Israel mulling options to rescue citizens in war-torn Ethiopia
(August 8, 2023 / JNS)An emergency meeting of Israel’s National Security Council was held on Tuesday morning to examine options for rescuing Israelis trapped in war-torn northern Ethiopia. Officials were discussing the possibility of sending in an armed convoy for a 14-hour rescue mission in coordination with the Ethiopian military and the rival militia. On Monday morning, 13 Israelis and seven foreign nationals in the town of Debark, north of Gondar, were transported out of danger, Walla News reported. The Israeli and foreign nationals were rescued by Magnus International Search and Rescue and PassportCard in coordination with local officials, Israeli diplomats in Addis Ababa and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. An Israeli citizen who was abducted in Ethiopia some three weeks ago has been freed and reunited with his children, Channel 12 News reported on Monday.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 17:50 UTC
WFP begins 'test distribution' of food aid to Ethiopia's Tigray
NAIROBI: The World Food Programme has started distributing food aid in Ethiopia's war-scarred Tigray region, in a test for new monitoring measures after halting assistance over the diversion of supplies, the United Nations agency said on Tuesday (Aug 8). WFP and US aid agency USAID halted food aid to Africa's second most populous country in June after discovering that supplies were not reaching those in need, raising fears that the decision would leave millions of Ethiopians in desperate straits. "On Jul 31, the World Food Programme started testing and verifying enhanced controls and measures for delivering food assistance in four districts of Tigray," it said in a message to AFP. "We are committed to resuming food assistance as quickly as possible once we can be confident our assistance is reaching the most vulnerable that it is intended for." Prior to the nationwide suspension, WFP and USAID said in May that they would freeze food aid to Tigray after discovering that shipments were being diverted to local markets.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 16:47 UTC
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RICHARD JOHNSON: Harvey Weinstein said to be stewing behind bars as ex-wife dates Adrien Brody
Harvey Weinstein is said to be very unhappy while he stews behind bars in Rome, N.Y., that his former wife Georgina Chapman is dating actor Adrien Brody. Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman attend the "Asteroid City" red carpet during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023, in Cannes, France. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)Weinstein’s ex-wife and mother of his two young children (9 and 12) was seen getting very cozy with Brody last week in St. Tropez at the chic Club 55. Harvey Weinstein is said to be very unhappy that his former wife Georgina Chapman is dating actor Adrien Brody. Also seen in St. Tropez were Leonardo DiCaprio and his BFF Tobey Maguire and influencer Sofie Mahlkvist.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 16:21 UTC
11,000 trapped Jewish descendants in Ethiopia await rescue
Israel’s Foreign Ministry is actively monitoring the situation and working to ensure the safety and evacuation options for its citizens and eligible immigrants. The ministry is in direct contact with 160 Israelis and 54 individuals who are eligible to immigrate to Israel. The situation room at the Foreign Ministry maintains communication with Israelis and Jews in the conflict-ridden area, aiming to ensure their safety and exploring potential evacuation avenues. Jews, Israelis, and the descendants of Jews are in danger in EthiopiaA senior official within the Jewish community in Ethiopia conveyed the gravity of the situation. Members of the Falash Mura Jewish Ethiopian community attend a prayer service at the HaTikvah Synagogue in Gondar, northern Ethiopia, September 30, 2016.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 15:40 UTC
Nigeria Air to debut by early 4Q23 - Ethiopian CEO
Nigeria Air (NWB, Lagos) - the planned joint venture between the Nigerian federal government and an Ethiopian Airlines-led consortium - plans to start operations as early as October 2023, according to Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Mesfin Tasew. The new president, Bola Tinubu, took office on May 29, 2023, and, together with the Council of Ministers, must still approve the public-private partnership (PPP) process to establish Nigeria Air. It will be a 51/49 PPP between the federal government and the consortium of Nigerian investors led by Ethiopian Airlines. The Nigerian government will own 5% of Nigeria Air. He said Nigeria Air would start with 15 domestic routes before expanding regionally and internationally to London (UK), New York (US), and Shanghai Pudong (China).
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 15:08 UTC
Residents near Sudanese capital ordered to evacuate over fighting
Migrants, Libyan border guards and rights groups accuse Tunisia of expelling migrants across the frontier into a featureless wilderness far from towns or villages in the height of summer as part of a months-long crackdown. Libya has reported finding bodies of migrants who died in the desert. Tunisia’s Interior Ministry denies dumping migrants in the desert and President Kais Saied has described the reports as misinformation aimed at discrediting the country. “Tunisia rejects all accusations of expelling African immigrants,” said Interior Ministry spokesperson Faker Bouzgaya, when asked by Reuters about the migrants’ accounts. Omar and her group said they had been given water and food by Libyan border guards, which come under Brigade 19 of the Tripoli government’s Defense Ministry.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 15:00 UTC
Clashes in the Amhara Region; Bishops: "Stop the fighting and start a dialogue"
AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Clashes in the Amhara Region; Bishops: "Stop the fighting and start a dialogue"wars bishops Tuesday, 8 August 2023Addis Ababa (Fides News Agency) - The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia has made a plea to the combatants, asking them to immediately cease the ongoing war between the Amhara militia (Fano) and the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), and to resolve their problems through dialogue. In their message, the bishops pointed out that Ethiopia has just come out of the Tigray War: "Many were killed in the recent war in the north of our country. "We were all very happy that peace was achieved by way of dialogue" the message continues. The Catholic Bishops invited the government to intensify its efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Amhara nationalists fear the government is seeking to weaken the region.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 14:51 UTC
UN World Food Program slowly resumes food aid to Ethiopia after suspending program
The United Nations World Food Program is slowly resuming food aid to Ethiopia nearly five months after taking the extraordinary measure of suspending aid to millions of people after the discovery of a massive scheme to steal donated grain. Critics of the aid suspension, including aid groups and health workers, have called it immoral and alleged that hundreds of people have died of hunger. US SUSPENDS FOOD AID TO ETHIOPIA AFTER INVESTIGATION REVEALS 'WIDESPREAD' SUPPLY THEFTThe suspension was extended to all of Ethiopia in June. Some humanitarian groups and Ethiopian religious leaders have joined the calls to resume food aid distribution as soon as possible. Power said she knew people were looking for an exact date that food aid would resume.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 14:48 UTC
Ethiopia just ended one war. Is another one beginning?
In that war, federal forces faced battle-hardened fighters loyal to Tigray's ruling party, who at one point advanced hundreds of kilometres towards the capital Addis Ababa. Following the Tigray deal, his government held preliminary talks with rebels in the Oromiya region, Ethiopia's largest, about ending a decades-long insurgency. But anger was building in Amhara, where the Tigray deal deepened existing suspicions of Abiy's government. It said the status of lands claimed by both Amhara and Tigray, which Amhara forces captured during the war, should be resolved "in accordance with the constitution". Then in April, Abiy ordered that regional security forces be integrated into the police or federal military, prompting a week of violent demonstrations.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 14:33 UTC
Five-day national level training program on statistical machine learning begins at SOA
Bhubaneswar, Aug. 8: A five–day National Level Short-Term Training Program on Statistical Machine Learning commenced at the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), faculty of engineering of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) here on Monday. This reflects the significance and relevance of statistical machine learning in transformation of industries globally,” she said. Addressing the inaugural function, Dr. Banerjee enlightened the participants and research community on the strength and versatility of statistical machine learning in different domains of research and its future prospects. Prof. Mishra said the training program aimed to achieve several objectives including making clear the fundamentals of statistical machine learning and building a strong theoretical foundation. Besides, practical exercises and training sessions would provide valuable hands-on experience in implementing machine learning algorithms, she said.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 14:10 UTC
Banks relocate money from combat zones of Amhara Region
Wazema quoted sources of banks as saying that the cash relocated was taken from Amhara zonal and Woreda towns including the Regional capital, Bahir-Dar. Banks have started moving their cash from the Region to Addis Ababa since last week. Starting from 03 August 2023, the banks drew extensively their cash particularly from Wereda Branches, Wazema said, quoting its banking sources. Bank employees in Amhara Region confirmed that daily money withdrawal by customers is limited. Following this, bank customers are complaining that they have not been allowed to draw their money.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 13:44 UTC
UN Investigator: Eritreans Experienced Torture, Sexual Violence During National Service
Eritrean refugees and asylum-seekers report that during compulsory national service they experienced torture, inhumane or degrading treatment, sexual and gender-based violence, forced labor and abusive conditions, a U.N. independent investigator on human rights said in a report circulated Monday. Mohamed Babiker said Eritrea has a policy of indefinite national service, including a civil service component and a military service component. He said it has ignored numerous calls from human rights bodies to ensure legal limits for the duration of such service and to protect the human rights of all participants. The special investigator said his interviews with Eritrean asylum-seekers and refugees point to indefinite national service as the main driver of people leaving Eritrea. Eritrea has been accused of widespread human rights violations in neighboring Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 12:54 UTC
News: Ezema accuses ruling Prosperity Party of fueling unresolved issues, crisis in Ethiopia
Professor Berhanu Nega, leader of Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (Ezema) Photo: ScreenshotAddis Abeba – Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (Ezema) has made grave accusations against the ruling Prosperity Party (PP), holding it responsible for the unresolved and critical issues currently plaguing Ethiopia. Ezema highlighted the deteriorating unity within the ruling party as the primary driver of the current crisis, particularly in the Amhara region. Yelikal Kefale, president of the Amhara region, expressed apprehension last week regarding the detrimental effects of road blockades and movement restrictions on the local population. According to a statement from Ezema, the situation in the Amhara region has worsened due to the government’s inadequate fulfillment of its responsibilities. According to the party, these violations often take place under the guise of utilizing State of Emergency measures.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 12:48 UTC
Ethiopian Airlines cancels flights to conflict-hit region
Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday cancelled flights to Bahir Dar, the capital of Amhara, announcing it would not fly to any airports in the region following clashes between local fighters and federal troops. Last week, the national carrier cancelled flights to three other airports in the northern region. "Flights planned for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to Dessie (Kombolcha), Gondar, Lalibela and Bahir Dar have been cancelled," Ethiopian Airlines said. - Gunfire -Residents of several towns in Amhara told AFP that fighters from the local Fano militia were facing off against federal forces. Tesfahun, a resident of Bahir Dar, told AFP on Tuesday he had heard artillery fire "non-stop around the airport roads" until midnight on Monday.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 12:26 UTC
Ethiopia: cancellation of flights to Amhara, plagued by fighting
Ethiopian Airlines on Tuesday cancelled its scheduled flights from Wednesday to Friday to the capital of Amhara, Bahir Dar, the last airport served in this region of northern Ethiopia shaken by fighting between the federal army and local militias. The national company had stopped since last week its connections to the three other regional airports of Gondar, Lalibela and Dessie." The federal government on Friday declared a state of emergency in Amhara, Ethiopia's second most populous region plagued by heavy fighting, just nine months after the end of a devastating conflict in neighboring Tigray region. Amhara forces, including the nationalist Fano militia, were key allies of the government during this war waged against the dissident authorities in Tigray between November 2020 and November 2022. FireIn Bahir Dar, artillery fire was heard Monday evening and in the night, "non-stop around the roads of the airport", according to a resident.
Source:Ethiopian News
August 08, 2023 12:14 UTC