The influx of ex-combatants joining the Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) program has significantly exceeded initial projections, according to the National Rehabilitation Commission. Early estimates anticipated approximately 250,000 ex-combatants to be registered at a cost of up to half a billion dollars. “Though around 250,000 ex-combatants were expected to join, regional states pushed for increased registration,” said Commissioner Teshome Toga (Amb.) - Advertisement -The DDR process will unfold across eight regions, with large ex-combatant populations in Tigray, Amhara and Oromia. Ethiopia contributed USD 3.1 million, while World Bank’s IDA credit covered over USD 170 million of the USD174 million total cost.

From 2018 to 2022, the market witnessed a surge in the adoption of virtual reality headsets among tourists, driven by increasing awareness, improving affordability, and advancements in virtual reality technology. Tourists have embraced virtual reality’s immersive and interactive nature, which allows them to virtually explore destinations, historical sites, and cultural experiences, offering a new dimension to their travel adventures. The global tourist virtual reality headsets market is projected to experience continued growth. The market is expected to benefit from ongoing advancements in virtual reality technology, making headsets more advanced, compact, and user-friendly. Additionally, the growing popularity of virtual reality content specific to tourism, including virtual tours, travel documentaries, and interactive experiences, is expected to drive the demand for virtual reality headsets among tourists.

Mall walking: Saudi Arabia’s latest fitness trendRIYADH: An increasingly familiar sight in Saudi Arabia’s malls is people stretching their legs and strolling past shoppers. Mall walking, or ‘mallercise,’ is a safe — and free — option for people who want to be physically active and would rather not pay a hefty fee to join a gym. Indeed, mall walking has become prevalent among Saudi residents, a way to keep an eye out for sales while burning calories. Fatmah Alomar, a fitness trainer in a Riyadh gym, said “We hardly see senior citizens. One of the main aims of Sports Boulevard is to encourage residents of all age groups, including senior citizens, to take up grassroots sports.

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), the largest bank in Ethiopia, is seeking government approval to increase its paid-up capital from 63 billion birr to 500 billion birr in order to finance ambitious expansion plans, according to executives of the state-owned bank. But we expect approval to raise the capital this fiscal year,” said CBE President Abe Sano. First, the bank’s assets of one trillion birr far exceed its authorized capital of 40 billion birr. “Our current 63 billion birr capital is insufficient. “In birr terms our capacity is huge, but in terms of USD, it still lags behind neighboring countries,” said Abe.

Since we started, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1.

Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania are three Eastern African countries that have witnessed tremendous infrastructural development in the recent times. Bole International Airport, EthiopiaLocated in the horn of Africa, Ethiopia has the largest airport in Eastern African region which is referred as Bole International Airport. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, KenyaJKIA is the second largest airport in Eastern African region which was built during the colonial area. Julius Nyerere International Airport, TanzaniaNamed after the first President of Tanzania Julius Nyerere, the airport is the hub for Air Tanzania. On overage the airport serves an estimated 2 millions passengers annually.

The visit paves the way for more constructive cooperation in a diverse range of fields spanning digital economy, green development and agriculture. Ethiopia has also treated its time-tested relationship with China as a catalyst for stronger Sino-African relations. The present visit signals stronger momentum for business and investment opportunities on both sides. Wang has expressed China's intent to accelerate Ethiopia's push for industrialization, underscoring the utility of a progressive and stable Ethiopia to the region. China and Ethiopia jointly endorsed key objectives at the conference, including efforts to expand the size and scale of China's trade with Africa, which has benefitted Ethiopia's own trade integration in the past.

CIA Director Bill Burns testifies during his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2021. According to Burns, Putin is simply "trying to buy time" to determine whether and how to act against Prigozhin, to avoid being seen to overreact. “What we’re seeing is a very complicated dance between Prigozhin and Putin. On the morning that Prigozhin launched his insurrection, he released a video directly criticizing Putin’s rationale for invading Ukraine. He said the Telegram video got 2.5 million views in the first week.

Central Bank GovernorThe Governor of Ethiopia’s central bank pulled no punches in acknowledging citizens are struggling with an unrelenting cost of living surge, conceding “too high” inflation in the East African nation has climbed to unjustifiable highs. “We have a cost-of-living crisis,” Mamo Mihretu, governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), said in his speech at the opening of the 20th Ethiopian Economics Association International Conference on Ethiopia’s economy, laying bare that prices have skyrocketed for essentials like fuel, food and fertilizer, placing a heavy burden on household budgets. He noted that prices of essentials like fuel and food have nearly doubled in some cases in recent years. “Inflation has risen sharply here at home and elsewhere partly fueled by surging energy, food, and fertilizer prices,” Mamo said, citing fuel costs as an example. “Our priority for this new fiscal year is thus to reverse this state of affairs.”The Governor’s speech aligns with plans outlined in a Central Bank tweet from two months ago, on May 29, 2023.

A proposed draft law would impose prison terms of up to 15 years for obstructing or diverting aid to internally displaced people (IDPs) if passed. - Advertisement -The draft proclamation proposes up to 25 years in prison and heavy fines for violating IDP rights. Titled the “Proclamation to Prevent Internal Displacement and Provide Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons,” the draft would also require funds embezzled from aid to be repaid three times the amount stolen. Ethiopia currently lacks legislation to protect and reintegrate internally displaced persons (IDPs). The draft proclamation gives IDPs the right to vote, stand for election, assemble peacefully, participate in policymaking, and hold peaceful demonstrations, among other rights.

The Ethiopian and Ukraine-Russia conflicts accounted for 89 percent of battle-related deaths worldwide in 2022, according to a new report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). “While the war in Ukraine captured most attention, the parallel war between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front was more lethal,” the report states. The Ethiopian conflict, already the third deadliest in 2021, drew in forces beyond the two warring parties. According to the report, battle-related deaths in Tigray have reached alarmingly high levels while the world’s attention has focused on Ukraine. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who led peace efforts in northern Ethiopia, previously estimated total casualties resulting from the north Ethiopian war could reach as high as 600,000.

The government of Ethiopia has lifted a five-month ban on access to social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Telegram and Youtube. They then vowed online to defy the ban and hold a rally to show their support for the Orthodox Church. This led to a ban on social media and a shutdown of schools in the country. Only those with access to a virtual private network (VPN) could get on social media platforms, which made the demand for VPNs in Ethiopia skyrocket by 1,430% at the time. The social media blackout is said to have impacted businesses and cost Ethiopia up to £32 million ($42 million) in losses.

Bahir Dar University administering exit examinations (Photo: Bahir Dar University/Facebook)Addis Abeba – Several accounting and finance departments at universities nationwide have appealed for a comprehensive review of the exit exam. Similarly, Asfaw Derisa, a student from a private college in Hawassa city, reported problems with the Accounting and Finance exam. According to Asfaw, the exam included questions outside the scope of the department’s study, resulting in no students passing the exam. Furthermore, Students suggest that the Ministry, by selectively passing students who initially failed, seeks to create a false perception that the pass rate for the accounting and finance departments is similar to other departments. They fear that this could be a calculated move to minimize the problem and obscure the reality that the accounting and finance exam is fundamentally flawed.

Kipyegon, a decorated athlete with two Olympic gold medals and two world championship titles in the 1500m, shattered the women’s mile world record on Friday, clocking an impressive 4 minutes and 07.64 seconds. This remarkable achievement marks her third world record of the season, having already set new records in the 1500m and 5000m events earlier in June. Kipyegon’s dominance was on full display as she obliterated the previous world record of 4:12.33, held by Ethiopian-born Dutch runner, Sifan Hassan, since 2019, also at the Monaco meet. The ideal running conditions, with a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and the support of an on-the-mark pace-setting and the Wavelight trackside lighting system indicating world record pace, certainly played a role in her extraordinary feat. The exhilarating race not only saw Kipyegon’s triumphant victory but also set regional records for North America, South America, and Oceania.

The tall slim young man approached the podium, grabbed the mic and took a breath for a while. Then, “I am a good-for-nothing man. A lot of positive things we all in general and the young fresh graduates in particular can draw from this young man! Amidst all this, all souls in that big hall were drenched with warm tears… But… Why are we people of Ethiopia near to tears? If he is a good-for-nothing man, what name should be given to the indolent guy like me?