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Nigeria police working to secure release of 20 kidnapped medical students

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Nigeria police working to secure release of 20 kidnapped medical students

Nigerian Medical Association says students from universities of Jos and Maiduguri were taken while travelling in Benue State.

Nigerian police and security agencies are working to secure the release of 20 medical students who were kidnapped in the eastern part of the country, officials say.

The medical students were on their way to an annual convention when they were abducted in Benue State on Thursday evening, police and university sources said on Saturday.

The Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students said in a statement that the students were travelling to the convention in the city of Enugu when they were taken.

Fortune Olaye, the secretary-general of the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association, said 20 medical students from two universities, as well as one doctor travelling with them, had been kidnapped.

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It added that there had been a ransom demand in return for their release.

In a Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) letter to the inspector general of police, posted on the social media platform X, NMA secretary-general Benjamin Egbo said 12 of the abducted students were from the University of Jos and eight were from the University of Maiduguri.

One of the students managed to share their location, indicating that they were in the Oglewu Ehaje area in Benue State, the letter said.

“The Nigerian Medical Association is deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of these future medical professionals,” it added, saying that swift and decisive action to secure their return was “crucial”.

The kidnapping was also confirmed by Catherine Anene, public relations officer for police in Benue State.

Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue State, said in a statement that he had “directed security agencies in the state to intensify efforts and ensure the safe release” of the students.

The national police said in a statement that it had ordered the deployment of “advanced helicopters and drones, as well as the use of specialized tactical vehicles to facilitate the search and secure the safe return of the victims”.

The kidnapped students were reportedly travelling from the northern part of the country in a convoy of two buses when the incident occurred, Nigeria’s This Day newspaper reported.

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The students were abducted on the road near the town of Otukpo, less than 150km (93 miles) from Enugu, which often witnesses attacks and kidnappings.

Cases of kidnapping have increased significantly in Nigeria due to a severe economic crisis which is pushing more people towards crime. However, official figures are unreliable as many cases are not reported.

In 2022, a law was passed banning payments to kidnappers – but many families say they feel they have no choice but to cough up the ransoms demanded.

Nigerian consultancy firm SBM Intelligence said it had recorded 4,777 cases between May 2023, when Bola Tinubu assumed charge as president, and January 2024.

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Father loses legal fight to halt euthanasia of 25-year-old daughter in Spain

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Father loses legal fight to halt euthanasia of 25-year-old daughter in Spain

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This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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Spain is grappling with the death of a 25-year-old woman from Barcelona who was euthanized following a series of tragic events despite multiple legal challenges from her father.

Noelia Castillo Ramos’ case galvanized international attention after her father, Gerónimo Castillo, mounted a legal battle against the authorization of various Spanish courts for his daughter to receive euthanasia in 2023. Aided by Abogados Cristianos (Christian Lawyers), a conservative Catholic organization, Mr. Castillo exhausted all appeals to the Spanish courts.

The father argued that his daughter wasn’t fully psychologically able to make a decision regarding euthanasia and that she needed better medical and psychiatric care. His legal battle was ultimately shut down by the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, on March 10.

GRIEVING PARENTS DEMAND CHANGES AFTER 26-YEAR-OLD SON EUTHANIZED UNDER CONTROVERSIAL LAW

Noelia Castillo Ramos is featured in Spain’s El País newspaper following her euthanasia last Thursday. (APTV)

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The case of Castillo Ramos is just the latest in euthanasia deaths across Europe, but the Barcelona woman’s choice to die has inflamed passions across the country.

Castillo Ramos’ parents divorced when she was 13 and spent almost four years in public tutelage centers when she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) — a serious psychiatric condition often leading to severe depression, suicide ideation and a tendency to addiction.

By her own account, in an interview she gave before dying to Spanish TV channel Antena 3 she tried to commit suicide at least twice despite being under intensive psychiatric care. In her first suicide attempt, she took several pills and ingested a toxic automotive liquid, but was saved by her mother, who took her to the hospital for a gastric-intestinal cleansing procedure.

Things got worse for her when she left the home and ended up being sexually assaulted multiple times when she was about 20. First, she was sexually abused by a former boyfriend after taking sleeping pills. Soon after, two men attempted to rape her while in a nightclub, leaving her deeply scarred, and as reports indicate, this led her to a care home for worsening psychiatric symptoms.

Several people pray at the entrance of the Sant Camil hospital, on 26 March 2026 in Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The magistrate of the 20th Preliminary Section of the Barcelona Court of First Instance has denied for the third time the adoption of the precautionary measures requested by the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers, which asked to suspend the application of euthanasia to Noelia Castillo Ramos from Barcelona. Castillo Ramos died on Thursday. ( Lorena Sopena/Europa Press via Getty Images)

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POPE LEO XIV SAYS HE’S ‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’ AFTER ILLINOIS APPROVES ASSISTED SUICIDE LAW

There, she was gang-raped by three men. With her mental state deteriorating, she attempted suicide by jumping out of the fifth floor of a building.

Multiple reports and social media posts originally indicated that the three rapists who assaulted her were immigrant minors under the care of the state – something the Barcelona-based newspaper El Periódico says is false.

Many Spaniards have reacted angrily the court’s authorization for her to receive euthanasia, accusing the leftist government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of not providing the girl with adequate medical care, opening up the country to mass migration, lack of policing and ultimately handing down euthanasia as a solution to her case.

Several people pray at the entrance of the Sant Camil hospital, on 26 March, 2026 in Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The magistrate of the 20th Preliminary Section of the Barcelona Court of First Instance has denied for the third time the adoption of the precautionary measures requested by the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers, which asked to suspend the application of euthanasia to the young woman from Barcelona scheduled for this Thursday afternoon.  (Lorena Sopena/Europa Press via Getty Images)

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After her interview on Spanish TV, several anonymous donors and public figures, including pianist James Rhodes, offered to fund her treatment and to provide her and her family with material assistance if she decided against having the procedure.

The Catalan High Court of Justice confirmed to Fox News Digital that all legal and medical requirements, including a favorable opinion by the Catalan Commission of Guarantee and Evaluation (CGEC), had been met and that there was nothing preventing the young woman from receiving the requested euthanasia.

Noelia died at 6 p.m. local time on Thursday at Hospital Sant Pere de Ribes in Barcelona. She is the youngest person ever to be euthanized in Spain under the country’s assisted dying law passed in 2021.

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French police make two more arrests over foiled attack on Bank of America

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French police make two more arrests over foiled attack on Bank of America

Prosecutors investigating suspected link to Iran war due to similarities with other recent attempted attacks in Europe.

French police have arrested two more people over a foiled attack on Bank of America’s Paris headquarters as authorities probe a suspected link with the Iran war.

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) said that five suspects are now being held in custody, including three minors arrested after Saturday’s attempted attack with a homemade explosive device, and two adults detained on Monday.

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Police arrested the first suspect after he placed the device, which consisted of an ignition system and five litres of liquid believed to be fuel, outside the US financial institution near the Champs-Elysees in the city’s 8th arrondissement.

Police said the first detainee had told them he was a minor and from Senegal and that they were working to verify his identity. A police source told AFP that he claimed to have been recruited through the Snapchat app to carry out a bombing in exchange for 600 euros ($688).

The suspect who placed the device was accompanied by a second person, who appeared to be taking photos and videos with a mobile phone, but fled when police arrived. It was unclear whether the apparent accomplice was one of the five suspects now in custody.

PNAT is now investigating a number of suspected offences, including attempted damage by fire or other dangerous means in connection with a “terrorist plot”. The probe ⁠also includes a ⁠charge of participation in a “terrorist” criminal association.

On Monday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said authorities were investigating a suspected link to the Iran war due to similarities with other recent attempted attacks in Europe for which a pro-Iran group claimed responsibility.

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The “modus operandi is in every respect similar to actions that have been carried out in the Netherlands and in Belgium”, Nunez said on French radio network RTL, alluding to claims of responsibility from a group known on Telegram as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia.

The group, whose name translates to mean “Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right”, also claimed responsibility for an attack last week in London, where four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were set on fire in the neighbourhood of Golders Green.

“Typically, intelligence services of this country [Iran] operate in this way. They use proxies, a series of subcontractors, often common criminals, to carry out highly targeted actions aimed at US interests, the interests of the Jewish community, or Iranian opposition figures,” Nunez said.

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How the Iran War Has Rippled Across the World

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How the Iran War Has Rippled Across the World

Butter chicken has disappeared from some Indian menus. So has dosa.

These culinary staples consume cooking gas, which has become harder to get from India’s suppliers in the Gulf.

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Australian farmers are planting less wheat.

Farmers around the world are worried about their harvests as fertilizer prices rise. A third of the world’s fertilizer is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.

South Koreans were urged to take shorter showers.

Much of the energy they use to heat water comes from the Middle East.

A shorter workweek in Sri Lanka. A shorter school week in Laos.

To curb commutes and conserve fuel, Sri Lanka declared Wednesdays a public holiday, and Laos adopted a three-day class schedule.

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Track suits could get more expensive.

The polyester in them is made from petrochemicals. Oil and gas prices are rising.

Party balloons may be harder to find.

Qatar produces a third of the world’s helium, a byproduct of natural gas. As production and exports halt, balloon suppliers may run short.

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Formula 1 canceled some races.

With missiles targeting Gulf nations, competitions in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were scratched.

Concerts were postponed.

Shakira, Christina Aguilera and others postponed shows in the region over security concerns.

Cancer drugs might not reach some patients on time.

Shutdowns in cargo hubs like Dubai and Doha threaten medicines that must be kept refrigerated.

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Buying a house in the United States is more expensive.

Oil prices are driving fears of higher inflation, pushing up mortgage rates.

Sugar mills in Brazil, the world’s biggest producer, may switch to making more biofuel to cash in on high energy prices.

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Airlines are paying more for jet fuel, and passing along the costs.

Usually a safe investment in turmoil, gold has fallen for myriad reasons including speculative investors cashing out gold investments.

Tens of thousands of flights canceled.

With some airspace closed in the Middle East, carriers have had to suspend routes. At the same time, jet fuel costs are soaring.

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Venezuela gets to export fertilizer again.

The Trump administration loosened sanctions to help U.S. farmers.

Even the chess world has been shaken up.

A grandmaster withdrew from a major competition in Cyprus over safety concerns. A drone hit a British base there early in the war.

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Ukraine may run short on Patriot missiles.

The war has depleted stocks of the U.S. interceptors used by Kyiv to fend off Russian attacks.

Thailand’s premier wore short-sleeved shirts to work and urged others to do the same.

Government offices are required to cap air conditioner use to conserve energy.

Take the stairs. Leave the mall.

To conserve energy, the Philippines asked civil servants to skip the elevator, and Egypt curtailed shopping hours five days a week.

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Zara clothes piled up at airports in Bangladesh.

Textile exports have also been disrupted by the canceled flights.

Gas lines are back. Even in Texas.

Worried about a price spike, drivers in San Antonio lined up for 30 minutes at a Costco.

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