World
Extremists attack beachside hotel in Somalia’s capital as al-Shabab claims responsibility
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Witnesses and state media in Somalia say extremists have attacked a beachside hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, and security forces are responding at the site.
The Somali National News Agency reports that “many civilians” have been rescued as fighting continues Friday night. There is no immediate word on any deaths.
Al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab, has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Somalia-based extremist group is known for carrying out attacks on hotels and other high-profile locations in Mogadishu, usually starting with a suicide bombing.
Hassan Abdirahman told The Associated Press that he was in the restaurant at the time.
“I heard the sound of gunshots which came from the beach direction and followed by the huge sound of an explosion.” He said that he escaped and saw damaged vehicles along the street.
Lido Beach is one of Mogadishu’s most popular areas and is busy on Friday nights as Somalis enjoy the weekend.
World
What do EU capitals think about the French elections?
With France set for the polls in the first round of legislative elections on Sunday (30 June), Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National is leading the polls.
France is in midst of a snap election, but what do Berlin, Budapest, Madrid and Rome make of the unfolding saga? How is the prospect of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally leading France viewed in other parts of the continent? Radio Schuman digs into the issue with Euronews correspondents across the continent.
We also preview today’s key European Council meeting – those top jobs still need to be agreed – and delve into how congested it’s getting up in space.
Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques and audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron. The music is by Alexandre Jas.
World
US banks suffer steeper losses, but retain large cushions in annual Fed health check
World
Bolivian president survives failed coup, calls for 'democracy to be respected,' army general arrested
Bolivian President Luis Arce announced three new heads of the South American country’s armed forces following an attempted coup in which military units used armored vehicles to ram into the doors of Bolivia’s government palace before the army general allegedly responsible was arrested.
The news of the new heads of the army, navy and air force came amid the roar of supporters.
“The country is facing an attempted coup d’état. Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organize,” Arce said in a video message.
Video footage showed troops setting up blockades outside the government palace. Arce said the troops who rose against him were “staining the uniform” of the military.
BOLIVIAN INTERIM GOVERNMENT ACCUSES MORALES OF TERRORISM, SEDITION
“I order all that are mobilized to return to their units,” said the newly appointed army chief José Wilson Sánchez. “No one wants the images we’re seeing in the streets.”
Soon after, troops began pulling back from the presidential palace.
Arce confronted Army Gen. Juan José Zúñiga, who was recently stripped of his military command and who appeared to be leading the rebellion, in the palace hallway, as shown in a video on Bolivian television. Zúñiga was later arrested after the attorney general opened an investigation against him. It wasn’t immediately clear what the charges were against him.
Zuniga said Arce asked him to storm the palace in a political move.
“The president told me: ‘The situation is very screwed up, very critical. It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity’,” Zúñiga told reporters.
Zúñiga sajd he asked Arce if he should “take out the armored vehicles?” and Arce replied, “Take them out.”
“I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,” he said.
On X, Arce called for “democracy to be respected.”
The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation and urged calm and restraint.
BRAZIL’S PRESIDENT WITHDRAWS AMBASSADOR TO ISRAEL, LEAVING DIPLOMATIC POST VACANT
Bolivia, a country of 12 million people, has seen intensifying protests in recent months over the economy’s precipitous decline from one of the continent’s fastest-growing two decades ago to one of its most crisis-stricken.
The country also has seen a high-profile rift at the highest levels of the governing party. Arce and his one-time ally, leftist icon and former President Morales, have been battling for the future of Bolivia’s splintering Movement for Socialism, known by its Spanish acronym MAS, ahead of elections in 2025.
The leadership of Bolivia’s largest labor union condemned the action and declared an indefinite strike of social and labor organizations in La Paz in defense of the government.
The incident was met with a wave of outrage by other regional leaders, including the Organization of American States; Gabriel Boric, the president of neighboring Chile; the leader of Honduras, and former Bolivian leaders.
The most recent attempted coup on the continent occurred in December 2022 when Peruvian President Pedro Castillo was arrested the same day that he attempted to dissolve Congress, declare a state of emergency and re-write the constitution. He was eventually impeached and removed from office.
“Brazil’s position is clear. I am a lover of democracy and I want it to prevail throughout Latin America. We condemn any form of coup d’état in Bolivia and reaffirm our commitment to the people and democracy in our sister country,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on X.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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