The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. October 18, 2022 Ethiopian and Eritrean Soldiers Seize City of Shire from Tigrayan Rebels ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In Ethiopia, rebels in the northern Tigray region say Ethiopian troops backed by Eritrean soldiers have seized the key city of Shire amid heavy fighting northwest of the Tigrayan capital. Aid workers report thousands of civilians have begun fleeing the fighting over the weekend amid fears they could face mass killings and sexual violence. The United Nations warned Monday the situation in Tigray is "spiraling out of control," with civilians paying a horrific price. The head of the U.N.'s World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus - who's from Tigray - warned Ethiopia's military is carpet-bombing whole cities. He said 1 million people are at risk of starvation after a 17-month blockade left food and medicine in short supply. .