A grizzly bear attacked a group of schoolchildren and teachers on a walking trail in British Columbia, Canada, injuring 11 people, two of them critically. The attack happened Thursday afternoon in Bella Coola, 435 miles northwest of Vancouver. The Nuxalk Nation said the “aggressive bear” remained on the loose Thursday evening and police and conservation officers were on the scene. “Officers are armed. Remain indoors and off the highway,” the First Nation said in a social media post. Two people were critically injured and two had serious injuries, Emergency Health Services spokesman Brian Twaites said. The others were treated at...

Pope Leo XIV says that both Christians and Muslims are victims of widespread violence in Nigeria, linking the bloodshed to extremist groups as well as economic and land-related conflicts. According to the Catholic News Agency, the Pope made statement in a video that went viral on Friday, recorded during an interview on Tuesday in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. Responding to a question about whether Christians face genocide in Nigeria, the Pope said, “I think in Nigeria, in certain areas, there is certainly a danger for Christians, but for all people. Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered.” He added that the insecurity...

Japanese jazz musician Yoshio Suzuki and his band were in the midst of a sound check for some long-awaited performances in Beijing when the venue was visited by plain-clothes police on Thursday afternoon. “After less than one minute, the venue owner came to me and said the police told him all concerts with Japanese people are cancelled – and there is no discussion,” said Christian Petersen-Clausen, a German concert promoter and documentary filmmaker who has lived in China for 13 years. About a dozen concerts with Japanese musicians in major Chinese cities have been abruptly cancelled this week as diplomatic...

Segun Awolowo, the grandson of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of Nigeria’s foremost statesmen and nationalists, has died at the age of 62. In a statement released by the Awolowo family, on Thursday, describing him as a devoted family man and an exceptional public servant. “With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Olusegun Awolowo.” “He was a phenomenal husband, father, and grandfather, wise, steady, and endlessly loving. He remained the anchor of our family and a deeply loyal servant of Nigeria. Throughout his life, he served the nation with vision, integrity, passion,...

Taiwan lifted all restrictions on Japanese food imports on Friday in another show of support for Tokyo after reports that China will stop purchases over a row with the new prime minister. The government in Taipei imposed a blanket ban on food imports from five Japanese regions in and around the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, before easing some restrictions in 2022 and 2024. Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that “Japanese food safety management measures return to normal”, with immediate effect. “Since 2011, Taiwan has conducted border inspections on over 270,000 batches of Japanese food...