Suicide bomber kills 21 in Iraqi capital
BAGHDAD – A suicide driver rammed his explosive-laden car into a police checkpoint in the Iraqi capital, killing 21 people, including more than a dozen civilians en route to a Shiite shrine in the final days of the Islamic holy month.
At least 13 people killed in the attack were civilians, according to police and hospital officials. At least 35 people were wounded more than half of them civilians.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak with the media.
The attack occurred at the entrance to Baghdad’s Khazimiyah district, where many cars were en route to the Imam Al-Khadim Shrine in the lead up to the Eid feast commemorating the end of Ramadan.
Baghdad has been on edge since the Sunni militant blitz led by the Islamic State extremist group seized the northern city of Mosul, vowing to push south to the capital.
Mexico circus workers angered by protests
MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s “circus wars” are heating up, as a growing movement to ban circus animals meets growing anger from circus workers.
The head of the nation’s circus owners’ association said Tuesday that there have been messages posted on social network sites urging people to burn down circus tents. Armando Cedeno says circuses have received a lot of threats on Facebook.
Aguascalientes state congressman Gilberto Gutierrez of Mexico’s Green party says violence has already occurred.
He says circus security guards beat animal rights activists, including him, in front of a circus in the north-central state of Aguascalientes in late June.
The animal rights activists say they are fighting the stop animal abuse.
Turkish prime minister notes rift with Obama
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he no longer holds “direct” telephone conversations with U.S. President Barack Obama, suggesting a rift between the leaders who were once close.
In an interview with Turkey’s ATV television late Monday, Erdogan said that “in the past, I used to call him directly. Because I was not able to get direct results on Syria, now our foreign ministers talk to each other.”
Erdogan did not elaborate. But the Turkish leader is known to have been frustrated by U.S. reluctance for a military involvement in Syria.
In the past, Obama cast Turkey as a model democracy and the two would frequently talk by telephone.
Associated Press
