Nigeria
A shocking statistic today. Conflict in northern Nigeria has, directly and indirectly, led to the deaths of about 350,000 people, the vast majority of them children under the age of five, according to the UN. The Nigerian government has been battling the Boko Haram armed group for more than 12 years now and no end appears in sight. The UN said thousands of people had no access to food, shelter or drinking water. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who campaigned for election on a promise to end the conflict, has come under intense pressure recently to address the violence.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Palestine
An outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority (PA) died in its custody today. Nizar Banat, who planned to run for parliament before elections were cancelled this year, had accused the PA, which governs part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, of corruption and of being a “subcontractor” of Israel. His family said he was dragged from his bed in the city of Hebron while being beaten with sticks and metal bars. In a statement, the Hebron governorate said Banat’s “health deteriorated,” without giving further detail. Supporters took to the streets to protest after his death was announced.
More from Middle East Eye here.
Chile
A woman accused of involvement in the kidnapping and disappearance of seven people during the rule of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet has lost an appeal against her extradition from Australia. Adriana Rivas worked for Chile’s secret police, the National Intelligence Directorate, during the 1970s and has said that the years she spent there were the best of her life. The government of Chile estimates that more than 3,000 political opponents were killed during the Pinochet era.
More from the Guardian here.