Nigeria, the Koreas, Bangladesh.

Today's three stories you should know.

Jun 05, 2022

Thank you all for your patience - and for the many kind messages I received - while I was ill. I had my first brush with Covid but seem to be en route to recovery now.

Bests,

Barry.

Nigeria

A horrific story out of Nigeria. At least 50 people, including many children, have been killed in an attack on a catholic church. Gunmen opened fire and detonated explosives at the church in the southwestern Ondo state, officials said. Grisly footage spread across social media, showing worshippers lying dead in pools of blood as people wailed around them. Nigeria is increasingly unstable, with several rebel groups and powerful criminal gangs causing chaos. Until today, though, Ondo had been relatively untouched by the violence and was known as one of the country’s most peaceful states.

The Koreas

South Korea, North Korea and the US are rattling sabres at each other again. The US and the South tonight test-fired eight surface-to-surface missiles in a tit-for-tat move after the North test-fired eight missiles of its own yesterday. Tensions are running higher than usual after a flurry of missile tests in the North. South Korea’s new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, is a hardliner when it comes to Seoul’s relationship with Pyongyang and has stepped up military drills since taking office last month.

Bangladesh

A fire has swept through a container depot near the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong, killing at least 49 people and wounding hundreds more. Multiple huge explosions were triggered by the fire, officials said, and firefighters who arrived to tackle the blaze were among those killed by them. Local hospitals are overwhelmed and the death toll is expected to rise. Industrial fires are relatively common in Bangladesh.