Police have previously denied that the arrests are ethnically motivated. Almost 200 young children have starved to death in Tigray.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Tuesday, stressing the need for all parties to commit to an immediate and indefinite ceasefire in the northern Tigray region, the State Department said.

France on Tuesday became the latest country to advise citizens to leave war-torn Ethiopia as Tigrayan rebels claimed to be advancing closer to the capital Addis Ababa.

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.

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.

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.

Germany's fastest marathon runner has broken record upon record. While Amanal Petros' sporting career could hardly be going any better, he finds it hard to keep his mind off a military conflict back home.

As Tigray fighters withdraw back to their home region of Tigray, fresh hopes for a ceasefire in Ethiopia emerge. But the obstacles for a lasting peace are huge.

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.