Ethiopia denies filling contested Nile dam

Fighting continues in Ethiopia, where rebel groups are advancing on the capital Addis Ababa. While much has been said about the northern front, where the army is at war with the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), another armed group – allied to Tigrayans – is fighting from the south and west of the country. The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) now controls a large swathe of territory. Together, the TDF and OLA plan to topple the government and take over the capital. The government accuses these rebel groups of committing crimes against civilians, including several massacres. Our regional correspondent reports.

Ethiopian authorities have closed all secondary schools so pupils can harvest crops for those on the frontline of the civil war, state-affiliated media says. ... More than 2 million pupils were already out of school due to the war which started in the northern region of Tigray last year, the government says.

After more than a year of war in Tigray, Ethiopia's ethnic divides now run deeper than ever. This will make it hard for the country to heal if peace ever comes.

After being on hold for months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, French archaeological missions are back in Egypt, where many treasures are waiting to be discovered. Exploring the city of Luxor is a dream for many archaeologists, who each day hope their painstaking work will yield fresh treasures. A few kilometres from the Valley of the Kings, Isabelle Régen and her team are studying one of the most fascinating tombs discovered in the country. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot.

Sudanese security forces have shot dead at least 14 anti-coup protesters and wounded dozens more, in the bloodiest day since the military seized power on 25 October. The fatalities in Khartoum on Wednesday raised to 38 the death toll from unrest since the military seized power, a pro-democracy doctors' union said.

Locals say Tigrayan forces took over Lalibela without firing a single shot, while the Ethiopian military claims to have captured strategic locations in the regions of Afar and Amhara.

Locals say Tigrayan forces took over Lalibela without firing a single shot, while the Ethiopian military claims to have captured strategic locations in the regions of Afar and Amhara.

Sudan's prime minister is battling to secure his country's fragile transition to democracy. Ousted in October's coup, Abdalla Hamdok was then reinstated in a deal with military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — to the dismay of Sudan's pro-democracy movement. Warning: This report contains disturbing images.

Alaa Abdel Fatah was a prominent figure in the 2011 revolution that ousted former President Hosni Mubarak. The activist's family have long decried the conditions of his years-long detention.

A Cairo court has sentenced Egypt's revolution activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to 5 years behind bars for spreading “fake news”. Rights groups slammed the trial as a “sham”. Meanwhile, anti-crime protests in Goma turned deadly. Congolese police fired tear gas and live rounds while civilians set up road blocks and burnt tires. Finally, our reporters in Cote d’Ivoire meet with a standup comedian determined to use humour to break down stereotypes. He pokes fun at clichés about his notorious hometown, Abobo.

2021 began with the promise of vaccines to the rescue. But as one variant begets another, rich nations talk of boosters and jabs for kids while much of the developing world still waits for first doses.

The UN's Human Rights Office has called for a prompt and independent probe into reports of rape and sexual harassment at Sudan's anti coup protests on Sunday. Also, the French army announced that it killed a top member of a jihadist organization in an airstrike in Niger. The man was a key suspect in the murder of eight people visiting a giraffe park, including six French citizens. And Egyptian authorities have banned shishas in cafes as a part of their fight against Covid 19.