Ethiopia declares ceasefire after Tigrayan fighters enter Mekele

Ethiopia calls for immediate and unilateral ceasefire in Tigray region [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Ethiopia declares ceasefire after Tigrayan fighters enter Mekele [The city of Mekele is seen through a bullet hole in a stairway window of the Ayder Referral Hospital, in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Ethiopia's government said in a statement carried by state mediam, June 28, 2021, that it has "positively accepted" a call for an immediate, ceasefire.] Credit: Ben Curtis/AP/File photo Tigray conflict Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has declared an [immediate and unilateral ceasefire]( in its Tigray region after nearly eight months of fighting. The ceasefire was announced after Tigrayan fighters entered and took over the regional capital Mekelle on Monday, forcing government soldiers to retreat. The Ethiopian military has occupied the region since November after invading it with [help from Eritrean and militia forces](. The violent conflict has forced refugees into neighboring Sudan, and caused hundreds of thousands of people to suffer from one of the [world’s worst famines](. Facebook lawsuit A federal judge has [dismissed antitrust lawsuits]( against Facebook that were filed by the Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 US states. The lawsuit argued that Facebook holds a monopoly over “personal social networking” after [Facebook’s acquisition]( of Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014. US District Judge James Boasberg said the lawsuit failed to provide enough facts to back its claims and that the states had waited too long to file their case. But he also said the FTC could file again, and gave it [30 days]( to bring forth an amended lawsuit. Australia lockdown Lockdowns in four of Australia’s major cities following an outbreak of the delta COVID-19 variant could impact more than 20 million Australians. Officials in several states have [restricted movement]( and pushed for vaccinations to limit the flare-ups, as less than 5% of the population is fully vaccinated. Australia’s prime minister said Monday that people under 40, previously unable to access the AstraZeneca vaccine — over concerns about blood clotting and vaccine shortages — could now get the jab after [consulting with their doctors](. The delta variant has also forced South Africa to impose at least two weeks of [strict lockdown]( to combat a devastating third wave of the coronavirus. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Report: UN rights chief Bachelet calls for states to ‘stop denying and start dismantling racism’]( [People hold a banner at a rally and march organized by families who were victims of police brutality for the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's death in St. Paul, Minnesota, May 24, 2021.]( Credit: Christian Monterrosa/AP A report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, sparked by George Floyd’s death, shows that police brutality against Black people around the world has been allowed to continue with impunity. OHCHR head Michelle Bachelet [called on states to stop denying and start dismantling racism](, "to end impunity and build trust, to listen to the voices of people of African descent, and to confront past legacies and deliver redress." [A new documentary tracks the latest rise in far-right, neo-Nazism in Germany]( [A new FRONTLINE documentary investigates the rise of far-right extremism and violence in Germany.]( Credit: Gaby Wojciech/Shutterstock Evan Williams, director of "Germany's Neo-Nazis and the Far Right," told The World's Marco Werman [the film explores what has driven Germany's latest surge]( in hate speech and attacks, and also asks whether authorities are doing enough to confront it. "[T]he general security system is not joining up the dots to really investigate what's going on inside the police force, in the military, in particular, because they say they could be worried about about how big this thing is," Williams said. --------------------------------------------------------------- Discussion [The mental health impacts of reopening society]( [Stickers on the floor show arrows marking the direction to walk it at the Cadorna railway station in Milan, Italy, April 26, 2021. Italy is gradually reopening after six months of rotating virus lockdowns.]( Credit: Antonio Calanni/AP After more than a year of measures, such as mask mandates and social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, communities around the world are adjusting to reopened workplaces and society. But ongoing concerns about the pandemic and challenges posed by variants have many people feeling wary. The World's Elana Gordon will take your questions and moderate a conversation with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Karestan Koenen, who will explore mental health during this transition on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at 12 p.m. Eastern time. [Stream the conversation live here >>]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot Germany has a history of animals that predict the winners to major soccer matches. There was Paul the Octopus that accurately predicted all of Germany's seven World Cup games in 2020. Now, during the Euro 2020, [there is Yashodo](, a 42-year-old elephant 🐘 with a perfect prediction record so far this tournament. To the delight of German fans across the country, Yashodo is predicting that Germany 🇩🇪 will win over England ðŸ´ó §ó ¢ó ¥ó ®ó §ó ¿ today. Get your bets in now ⚽ [Screen grab of a tweet from the German Embassy London]( Courtesy of Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [Writer E.C. 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