leaders in tigray have accused eritrea of siding with ethiopia.n the 12th day of the conflict, refugees continue to pour over the sudanese border in their thousands. they've been forced to abandon their homes in ethiopia as the fighting intensifies. these are arduous journeys for young and old. many have witnessed appalling violence. translation: there is no food, there is looting. we lost our belongings, i lost my siblings. we came to sudan on foot and my children are not eating. translation: we have pregnant sisters on the streets. the militia chased us to the border. there's looting and stealing and killing, like in rwanda. on the streets, people haven't eaten for three or four days. i don't know where my kids are. it's hard for aid agencies to get help to this remote area of sudan, and if the number of refugees rises sharply, they'll struggle to cope. we are starting to provide assistance services, we are working with various agencies and you can see some start of an assitance provision, but much more needs to be done. ethiopia's military has

eyewitnesses have blamed forces loyal to tigray's ruling party, but the tigray leaders says the cusationsbaseless. you and says those responsible must be held accountable. i am joined by david chin, the former u.s. ambassador, currently adjunct professor of international affairs at george washington university. thank you for joining us. what do we know about this alleged massacre? >> most of what we know comes from amnesty international. it is clear there was a terrible incident in the western part of tigray with probably hundreds dead. one is not known is who was behind it. that is why it's imperative there be a formal investigation of that, and in the events leading up to it, there was apparently some fighting between military forces of the central government and the tigray region prior to that incident. >> how long is such an investigation likely to take? the fighting may continue and there are reports of hundreds of civilians crossing the border into sudan. >> we have a very messy situation at the moment, slowly sliding into a civil war. it will be difficult to do any kind of meaningf

people. the tplf has from the tigray people. at some of the other stories making the news... the eu's chief brexit negotiator, michel barnier, is in london for more talks this weekend about a trade deal with britain. significant differences still have to be resolved — overfishing, competition regulations and governance. time to get a deal is limited with just five weeks to go until britain leaves the eu. thousands of people have again demonstrated across poland in opposition to a near total ban on abortion in the country. poland already had one of the strictest abortion laws in europe. but they were made tougher last month when abortions on grounds of severe and irreversible foetal defects were ruled unconstitutional. more than 150 people have been arrested at an anti—lockdown demonstration in central london. many protesters were not wearing face masks and refused police requests to go home. protests are currently not permitted under lockdown rules in england. iran has vowed to retaliate in its own time for the assassination of

leaders in tigray have accused eritrea of siding with ethiopia.to sudan. our africa regional editor, will ross, has this report. escaping from war, these ethiopians are making the difficultjourney across the border into sudan after fleeing the fighting in the tigray region. they were stuck between the opposing forces, and fearing for their lives abandoned their homes in a hurry. the un says thousands of refugees have made it to this very remote area of sudan where the conditions are tough. as the fighting intensifies, camps are springing up for displaced civilians. they spoke of the dangers that forced them to flee. in the chaos, many have been separated from their family members. translation: i went out with my father, my mother, and my child with only what we wore and now we have no money or anything. we fled from death. translation: forces entered and burned our homes and killed people. they left nothing. we fled to sudan. this is a conflict between ethiopia's army and fighters who are loyal to the politicians in charge of the country's tigray

gave tigray's leaders has expired.o we know what is going on in the ground? reporter: we have been waiting for any kind of announcement. we have been reading the social media because the ethiopian government seems to use social media to distribute formation. misinformation. there has not been any updates. at this moment, we really don't know if they have advanced to acally heading to -- or if they are just waiting by the suburbs, which has a population more than0000. at the count, that was done in 2007. brent: we know that is the capital of the tigray region. do we have any idea tonight how civilians in that city are doing? >> we have no information. human rits watch senan email if you hours ago saying that everyone involved in this conflicthould watch out and protec people. victims heading to the sudan is telling colleagues that the conflict is affecting more than the official numbers. you can only guess where this conflict is heading. brent: your neighbors in sudan, they have been talking about this problem. ethiopia

can it really co m e regional leaders in tigray.t really come to an end and be solved so really come to an end and be solved so easily as a declaration from the government that they now have control, or are you slightly dubious about that? i am very dubious about that. no, it cannot be a that easily. it will be a very delicate negotiation now as to how they sought all of this out. again it all depends upon the degree of commitment by the people to was the previous leadership in tigray region, do they support the tplf or not. if they do support the tplf, this will go on for some period of time. if they don't, it could come toa time. if they don't, it could come to a relatively good negotiated end. i have spoken to several people over the last few weeks as the conflict has been developing and one of the things that really struck me was how worried people were about this escalating beyond the borders of ethiopian and causing regional and instability. that possibility has lessened. it's unclear what eritrea has been doing in all of this

tigray has really been in a speech —like situation for almost one month now.area, just like a siege like situation. the full situation is still unknown and we will start knowing more in the coming weeks, but in order to do so the federal government is going to need to allow humanitarian access immediately, but also lift the communication shutdown. is there any humanitarian access at all at the moment in terms of aid supplies? humanitarian access at all at the moment in terms of aid supplie57m terms of aid supplies going in, no. there is a humanitarian presence. a number of organisations have their staff in the region. some of them have been taken out of the region, some have stayed within the region, but a number of the organisations have been really ringing the alarm bell for more than a week now, saying their supplies are running out. so the un refugee agency, for example, has been really highlighting the urgent need for fuel in the eritrean camps in the area because of course water pumps, for example, are reliant on fuel supplies, so we really are in a pote

ethiopia's military plans to use tanks to encircle mekelle, the capital of tigray.nce to mekelle, which is home to around half a million people. the prime minsiter‘s senior advisor, mamo mihretu spoke to our correspondent catherine byaruhanga and said negotions with tigray was not an option. we don't negotiate with criminals. when it comes to criminals we bring them to justice and this has been them to justice and this has been the declared conscience of the government. i think our african brothers and sisters would play the most significant role if the boot pressure on them to surrender.m the envoys are not able to travel tigray to to meet with the tplf, how can they be persuaded to negotiate? we believe that a military operation will come soon. if tplf the once to accompany through the conflict of the need to do a surrender and nobody to go through —— nobody needs to go through tigray. our reporter will ross has been looking at the human cost of this conflict. the exodus from ethiopia into sudan goes on with thousands fleeing the fighting every day. it's been two

r one, there is mobile service within half of tigray. server is in mekelle, so thch are communicating with other. there is television and radio in everyone's house. everything is not interrupted yet. therefore, people are aware. that is why thene was a diff mood yesterday. ros:.n thehas warned bombarding the city co constitute a war crime and is concerned about what it's calling dangerous rhetoric from both sides. >> think about the children and the women currently trapped in mekelle with very little access to communication, the dire humanitarian situation, and no access for the international community. ros: it is thought maybe thousands have died since the government began its offensive three weeks ago. government accusation is that these forces are trying to destabilize the country. at the moment, both sides are refusing to negotiate. let's heafrom that same government minister for his reasons why. >> as we have been talking for theal last 20 days, this crim group has already done very big and grave cmes whh is equated to treason. thes

little is known about the welfare of civilians in tigray.agencies say the situation is dire. we definitely need to have food, fuel and other basic commodities brought into the region because they're running low already of sugar, oil and all the basic needs, including banking services. there's no cash. the northern region of tigray is home to over five million people. the region's leaders have ordered them to mobilise to defend themselves in a report on tigray state media. thousands of civilians are fleeing across the border into sudan. many are yet to receive any help. we are very concerned that with the continued attacks, military attacks and the fighting, more persons may flee, including refugees who are in the camps, and other members of the population. in the capital, addis ababa, hundreds turn up to donate blood for the army — a stark reminder of how bad things could be on the war front. but even here, opinion about the fighting is mixed. translation: our defence force is the flag bearer and guardian of our nation. i'm so proud that our

the development follows heavy bombardment of the tigray capital.chief of staff told a news conference they had taken mekelle. translation: we planned how to take control of mekelle without any damage. and this afternoon, we control mekelle fully. doctor awol allo is a senior lecturer at keele university in the uk. he's an expert on the horn of africa. do you take this as a sign that this conflict that has now lasted some weeks is now over? i think that's the question. since we heard from the prime minister that the forces have completed the final phase of what the government calls the rule of oppression. the question of people are asking is whether this actually ends the war, and i think it was very well—known from very start that tigray is a very small region, and will not be able to carry on fighting the government to the north for a sustained period of time, particularly in the face of challenges of getting supplies. so what most people are predicting is that this would simply morph into some kind of guerrilla war that would continue to destroy

italy's known about the welfare of civilians in tigray.en cut off. aid agencies say the situation is dire. we definitely need to have food, fuel and other basic commodities brought into the region because they're running low already of sugar, oil and all the basic needs, including banking services. there's no cash. the northern region of tigray is home to over five million people. the region's leaders have ordered them to mobilise to defend themselves in a report on tigray state media. thousands of civilians are fleeing across the border into sudan. many are yet to receive any help. we are very concerned that with the continuing attacks, military attacks and the fighting, no persons may flee, including refugees who are in the camps, and other members of the population. in the capital of addis ababa, hundreds turn up to donate blood for the army, a stark reminder of how bad things could be on the war front. but even here, opinion about the fighting is mixed. translation: our defence force is the flame bearer and guardian of our nation. i'm

the tigray people's liberation front see eritrea as supporting ethiopia's federal government.f fired rockets at two ethiopian airports in retaliation for government airstrikes in the region. let's take another look at the territory let's take another look at the territory — in the north — that's at the heart of the dispute. the ethiopian government says the rockets targeted the cities of gondar and bahir dar. our africa regional editor, will ross, reports. escaping from war, these ethiopians are making the difficult journey across the border into sudan after fleeing the fighting in the tigray region. they were stuck between the opposing forces, and fearing for their lives abandoned their homes and a hurry. the un says thousands of refugees have made it to this very remote area of sudan where the conditions are tough. as the fighting intensifies, camps are springing up for displaced civilians. they spoke of the dangers that forced them to flee. in the chaos, many have been separated from their family members. translation: i went out with my father, my mother, and my child with

you know people in tigray, you have family there, how concerned are you?is civil war is better and i couldn't get any information from my family, the internet and telecom services is not working, yeah, so i am highly, highly, or extremely concerned. so without internet, without phone calls, how can you find out what is going on? so, right now, most of my information is coming from the capital city, from addis ababa, and also other news agencies that are working in solidarity there, and my friends and some relatives and addis ababa telling me the grim situation of tigray. i wonder what could be the impact for civilians in the tigray region if nothing stops the escalation? it will be very worth, because right now, i and be very worth, because right now, iand my be very worth, because right now, i and my friends are trying to gather some human rights violations and they know the civilians are being attacked, the airstrikes, bombing civilians are telling us even bombing civilians are telling us even from sudan in their refugee camps, so us even from sudan in t

it's a claim the tigray people's liberation front denies.bel peace prize last year, has promised a swift end of the conflict. well, the stream of refugees from the conflict continues to grow, amid reports of shells being fired across the eritrean border. a communication blackout has been imposed on the tigray region and survivors in sudan have begun giving their accounts of the fighting. translation: we were bombarded from two directions. we ran forfour hours and then fled on foot. translation: i went out with my father, my mother, my child with only what we wore and now we have no money. we fled from death. translation: forces entered and burned our homes and killed people. they left nothing. we fled to sudan. our correspondent kalkidan yibetal is in the ethiopian capital of addis ababba with this update on the latest rocket attacks. we know that two rocket attacks happened in the state near the northernmost state of tigray. they say rockets were fired by the dominant political power in tigray. the people's liberation army front have taken

speaking from kassala on the eastern sudanese border with tigray province.what refugees have been saying at the border. the people, the refugees arriving here in sudan are definitely afraid. they talk to us about scenes of war in ethiopia. they say they fear for their lives. they are worried about their safety and they are traumatised in some cases as well. some people have said to us they continue to be worried. they look over their shoulders the whole time. we hear reports that there are still people hiding in the bush. just today we had another 3000 arrivals from ethiopia, so the influx continues from that country. it's very worrying here, they are mobilising the humanitarian response at a large scale. it's very difficult to reach some of these isolated border areas, but we are working together with unhcr, wfp, unicef and others to get help for these people. so, our people fleeing of violent cities happening in tigray or are they fearing what may be to come? it is very difficult to say for a blanket statement for all of the people. what i can say is that

tigray is currently under military occupation.he tplf wants to put an end to the current conflict, all they have to do is surrender and, for that, nobody needs to go to tigray or to mekelle to make that point clear to them. latex gloves have been, quite literally, a life—saver during this pandemic. but they also pose a serious environmental problem. standard latex takes around 100 years to decompose. now a team of scientists believe they have come up with a solution, as our science correspondent richard westcott reports. the world pulls on 150 billion pairs of protective latex gloves every year. most are synthetic and end up in landfill for decades. it's a huge environmental problem and covid's making it worse, which is why scientists at cra nfield university in bedfordshire are developing a new type of natural latex that's better for the planet. this is synthetic latex. made from petroleum, it biodegrades in about 100 years. this is natural latex from rubber trees, still hangs around for a couple of years. this is the new kind of

the tplf, that's the political force in the northern state of tigray.ks. and they say that they are in retaliation for previous air strikes by the federal army in the state of tigray. so this seems to be pretty much an escalating situation. it's a story that's developing every day. but unfortunately, we are seeing tensions escalating and the situation getting worse rather than better. since the fighting broke out last week, there has been a communication breakdown. so clear information is hard to come by. so we don't know exactly what's happening there. but as per the reports by amnesty international, it seems that scores and even hundreds might have been killed. these are civilians. amnesty international is calling it a massacre. and the un is saying that if this report is true, that could amount to war crimes. eyewitnesses told amnesty that the killings happened by retreating forces loyal to the tplf, but the tplf denied those claims. in addition to killings, we are also seeing refugees, an increase in refugees into neighboring sudan and also internal

to verify any information from tigray. virtually all communications are blocked.sere ahe latest pictures we have from the region, broadcast on state media, and is set to show celebrations with federal troops arriving. the onslaught goes on. earlier, the prime minister warned a three-day deadline fora forces to surrender has lapsed. he posted on faceboo threatening final enforcement action. in the past few hours, he said his troops are marching on the reonal capital, and he is claiming significant victories. 5 million people live in tigray. aid agencies say they cannot reach those in need of help because of the drieriorating se. the assessment of what they are hearing about the situation in tigray. >> we desperately need access unhindered, unconditional access to theee ref but also the other 600,000 among the population of ethiopiahu who depend onitarian assistance. we have had no responses so far. we also need access to bring in supplies. very little food in the markets. cash is nonexistent because the banks have been closed for weeks now. it is really a dire huma

ensuring everything is put in place for the people of tigray.oing to sit down and speak with the tplf? is there going to be negotiations? there is no negotiations with the tplf because it is a criminal entity. there is discussions with the provisional administrations of tigray which is an amalgamation of different political parties that are active in the region. they are the constitutionally mandated government that would be in the region until elections go through. just updating us on the latest situation in toy group province. just an update on the tier system. borisjohnson has written to mps. he is facing a rebellion from some of his own mps on tuesday to that new tier restriction. he has written to them to reassure them that the review of the system in mid—december could see some areas move down a tier and he has promised them a new vote in january on tier and he has promised them a new vote injanuary on the whole system. 0ne vote injanuary on the whole system. one of the main points of the letter is that as it is quoting, regulations have a

we know that two rocket attacks happened in a state near the northern most state of tigray. to the liberation front, the dominant political power in tigray. they are taking responsibility for the attacks, which happened in retaliation for air strikes that we re retaliation for air strikes that were happening by the federal government and the federal army in the region. so we know that this conflict is escalating and things are getting worse. but we don't know whether there are casualties in this latest rocket attack. what about the reports of a massacre? the eu and human rights organisations say that it verified they would amount to war crimes. —— union—macro and human rights organisations. what you hearing? a few days ago there was a report by amnesty international calling it a massacre, the killing of scores, possibly hundreds in a small town there. they haven't confirmed the perpetrators but they say that eyewitnesses told them the killers were retreating forces loyal to the tpl f. they have denied it, but we are seeing the human cost of the conflict. the un say that if t

tigray is currently under military occupation.lf wants to put an end to the current conflict, all they have to do is surrender and, for that, nobody needs to go to tigray or to mekelle to make that point clear to them. ajudge in pennsylvania has dismissed a lawsuit from the trump campaign that sought to invalidate millions of postal votes. judge matthew brann said the suit, which rested on allegations of voting irregularities, was "without merit". the move paves the way for pennsylvania to certinyoe biden's win — he leads by more than 80,000 votes. staying in the united states, the head of the government's vaccine development programme has said there are plans to have vaccines ready to distribute within 2a hours of approval being granted. the country has now passed 12 million confirmed infections and as cases surge, so do restrictions. in california, a state wide overnight curfew is now in place. here's our north america correspondent, david willis. california, america's most populous state, is reeling from a resurgence of the cor

tigray is currently under military occupation.d soon. if the tplf wants to put an end to the current conflict, all they have to do is surrender and, for that, nobody needs to go to mekelle to make that point clear to them. the controversial indian television anchor, arnab goswami, was released on bail last week. it's after he spent seven days in a jail outside mumbai over a previously closed suicide case. the matter is unconnected to the content that mr goswami broadcasts on his republic tv channels. but as the bbc‘s yogita limaye reports, the developments have put a spotlight on the network, on the dangerous trend of fake news making it to primetime television, and the issue of press freedom in india. i cry at after night. individuals or communities are put media trial. his views, mostly echoed the ruling nationalist parties. and his broadcasts often misleading and polarising. and while the hindu monks are being lynched, the police are watching. opinion about him is also divided. sometimes he puts out false start, how do you feel

a day of reckoning for ethiopia's tigray province.eader of the tigray people's liberation front has admitted that towns have been captured. federal forces say their artillery and tanks are closing in on the regional capital, mekelle, and are just 60 km away. on sunday, the ethiopian army said there will be no mercy for its residents when their soldiers encircle the city of half a million people. tigray‘s leaders reject claims their forces are close to defeat, and say they will not surrender. the united nations is increasingly alarmed. the highly aggressive rhetoric on both sides regarding the fight for mekelle is dangerously provocative, and it risks placing already vulnerable and frightened civilians in grave danger. evidence of the price civilians are paying. these are the graves of some 600 people that ethiopia's state—appointed human rights commission said were massacred earlier this month. it accuses a tigrayan youth group of stabbing, bludgeoning, and burning to death non—tigrayan residents in the town of mai kadr, with the coll

the regional state of tigray will be accessible for humanitarian purposes.issioner for human rights says reports continue to emerge of arbitrary arrests and detentions, killings as well as discrimination and stigmatisation of ethnic tigrayans. would you accept, mr attorney general, there is an ethnic element to this conflict and the way it is being prosecuted on the ground? you have to understand that the tplf is an ethnic path from its genesis, the way it's organised. it's an ethnic party. its leaders, its membership, it's all from the same ethnic group. that's in the nature of the party. so most of its operatives, most of its supporters and virtually all of its members are from the same ethnic party. so when that party engaged in criminal activity, when it operates like a criminal enterprise, unfortunately, the law enforcement response might have an ethnic element to it, as well. but that is not from the design or intention of the federal government. well... that is the very nature of the political organisation itself. when you say that the government's re

they just can't call outside of tigray. is television and radio at everyone‘s house if it is not interrupted yet. that's why there was kind of a depressed mood yesterday, because they are aware of the 72 hour ultimatum. the un is warning bombarding the city could constitute a war crime. and it's concerned about what it calls dangerous war rhetoric on both sides. think about the children and the women who are currently trapped in mekelle with very little access to communication, with very little access to communication, with a very dire humanitarian situation, and no access by the international community. already it's reported that hundreds — possibly thousands — of people have died since the government began its attack on regional forces three weeks ago. the government accusing them of seeking to destabilise the country. and both sides are refusing to negotiate. here's that same government minister on its reasons why. as we have been talking for the last 20 days, this criminal group has already done a very big and grave cri

leaders in tigray have accused eritrea of siding with ethiopia.n forced to abandon their homes in ethiopia as the fighting intensifies. these are arduous journeys for young and old. many have witnessed appalling violence. translation: there is no food, there is looting. we lost our belongings, i lost my siblings. we came to sudan on foot and my children are not eating. translation: we have pregnant sisters on the streets. the militia chased us to the border. there's looting and stealing and killing, like in rwanda. on the streets, people haven't eaten for three or four days. i don't know where my kids. it‘s hard for aid agencies to get help to this remote area of sudan, and if the number of refugees rises sharply, they‘ll struggle to cope. we are starting to provide assistance services, we are working with various agencies and you can see some start of an assistance provision, but much more needs to be done. ethiopia‘s military has been fighting troops loyal to the politicians running the country‘s northern tigray region, the tplf party, which for

with telecommunications switched off in tigray, it's hard to know what's happening on the ground but of hundreds of soldiers being killed on both sides. and the conflict has heightened ethnic divisions. dozens of civilians were killed on monday night in what amnesty international describes as a massacre. ethiopia's been through big changes since its prime minister abiy ahmed came to power in 2018. he was awarded the nobel peace prize last year after reaching out to make peace with neighbouring eritrea. but the widespread reforms he pushed through sidelined the tigrayans of tplf party who had long dominated the political scene. they accuse mr abiy of teaming up with his new friend the eritrean president to attack the tigrayan forces. earlier came the threat to target eritrea with air strikes. translation: whether they go from asmara or bahir dar to attack tigray or other places, whether it is by plane or other attacks, as per our statement that we'll commit retaliatory measures, we will undertake missile attacks on selected targets in addition to gondar and bahir dar airports. ethiopi

mark lobel reports now on the tigray conflict. a big military win trumpeted on ethiopian state tv.roic national defence force on capturing tigray‘s capital in what is described as its peoples' liberation. but is it that simple? translation: our forces have freed more than 7000 members of our northern command and taken back control of our base. we have recovered tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy weapons that were looted. we are hunting anti—peace elements hidden in holes. but we only have one side's word for what is going on in the region, as tigray‘s phone lines and internet links are down. even if the capital mek‘ele has been taken, it is unclear how its adversaries the tplf — veterans of guerrilla warfare — will respond. it's possible that the tigrayan people's liberation movement has simply moved its forces into the mountains, into the rural area, and this could go on for some time, depending on the support that the tplf has from the tigrayan people. indeed, it's their support either way that could be vital in determining what happens next — that's after enduring over three wee

province, where leaders of the opposition tigray people's liberation front are besieged.e completed but ethiopian police would apprehend members of the tplf. with communications to tigray province cut, it's hard to confirm mr abiy‘s assertions, but ethiopian forces had been advancing from the north and begun shelling the city. the ethiopian army has been locked in conflict with the tplf for weeks. let us find out the latest. this is the press secretary. first of all, could you give us more detail as to what has been said today. the details are still coming m, today. the details are still coming in, so what we have right now is that over the past day or so, the national defence forces have made a lot of advances towards the last hideout of the cleat. —— de clique. there were specific targets that we re there were specific targets that were identified. the primer to has announced that the military operation has ceased and finalised with control of the city. key if a structure and key sites have been secured within the city. it is now for the federal police to arrest the cli

anchor: the tigray region of ethiopia has seen more fighting.aking a look at which armies are involved and where they are fighting. >> the ethiopian army in the northern region of tigray, the conflict between the central government and tigrayan separatists taking part on three fronts. to the south, the east, and to the north in re: tria. government troops that are part of the ethiopian national defense force. according to specialists at the institute for security studies, the army is made up of 130,000 ground troops backed up by 3000 members ofhe air fce. among the weapons at their disposal, helicopter gunships, tanks, and transport vehicles. on the opposing side are separatist forces led by the tigray people's liberation front, which dominated the opium's military and political life for decades. it is made up of 20,000 commandos as well as 230,000 reservists and armed civilians. it includes 30,000 former ethiopian soldiers based in the north of the country. to the north, re: tria supports the central government. separatists say troops and tanks

and the people of tigray is suffering greatly.bel peace prize. ithink, you know, in stockholm, in the nobel peace prize committee, they should think twice about giving that prize to a politician who is still exerting power. we have seen it with suu kyu before and we know how developed when she got her prize. and why give the prize to barack 0bama? he had not done anything yet! he admitted that himself! there was hope, but you do not give the nobel peace prize unless you want to devalue it clearly. but of course, that is anecdotal. but what is going on there is really worrying. stefanie, what do you think abiy ahmed is up to? well, i mean, it is a very difficult situation there. i mean, i am looking at this more from a european perspective, and as agnes just said, france is desperate to have more engagement of the european union. and the european union, as ever, is very reluctant. it is interesting to see and important to see that at least there are now talks between the us and the european union on what to do about it. and for the

—— between tigray and the prime minister?en though the central government decided it wanted to postpone national actions and the rest of the country did not go forward with connections and at that point that government cut off all budgetary support to a and also sent some federal troops at least into the border areas of tigray in a region resulting in some fighting and it's escalated from there. at one point after another and it's necessary for both sides to step back. i know you said that their reasons go back hysterically but it might help i viewers to understand what it is that tigray wants.|j think they want greater autonomy within the federal republic of ethiopia was that as far as they understand they are not asking for an independent state, they are simply asking for greater internal economy. they ethiopia is a federal state and it's been based on federalism since 1991. the problem is in the early years of this federalism that people of tigray we re federalism that people of tigray were in the strongest position of pow

insurgency type campaign -- tigray region.outreach from the sudanese, the chairman of the regional peacekeeping body. he has rejected those and —— and treaties will stop the head of the african union, cyril ramaphosa, the south african president, send a delegation of three former heads of state to meet with the minister abiy ahmed yesterday. he rejected the calls for political dialogue. they have been a number of other world leaders, the pope issued a statement today. we know that secretary mike pompeo has been trying to reach the minister abiy ahmed. he really seems to have cut himself off from western and even african efforts. it is ha rd to even african efforts. it is hard to know who he is listening to right now. he seems to be pushing fullbore for total victory in tigray right now. let's get some of the day's other news. thousands of people have again demonstrated across poland, in opposition to a near—total ban on abortion in the country. poland already has one of the strictest abortion laws in europe. but they were made