1. 276 Nigerian girls kidnapped

2. The militant and terrorist group Boko Haram (which has ties to al Qaeda) claimed responsibility for the mass abduction of 276 girls who were kidnapped from school in the country of Nigeria more than 3 weeks ago. The terrorists came to the girls' school in the middle of the night, posing as soldiers. After overtaking security guards, they stormed the students' dormitory. One year ago this month, Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau released a video announcing a new attempt at forced Islamism: his fighters will begin abducting girls and selling them. The kidnappings, he said, were retaliation for Nigerian security forces nabbing the wives and children of group members. And for 12 months, the radical militant group has done just that. The group's name itself means "Western education is sinful" in the local Hausa language. Its aim is to impose a stricter enforcement of Sharia law. The group especially opposes the education of women. Under its version of Sharia law, women should be at home raising children and looking after their husbands, not at school learning to read and write. It is very possible that the 276 teen girls could become child brides or sex slaves. Rights groups have said Boko Haram has kidnapped girls as young as 12.

3. In Other News Since 1990, the not-for-profit James Beard Foundation named after "the father of American cuisine," has been honoring the outstanding names in the food and beverage industry. It is done just like the Oscars. Some winners: Best Restaurant was The Slanted Door (San Francisco, California) ; Best Chef was Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza (Los Angeles, California); Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic was Vikram Sunderam, Rasika (Washington, D.C.) [Up for that award was Brad Spence, Amis (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)]. Officials are assuring students of Paine College that it's safe to attend classes Tuesday, after the small Augusta, Georgia, school was rattled by two campus shootings in two days. The more serious of the two occurred Monday when a student was shot in the head inside an administration building. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on a new law Monday that bans swearing at arts, cultural and entertainment events in the country. Any new film containing obscene language won't be granted a distribution certificate, so there's no chance of seeing it at the movie theater. And copies of books, CDs or films containing swearing can only be distributed in a sealed package labeled "Contains obscene language." According to state news agency ITAR-Tass, individuals caught using foul language face a fine of up to $70, while officials can be fined up to $40 and businesses nearly $1,400. They face a higher fine and a three-month suspension of business for repeated offenses. Determination of what counts as profane language will be done through "an independent examination." Foreign ministers from across Europe and beyond are meeting Tuesday in Vienna, Austria, in the latest international effort to rein in the spiraling crisis in Ukraine. Unrest has spiraled in Ukraine since street protests forced out pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in February. The interim government scheduled presidential elections this month but pro-Russian activists in the eastern part of the country refuse to accept Kiev's authority and want greater autonomy.