Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 22 (NNN-ENA) – The death toll from a sudden collapse of a wooden bench, at a major religious gathering, in northwestern Ethiopia’s Gondar city, climbed to 10, while 250 people were injured, local government officials confirmed.

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 18 (NNN-XINHUA) — Ethiopia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education confirmed that unrest in 22 universities have caused 35,000 students to quit class.

The ministry said it has taken various disciplinary measures against hundreds of university staff and students who are suspected of involvement in unrest in tertiary educational institutions across the east African country.

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia proposes to hold its national vote on Aug. 16, the electoral board said on Wednesday, the first poll under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who has eased political restrictions and taken steps to open the economy since taking office in 2018.

Ethiopia’s 100 million people are seeing unprecedented political change, but Abiy’s reforms have also uncorked ethnic rivalries that have spilled into violence.

13 Jan 2019; MEMO: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said yesterday that he had asked South Africa’s president to mediate his country’s dispute with Egypt over Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam.

Ahmed, who visited South Africa this weekend, said he has asked South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to lead the mediation efforts in his capacity as the next chairperson of the African Union.

08 Jan 2019; MEMO: An Egyptian delegation is in Addis Ababa to attend the last of four technical meetings on operating and filling the Renaissance Dam after months of tension between Egypt and Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is building a $5 million dam near the border with Sudan it says will provide the country with much needed electricity and economic regeneration.

ADDIS ABABA, Jan 7 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — The Ethiopian parliament has approved amendments to the country’s controversial anti-terrorist legislation.

The new version has more concise language as opposed to the old one whose wording was criticised as vague by activists and human rights organisations.

Prior to April 2018, the government routinely used the law to detain and charge activists, journalists and opposition politicians.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Reiterating remarkable achievements in China-Ethiopia relations in the year 2019, including the cooperation on successful launch of Ethiopia's first ever remote sensing satellite, dubbed ETRSS-1, this month, the Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia Tan Jian said the coming 2020 year would be historic, whereby the two countries elevate the ties to a higher level, with realization of more achievements in different projects.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders on Thursday vowed to cement recent gains in the rapprochement of bilateral ties as the two former arch-rivals seek to deepen socio-economic integration.

This came on Thursday as the visiting Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived in Ethiopia, accompanied by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and laid a foundation stone for the construction of a new Eritrea Embassy facility in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 25 (NNN-ENA) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF), expressed its support to Ethiopia’s ongoing economic reform initiative, that aimed to eliminate macroeconomic imbalances and lay the foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth.

The IMF, which approved a 2.9 billion U.S. dollar funding to Ethiopia late last week, said, the support is aimed at supporting the Ethiopian government’s Homegrown Economic Reform Programme.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Ethiopia plans to cut an excise tax on sugar to 20% from 33%, according to a draft law in parliament, proposing the move ahead of plans to privatize the sugar industry as part of a government drive to open up the economy.

A trader said the tax, presented to parliament on Monday, would help domestic sugar manufacturers and consumers who are feeling the pinch from inflation running at more than 20% a year.