Bomb Blast Kills Somali Official

A large suicide car bombing left Somalia’s security minister, Omar Hashi Adan, Thursday. “The explosion caused by the suicide bomber was so huge and could be heard in all corners in the city,” a local journalist told CNN.  In addition, at least 11 other people, including the nation’s former ambassador to Ethiopia, were killed and eight people were seriously wounded. The blast occurred near a hotel in the city of Beledweyn, where Adan had been staying. In a news conference following the bombing, President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said “international terrorists” who have come into Somalia, were responsible for the attack. With Somalia’s vast struggles against militants, the loss of Adan, could prove to be costly. On Wednesday, fighting between militants and government security forces in capital city Mogadishu killed at least 40 and wounded 130 people.

South Africa Sees its First Swine Flu Case

South Africa has seen its very first swine flu case, reports the BBC. On Thursday, tests found that a 12-year-old boy, who had recently flew in from the United States, had the illness. “The patient was kept in isolation and discharged after a few days in hospital,” Fidel Hadebe, the nation’s health ministry spokesman, said in a statement. “He is well and recovering in isolation at home.” Swine flu has put the world on high alert and there have been about 30 cases of the flu in Egypt and several in Morocco, the BBC reports. This, however, is the first known case in sub-Saharan Africa. Officials believe that could change, though, because nations in the southern hemisphere are now going into winter. Since the virus surfaced in April, it has infected about 40,000 globally and has killed 167, according to the World Health Organization.