Cartoonist arrested again

DUBAI: Iranian authorities had arrested a cartoonist and sent him to prison to complete a suspended jail sentence, his lawyer said yesterday, joining a growing list of journalists, artists and activists detained there.

Hadi Heidari was arrested on Monday and sent to Tehran’s Evin prison. He was convicted two years ago for his cartoons and served about a month of the original sentence.

It was not clear why he had been rearrested. Hardliners have accused journalists of being part of an “infiltration network”. – Reuters

Online gambling bust

BEIJING: Chinese police arrested 98 people connected to online gambling networks that handled $78 billion (R1 trillion) in bets, state media said yesterday.

Police in the southern provinces of Hunan and Guangdong have shut down 12 “gambling dens” since July.

The individuals were suspected of “involvement in an online gambling network that has opened more than 500 online casinos”, Xinhua said. – Reuters

US aids allies in sea dispute

MANILA: US President Barack Obama yesterday announced $250 million (R3.5 billion) in maritime security assistance for south-east Asian allies ahead of an international economic summit overshadowed by disputes in the South China Sea.

The annual meeting is being held in Manila amid a row between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea, which Beijing claims.

The US would transfer ships to the Philippine Navy, Obama said. – dpa

11 die as train is derailed

QUETTA: A train carrying 280 passengers was derailed in a remote area of south-western Pakistan yesterday, killing 11 people, including the driver, and injuring at least 57 people, officials said.

Police officer Tahir Mahmood said the accident happened near the village of Abe Ghum. The train was en route to the city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

Railway official, Iqbal Ahmed, said a technical fault in the engine caused the accident. – AP

Airline passenger arrested

BOSTON: A female passenger of about 30 years old who was on a Boston-bound British Airways flight was taken into custody by Massachusetts State Police troopers after the aircraft landed yesterday.

The police had initially said on Twitter that the passenger had attempted to enter the aircraft’s cockpit, but an airline spokesman told New York’s ABC television affiliate that the passenger had tried to open an exit door. – Reuters

Presidential term extension

KIGALI: Rwandan President Paul Kagame would be able to run for a third term in 2017 and potentially stay in power until 2034, thanks to an amendment passed by the Senate yesterday.

The constitutional amendment cuts the presidential term from seven to five years and keeps the two-term limit. But it allows for an exception for Kagame, who could seek another seven-year term and then run for two five-year terms. – dpa