Political war of words erupts over Memon's execution

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New Delhi: A political war of words erupted on Thursday over the execution of 1993 Mumbai blast convict Yakub Memon and the issue of terrorism, with a section of opposition leaders speaking against the death sentence and the government hitting back.

The recriminations began when Congress leaders Digvijay Singh, Shashi Tharoor and Mani Shankar Aiyar expressed displeasure over the execution of 1993 Mumbai blasts convict.

Terming Congress leaders' comments on the issue as 'politically influenced and irresponsible', Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to explain why they were making such statements on the issue related to the country's security.

'Instead of making national security its priority, they (Congress) have made politics their priority... Even on the execution of death sentence given to Yakub Memon, their leaders are speaking in different voices,' the union minister said.

'Mainstream national parties are expected to react in responsible manner and not to show country as a divided house,' Jaitley said.

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh fired the first salvo, saying that the BJP-led government should show 'similar commitment' in all cases of terror as it showed in the case of Yakub Memon.

'I hope similar commitment of the government and the judiciary would be shown in all cases of terror, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion,' he said in a tweet following Memon's execution in the Nagpur central jail on Thursday morning.

Party colleague and former union minister Shashi Tharoor said he was 'saddened' by Memon's execution.

'Saddened by news that our government has hanged a human being. State-sponsored killing diminishes us all by reducing us to murderers too,' Tharoor tweeted.

'There is no evidence that death penalty serves as a deterrent, to the contrary in fact. All it does is exact retribution, unworthy of a government,' the Thiruvananthapuram parliamentarian said.

'I'm not commenting on the merits of a specific case; that's for the Supreme Court to decide. Problem is death penalty in principle and practice,' he added.

Communist Party of India (CPI) parliamentarian D. Raja, meanwhile, said that the death penalty should be done away with in the country.

'India should say an emphatic no to capital punishment.... It does not mean we do not have sympathy with those (blast victims') families, but by snatching away one life will not bring back all those lives,' Raja said.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader and Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi said the government should ensure death sentence in all similar cases.

'Death sentence should also be given to Babu Bajrangi, Maya Kodnani, Col. Purohit and Swami Aseemanand,' he said.

While Babu Bajrangi and Maya Kodnani are accused in the Gujarat riots, Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit and Swami Aseemanand are accused in the Malegaon blast.

The ruling BJP slammed the leaders opposed to the hanging, Tharoor and Digvijaya Singh were forsaken by the Congress as well, which said it was their 'personal views'.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the views were that of the leaders concerned and not of the Congress.

Former home secretary and BJP parliamentarian R.K. Singh said those making such comments did not have national interests on their minds.

'These people don't think about national interest. Whether he (Yakub) had to be hanged or not was not to be decided by the government but the court, and the president uses his judgement after that,' he said.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said justice had been done.

'Justice has been done; this increased the people's faith in the judicial process. He got two decades to prove his innocence, and he was proven guilty,' he said.

Yakub Abdul Razzak Memon, convicted in the March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was hanged till death at Maharashtra's Nagpur central jail on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the Congress demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reveal what he discussed on terrorism with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa on July 10 as India continued to suffer terror attacks from across the border.

'The prime minister should make a statement on the issue in parliament,' Congress leader Anand Sharma told the media here, expressing concern over the terror attack in Dinanagar town of Gurdaspur district in Punjab, believed to be carried out by terrorists from Pakistan.

Modi held a meeting with Nawaz Sharif in Ufa, Russia, on July 10 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet.

The Congress leader said that Modi should be present in the house when the issue comes up for discussion.

'There should be no politics on terror. The whole nation is united on issues like these,' he said, adding that the Congress always took a tough stand on terrorism.

IANS

4 Indian teachers allegedly abducted by ISIS militants in Libya

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Four Indian nationals have been kidnapped by militants in Libya, official sources said here on Friday.

The four Indians were teaching in Libya and were abducted in Sirte, the sources said.

The ministry of external affairs is trying to find out more information about the kidnapped Indian teachers.

The kidnapping comes even as the fate of 39 Indians kidnapped in June 2014 from Mosul in Iraq remains unknown. The 39 were kidnapped by the Islamic State militants. The government maintains the men, all labourers from mostly Punjab, are still alive.

The Indian government had last year issued an advisory asking its citizens to leave Libya.

HC raps AG's office again

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Kochi: Hardly a week after it suggested the authorities to wind up the operations of AG's office, the Kerala High Court again showered criticism on the institution.

Justice Alexander Thomas, who earlier censured the office, made the remarks on Friday during the hearing of a case involving the Vigilance registered under the Prevention ofCorruption Act.

The court accused the government of showing lack of interest in dealing with the cases.

He further directed the Chief Secretary to carry out an investigation into the slackness of the AG's office in dealing with four cases. A report should be submitted before the registrar within two weeks sans consultation with the higher ups, it added.

Despite asking the AG's office to verify facts, it failed to deliver. Such attitude amounts to contempt of court. The laxity in executing orders could not be permitted. The AG is keen on certain cases. If the situation prevails, the AG's office needs to be restructured. None of the orders issued by the courts are implemented, the court noted.

If the state of affairs continues, an inspection has to be carried out by appointing a retired Supreme Court judge as amicus curiae, it warned.

Coining of 'Hindu terror' weakened anti-terror fight: Govt

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 New Delhi : Government today hit out at Congress, saying the term 'Hindu terrorism' coined by its previous government had 'weakened' the fight against the scourge by diverting the direction of probe into the incidents of terrorism.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who made a statement on Gurdaspur attack in Lok Sabha a day after his speech on the
issue was disrupted in Rajya Sabha, attacked the opposition for making it appear that Parliament is divided on terrorism.

After making the statement, he raked up a host of issues, including Sharm-el Sheikh fiasco and statements at Havana NAM
Summit besides the 1962 war with China, to underline Congress' alleged failures, adding fuel to fire in the protests.

Singh's statement on the Gurdaspur attack was heard in rapt attention with Congress members suspending their protests
and returning to their seats from the Well after the Leader of the party Mallikarjun Kharge asked him to do so.

But as soon as he concluded his statement, Congress members again stormed the Well and it was a scene of protests
and disruptions in the House as seen from day one of the Monsoon session over the Lalit Modi and Vyapam issues.

This prompted Singh to attack the Congress. 'Terrorism is the biggest challenge facing the country. Neither Parliament
nor the country should appear divided on this... On the one hand, our jawans making the supreme sacrifice while fighting
against terror, on the other we have this noise and disruption. How can the country accept this,' he said.

Expressing readiness to answer any question on the issue if proper notice is given for a discussion, he said, 'Our
government and the Prime Minister are constantly making efforts to deal with the challenge.'

As the protests intensified, he hit back, 'In this House in 2013, the then Home Minister (P Chidambaram) had coined the
new terminology 'Hindu terrorism' in order to change the direction of probe. It weakened our fight. As a consequence,
Hafiz Sayeed (LeT founder) of Pakistan had congratulated the then Home Minister. Our government will never allow such a
shameful situation again.'

Livid Congress members wanted to react but were not allowed by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, prompting angry protests
by the opposition lawmakers, many of whom were seen waving the rule book to make their point.

'This is very unfortunate. You are losing our respect,' Kharge was heard remarking amid the din. Opposiiton members
crowded around her table to draw her attention that she should allow Kharge to speak but in vain.

The Home Minister asserted that terrorism has no caste or religion and 'We all must discuss terrorism with all the seriousness.'

He recited a Hindi poem to target the foreign policy of previous Congress governments', saying 'China snatched India's
rose, Tashkant saw death of Lal Bahadur Shastri and India lost at diplomatic table after winning the war due to its
compromises.'

Despite demands from opposition for having its say, the Speaker moved on to another subject, asking members to make
their submissions on issues to be included in next week's agenda.

Later, she also asked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to present a statement on supplementary demands for grants in
respect of budget 2015-16.

As Opposition members were heard protesting against the way the House was being conducted, Speaker adjourned the House till 1400 hours. PTI

Woman dies of MERS, another infected

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RIYADH: One of two women infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) died here in Riyadh, while the other patient is being treated at a hospital in Al-Kharj, some 60 km from the capital. Since June 2012, the Ministry of Health has reported 1,056 MERS cases in the Kingdom which included 467 deaths, 582 recoveries and seven patients currently receiving treatment in various hospitals.
The deceased was a 60-year-old Saudi woman who was infected with the virus in Riyadh. The person infected is a 44-year-old Saudi woman.
During the past two weeks, an official from the Ministry of Health said that there has been a sharp drop in the number MERS infections in the Kingdom. Since July 15, there were only 10 patients who tested positive for the virus, he added.
Health Ministry spokesman Khalid Al-Mirghalani said the drastic drop in the number of cases was due to the implementation of an integrated health plan to combat the disease. He said that the Ministry of Health deployed a rapid response team which immediately attends to cases and follows up on the detected cases to prevent recurrence.
He said the MoH carries out epidemiological surveillance on a round- the-clock basis, and ensures the commitment of all public and private health facilities to apply infection control procedures as well as coordination with relevant government sectors.

Delhi on alert after Yakub Memon's hanging

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New Delhi : An alert has been sounded here following 1993 Mumbai serial blast convict Yakub Memon's hanging in Nagpur jail on Thursday.

Delhi Police has beefed up security.

Delhi Police PRO Rajan Bhagat told IANS that police personnel are already vigilant and watchful after the terror attack in Punjab and the alert is being maintained.

Additional police and other security personnel have been deployed around key public places, he said.

Memon was hanged after several of his court appeals and clemency petitions were rejected by various courts.

Yakub Memon hanged till death in Nagpur jail

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Nagpur: Yakub Memon, convicted in the March 12, 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, was hanged till death at the Nagpur Central Jail in Maharashtra on Thursday morning, officials said.

He was sent to the gallows -- on his 54th birthday on Thursday -- after several of his court appeals and clemency petitions were rejected by various courts, including the Bombay High Court, the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra governor and the president of India.

Memon was hanged at 6.35 a.m. A medical team at the jail pronounced him dead a short while later.

His body was sent for an autopsy by a medical team from a Nagpur government hospital, before being cleared for the last rites.

The last of the legal procedures continued till barely a couple of hours before the execution this morning before sunrise.

Memon was the first -- and only convict out of 100 in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case -- whose hanging was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The death sentence of 11 others was commuted to life.

A Mumbai Special Court had sentenced him to death in July 2007.

The death warrant was issued by a Special TADA Court judge on April 29, scheduling the execution for July 30.

Maharashtra had started preparations for the noose for Memon almost three weeks ago.

Memon filed a fresh appeal in the Supreme Court, followed by a clemency plea with the Maharashtra governor, again a fresh plea in the apex court and a final appeal with the president of India.

He got no relief from any quarters, paving the way for his execution.

The Supreme Court on early Thursday rejected a last ditch attempt by 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon to stall his execution.

Memon had challenged the rejection of his mercy petition by the president.

Past midnight on Thursday, the apex court bench comprising Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Prafulla C. Pant and Justice Amitava Roy rejected Memon's plea seeking 14 days' time before the execution of his death sentence is carried out.

Kalam laid to rest with full military honours

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Rameswaram : Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was laid to rest on Thursday here with full military honours in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders.

The People's President's body, draped in the Indian tricolour was brought to the burial site at Pei Karumbu in a flower-bedecked gun carriage, escorted by columns of the three armed services.

A gun salute was accorded to the former supreme commander of the armed forces and a military band played the haunting Last Post.

Modi, who arrived here on Thursday morning, paid his last respects to the country's youth icon and most popular president by laying a wreath.

Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah, union Ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Manohar Parrikar and Pon Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu ministers like O.Panneerselvam, Natham R. Viswanathan and others also paid their last respects to Kalam.

Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy were also present, as was Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders also paid their last respects to Kalam - also known as India's Missile Man.

Earlier the mortal remains of Kalam were taken to the family mosque for prayers.

His family members also reached here.

'All our relatives have also arrived to attend the last rites,' A.P.J.M.K. Sheik Saleem, the former president's brother's grandson, told IANS.

The Tamil Nadu government declared a public holiday on Thursday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Banks, insurance companies, schools and colleges are closed throughout the state.

The government has also ordered closure of liquor shops and bars throughout the state.

Around 30,000 jewellery shops would also remain closed, while petrol bunks stopped sales for an hour between 10-11 a.m. as a mark of respect for Kalam.

Movie-theatre owners too have decided to shut down for the day while fishermen have decided not to venture into the sea.

Political parties like the DMK and the AIADMK have cancelled their functions.

Interestingly, the decision of private sector organisations to voluntarily shut shows that Kalam was truly a People's President.

Born in Rameswaram on October 15, 1931, Kalam, as a boy, hawked newspapers to supplement his family's income. His father owned a boat and his mother constantly struggled to keep the family sufficiently fed and clothed.

His sister pawned jewellery with a moneylender so that the studious Kalam could carry Rs.600 when he left Rameswaram to join the Madras Institute of Technology.

No secret pact with Yakub, but we induced him to return: Ex-CBI official

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NEW DELHI: As the suspense over the fate of Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon continues, the controversy over whether he was unfairly treated by the government is also gathering momentum. 

The debate over whether the CBI reneged on its alleged promise to go soft on Yakub in exchange for information on his elder brother 'Tiger' Memon, Dawood Ibrahim and their patrons in the ISI -- the choreographer of the world's first serial terror blasts -- took a new turn with a senior CBI officer denying that the agency had a secret understanding with the younger Memon sibling. 

Shantanu Sen, who led the CBI investigation into the 1993 Mumbai blasts, said no secret deal had been struck, although he said the agency used its contacts in Pakistan to "induce the Memons to believe that their safety lay in India".

Home ministry likely to advise President to reject Yakub Memon's mercy plea

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NEW DELHI: Government is likely to reject the mercy petition of Yakub Memon, who is facing gallows in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, and convey this view to President Pranab Mukherjee.

Hectic consultations were on late in the evening on the issue with law secretary P K Malhotra holding discussions with home secretary L C Goyal apparently on the issue.

Government sources said the home secretary may formally communicate this view to the President who had referred the fresh petition filed by Memon on Wednesday.

President, PM pay tributes to Kalam

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New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid floral tributes to former president A.P.J Abdul Kalam after his body arrived in the capital.

'Kalam was a national treasure first and a president later. Kalam's personality was special, his life inspires us, it inspires the youth,' the prime minister said.

Among others present at the Indira Gandhi International Airport's technical wing were Vice President Hamid Ansari, Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The first to lay a wreath was Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi, followed by Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Admiral R.K. Dhowan and Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag.

A special Indian Air Force plane carrying Kalam's mortal remains reached here from Shillong at around 12.30 p.m.

A ceremonial guard of honour was accorded to the former president by the army, navy and air force personnel.

Kalam's body will be kept at 10 Rajaji Marg for people to pay respects.

IANS

Midlife high blood pressure negatively impacts brain later

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Having high blood pressure in your 50’s can affect cognition many years later, scientists say.
Several studies have demonstrated that high cardiovascular risk at midlife, particularly hypertension, is linked to subsequent increased risk of dementia.
However, there is a lack of studies that examine the impact of midlife cardiovascular risk on early cognitive impairment in individuals in their later decades.
Using data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), Boston University School of Medicine researchers measured blood pressure from 378 FHS participants when they were between 50-60 years old, and then tested their cognitive performance approximately 30 years later when they were 80 years or older.
Participants with high blood pressure at midlife scored more poorly on tests of attention and executive function later in life.
“Decline in cognition is often considered an inevitable consequence of ageing, and age is the single biggest risk factor for dementia, but perhaps managing factors that impact brain ageing, such as blood pressure, will help increase brain health and reduce the risk for dementia,” said corresponding author Rhoda Au, professor of neurology at BUSM.
According to the researchers, if your blood pressure is not within normal range when you are younger, you should speak to your doctor and develop a plan to reduce it to normal levels and sustain it, which might include exercise, weight loss and medication.
“Midlife health matters. The pathway to one’s older years is through the younger years and taking care of your health while you are younger may help you better preserve your cognitive health when you are older,” added Au.
The study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
PTI

Scientists discover the taste of fat

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Washington:Scientists claim to have discovered a sixth flavour – the taste of fat – and say it could hold the key to fighting obesity and heart disease.
According to researchers, fat, which now joins sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami, has a “unique and unpleasant taste”, which they have named oleogustus.
This finding could lead to new ways of fighting obesity and heart disease, and to the creation of improved fat replacements, researchers said.
“Our experiments provide a missing element in the evidence that fat has a taste sensation, and that it is different from other tastes,” Professor Richard Mattes, from the Purdue University in US, said.
Researchers investigated the taste sensation of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), or free fatty acids, which are fat’s basic building blocks.
Results showed that the men and women identified fat as having a taste, different from all the other samples, ‘The Independent’ reported.
Identifying the taste of fat has a range of important health implications. At high concentrations, the signal it generates would dissuade the eating of rancid foods, researchers said.
At low levels, it may enhance the appeal of some foods by adding to the overall sensory profile, they said.
The study was published in the journal Chemical Senses.
PTI

Teen in remission from HIV 12 yrs after stopping meds

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Vancouver: A French teenager born with HIV has been in remission for 12 years after stopping her medication, a world-first that renews hope for the prospect of early treatment, researchers said today.
The young woman, now 18, is not considered cured, but is doing perfectly well off treatment, said the research led by Asier Saez-Cirion of the HIV, Inflammation and Persistence Unit at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.
Never before have scientists known of a case in which an HIV-infected child goes into long-term remission, said the research presented at the International AIDS Society meeting in this western Canadian city.
“We can detect HIV in the cells, but what we cannot detect is viral replication in the plasma,” Saez-Cirion told AFP in an interview.
“We don’t know yet why this girl was able to control the infection,” he added.
The girl does not have the genetic factors associated with natural control of infection, which has been seen in a rare group of patients.
“Most likely she has been in virological remission for so long because she received a combination of antiretrovirals very soon after infection,” said the report.
The young woman, whose identity was not revealed, was infected with HIV either in utero or during childbirth.
When she was five, her family dropped out of the treatment program for unknown reasons. When they returned her to medical care one year later, she “was found to have an undetectable viral load,” said the report.
Doctors decided not to resume antiretroviral treatment for the child, but monitored her.
Researchers said the unconventional case bolsters growing evidence in adults that starting treatment is essential immediately after HIV infection.
Her case “suggests that long-term remission after early treatment is possible in children infected by HIV,” said the report.

Suicide bomber kills 31 in Turkey attack blamed on IS

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Ankara: A suspected Islamic State suicide bomber killed at least 31 people today in an attack on a Turkish cultural centre where activists had gathered to prepare for an aid mission in the nearby Syrian town of Kobane.
The blast ripped through the centre in Suruc — a town just across the border from Kobane, which was itself later hit by a suicide car bombing — blowing out the windows and starting a fire, witnesses said.
Most of the dead were university students who were planning to enter Syria to help rebuild Kobane, which was occupied by Islamic State for months before being recaptured by Kurdish forces in January.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on a visit to northern Cyprus, condemned the attack as an “act of terror”.
“On behalf of my people, I curse and condemn the perpetrators of this brutality,” he said. “Terror must be condemned no matter where it comes from.”
Television footage showed several people lying on the ground covered in blood and ambulances rushing to the scene.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pointed the finger of blame for what was “clearly a terrorist attack” at Islamic State.
“Preliminary findings point to it being a suicide attack carried out by Daesh,” Davutoglu said in Ankara, using an Arabic acronym for IS. “But we are not at a point to make a final judgement.”
If confirmed, it would be the first such attack by IS fighters against Turkey, a regional military power and NATO member.
Local resident Mehmet Celik told AFP the town was “in chaos”.
Alp Altinors from the pro-Kurdish HDP party said the group of around 300 activists who gathered in Suruc from across the country were from the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations and that most were students.
“They were planning to build parks in Kobane, hand out toys for children and paint school walls,” he told AFP.
Social media images showed the group relaxing over breakfast in the garden a few hours before the noon blast.
A video circulated by the private Dogan news agency showed a spokesman for the activists saying into a microphone: “We, the youth, are here. We have defended Kobane together and now we are setting out to rebuild it together.”
Davutoglu said the blast aimed to undermine Turkish democracy.
“This attack targets us all,” he said, dispatching three ministers to the southeastern region.
“Daesh threatens not only Syrian people but also Turkey,” he added.

Airstrikes on IS-held town in northern Syria kill 20

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Baghdad: More than 20 people have been killed, many of them children, and dozens of others wounded today in airstrikes that targeted a town in northern Syria held by the Islamic State group, activists and the IS group said.
The airstrikes that targeted the town of Manbej in Aleppo province were most likely carried out by Syrian army warplanes, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It said the death toll was likely to rise because many of the wounded suffered critical injuries.
Twitter and Facebook accounts affiliated with the Islamic State group said 26 people were killed and around 100 others wounded in the attacks.
Syrian warplanes often target IS-held towns and cities across northern Syria. The airstrikes often result in civilian casualties.
A US-led coalition also bombs IS targets in Syria on a daily basis, but the two sides say their overflights and strikes are not coordinated.
In Iraq, militants from the Islamic State group blew up a sports stadium in the western Anbar province that in recent months had been used as a military base, officials said today.
There may have been fighters with the country’s Popular Mobilization Forces inside the 30,000-capacity stadium when it was destroyed yesterday, military and security officials in Anbar said, but they were unable to provide a specific estimate and officials with the PMF were not aware of casualties.
The Turkey-funded stadium, near the militant-held city of Ramadi, had never been used for sports. In recent months, it was used as a military base for Iraqi security forces and allied militia groups.
The officials spoke anonymously as they are not authorized to brief journalists.
The Iraqi Defense Ministry said last week that security forces were able to “cleanse” the stadium from militants taking refuge inside. It did not elaborate.
The militants seized control of Ramadi in May in what was a major blow to Iraqi security forces on the heels of a victory in Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit.
A US-led coalition has been conducting intense airstrikes in Anbar in an effort to help the Iraqi government regain control of the long-volatile province.
Iraqi security forces last week announced the launch of a large-scale operation to retake Anbar province from the militants. However, little progress has been reported so far.
The Islamic State group controls about a third of Iraq and Syria, ruling a self-styled “caliphate” where it enforces its radical interpretation of Sunni Islam. It regularly carries out attacks on Iraqi security forces in an effort to destabilize the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.

Hajj pilgrims to get free food in Makkah Rubaths

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Hyderabad: Such of the Hajj pilgrims who have been selected under Azizia category will get free food in Makkah Rubaths. This was communicated to Prof. S.A. Shukoor, Special Officer of Hajj Committee by Mr. Husain Shareef, in-charge of Makkah Rubaths. He informed Prof. Shukoor that arrangements have been made for accommodating 597 Hajj pilgrims for which two buildings, one in Misfala and other in Ashshisa have been acquired. In addition to free food and accommodation, the Hajj pilgrims will get the facility of laundry. He has requested the Hajj pilgrims not to carry any articles for cocking. Central Hajj Committee is arranging free food to the Hajj pilgrims in Madina. Allotment letters for accommodation would be issued soon.  This will result in saving Rs. 46100 to the Hajj pilgrims. Prof. Shukoor told that accommodation permits would be issued by Nizam’s Wakf Committee from today. All the Hajj pilgrims who have been allotted accommodation may contact Nizam’s Wakf Committee at Cherian Palace, Banjara Hills. Prof. Shukoor also informed that suitcases would be supplied to 1650 Hajj pilgrims belonging to Hyderabad city whereas centers would be setup in districts to supply these suitcases to the Hajj pilgrims of the districts. Rs. 5100 was collected from each pilgrim for the supply suitcase. Since there is no separate Hajj Committee for A.P. State, Telangana Hajj Committee has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with A.P. Govt. for making arrangements for the Hajj pilgrims of A.P. Vaccination for Hajj pilgrim would start soon.

Confused consumers losing subsidy by pressing zero

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A new option in the interactive voice response system (for refill booking) that consumers to give up their LPG subsidy is causing a lot of problems. Consumers say it is very inconvenient with many saying that they have given up their subsidies by mistake while trying to book refills.
LPG distributors said they were receiving complaints from consumers whose children pressed the number by mistake.
But many alleged the recorded message through IVRS is leading to an automatic cancellation of their LPG subsidy.
“I usually press 1 for a refill booking but this time it said zero first and so I pressed it and later I found that I had given up my subsidy,” said N. Kumar, a senior citizen.
While booking cooking gas through mobile phones, they get an automated Interactive voice response (IVRS) message saying: “if you are capable then give up your subsidy so that the same could be given to poor brethren, if you wish to surrender subsidy press 0, if you want refill press 1 ”
“Those who are not educated or those not familiar with interactive voice response system are finding it difficult,” said a distributor.
Sources in the oil industry said that in the State, so far, 32,000 persons had opted out of LPG subsidies and over 672 persons, who reportedly “gave up” their subsidy, have opted in again.
This is IVRS message system and consumers should be careful when pushing buttons. Nevertheless, in such cases they should visit their respective area offices and their subsidy will be restored,” said a source.

Delhi building collapse: 5 dead, 13 seriously injured

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Police suspect collapsed building in a narrow lane in Vishnu Garden area was illegally built

New Delhi: Rescue work is being carried out in the Saturday night's five-storey building collapse in west Delhi in which five people have died and 13 seriously injured, a police official said on Sunday.

"Five people have died in the Saturday night building collapse and 13 are seriously injured. Rescue work is being carried out jointly by the fire department, police and the residents," a police official said.

A four-storey building collapsed in the Vishnu Garden area of West Delhi on Saturday night. Picture: PTI

Police suspect the building, located in a narrow lane in Vishnu Garden area, was illegally built.

Eight fire tenders, teams of the National Disaster Relief Force, police and officials from district administration started the rescue operation after the Delhi Fire Service received the call at 9.10pm.

A.K. Sharma, chief of Delhi Fire Services, said rescuers were looking for one more person in the debris.

"We are not winding up our rescue operation right now, as people believe there might be one more casualty, so we are looking for that," said Sharma.

He said the rescue teams were facing a few challenges as the building is located in very congested and narrow lanes.

Man conducts his own last rites for a berth in heaven

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Believes it will free him from the recurring cycles of life and death

Image Credit: Lata Rani/Gulf news

Patna: A septuagenarian man has conducted his own last rites in Bihar in the hope that it will free him from the recurring cycles of life and death and get him a berth in heaven.

Banke Bihari, a resident from world-famous Taj city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, conducted his last rites on the dry sand beds of legendry Falgu river in southern Bihar’s Gaya district yesterday with the help of local Gayawal priests who are known to be ensuring salvation to the departed souls. During the occasion, the desperate man, himself lit the funeral pyre of his effigy made of straw and threw a feast to the priests.

Gaya is a city where millions of Hindus descend every year during fortnight-long Pitripaksh Mela held shortly before the Durga Puja (nine-day worship to deity Durga) to conduct rites so that the departed souls of their ancestors rest in peace permanently.

In Hindu tradition, such rites are normally conducted by the persons who have no children. Here in the case, however, the Agra resident conducted his last rites himself to get a berth in the heaven in advance although he has a full family of grand children and daughter. Normally, such rites are conducted by the children after their parents are dead.

“Such rites are rare since the persons have to stay away from his family, sleep on the floor, cook food himself and not participate in any auspicious function after they have conducted it,” said a local priest Nishikant Pathak who conducted the rituals. According to him, the persons concerned turn into a live ghost after they have conducted such rites.

Earlier a rich 80-year-old widow from Vaishali district of Bihar had spent thousands of dollars on a feast for 100,000 people with the similar hope that it would please the gods and open the doors of heaven for her. The widow who had no family members or relatives had reportedly spent around Rs2 million to feed different varieties of tasty dishes to the local villagers over the two consecutive days. She spent lavishly on the meal because she had no one to whom she could bequeath her property, as per the report.

Forging the way ahead in medical tourism

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A hospitable city, artificial beaches, some of the best hotels ?in the world and affordable treatment for a range of ailments is what new Dubai is now about. In an exclusive interview, Dr Ramadan Ibrahim, Director of Health Regulation at the Dubai Health Authority and Head of Dubai’s medical tourism programme, tells Asma Ali Zain that these are reasons enough for people to see the city as a premier medical tourism destination.

From September, the first medical tourism package — that will be valid for only two weeks — will be rolled out for tourists and residents alike in Dubai. From VIP packages to the most affordable ones, the packages will cover wellness and seven areas of treatment such as orthopaedic and sports medicine, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, dental procedures, dermatology and preventive health check-ups.

What’s more, visas, arrivals, hospital/hotels stays for patients and their families will also be taken care of.

What amount has been fixed for a medical tourism package and how many hospitals have committed to be part of the initiative?

We did a survey that targeted hotels, hospitals and clinics in Dubai. The list was around 300 facilities including hospitals, clinics and hotels. We shortlisted those as per our criteria and found that only 40 are fit to become dedicated tourism centres. The reason being our strict criteria since we are guaranteeing the best packages for patients based on transparency, pricing and treatment offered. We will build on these 40 facilities and of course any facilities wishing to join can do so by fulfilling the criteria. A couple of hospitals, clinics, centres and hotels have offered packages ... so we have a variety of them.

What kind of treatment does the first package include?

We have initially targeted seven specialties. For the first two years it will be wellness and checkups. In the Middle East we do not have wellness packages handled by trained professionals and this is what we are planning to push here. We will also target the whole of Middle East by launching these packages.

Today, the patient goes to the hospital for a checkup and he has to wait a long time since the doctor is busy seeing patients with a range of ailments. We want to have specialised wellness centres so the patient comes there rather than going to a normal facility and hospital.

How do residents avail of the medical tourism packages?

The package will have different targets — from inside the country and outside. From here, of course it will be for everyone depending on what package they will choose and what insurance will cover them and the facilities they are willing to get treated at. For example, if a patient has chosen a facility that his insurance provider does not cover, then he will not be able to use that offered package but he will be able to purchasethe same through a travel agency.

Currently we are negotiating with Emirates Airlines, Dnata, Dubai Immigration and Tourism department ... on how to plan an inhouse package for residents. We are also planning packages for people such as CEOs, DGs and VIPs in general. The packages will target different populations. The packages will be very similar to airline bookings ... the earlier you make a booking, the better deal you get.

Are there any discount packages for residents?

Currently we are in the design phase and we are planning to launch some packages in October when we will have a health regulation conference for the first time in the Middle East. A special fare package will be available for people who will attend that conference.

Is there any minimum amount fixed for the packages?

As I mentioned, we are in the design phase because fixing the amount and the prices is not an easy issue. We have to work with insurance and hospitals ... we cannot fix prices from our side. Our duty is to regulate the whole initiative.

What about visas for long term patients?

As medical tourists here, patients cannot avail of long-term treatments. We have decided on a two-week duration for treatment and that is the maximum length any patient will be able to stay in the Dubai for treatment. Long-term treatment is different and it will not be included in the package. We are targeting only the short procedures that can attract tourism.

How are you going to keep checks on overstaying?

We have initiated the medical tourism office and structure. This office has the duty of overlooking all the activities in Dubai. We will be communicating with all facilities and buyers. They will put in the rules and regulations and guidelines; they will communicate regarding pricing and packaging; they will maintain how the packages are offered during the year; and they will also work with branding and media coverage of all events. One package starts in September, and in October, we will launch more. Our target is that all those packages should be ready by end of the year.

What does wellness mean?

Wellness defines lifestyle diseases. The patient will come to a centre for physical comfort or physiotherapy, rehabilitation for weight loss treatment etc. These lifestyles issues are not being targeted in Dubai properly. For example, patients go to a dietician who tells them go to a diabetes doctor who will send them to some other doctor ... so by having proper wellness centres in one place, it will help patients.

But why would people come from all over the world to Dubai for two weeks, for example, to lose weight?

As an initial strategy we are not pushing people to come to Dubai. People are visiting Dubai anyway to spend two weeks in hotels and on vacations.

Our focus is on the highest number of nationalities already visiting Dubai such as from Russia and the Gulf countries. They can visit Dubai and use our facilities for wellness. So in a way, instead of families coming and paying for two weeks for a hotel and stay, you will have the same package plus medical treatment.

The top number of nationalities visiting Dubai are Russians, second are Gulf countries and then some European countries according to statistics from the Dubai Statistics Centre. We have some from the American continent but the vast majority is definitely from Russia and then Gulf countries.

How are ratings for hospitals going to help medical tourism?

I will compare these ratings to those of hotels because when a customer walks into a place, he pays attention to star ratings. We are currently designing a system to attract tourism rather than patients. A patient who goes to the hospital will check whether the hospital will be able to offer treatment ... but a tourist checks more than that such as a reception, translator, transport, hotel accommodation, etc. The ratings will definitely help raise the bar in Dubai to have luxury medical facilities.

Will government hospitals also offer these packages?

Yes, definitely. We are working on a few packages for the government hospitals and we will announce them shortly, such as VIP packages. We are not going to force government hospitals to be part of this initiative but this does help in internal competition between private and government hospitals which is a healthy thing. But they are already willing.

There will be a difference in pricing of packages between what the government will offer and the private sector.

Are private hospitals calculating costs for services required from your side such as transport, translators, etc?

No, we are not pressing anyone. Majority of them already have these facilities because they need them on a daily basis. We are going to motivate them more. In tourism, you cannot force people.

How many medical tourists have visited Dubai over the past three to five years?

According to our statistics, 120,000 people have come so far for medical tourism. In 2006, it was 50,000 medical tourists ... the numbers have doubled now.

By 2016, our target is to attract 170,000 medical tourists. By 2020, we will have around 500,000. This is the minimum number we are targeting but we believe that once the system is ready, we will have more numbers. We are also putting in measures to have the exact numbers.

How much money has Dubai raised through medical tourism?

The medical tourism policy was not approved at that time and no figures were as such recorded for reinvestment that happened. The policy has been approved just this year but from previous studies and market research and the way we are going to introduce this policy is that we need to invest more money at the beginning of the year rather than counting the return investment. Why? Because we need to make the world know that Dubai is located here.

Expenditure on communication and strategy will cost a lot in the beginning. The government has given us full support to spend on all the resources we need, whether it is financial, human or technology.

We are currently negotiating with companies who will be offering such services and once we finalise those companies, we will now the exact amount we will spend on this sector.

What is the projection for the number of professionals needed in the coming years?

We are targeting seven specialties and we are going to work on these to make sure that they are available in Dubai in good numbers. We are going to advertise for them, we are going to facilitate licensing issues and we are going to help them to work with their own patients. We are going to help them with the immigration and tourism departments. Once we get the support of those services, I think it will flourish more.

Is there a limit to hiring of professionals?

We have not put a limit to the hiring currently because this is a first time to impose such a policy in Dubai. We do not have enough statistics in the region to compare to but we will be closely monitoring in the first two years — once we launch the packages — to see how the numbers are growing. We will be changing the policy and regulations accordingly. This applies to hiring of professionals and targeting tourists.

Are visiting doctors encouraged to meet the expected shortage of medical professionals?

This is part of our plan. On the website we have launched, they will have options. We will advertise for each doctor. We will also set up an online appointment system in future.

Are any statistics available for the number of professionals to be hired for next, say, two years?

There is a study carried out by the DHA ... we are waiting for the results to see what are the projections and numbers of professionals until 2020.

It will also give an idea about the need for the specialties that can be made available for the investors and patients.

What new hospitals are expected for meet the future needs?

Medical tourism will never flourish unless the area around it is developed. If we don’t have well equipped hospitals and designs; a transparent licensing system; and a well built insurance system, we will never establish a good medical tourism system in Dubai.

I believe that building well-equipped hospitals and residences in Dubai will give a different view to the tourist.

What are the challenges you have already seen and overcome?

Culture change is the first challenge ... not for patients but for investors and centres. We have told them that this will resolve by itself in future but it will take time to convince them that is why the number is so low in the beginning and I believe that when they see us flourishing, they will come by themselves.

The second challenge we have almost overcome is to work as a multidisciplinary team between government and private sector under one umbrella.

(Khaleej Times)

Al Qaeda Militants Seize Yemeni Military Base

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by Wochit  

Military officials said that Al Qaeda militants seized control of an important army base Thursday following clashes with soldiers that left at least eight people dead. The officials added that at least four soldiers and four militants died in the fighting and that at least 15 soldiers were taken hostage. The base is home to Yemen's 19th Infantry Brigade and is located in the Baihan area in southern Shabwa province.

Al-Qaeda affiliate claims killing of 14 Algerian soldiers

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Nicosia (AFP) - Al-Qaeda's North African branch said it killed 14 Algerian soldiers in an ambush southwest of the Algerian capital, in what would be the deadliest attack on the army in over a year.

The El Khaber newspaper, citing security sources, reported earlier in the day that troops were killed by a terrorist group on the road to Tifran, a wooded area in the south of Ain Defla province, 140 kilometres (85 miles) from the capital.

The ambush took place on Friday night at the start of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed the attack in an unverified statement posted online late on Saturday night.

"The knights of Islam have, on the first night of Eid killed 14 soldiers in an ambush on an army platoon in the area of Djebel Louh," it said, adding that the attackers managed to escape unharmed after seizing the dead troops' weapons.

The defence ministry has made no official statement on the attack, but the news was widely circulated on social media and some Facebook users posted pictures of alleged victims.

If confirmed, this would be the deadliest attack on Algeria's army since April 2014, when 15 soldiers were killed in the country's mountainous east.

The ministry of defence said last week that 102 Islamists were killed, captured or surrendered to security forces in the first half of 2015.

The Ain Defla region was considered a hub for jihadist groups during the 1990s, but there has been a drop in Islamist-linked violence in Algeria in recent years.

Curiosity Mars rover clicks rare sunspots

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Washington : NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has provided images of sunspots from the other side of the Sun that is turned away from Earth.

While investigating bedrock types on Mars' Mount Sharp and preparing for a drill test, Curiosity tracked large sunspots from the opposite side of the Sun.

'Tracking the sunspot activity on the far side of the sun is useful for space-weather forecasting,' said Yihua Zheng, project leader for NASA space weather services.

'It helps us monitor how the sunspots evolve and grow before they become visible from this side,' he added.

Scientists temporarily have no other resource providing views of the Sun from the opposite side of the solar system from Earth.

The sun completes a rotation about once a month -- faster near its equator than near its poles.

'Information about sunspots that develop before they rotate into view of Earth and Earth-orbiting spacecraft is helpful in predicting space-weather effects of solar emissions related to sunspots,' the US space agency said in a statement.

NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft, which monitors the Sun, is currently almost exactly behind the Sun from Earth's perspective and is temporarily out of communication.

The Sun disrupts radio transmissions that pass too close to it.

Communication with Curiosity was also suspended last month when Mars passed nearly behind the Sun but the rover resumed full communication and operations in late June.

Daily information from STEREO-A is expected to begin again this month.

Curiosity has been working on Mars since early August 2012.

It reached the base of Mount Sharp last year after fruitfully investigating outcrops closer to its landing site and then trekking to the mountain.

The main mission objective now is to examine successively higher layers of Mount Sharp.

Nurse cuts off child's thumb in Bengal hospital?

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 Kolkata: A nurse allegedly cut off the thumb of a eight-day-old girl in a state-run hospital in West Bengal and threw the body part into a dustbin to escape responsibility.

The baby, admitted to the Balurghat General Hospital on Friday with diarrhoea, met with the tragic incident on Sunday night with the nurse - in an attempt to cut a leucoplast to make a channel for administering saline - severed the thumb with scissors.

'I saw blood oozing out from the affected area and saw the thumb was missing,' said the new-born's mother Mamoni Mondal, who called her husband.

Babla Mondal said: 'When I confronted the sister, she said she had no idea about the thumb. I looked everywhere and finally found the thumb in the dustbin. Helpless, with the finger in one hand and my child in the other, I began pleading with the doctors to attend to my child. But none came forward.'

After an hour, hospital superintendent Tapan Biswas came to the ward and asked the parents to take the child to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri of Darjeeling district.

But that was not the end of their ordeal.

'At NBMCH, the doctors told us that it would be meaningless to admit our baby there as it did not have the infrastructure to do a plastic surgery on the child,' said Mamoni Mondal.

The child has now been brought back to the Balurghat District Hospital.

Biswas said the nurse has been asked to proceed on five-day leave.

'I have received a report from the nursing superintendent. I will receive the probe report from the doctors on Tuesday,' he said.

'All expenses for the child's treatment will be borne by us,' he added.

IANS

22 pilgrims killed in Andhra stampede

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Vijayawada: At least 22 pilgrims, mostly women, were killed and 20 others injured in a stampede during Godavari pushkaralu in Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, officials said.

The tragedy occurred when a large number of pilgrims rushed towards one of the gates and tried to scale it at Kotagummam pushkar ghat on the banks of Godavari river to take the holy dip.

Chaos prevailed at all the three gates at the bathing ghat in Rajahmundry, a town in East Godavari district.

The toll may further go up as some bodies were still believed to be lying at the spot.

The bodies of victims were shifted to Rajahmundry government hospital. The injured were also brought to the hospital, where the condition of some of them is stated to be critical.

Tragedy struck couple of hours after Godavari maha pushkaralu, a once in 144-year event, began on Tuesday morning.

The 12-day pushkaralu, described as Kumbh mela of the south, began in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who had a holy dip in Rajahmundry Tuesday morning, rushed to a control room to monitor the situation.

He appealed to people to follow queues to entry and exit points. He also requested the pilgrims to move to other ghats.

The failure of authorities to anticipate the huge crowds at the ghat and lack of proper arrangements to regulate the pilgrims led to the tragedy.

IPL: CSK, RR suspended for two years; Meiyappan, Kundra banned

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New Delhi:Indian Premier League (IPL) teams Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were on Tuesday banned for two years by the Supreme Court appointed Justice Lodha Committee in the 2013 IPL betting and spot fixing scandal.

Former CSK team official Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra were suspended for life from any cricketing activity undertaken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The guilty duo were also suspended from any cricket related activity for a period of five years. They were earlier found guilty of betting in the scandal that rocked the lucrative Twenty20 tournament in 2013.

The verdict, read out by Justice Lodha in the presence of the other committee members, said that the cricketers who were part of the two IPL teams were free to join any IPL team they wanted.

The Supreme Court on January 22 had set up the committee comprising former Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, former Justice Ashok Bhan and former Justice R. Raveendran to determine appropriate punishments for Meiyappan, Kundra and their respective franchises.

In March, the panel had also issued showcause notices to Meiyappan and Kundra seeking their reply on the quantum of punishment.

Meiyappan is the son-in-law of former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president and current International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman N. Srinivasan. Kundra is a businessman who is married to Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.

Lodha also said the fate of IPL COO Sundar Raman, who is also alleged to have involved in wrongdoing, is yet to be ascertained as the investigation regarding him is still going on.

Lodha said the committee, which was supposed to form a guideline for the smooth administration of BCCI, will formulate such a guideline in 'due course of time'.

Music composer M S Viswanathan passes away

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Chennai: Acclaimed music director and composer M S Viswanathan (86) passed away at a private hospital here. His end came around 4.30 am on Tuesday. Viswanathan had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments.

Viswanathan's body has been kept for the public to pay homage at his residence in Chennai.

Viswanathan has done music for more than 2000 movies, including 100 Malayalam ones.

Born at Elappully in Palakkad in 1928, he moved to Chennai at the age of 10. Since 1945, he has been active in music composition.

12-day Eid holiday bonanza for soudi govt staff

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RIYADH: The Eid Al-Fitr holiday has been extended for government employees from 10 to 12 days, according to the Ministry of Civil Services. This is the longest Eid break in many years. 
“All government employees are entitled to a period of Eid Al-Fitr holidays beginning on July 10 (Friday), continuing through the weekend, and ending on July 21, to spend this blessed time with their families,” an official at the ministry said on Thursday, the last working day before the break.
The private sector, however, will have six days of holidays, commencing on July 16. 
A large number of people flock to various tourist destinations across the Kingdom during the Eid break, while many government agencies organize a number of festivals and events during the holiday to attract people to domestic tourism, which is growing constantly. Many Saudi families also go abroad looking for a vacation away from home.
According to travel and tour offices in Riyadh, most people have booked tickets for their preferred destinations in advance, including Dubai, Bahrain, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, London and other European destinations.
Earlier, the government had slashed working hours with the advent of the fasting month.

India’s Supreme Court orders probe into job scam, deaths

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NEW DELHI: India's top court Thursday ordered a federal investigation into a multimillion-dollar college admission and government job recruitment scandal in central India said to be linked to dozens of mysterious deaths.

The Supreme Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation, India's FBI, to take over from the state police the investigation into the alleged irregularities in job recruitment and college admissions as well as the deaths of nearly 50 people associated with the scam.
Police have arrested hundreds of parents and students for paying bribes and officials for allegedly rigging eligibility tests for admission to medical colleges and recruitment for jobs in the police force, schools and banking sector in Madhya Pradesh state.
The court also directed the Madhya Pradesh government to respond to a petition demanding the removal of the state's federally appointed governor after questions were raised about his involvement in the scandal. Gov. Ram Naresh Yadav's son Shailesh Yadav died mysteriously in May after the younger man was alleged to have accepted bribes in the governor's house.
Opposition Congress party leaders had been demanding a federal inquiry into the scam, accusing the Madhya Pradesh government of trying to influence the outcome of the inquiry by the state police.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh demanded the resignation of Madhya Pradesh's top elected official, saying Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should step down to allow for a free and fair investigation.
"Students who have been arrested in connection with the scam should be made witnesses for the state," Singh said. "Isn't it strange that hundreds of students and their parents are in jail, while those who took the bribes are roaming free," he told reporters Thursday.
More than 2,500 people have been accused in connection with the scandal and around 1,900 of them have been arrested.
Dozens of people, either witnesses or accused participants in the scam, have died over the last five years in inexplicable circumstances. Congress leaders have alleged that some top state bureaucrats and politicians accepted millions of dollars in bribes to facilitate the admissions.
The scandal has come to be known in India as the "Vyapam scandal," after the Hindi language acronym for the state-run employment agency in Madhya Pradesh. For the past couple of weeks, Indian media have given wide coverage to the sudden deaths of a number of people connected to the scam.
The scandal hit the front pages of newspapers once again last weekend after the death of an investigative journalist who had gone to Madhya Pradesh to speak with witnesses.
The following day, the body of a medical college dean was found in a New Delhi hotel. The official, Arun Kumar, headed a medical college in Madhya Pradesh that was involved in the admissions scandal. Kumar was helping the state police in its investigation.
The many suspicious deaths of people linked to the scam have raised concerns among civil society groups who feel the deaths were in some way connected. Many of the dead were younger than 40 and autopsy reports in most cases were inconclusive.
Madhya Pradesh home minister Babulal Gaur dismissed the opposition's charge that witnesses and whistle-blowers were being targeted to shield top politicians and bureaucrats. He said most of the deaths were due to natural causes.

Prince Saud mourned

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JEDDAH: Veteran former Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal died on Thursday at the age of 75, two months after he stepped down following 40 years in the job, family members and a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Nawaf Al-Faisal, a relative, announced the death on Facebook, while a ministry spokesman also confirmed the death on Twitter and expressed condolences.
I wish I could deny the rumor of the news of your death," the spokesman Osama Nugali tweeted.
Prince Saud's nephew Saud Mohammed Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal also acknowledged the death. "May God accept him in paradise," he wrote on Twitter. 
Prince Saud, who was appointed in 1975, was the world’s longest serving foreign minister.
The prince, who was born in 1940, was one of the highest profile members of Saudi's ruling elite and steered the diplomacy of the world's leading oil exporter for four decades before stepping down in April for health reasons.
Prince Saud retained an influential position in Saudi foreign policy circles even after his replacement, serving as an official adviser to King Salman, who took power in January, and was sometimes present when foreign leaders met the monarch
Prince Saud's tenure covered Israeli invasions of Lebanon in 1978, 1982 and 2006, the Palestinian intifadas that erupted in 1987 and 2000, Iraq's invasion of Iran in 1980 and Kuwait in 1990, and a US-led coalition's occupation of Iraq in 2003.