Ethiopia closes schools to boost civil war effort

Ethiopian authorities have closed all secondary schools so pupils can harvest crops for those on the frontline of the civil war, state-affiliated media says.

The closure will last for one week, according to the education minister.

More than 2 million pupils were already out of school due to the war which started in the northern region of Tigray last year, the government says.

As the fighting intensifies, government troops say they are taking towns from the Tigray rebels.

On Wednesday state forces announced they had recaptured the historic town of Lalibela, which contains churches that are Unesco world heritage sites.