TEHRAN // Iranian authorities have arrested four people they say were paid by a Kurdish militant based in Britain to carry out assassinations.
Majid Bakhtiar, Hajeer Ebrahimi, Loqman Moradi and Zanyar Moradi who are allegedly members of the banned Komala group, an Iranian Kurdish party that a report on the state-run Press TV described as a terrorist group, were arrested in the western city of Marivan, the channel said on its website.
It said the five are accused of carrying out five assassinations in Iran in the past two years.
"They have confessed to getting orders in the Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah from their commander Jalil Fattahi," who is residing in Britain, it said, adding that documents and weapons were confiscated from them.
The report described Fattahi as "one of the commanders of the Komala terrorist group which has been perpetuating several assassinations in the western cities of Iran since the Islamic revolution in 1979."
The four men claimed "they were originally promised 20,000 US dollars for each murder, but they only received 8,000 dollars after accomplishing the mission," the report said.
Iran claims the men were based in northern Iraq and received orders from a Komala commander going by the name of Jalil Fattahi, who lives in Britain.
In early September, Iranian security forces killed four members of Komala in the Iranian province of Kordestan.
Western Iran, which has a sizeable Kurdish population, has seen deadly clashes in recent years between security forces and Kurdish rebel groups operating from bases in neighbouring Iraq.
In May, Iran hanged four Kurds, including a woman, after convicting them of belonging to another outlawed Kurdish group, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan
Violence has increased recently in Iran's western Kurdish region. In September, a bombing killed 12 people at a military parade in the Kurdish city of Mahabad.
The news comes on the day Iranians commemorate the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran after the 1979 revolution which has come to symbolise the Islamic Republic's resistance to western aggression. The embassy building is referred to as the "Den of Espionage".
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
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