NOW Toronto's David Silverberg takes a look at the course in Ge'ez, a liturgical language of Ethiopia, newly offered by the University of Toronto thanks to funding by Ethiopian-Canadian rapper The Weeknd.

How does someone teach a language when we have no idea what it might actually sound like ( Read more... )

Katie Ingram at MacLean's reports on how The Weeknd is funding a course at the University of Toronto aimed at reviving the ancient Ethiopian language of Ge'ez.

Along with Greek, Hebrew and Arabic, Ethiopia’s Ge’ez is considered one of the world’s oldest Semitic languages-but you’ve probably never heard of it ( Read more... )

Bloomberg's William Davison reports on the Ethiopian allegation that ethnic Oromo protesters are being covertly supported by Egypt.

Ethiopia’s government suspects Egyptian elements may be backing Oromo protesters as rivalry over control of the Nile River intensifies, Communications Minister Getachew Reda said ( Read more... )

• blogTO notes that Toronto has its first Ethiopian food truck.
• Beyond the Beyond considers the alien ocean of Europa.
• Centauri Dreams looks at the protoplanetary disks of brown dwarfs.
• D-Brief notes that Saturn's moon Dione may have a subsurface ocean.
• The Dragon's Gaze looks at how broadly Earth-like exoplanets form their atmospheres.

The Globe and Mail's Ellen Brait reports.

Grammy-winning artist The Weeknd has donated $50,000 to the University of Toronto to help start an Ethiopian Studies program ( Read more... )

• Astronomy Now notes a white dwarf star that is consuming what looks to be limestone debris from one of its planets. Is this a sign of marine life?
• Bloomberg notes Rolls-Royce's opposition to Brexit, notes how international sanctions are hurting Hezbollah, looks at China's massive spending on infrastructure, notes how Donald Trump has barred the ( Read more... )

• Business Insider looks at the sad state of a project to build a Chinese bullet train in Venezuela.
• Bloomberg notes the profound unconstitutionality of Donald Trump's suggestion that the US national debt might be renounced, looks at the needs of the Brazilian economy, and suggests Poland's economic nationalism is viable.
• CBC reports that Sinéad O' ( Read more... )

• Africa is a Country looks at how Ethiopians interpret the 1966 visit of Haile Selassie to Jamaica.
• The Building Blog depicts how a California town is literally being visibly distorted by seismic forces.
• Bloomberg considers the import of Beyoncé's debut of Lemonade on Tidal.
• Bloomberg View notes how the China-Venezuela money-for-oil pact is failing and ( Read more... )

• Asahi notes the problems of Uniqlo.
• Atlas Obscura looks at the effort to restore the Old Spanish Trail, an early American interstate highway.
• Bloomberg notes the travails of the coal industry in the Czech Republic.
• Bloomberg View notes South Africa's serious economic problems and looks at how the Panama Papers make centrism more difficult.
• CBC notes ( Read more... )

Bloomberg's William Davison notes how Chinese investment and government spending are driving Ethiopia's booming economy.

Ethiopia is the new flavor of the month for Africa watchers ( Read more... )