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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Somali minister killed in attack

Somalia's security minister has been killed in a suicide bombing at a hotel in Beledweyne, just north of the capital, Mogadishu, according to the country's information minister and witnesses.Somalia's ambassador to South Africa and at least nine other people were also thought to have been killed in the blast on Thursday, reports said.Farhan Ali Mohamud, the information minister, announced the death of Omar Hashi Aden, the security minister, but declined to give any other details.Hashi had moved to Beledweyne at the beginning of June with heavily armed troops in an attempt to regain territory from fighters of the al-Shabab group.Al-Shabab, which Washington claims has ties to al-Qaeda, has vowed to topple the Somali government led by of Sharif Ahmed, the president.A doctor from a nearby hospital said that most of the dead have been burnt beyond recognition.

Pakistan to bat first in World T20 Semi-final

Pakistan captain Younis Khan Pakistan: 149/4 (20.0 Ovs)

Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bat first on what is expected to be slow and low wicket during the first world T20 semi-final.Younis Khan, the Pakistan skipper said that the ‘Dry surface will make it hard to chase,’ adding that the team must play well, since ‘two more games and the World Cup is ours.’South African Captain Graeme Smith said that he would have ‘preferred to bat first,’ but that the Proteas would now have to bowl well to limit the Pakistan batting to ‘as small a total as possible.’Pakistan will play an unchanged side from the one which beat the Kiwis and Ireland to secure a place in the semis, while South Africa have made one change from the team which beat India, with the dangerous Kallis coming in for fast-bowler Morne Morkel.

Pilot dies flying plane to the US

The captain of Continental Airlines flight 61 has died while flying the plane from Brussels to New York.The plane made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly before 1200 (1600 GMT).Two co-pilots were in control of the plane - a Boeing 777 carrying 247 passengers - said Federal Aviation Authority spokeswoman Arlene Salac.The captain apparently died of natural causes, a Continental Airlines spokesman told CNN.He was a 61-year-old man with more than 20 years of service to the airline, a spokesman for the airline said.

Iran's Mousavi addresses protesters

Thousands of supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, the man they consider the true winner of Iran's disputed presidential election, have held a rally in Tehran to mourn the recent deaths of protesters.Thursday's gathering took place at the capital's Imam Khomeini Square in spite of a statement by the highest legislative body that it would meet the candidates to discuss their complaints about the vote.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the incumbent president, was declared the winner of the June 12 election, but his challengers said that it had been rigged.Mousavi had issued a statement on his website calling for Thursday to be observed as a day of mourning for those killed during the protests against the election result.Chanting "Peace be upon (Prophet) Muhammad and his family", the opposition supporters, many dressed in black, marched in south Tehran, the witnesses said.Mousavi had urged his supporters to wear black as a sign of remembrance and remain peaceful.