Bangladesh, Nigeria, North Korea
Today's three stories you should know
Bangladesh
Almost 100 children have died in a quickly spiraling measles outbreak in Bangladesh, official data showed, as the country of 170 million people launched an emergency vaccination drive aimed at reaching more than one million children. According to health ministry figures, 6,467 children aged six months to five years have suspected measles symptoms. Bangladesh has in recent years made advances in vaccinating infectious diseases, but a measles vaccination campaign in 2024 was delayed by a street uprising that toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. As many as 95,000 people die from measles globally every year, the U.N.’s World Health Organisation says, mostly children under the age of five.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Nigeria
The Nigerian army said it has rescued 31 civilians who were kidnapped during an attack on an Easter church service, and that five people were found dead at the scene. The attackers escaped and troops were in pursuit, it said. Northwest Nigeria has struggled with violence for years, with Islamist armed groups battling government forces, and armed gangs storming villages and taking large numbers of people, mostly students, for ransom. Despite several promises and the launch of special military operations, the government has failed to quell the insecurity.
More from Reuters here.
Proximities has published a deep dive on the violence in Nigeria here.
North Korea
South Korea’s spy agency says it has “credible intelligence” that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter has been chosen as his successor. According to lawmakers who attended a closed-door parliamentary meeting, the South’s National Intelligence Service director Lee Jong-seok said footage of her driving a tank was aimed at demonstrating her military prowess and dispelling fears over a female leader. The girl is believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13 but North Korean state media has not published that information. Separately, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung today expressed regret to North Korea over a drone incursion, which he said was carried out by a civilian.
More from AP here.