Ethiopia
The former regional government of Ethiopia’s Tigray region is pressing its gains after yesterday retaking the capital Mekelle from federal government forces. Its fighters, known as the Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), are reported to have taken at least one other major town and a spokesman for the group said it was in pursuit of federal troops. After losing Mekelle, the Ethiopian government declared a unilateral ceasefire, something the TDF has not yet acknowledged. The UN has said that 350,000 people are living in famine conditions and that 40 percent of that number are children.
More from Al Jazeera here. And an explainer on the war here.
Brazil
Brazil has issued a decree banning outdoor fires for 120 days ahead of what is traditionally burning season in the Amazon rainforest. The move comes a day after the military was deployed in an attempt to stop deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest — an important buffer against climate change. Deforestation has surged under President Jair Bolsonaro who has prioritized opening the forest to industry.
More from the Associated Press here.
South Africa
Former South African president Jacob Zuma has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for failing to show up at a corruption inquiry when he was president. Zuma contends that he is the victim of a vast political conspiracy.
More from South Africa’s Mail & Guardian here.