News in Brief

Rare Devil Ray catch: Gaza fishermen have caught more than 200 Devil Rays over the past two days, a rare haul that was proudly displayed on the beach before being carried off to market on donkey carts.

“It is a godsend,” fisherman Abu Mahmoud al-Issi said on Thursday, the second day running that fishing boats operating from the Palestinian enclave had caught dozens of the giant ray, that are similar to Manta rays.

One of the fish weighed 700 kg (1,540 lb), locals said. Giant Devil Rays are listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). (RTRS) Iraq blast kills 4: Officials say a car bomb at a livestock market southeast of Baghdad and a roadside bombing in the Iraqi capital have killed four people and wounded 16.

Police officials say the first attack took place on Thursday morning when a car bomb tore through the crowded livestock market in Aziziyah town, killing three people and wounding eight. Some sheep were also killed in the explosion. The town is 55 kms (35 miles) southeast of Baghdad.

The officials say that a few hours later, a roadside bomb missed a police patrol in western Baghdad but killed a bystander and wounded eight people. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Violence has ebbed in Iraq, but insurgent attacks are still frequent. (AP)