NIGERIA

23 killed, 100 injured in multiple explosions

At least 23 people have been confirmed dead and 108 others were injured in three explosions on Monday evening that rocked the northeastern city of Maiduguri, Nigeria. A spokesman for the Borno State police said in a statement on Tuesday that suspected suicide bombers allegedly detonated improvised explosive devices at the Maiduguri Monday Market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and the Post Office Flyover area, citing a preliminary investigation. A joint team of security forces was quickly dispatched to secure the affected areas and prevent further threats. The spokesperson confirmed that normalcy had been restored, with heightened security measures now in place. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

UNITED STATES

Workers on strike at meatpacking plants

Thousands of workers at the world's largest meatpacking company began a two-week strike on Monday in Greeley, Colorado, threatening to make the already costly beef even more expensive for US consumers. The first walkout at a US beef slaughterhouse in four decades follows accusations from union officials that the company retaliated against workers and engaged in unfair labor practices. They said the company offered wage increases of less than 2 percent annually, which is below Colorado's inflation rate. Union officials said 99 percent of the plant's 3,800 unionized workers voted to strike. More than 2,600 showed up at the picket line by early Monday afternoon and others were expected to check in over the coming days, said Claire Poundstone, an attorney for the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7.

JAPAN

Leak delays operations in restarted reactor

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings told Japan's nuclear regulators on Monday that it will push back the planned commercial operation of the No 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, following signs of an electricity leak, local media reported. The reactor marked the first TEPCO-run unit to go back online since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. It resumed operation on Jan 21 and was scheduled to begin commercial operations on Wednesday. But the utility decided to delay the schedule after an alarm went off last Thursday afternoon, indicating a small-scale electricity leak at a power generator, Kyodo News reported. TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa told reporters that it remains unclear when the company will be able to begin commercial operations, noting the investigation into the incident is underway.