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N. Iraq Suicide Bombing Kills District Council Chief

   Iraqi  officials  say  suicide  bombing  in the north killed 2 people,
   including a district council chief.

   VOA News 21 December 2009
   Map of Iraq

   Police  say the attacker targeted the local politician's car Monday in
   the  city  of  Tal  Afar.  One of the politician's bodyguards also was
   killed.
   In  another development, Iraqi authorities say a court has sentenced a
   deputy minister of transport to eight years in prison for corruption.
   Adnan  al-Obeidi  was  arrested in September on suspicion of trying to
   extort  half  a  million  dollars  from  a foreign security company in
   return for granting it a contract.
   Iraqi  officials  say  the  company informed anti-corruption officials
   about  the  extortion  attempt  and  worked  with authorities to catch
   al-Obeidi  in  the  act  of  taking  a  bribe. Police later filmed him
   demanding $100,000 as a first installment of the bribe.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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