Gunmen have attacked a school in northwestern Nigeria and snatched at least 30 students in the latest of a string of such kidnaps. The abduction happened at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization on the outskirts of Kaduna, nearly 400 miles from the capital Lagos. The gang struck at around 11.30pm on Thursday, according to
World
Italy is set to impose another national lockdown over the Easter weekend to combat growing numbers of coronavirus cases. It will see non-essential shops closed from 3 April to 5 April, with people only allowed to leave their homes for work, health or emergency reasons, according to a draft government decree seen by Reuters news
The European Medicines Agency has launched an investigation into the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab after reports of blood clots in vaccinated people. At present there is no firm evidence to suggest the two are linked and incidents of clotting have not been reported in the UK. The Danish Health and Medicines Authority has suspended the use of the
Brazil has recorded more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in a day for the first time as a more contagious variant spreads through the country and some hospitals near breaking point. The health ministry said on Wednesday that 2,286 deaths had been registered in the past 24 hours – beating the record set the day before
The Myanmar military is carrying out “premeditated” attacks on peaceful protesters – including “extrajudicial executions” and indiscriminately spraying bullets in urban areas, Amnesty International has said. The human rights organisation has looked at more than 50 videos from the ongoing crackdown on demonstrators opposed to the military coup on 1 February. It said footage clearly
Britons hoping to go on holiday after lockdown eases can think about booking a getaway to Greece for mid-May. Greece is planning on welcoming foreign tourists from 14 May depending on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic. People living in England could be allowed to go on foreign holidays from 17 May under Boris Johnson’s
A French schoolgirl has admitted to lying about a teacher before he was beheaded in an Islamist terror attack last year. Samuel Paty, 47, was killed after showing images of the Prophet Muhammad to his class during a lesson on free speech last October. On Sunday, French newspaper Le Parisien revealed that the girl, known
A British-Australian academic who was convicted and imprisoned in Iran for spying has said she had suicidal thoughts while in solitary confinement. Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert was jailed for ten years on charges of espionage in September 2018. She was released in November 2020 in exchange for three Iranians being held abroad. She had vehemently denied
Italy has surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths a year after it became the first country in the world to impose a national lockdown due to the pandemic. The Italian health ministry said 318 people had died in the last 24 hours on Monday, bringing the total to 100,103. The latest figures mean Italy has the second
A nun in Myanmar told junta forces “you’ll have to come through me” – moments before they opened fire on protesters. At least two people were confirmed dead in the city of Myitkyina on Monday following clashes with security forces. Sister Ann Roza Nu Tawng previously said she was prepared to die to save others
At least 20 people have been killed after a series of large explosions at a military base in the city of Bata in Equatorial Guinea. The cause of the blasts is not yet known but reports on the TVGE news channel suggested authorities had ruled out an attack. TVGE called on people to donate blood
Pope Francis has arrived in Mosul on his tour of Iraq, a former stronghold of terror group Islamic State. The Pope flew in by helicopter from nearby Erbil, and will hold mass in the decimated northern city, where just a handful of Christian families now live. Thousands of Christians fled the area during the IS
The Pope has performed Mass in a Baghdad cathedral after earlier holding a historic meeting with Iraq’s top Shia cleric. Francis was greeted by enthusiastic well-wishers at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph on the second day of his visit to the country. Only 100 or so people were allowed in because of COVID restrictions
Pope Francis has met Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani – Iraq’s top Shia cleric – at the Islamic scholar’s home in the Iraqi city of Najaf. The Pope arrived at the cleric’s small home in a bullet-proof vehicle. As he entered the house, white doves were released, reflecting the themes of this four-day visit to
A nun who knelt in front of armed security forces in Myanmar to stop them firing on civilians has said she was prepared to die to save protestors’ lives. In extraordinary scenes in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Sister Ann Roza Nu Tawng can be seen pleading with police and soldiers not to shoot. The intervention has
The Pope has arrived in Iraq for an historic weekend visit which carries both symbolism and risk. With a message of inter-faith tolerance, Francis will spend four days in Iraq in what is his first foreign trip in more than a year and the first-ever papal pilgrimage to the war-hit nation. The Pope will visit