Twin Algeria Bombings Kill 11

North African group says it launched suicide bombings that killed 50

(NEWSER) - An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility for bombings that claimed more than 50 lives in Algeria in the last two days. The group, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, took credit for the attacks in an Internet statement , BBC reports. An explosives-laden truck drove into a naval barracks in a port city yesterday, killing 28 Algerian coast guard officers. More»

Shiite Holy City Rocked by Blast

(NEWSER) - A car bomb ripped through one of Iraq's holiest cities today, killing at least 58 Iraqis and wounding over 150 as they made their way to evening prayers. Karbala—the site of two major Shiite shrines—is a hotspot for suicide bombers, who killed 47 in an attack just two weeks ago. More»

(NEWSER) - Two bombs, including one targeting the prime minister's office, killed at least 23 people in Algiers today, in the latest in a round of suspected Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror attacks that have rocked North Africa in recent weeks, the New York Times reports. More»

Dozens wounded; explosions end weeks of relative peace

(NEWSER) - Bombs struck more than a dozen Iraqi cities this morning, killing 56 and wounding dozens more. The coordinated explosions mark the first major violence in a comparatively peaceful month of Ramadan, the AP notes; the violence comes as as officials debate whether to maintain a US presence in the country beyond the end of the year. More»

Demonstrators demand political reform; hundreds arrested

(NEWSER) - From Tahrir Square to Algeria's May 1 Square: Thousands of demonstrators inspired by Egypt marched in Algiers today despite an official ban on protests and a huge police presence, reports AP . Estimates of the crowd ranged from 10,000 to 30,000, and rights activists say at least 400 have been arrested. They're demanding political reform in the North African country, where poverty is rampant even though it's one of the world's biggest oil producers, notes the Wall Street Journal . Tunisia is a next-door neighbor. More»