News in Brief (2022-04-21)

Blast kills three at Nigeria market
TARABA, Apr 20: Three people were killed and 19 injured after an explosion at a crowded market in Nigeria's Taraba state in the east of the country, local police said on Wednesday. Nigeria is plagued by insecurity as armed gangs and an Islamist insurgency carry out attacks against communities and security targets in northern parts of the country. Usman Abdullahi, police spokesman for Taraba, said the blast in the rural Iware community occurred on Tuesday at a drinking spot in a section of a busy market, leaving three dead and more than a dozen people with injuries. "It is suspected to have been caused by improvised explosive device that detonated. — Reuters
Court issues order to extradite Assange
LONDON, Apr 20: A UK court on Wednesday issued a formal order to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face trial over the publication of secret files relating to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The decision now rests with interior minister Priti Patel, although Assange may still appeal within 14 days of any decision to approve the extradition. The ruling Wednesday by a magistrate in central London brings the long-running legal saga in the UK courts closer to a conclusion. — AFP
US forgives 40,000 student loans
NEW YORK, Apr 20: The US Department of Education has cancelled student loan debt for 40,000 people and offered credits to help another 3.6 million pay off their loans under a plan announced on Tuesday designed to aid low-income borrowers and public servants. "Student loans were never meant to be a life sentence, but it's certainly felt that way for borrowers locked out of debt relief they're eligible for," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in the statement. In his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden called for cancelling $10,000 in student loan debt for each borrower, a commitment of more than $400 billion. — Reuters
Two dead, 8 missing in mine accident
WARSAW, April 20: Two people were killed and eight more are missing following two suspected gas explosions in a coal mine in southern Poland on Wednesday, the company in charge of the mine said. "Twenty-one people were injured. We have no contact with eight people who were working there," the head of mining company JSW, Tomasz Cudny, told PAP news agency. — AFP