Tourists Ambushed in Yemen

Improved security at diplomatic compound in Yemen blunted terrorists' attempt

(NEWSER) - Explosions and gunfire outside the US embassy in Yemen earlier today bore "all the hallmarks" of al-Qaeda, says a US official. Gunfire raged for 10 minutes as the assailants—carrying automatic weapons, grenades, and a suicide bomb—failed to enter the embassy grounds. The building’s security upgrades and security officials’ timely response staved them off, the AP reports. More»

Al-Qaeda claims responsibility

(NEWSER) - A suicide bombing targeting the Yemeni military killed more than 90 people today, and injured another 222, a government official announced. Reportedly dressed as a soldier, the attacker set off the blast near the presidential palace in Sanaa as troops trained for a military parade. An al-Qaeda source tells the BBC that one of its members was responsible. BBC correspondent Frank Gardener calls it "a significant step-up in the country's troubles," noting that despite unrest in the south, Yemen's capital "has been relatively quiet" since President Ali Abdullah Saleh gave up power. More»

Pet and family reunited after house is leveled

(AP) - The owner of a dog that miraculously survived a massive bombing returned to his collapsed home today to be reunited with his pet, stunning neighbors who thought he was dead. The ginger-colored dog was spotted chained to a roof railing and standing on a wall ledge over the collapsed home after yesterday's huge blast near Iraq's Finance Ministry. More»

Kim Phuc now gives hope to burn victims

(NEWSER) - When Kim Phuc was only 9, she unintentionally played a part in ending the Vietnam War. Nick Ut of the AP photographed Phuc running naked from a napalm attack in which she was horribly burned. She wasn't expected to survive, but survive she did, with the help of Ut, who got her to a hospital, and 17 operations. The mother of two, who now lives in Toronto, is a peace activist and UN goodwill ambassador who recently addressed a conference of burn survivors and doctors in New York City, HealthDay reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Gunmen raised political tensions in Iran today by shooting up a campaign office in Zahedan, the town where a mosque bombing left 23 dead yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tehran officials accused Washington of supporting the gunmen, who injured up to three people in the office of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A Sunni militant group, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for the mosque attack. More»