Agenda

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Agenda

Feb 21 , 2026

Elections Coming But Young Voters Ghost the Ballots

The national election is approaching with a strangely muted face. What once stirred streets, campuses, and café arguments now passes many young Ethiopians as background noise. For some, the vote b...

Feb 14 , 2026

Bag Ban Backfires as Factories Stall, Markets Flail

At Patina Bakery & Cake on Gabon Street, Muluken Hailu faced uncertainty because of their dependence on plastic bags. General Manager of the Bakery, he is well aware that not every type of bag is...

A Rental Law Meant to Protect Tenants Fuels Tension

It was an ordinary day for Ademu Yehulashet when her landlord told her to vacate the two-bedroom condominium she was renting. He claimed he planned to move in himself. Ademu, a mother of a son, dou...

Jan 31 , 2026

Soaring Oil Prices Squeeze the Urban Poor

At around 8:00pm last week, Saba Aschalew stood beside her frying pan near the Gotera junction, a place that usually hums with taxis, buses and late commuters. The potatoes were ready, the oil was hot...

Jan 24 , 2026

A Digital Fix Becomes a Bureaucratic Trap

In recent months, traders have flocked to the Berhan ena Selam Printing Enterprise, on Adwa St., hoping to obtain the mandatory QR Code receipts. Many have arrived carrying official letters from local...

Jan 17 , 2026

Choked by Costs, Furniture Makers Face a Slow Squeeze

The furniture manufacturing industry in Addis Abeba, once seen as a steady if unspectacular corner of the city's economy, is facing its toughest test in years. Rising input costs, most sharply felt...

Jan 10 , 2026

Driven to Despair as Promises Break Down

A row of blue-and-white Lada taxis parked on Ras Mekonnen Avenue, near Addis Abeba's Stadium, awaited passengers last week, their faded paint and battered frames a reminder of another era. Once sym...

Jan 3 , 2026

Costly Christmas Reveals Holiday Fault Line

As the festive season descends upon Addis Abeba, the city flickers to life. Markets overflow, streets shimmer with light, and homes brace for celebration. But behind the dazzling veneer lies a quieter...

Addis Abeba Rewrites Rules for Public Projects

A new rulebook ratified by Addis Abeba's city cabinet is sending shockwaves through the capital's construction industry, altering procurement, project eligibility, and financial viability. While of...

Dec 20 , 2025

Dreams Stumble at Kenticha Mine

Temesgen Desema used to wake up to the clang of machinery and the shouts of coffee vendors in Sebaboru woreda, Guji Zone, Oromia Regional State. These days, the middle-aged father of five hears only t...

Feb 23 , 2026

Addis Abeba's Grey Makeover Tests Wallets, Wills

The rattle of hammers and the smell of fresh paint have settled across neighbourhoods in Addis Abeba like the onset of a major holiday. Homeowners scramble to repaint fences, swap cracked tiles, strin...

Dec 6 , 2025

The Message May Not Come But the Bill Always Does

The first hint that dawn has broken over Addis Abeba is not the light but the growl of engines. As thin morning mist lifts, the city's avenues fill so quickly that drivers are forced into slow-motion...

Nov 29 , 2025

In Cattle Markets, Old Rituals Buckle Under New Tax Demands

The Qera livestock market, on Alexander Pushkin St., wakes before sunrise. Beneath a pale sky, cattle traders in felt hats tease reluctant bulls with twists of rope, boys chase bleating goats through...

Nov 22 , 2025

A Night Under the Stars Became the Price of Leaving

Anyone who threads their way along Churchill Avenue towards the hulking Immigration & Citizenship Services (ICS) soon hears the commotion before they see its cause. A restless mix of individuals s...

Nov 19 , 2025

From Fuel Pumps to Plug Points, Wired Ambitions Meet Weak Current

The late-afternoon sun slants across Tewodros Square, on Churchill Road, gilding the dust that rises from the cracked asphalt. On the left side of the square behind the fountain, Michu Corner, a charg...

Nov 8 , 2025

Addis Abeba Bike Riders Fight to Keep Moving

The motorcycle leans against a dusty wall on a street in the Qera neighbourhood, its frame a battered cushion for Seleshi Tadesse with a marketing degree. As he chatted with a circle of shoeshine boys...

Columns

Commentaries | Jun 13,2026

Logistics Reform Should Deliver More Than Market Entry by Foreign Capital

The recent policy decision to fully open freight forwarding to foreign capital may become...

Editorial | Jun 13 , 2026

Addis Abeba Pours a New Story in Every Cup, Where Tradition Meets Global Influence

Customers settle into a carefully curated space of dark wood, black accents, muted green f...

Featured | May 31 , 2026 . By HELINA HADGU

THE PRICE OF MISTRUSTING THE TAP

Bottled water, once a symbol of convenience and safety for most residents, has become a sm...

Agenda | Jun 14 , 2026 . By HELINA HADGU

Parliament Receives Biggest Budget Bill, Debt Already First in Line

Finance Minister Ahmed Shide walked into Parliament on Thursday, June 11, 2026, with the l...

Fortune News | Jun 14 , 2026 . By NAHOM AYELE