INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014 News in brief

Iraq attacks kill 9 BAGHDAD: Attacks in Baghdad and north of the capital killed nine people yesterday, including a supporter of powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr who was standing in April’s parliamentary election. The murder of Hamza Al-Shammari, the first of an election candidate, comes amid a protracted surge in bloodshed with near-daily attacks nationwide and security forces battling anti-gov- ernment fighters in Anbar province. Election candidates have been targeted in the past, with nearly 20 hopefuls killed ahead of April 2013 provincial council elections. Shammari, a senior leader of the Shammar tribe in Baghdad, was killed by gunmen using silenced pistols in the west Baghdad neighborhood of Ghazaliyah, two secu- rity officials said. He had been due to stand in the April 30 election as part of the Ahrar list, which is loyal to the Sadrists. North of Baghdad, separate bombings killed eight people, security and medical officials said.

14 die in bus mishap MANILA: Two foreigners were among 14 people killed when a tourist bus fell into a deep ravine in the mountain- ous northern Philippines yesterday, authorities said. The IDLIB: Displaced Syrians wait to cross the Orontes river into Turkey at the Syrian-Turkish border in the Idlib province. bus plunged about 120 meters while travelling on a nar- More than 130,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began on March 2011, and more than 2.4 million row road heading to an area famous for its “hanging Syrians have become refugees. —AFP coffins”, said a report from the civil defense office. A Canadian man and a Dutch woman were among the 14 passengers killed, it added. Police said 32 other people on board were injured including another Dutch woman and Turkey expels journalist the bus driver. The deputy provincial police commander, Ramir Saculles, said disfigured corpses were strewn along the hillside, while some others fell into rice paddies at the bottom of the hill. A local police spokesman, Davy Vicente for criticizing Erdogan Limmong, said the authorities suspect either the driver made a mistake or the bus suffered a mechanical failure, since no other vehicles were involved and the weather Govt under fire over internet controls was clear. The bus was heading to Bontoc, a jumping-off : A Turkish newspaper said said the prime minister had interfered in operation in Europe (OSCE) said point for the rustic town of Sagada which is popular for its yesterday one of its journalists had been judicial process by seeking to block the Zeynalov’s deportation “for tweets con- hanging coffins embedded on the sides of cliffs, as well as ordered to leave the country for criticiz- arrest of suspected Al-Qaeda affiliates, sidered inappropriate by the authorities” for its scenic atmosphere. ing Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Today’s Zaman said. Zeynalov’s tweets was a further setback. “Freedom of , raising concerns about media constitute a “blunt assault on Erdogan’s expression does not stop at statements Bombs wound 6 officers freedom a day after Turkey tightened honor and reputation and his personal deemed proper by those in power, and CAIRO: Six Egyptian policemen were wounded in a bomb internet controls. Today’s Zaman said its rights,” the premier’s lawyers said in a limiting this right will further tighten the attack on a bridge in the capital yesterday, officials said. online editor Mahir Zeynalov, 27, from petition submitted to the Ankara Public control of media in Turkey,” said Dunja The attack shattered a tense calm in Cairo after a spate of bombings on January 24 killed six policemen, in an escala- , was escorted onto a plane in Prosecutor’s Office, according to Today’s Mijatovic, OSCE representative on free- tion of a militant campaign following the overthrow of Istanbul by police. Zaman. Erdogan’s supporters say efforts dom of the media. Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. The interior ministry The paper is close to influential US- to portray the government as facilitating Erdogan’s government is under fire said two small bombs exploded near policemen stationed based preacher Fethullah Gulen, locked the rise of Al-Qaeda in Syria’s civil war, by from the opposition and European Union on a bridge near central Cairo. At least six were wounded in a feud with Erdogan revolving around doing too little to prevent weapons and after parliament approved tighter inter- in the attack, the health ministry said. Police cordoned off a corruption scandal shaking his govern- fighters crossing the border, is part of the net controls on Wednesday, enabling the scene, where a lightly damaged police truck appeared ment. Erdogan has cast the scandal as a Gulen-led effort to undermine him ahead web pages to be blocked within hours to have borne the brunt of the blast. State television bid by Gulen, who exerts extensive if of local and presidential elections this and individuals’ browsing histories to be reported that the attack targeted a checkpoint set up to covert influence in the police and judici- year. stored by the authorities for up to two counter a scheduled protest by Morsi’s Islamist support- ary, to unseat him and has responded by years. The move came as social media and ers, who had called for rallies later. Militant attacks on purging thousands of officers and more Media controls video sharing sites have been awash with police and soldiers have killed scores, mostly in the restive than 200 prosecutors. Gulen denies the Turkey’s record on media freedom has alleged recordings of ministers including Sinai Peninsula, since Morsi’s overthrow by the military on accusation. long been under scrutiny and is among Erdogan and business allies presented as July 3. Sinai-based jihadists have also claimed responsibili- An aide to Erdogan said no instruc- the hindrances to it reaching its ambition proof of wrongdoing in the corruption ty for attacks targeting police in Cairo and elsewhere. tions had been given from the prime of membership of the European Union. scandal. has been unable to verify minister’s office regarding Zeynalov. The The Organization for Security and Co- their authenticity.— Reuters Taleban captures dog Foreign Ministry said it had no informa- KABUL: The Taleban said yesterday that they have cap- tion, while the Interior Ministry could not tured a military dog belonging to NATO forces in immediately be reached for comment. Iraqi pension law draws Afghanistan, releasing a video of the canine wearing a “This is an utterly despotic and arbitrary high-tech harness. Insurgent spokesman Zabiullah decision,” Bulent Kenes, editor in chief of ire over MP exemption Mujahid said yesterday that the dog was captured during Today’s Zaman, said. “We don’t see it as a battle about a month ago in Laghman province, east of an attack against our paper, it’s an the capital, Kabul. The insurgents sent by email a video attempt to intimidate all foreign journal- BAGHDAD: A new law passed by Iraqi some for raising minimum public sec- showing a brown dog held on a leash by an armed ists working in Turkey.” MPs to raise retirement benefits for civ- tor pensions for retired civil servants, Taleban fighter. It wore a black harness mounted with He said Zeynalov - who had in the il servants is drawing criticism amid and is a rare piece of significant legisla- what the Taleban said was a video camera, and a past been an outspoken supporter of the accusations politicians will use a loop- tion passed by Iraq’s chronically dead- voiceover said the dog was being called “Colonel.” government, even defending the jailing hole to secure lavish benefits for them- locked parliament. Bureaucrats who Mujahid said by telephone that the dog is being held in a of some journalists - was en route to the selves. The issue of retirement benefits retire after age 50 and who have spent “safe place” in Laghman. “The condition of the dog is OK - Azeri capital Baku, from where he would for top bureaucrats and politicians, more than 15 years in government he was not injured and is not being mistreated,” he said. continue his work. The journalist’s which is drawing attention ahead of service will receive at least 400,000 The NATO-led coalition in Afghanistan confirmed yester- Turkish wife posted a picture on Twitter parliamentary elections, sparked Iraqi dinars ($333/245 euros) a month, day that one of its military dogs went missing during a of him being escorted by a police officer protests last year to decry lucrative up from the previous minimum of mission in December. It gave no other details. Military at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport. Azerbaijan’s pensions for the political elite while 250,000 dinars. But an article towards service dogs are used to sniff out bombs and are also consul general in Istanbul said his office many people still grapple with daily the end of the law exempts a vast used in Special Forces raids as protection and to help sub- was investigating the circumstances of shortages of basic services and poor swathe of top-level politicians and civil due suspects. Bringing dogs into homes during raids is Zeynalov’s case. Lawyers for Erdogan security. servants from the pay scale, and sets controversial in Afghanistan because dogs are considered filed a complaint against Zeynalov in The Unified Retirement Law, adopt- percentage limits that one lawmaker unclean by many Muslims. December over two tweets in which he ed on Monday, has been hailed by said could be abused.—AFP