Semonegna

Semonegna: Ethiopian news, stories & multimedia

05/10/2025

Ethiopia launches global contest to save Lalibela’s ancient churches

The ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia are deteriorating after centuries of heavy rain.

Cracks, dampness and erosion worsen each rainy season, despite earlier protection efforts.
Temporary canopies installed 17 years ago shield five churches but are widely criticised as unsightly.

Local clergy warn that damage is accelerating, with rocks dropping and cracks widening yearly.

Built in the 12th century under King Lalibela, the site remains a centre of worship and pilgrimage.

The Ethiopian government and UNESCO now plan one giant canopy to safeguard all 11 churches.

An international architectural competition will be launched to design a solution that blends with the landscape. -

The ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia are deteriorating after centuries of heavy rain.Cracks, dampness and erosion worsen each rainy season,...

01/10/2025

The viral south east London student travelling the UK on a hand-built wooden bike

— Kidus Tesera, from South London (UK), was “inspired” to make his own bike after repairing a second-hand bike single-handedly at the workshop at Imperial College where he studies. - https://uk.news.yahoo.com/viral-south-east-london-student-040000156.html

A man from south London has travelled 780 miles across the UK in a bike made from recycled parts and wood – and it’s all for charity.

26/09/2025

Trump’s dip into the Nile waters dispute didn’t settle the conflict – in fact, it may have caused more ripples |

US attempts to intervene in long-running spat between Ethiopia and Egypt has yielded little progress – and may have put US credibility on the line.

23/09/2025

Ethiopian coffee farmers struggle with costly EU origin regulations

New European Union regulations aimed at combating deforestation are posing significant challenges for Ethiopia's coffee producers. With a third of their output destined for EU markets, farmers and exporters are grappling with stringent requirements to prove the origin of every coffee consignment. Whilst the regulations aim to promote sustainable agriculture, they place a heavy burden on small-scale farmers in developing countries who have contributed least to climate change. The new rules have led to an extensive mapping effort of coffee farms across Ethiopia, but with millions of small-scale producers, the task is daunting. As the deadline for compliance approaches, concerns are mounting about the potential impact on Ethiopia's vital coffee industry and the livelihoods of its farmers - https://youtu.be/Twggtl-DLvA

New European Union regulations aimed at combating deforestation are posing significant challenges for Ethiopia's coffee producers. With a third of their outp...

13/09/2025

Bitcoin boom: Ethiopia powers cryptocurrency mining

Ethiopia’s government has ended a freeze on licensing Bitcoin mining companies.

The process is energy intensive and the national electricity grid was struggling to meet demand.

But the country’s new mega-dam, Africa’s largest, now means there’s a surplus of power until more of Ethiopia is connected to the grid. -

Ethiopia’s government has ended a freeze on licensing Bitcoin mining companies. The process is energy intensive and the national electricity grid was struggl...

12/09/2025

Ode to Ethiopia: A love letter to my roots, my people, my culture, by Debbie Alamrew -

Ode to Ethiopia is a love letter to my roots, my people, my culture. 🇪🇹Thank you to the incredible team that poured their artistry into making this vision ...

09/09/2025

GERD: The pride of Ethiopia

What it took for Ethiopia to build Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam - - -

’s wall stretches 1.78km across a valley and stands 145m high, constructed with 11 million m³ of concrete, creating a huge reservoir, called Lake Nigat -

The project was a rare unifying force as Ethiopia and Ethiopians as the country has been rocked by political violence and ethnic strife in the past decade.

At full capacity it should generate 5,100MW of power - more than double what the country currently produces and enough to supply tens of millions more homes, but dependent on the infrastructure being in place to carry the power to different parts of the country.

[Currently, just about 55% of Ethiopia’s population has access to electricity, according to the 2023 World Bank’s data.] The country intends to increase this percentage to 90% by 2030 according to its Water and Energy Minister.

BBC Africa Report:

In a fractious nation, the dam's construction has brought people together despite controversy abroad.

15/08/2025

BBC News Africa

Inside the Russian company mining in Ethiopia

— Ethiopia is fast becoming a haven for Bitcoin miners.

A Russian company has set up operations just outside the capital, , taking advantage of cheap renewable energy. The gov’t says it a smart way to earn revenue and expand power access.

— But with nearly half of Ethiopia in darkness, critics question whether the bitcoin boom will be felt across the country.
So how much does the host country benefit, and could the vast amounts of power consumed be better used elsewhere?

— Ethiopia has set aside over 600MW of electricity for Bitcoin mining. To give you perspective, 600MW of electricity could power approximately 500,000 houses for a year in the U.S.

— With concerns over carbon emissions and draining national energy systems, China banned crypto mining in 2021, and parts of Russia recently followed.

Ethiopia is fast becoming a haven for Bitcoin miners. A Russian company has set up operations just outside the capital, Addis Ababa, taking advantage of chea...

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