Somalia’s Parliament Hit With Deadly Mortar Attack A mortar attack this weekend on Somalia’s parliament killed at least six and injured 15, reports CNN. The attack occurred in Mogadishu while members of the body were having a meeting, according to an official. “While we concluded our session, the prime minister and the House speaker were leaving from the venue when mortars started landing around the building,” said the deputy speaker of parliament, Osman Elmibogore. A soldier and three children were killed when the mortars hit a school in the vicinity. No parliament members were injured in the attack, according to authorities. Hussein Osman Dhumal, Mogadishu’s police spokesman said the attacked was perpetrated by people “who oppose peace in Somalia,” reports the news service.

Tourism Down in Caribbean Region The global recession has hit the Caribbean’s tourism industry hard, with some nations reporting a double-digit decline visits, reports the BBC. Tourism across the region is down except in Jamaica, Cuba and Mexico’s Cancun region, the Caribbean Tourism Organization said.  Anguilla has been hit the hardest with an 18.8 percent drop in tourism; Antigua, St. Lucia, Montserrat and the Cayman Islands saw tourism drops between 11 and 14 percent, while the Virgin Islands had a 6.1 percent drop and Puerto Rico saw a 4.7 percent drop in tourism, according to CTO.

Somali Pirates Attack Another U.S. Ship

Almost a week after successfully attacking the U.S. ship the Maersk Alabama, Somali pirates attacked another U.S. vessel Tuesday using rocket-propelled grenades and weapons, reports the BBC. This time, however, they were not able to actually get onboard. The Liberty Sun was carrying food aid near the coast of Somalia when it was attacked. An email from one of the crew members to his mother detailed the incident. “We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets, also bullets,” the email from 26-year-old Thomas Urbik read, reports The Associated Press. Read the rest.

Nigerian Muslims Arrested After Attacking Easter Parade A parade on Easter Monday turned violent when Muslim youths and Christians clashed, resulting in 120 people being arrested, police say. Churches were also set ablaze, and Christians were attacked in the towns of Gwada and Minna, making it necessary for police to enter the town to restore order, reports the BBC. Many of the injured had to be rushed to the hospital. While the west African nation is closely divided between Christians and Muslims, the two groups usually coexist peacefully. There are times, though, when the groups have violent clashes, more often than not due to a “competition for resources” and not religious intolerance reports the BBC.

Five students are charged with attacking a teacher. Five students were arrested and charged Tuesday with attacking two teachers at Forest Park High School in Baltimore, school officials told The Baltimore Sun. The attack was apparent retaliation against one of the teachers, who alleged he was the victim of an unarmed robbery by two other students at the school the day before. City police came to the school on Tuesday to arrest those two students. Then, later that morning, the brother of one of the robbery suspects attacked the teacher, and other students joined in, school sources said. Another teacher tried to come to his colleague’s rescue, and took the brunt of the beating. City police were called to assist school police. City school system spokeswoman Edie House told the Sun that no one was hospitalized or seriously injured. The five students were charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

A 3-year-old Memphis boy attacks a cop.  A 3-year-old Memphis boy jumped from a car and helped his mother and the driver, who was a suspect in a crime, attack the arresting officer, according to witnesses. FOX News reports that the officer is recovering at a Memphis-area hospital, while the mother has been arrested and is being held. Watch the video below.

Jennifer Hudson confirms 7-year-old relative’s death. An autopsy has been scheduled today on the body of a third murdered member of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson’s family. The former “American Idol” contestant confirmed her nephew Julian King’s identity Monday after the 7-year-old’s remains were found in the SUV police had sought in connection with his weekend disappearance. He’d been shot in the head and left in the abandoned vehicle, which was spotted by a Chicago man walking his dog. The discovery of King’s body followed a double-slaying in which both Hudson’s mom Darnell Donerson and her brother Jason Hudson were found dead in their Chicago home late last week. The Illinois Department of Corrections has William Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister, in custody, though he hasn’t been charged with the killings. Police questioned Balfour until he was transferred to the Department having allegedly committed an unrelated parole violation. The singer reportedly remained in Chicago with her relatives Monday, having cancelled a West Coast video shoot, then offering a $100,000 reward for her nephew’s safe return, and finally identifying him at the morgue. Chicago police reportedly stepped up their investigation, taking the SUV in which King’s body was found as evidence. Along with fellow Chicagoan Sen. Barack Obama and various other celebrities who’ve sent condolences to Hudson and her family, her record label issued a statement Monday: “On behalf of the RCA Music Group and Arista Records, we send our deepest sympathies and condolences to Jennifer and her family during this difficult time.” See photos on how the tragedy unfolded here.

Terrence Howard allegedly attacked composer. The hits just keep coming for Terrence Howard, who himself is accused of hitting a man in the face during preparation for a Broadway play. Having just accepted the discovery, by reading about it in the media, that he was dropped from the Iron Man sequel, he faces a $5 million lawsuit. Composer Tex Allen says Howard punched him as he rehearsed music for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” in January. Howard co-starred with James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad in a Black revival of the classic play. Allen alleges that Howard’s attack ruined his musical abilities and seeks damages. Combined with a bombed musical debut, the Iron Man dis and lawsuit seem to be pushing Howard’s latter ‘08 on a downward slide.

John Singleton won’t direct re-make. Film director John Singleton has dropped any plans for his involvement in a movie re-make of popular 1980s show “The A-team.” First set for a June 2009 release, the movie has attracted interest from both Ice Cube and Tyrese, who’ve expressed interest in the B.A. (”Bad Attitude”) Baracas role played by Mr. T. But Singleton cancelled his agreement to direct the movie when it was pushed back to 2010 so Fox execs could focus on a sequel to the animated Alvin and the Chipmunks, according to Daily Variety.

McCain supporter admits to elaborate “mutilation” hoax?

Ashley Todd, a White college student from Texas says she was mugged at knife point and mutilated for supporting one of the presidential candidates. She told Pittsburgh Police that the mugger, who she described as a 6-foot-4 Black man in dark clothing, took $60.00 from her and slapped her, pinned her to the ground and scratched a backward B in her face . Yesterday evening, however, Todd admitted she lied and was charged with a misdemeanor false-report charge, which is punishable by up to two years in prison. She was taken to mental facility. Get more at You(th) Vote.

50 Cent discusses fire that claimed his crib

Days after it was reported that he hadn’t made himself available to investigators, 50 Cent reportedly has discussed the fire that claimed his home. Lawyers for the rapper’s ex, Shaniqua Tompkins, recently put out word that Tompkins had been questioned about the spring blaze on multiple occasions, but that Fiddy wasn’t talking. Tompkins, who lived with their son at the home the rapper owned, suggested that 50 was behind the fire. The house was the subject of a heated legal dispute between the rapper and his son’s mom. No charges have been issued in connection with the blaze, but investigators called it suspicious.

Rapper attacked before annual “Summer Jamz” concert.

It’s been a heck of a year for Yung Berg. After suffering the apparent fan backlash from his public dis of dark-skinned women – for which he apologized – Berg was recently charged with threatening his limo driver, and now is the rumored victim of an assault. Detroit rapper Trick Trick is alleged to have jumped Berg while the performer was in Michigan for a Radio One station’s annual “Summer Jamz” concert. Trick Trick is developing quite the reputation for his temper after jumping Miami rapper Trick Daddy in Detroit a few years ago. Maybe they got a little territorial about that “trick” thing.

The breed’s public relations problem seems justifiable.
It’s no wonder the pit bull has a PR problem. All it takes is two vicious attacks in less than two weeks against small children to bolster arguments that the breed is a dangerous monster with no place in a community setting. On Tuesday, James Hendrix, peered into his neighbor’s yard just in time to witness a large pit bull ripping a toddler’s scalp from his head. Got to BET.com/News for more on this story.

Death toll in Somali minibus attack rises fThe death toll in Friday’s attack on two Somali minibuses by Ethiopian troops has risen to 60 after people in the neighborhood discovered 16 more bodies, reports the BBC. The attack happened near Mogadishu when Ethiopian forces were hit by a roadside bomb and retaliated by shooting, according to witnesses. “Ethiopian convoys opened fire into different areas where thousands of displaced people were living; they killed everyone on the road,” Sahra Nor Osma, a witness, told The Associated Press. Ethiopia is in the country supporting Somalia’s transitional government, and trying to rid the country of insurgents. But Mogadishu has been prone to attacks. On the same day of this attack, insurgents fired on President Abdullah Yusuf’s convoy while it was leaving the country for Ethiopia for ceasefire talks. Government troops then fired back, killing five civilians.

Still no Zimbabwe power-sharing deal after summit

This weekend’s Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit came to a close Sunday without a power-sharing deal between Zimbabwe’s president and opposition leader, reports the BBC. South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki hosted the summit (which includes 14 member nations) and is also the lead mediator of the talks between longtime Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. “It’s clearly not possible to say when negotiations will be concluded. It’s a matter of negotiating parties reconvening,” he told reporters following the summit. Other leaders at the summit were optimistic that there is a base for a deal, though. Hundreds of protesters, upset that Mugabe was even invited to the summit, protested outside of the meeting Saturday. They, along with Botswana’s President Ian Khama, who actually boycotted the meeting, don’t think Mugabe should be recognized as president of Zimbabwe after June’s runoff election, which many in the international community called a sham. Days before the runoff, Tsvangirai dropped out of the race because of violence against his supporters.

Men on top of camels attack Sudanese civilians. In Sudan’s Darfur region, men riding camels launched an attack on civilians, killing six people, reports BBC. Twenty-eight people were wounded as a result of the attack, according to the United Nations. The civilian convoy was traveling between Nyala and Fasher. The international charity, UNAMID, took victims of the attack to the hospital by helicopter. The attackers are reportedly a part of the infamous Janjaweed militia, who have been connected to many atrocious war crimes in the country since the violence began in 2003. Contrary to several reports, the Sudanese government denies any connection to the Janjaweed, who are accused of trying to exterminate the Black Africans in the nation. Overall, 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million more have been made homeless since the Darfur conflict.