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WESTERN BUREAU: Eight-year-old Ravi and six-year-old Rebbekah crave the embrace of their dad, Richard Peters, who remains critically ill in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Cornwall Regional Hospital. The two, who have a strong bond with their...
Abiy's government and the regional one run by the Tigray People's Liberation Front each consider the other illegitimate.
\t There was no immediate word from the three AU envoys, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Mozambique President Joaquim Chissano and former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe. AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo did not say whether they can meet with TPLF leaders, something Abiy's office has rejected.
\"``Not possible,'' senior Ethiopian official Redwan Hussein said in a message to the AP. ``\"Above all, TPLF leadership is still at large.'' He called reports that the TPLF had appointed an envoy to discuss an immediate cease-fire with the international community ``masquerading.''
\t Fighting reportedly remained well outside the Tigray capital of Mekele, a densely populated city of a half-million people who have been warned by the Ethiopian government that they will be shown ``no mercy'' if they don't distance themselves from the region's leaders.
\t Tigray has been almost entirely cut off from the outside world since Nov. 4, when Abiy announced a military offensive in response to a TPLF attack on a federal army base.
That makes it difficult to verify claims about the fighting, but humanitarians have said at least hundreds of people have been killed.
\t The fighting threatens to destabilize Ethiopia, which has been described as the linchpin of the strategic Horn of Africa.
\t With transport links cut, food and other supplies are running out in Tigray, home to 6 million people, and the United Nations has asked for immediate and unimpeded access for aid.
AP
In its October World Economic Outlook report, the International Monetary Fund projected a 6.6% contraction in the UAE’s growth this year.
Recovery, the institute said, was not expected before 2021.
Whilst oil price swings and the coronavirus pandemic have hit hard, the UAE capital Abu Dhabi says it remains committed to its economic growth & diversification plans.
Moreover, last month, the agency Fitch reaffirmed the capital’s ‘AA’ rating and outlook as “stable”.
It cited, amongst other factors, Abu Dhabi’s strong fiscal metrics and reduced exposure to tourism, real estate and retail, compared to neighbouring emirates.
ADIO action
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) is the central government hub supporting investment in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Its vision is to develop a thriving, knowledge-economy for Abu Dhabi that is competitive and diverse, whilst attracting FDI.
How? The entity cites the UAE’s strategic location between East and West, its high ranking in regional reports relating to the ‘Ease of Doing Business’, plus its positioning on global competitiveness and innovation indexes.
Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, is an Emirati-American, London-trained economist who hopes to expand Abu Dhabi’s economy as the Director-General and CEO of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.
The former Emirates NBD executive is interested in cultivating a viable ecosystem for SMEs and startups in the UAE’s capital.
With a forward-thinking approach, Bin Hendi links diverse value systems across cultures to attract foreign investment.
Accelerators
A hashtag sculpture at Hub71’s space
Ghadan 21 is a $13 million accelerator program looking to support SMEs in the country which is overseen by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.
When Inspire Middle East asked about the impact of Coronavirus on Ghadan 21, Bin Hendi says adaptability is key, with Ghadan 21 being both a proactive and reactive program.
The economist maintains that by adapting policy and with resources such as sovereign wealth funds, support from larger government entities, as well as the private sector, SMEs have the backing support to develop.
The fostering of innovation in the capital has seen the creation of Hub71 , an international tech base, which brings together startups, top VC funds, and investors.
AgriTech explorations
Crops being grown inside hydroponic greenhouses
ADIO has also encouraged innovators to flourish in the Agricultural Technology (AgTech) space, offering incentive programs, including financial incentives, to companies looking to relocate or expand in Abu Dhabi.
Pure Harvest is a farming startup that has reaped the benefit of ADIO’s support & investment.
Using climate-controlled, high-tech, hydroponic greenhouses located outside of the city, the company makes year-round farming possible in the arid desert.
“ADIO’s financial commitment is helping us significantly, as it’s allowing us to add additional technologies to our current deployments here in Al Ain,” Sky Kurtz, the Co-founder and CE
Gauteng Premier David Makhura said COVID-19 cases in the province are stable for now but disaster may loom early next year.
Amid the possibility that there could be more heavy rain causing further flooding and landslides, the National Works Agency (NWA) says Jamaica's road repair bill could further rise. \tNWA Chief Executive Officer E. G. Hunter used Thursday's...
By SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Fans of Bad Bunny are used to expecting something different each time he releases new music. He's done it since his first studio album, 2018's 'X 100pre' ('Forever'); then with 'Oasis', his collaboration with J Balvin in 2019, and last February with his award-winning 'YHLQMDLG,' a 20-track project which explored love and loss through a combination of trap and reggaetón. Now he is surprising fans with 'El Último Tour del Mundo' ('The Last Tour of the World'), a 16-song collection written during the pandemic and released Friday in which he plays […]
The post Bad Bunny caps week of awards and Grammy-noms with new album appeared first on Black News Channel.
Andrew Grogan, former national player and coach, has officially launched the local arm of his ‘My Soccer Academy (MSA)’, as an avenue to give back and develop the discipline of football in Guyana.
The article Branch of ‘My Soccer Academy’ launched appeared first on Stabroek News.
NAOMI CAMPBELL, Thandie Newton and other famous figures are calling on airlines not to go...
The post Naomi Campbell, Thandie Newton and other famous Black Britons call on airlines to halt deportation flights appeared first on Voice Online.
By SUZAN FRASER and EREN GUVENDIK Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish court sentenced hundreds of military and civilian personnel at an air base to life prison sentences Thursday, proclaiming them guilty of involvement in the 2016 failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. A total of 475 defendants, including some generals and fighter jet pilots at the Akinci air base, on the outskirts of the capital, Ankara, had been on trial for the past three years, accused of directing the coup and bombing key government buildings, including a section of Turkey's parliament. The massive trial […]
The post Pilots, civilians given life terms over Turkey's 2016 coup appeared first on Black News Channel.
Jamaica on Thursday recorded two more COVID-19 deaths, pushing the tally to 250.\tThe deceased are a 74-year-old male from St Catherine and a 62-year-old female from Trelawny.\tThree more cases were recorded as coincidental deaths, moving that total...