Ethiopia
A deeply disturbing report from rights group Amnesty International today accused the Ethiopian military and its allies of using widespread, and particularly brutal, sexual violence as a weapon of war during the ongoing conflict in the northern Tigray region. Amnesty said the violence amounted to war crimes and that its scale suggested the Ethiopian military knew what was happening and that it was tolerated at “the highest levels of government.” Ethiopia said the report was “based on a flawed methodology.”
More from BBC here.
Iran
Iranians are congregating at large gatherings to mark the Islamic holy month of Muharram despite a surge in COVID-19 cases that officials estimate is killing one person every two minutes. Health minister Saeed Namaki has requested a two-week lockdown but that has been rejected by a government taskforce charged with tackling the pandemic. Tehran has been reluctant to impose lockdowns for fear they could damage an economy already creaking under the weight of US sanctions.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Afghanistan
I mentioned recently that Afghanistan would surely reach the top of the international headlines as territory continued to be captured by the Taliban and, today, it is the lead story on many outlets. Panic is beginning to take hold in Kabul and Western nations are watching closely as the group’s stunning advance sends government forces fleeing. The Taliban is now estimated to be in control of 65 percent of Afghan territory, including nine provincial capitals. A US intelligence official today told the Reuters news agency that the capital Kabul could fall to the Taliban within 90 days.
More from the AP here.