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WORLD NEWS Thursday 15 June 2017
Rodman’s North Korea trip seen off to low-key start

By ERIC TALMADGE yang.
Associated Press He is scheduled to meet
PYONGYANG, North Ko- the sports minister, visit a
rea (AP) — Dennis Rod- newly built high-tech sci-
man’s visit to North Korea ence complex and the
has been uncharacteristi- Pyongyang Zoo, and go
cally low-key so far. On the bowling before he leaves
agenda? Bowling and a Saturday.
visit to the zoo. His four past trips in 2013
There is no clear sign that and 2014 generated a
the former NBA bad boy will storm of publicity, most
meet leader Kim Jong Un, of it unfavorable, and did
as he did on previous vis- little in terms of diplomacy.
its to the isolated country. Critics of engagement with
Such a meeting, though, North Korea say Rodman’s
typically wouldn’t be an- visits legitimize the coun-
nounced in advance. try’s ruling regime.In 2014,
Rodman watched a wom- Rodman arranged a bas-
en’s basketball team prac- ketball game with other
tice at a gym Wednesday former NBA players and
and visited the birthplace North Koreans and regaled
of North Korean founder Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman, second from left, walks through the Koryo hotel lobby leader Kim with a rendition
Kim Il Sung, the grandfa- as he leaves to visit several sports venues Wednesday, June 14, 2017, in Pyongyang, North Korea. of “Happy Birthday.” On
ther of the current leader. Rodman’s current trip is his first since Donald Trump became president. He told reporters in Beijing, the same trip, he suggest-
He refused to answer ques- as he departed for Pyongyang, that he hopes his trip will “open a door” for Trump. ed an American missionary
tions about his trip, saying (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) was at fault for his own im-
only, “A little hot, baby, it’s What, if anything, substan- clear. He has said he is just “trying to open a door” for prisonment in North Korea,
a little hot. But it’s cool, it’s tive Rodman is doing in going to have a good time better relations between remarks for which he later
cool.” North Korea remains un- but has also hinted he is Washington and Pyong- apologized. q

Hostages held, 14 killed in attack at Somalia restaurant

By ABDI GULED forced those fleeing the site to go in- While al-Shabab claimed to have at- za House was targeted instead.
Associated Press side” the restaurant, witness Nur Yasin tacked the neighboring Posh Treats Security forces rescued Asian, Ethio-
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) told The Associated Press. restaurant, which is frequented by pian, Kenyan and other workers at
— Gunmen posing as mili- The blast largely destroyed the res- the city’s elite and was damaged in Posh Treats as the attack continued,
tary forces were holding an taurant’s facade and sparked a fire. the blast, security officials said the Piz- Hussein said.q
unknown number of hos-
tages inside a popular res-
taurant in Somalia’s capi-
tal in an attack that began
when a car bomb explod-
ed at the gate, police and
a witness said Wednesday
night, while the extremist
group al-Shabab claimed
responsibility. Police said at
least 14 people, including
foreigners, were dead.
Two of the gunmen were
shot dead and 10 hos-
tages were rescued but
five other attackers were
thought to remain inside,
cutting off electricity to
complicate security forc-
es’ efforts to end the siege,
Capt. Mohamed Hussein
said. He said heavy gunfire
was heard.
Police said at least 14
people, including a Syrian
man, had been killed and
several others wounded.
Most of the victims were
young men who had been
entering the Pizza House
when the vehicle explod-
ed, Hussein said.
The gunmen “were dressed
in military uniforms. They