Dozens kidnapped in northwest Nigeria after bandits invite them to talks

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By Reuters and Posted by TOE Armed bandits in northwest Nigeria abducted dozens of villagers whom they invited to a meeting ‌about potential peace negotiations, authorities and residents said on ‌Monday, highlighting the region’s worsening security. Police said 39 people were seized on Sunday ​when they went to a meeting in the forest near Magamin Diddi village in the Maradun municipality of northwest Zamfara State. Some local residents and officials said the number could be as ‌high as 50. According to ⁠a Zamfara State Police Command statement, the victims were meeting relatives of a bandit leader in ⁠an attempt to broker peace and ease restrictions on movement imposed on the community. Zamfara is at the centre of a long-running security ​crisis in ​which armed groups, locally referred ​to as bandits, carry ‌out mass kidnappings, killings and village raids. The violence has disrupted farming and displaced thousands. Security forces have deployed personnel and...
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Major flight disruptions hit Munich and Hamburg airports as union strike begins

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Germany’s Munich and Hamburg airports were hit by strikes by public sector union Verdi on Thursday and Friday, with airlines cancelling about 80% of flights in Munich.

Munich, Germany’s second-largest hub, said in a statement on its website that there was a risk that even more flights could be cancelled and that passengers planning to travel through Munich should contact their airlines.

Verdi has staged several walk-outs in Germany since wage negotiations kicked off in January.

The union said that staff at Hamburg airport’s operator, as well as at services including at maintenance, IT, security and baggage handling would not work during the two days.

German airport association ADV said that the strikes, as well as similar airport walk-outs in Duesseldorf and Cologne earlier this week, were disrupting travel plans of almost 300,000 passengers.

“Two-day strikes that cut off German metropolitan regions from international air travel go far beyond what could qualify as token strikes,” ADV said.

SOURCE: REUTERS AND AGENCIES



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/luknjZJ

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