Ethiopia, Brazil, Nigeria.

Today's three stories you should know.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia today began generating power from a controversial mega dam on the Blue Nile River. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is expected to produce more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity, has been a source of fierce rows between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan since construction began in 2011. Egypt considers any attempt from upstream nations to dam the river as an existential threat. The project has been hugely popular in Ethiopia, though, where it is as seen a symbol of the country resisting foreign interference and lifting itself from generations of poverty. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attended a ceremony at the dam today and will have been keen to be closely associated with the project after more than a year of ruinous war.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Brazil

Rescue efforts are continuing in the Brazilian city of Petrópolis five days after floods and devastating mudslides killed 152 people. Continued heavy rain has hampered search efforts and, with 154 still missing, authorities say it is unlikely anyone will be found alive. President Jair Bolsonaro has likened the destruction to a war zone.

More from BBC here.

Nigeria

Two Benin bronzes, 16th century Nigerian treasures, have been returned to a traditional palace in Nigeria, more than a century after they were stolen by British troops. A growing worldwide movement is campaigning for artefacts stolen by Western nations in colonial times to be returned to their countries of origin. Many museums, though, are resisting the calls, arguing that only they have the expertise to look after them. According to the Reuters news agency, French historians estimate that 90 percent of Africa’s cultural heritage is in European countries.

More from the Guardian here.