Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki is welcomed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed upon arriving for a three-day visit, at the Bole international airport in Addis Ababa. Reuters 
Eritrea's President Isaias Afwerki is welcomed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed upon arriving for a three-day visit, at the Bole international airport in Addis Ababa. Reuters 

Eritrea president arrives in Ethiopia amid marching bands and red carpets



Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived in Ethiopia on Saturday for a historic visit to cement peace less than a week after the two nations declared an end to a two-decade conflict.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed greeted Mr Isaias as a brass band played before inspecting a guard of honour on the start of the three-day visit.

The trip comes just five days after Mr Abiy left Eritrea as part of a dizzying peace process aimed at ending decades of animosity and conflict that began when the Ethiopian premier last month agreed to abide by a UN-backed border ruling and hand disputed territories back to Eritrea.

"The visit will cement further/add momentum to the joint march for peace and cooperation set in motion by both leaders," Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said on Twitter on Friday.

_________

Read more:

Eritrea's president to visit Ethiopia to cement truce

Comment: Will the 'bridge of love'  prosper between Eritrea and Ethiopia?

Historic peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea ends two decades of hostility

_________

Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate said Mr Isaias would stay three days during which the Eritrean embassy would be reopened and his delegation would visit an industrial park in an itinerary highlighting the restoration of diplomatic and trade ties.

Three marching bands, traditional dancers and red carpets were rolled out to greet Mr Isaias at the airport.

Ethiopians lined the main road from the airport to the city dressed in white shawls and waving palm fronds.

The roads of Addis Ababa were lined with Ethiopian and Eritrean flags flying side-by-side as well as banners and photos of the two leaders who on Monday signed a declaration declaring an official end to the war.

The emotion-filled reunion between the two countries has seen residents able to speak to each other via telephone for the first time in two decades as communication lines were re-opened.

Direct flights are due to start next week.

Once a province of Ethiopia, Eritrea seceded in 1993 after a long independence struggle, but a row over the demarcation of the shared border triggered a brutal 1998-2000 conflict which left 80,000 people dead before settling into a bitter cold war.

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar

In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
While you're here
The biog

Age: 35

Inspiration: Wife and kids 

Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow  by Daniel Kahneman

Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia 

Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track

A MINECRAFT MOVIE

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)