Nigeria
The death toll from a series of suicide bombings in Nigeria has risen to at least 32, according to the country’s vice president. In seemingly co-ordinated attacks, several female suicide bombers targeted a wedding, a funeral and a hospital. It was reported that one of the women was holding a baby when she detonated her explosives. There has been no claim of responsibility but the Boko Haram armed group is active in Borno state, where the bombings took place, and has carried out similar attacks before. The group gained international notoriety in 2014 when it kidnapped more than 270 girls from the town of Chibok. Boko Haram is well known for using women as bombers believing them less likely to attract suspicion.
More from AFP here.
Israel-Palestine
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the head of Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, has been released after more than seven months in Israeli detention. Abu Salmiya said he had been subjected to “severe torture” and that he’d been beaten many times, adding that other Palestinian prisoners were tortured daily. The Israeli prison service told the BBC it was not aware of his allegations, which are similar to those made by others among the thousands of Palestinians who have been detained without charge by Israel since the conflict began. Abu Salmiya’s release has sparked a row in Israel with several prominent politicians and cabinet ministers criticising the decision.
More from BBC here.
Afghanistan
A UN-led meeting bringing representatives from about 30 countries together with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers has started in Qatar with the rights of women and girls dominating the conversation. The UN says the talks, of which this is the third round, are the beginning of a process that could see the Taliban government fully integrated into the international community. Al Jazeera today published a useful explainer on the process, who is involved and where it might lead to.
More from Al Jazeera here.