Services provided by state-owned telecoms operator Ethio Telecom have been completely cut, although those from the much smaller private firm Safaricom remain operational.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks earlier posted on X that network data indicated a sub-national internet shutdown in northern Tigray.

Clashes between Tigrayan forces and their allies and Ethiopia’s federal troops broke out on Wednesday, prompting heightened tension and reports of panic buying.

During the two-year civil which ended in 2022, Tigray was totally cut off from the outside world.

Limited access to cash, food and medicine pushed hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions.

The BBC has contacted Ethiopian authorities for comment.

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Pope Leo XIV embarks on a four-day visit to France on Friday, with the highpoint being a giant Mass attended by more than half a million people in central Paris.

For Saturday’s afternoon celebration, an altar has been built on the Place de la Concorde and a large area around the Champs-Élysées sealed off by police.

President Emmanuel Macron greeted the Pope at Orly airport on Friday morning, and is due to hold talks with him at the Élysée Palace on geopolitical issues and artificial intelligence (AI) later. He will also deliver a speech with the Pope in Metz.

However, the president will not be at any of the Pope’s Masses, largely to avoid breaching France’s strict separation of state and religion.

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Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington has come to an end, but has the trip – filled with pomp and ceremony – actually accomplished anything? 

Xi arrived in Washington with the hope of breakthroughs on AI cooperation and Taiwan – but despite the red carpets and warm words, there was little progress on some of the key issues. 

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00:00 Intro
01:34 What was accomplished?
02:10 What did China want?
03:06 Why does China want Taiwan?
05:34 White House media ban
07:35 Did Trump AI-alter an image?
08:54 Panda diplomacy
11:11 When will Trump and Xi meet next?

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Yemens’ civil war has flared up in recent weeks, as the Iran-backed Houthi movement seized strategically important stretches of the Red Sea coast, in a rapid offensive.

Oil prices have risen on fears of further disruption to the global economy, following six months of war between the US, Israel and Iran.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed on both sides during the Houthis’ advance, which came after the collapse of a four-year informal ceasefire. The UN says more than 120,000 people have been displaced by the escalation.

But who are the Houthis, what are they targeting, and what will the impact be on the rest of the world?
The Security Brief’s Christian Fraser and Mikey Kay explain.

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US President Donald Trump has told the United Nations General Assembly he faces a “big decision” on whether to strike Iran again or pursue a peace deal.

A single member of Iran’s delegation watched on during the president’s speech in New York, in which he said he could “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if the conflict went unresolved.

Trump later told reporters that American officials had had a “very productive” three-hour meeting with the Iranian delegation on the sidelines of the general assembly.

Iran state TV confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had met US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, although there was no comment from officials in Tehran.

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