US restricting visas, taking other action over Tigray crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is restricting visas for people undermining efforts to resolve the deadly fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Other U.S. actions linked to the crisis include wide-ranging restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says it’s time for the international community to take action. The 6-month-old conflict has sparked allegations of ethnic cleansing and fears of famine. Thousands of people are estimated to have died, and local authorities and aid groups allege that atrocities including rape, extrajudicial killings and forced evictions have been part of the violence.