Ethiopia says it has planted 353 million trees in 12 hours

Ethiopians from all walks of life turned out Monday to plant trees in a national quest to counter the climate consequences of deforestation, while aiming for a new Guinness World Record with a goal of 200 million planted trees. The Green Legacy project, an initiative of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed,…

Ethiopia’s Bole Airport lauded as new gateway to Africa

Ethiopia’s rapid reforms under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appear to be paying dividends in tourism and international travel, with Addis Ababa becoming the new “gateway to Africa.” That’s according to data from industry analysts at Forward Keys, who found an “extraordinary rise” for Ethiopia as a destination and transfer hub…

Ethiopia’s Abiy courts diaspora on U.S. tour

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues his outreach tour in the United States on Saturday with a gathering for the diaspora in Washington D.C., part of a concerted effort to encourage Ethiopians who have left the country to return home and build its future. Abiy’s meeting at the Walter E….

China denies report of spying at AU headquarters

China has denied spying on the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, following allegations published by a Le Monde investigative team late last week. Kuang Weilin, the Chinese ambassador to the AU, vigorously denied the account on Monday and said the “absurd” report of secret data transfers reflected poorly…

Arrests now at 42 in Ethiopia corruption crackdown

Eight more people have been arrested on corruption charges in Ethiopia, the nation’s attorney general said Saturday, bringing to 42 the number of government officials and business professionals caught up in the crackdown. The 42 suspects were arrested for alleged embezzlement of more than USD$58 million from the Federal Roads…

Four African cities chosen for Bloomberg #Cities4Health launch

Global philanthropist Michael R. Bloomberg – long a champion of cities and sustainability – announced Tuesday the launch of the Partnership for Healthy Cities initiative. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City and the World Health Organization (WHO) ambassador for noncommunicable diseases, revealed the list of the first 40…

Update: Toll soars to 113 in Ethiopian trash landslide

The toll has soared to 113 people who died last weekend in a landslide at an Ethiopian trash dump, and dozens remain missing as the search for victims continues near Addis Ababa. The accident happened Saturday night at the dump on the outskirts of the city where people often gather to…

New African Union CDC health operations center is open for business

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention was officially open for business on Wednesday, following a ribbon cutting ceremony at the conclusion of this week’s African Union summit. The ceremony celebrated a state-of-the-art Emergency Operating Center in Addis Ababa designed to support early warning and response systems, deliver technical expertise…