MOGADISHU: Daesh has claimed its first suicide attack in Somalia, which police said Wednesday killed five people at a checkpoint in the northeastern port city of Bosaso.
The group’s self-styled news agency Amaq claimed the “martyrdom-seeking operation with an explosive vest” in a statement carried by the SITE Intelligence Group.
The suicide bomber detonated his explosives vest at a checkpoint late Tuesday in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.
“Security forces stopped the suspect when he approached but he detonated himself leaving five people dead. One of the security officers and four civilians were killed in the blast,” said local police official Mohamed Dahir Adan.
The blast occurred near a hotel often used as a meeting place for local officials, witnesses said.
“I think the bomber was trying to target the hotel but he was stopped at the checkpoint close to the hotel and he decided to detonate his explosives,” said witness Awke Mohamed.
Puntland set up its own government in 1998, but, unlike neighboring Somaliland, it has not declared full independence.
The region has often come under attack by Al-Qaeda-linked Shabab militants, and is also home to a breakaway group of fighters which declared allegiance to Daesh last year but has failed to gather much support so far.
The militants are led by former Shabab cleric Abdiqadir Mumin who was placed on a US terror list last August for his role at the head of Daesh in East Africa.
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Daesh claims first suicide attack in Somalia, kills five
Daesh claims first suicide attack in Somalia, kills five
Malaysia mulls law to curb premiership to two terms
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia introduced new legislation Monday to restrict the prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms, a move aimed at boosting accountability and curbing the overreach of executive powers.
The Southeast Asian nation currently places no cap on how many terms a premier can serve.
Former leader Mahathir Mohamad held office for 24 years across two stints — from 1981 to 2003 and again between 2018 and 2020.
Current Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in January announced a push for a two-term limit amid renewed calls for him to tackle corruption and improve governance.
In its election manifesto in 2022, Anwar’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in 2022 pledged a two-term limit on the premiership.
But there has been criticism about the slow pace of reform, local media reports said, with the move seen as an attempt to win back urban voters in the run-up to general elections slated for next year.
Anwar last week said that if the law is implemented, it would apply to him first.
He added that a 10-year period was sufficient for those in office to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
“I won’t be making laws for other people. The law must be applied to me first,” he said.
The proposed change requires approval from at least two-thirds of lawmakers, or 148 out of the 222 seats in the lower house, to pass.
Currently, there is no formal constitutional limit on how long a prime minister may serve, provided the individual commands majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, the Malaysian parliament.
str-jhe/fox
The Southeast Asian nation currently places no cap on how many terms a premier can serve.
Former leader Mahathir Mohamad held office for 24 years across two stints — from 1981 to 2003 and again between 2018 and 2020.
Current Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in January announced a push for a two-term limit amid renewed calls for him to tackle corruption and improve governance.
In its election manifesto in 2022, Anwar’s ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in 2022 pledged a two-term limit on the premiership.
But there has been criticism about the slow pace of reform, local media reports said, with the move seen as an attempt to win back urban voters in the run-up to general elections slated for next year.
Anwar last week said that if the law is implemented, it would apply to him first.
He added that a 10-year period was sufficient for those in office to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
“I won’t be making laws for other people. The law must be applied to me first,” he said.
The proposed change requires approval from at least two-thirds of lawmakers, or 148 out of the 222 seats in the lower house, to pass.
Currently, there is no formal constitutional limit on how long a prime minister may serve, provided the individual commands majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, the Malaysian parliament.
str-jhe/fox
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