WORLD BRIEFS

SOMALIA: Suicide attack kills 10 at theater

Two weeks ago, the National Theater in Mogadishu reopened for the first time in 20 years for a concert that drew an audience in festive colors in a city trying to rise above war. Wednesday, the theater was a scene of screams, chaos and blood when a female suicide bomber attacked, killing 10 people and wounding dozens. The blast occurred as Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali stood at the podium to speak. He was unharmed, but the president of Somalia's Olympic committee and the head of its soccer federation were among the dead. The Islamist militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility.

SYRIA: 50 more killed despite Assad's vow

Artillery pounded Homs and tanks and troops stormed towns north and south Wednesday, deepening doubts that President Bashar Assad would follow through on his commitment to a truce starting next week. Activists said the assaults were evidence Assad is trying to crush those seeking to overthrow his regime before the cease-fire brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan begins on April 10. More than 50 deaths were reported.

NIGERIA: Radical sect blamed in killing of 7

Seven civilians were killed by suspected Boko Haram members in a shooting Wednesday on a market in Maiduguri in the northeast, the spiritual home of the radical Islamist sect. Witnesses said soldiers fired shots wildly into the air, but were unable to stop the escaping gunmen. Boko Haram is waging a bloody fight against the weak central government, demanding implementation of strict Shariah law and the release of its detained members.

MALI: Rebels to impose Sharia on Timbuktu

Mali's crisis deepened Wednesday, as officials in Timbuktu confirmed that the Islamic rebel faction that seized control of the town over the weekend has announced it will impose Sharia law. Rebels in the distant north have taken advantage of the power vacuum created last month when renegade soldiers in Bamako overthrew the democratically elected leader.