An unknown number of students and staff were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in an attack on a Catholic boarding school in western Nigeria early Friday, authorities said. (Nigeria Police Force Niger State Command)
(MAIDUGURI, Nigeria and LONDON) — An unknown number of students and staff were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in an attack on a Catholic boarding school in western Nigeria early Friday, authorities said.
The incident occurred before dawn, around 2 a.m. local time, at St. Mary’s School in the Papiri community of the Agwara local government area in Niger state, according to the Nigeria Police Force’s Niger State Command, which said in a statement that “armed bandits” had “abducted a yet to be ascertained number of students from the school’s hostel.”
“Police tactical units, military components and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students,” police added.
The Niger state government also confirmed in a statement that it “has received with deep sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area,” adding that the “exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation.”
The statement noted that the “unfortunate incident comes despite prior intelligence” warning of heightened threats in part of Niger state and the governor” ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure.”
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” Abubakar Usman, secretary to the Niger state government, said in the statement.
Local media reports say a roll call at the school revealed that 52 students are missing as well as a number of staff. ABC News is working to confirm this.
It’s the latest in a string of recent attacks by armed groups across Nigeria, including Monday’s kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls in nearby Kebbi state. The incidents have prompted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to postpone planned trips abroad.
Grizzly bears, Grinder and Coola are seen at their habitat at the Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 12, 2020. Grouse Mountain attracts 1.3 million visitors a year. (Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
(BELLA COOLA, British Columbia) — A grizzly bear attack has been reported Thursday in the small, remote community of Bella Coola along the Central Coast of Canada’s British Columbia province, according to regional and local officials.
The British Columbia Conservation Office Service, which was deployed to the scene along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said “initial information suggests several people may have been injured.”
Acwsalcta School, an independent school in Bella Coola run by the Nuxalk Nation, said it will be closed Friday due to the “bear incident,” adding that “it’s hard to know what to say during this very difficult time.”
Nuxalk Nation said the animal “has still not been found” after warning of an “aggressive bear” in the Four Mile subdivision, a forested and residential area in the Bella Coola Valley where Acwsalcta School is located.
Officials also urged people in the area to stay indoors, warning them to not go looking for the bear and to “not go down any trails.”
ABC News has reached out to regional and local officials for more information.
British Columbia is home to an estimated 15,000 grizzly bears, which makes up more than half of the total grizzly population in Canada, according to a 2012 assessment and status report by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Tylenol is displayed for sale at a CVS Pharmacy on November 03, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — A federal appeals court is deciding whether to revive more than 500 lawsuits filed by parents who claimed their children’s autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was caused by prenatal exposure to Tylenol.
The lawsuits were dismissed in December 2023 by U.S. District Judge Denise Cote after finding that the plaintiffs’ scientific experts did not provide credible evidence linking use of Tylenol, or its active ingredient acetaminophen, to autism or ADHD.
Cote wrote in her ruling that “the unstructured approach adopted by the plaintiffs’ experts permitted cherry-picking, allowed a results-driven analysis, and obscured the complexities, inconsistencies, and weaknesses in the underlying data.”
However, in a hearing this week, two judges of a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan suggested some of the experts’ testimony may have been admissible and that the lawsuits were prematurely dismissed.
“I’m having trouble understanding why the district court was correct to say that this just is nonsense. This is something that no one should hear,” Circuit Judge Gerard Lynch said during the hearing earlier this week. “It just goes out the window, when it seems to me that you have a reputable scientist explaining why each of these judgment calls was made.”
Meanwhile, Circuit Judge Guido Calabresi implied that the cases could have gone to a jury.
“It seems to me you’re constantly coming back to where you began, which is [the experts] didn’t show that there was a causal link, but a causal link cannot be shown,” Calabresi said. “All that matters is if people bring in evidence, so that then juries or courts may say, ‘This goes one way or the other.'”
The topic has been in the headlines since the Trump administration announced in September that the use of Tylenol during pregnancy may be linked to an increased risk of autism and that pregnant women should limit their use, contradicting medical evidence.
Studies on this question have not shown a direct cause and effect. Some studies point to a possible link, but major medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have evaluated the evidence and continue to recommend acetaminophen as the safest pain reliever during pregnancy in consultation with your OB-GYN.
At the time of Trump’s announcement, federal officials cited an August 2025 meta-analysis from researchers at Mt. Sinai, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Heath, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and UMass Lowell that found prenatal exposure to acetaminophen may be associated with an increase in rates of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and ADHD, in children.
However, an April 2024 study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in JAMA, found that using acetaminophen during pregnancy was not linked to an increased risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability in children.
Additionally, a review published earlier this month in the BMJ similarly found no clear evidence of a link between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism or ADHD in children.
Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the makers of Tylenol –Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue — claiming that they deceptively marketed the over-the-counter medication to pregnant women despite alleged links to autism and other disorders.
Johnson & Johnson sold the drug for decades and its consumer health division spinoff, Kenvue Inc., has been selling the drug since 2023. Multinational consumer goods and personal care corporation Kimberly Clark recently announced plans to acquire Kenvue.
Kenvue has defended against claims that its products, or its active ingredient, is linked to autism.
In a statement to ABC News in September, the company said it believes research shows that acetaminophen does not cause autism.
“We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers,” the statement read. “Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy. Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives.”
The second season premiere of Landman did big numbers for Paramount+. According to the network, the premiere had over 9.2 million streaming views in its first two days, making it the most-watched premiere for any original series on Paramount+. Season 2, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Demi Moore, debuted Nov. 16. New episodes air every Sunday …
A new trailer for Disney and Pixar’s new animated film, Hoppers, has been released. According to the official description, the film follows an animal lover who uses a new technology to “hop” her consciousness into a robotic beaver so she can communicate directly with animals. It features an all-star voice cast including Meryl Streep, Dave Franco, Kathy Najimy, Bobby Moynihan and Jon Hamm. Hoppers hits theaters on March 6. Disney is the parent company of ABC News …
Mara Brock Akil will be honored with the Norman Lear Achievement Award by the Producers Guild of America. The prolific producer will accept the award at the 37th annual Producers Guild Awards on Feb. 28 in Los Angeles. Akil has produced TV series including Girlfriends, The Game, Being Mary Jane and the recent Netflix series adaptation of the Judy Blume novel Forever …
Russell Dickerson & Jonas Brothers’ “Happen to Me” (Triple Tigers)
Russell Dickerson has his biggest pop hit yet with “Happen to Me,” thanks to it going viral on TikTok. Russell says he’s not sure why, but he’s just riding the wave.
“I always just want to do big things. … We’re just following the song, really. Like, it’s just kind of taken off by itself,” he says. “And it started in country, yes. I just made a stupid dance on TikTok and now … I get tagged in it all the time, which is amazing.”
He shares that he’s “got a version with the Jonas Brothers now,” noting, “It’s wild.”
Russell released the new studio version of the song with JoBros on Oct. 31. The collab came about when Russell appeared onstage with the brothers in Detroit in August.
“They asked me to be one of their special guests. You know, they have a special guest every night. They’ve had everybody, I mean, so many people, so, [I’m] honored to be that,” Russell tells ABC Audio. “And I brought a girl on my team, Daniella, grew up with them.”
“And I was like, ‘Yo, what if while we’re there, we just float the idea of a feature on “Happen To Me?”‘” he continues. “And so she kinda, she was dropping a couple [hints], I was [too], and they were just like, they were all about it. ‘Cause like, [the song] was — it still is — just, like, going.”
“So, why would they not just hop on?” Russell asks. “It’s like a free ride to the top for them.”
Previously, Russell also found success on the pop side with “I Remember,” his collaboration with Cheat Codes.
In the midst of Backstreet Boys celebrating the 25th anniversary of their album Millennium with their Sphere Las Vegas residency, another one of their albums has also turned 25.
Black & Blue, the group’s fourth album, was released Nov. 21, 2000. It sold 1.5 million copies in its first week, making them the first group ever to have more than 1 million first-week sales with two albums back to back. The album produced the hit “Shape of My Heart” and has since sold some 15 million copies worldwide.
While Millennium seems to be universally beloved, does Black & Blue still hold up? “Yeah, it does,” says Backstreet’s AJ McLean.
“When I found that out [about the anniversary] a couple of days ago, I was like, ‘God bless it! 25?'” he tells ABC Audio. “Because you think Millennium‘s already 25 years. And now you got another record that’s 25 years. Like, wow. And every album has stood the test of time.”
“It really is truly a phenomenon,” AJ says of Backstreet’s continued popularity. “And we are so blessed and so grateful. Like, it just doesn’t happen. And to happen to five just regular guys just doing something that we love? It’s pretty freaking cool.”
But Backstreet is also looking forward in addition to looking back: They’re already discussing their next musical era.
“We’ve had some conversations,” AJ shares.
Despite his busy schedule — including the Nov. 27 release of his new solo EP, hi, my name is alex, and the Jan. 9 release of his solo album — AJ says, “There’s gaps in there where we could potentially make another album. Who knows? But we are definitely talking about new music and what that might look like.”
Joseph Sikora and Adrienne Walker in ‘Power Book IV: Force.’ (Starz)
Shanti “Showstopper” Page has come a long way since she was introduced as a disciplined boxer on Power Book IV: Force. She’s now working alongside boyfriend Jenard Sampson to take over the Chicago drug game, revealing an ambitious and fearless side of Adrienne Walker‘s character.
“Shanti was always that woman. … She’s playing chess, everyone else is playing checkers,” Walker tells ABC Audio. Though Shanti has identified the benefits of working with her partner, Walker clarifies that Shanti’s love for Jenard is real.
“Even though she has this love for Jenard that she’s had for years, she knows that she can use that to her advantage. … She does love him, but in the meantime, she still gon’ get what she wants,” Walker says.
“Shanti’s version of love is what you’re seeing,” she continues. “It’s selfish, it’s conditional, it’s violent at times, but that’s what she knows and that’s what she knows to be loved.”
With their romantic and working relationship ongoing, Kris D. Lofton, who portrays Jenard, says they have a pretty fiery dynamic in season 3.
“I think we’re gonna see moments of connection and true love that are revealed in ways that you may not necessarily understand or expect. Because there’s more than one way to show love. … Sometimes being in love with somebody is loving them enough to let them go, or loving them enough to help them. Or loving them enough to guide them on the right path,” he says. “I feel like we’re gonna see different levels of love between the two with a fiery, fiery, fiery backstory.“
Cage the Elephant on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (Disney/Randy Holmes)
Cage the Elephant and LCD Soundsystem have joined the lineup for the 2026 Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, taking place March 19-22 in Okeechobee, Florida.
Previously announced artists on the bill include The Lumineers, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Young the Giant. Dirty Heads are also among the new additions.
Tickets are on sale now. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit OkeechobeeFest.com.
You can also catch The Lumineers headlining the newly announced 2026 Zootown festival, taking place June 19-20 in Missoula, Montana. That lineup also includes RKS, as well as The Head and the Heart.
‘Hypnotize’ album artwork. (Sony Music Entertainment/American Recordings)
If you’re just sitting in your car and waiting for a new System of a Down album, you’ve officially been waiting for two decades.
Hypnotize, the fifth and, as it stands now, final studio effort from the “Chop Suey!” metallers, was released on Nov. 22, 2005 — 20 years ago Saturday. System announced a hiatus a year later before returning in 2010, though new music didn’t materialize.
In 2018, frontman Serj Tankian issued a statement explaining the creative stalemate between the band members that has kept them from putting together another album, citing a desire for more equal creative input and publishing splits, among other factors.
In 2020, System finally released new music in the form of two singles raising awareness and funds for the members’ ancestral homeland of Armenia, which was at war with Azerbaijan at the time. Still, no album came.
If Hypnotize remains the last-ever System album, guitarist Daron Malakian tells ABC Audio he’s proud of what the band accomplished with its discography.
“We stopped making records after [Hypnotize], but within five albums, I think you listen to System of a Down, and you hear an evolution,” Malakian says.
“The first album [was] very raw, very heavy,” he continues. “Second album, heavy, but now we have all these textures and vocal harmonies. And so, you hear the band moving, not putting out the same thing, same thing. I didn’t write ‘Chop Suey!’ seven times because it was a hit.”
Even if they haven’t put out an album in 20 years, System of a Down remains a huge live act. Over the summer, they played giant shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Chicago’s Soldier Field and Rogers Stadium in Toronto.
