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I'm David Deforest from the VOA news center in Washington.

Somalia's foreign minister says at least 11 people were killed in the apparent assassination attempt on Somali interim President Abdullahi Yusuf earlier today. Officials say the president's brother was among those killed when two explosions went off outside the Somali parliament building in Baidoa. The first blast of a car bomb went off as the president's motorcade drove by. A second explosion went off a short time later. Officials say the president and lawmakers were unhurt in the attacks. Several people were critically injured in the blasts, which also destroyed several cars in the vicinity.

A suicide bomb attack in southern Afghanistan has killed 4 Canadian NATO soldiers and has wounded 25 children. The attack was in Kandahar province. Ayaz Gul has more from Islamabad.

Afghan officials and witnesses say NATO soldiers were handing out gifts to children Monday when a suicide bomber on a bicycle struck the gathering in Kandahar province's Panjawi district. The bombing came a day after the NATO-led international security assistance force and Afghan forces jointly declared the district free of Taliban insurgents. A spokesman for the international force, or ISAF, Luke Knittig says Monday's bombing wounded a number of people including civilians.

I can confirm that four ISAF Soldiers have been killed and a number of soldiers and civilians injured, some seriously.

It was reported Taliban spokesman speaking to local Afghan reporters by telephone Monday, claiming responsibility for the attack. Ayaz Gul for VOA news, Islamabad.

The International Monetary Fund has approved reforms that boost the voting power of China, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey. Germany's finance ministry said today nearly 91% of the 184-member governments voted in favor of the reforms, 85% as required for approval. The reform proposal is the first part of the two-stage plan aimed at boosting the credibility of the organization. Critics say the United States and other western nations have held too much influence in the fund.

Not everyone in the Muslim world has satisfied with Pope Benedict's expression of sorrow Sunday for any offensive he caused by his remarks about violence and the Islamic movement. Some leaders are calling for a full apology. Meanwhile discussions are underway to firm up plans for the Pope's visit to Turkey in November. Sabina Castelfranco has report from Rome.

Catholic bishops are meeting today in Istanbul to discuss the Pope's upcoming visit to Turkey. Their meeting comes amid Muslim anger unleashed by the Pope's words on Islam last week. Bishops will be discussing whether the November visit can go ahead. Turkish officials have urged the Pope not to cancel the visit, but new security concerns have arisen following violence, which has erupted against the Pope in the Muslim world. So far, Vatican officials say they see no reason why the visit to Turkey scheduled at the end of November should not take place. Sunday, the Pope tried to appease those in the Muslim world, saying his quotation of Byzantine Emperor to academics in Germany did not reflect his personal opinion. Reactions from the Muslim world to the Pope's efforts to calm the uproar have been mixed with many still unsatisfied with what they say was not a full apology. Sabina Castelfranco for VOA news, Rome.

World Bank finance ministers are backing a strategy to fight corruption in developing countries and are insisting on overseeing how it implemented. Ministers' meeting in Singapore released a statement today, saying that representatives on the Bank's board planned to monitor decisions to oversee anti-corruption efforts to ensure that the institution's decisions are broadly based. The agreement follows months of tension between World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz and member governments over how best tackle corruption without imposing the bank as the soul decision maker.

President Bush heads to New York today to attend the United Nations General Assembly where he will focus on helping to strengthen emerging democracies in the Middle East. Aides say Mr. Bush's address to the assembly on Tuesday will focus on the need to advance democracy in the Middle East and strengthen existing democracies in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority. In keeping with his theme of supporting democracies, Mr. Bush will meet today with leaders of Malaysia, El Salvador, Honduras and Tanzania.

I'm David Deforest, VOA news. More news on the Internet at voanews.com.