Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has called the attack a "dastardly act." [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Dozens killed in attack at Catholic church in Nigeria
[A view of the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Nigeria, after gunmen opened fire and detonated explosives, June 5, 2022.]
Credit: Rahaman A Yusuf/AP Nigeria
At least 50 people, including children, have died after gunmen opened fire on worshippers and detonated explosives [inside a Catholic church]( in southwestern Nigeria. No one has claimed responsibility yet for the attack, and local authorities say the perpetrators remain at large. Officials say that, as people were being killed inside, other gunmen waited outside the church to [shoot those who tried to flee]( the scene. President Muhammadu Buhari called it a "dastardly act" and said that "only fiends from the nether region" could have done such a thing, and promised to hold the attackers accountable. Nigeria has seen an upsurge in violence and kidnappings in recent months, though Ondo State had been spared from such attacks. Iraq
A British man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to [smuggle ancient artifacts]( out of the country. Retired geologist Jim Fitton says he was unaware that he was breaking the law when taking about a dozen stone fragments and pieces of pottery or ceramics with him as souvenirs. Iraqi officials say the fragments date back more than 200 years. Fitton was arrested at the airport on March 20 along with German national Volker Waldmann â who was acquitted of the same charges. The maximum sentence of the 2002 law is the death penalty. Fittonâs family has called on the British government for help, but the Foreign Office has said that it [cannot interfere with the judicial process]( of another country. US-South Korea
The United States and South Korea have [jointly fired eight missiles]( into the waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula. The move was in response to North Korea firing the same number of short-range ballistic missiles on Sunday. The exchange comes amid a shifting tone from Seoul following the election of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol last month, who has repeatedly emphasized a [tougher stance against Pyongyang]( and a desire to strengthen his countryâs military. The approach is a departure from his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who had pushed for dialogue and peaceful reconciliation instead. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World ['It's a mass ecological crisis': Extreme weather in Iraq hits those already struggling the hardest](
[Fishermen navigate on the Shatt al-Arab waterway during a sandstorm in Basra, Iraq, May 23, 2022.](
Credit: Nabil al-Jurani/AP About a dozen dust storms have blown across Iraq this year with [increased frequency and intensity](. Experts say that it's due to climate change, drought and desertification. [Northern Ireland decriminalized abortion 3 years ago. But services are still difficult to access.](
[Campaigner Sarah Ewart, right, enters the Supreme Court in London, June 7, 2018. Britain’s Supreme Court criticized Northern Ireland’s strict anti-abortion laws but dismissed a legal challenge.](
Credit: Frank Augstein/AP Despite the decriminalization of abortion in Northern Ireland several years ago, access remains far from straightforward. And [campaigners on both sides]( of the issue are rallying after last monthâs US Supreme Court leak that's suggested the overturning of Roe v. Wade. --------------------------------------------------------------- Help The World invest time and care in our journalism With every story we share, we invest time and care to ensure that we are centering the voices of those behind the headlines. This type of independent, human-centered journalism is more important now than ever before. Can we [count on you]( to keep our nonprofit newsroom going strong? --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot Archaeologists in Egypt recently [discovered a trove of ancient artifacts]( dating back 2,500 years. The findings at the necropolis of Saqqara near the capital Cairo include bronze statues and 250 well-preserved mummies. Inside one of the painted coffins â known as a sarcophagus â they also found a complete and sealed papyrus for the first time, which is now being studied at a museum. ð
Credit: In case you missed it on The World
--------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.