1 day ago
Preparing to take the stage representing Ethiopia at the Miss World pageant, Ruth Yirgalem Weldesilasie thinks of her sister, who was abducted and murdered ahead of the contest.
"I'm going to change my pain to my purpose," the 25-year-old told AFP in Vietnam's coastal Nha Trang city, as 111 contestants gathered for the Saturday night pageant finale.
This summer, Ruth's 29-year-old elder sister Kidusan Yirgalem Weldesilasie was kidnapped for ransom -- disappearing from her side as she prepared for the global beauty contest.
Kidusan was discovered dead, her remains split between two suitcases, in late July. Ruth's best friend of a decade and her best friend's boyfriend are among 10 suspects who have been arrested, she said.
Violence against women and girls is endemic in Ethiopia's deeply patriarchal society.
#sister #contest #year #Ethiopia
"I'm going to change my pain to my purpose," the 25-year-old told AFP in Vietnam's coastal Nha Trang city, as 111 contestants gathered for the Saturday night pageant finale.
This summer, Ruth's 29-year-old elder sister Kidusan Yirgalem Weldesilasie was kidnapped for ransom -- disappearing from her side as she prepared for the global beauty contest.
Kidusan was discovered dead, her remains split between two suitcases, in late July. Ruth's best friend of a decade and her best friend's boyfriend are among 10 suspects who have been arrested, she said.
Violence against women and girls is endemic in Ethiopia's deeply patriarchal society.
#sister #contest #year #Ethiopia
8 days ago
A runner-up last year in the Sydney Marathon, Ethiopian Addisu Gobena won the event on Saturday, emerging from a field that featured the 2025 winner, fellow Ethiopian Hailemaryam Kiros, and the reigning world champion, Tanzania's Alphonce Simbu.
Gobena smashed Kiros' course record of 2:06:06 with a time of 2:04:42.
Although Simbu was taken down, the 2025 world champion on the women's side, Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, wasn't defeated in Australia. Jepchirchir, a 2021 Olympic gold medalist, finished just nine seconds shy of the course record, clocking in at 2:18:31.
In its second year as a World Marathon major — there are currently seven (the others are Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City) — the Sydney Marathon hosted around 40,000 expected runners who raced from North Sydney, across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and to the finish line, which was located in front of the city's iconic Opera House.
The Sydney Marathon marked the fourth event on this year's Marathon Major calendar. With a more demanding course than some of the majors, there was once again plenty of intrigue in Sydney. Last year, Kiros finished first among the men, while Sifan Hassan, a three-time Olympic gold medalist representing the Netherlands, took home the women's in 2:18:22. She didn't take part in Saturday's race, however.
#sydney #ethiopian
Gobena smashed Kiros' course record of 2:06:06 with a time of 2:04:42.
Although Simbu was taken down, the 2025 world champion on the women's side, Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, wasn't defeated in Australia. Jepchirchir, a 2021 Olympic gold medalist, finished just nine seconds shy of the course record, clocking in at 2:18:31.
In its second year as a World Marathon major — there are currently seven (the others are Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City) — the Sydney Marathon hosted around 40,000 expected runners who raced from North Sydney, across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and to the finish line, which was located in front of the city's iconic Opera House.
The Sydney Marathon marked the fourth event on this year's Marathon Major calendar. With a more demanding course than some of the majors, there was once again plenty of intrigue in Sydney. Last year, Kiros finished first among the men, while Sifan Hassan, a three-time Olympic gold medalist representing the Netherlands, took home the women's in 2:18:22. She didn't take part in Saturday's race, however.
#sydney #ethiopian
22 days ago
Aug 14 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Friday cleared the way for U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to strip nearly 1,100 Somalis of legal protections against deportation that have allowed them to live and work in the United States.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston allowed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to terminate the Temporary Protected Status designation for Somalia after the U.S. Supreme Court in June allowed the administration to end similar protections for thousands of people from Haiti and Syria.
The Supreme Court's ruling, powered by its 6-3 conservative majority, curtailed the ability of judges to review DHS efforts under Trump to end TPS designations for 13 countries that provided humanitarian immigration protection to eligible migrants from those nations.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs and DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Two other judges last week allowed the administration to similarly end TPS for South Sudan and Myanmar. Only the end of TPS for Ethiopia remains blocked by a judge.
#supreme #judges #reuters #Friday
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston allowed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to terminate the Temporary Protected Status designation for Somalia after the U.S. Supreme Court in June allowed the administration to end similar protections for thousands of people from Haiti and Syria.
The Supreme Court's ruling, powered by its 6-3 conservative majority, curtailed the ability of judges to review DHS efforts under Trump to end TPS designations for 13 countries that provided humanitarian immigration protection to eligible migrants from those nations.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs and DHS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Two other judges last week allowed the administration to similarly end TPS for South Sudan and Myanmar. Only the end of TPS for Ethiopia remains blocked by a judge.
#supreme #judges #reuters #Friday
1 month ago
The World Athletics U20 Championships meet is back in Eugene for the second time in 12 years and though the gates at Hayward Field don't open until Aug. 5, the first record of the meet has already been set.
Approximately 1,800 athletes from 147 countries are expected to compete Wednesday through Sunday, breaking the previous high of 1,558 competitors for the 2024 meet in Lima, Peru.
Among them are current Oregon track athlete Juan Gonzalez (men's 5,000 meters), and future Ducks Jaslene Massey (women's discus and shot put), Ellery Lincoln (women's 1,500), Simon Rosselli (men's discus) and Estonian heptathlete Mia Uusorg.
Get tickets for the World Athletics U20 Championships
The 2014 U20 championships at Hayward Field featured many young athletes who have gone on to have tremendous success on the world stage, including American women's discus star Valarie (Allman) Sion and men's sprinter Trayvon Bromell; Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, who owns world records in the men's 5,000 and 10,000; Ethiopian men's distance star Yomif Kejelcha; sprinter Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain; and Croatia's Sara Kolak, who two years after the 2014 meet would win Olympic gold in the women's javelin.
#meet
Approximately 1,800 athletes from 147 countries are expected to compete Wednesday through Sunday, breaking the previous high of 1,558 competitors for the 2024 meet in Lima, Peru.
Among them are current Oregon track athlete Juan Gonzalez (men's 5,000 meters), and future Ducks Jaslene Massey (women's discus and shot put), Ellery Lincoln (women's 1,500), Simon Rosselli (men's discus) and Estonian heptathlete Mia Uusorg.
Get tickets for the World Athletics U20 Championships
The 2014 U20 championships at Hayward Field featured many young athletes who have gone on to have tremendous success on the world stage, including American women's discus star Valarie (Allman) Sion and men's sprinter Trayvon Bromell; Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, who owns world records in the men's 5,000 and 10,000; Ethiopian men's distance star Yomif Kejelcha; sprinter Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain; and Croatia's Sara Kolak, who two years after the 2014 meet would win Olympic gold in the women's javelin.
#meet
1 month ago
July is National Ice Cream Month so TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones celebrate with two women-owned businesses who are serving sweet treats. Pooja Bavishi, founder and CEO of Malai showcases ice cream made with South Asian ingredients, including a cardamom pistachio crumble and a mango and cream flavor. Then, Ashley Marrero, founder of Kente Cones, shares Afro-American inspired frozen treats crafted with cocoa from Ghana, Ethiopian coffee and Madagascar vanilla.
#treats #founder #national #bush
#treats #founder #national #bush
2 months ago
Belgian Tim Merlier dominated a bunch sprint finish for the second day running to claim victory in the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Saturday.
Merlier seemed out of contention when he was caught out of position in the last few hundred metres but launched a long range charge to reel in all of his rivals and beat Ethiopian Biniam Girmay into second with Dutchman Olav Kooij third.
It was Merlier's fifth stage victory in his third Tour appearance and also brought him to within 15 points of Dane Mads Pedersen in the sprinters' green jersey competition.
"If you win one, you can win a second, and I'm happy," said Merlier.
"Three (sprint) stages, I won two.
Merlier seemed out of contention when he was caught out of position in the last few hundred metres but launched a long range charge to reel in all of his rivals and beat Ethiopian Biniam Girmay into second with Dutchman Olav Kooij third.
It was Merlier's fifth stage victory in his third Tour appearance and also brought him to within 15 points of Dane Mads Pedersen in the sprinters' green jersey competition.
"If you win one, you can win a second, and I'm happy," said Merlier.
"Three (sprint) stages, I won two.
2 months ago
Ethiopia's national payment switch, EthSwitch, is exploring expanded cooperation with Huawei on artificial intelligence, payment infrastructure and cross-border payment connectivity with China. The discussions signal EthSwitch's growing engagement with global financial technology partners as Ethiopia expands its interoperable payments ecosystem. Specifically, Ethiopia is committed to boosting mobile banking innovation, resilient payment infrastructure, AI applications to improve efficiency and security, cross-border payment collaboration with China's payment and clearing ecosystem, and technical capacity building for Ethiopia's financial technology sector.
The timing is significant. EthSwitch recently reported processing 387 million interoperable transactions worth ETB 1.26tn during the 2025/26 fiscal year, while posting ETB 2.6bn in pre-tax profit. The figures underscore the rapid expansion of Ethiopia's digital payments market and the increasingly strategic role of the national switch in connecting banks and payment service providers across the country.
Established to deliver interoperable payment infrastructure, EthSwitch has become the backbone of Ethiopia's electronic payments ecosystem, supporting ATM, point-of-sale, QR code, instant payment and gateway services that enable seamless transactions across financial institutions. As Ethiopia continues to liberalise and modernise its financial sector, the institution is playing an increasingly central role in supporting digital financial services and financial inclusion.
Huawei, meanwhile, has steadily expanded its digital finance business globally, positioning itself as a technology partner to banks, central banks and national payment infrastructure operators. The company provides cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital banking solutions to financial institutions in more than 60 countries and says it serves thousands of financial-sector customers worldwide.
EthSwitch regards the discussions on cross-border payment cooperation with China's payment and clearing ecosystem as particularly noteworthy. Closer connectivity could eventually facilitate faster and more efficient payment flows supporting trade, tourism and commercial transactions between Ethiopia and China, Ethiopia's largest bilateral trading partner.
"EthSwitch explores Huawei partnership on AI and China payment connectivity" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand.
The timing is significant. EthSwitch recently reported processing 387 million interoperable transactions worth ETB 1.26tn during the 2025/26 fiscal year, while posting ETB 2.6bn in pre-tax profit. The figures underscore the rapid expansion of Ethiopia's digital payments market and the increasingly strategic role of the national switch in connecting banks and payment service providers across the country.
Established to deliver interoperable payment infrastructure, EthSwitch has become the backbone of Ethiopia's electronic payments ecosystem, supporting ATM, point-of-sale, QR code, instant payment and gateway services that enable seamless transactions across financial institutions. As Ethiopia continues to liberalise and modernise its financial sector, the institution is playing an increasingly central role in supporting digital financial services and financial inclusion.
Huawei, meanwhile, has steadily expanded its digital finance business globally, positioning itself as a technology partner to banks, central banks and national payment infrastructure operators. The company provides cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital banking solutions to financial institutions in more than 60 countries and says it serves thousands of financial-sector customers worldwide.
EthSwitch regards the discussions on cross-border payment cooperation with China's payment and clearing ecosystem as particularly noteworthy. Closer connectivity could eventually facilitate faster and more efficient payment flows supporting trade, tourism and commercial transactions between Ethiopia and China, Ethiopia's largest bilateral trading partner.
"EthSwitch explores Huawei partnership on AI and China payment connectivity" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand.
2 months ago
Great Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell stormed to her second Diamond League win of the year with a season's best time in the women's 1500m in Paris.
The Olympic bronze medallist clocked three minutes 55.63 seconds to fight off a strong challenge from Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu (3:55.92), while France's Agathe Guillemot (3:56.24) took third place.
Hunter Bell, who claimed her first world ****** le in Torun in March, also won the Rome leg of the Diamond League in 3:58.63 last month.
The 32-year-old won the world 800m silver ahead of Keely Hodgkinson in Tokyo last year, but has since returned to the longer distance in which she claimed a remarkable Olympic bronze in 2024.
And the latest win at Stade Charlety will further add to her momentum with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, starting in July, and the European Championships in Birmingham taking place the following month.
The Olympic bronze medallist clocked three minutes 55.63 seconds to fight off a strong challenge from Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu (3:55.92), while France's Agathe Guillemot (3:56.24) took third place.
Hunter Bell, who claimed her first world ****** le in Torun in March, also won the Rome leg of the Diamond League in 3:58.63 last month.
The 32-year-old won the world 800m silver ahead of Keely Hodgkinson in Tokyo last year, but has since returned to the longer distance in which she claimed a remarkable Olympic bronze in 2024.
And the latest win at Stade Charlety will further add to her momentum with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, starting in July, and the European Championships in Birmingham taking place the following month.
3 months ago
HONG KONG (AP) — The war in Iran has helped reshape the global electric vehicle market, giving Chinese automakers an opening across the developing world as soaring fuel prices push drivers towards electric vehicles, even as charging infrastructure lags behind a wave of imports.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping of about a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquified natural gas, first hitting Asia — the main destination for the fuels — followed by Africa.
This shock accelerated a trend that was already spreading across the developing world. In April, global exports of Chinese EVs hit a record $9.4 billion, according to an **** ysis by think tank Ember of Chinese customs data. Shipments surged to countries such as Australia, Brazil and regions like Southeast Asia and East Africa.
China exported about 435,000 passenger EVs and plug-in hybrids in May, more than double from a year earlier, according to the Chinese **** ociation of Automobile Manufacturers.
As fuel costs rise, more drivers are switching to EVs to save money, while governments from Laos to Ethiopia are embracing electrification to curb oil imports and reduce costs of fuel subsidies.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping of about a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquified natural gas, first hitting Asia — the main destination for the fuels — followed by Africa.
This shock accelerated a trend that was already spreading across the developing world. In April, global exports of Chinese EVs hit a record $9.4 billion, according to an **** ysis by think tank Ember of Chinese customs data. Shipments surged to countries such as Australia, Brazil and regions like Southeast Asia and East Africa.
China exported about 435,000 passenger EVs and plug-in hybrids in May, more than double from a year earlier, according to the Chinese **** ociation of Automobile Manufacturers.
As fuel costs rise, more drivers are switching to EVs to save money, while governments from Laos to Ethiopia are embracing electrification to curb oil imports and reduce costs of fuel subsidies.
3 months ago
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department announced visa restrictions targeting people it said were undermining peace in Ethiopia on Thursday, focused on hardliners in the Tigray People's Liberation Front and their immediate family members.
"Rising tensions between Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) hardliners and the Ethiopian government have threatened to reignite the conflict in northern Ethiopia and undermine peace and security across the entire region," the State Department said in a statement.
The State Department cited clashes between TPLF forces and Ethiopian government forces earlier this year.
"This visa restriction policy targets individuals who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution to the crisis in the Tigray region," it said.
Tigray's main political party reasserted control over the northern Ethiopian region's political administration in May, following through on a threat to violate a key provision of the deal that ended a civil war with the federal government.
"Rising tensions between Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) hardliners and the Ethiopian government have threatened to reignite the conflict in northern Ethiopia and undermine peace and security across the entire region," the State Department said in a statement.
The State Department cited clashes between TPLF forces and Ethiopian government forces earlier this year.
"This visa restriction policy targets individuals who are responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution to the crisis in the Tigray region," it said.
Tigray's main political party reasserted control over the northern Ethiopian region's political administration in May, following through on a threat to violate a key provision of the deal that ended a civil war with the federal government.
3 months ago
The London Marathon will take place over two days as a one-off occurrence in 2027 with men’s, women’s and elite events spread across the weekend.
The 2026 edition was the site of multiple milestones, including Sabastian Sawe’s world record one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds in a race where both the Kenyan and Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia broke the two-hour barrier for the first time in history.
It also attracted a record 59,830 finishers, and more will have a chance to run the same course next year with 100,000 participants welcomed across the weekend of April 24 and 25, 2027.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that, for one year only in 2027, the world famous TCS London Marathon will expand into a two-day event.
“This unique, one-off double will allow a record 100,000 participants to take part across the two days – creating the largest fundraising moment in UK sporting history and supporting the work of so many incredible charities.
The 2026 edition was the site of multiple milestones, including Sabastian Sawe’s world record one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds in a race where both the Kenyan and Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia broke the two-hour barrier for the first time in history.
It also attracted a record 59,830 finishers, and more will have a chance to run the same course next year with 100,000 participants welcomed across the weekend of April 24 and 25, 2027.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that, for one year only in 2027, the world famous TCS London Marathon will expand into a two-day event.
“This unique, one-off double will allow a record 100,000 participants to take part across the two days – creating the largest fundraising moment in UK sporting history and supporting the work of so many incredible charities.
5 months ago
How the Iran War May Be Stopping a Different Full-Scale Conflict
April 07, 2026, 1:00 am EDT
Conflict in the Middle East has
rattled global markets
and injected a dose of uncertainty into geopolitics over the last month. War is always traumatic but this one may have an unexpected consequence. It might have stopped bloodshed on a different continent.
https://www.barrons.com/ar...
April 07, 2026, 1:00 am EDT
Conflict in the Middle East has
rattled global markets
and injected a dose of uncertainty into geopolitics over the last month. War is always traumatic but this one may have an unexpected consequence. It might have stopped bloodshed on a different continent.
https://www.barrons.com/ar...
10 months ago
Flights cancelled after Ethiopia volcano erupts for 1st time in 12,000 years
A volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending a vast ash cloud across major air corridors in the Red Sea and forcing airlines in India and the Middle East to cancel or divert flights.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours, spewing ash up to 14km (nine miles) into the atmosphere.
Thick plumes were tracked drifting over Yemen and Oman before spreading across Pakistan and into northern India on M
A volcano in Ethiopia has erupted for the first time in nearly 12,000 years, sending a vast ash cloud across major air corridors in the Red Sea and forcing airlines in India and the Middle East to cancel or divert flights.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano, located in Ethiopia’s Afar region near the Eritrean border, erupted on Sunday for several hours, spewing ash up to 14km (nine miles) into the atmosphere.
Thick plumes were tracked drifting over Yemen and Oman before spreading across Pakistan and into northern India on M
10 months ago
At least nine people in southern Ethiopia have been infected with the deadly Marburg virus, a clinically similar cousin to Ebola, according to the WHO.
There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus.
There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus.
1 yr. ago
#Ethiopia is making significant strides in positioning itself as a premier destination for foreign investment, a message reinforced during the ongoing Invest in Ethiopia 2025 High-Level Business Forum kicked off on Monday in Addis Ababa.
https://ena.et/web/eng/w/e...
https://ena.et/web/eng/w/e...
https://ena.et/web/eng/w/e...
https://ena.et/web/eng/w/e...
