ADDID ABABA: Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed Wednesday, killing at least 22 people and injuring 55, state media said.
The incident occurred at around 7:45 am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of capital Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary festival.
“Many pilgrims were killed or sustained physical injuries,” local official Atnafu Abate told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), putting the toll at 22 dead and 55 wounded.
Some remained under the rubble, he said, without giving any further details about those trapped or possible rescue efforts.
Some of the more seriously hurt were taken to hospitals in the capital, he added.
Images shared on the ECB’s official Facebook page showed a mess of collapsed wooden poles, with crowds gathering amid the dense debris.
Other pictures appeared to show the outside of the church, where scaffolding had been precariously constructed.
Health and safety regulations are virtually non-existent in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation, and construction accidents are common.
The sprawling country is a mosaic of 80 ethnic groups and among the oldest Christian nations globally.
Its predecessor, the Axumite Empire, declared Christianity the state religion in the fourth century.
22 killed in church scaffolding collapse in Ethiopia: state media
https://arab.news/zs4wk
22 killed in church scaffolding collapse in Ethiopia: state media
- The incident occurred at around 7:45 am in the town of Arerti
- “Many pilgrims were killed or sustained physical injuries,” local official Atnafu Abate told EBC
Indonesia sets rules limiting use of AI for schoolchildren
- Indonesian children spend about 7.5 hours daily on tablets, smartphones
- Gen Zs make up the majority of AI users in the country of 280m people
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government introduced on Thursday a new policy regulating the use of digital technology in education, limiting access to artificial intelligence for students.
Generation Alphas and Gen Zs make up almost half of Indonesia’s online population, which reached nearly 230 million people in 2025, according to a survey conducted by the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers.
As Indonesian children clock around 7.5 hours of daily screen time, the joint ministerial decree seeks to boost the benefits of digital technology and AI in formal and informal educational institutions, while also protecting the youth from risks in digital spaces.
“There are a lot of factors but the number of teenagers with mental health issues are high and continue to increase, and one of the suspected triggers — that have been proven academically — is the uncontrolled, unmitigated use of digital technology,” said Pratikno, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs.
“The effects on education are also concerning, such as how it weakens brain activity due to dependence on digital technology tools and reduces critical thinking and cognitive and reflective abilities. This is what we have to regulate.”
Among Indonesia’s 280 million population, around a quarter of internet users are already using AI, with Gen Zs making up about 43 percent of that segment.
The joint decree, which Pratikno described as “comprehensive” and encompasses early childhood education to higher education, was signed in Jakarta by seven ministers, including Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister Brian Yuliarto and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti.
“This decree seeks to ensure that our children are not controlled by technology but become the masters of technology for good, that is our goal. (It prioritizes) digital wellness, (for tech to be used) wisely and intelligently,” Pratikno said.
The policy is important to support young Indonesians, many of whom are internet users from adolescence, said Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid, who also signed the ministerial decree.
“Indonesia has a significant number of children using the internet. Therefore, we must ensure that they are not only a target market for the technology industry, but also able to utilize technology according to their readiness,” she said.
“Every kind of technological advance has to consider the readiness of its users, especially children.”
