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The 9th International Automotive Fair is being conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from the 23rd to the 27th of May, The fair is being held at the Exhibition Center under the theme of ‘Scan Globally, Renovate Locally.’

The fair has a vital role to enhance the automotive sector and to demonstrate the partnership between the private sector and the public towards the development of industry noted Tekle-tsadik Riba, State Minister for Transport, opening the fair.  

The IAF was organized in Ethiopia to allow participants to create opportunities for networking and strategic alliance as well as allowing access to up-to-date information within the sector explained Eshetu Belay, General Manager of Ed Stelar Trading plc.

Traditional weavers in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, are to receive training in traditional weaving and design to help enhance the quality of products for export purposes. The training will start in June.

The project is sponsored by a 3.8 million birr capital injection from the Competitiveness and Trade Expansion Program (COMPETE) of the USAID. The project partners with the Center for African Women Economic Empowerment as the owner of the project and Sara Garment Designers and Manufacturers and Muya Abyssinia Craft as implementers.

The total project cost is expected to be 6.3 million birr with the three bodies making up the balance. The funding from USAID for this project is part of the 8.4 million US dollar food security support for COMESA countries.

Government led school feeding programs in Ethiopia which will purchase food from local small holder farmers can help increase the income earned by farmers as well as enhancing the health and education of school age children said Demeke Mekonnen, Minister of Education at an international forum for school feeding experts.

The pilot program for the Home Grown School Feeding initiative has been launched in two districts of the Southern Region in partnership with the Partnership for Child Development (Imperial College London) and the World Food Program.

Ethiopia is seeking to improve the academic success of children through enhanced health and nutrition by creating a School Health and Nutrition taskforce said Demeke. The taskforce is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Health and Education.

Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia’s flag carrier, announced new flights from Addis Ababa to Toronto beginning from the 16th of July.
The flight to Toronto will be the only regular non-stop flight from Toronto to Africa according to the press release from the airline.

Ethiopian will be deploying the brand new and ultra-modern B777-200LR aircraft which offers 287 economy class seats and 34 seats in the luxurious Cloud Nine Business class.

The airline will begin with 2 flights a week because of bilateral restrictions but expects to immediately increase the number of flights as soon as it obtains permission said Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines.