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  A hospital in Ras Al Khaimah has introduced an antibody treatment for Covid that could ‘greatly reduce’ a patient’s risk of complications from the infection. It is reported to be effective in halting the progression of the disease, saving patients from hospitalisation. RAK Hospital is now using this drug called Bamlanivimab, an injection that neutralises the virus and has shown to be safe and effective during the trials. The research so far shows that for certain people, taking this drug may help limit the amount of virus in the body. Bamlanivimab has been approved by the UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention, the hospital has confirmed. It has also been authorised for emergency use by the US’ Food and Drug Administration to treat mild to moderate symptoms in Covid-positive adults who are not yet hospitalised but at high risk of developing severe symptoms. These include seniors who are 65 years of age or older and those who have certain chronic medical conditions, such

The African continent is not only about impressive animals, stunning deserts and beautiful savannahs. It is also home to astonishing cities and towns that are rich in history and culture. Here are our top picks. Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town is a vibrant and colorful city with stunning beaches, beautiful mountains and some of the best vineyards in Africa. Taking the cable car ride to  the top of Table Mountain  at sunrise or sunset to take in the beautiful views is a must. With all the sophistication and activities that can be found in the city, this seaside playground certainly has enough to offer to everyone. Essaouira, Morocco With an ancient medina and lustrous fortifications that date back to the 18th century, miles of stunning beaches, and a charming harbour and fish market to stroll around,  Essaouira is one the most beautiful towns to visit  on the continent. It guarantees moments of peace and tranquility far away from the mayhem of bigger cities and the charmless all

  More of the world's top football clubs will be encouraged to set up training camps in Dubai as the emirate's sporting chiefs work on positioning the UAE at the top of the global sporting tree. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Sports Council, said the authority will continue working on the development of the sports sector by launching new initiates. Part of the strategy will include welcoming more international teams wishing to set up their training camps in Dubai or looking to compete in tournaments in Dubai. Already, many of the top teams from the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga are regular visitors to the emirate. The announcement came during a meeting of the council’s board of directors, when Sheikh Mansoor confirmed that the council will continue to organise international sporting events and provide its facilities to event organisers from international and local sports federations. All events will be organis

  Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto warned Tuesday that the crisis in Ethiopia’s conflict-hit Tigray region appears “out of control”, after visiting the country on behalf of the EU. “You have come to the situation which is militarily and human rights-wise, humanitarian-wise very out of control,” Haavisto told journalists in Brussels. Tigray has been the theatre of fighting since early November 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced military operations against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), accusing them of attacking federal army camps. He declared victory after pro-government troops took regional capital Mekele in late November, though the TPLF vowed to fight on, and clashes have persisted in the region, hampering efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance. “This operation has lasted more than three months, and we do not see the end,” Haavisto said. Finland’s top diplomat visited Addis Ababa this month – including meetings with Nobel Prize winner Abiy – on

  Jagama Kelo  was just fifteen years old when he went to fight the second Italian invasion of Ethiopia, which began on the 3rd of October 1935. In an interview with the BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt (now in the Imperial War Museum in London) he described his war experiences. At the time when the Italian forces, under Generals  Rodolfo Graziani  and  Pietro Badoglio , had started the war in the country, Jagama Kelo was no more than a young man. Jagama had heard tales of his brave ancestors as a boy and hoped to emulate them. When the Italian invasion took place Jagama saw his chance. With his elder brother and uncle, he took to the bush, determined to resist. At first he had no gun – only his elder brother had one. But they ambushed Italian troops and gradually armed themselves. Peasants joined the struggle and by the end of the war they had over 3,000 fighters under their command. The largest battle he recalled was at  Seyoum Mariam , some 55 km from Addis.     Jagama says they were tol

 The largest hydropower project in Africa, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is set to be operational by 2023 as per the reschedule. According to Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy Eng. Seleshi Bekele, following the successful completion of the first round filling, second filling is going to be held during the coming rainy season-on July 2021. According to the minister, construction of GERD has reached 78.3% and it is expected to be completed up to 82% until the upcoming rainy season. “Ethiopia is keenly working on completing the construction of GERD by 2023 and considering the dam as water security threat is unfounded and unscientific. The overall construction of the dam has seen rapid development following the swift measures taken by the reformist administration to ensure professionalism. The administrative adjustments have solved the most critical problems related to decision making and follow-up system,” he said. He further added that, the new administrati

  A former member of Sudan's negotiating team which worked with Ethiopia on issues relating to the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the River Nile, has raised eyebrows by claiming that Sudan owns the land on which the dam is built. Dr Ahmed Al-Mufti told the Saudi-owned  Alarabiya  satellite channel on Saturday night that his country granted the land to Ethiopia in 1902 on the condition that Addis Ababa would not establish any water infrastructure without Khartoum's approval. In his interview on the programme  Al Boud Al Akhar  (The Other Dimension), Al-Mufti added that Sudan could ask for the land to be returned to Sudanese sovereignty. He called on the UN Security Council to intervene to stop Ethiopia from filling the second reservoir of the dam in July. The former negotiator also warned that more than 20 million Sudanese people are in danger as a result of the GERD. Ethiopia lies upstream of Sudan on the Nile. It claims that the GERD is impor

  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met a number of top military officials while attending the first day of the International Defence Exhibition on Sunday. Sheikh Mohamed met representatives from the UK, Greece, Russia and Ethiopia, and discussed ways to bolster ties between their countries and increase defence and military co-operation. They spoke of Idex's importance in building regional and international defence partnerships and showcasing the latest defence technology, systems and services. "It is a pleasure to announce the start of Idex 2021. Idex is an important defence platform shaping the global defence industry and also helping to forge new partnerships between countries," Sheikh Mohamed said. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and a number of senior UAE officials attended the meetings. The first day of the five-day exhibi

  The word "impossible" has become void in the UAE after the achievements of the country and its progress in recent years, according to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE's Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.y In a statement to Nation Shield magazine on the occasion of the 48th UAE National Day, he said: "We will continue to deliver the future for our generations to come. The occasion we are celebrating today is teeming with a myriad of l es sons that we have learned from our founding fathers, who instilled in us an ambition and will to cope with the changes in the world and to utilise our full potential." He highlighted the UAE's strategy to take advantage of the dawn of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, saying the country has positioned itself as a "model for interactive cities", using artificial intelligence to achieve sustainability and accelerate the transition to a knowledge-based economy. "From an earl

  Forces fighting Ethiopia’s military in the Tigray region laid out eight conditions on Friday for beginning peace talks, including the appointment of an international mediator and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered air strikes and a ground offensive against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) - the former ruling party in the northern region - after regional forces attacked federal army bases in the region on Nov. 4. Abiy declared victory less than a month later after the TPLF withdrew from the regional capital, Mekelle, and major towns, but low-level fighting continues. Some senior TPLF members remain at large, though the federal government has captured or killed a number of former officials. TPLF spokeswoman Liya Kassa outlined the group’s preconditions for joining talks to end the conflict in a statement on the Facebook page of Dimtsi Weyane TV, a station owned by the former ruling party. Abiy’s spokeswoman and the head of t

  Harar is undoubtedly Ethiopia’s brightest flower. If a jewel, she may be slightly chipped around the edges, though her centre continues to shine with undiminished brilliance. Of course, like most places on the continent – which Paul Theroux encapsulates as ‘a Dark Star’ – everything is a bit messed up. Located on the border of the far eastern Somali region, French-imported blue and white vintage Peugeot taxis cruise beneath Italian-built colonial buildings decked with tropical flowers, giving a strange Cuban twist to Sunni Islam’s fourth most holy city after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The narrow winding streets within the perimeter walls are alternatively whitewashed then painted in pastel shades of blue, viridian, vermillion. As the bitter smell of marijuana smoke is the lifeblood within the fortified walls of Morocco’s northern Blue City of Chefchaouen, here it is  khat,  the highly addictive leaf grown on the surrounding plains, releasing an amphetamine buzz when chewed, and occ

  Sudan Wednesday recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia, the foreign ministry said, as tensions between the two countries run high over a border region and Addis Ababa's controversial Blue Nile dam.   "Sudan has recalled its ambassador to Addis Ababa for consultations over Sudanese-Ethiopian relations," foreign ministry spokesman Mansour Boulad told AFP.   He said the envoy would return to his post after the "completion of consultations", without elaborating on the nature of the discussions.   Khartoum's move comes amid rising tensions with Addis Ababa over the Al-Fashaqa border region, where Ethiopian farmers cultivate fertile land claimed by Sudan.   The two neighboring countries have been trading accusations of violence in the area and territorial violations.   On Sunday, Khartoum claimed that Ethiopia had allowed its troops to enter Sudanese territory in an act of "aggression" and "regrettable escalation".   Last month, Ethiopia alleged

  Jobseekers who use fake degrees to get work in the UAE may soon face two years in prison and a fine of up to Dh500,000 ($136,000), the Federal National Council heard. Under a draft law passed by the FNC on Tuesday, people who use forged qualifications will face stricter penalties, even if they claim ignorance about the authenticity of their documents. People who mistakenly or unknowingly use a fake degree will be fined up to Dh30,000 and could spend up to three months in jail. “Everybody knows the rapid technological advancements for producing such documents,” said FNC member Nasser Al Yamahi. “This has become a worldwide trend, and not just in the UAE.” He said many people get fake degrees from unlicensed academic institutes abroad. “This is something new in society, and it is not prosecuted [by existing] laws, so it became necessary to have a comprehensive legislation for it,” Mr Al Yamahi said. The new law will also target recruiters and employers who k

  The Holy Diocese of Aksum, with the blessing of Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa, began the translation of the liturgical texts of the Orthodox Church into the Amharic language for the Ethiopian Orthodox faithful to actively participate in the spiritual life and taste the spiritual richness of the ecclesiastical texts. To date, no attempt has been made to translate ecclesiastical liturgical texts into the Amharic language. The first “Orthodox Prayer Book” is also being prepared, as well as the biography of Saint Paisios of Athos, who is very dear to the Orthodox of Ethiopia.

  The spacecraft entered into an orbit around the Red Planet on Tuesday, making the UAE the first Arab nation in history to have a scientific presence at Earth's near neighbour. This first image will be followed by many similar such views of Mars. Hope was put in a wide orbit so it could study the planet's weather and climate systems, which means it also will see the planet's full disk. It's a type of view that's familiar fare from Earth-based telescopes, but less so from satellites actually positioned at Mars. They traditionally have been kept close in to the planet so they can get high-resolution pictures of the surface and act as telecommunications relay stations for landed robots in contact with Earth. The picture at the top of this page was captured by Hope's EXI instrument from an altitude of 24,700 km (15,350 miles) above the Martian surface at 20:36 GMT on Wednesday - so, one day after arriving at the Red Planet. The north pole of

  China will provide Covid-19 vaccines and funds to support the post-pandemic recovery in Ethiopia, where more than 114,000 contagions and 2,000 deaths caused by the disease have been recorded to date. China Foreign Minister Wang Yi communicated the government's decision in a phone conversation with Demeke Mekonnen, Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, who extended greetings for Chinese New Year celebrations on Friday, February 12. Beijing will also provide food assistance to help the Tigray regional state's population, Yi said, emphasizing that China wishes for help the region return to normal life, and peace and stability in all territories. We attach great importance to our relations, partnerships and economic agreements, and we trust that Ethiopia has a broader impact on Africa's affairs, mainly in the eastern side of the continent and on global issues, the diplomat said. Mekonnen, meanwhile, thanked Chinese authorities for emergency and daily aid

  This is a big week for Mars robots. The  first of three missions  launched in July last year will reach the red planet Tuesday and you can follow along live right here. The United Arab Emirates' spacecraft mission, the  Hope probe , is scheduled to enter Mars' orbit on Tuesday.  We won't be getting live views of the spacecraft in action, but expect to follow along as mission control tracks Hope in its maneuvers and reports on what will hopefully be a successful arrival. You can  track the probe's progress online  as it closes in on its destination. Hope has spent over 200 days traveling from Earth to the red planet. It won't deliver a rover, but  it's set to take on some important science by studying the planet's atmosphere, weather and seasons . Hope will shortly be followed in orbit by  China's Tianwen-1  on Wednesday, and NASA will take over the spotlight on Feb. 18 when it tries to  land the Perseverance rover on the surface  of the planet

  History beckons for the United Arab Emirates as it seeks on Tuesday to place a probe around Mars. The Hope spacecraft, launched from Earth seven months ago, is about to reach the decisive moment in its long journey - orbit insertion. Currently moving at over 120,000km/h (75,000mph), it must fire its braking engines for 27 minutes to be sure of being captured by the planet's gravity. Success would enable Hope to begin its mission to study Mars' climate. "We're entering a very critical phase," said project director, Omran Sharaf. "It's a phase that basically defines whether we reach Mars, or not; and whether we'll be able to conduct our science, or not. "If we go too slow, we crash on Mars; if we go too fast, we skip Mars," he told BBC News. Hope is the first of three missions to arrive at the Red Planet this month. On Wednesday, the  Chinese Tianwen-1 orbiter  will also try to make it into orbit, while  the Americans turn up on the 18

  A European Union delegation arrived in Khartoum on Sunday to begin a mission intended to resolve an armed border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and his delegation are scheduled to meet with Sudanese leaders including Foreign Minister Omar Qamaruddin during a two-day stay in the capital before they travel to Ethiopia. It was not clear if Mr Haavisto took specific proposals to resolve the dispute or if he was on a fact-finding mission. Whatever the case, the visit demonstrated how seriously the EU views the border dispute and the danger it poses to stability. At the root of the dispute is a move by Sudanese troops in December to take back control of border enclaves inside Sudan’s border. The areas have been settled by farmers from Ethiopia’s powerful Amhara ethnic group under an decades-old informal arrangement. The farmers have been protected by government-sanctioned Amhara militiamen and security forces. Ethiopi

  This policy brief provides an examination of China’s rise in relation to its African partners. It takes into account geopolitical concerns, but homes in on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, its means of expanding into Africa. It examines the role of the Digital Silk Road in the use of Chinese artificial intelligence and technology transfers on surveillance and the risks of repression. The brief aims to move beyond the politicised narratives surrounding Chinese involvement in Africa by testing them against practical initiatives on the ground. It examines Ethiopia, particularly its burgeoning tech hub known as the ‘Sheba Valley’, in order to understand China’s role in development in African countries. Ethiopia is a critical case because of: the country’s strong relations with China, leading Ethiopia to model its developmental state model on the Chinese one and incentivising civil servants to learn from the Chinese experience; Ethiopia’s attempt to develop its relatively advance

The United Arab Emirates has continued to be the big brother for Yemen in ensuring the war in the war ravaged nation is put to bed. It's efforts since 2015 has not gone unnoticed as they are helping the nation to gain it's stand again. The UAE contributed to establishing and rehabilitating 110 hospitals, medical centres and clinics, and providing 77 ambulances. This included the construction of a surgery center; a kidney dialysis unit; a maternity center; and two centers for treating people of determination; in addition to launching mobile clinics; rehabilitating and equipping the Republic Hospital in Aden and raising its capacity, as well as enhancing its treatment services across all specialties. By the end of 2018, the hospital handled about 946,644 cases, and carried out 15,996 surgeries. The UAE support addressing the UAE health system also included supplying Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hospital in the Socotra Island with all required medical equipment; maintena