LITTLE ROCK — QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The solution will either be a political one that all sides agree on, or the future of Syria is very bad.”
Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League envoy to Syria, on resolving the country’s civil war Article, 1A
Somali premier trims Cabinet
MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia’s new prime minister has named a leaner Cabinet as the country attempts to establish its first fully functioning government after decades of anarchy.
Abdi Farah Shirdon on Sunday announced the appointments of 10 Cabinet ministers, downsizing the executive from the previous 18 in the transitional government whose mandate ended in August. He said his government would restore security and rebuild Somalia’s economy.
Shirdon appointed two female ministers, including the first female foreign minister - Fowziya Yusuf Aden - as well as Maryan Qasim, who was appointed public services development minister.
Grenade hurts 10 at Kenyan service
NAIROBI, Kenya - The Kenya Red Cross said at least 10 people were wounded in a grenade attack on a church service at a police camp in northern Kenya.
According to the Red Cross, the attack took place in the town of Garissa.
Kenya has been hit by a string of grenade attacks that are blamed on sympathizers of al-Shabab, Somalia’s Islamist extremist rebels who are linked to al-Qaida.
Al-Shabab has vowed to carry out attacks on Kenya, because it sent army troops into Somalia last year to fight the rebels. The rebels are considered a threat to Kenya’s security because they have been blamed for kidnapping foreign tourists and aid workers in Kenya.
Russian marchers rip Putin policies
MOSCOW - Thousands of nationalists marched through Moscow on Sunday chanting slogans such as “Russia for the Russians” to protest President Vladimir Putin’s government, which they accuse of lavishing privileges on migrants and minorities while ignoring ethnic Russians.
Sunday’s march took place on Unity Day, a national holiday established in 2005 to replace commemorations of the Bolshevik Revolution.
The protesters were strident in their criticism of the Russian leader. Putin is “scared of us. He feels his time is coming to an end, because the future belongs to us,” Alexander Belov, leader of the nationalist group Russkie, told the marchers in Moscow.
Though no violence was reported at the Moscow march, at least 100 people were involved in a brawl in a subway station between activists from both sides shortly after it ended, the Interfax news agency reported.
Front Section, Pages 5 on 11/05/2012