Ethiopia’s prime minister, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, says he will head to the war front to lead soldiers battling rebels in the northern Tigray region.

The US slaps new sanctions on the Eritrean military and other individuals over Ethiopia's Tigray conflict.

Tens of thousands rally in the Ethiopian capital to denounce the US and support the government campaign against armed rebels.

Ethiopians stage a pro-military rally, vowing to repel Tigray forces advancing on the capital.

Concerns are mounting over the Ethiopian conflict where rebel groups have formed an unlikely alliance to launch an offensive against the capital, Addis Ababa.

The UN Security Council has expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of fighting in Ethiopia, calling for a ceasefire and the initiation of peace talks in the restive northern region of Tigray.

Rebellious Tigrayan forces say they have seized the strategic town of Dessie in Ethiopia's Amhara region where tens of thousands of ethnic Amharas seek refuge from an escalation in fighting.

The Ethiopian military launches two airstrikes on rebel targets in Tigray, as part of a second round of bombardments in the war-battered region this week.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki urges the African Union to reverse a decision to grant Israel observer status in the bloc.

Sources say Turkey has expanded its sales of combat drones to Ethiopia and Morocco.