Briefly

INDIA

13 dead as naval vessel hits boat

At least 13 people died when an Indian naval boat collided with a passenger ferry with more than 100 passengers which then capsized off the coast of financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday, officials said. The navy said 99 people were rescued with efforts ongoing for others. Local TV channels showed a boat carrying at least five people hitting the passenger vehicle, causing the accident. "Condolences to the bereaved families," India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

NIGERIA

30 children killed in carnival stampede

At least 30 children were killed and dozens of others injured on Wednesday in a stampede at a children's carnival organized in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state in southwestern Nigeria, local media reported. The carnival took a devastating turn after the private organizers of the event announced plans to distribute cash to 5,000 children, which triggered a chaotic rush to enter a high school, the venue of the funfair in the Basho-run area of Ibadan on Wednesday morning.

BRAZIL

Cellphone ban in schools passed

Brazil's Senate on Wednesday passed a bill banning cellphones in schools across the nation and sent the proposed legislation to be signed into law by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The bill prohibits the use of cellphones in school classrooms and during recess and is aimed at reducing their negative effects on the learning of children and adolescents. The measure applies to private and public schools, and makes exceptions for studies that require the use of cellphones and are authorized by teachers.

Agencies - Xinhua