alert

Nov. 21 (UPI) — The Christian Association of Nigeria said 215 Catholic school students in Central Nigeria were kidnapped on Friday by a group of armed men.

The attackers also kidnapped a dozen teachers from the religious school in the north-central Niger State, CNN reported.

Many students managed to escape, and their parents began picking them up before the school closed, Niger State CAN Chapter leader Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna told media.

CAN officials are working with the government and its security agencies to safely return the abducted children and teachers, a CAN spokesman said.

It’s the second mass abduction of school students this week in the West African coastal nation.

According to police, the pupils were taken when armed “bandits” stormed the St. Mary’s School in Papiri and forced students out of their hostel sleeping space.

Boarding schools already were closed by state authorities in a large part of the country due to concern over rising security threats following a renewed string of attacks by militant groups.

The incident occurred after more than 20 Muslim schoolgirls were kidnapped Monday from a different boarding school in the neighboring Kebbi state.

But officials said St. Mary’s, in Nigeria’s largest state of Niger, defied the order to close despite intelligence warnings by the Nigerian government.

“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities,” they told the BBC in a statement.

“Without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” Nigerian officials stated.

The mass kidnappings came on top of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s threat to issue strikes against Islamic extremists in Nigeria, such as ISWAP and Boko Haram, which are currently engaged in ongoing armed conflicts for control of sovereign territory with various militarized groups, described as “bandits,” across the West African country.

Boko Haram is designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.

On Wednesday, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said he was “fully apprised” of the “recent uptick in violent extremism in pockets across the country.”

“And I have directed our security agencies to respond with urgency, clarity, and decisive action. Our forces need the full cooperation of every community. Sharing information can save lives and protect our children,” Tinubu posted on social media.

Tinubu said that Nigeria was canceling plans to participate in the looming G20 and AU-EU summits in South Africa and Angola, respectively.

The UK’s Foreign Office has issued an update

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has changed its travel guidance for a destination popular with British travellers. People are being warned airports and other transport operators could be affected amid industrial action.

In a new alert on Wednesday, November 19, the FCDO said: “Strikes are planned for Monday 24, Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 November. This is expected to affect airports, public transport and some public services, including schools.

“Public transport will be affected from 10pm on Sunday 23 November. A demonstration is planned for central Brussels on Wednesday 26 November. Strike action is an ongoing issue that can cause travel disruption.

“General strikes took place on 31 March, 29 April and 14 October. Strike action may be announced at short notice. Monitor local news and check with your provider regarding potential delays and closures.”

Hundreds of thousands of people from the UK travel to Belgium each year. Further FCDO advice reads: “Strike action is an ongoing issue that can cause severe travel disruption across the country and affect international travel.

“For regular updates on any disruption, check local news and follow advice given by your travel provider.”

According to The Bulletin, this industrial action is “the latest and largest in a series of actions in response to the new federal government’s planned austerity measures, which unions say threaten Belgium’s social safety net”. Action will begin with a 72-hour rail transport strike, commencing at 11pm on November 23.

On 25 November, the movement “will spread to public administrations: municipalities, hospitals, administrative services, as well as the education sector, which has been invited to join the strike”.

The volcano has spewed ash clouds as tall as 5.6km (3.48 miles) into the sky, authorities say.

Indonesia’s Semeru volcano has erupted, unleashing fast-moving pyroclastic flows as the country’s volcanology agency increased the alert level of Java island’s tallest mountain to the highest.

The volcano spewed ash clouds as tall as 5.6km (3.48 miles) into the sky, the agency said on Wednesday, adding that residents should stay a 2.5km (1.55-mile) distance away due to risks.

The eruption began at about 4pm (09:00 GMT), according to a written report from Mukdas Sofian, an officer at Indonesia’s volcanology monitoring post.

“Pyroclastic flows are still occurring, with the runout distance reaching seven kilometres [4.3 miles] from the summit, and the eruption was ongoing at the time this report was prepared,” Sofian said.

Mount Semeru, located in a densely populated region of Java, is Indonesia’s highest peak at 3,676 metres (12,060 feet) and sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a seismically active arc where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are common.

Semeru, also known as Mahameru, has erupted numerous times in the past 200 years, including a deadly episode in 2021 that killed 62 people and buried villages in hot ash.

Indonesia is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes – more than any other country, and Semeru’s frequent activity is closely monitored because of the risks it poses to nearby communities, transport routes and aviation.

The Foreign Office has issued a warning to Brits travelling to eight new countries after a number of recent cases of methanol poisoning were reported

Travellers are being urged to exercise extra caution while on holiday amid rising concerns about poisoning cases. Experts at MoneySuperMarket have issued new advice following the Foreign Office’s addition of eight more countries to its list of methanol warnings just last month.

Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is a clear, flammable liquid present in products like paint and antifreeze. However, it is sometimes also illegally added to alcoholic drinks and cocktails in bars to cut costs. This practice can be extremely dangerous, as even tiny quantities can cause severe, irreversible damage — including blindness or death — within 48 hours.

Alicia Hempsted, travel insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, explained: “Methanol is a type of alcohol often used in antifreeze and windshield washer fluid and is highly toxic if consumed. Early symptoms can include vomiting and drowsiness but as poisoning worsens, it may lead to abdominal pain, vertigo, difficulty breathing, blurred vision and even blindness.”

Doctors Without Borders reports that thousands of people are poisoned by methanol annually. Fatality rates often range from 20% to 40%, depending on the concentration and the amount ingested.

In light of this, Ms Hempsted said the ‘safest approach’ would be to drink from sealed bottles when abroad and never leave beverages unattended. She also urged travellers to take out travel insurance to provide cover for any possible medical emergencies.

Ms Hempsted said: “Unfortunately, even when you take every possible precaution, emergencies can still happen when you’re abroad. Travel insurance can provide cover for emergency medical expenses and hospital treatments helping to protect you from financial and additional personal stress if the worst does happen.”

She also added: “If you experience any of the symptoms of methanol poisoning, or suspect you may have consumed it, you must seek immediate medical attention. Treatments can include an antidote or dialysis, depending on how advanced the poisoning is.”

Where are the eight new warnings about methanol poisoning?

In October, the Foreign Office added new guidance on methanol poisoning to the travel pages for eight countries. This included:

1. Ecuador
2. Kenya
3. Japan
4. Mexico
5. Nigeria
6. Peru
7. Uganda
8. Russia

Previously, the Foreign Office only issued guidance on methanol poisoning in countries where British nationals had been affected. These countries include Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Fiji.

According to a previous Mirror report, Hamish Falconer, the minister responsible for Consular and Crisis, said in October: “Methanol poisoning can kill – it can be difficult to detect when drinking and early symptoms mirror ordinary alcohol poisoning. By the time travellers realise the danger, it can be too late.

“That’s why we’re working hard to raise awareness of the warning signs and urging anyone who suspects methanol poisoning to seek immediate medical attention. I encourage all travellers to check our travel advice and Travel Aware pages before they go on holiday.

“No family should endure what the campaigners’ families have suffered. Their determination to prevent others facing the same tragedy has been instrumental in driving forward these vital updates to our travel advice.”

For more information, visit GOV.UK here.

The captain has explained the truth behind aeroplane mode and what happens if people ignore it

A pilot has warned why it is essential to use a phone’s aeroplane mode on a flight – with ‘sudden’ issues possible at certain key moments. Savina Paül, an A330 pilot outlined the problems that arise when people ignore the warnings issued on planes over use of the mode.

The captain warned planes are essentially like big computers. Systems on modern aircraft like the Airbus A330 are highly computerised and sensitive to small electrical impulses or external interference, he said.

She says passengers should wait for a few minutes before turning on mobile phones after landing. And she said they should keep them in aeroplane mode throughout the flight – even if the journey is short.

“One phone is fine, but all of them at once isn’t,” she said. She added simply: “Listen to us when we ask you to switch your mobile phone to airplane mode”. She made the remarks while speaking on the Spanish podcast ‘Supersónicos Anónimos’.

She told listeners that using your phone’s ‘aeroplane mode’ is a real safety measure. In particular, she said the issue is not just around a single device being switched on, El Confidencial reports.

Instead, she said it is the total effect of large numbers of active mobile phones during a flight. And in particular, this is a problem during high-precision approaches, known in aviation as category 3 – or autoland.

She said: “One mobile phone switched on does nothing, but 300 mobile phones at once, especially during a high-precision approach, can cause interference.”

She told the pod that the interference directly affects the aircraft’s instruments. She spoke about incident while a plane was on the runway: “While taxiing, suddenly a fault warning ‘master caution’ appears and then disappears. Sometimes this is because people turn on their mobile phones as soon as they land.”

She added: “The plane is basically a computer, and these things happen,” she said – and cautioned that even a small error can trigger momentary alerts in the control systems.

In an excerpt of the pod broadcast on TikTok, she was again asked if it was really necessary to have flight mode on. She said: “If travellers are listening to this, please don’t ignore us regarding airplane mode on phones. It may seem silly, but it’s not.”

She then added: “I’ll be honest with you. One mobile phone switched on does nothing, but 300 mobile phones at once, especially during a high-precision approach, a category 3, when you need everything to work perfectly, can certainly cause interference.