World Tour - Christians flee violence in Nigeria

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour with our reporter in Africa, Onize Ohikere.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Violence against Christians in Nigeria—We start today here in Africa.

Violence against Christians in central Nigeria has escalated in the last month. The region is rife with inter-communal clashes between ethnic Muslim Fulani herdsmen and predominantly Christian farmers.

Attacks by herdsmen are driving the farmers from their land. This man has resorted to planting a small crop on a public riverbank.

AUDIO: We are not able to farm, you understand, so this place you see is where I am managing to feed my family. I managed to harvest some maize...

So many farmers are fleeing from their land that it’s driving up the cost of food across Nigeria.

In the first three weeks of August, suspected Fulani herdsmen killed at least 70 Christians, displaced more than 30,000 others, and burned 500 homes in a town in northern Plateau state.

AUDIO: The government should try on his part provide security for us so that we can go back to our farms because that is the only source of livelihood we have.

Last week, gunmen stormed another community and killed at least 36 people in a carefully orchestrated attack. Residents said the suspected armed herdsmen opened fire sporadically in the village and went door to door, killing and burning people.

Leaders in the Christian Association of Nigeria accuse the government of not providing security to non-Muslim communities.

China rules on video games, student exams—Next we go to Asia.

Children in China can no longer play video games whenever they want. Under new rules announced Monday, students can only play games for three hours a week—between 8 and 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. During school holidays, students can play up to an hour a day.

AUDIO: [Man speaking Mandarin]

This teen says he thinks the measures are a bit strict. He also says it’s unfair to blame students’ falling grades on the time they spend online.

But the Chinese Communist Party disagrees. It says gaming addiction is affecting studies and has made many parents miserable.

China is known for its strict approach to education. And some say that puts too much pressure on students, especially young children. To help ease that pressure, the government announced this week that first and second graders will no longer have to take written exams at the end of the year.

Paris drops speed limit—And finally, we end today in Europe.

AUDIO: [Sound of traffic, cars accelerating]

Drivers in Paris are slowing down. To 18 miles an hour! That’s the new speed limit in the French capital.

AUDIO: [Man speaking French]

This taxi driver calls the slow speed stressful. He predicts other taxi drivers may quit over the limit.

The city’s new mayor imposed the new speed in an effort to reduce accidents, noise, and pollution. Drivers might not like it, but the city’s cyclists say they feel much safer on the city’s busy streets.

That’s this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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