Nigeria, Haiti, Ethiopia.
Today's three stories you should know.
Nigeria
More than 20 mostly female students have been snatched in northern Nigeria as a kidnapping crisis continues to plague the unstable Zamfara state. The students were taken from accommodation near their university by gunmen who local journalists said began shooting indiscriminately before storming the dorms. Armed gangs - known locally as bandits - have for years been kidnapping people for ransom in the area and, despite pressure from locals, authorities have so far failed to stop the gangs from operating. In 2021, more than 300 schoolgirls were abducted in just one incident in Zamfara. They were later freed after the government negotiated with the kidnappers.
More from Channels TV here.
Haiti
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said a Kenya-led international force could be deployed to Haiti within months to help it grapple with a spiralling gang problem. Speaking at the UN in New York today, Blinken urged the Security Council to authorize the mission, adding that the US would provide “robust financial and logistical assistance.” Haiti, already struggling with insecurity, was thrown into chaos after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. More than 80 percent of the capital Port-au-Prince is now controlled by a patchwork of criminal gangs.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Ethiopia
A lock of hair from a long-dead Ethiopian prince was handed over to representatives of his home country in the UK today. The little-known tale of Prince Alemayehu is heartbreaking. He was abducted from Ethiopia by the British military in 1868 when they attacked the fortress of his father, Emperor Tewodros II, who killed himself after his forces were defeated. Despite gaining the sympathy of Queen Victoria, who supported him financially, he longed for home and died at 18 after a miserable upbringing. His body is buried in the catacombs of Windsor Castle but, despite requests from the Ethiopian government and Alemayehu’s descendants, Buckingham Palace has refused to return it, saying removing it would disturb other bodies.
More from BBC here.