The world in brief

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

— QUOTE OF THE DAY “They will not be tolerated, and they will be met with North Korea’s increasing isolation and pressure under United Nations sanctions.” Susan Rice, The American ambassador to the United Nations, on North Korea’s continued work on its nuclear and missile programs Article, 1ASmoking ban gains steam in Russia

MOSCOW - Russia’s lower house of parliament Tuesday passed a bill prohibiting smoking in public places, an extraordinary measure in a country where about 60 percent of adult men smoke cigarettes.

The bill was proposed by the Ministry of Health and energetically endorsed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to limit the harm caused by smoking. The measure is expected to be easily approved by the upper house of parliament and signed by President Vladimir Putin within two weeks.

The lower house - the state Duma - gave the bill overwhelming approval, passing it by a vote of 441-1. One contentious element, which prohibited special smoking rooms, was modified and the new law now permits them in company offices.

Bulgaria relays 2 names tied to blast

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria has given Europol the names of two of the people suspected in a bus bombing that killed five Israeli tourists last year, with hopes that the police agency can trace their movements and uncover how they financed the attack, the country’s interior minister said Tuesday.

The European country also has requested that Lebanese authorities arrest and extradite the two suspects, who are believed to be living in Lebanon, an official said.

The July 18 bombing killed the Israeli tourists at the airport in the Black Sea resort of Burgas as well as a Bulgarian bus driver and a suspected bomber. Three men are suspected in the attack, including the dead bomber. The latter’s identity has not been established. The names of the two other suspects, believed to still be alive, have not been released to the public.

An official Bulgarian report last week, however, said investigators had “well-grounded reasons to suggest” that the two belonged to the militant wing of the Islamist group Hezbollah. The report said they have been living in Lebanon for years.

U.S. rebukes Egypt on women attacks

CAIRO - Washington’s envoy on human rights expressed concern Tuesday about the failure of Egypt’s government to identify the perpetrators behind a growing number of attacks against female protesters, as nearly 1,000 women gathered in Cairo to denounce the recent sexual assaults.

Beating drums and blowing whistles, the women defied advice by some lawmakers that suggested that their presence in Tahrir Square, the focal point of protests, was the reason for the mob attacks.

While sexual harassment of women has long been a problem in Egypt, dozens of violent attacks have been reported specifically in and around Tahrir Square since the fall of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak two years ago. Hundreds of unidentified men have taken part in attacks on women, ripping their clothes off, touching them and, in one case, raping a 19-year-old with a blade.

The U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, Michael Posner, criticized what he said was the failure of Egypt’s criminal-justice system to identify and take to justice perpetrators “involved in an alarming number of rapes and other acts of violence against women.”

In meetings with Egyptian officials, including the foreign and justice ministers, as with well as one of the president’s advisers and the nation’s top cleric, Posner said he expressed Washington’s concern that the rights of women are not being prioritized alongside other key issues such as transparency, rule of law and building a better climate for civil society.

Defendant admits killing 2 U.K. police

LONDON - A 29-year-old man accused of murdering two unarmed British police officers in a gun and grenade attack changed his plea to guilty Tuesday, midway through his trial.

Dale Cregan had denied killing Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, but on Tuesday admitted the murders, replying “guilty” as a court clerk read out the charges.

The two officers were killed as they responded to a burglary call near Manchester in September.

Prosecutors said Cregan - who had made the false emergency call - waited for police to arrive, then opened fire with a Glock pistol.

Front Section, Pages 6 on 02/13/2013