Burundi teens go missing after U.S. robotics contest

Authorities reported six Burundian teenagers missing after they attended an international robotics challenge in Washington, D.C. At least two may have crossed into Canada, according to witness reports. Organizers of the FIRST Global Challenge said in a statement the teenagers were last seen on Tuesday after their chaperone reported he couldn’t find them. The chaperone discovered the keys to the students’ rooms at Trinity Washington University in his bag and found their bags packed and missing. By Wednesday, police in Washington posted missing-persons fliers. Police spokeswoman Margarita Mikhaylova, said two of the teenagers—Audrey Mwamikazi, 17, and Don Ingabire, 16—were spotted crossing into Canada. “We don’t have any indication of foul play and we’re continuing to investigate this case,” she said. But FIRST Global said in a later statement the missing bags and returned keys signal the disappearance may have been self-initiated. Teams from more than 150 countries attended the robotics competition, which aims to encourage careers in math and science.