In brief: Peace talks fail, fighting ramps up in Ukraine

KIEV, Ukraine – Fighting intensified in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, the day after representatives of the government and pro-Russia separatists failed to reach a truce at a meeting brokered by Russian and international mediators.

Twenty fighters died and dozens were wounded in the latest combat, according to spokesmen for both sides. The separatist forces continued to claim that they had encircled the Ukrainian forces, an assertion the government denied.

“Despite all their efforts and ungrounded claims of victory our army concentrated enough troops, armor and artillery in the area to repel all their attacks,” said Yuri Povkh, a Defense Ministry adviser. “In the given situation, I don’t see a chance of our forces in the area getting encircled by the enemy.”

The separatist command, however, said the Russia-backed insurgents had tightened a noose around several thousand Ukrainian troops near Debaltsevo, in the Donetsk region about 60 miles northwest of the Russian border.

Major Nigerian city attacked

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria – Nigerian troops Sunday repelled Islamic extremists who attacked from four fronts on Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeast Nigeria, with several civilians killed by aerial bombs and grenades and mortar shells on the ground.

Soldiers said hundreds of insurgents died.

Terrified residents fled homes shaking from five hours of heavy artillery fire and streamed in from the outskirts of the besieged city of 2 million, already crowded with another 200,000 refugees from the fighting.

In a separate attack, a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber killed himself and eight others Sunday at the home of politician Sabo Garbu in Potiskum, in neighboring Yobe state, according to witness Abdullahi Mohammed.