Ethiopia's Abiy sworn in for new term

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was sworn in for a new five-year term yesterday, but the milestone risked being undermined by growing alarm over the war in the north. "I, Abiy Ahmed Ali, today in the House of People's Representatives, accept the appointment as prime minister, as I pledge to undertake responsibly and with faith to the constitution the responsibility placed upon me by the people," he said while being sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi. Abiy's Prosperity Party scored a landslide win in June elections that federal officials touted as the high-water mark of democratic reforms he initiated upon taking office in 2018.

NZ drops 'Covid zero' goal after Delta outbreak

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitted yesterday that New Zealand's widely praised "Covid zero" strategy had failed to halt a stubborn outbreak in Auckland and said a new approach was needed. The hardline elimination policy had largely protected the country from the pandemic, with residents enjoying a near-normal domestic life alongside tight restrictions on international borders. But an August outbreak prompted a seven-week lockdown in its main population centre that has failed to curb infection rates. Ardern said the highly transmissible Delta variant had proved a "game-changer" that could not be eliminated.

Hydrogen needs $1.2t for zero emissions goal: IEA

Governments must step up investment in low-carbon hydrogen to unlock its potential and help the world achieve net zero emissions, with $1.2 trillion needed by 2030, the International Energy Agency said yesterday. Governments with hydrogen strategies have committed $37 billion so far, while the private sector has announced $300 billion, said the IEA, which advises developed countries on energy policies. Only three countries -- France, Japan and South Korea -- had hydrogen strategies in 2019, but 17 do now and 20 others are working on one, the IEA said in its Global Hydrogen Review for 2021. There are pilot projects to produce steel and chemicals with low-carbon hydrogen, the report noted.