Briefly

NIGERIA

At least 23 killed in armed attacks

At least 23 people have been killed in armed attacks on two communities in central Nigeria's Benue state on Monday, a state official said on Tuesday. Gunmen invaded two communities－the Mbadwem community in Guma local government area and the Tiortyu community in Tarka local government area－on Monday night and killed no fewer than 23 people, said Nathaniel Ikyur, a spokesperson for the Benue state governor, in a statement on Tuesday. Nigeria has witnessed a series of attacks by armed groups in recent months. There have also been recurring incidents of livestock rustling and armed banditry in the country.

FINLAND

First science satellite ready for launch

Finland's first science satellite is ready for launch this summer, the University of Helsinki announced on Tuesday. The satellite's journey from Espoo, southern Finland, will begin within a few days, the university said. Its first stop will be in Berlin, where the satellite will be integrated into a launch adapter and delivered to its designated rocket by the German launch service provider EXOLaunch. In the summer, the satellite will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the space center in Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA. The satellite, named Forsail-1, was developed by the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Research into Sustainable Space.

GREECE

President tests positive for coronavirus

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to a press statement emailed from her office. The Greek head of state has mild symptoms, and she will stay in quarantine at home, it added. Earlier this spring, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had contracted the virus and recovered. Both have been vaccinated and received booster shots. The country had more than 3.1 million COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, with more than 28,200 related deaths, according to World Health Organization data.

Xinhua - Agencies