Witnesses in the Somali capital say three explosions, including two from suicide bombers, have killed at least 15 people and wounded others. The blasts in Mogadishu Thursday appeared to target a restaurant called The Village, which is popular among journalists and civil servants. The site is located outside a building that houses VOA affiliate Kulmiya […]
Three Blasts Kill 15 in Somali Capital
Nigeria’s Biggest Airline Cancels Domestic Flights
Nigeria’s largest airline canceled all domestic flights Thursday, following a dispute with aviation workers. Arik Air said in a statement that it canceled all flights because of a work action in Lagos by the union of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. A Nigerian newspaper, Business Day, reported that Arik Air owes money to three government […]
Two Blasts Rock Somalia’s Capital, Casualties Reported
Two explosions have rocked the Somali capital, Mogadishu, causing multiple casualties according to witnesses. The blasts happened on Thursday outside a building that includes Rumia Radio, which broadcasts VOA programming. The radio director, Osman Abdullahi Gure, told VOA he saw 10 bodies outside the building. There are conflicting reports about whether the explosions were caused […]
Two Blasts Rock Somalia’s Capital, Casualties Reported
Two explosions have rocked the Somali capital, Mogadishu, causing multiple casualties according to witnesses. The blasts happened on Thursday outside a building that includes Rumia Radio, which broadcasts VOA programming. The radio director, Osman Abdulahi Gure, told VOA he saw 10 bodies outside the building. There are conflicting reports about whether the explosions were caused […]
Chinese Premier Criticizes Long-standing EU Arms Embargo
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has pledged that Beijing will maintain its efforts to help resolve the eurozone debt crisis, but criticized a long-standing EU ban on arms sales to China. Mr. Wen spoke in Brussels Thursday at a European Union summit with China. Mr. Wen initially spoke favorably of strengthening ties between China and the […]
Blast Kills At Least 30 in Syria’s North
A Syrian rights group says a blast in northeast Syria has killed at least 30 people and wounded dozens of others. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quotes witnesses as saying the blast occurred when an air strike hit a fuel station in al-Raqqa province Thursday. The group’s director says witnesses told him they […]
US Demographic Changes Hint at Economic Recovery
A new survey of changing population trends in the U.S. suggests that the country’s sluggish economy could be advancing from the depths of the recession several years ago. Unemployment is still high in the United States — more than 8 percent for 43 straight months. But a report Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau said […]
Sudan Blocks YouTube Over Anti-Islam Film
The government of Sudan has blocked access to YouTube because of the anti-Islam film that has sparked violent protests in many Muslim countries. Telecommunications chief Ezzeddin Kamel said officials imposed the ban after Google, which owns YouTube, did not respond to a government request it block the film. Kamel says the government acted after failed […]
Blast Kills More Than 50 in Syria’s North
A Syrian rights group says a blast in northeast Syria has killed more than 50 people and wounded dozens of others. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast occurred when an air strike hit a fuel station in al-Raqqa province Thursday. Meanwhile, Syrian state television says a military helicopter that crashed near […]
Protests Over Muhammad Depictions Hit Pakistan, Afghanistan
Protests against the depiction of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad continue, with demonstrators objecting to both an anti-Islam film made in the United States and caricatures published in a French satirical magazine. Police clashed with protesters in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, where a crowd of about 1,000 students tried to reach a walled-off area of the […]