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STREET SPARKS

| YEABSIRA TAYE ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER )


STREET SPARKS

At Gabon Street near Meskel Flower Roundabout, a multi-deck car carrier stacked with brightly modified rally vehicles moves through the capital’s grey afternoon, drawing attention without trying too hard. The convoy feels out of place in the daily rhythm of traffic, yet it signals something bigger taking shape beneath the surface. These purpose-built machines point to a growing motorsport and automotive subculture finding space in the city’s evolving leisure economy. As Addis Ababa continues to modernise its roads and urban systems, scenes like this slip into view more often, hobby-driven cargo sharing space with everyday commuters, adding a flash of color and noise to an otherwise routine streetscape.

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In-Picture

MUDDY WHEELS

In the quiet aftermath of a rainy day in Jemo 3, a blue bajaj sits half-buried in the mud, turning its back on what came before it: a horse carriage. The rain has transformed the road into a mirror of struggle and resilience, where puddles reflect not just the grey skies above but the daily battles of those who depend on these paths to earn a living. Surrounded by construction barriers, damp earth, and the traces of everyday life in Addis Abeba...


In-Picture

CLIMATE DIPLOMACY

Alexis Lamek (left), Ambassador of France to Ethiopia, and Laurent Fabius (right), president of COP21 and former French Prime Minister, during a press briefing last week at the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa. The briefing followed high-level consultations with Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos (PhD) on Ethiopia's institutional preparations, strategic planning, and experience-sharing mechanisms ahead of hosting the 2027 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32)...


In-Picture

THREADS ALIVE

Before vibrant Ethiopian traditional garments take shape, they begin in quiet workshops where patience, skill, and heritage are woven together. In Lancha inside a  weaving space, artisans work on handlooms crafted for precision, carefully transforming delicate threads into fabrics that will later become cultural symbols worn during celebrations, ceremonies, and everyday moments. Each movement of the loom carries generations of craftsmanship, preserving a textile tradition where every thread tel...