CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday discussed the Sudanese crisis, bilateral relations and Ethiopia's giant dam on the Blue Nile, the Egyptian presidency said. Sisi welcomed Ahmed at the presidential palace in Cairo, the presidency added. Egypt hosts a summit of Sudan's neighbours on Thursday to discuss ways to end a 12-week conflict between rival Sudanese military factions that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis in the region. Egypt and Ethiopia, Sudan's two largest neighbours, have been at odds in recent years over the construction of the huge hydroelectric dam on the Blue Nile, close to the border with Sudan. Political Cartoons on World Leaders View All 222 Images(Reporting by Muhammad Al Gebaly and Enas Alashray; Editing by Chris Reese and David Gregorio)

Beachwood, OH (44122)TodayPartly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..TonightIsolated thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Chance of rain 30%.

In this article, EBR’s Eden Teshome assesses the paradox of digital aspiration and the limited Internet access on which digital services heavily depend. The advent of social media is changing that in a way. Foreign investors are hesitant to invest in a country where internet access is unreliable and has the risk of being arbitrarily discontinued for a while. The government accuses Social Media of being a platform for spreading false information that, at times, is used to incite widespread violence. Citizens have a right to access information both online and offline.

A group of high-profile Perth figures are embroiled in an angry fight for control of a coveted African lithium project that has been likened to WA’s lucrative Greenbushes mine. The dispute pits corporate adviser Eddie Rigg and First Quantum co-founder and former Allkem chairman Martin Rowley against two other prominent locals, Stephen Miller and Neil Warburton, the managing director and executive chairman of the unlisted Abyssinian Metals.

This represents an increase of 122 million people compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The new findings also show how consumption of highly processed foods is also increasing in peri-urban and rural areas of some countries. Moderate or severe food insecurity affected 33 percent of adults living in rural areas and 26 percent in urban areas. We cannot take a business-as-usual approach.”Children’s malnutrition also displays urban and rural specificities: the prevalence of child stunting is higher in rural areas (35.8 percent) than in urban areas (22.4 percent). Wasting is higher in rural areas (10.5 percent) than in urban areas (7.7 percent), while overweight is slightly more prevalent in urban areas (5.4 percent) compared to rural areas (3.5 percent).

Entitles, “On the road to second Russia- Africa Summit”, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, AFROCOM (the Coordinating Committee for Economic Cooperation with African Countries), and directors of several Russian companies have presented business areas of cooperation African countries can consider. In addition, Russian companies have also expressed their interest to work with African countries in areas of digital transformation that can bring significant change in tax collection and education systems of African governments. The energy sector, which includes development of nuclear energy for developmental purposes, and space technology are also mentioned as areas of cooperation between African countries and Russia. The payment system will allow the countries to own the payment system, according to Mr. Igor Morozov. Extensive banking system, leasing companies, private equity fund, and insurances businesses are the institutions for expanding mutually beneficiary partnership between Russia and African countries, according to Mr. Igor Morozov.

Ethiopia's Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, met with US diplomat, Molly Phee, on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, including the ongoing conflict in Sudan, Anadolu Agency reports. He was referring to the regional blocs African Union and Inter-governmental Authority on Development. Phee, the assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs of the US, lauded the Ethiopian government for hosting the IGAD Quartet meeting on the situation in Sudan on Monday. She stressed "parties to conflict should commit to a cease-fire to affect political solutions and to dispense humanitarian aid." The conflict has killed nearly 3,000 civilians and injured thousands, according to local medics.​READ: IGAD seeks summit to deploy regional force in Sudan

This arrival marks the successful completion of the second phase of Operation Tzur Israel, a government-led initiative aimed at facilitating the Aliyah of relatives of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Facilitated by The Jewish Agency for Israel, Operation Tzur Israel has now managed to reunite a total of 5,000 Ethiopian Jews with their families in Israel, many of whom had been separated for a long duration. According to a statement by the Jewish Agency, during the course of Operation Tzur Israel, specialized programs were also developed to optimize the integration of the Olim into Israeli society. Notably, the Aliyah Tech program was launched to pave a path for young Ethiopian immigrants to join the high-tech industry in Israel. The Israeli government and the Jewish Agency have made multiple announcements declaring the official conclusion of aliyah from Ethiopia.

Brazil, Russia and South Africa are primarily natural resource exporters and were badly affected by the global commodity price bust of 2014. Deteriorating relations with western powers: Ethiopia has historically depended on substantial western support through aid and security cooperation. Joining BRICS would signal openness and lead to greater cooperation through platforms like the business council and forum. Sergei Chirikov/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe risksThere would of course be risks in Ethiopia joining the BRICS. Ethiopia’s economy, estimated at around US6.78 billion in 2022, is less than half the size of South Africa’s US5.87 billion.

Bains said: “They’re not the third seeds for nothing, and they played well. We didn’t get off to the best start, we’re a little disappointed with how we played out there. “We just wanted to put on a better show, but they ran away with it really - full credit to them, they played well. “We can now play at the level we need to play at to get back to this level next year,” added Bains. We’re going to try and use this now that our rankings are higher, and play that level of events as much as we can.

Arrests and harassment of journalists, opposition figures and activists in Ethiopia has risen this year, the war-torn country's rights watchdog said, underlining "concerning" levels of violence despite a peace agreement. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report on the year to June noted "an increase in the arrest and harassment of media personnel, members of opposition political parties and civil society groups, raising concerns on the shrinking of civic space". The commission saw "significant and encouraging progress" in government moves to launch a process of "transitional justice" to handle crimes committed during the fighting. RELATED Ethiopia rights body seeks release of detained journalists MENA"Conflicts and attacks in Oromia region are extremely concerning and require urgent attention," the commission said. The report found "significant improvement in detention facilities and treatment of detainees".

More than 2.4 million people have fled their homes to safer areas inside the country, according to the International Organisation for Migration. As conflict continues to rage in Sudan, thousands of people are fleeing across the border to Chad. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned over the weekend that the country is on the brink of a “full-scale civil war”. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that Sudan is on the brink of a ‘full-scale civil war’ (Khalil Senosi/AP)Earlier this week, a regional meeting floated the idea of deploying troops to Sudan to protect civilians. The statement also decried comments by Ethiopia’s prime minister, who called for imposing a no-fly zone over Sudan.

In its 2022/23 annual report released on Wednesday, the commission said conflicts and attacks in the Oromia region are “extremely concerning and require urgent attention”, adding that the security situation in the Amhara region is “equally concerning”. Several instances of arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances have been committed in Addis Abeba, Oromia and Amhara regions, violating individual’s right to liberty during the report period which is from June 2022 – June 2023, according to the report. In the Oromia region, victims include opposition political party members, as in the case of members of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), it outlined. The report raises concerns on the shrinking of civic space with an increase in the arrest and harassment of media personnel, members of opposition political parties and civil society groups during the reporting period. Despite some positive developments, the commission highlighted persisting issues in relation to rights of persons in detention, women and children, persons with disabilities, and IDPs among others.

Egypt will host a summit on Sudan on Thursday, involving various military and civilian groups from Sudan as well as the crisis-ridden country’s neighbours. Egypt’s leaders would like Sudan’s conflict to wind down without General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as “Hemedti”, emerging as the dominant figure in Sudan’s political arena. Sudan’s conflict has also negatively impacted Egypt from a trade standpoint, especially in the agricultural sector. Egypt and Sudan, which are downstream from the dam, have been in a dispute with Ethiopia over the GERD’s construction for years. “If this war was to intensify or prolong for an indefinite period of time with more migrants coming across the border, Egypt would have to step up its game,” Krieg said.

A group of 130 Olim (new immigrants) from Ethiopia arrived in Israel on Wednesday, marking the end of the second phase of Operation Tzur Israel. These Olim were reunited with their families in Israel, often after a long separation. The Jewish Agency was tasked with implementing the operation and, as such, coordinated 18 special flights to bring the 5,000 Olim to Israel. In order to meet the demand of the influx of new Olim, The Jewish Agency and the Ministry opened five new absorption centers. “Indeed, when Ethiopian Olim arrive in Israel, the immense emotion and significance of the moment is never taken for granted.”