Briefly

NIGERIA

Children abducted by gunmen freed

Some 137 students kidnapped by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria this month were released unharmed on Sunday, officials and the army said. The kidnapping in Kuriga, Kaduna state, on March 7 was one of the biggest such attacks in years, prompting a national outcry over security. The army said the hostages were freed in the early hours during a rescue operation. Previous reports said around 280 pupils were kidnapped, but it was not clear why there was such a large difference between the figures.

UNITED KINGDOM

Worldwide support for princess with cancer

Support poured in from around the world on Saturday for Kate, the Princess of Wales, after she said in a video message that she is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer following major abdominal surgery. The poignant video, in which she spoke about the "huge shock" and "incredibly tough couple of months" for her family after her diagnosis, came after weeks of frenzied speculation on social media about her health and well-being. "This, of course, came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family," she said.

Agencies via Xinhua