UNITED STATES

Judge allows end to Haiti protections

A federal judge in Washington, DC, on Wednesday allowed the Trump administration to terminate temporary protected status, or TPS, for about 350,000 Haitians, putting them at risk of deportation, court records showed. The judge reversed an earlier order blocking the termination after the US Supreme Court ruled that TPS decisions are not subject to judicial review.

JAPAN

PM quake visit video sparks backlash

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has faced online criticism over a piano-scored video of her visit to earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture, which some social media users derided as a "PR piece", local media reported. The video showed Takaichi surveying damaged areas, meeting residents and visiting an evacuation center after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The government defended the video, calling it a concise summary of the visit.

NIGERIA

308 kidnapping victims rescued

Nigerian security forces have rescued 308 kidnapping victims, including 163 people abducted from Woro community in Kwara State earlier this year, the government said Wednesday. The victims were rescued from Kainji Lake National Park Forest in an intelligence-led operation involving security agencies. The government called it the largest single-day rescue operation conducted by a joint security team.

XINHUA-AGENCIES