhel, Product designer“I find inspiration in cultural designs that incorporate elements of my country, such as the iconic date palm trees,” she said. The vegan leather sheets then become ready for the manufacturing and production operation, which includes the making of leather clothing and accessories. “I’m looking forward to producing the most unique leather sheets in the industry.

Celebrations have been taking place in Ethiopia's historic holy city of Gondar for the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian festival of Timket. The celebration, which marks the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, is considered one of the most important religious festivals in the country. Saturday's main event took place after pre-sunrise rituals, and hundreds of youngsters used the pool in front of one of Gondar's fortresses to get baptised. Priests carried tabots into one of the fortresses in Gondar, where they will be kept until the end of the festivities. A group of women at the festivalA priestPriests carrying tabots into a castleAttendees get baptised in a huge outdoor poolAttendees line the baptism pool

Earlier this week, a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Atlanta had to return to San Antonio where an emergency landing happened due to an engine fire. Incident: Engine Fire: Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing in San Antonio…Data provided by RadarBox.com. Delta Air Lines flight DL2009 is a routine scheduled flight between San Antonio and Atlanta, with the affected rotation being operated by N323US. DL2009 departed San Antonio at 1800 local time on January 16, and proceeded eastbound in the direction of Atlanta. As per reporting from The Aviation Herald, Delta flight DL2009 was climbing through 15,000 feet when the left hand engine produced a fire indication in the cockpit.

The global running icon, Mebrahtom or Meb as he’s known around the world, now retired, is an Olympic medallist and a New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon winner. “His life is the stuff of movies” said marathon commentator Tim Hutchins at the press meet. Assefa used to specialise in the 3000m steeplechase and placed eighth in the Amsterdam Marathon 2023 with 2:23:33. The men’s field has defending champ Hayle Lemi Berhanu from Ethiopia, who finished in a course record of 2:07:32 in last year’s TMM. He said his training was going “great.” There is countryman Kinde Atanaw, who stopped the clock at 2:03:51 in 2019.

Members of Rapid Action Force (RAF) sit in front of a painting of Hindu Lord Ram, his wife Goddess Sita and younger brother Laxman on a street ahead of the opening of the grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya in India, January 19, 2024

East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development has given Sudan’s warring factions two weeks to meet face-to-face to de-escalate the situation. The meeting, which also discussed the tension between Ethiopia and Somalia, made it clear that Somalia’s integrity must be respected. The IGAD meeting in Kampala described the conflict and political tension in the Horn of Africa and Sudan as a disturbing, senseless and devastating development. The IGAD leaders condemned the ongoing conflict that has caused suffering, with people losing hope and the state about to collapse. Early this month, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, giving Ethiopia access to the sea.

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