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In brief: Nigeria militant attacks kill 20

From Wire Reports

ABUJA, Nigeria – Suspected Islamic militants have struck for a fourth time in three days in Nigeria, killing 20 people including a traditional ruler in attacks in the northeast, officials said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the military said all but eight of more than 100 teenage students kidnapped Tuesday are free.

The unprecedented string of attacks started with a massive explosion in the capital that killed at least 75 people. The 5-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 1,500 people this year.

Airstrikes at border destroy convoy

AMMAN, Jordan – Jordanian military warplanes struck a convoy of vehicles as they were trying to enter Jordan from Syria, the army said in a statement Wednesday, in an unusual move at a time of tensions between the desert kingdom and Damascus.

A Syrian military official said the vehicles did not belong to the Syrian army.

The Jordanian military statement said the attack happened at 10:30 a.m. after “camouflaged” vehicles driving in a rugged area near the border ignored demands to stop from security forces. The statement said Jordanian aircraft fired warning shots at the vehicles, but they did not stop. The warplanes then destroyed the vehicles.

Taliban won’t renew ceasefire in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD – The Pakistani Taliban said Wednesday they will not renew a ceasefire they called over a month ago to facilitate peace negotiations but said they will still continue talks with the government.

The announcement came just days after the country’s interior minister said comprehensive talks with the militants would start this week.

U.N. warns 1 million likely face famine

UNITED NATIONS – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned Wednesday up to a million people could face famine in conflict-torn South Sudan in the coming months unless the world takes immediate action.

Ban said “life and death” issues face the world’s newest nation: fighting, malnutrition and dire humanitarian conditions.

South Sudan saw massive violence sweep the country in December, when fighting broke out between troops loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar and those loyal to President Salva Kiir. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed, and more than 1 million have fled their homes.