BUJUMBURA, Burundi

Sixteen arrested in Burundi after failed coup attempt

Five generals have been arrested for plotting a failed coup attempt against Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, a top a Burundi official said Saturday.

Three army generals and two police generals were arrested along with three lower-ranking officers and eight soldiers, according to The Associated Press. One of the generals is a former defense minister.

The coup attempt came amid Burundi’s turmoil over Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term in office. After weeks of street protests, a general announced the coup on Wednesday. Nkurunziza was in Tanzania but loyal soldiers loyal to the president stopped the rebellion.

The general who announced the coup, former intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Godefroid Niyombare, is in hiding.

Officials said Friday that Nkurunziza had returned to the capital though he hasn’t been seen in public.

Despite the coup failure, about 30 protesters said Saturday they will continue demonstrating, defying Nkurunziza’s ban on demonstrations.

POTISKUM, Nigeria

Boko Haram suicide bomber kills 7 at busy bus station

A teenage suicide bomber blew herself up and killed seven other people Saturday outside a bustling bus station in the northeast Nigerian town of Damaturu, the state medical director said of the latest in a string of attacks this week by Nigeria’s homegrown Boko Haram extremists.

Thirty-three people were seriously injured and are being treated at the hospital, said Yobe state’s medical director Garba Musa Fika. Seven are in critical condition and could die if they are not moved to specialist hospitals, according to a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to reporters.

Most victims were women and children vendors at a gate to Damaturu Central Motor Park.

KIEV, Ukraine

Failed Russian rocket launch continues string of mishaps

A Russian rocket carrying a Mexican satellite malfunctioned Saturday shortly after its launch – the latest mishap to hit Russia’s troubled space industry, whose glory has been tarnished by a series of launch failures.

The rocket, a Proton-M, was launched from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan. Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, said a problem involving steering engines occurred in the rocket’s third stage about eight minutes into its flight, 161 kilometers (97 miles) above the Earth. The agency said the rocket and Boeing-constructed satellite did not reach their planned orbit and almost all of the debris from the two burned up in the atmosphere.

– From news service reports

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