Briefly

NIGERIA

Suicide bomb attack death toll rises to 32

The death toll from multiple suicide bombings in the northeastern Nigerian town of Gwoza over the weekend has risen to 32, the country's Vice-President Kashim Shettima said on Monday. Saturday's attacks involving female suicide bombers targeting a wedding, a hospital and a funeral were one of the worst in northeastern Nigeria in years. Initial reports estimated the death toll at 18. No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts, but the Boko Haram extremist group is active around Gwoza. More than 40,000 people have been killed and another 2 million people displaced by the fighting which started in 2009.

SIERRA LEONE

Law banning child marriage adopted

Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday promulgated a law banning child marriage in a country where hundreds of thousands of girls are married before turning 18. Sierra Leone's parliament approved the law last month, passing a bill that criminalizes marrying girls below 18 with jail terms of at least 15 years or a stiff fine. He urged the country to "nurture" equality "by eliminating all forms of violence and exclusion vices against our own women". The Save the Children NGO lauded the law as "historic".

ASIA

Beijing, Laos to hold joint military exercise

Based on the annual plan and the agreement of both sides, the armed forces of China and Laos will hold the Friendship Shield-2024 joint military exercise in Laos this month, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Wednesday. The exercise, the second of its kind, seeks to strengthen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation between the two militaries, with the aim of promoting regional peace and stability. The Friendship Shield-2023 joint military exercise was held in May last year in Laos.

Xinhua - Agencies