PM Narendra Modi reacts to the sudden and tragic death of veteran&nbsp;actress <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/legendary-actor-sridevi-dies-tributes-pour-in-from-all-over-the-world-33953">Sridevi</a>. Indian Prime Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959">tweeted</a>, &quot;Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace: PM @narendramodi.&quot;

The actor, the wife of producer Boney Kapoor,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/legendary-actor-sridevi-dies-tributes-pour-in-from-all-over-the-world-33953"> died late in the night </a>reportedly due to cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone along with her family to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah&#39;s wedding.

Confirming the news, a source close to the family said, &quot;Yes it&#39;s true. She was in Dubai while some of the other family members came back to India. We hear it&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/legendary-actor-sridevi-dies-tributes-pour-in-from-all-over-the-world-33953">cardiac arrest</a>.&quot;

While some of her family members returned from Dubai after the wedding, Sridevi, Boney and her younger daughter Khushi stayed back. Her elder daughter -- Janhvi -- had not travelled with the family because of the shooting schedule for her upcoming Bollywood film, her first in the industry.

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Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace: PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/967575615254622208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Bollywood actors including <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959">Riteish Deshmukh</a>, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959">Priyanka Chopra</a>, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959">Bhagyashree</a>, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959">Sushmita Sen</a>, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959">Nimrat Kaur</a>, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/film-fraternity-fans-react-to-sridevis-tragic-demise-33959">Richa Sharma</a> took to Twitter to express grief over the loss.

Here is her last visual:

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RIP Sridevi. This is her last visual. <a href="https://t.co/BwNBaMYGxF">pic.twitter.com/BwNBaMYGxF</a>
&mdash; Kathi Mahesh (@kathimahesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/kathimahesh/status/967556695542005760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister took to Twitter to share his grief over Sridevi's sudden death

PM Narendra Modi reacts to the sudden and tragic death of veteran actress Sridevi. Indian Prime Minister tweeted, "Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace: PM @narendramodi." The actor, the wife of producer Boney Kapoor, died late in the night reportedly due to cardiac arrest in Dubai, where she had gone along with her family to attend her nephew Mohit Marwah's wedding. Confirming the news, a source close to the family said, "Yes it's true. She was in Dubai while some of the other family members came back to India. We hear it's cardiac arrest." While some of her family members returned from Dubai after the wedding, Sridevi, Boney and her younger daughter Khushi stayed back. Her elder daughter -- Janhvi -- had not travelled with the family because of the shooting schedule for her upcoming Bollywood film, her first in the industry. Saddened by the untimely demise of noted actor Sridevi. She was a veteran of the film industry, whose long career included diverse roles and memorable performances. My thoughts are with her family and admirers in this hour of grief. May her soul rest in peace: PM @narendramodi — PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 25, 2018 × Bollywood actors including Riteish Deshmukh, Priyanka Chopra, Bhagyashree, Sushmita Sen, Nimrat Kaur, Richa Sharma took to Twitter to express grief over the loss. Here is her last visual: RIP Sridevi. This is her last visual. pic.twitter.com/BwNBaMYGxF — Kathi Mahesh (@kathimahesh) February 25, 2018 ×

PM Modi condoles Sridevi's sudden death says, 'Saddened by the untimely demise'

The death toll for the shelling and airstrikes in Syria&rsquo;s Eastern Ghouta has increased to 250 in the last 48-hours, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The death toll included 58 children and 42 women, the group said. More than 1,200 people were wounded by the Syrian regime shelling and airstrikes on the besieged Damascus suburb, which rights activists and residents described as being under &ldquo;constant bombardment.&rdquo;

The monitoring group said the death toll is the highest since the 2013 alleged chemical attack on eastern Ghouta, which activists say killed approximately 1,400 people.

The UN has warned that the situation is &quot;spiralling out of control&quot;.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-opposition-condemns-ghouta-bloodbath-33531">Syria opposition condemns Ghouta &#39;bloodbath&#39; </a>

Meanwhile, the Damascus government has sent forces to confront Turkish troops who have crossed the border to push back the Kurds in northern Syria.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-warns-syrian-forces-entering-afrin-face-serious-consequences-33615">Turkey warned </a>on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face &quot;serious consequences&quot; and they will be regarded as legitimate targets.

A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria&#39;s Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan&#39;s spokesman said.

On the outskirts of Damascus, air strikes, rockets and artillery fire have been battering the Eastern Ghouta enclave in apparent preparation for a government ground assault.

Bombardment on Tuesday killed 106 civilians, including 19 children, the Britain-based war monitor said.

It was the second straight day that the civilian <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-russia-pound-rebel-enclave-over-250-dead-33548">death toll topped </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-russia-pound-rebel-enclave-over-250-dead-33548">100</a>, after 127 were killed Monday in Eastern Ghouta&rsquo;s bloodiest day in four years.

The strikes left an important hospital out of action, further limiting the little medical aid that besieged civilians can access.

The Observatory blamed Russian warplanes, saying Moscow carried out its first strikes in three months on Eastern Ghouta.

 
&nbsp;

The death toll included 58 children and 42 women, the group said and more than 1,200 people were wounded

The death toll for the shelling and airstrikes in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta has increased to 250 in the last 48-hours, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The death toll included 58 children and 42 women, the group said. More than 1,200 people were wounded by the Syrian regime shelling and airstrikes on the besieged Damascus suburb, which rights activists and residents described as being under “constant bombardment.” The monitoring group said the death toll is the highest since the 2013 alleged chemical attack on eastern Ghouta, which activists say killed approximately 1,400 people. The UN has warned that the situation is "spiralling out of control". Also read: Syria opposition condemns Ghouta 'bloodbath' Meanwhile, the Damascus government has sent forces to confront Turkish troops who have crossed the border to push back the Kurds in northern Syria. Turkey warned on Wednesday that pro-Syrian government forces entering the northwest Afrin region to support a Kurdish militia there will face "serious consequences" and they will be regarded as legitimate targets. A convoy of some 40-50 vehicles carrying pro-government forces tried to enter Syria's Afrin on Tuesday, but retreated after artillery fire by Turkish forces, President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said. On the outskirts of Damascus, air strikes, rockets and artillery fire have been battering the Eastern Ghouta enclave in apparent preparation for a government ground assault. Bombardment on Tuesday killed 106 civilians, including 19 children, the Britain-based war monitor said. It was the second straight day that the civilian death toll topped 100, after 127 were killed Monday in Eastern Ghouta’s bloodiest day in four years. The strikes left an important hospital out of action, further limiting the little medical aid that besieged civilians can access. The Observatory blamed Russian warplanes, saying Moscow carried out its first strikes in three months on Eastern Ghouta.

Death toll increases to 250 in Syria air strikes

Anuj Loya, the son of special CBI judge BH Loya who allegedly died under mysterious circumstances, said Sunday that the family has no complaints against anyone.&nbsp;

&quot;Have no suspicion over father&#39;s death. Had suspicion earlier but now it is over,&quot; PTI reported Anuj as saying at a press conference in Mumbai today.&nbsp;

PTI added that Anuj, with tears in eyes, urged NGOs and politicians to stop &quot;harassing&quot; his family over his father&#39;s death.&nbsp;

&quot;Our family is pained with the chain of events in past few days. Please don&#39;t harass us,&quot; ANI reported Anuj as saying.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Anuj Loya, Justice Loya&#39;s son says, &#39;we are convinced that his was a natural death. We do not have any suspicion about it.&#39; <a href="https://t.co/WqghpxvXGx">pic.twitter.com/WqghpxvXGx</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/952560961805697025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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We are convinced that his was a natural death, we do not have any suspicion about it. There is no doubt about it, everything is clear: Anuj Loya, son of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JusticeLoya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JusticeLoya</a> <a href="https://t.co/SynW5JqxXp">pic.twitter.com/SynW5JqxXp</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/952551758634430464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;There was a period of emotional turmoil, there were a lot of rumors. We are clear now,&quot; Anuj, who is 21 and studying law in Pune, said.&nbsp;

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There is no controversy. No need of politicising the issue. This is a tragic event. We do not want to be victims of politicisation of the issue. Let it remain the way it is, non - controversial: Ameet Naik, Lawyer <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JusticeLoya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JusticeLoya</a> <a href="https://t.co/p4lKH5XoYi">pic.twitter.com/p4lKH5XoYi</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/952525000430403584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The four seniormost judges (after the Chief Justice of India) of the Supreme Court had, in an unprecedented move, called a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-a-first-4-supreme-court-judges-speak-on-corruption-29314" target="_blank">press conference</a> on Friday.&nbsp;

The four judges -- Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- raised a litany of problems, including the assigning of cases, allegedly afflicting the country&#39;s highest court.&nbsp;

It is thought the judges -- who did not mention specifics -- were also referring to Justice Loya&#39;s death.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-how-bad-is-the-situation-in-indias-supreme-court-29350" target="_blank">How bad is the situation in India&#39;s Supreme Court?</a>

Other judges have also called for the death to be investigated.&nbsp;

Justice Loya had been hearing the Sohrabuddin encounter case in which BJP President Amit Shah is also named.&nbsp;

The Caravan magazine had, after talking to Loya&#39;s family members, first reported that he had died in mysterious circumstances.&nbsp;

Subsequent news reports have partly corroborated the Caravan report, while disagreeing with other parts of it.&nbsp;

'Have no suspicion over father's death. Had suspicion earlier but now it is over,' Anuj Loya said Thursday at a press conference

Anuj Loya, the son of special CBI judge BH Loya who allegedly died under mysterious circumstances, said Sunday that the family has no complaints against anyone. "Have no suspicion over father's death. Had suspicion earlier but now it is over," PTI reported Anuj as saying at a press conference in Mumbai today. PTI added that Anuj, with tears in eyes, urged NGOs and politicians to stop "harassing" his family over his father's death. "Our family is pained with the chain of events in past few days. Please don't harass us," ANI reported Anuj as saying. #WATCH: Anuj Loya, Justice Loya's son says, 'we are convinced that his was a natural death. We do not have any suspicion about it.' pic.twitter.com/WqghpxvXGx — ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2018 × We are convinced that his was a natural death, we do not have any suspicion about it. There is no doubt about it, everything is clear: Anuj Loya, son of #JusticeLoya pic.twitter.com/SynW5JqxXp — ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2018 × "There was a period of emotional turmoil, there were a lot of rumors. We are clear now," Anuj, who is 21 and studying law in Pune, said. There is no controversy. No need of politicising the issue. This is a tragic event. We do not want to be victims of politicisation of the issue. Let it remain the way it is, non - controversial: Ameet Naik, Lawyer #JusticeLoya pic.twitter.com/p4lKH5XoYi — ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2018 × The four seniormost judges (after the Chief Justice of India) of the Supreme Court had, in an unprecedented move, called a press conference on Friday. The four judges -- Justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- raised a litany of problems, including the assigning of cases, allegedly afflicting the country's highest court. It is thought the judges -- who did not mention specifics -- were also referring to Justice Loya's death. Also read: How bad is the situation in India's Supreme Court? Other judges have also called for the death to be investigated. Justice Loya had been hearing the Sohrabuddin encounter case in which BJP President Amit Shah is also named. The Caravan magazine had, after talking to Loya's family members, first reported that he had died in mysterious circumstances. Subsequent news reports have partly corroborated the Caravan report, while disagreeing with other parts of it.

Justice Loya's death: 'Had suspicion earlier' over father's death 'but now it is over', says son

Rescuers picking through the waist-deep mud on Thursday, two days after a massive mudslide killed at least 17 people along Southern California&#39;s coast, said they feared more bodies may be found but still held out hope for &quot;miracle&quot; survivors.

The walls of fast-moving mud and debris that tore through hillside communities before dawn on Tuesday took the lives of three children, at least one married couple and two people in their 80s, officials said in releasing the names of the dead.

Authorities hiked the number of those considered missing to 43 at an afternoon press conference, up from eight earlier in the day, saying that some of those people may be out of town or in a hospital but that others may be deceased.

&quot;Realistically we suspect we are going to have the discovery of more people killed in this incident,&quot; Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.

Asked by reporters if the operation had shifted from a rescue to a recovery more than 48 hours after the mud came down, the sheriff said his crews had not given up hope.

&quot;There have been many miraculous stories of people lasting many days (following similar disasters) and certainly we are searching for a miracle right now,&quot; Brown said.

About 700 rescue workers in helicopters and high-wheeled military vehicles, some with search dogs, were deployed in the hunt for the missing in a disaster zone littered with the remnants of hundreds of damaged or destroyed homes.

Among the dead were an elderly woman whose house was washed away by mud, the founder of a Roman Catholic school and a real estate executive, according to friends, family and local news media.

The cause of death for all 17 will be listed as multiple traumatic injuries due to flash flood with mudslides, the Santa Barbara Sheriff&#39;s office said in a statement.

&quot;The Sheriff&#39;s Office wants to express our heartfelt sadness to the family and friends of those who lost their loved ones,&quot; it said.

Two of the victims were killed when their houses were swept away in the mudslides.

Josephine Gower, 69, died when she opened the door to her home, her son, Hayden Gower, told NBC station KSBY. Her daughter-in-law Sarah Gower confirmed Gower&#39;s death in a Facebook post. Her body was found that night, near a highway hit by the slide.

&quot;I told her to stay on the second floor, but she went downstairs and opened the door and just got swept away,&quot; Hayden Gower told KSBY. &quot;I should have just told her to leave. You just don&#39;t even think that this is possible.&quot;

Roy Rohter, 84-year-old founder of the St. Augustine Academy Roman Catholic school in Ventura, died when the slide swept him from his home in Montecito, according to school officials and local news media.

Rebecca Riskin, the 61-year-old founder of a real estate firm, was also killed in Montecito, according to the company and local news media.

&quot;She was in the house and was swept away,&quot; said Renee Grub, a friend of Riskin. &quot;I&#39;m told there was about 5 feet (1.5 m) of mud. She was a dear friend. She&#39;s so little she was only like 100 pounds (45.36 kg).&quot;

Heavy rains on hillsides denuded by last year&#39;s record wildfires triggered the mudslides, which also destroyed about 100 homes and injured at least 28 people, officials said.

The region&#39;s natural beauty and easy access to Los Angeles to the southeast have long attracted the rich and powerful, including television personality Oprah Winfrey, former tennis star Jimmy Connors, talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and actor Jeff Bridges.

&quot;Our home has been severely damaged, but we are safe, and so thankful for that and for the first responders who are working tirelessly to save people,&quot; Bridges wrote on Twitter. &quot;We are heartbroken over the loss of lives in our community.&quot;

Last month&#39;s spate of wildfires, including the largest in California history, burned away grass and shrubs that held soil in place, and baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground.

At least 28 people were injured, authorities said, while 30,000 remained subject to mandatory evacuation orders

Rescuers picking through the waist-deep mud on Thursday, two days after a massive mudslide killed at least 17 people along Southern California's coast, said they feared more bodies may be found but still held out hope for "miracle" survivors. The walls of fast-moving mud and debris that tore through hillside communities before dawn on Tuesday took the lives of three children, at least one married couple and two people in their 80s, officials said in releasing the names of the dead. Authorities hiked the number of those considered missing to 43 at an afternoon press conference, up from eight earlier in the day, saying that some of those people may be out of town or in a hospital but that others may be deceased. "Realistically we suspect we are going to have the discovery of more people killed in this incident," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. Asked by reporters if the operation had shifted from a rescue to a recovery more than 48 hours after the mud came down, the sheriff said his crews had not given up hope. "There have been many miraculous stories of people lasting many days (following similar disasters) and certainly we are searching for a miracle right now," Brown said. About 700 rescue workers in helicopters and high-wheeled military vehicles, some with search dogs, were deployed in the hunt for the missing in a disaster zone littered with the remnants of hundreds of damaged or destroyed homes. Among the dead were an elderly woman whose house was washed away by mud, the founder of a Roman Catholic school and a real estate executive, according to friends, family and local news media. The cause of death for all 17 will be listed as multiple traumatic injuries due to flash flood with mudslides, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's office said in a statement. "The Sheriff's Office wants to express our heartfelt sadness to the family and friends of those who lost their loved ones," it said. Two of the victims were killed when their houses were swept away in the mudslides. Josephine Gower, 69, died when she opened the door to her home, her son, Hayden Gower, told NBC station KSBY. Her daughter-in-law Sarah Gower confirmed Gower's death in a Facebook post. Her body was found that night, near a highway hit by the slide. "I told her to stay on the second floor, but she went downstairs and opened the door and just got swept away," Hayden Gower told KSBY. "I should have just told her to leave. You just don't even think that this is possible." Roy Rohter, 84-year-old founder of the St. Augustine Academy Roman Catholic school in Ventura, died when the slide swept him from his home in Montecito, according to school officials and local news media. Rebecca Riskin, the 61-year-old founder of a real estate firm, was also killed in Montecito, according to the company and local news media. "She was in the house and was swept away," said Renee Grub, a friend of Riskin. "I'm told there was about 5 feet (1.5 m) of mud. She was a dear friend. She's so little she was only like 100 pounds (45.36 kg)." Heavy rains on hillsides denuded by last year's record wildfires triggered the mudslides, which also destroyed about 100 homes and injured at least 28 people, officials said. The region's natural beauty and easy access to Los Angeles to the southeast have long attracted the rich and powerful, including television personality Oprah Winfrey, former tennis star Jimmy Connors, talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and actor Jeff Bridges. "Our home has been severely damaged, but we are safe, and so thankful for that and for the first responders who are working tirelessly to save people," Bridges wrote on Twitter. "We are heartbroken over the loss of lives in our community." Last month's spate of wildfires, including the largest in California history, burned away grass and shrubs that held soil in place, and baked a waxy layer into the earth that prevents water from sinking deeply into the ground.

More mudslide fatalities expected, number of missing rises

Goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence, part of the first great Liverpool side under Bill Shankly, has died aged 77, the club announced on Wednesday.

LFC posted on Twitter, &quot;The club is&nbsp;deeply saddened by the passing of former goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence. RIP Tommy.&quot;

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We&#39;re deeply saddened by the passing of former goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence. 
 
RIP Tommy. <a href="https://t.co/Truq1x0CvV">pic.twitter.com/Truq1x0CvV</a>
&mdash; Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LFC/status/951039424783101952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Lawrence, affectionately known as &#39;The Flying Pig&#39; for his acrobatic saves despite being of portly build, was a member of the side that won two league titles in 1964 and 1966, not missing a match in the latter campaign.

He also won the FA Cup in 1965.

Capped three times by Scotland, Lawrence only missed four league matches from 1963 to 1969. He conceded only 24 goals in the 1968/69 season, which was a record for the lowest conceded at the time in the old First Division.

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In memory of Tommy Lawrence, LFC Legend... <a href="https://t.co/uDcF9o4vNq">pic.twitter.com/uDcF9o4vNq</a>
&mdash; Liverpool FC (@LFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LFC/status/951063881622933504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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However, the emergence of Ray Clemence in the late 1960&#39;s heralded the end of his tenure as the first choice, and after being dropped for an FA Cup tie in the 1970/71 season he left for nearby Tranmere Rovers, managed by his former Liverpool team-mate Ron Yeats.

He made a total of 390 appearances for Liverpool.

Lawrence finished his playing career at non-league Chorley. After hanging up his boots, he returned to the same factory he had worked in prior to playing for Liverpool, remaining there until he retired.

Tommy affectionately nicknamed 'The Flying Pig' due to his ability to make spectacular saves despite his size

Goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence, part of the first great Liverpool side under Bill Shankly, has died aged 77, the club announced on Wednesday. LFC posted on Twitter, "The club is deeply saddened by the passing of former goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence. RIP Tommy." We're deeply saddened by the passing of former goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence. RIP Tommy. pic.twitter.com/Truq1x0CvV — Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 10, 2018 × Lawrence, affectionately known as 'The Flying Pig' for his acrobatic saves despite being of portly build, was a member of the side that won two league titles in 1964 and 1966, not missing a match in the latter campaign. He also won the FA Cup in 1965. Capped three times by Scotland, Lawrence only missed four league matches from 1963 to 1969. He conceded only 24 goals in the 1968/69 season, which was a record for the lowest conceded at the time in the old First Division. In memory of Tommy Lawrence, LFC Legend... pic.twitter.com/uDcF9o4vNq — Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 10, 2018 × However, the emergence of Ray Clemence in the late 1960's heralded the end of his tenure as the first choice, and after being dropped for an FA Cup tie in the 1970/71 season he left for nearby Tranmere Rovers, managed by his former Liverpool team-mate Ron Yeats. He made a total of 390 appearances for Liverpool. Lawrence finished his playing career at non-league Chorley. After hanging up his boots, he returned to the same factory he had worked in prior to playing for Liverpool, remaining there until he retired.

Former Liverpool legend Tommy Lawrence dies

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail in a fodder scam case might seek parol to attend the funeral rites of his elder sister Gangotri Devi, who died on Sunday.&nbsp;

As per reports, Devi had passed away due to severe aortic stenosis (constriction of the heart valve, which led to frequent breathlessness), acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and left ventricle dysfunction.

The cremation will reportedly be&nbsp;held on Monday at her husband&#39;s native village Chakrapan in Gopalganj district, media reports said.&nbsp;

Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu&#39;s son, said the family had tried to communicate the news of Gangotri Devi&#39;s death to Prasad through the prison authorities in Ranchi.

He, however, expressed apprehension that his father might not be able to get parole in time, due to the legal procedure involved and the day being a Sunday.

&quot;As of now, we are making arrangements to take the body to her village home, where the last rites will be performed,&quot; Yadav, who had accompanied his mother Rabri Devi and elder brother Tej Pratap to his deceased aunt&#39;s house, said.

75-year-old Gangotri Devi, who was four years elder to Lalu, had not been keeping very well for a while now.&nbsp;

Lalu Prasad&#39;s wife Rabri Devi said his sister had been fasting and praying for her brother which is when she fell ill.

&quot;Yesterday, she spent the entire day praying for the release of her brother. When she learnt that he was sentenced to jail for a long period, she was shattered,&quot; Rabri Devi said.

On Saturday, Lalu was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail and fined Rs five lakhs by a special CBI court in a fodder scam case, related to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar treasury 21 years ago.

The cremation is said to be held on Monday at her husband's native village Chakrapan in Gopalganj district, media reports said

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail in a fodder scam case might seek parol to attend the funeral rites of his elder sister Gangotri Devi, who died on Sunday. As per reports, Devi had passed away due to severe aortic stenosis (constriction of the heart valve, which led to frequent breathlessness), acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) and left ventricle dysfunction. The cremation will reportedly be held on Monday at her husband's native village Chakrapan in Gopalganj district, media reports said. Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu's son, said the family had tried to communicate the news of Gangotri Devi's death to Prasad through the prison authorities in Ranchi. He, however, expressed apprehension that his father might not be able to get parole in time, due to the legal procedure involved and the day being a Sunday. "As of now, we are making arrangements to take the body to her village home, where the last rites will be performed," Yadav, who had accompanied his mother Rabri Devi and elder brother Tej Pratap to his deceased aunt's house, said. 75-year-old Gangotri Devi, who was four years elder to Lalu, had not been keeping very well for a while now. Lalu Prasad's wife Rabri Devi said his sister had been fasting and praying for her brother which is when she fell ill. "Yesterday, she spent the entire day praying for the release of her brother. When she learnt that he was sentenced to jail for a long period, she was shattered," Rabri Devi said. On Saturday, Lalu was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail and fined Rs five lakhs by a special CBI court in a fodder scam case, related to the fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from the Deoghar treasury 21 years ago.

Lalu Prasad may seek parole to attend elder sister's last rites

Media reports have stated that late David Cassidy has intentionally eliminated his daughter out his will.&nbsp;

It was always known that Cassidy had a rocky relationship with his daughter, Katie Cassidy, but the Cassidy&#39;s will make it more obvious.&nbsp;

According to media reports, the singer&#39;s last will and testament only left money to his son, Beau Cassidy, 26-year-old singer-songwriter.&nbsp;

According to media reports, as per documents provided, Cassidy&#39;s will specifically state that &#39;it was his intent not to provide any benefits hereunder to Katherine Evelyn Cassidy and/or any descendant of Katherine Evelyn Cassidy.&nbsp;

The docs also detailed that Cassidy had approximately $150,000 in various assets, all of which were left to his son.

The Arrow star, Katie, was raised by her mother Sherry Williams and stepfather Richard Bendon. David had previously said that he no longer had any sort of relationship with his daughter.&nbsp;

&quot;I wasn&#39;t her father. I was her biological father but I didn&#39;t raise her. She has a completely different life,&quot; he explained. &quot;I&#39;m proud of her. She&#39;s very talented. It&#39;s hard for me to even accept how old she is now,&quot; Cassidy had said, as quoted by E Online!.

American actor and musician David Cassidy, was a 1970s teen idol best known for his role in musical-sitcom The Partridge Family <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-david-cassidy-star-of-the-partridge-family-dies-at-67-24790">passed away last month at the age of 67</a>.

Katie had posted on Twitter to thank her fans for all the love after her fathers passing.&nbsp;

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Words cant express the solace our family&rsquo;s received from all the love &amp; support during this trying time. My father&rsquo;s last words were &ldquo;So much wasted time&rdquo;. This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love as to never waste another minute....thank you.
&mdash; Katie Cassidy (@MzKatieCassidy) <a href="https://twitter.com/MzKatieCassidy/status/934148630319128577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The docs also detail that Cassidy had approximately $150,000 in various assets, all of which were left to his son

Media reports have stated that late David Cassidy has intentionally eliminated his daughter out his will. It was always known that Cassidy had a rocky relationship with his daughter, Katie Cassidy, but the Cassidy's will make it more obvious. According to media reports, the singer's last will and testament only left money to his son, Beau Cassidy, 26-year-old singer-songwriter. According to media reports, as per documents provided, Cassidy's will specifically state that 'it was his intent not to provide any benefits hereunder to Katherine Evelyn Cassidy and/or any descendant of Katherine Evelyn Cassidy. The docs also detailed that Cassidy had approximately $150,000 in various assets, all of which were left to his son. The Arrow star, Katie, was raised by her mother Sherry Williams and stepfather Richard Bendon. David had previously said that he no longer had any sort of relationship with his daughter. "I wasn't her father. I was her biological father but I didn't raise her. She has a completely different life," he explained. "I'm proud of her. She's very talented. It's hard for me to even accept how old she is now," Cassidy had said, as quoted by E Online!. American actor and musician David Cassidy, was a 1970s teen idol best known for his role in musical-sitcom The Partridge Family passed away last month at the age of 67. Katie had posted on Twitter to thank her fans for all the love after her fathers passing. Words cant express the solace our family’s received from all the love & support during this trying time. My father’s last words were “So much wasted time”. This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love as to never waste another minute....thank you. — Katie Cassidy (@MzKatieCassidy) November 24, 2017 ×

David Cassidy's daughter cut from will

Christine Keeler, the woman at the center of a 1960s love triangle between a minister and Soviet naval attache that produced Britain&#39;s biggest political sex scandal, has died at the age of 75.

Committing adultery with then Minister of War John Profumo shocked socially conservative Britain in the early 1960s and created a furore which contributed to the resignation of then Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

Revelations that Keeler was also romantically involved with a Soviet naval attache, Yevgeny Ivanov, turned a sex scandal into a political and diplomatic firestorm, titillated the nation and rocked the Conservative government of the time.

Her son, Seymour Platt, told The Guardian newspaper that Keeler died late&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;evening and the scandal had profoundly affected her.

&quot;There was a lot of good around Chris&rsquo;s rather tragic life because there was a family around her that loved her,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying.

&quot;I think what happened to her back in the day was quite damaging,&quot; he said.

She committed adultery with then Minister of War John Profumo which shocked socially conservative Britain in the early 1960s

Christine Keeler, the woman at the center of a 1960s love triangle between a minister and Soviet naval attache that produced Britain's biggest political sex scandal, has died at the age of 75. Committing adultery with then Minister of War John Profumo shocked socially conservative Britain in the early 1960s and created a furore which contributed to the resignation of then Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. Revelations that Keeler was also romantically involved with a Soviet naval attache, Yevgeny Ivanov, turned a sex scandal into a political and diplomatic firestorm, titillated the nation and rocked the Conservative government of the time. Her son, Seymour Platt, told The Guardian newspaper that Keeler died late on Tuesday evening and the scandal had profoundly affected her. "There was a lot of good around Chris’s rather tragic life because there was a family around her that loved her,” he was quoted as saying. "I think what happened to her back in the day was quite damaging," he said.

Christine Keeler, the love-triangle call girl in Britain's biggest sex scandal, dies

A man succumbed to his injuries as an ambulance allegedly failed to reach the accident site in Rajasthan&#39;s Bharatpur where a bus hit the bike.

The accident happened on Friday when a bus hit a bike killing one and injuring two women, who were later taken to a hospital in a rickshaw.

Assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI) Ram Ratan Chaudhary confirmed the incident and said, &quot;We reached the spot after receiving information and a private ambulance was called. The ambulance was taking time to reach the spot so we took them to the hospital in a rickshaw.&quot;

The bus driver is on the run at the moment.

The accident happened on Friday when a bus hit a bike killing one and injuring two women, who were later taken to a hospital in a rickshaw

A man succumbed to his injuries as an ambulance allegedly failed to reach the accident site in Rajasthan's Bharatpur where a bus hit the bike. The accident happened on Friday when a bus hit a bike killing one and injuring two women, who were later taken to a hospital in a rickshaw. Assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI) Ram Ratan Chaudhary confirmed the incident and said, "We reached the spot after receiving information and a private ambulance was called. The ambulance was taking time to reach the spot so we took them to the hospital in a rickshaw." The bus driver is on the run at the moment.

Man dies from ambulance delay in Rajasthan's Bharatpur

At least four people were killed and 15 others injured today in a targeted bomb attack on security forces in Pakistan&#39;s Balochistan province, officials said, the latest attack on security personnel in the restive region.

The attackers targeted a security forces&#39; vehicle on Sariab Road area in the provincial capital Quetta, police officials said.

Four people were killed but their identity is not known, they said.

The nature of the bombing was not known immediately, but police suspected that it could be a suicide attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban militants and Baloch nationalists often target security forces in the area.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-least-15-dead-in-suicide-bomb-attack-in-pakistani-city-of-quetta-18941">&nbsp;At least 15 dead in suicide bomb attack in Pakistani city of Quetta</a>

A senior Pakistani police officer and his three family members were killed by unidentified, motorcycle-borne militants in Balochistan on November 15.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Ilyas who was on his way to the market when he was killed in a targeted attack along with his wife, son and five-year-old granddaughter.

A suspected suicide bomber killed Additional Inspector General Telecommunications Hamid Shakeel and three other police officers in a targeted attack in Quetta on November 9.

Balochistan has been rocked by a series of attacks which raised concerns about a growing militant presence, including those affiliated with Islamic State, which has claimed several bombings in the restive province.

The unrest has raised security concerns for projects in the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link from western China to Pakistan&#39;s southern Gwadar port.

At least six police commandos and a civilian were killed last month when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into a security force&#39;s convoy on the Quetta-Sibi Highway.

In August this year, a massive suicide explosion, targeting Pakistan Army personnel in Quetta, left 15 people dead&nbsp;including seven civilians and injured at least 20 people.

In June this year, 14 people, including seven policemen, were killed and 21 others were injured in a suicide car bombing on Gulistan Road in Balochistan.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The attackers targeted a security forces' vehicle on Sariab Road area in the provincial capital Quetta, said police officials

At least four people were killed and 15 others injured today in a targeted bomb attack on security forces in Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said, the latest attack on security personnel in the restive region. The attackers targeted a security forces' vehicle on Sariab Road area in the provincial capital Quetta, police officials said. Four people were killed but their identity is not known, they said. The nature of the bombing was not known immediately, but police suspected that it could be a suicide attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but Taliban militants and Baloch nationalists often target security forces in the area. Also Read: At least 15 dead in suicide bomb attack in Pakistani city of Quetta A senior Pakistani police officer and his three family members were killed by unidentified, motorcycle-borne militants in Balochistan on November 15. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Ilyas who was on his way to the market when he was killed in a targeted attack along with his wife, son and five-year-old granddaughter. A suspected suicide bomber killed Additional Inspector General Telecommunications Hamid Shakeel and three other police officers in a targeted attack in Quetta on November 9. Balochistan has been rocked by a series of attacks which raised concerns about a growing militant presence, including those affiliated with Islamic State, which has claimed several bombings in the restive province. The unrest has raised security concerns for projects in the USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link from western China to Pakistan's southern Gwadar port. At least six police commandos and a civilian were killed last month when an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into a security force's convoy on the Quetta-Sibi Highway. In August this year, a massive suicide explosion, targeting Pakistan Army personnel in Quetta, left 15 people dead including seven civilians and injured at least 20 people. In June this year, 14 people, including seven policemen, were killed and 21 others were injured in a suicide car bombing on Gulistan Road in Balochistan.

Pakistan: 4 killed, 15 injured in bomb attack in Quetta

Former &quot;boss of bosses&quot; Toto Riina, one of the most feared Godfathers in the history of the Sicilian Mafia, died early Friday after battling cancer, the government said.

Riina, who had been serving 26 life sentences and is thought to have ordered more than 150 murders, had been in a medically-induced coma after his health deteriorated following two operations.

The mobster, who turned 87 on Thursday, died in the prisoners` wing of a hospital in Parma in northern Italy just before 4:00 am (0300 GMT), a ministry of justice spokesman told AFP.

Nicknamed &quot;The Beast&quot; because of his cruelty, Salvatore &quot;Toto&quot; Riina led a reign of terror for decades after taking control of the island`s powerful organized crime group Cosa Nostra in the 1970s.

The most high-profile murders he ordered were those in 1992 of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who had worked to bring more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987.

&quot;Riina will go down in history as the man who destroyed Cosa Nostra,&quot; newspaper La Repubblica`s Mafia expert Attilio Bolzoni said.

&quot;With his strategy of bloody massacres in Sicily and across Italy... he turned an invisible Mafia visible, with hundreds, thousands of murders, carried out first with Kalashnikovs, then bombs&quot;.

Riina also famously ordered the brutal murder of a 13-year old boy who was kidnapped in a bid to stop his father from spilling Mafia secrets. The boy was strangled and his body dissolved in acid.

&quot;God have mercy on him, as we won`t,&quot; an association for victims said of Riina in comments to the Fatto Quotidiano daily.

Riina`s family had been given permission by Italy`s health ministry Thursday for a rare visit to say goodbye.

&quot;You`re not Toto Riina to me, you`re just my dad. And I wish you happy birthday dad on this sad but important day, I love you,&quot; one of his sons Salvatore wrote on Facebook.

The ageing gangster had asked in July to be released from prison on the grounds of serious illness -- a request that was denied after a court ruled the care he received behind bars was as good as he would get on the outside.Doctors said at the time that the former boss was &quot;lucid&quot;. He was caught on a wiretap earlier this year saying he &quot;regrets nothing... They`ll never break me, even if they give me 3,000 years&quot; in jail.

The son of a poor farmer, he was born on November 16, 1930, in Corleone, a village near Palermo that would become synonymous with the Mafia through Francis Ford Coppola`s popular Godfather film trilogy.

He lost his father and a brother young when they were blown up trying to extract gunpowder from an unexploded American bomb in 1943. By the time he was 19, he had killed his first victim.

He started off as a foot soldier to boss Luciano Leggio before moving up through the ranks, going on the run in 1969 but continuing to lead first the Corleone clan then the entire Sicilian mob from hiding.

He would elude police efforts to snare him for almost a quarter of a century, without ever leaving Sicily.

Riina was slapped with multiple life sentences in absentia after a fellow mobster turned state witness.

The &quot;Beast&quot; retaliated by ordering the deaths of 11 of the turncoat`s relatives. He was eventually captured in 1993 after a tip-off from a rival.

Riina, who had been serving 26 life sentences and is thought to have ordered more than 150 murders, had been in a medically-induced coma after his health deteriorated following two operations

Former "boss of bosses" Toto Riina, one of the most feared Godfathers in the history of the Sicilian Mafia, died early Friday after battling cancer, the government said. Riina, who had been serving 26 life sentences and is thought to have ordered more than 150 murders, had been in a medically-induced coma after his health deteriorated following two operations. The mobster, who turned 87 on Thursday, died in the prisoners` wing of a hospital in Parma in northern Italy just before 4:00 am (0300 GMT), a ministry of justice spokesman told AFP. Nicknamed "The Beast" because of his cruelty, Salvatore "Toto" Riina led a reign of terror for decades after taking control of the island`s powerful organized crime group Cosa Nostra in the 1970s. The most high-profile murders he ordered were those in 1992 of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, who had worked to bring more than 300 mobsters to trial in 1987. "Riina will go down in history as the man who destroyed Cosa Nostra," newspaper La Repubblica`s Mafia expert Attilio Bolzoni said. "With his strategy of bloody massacres in Sicily and across Italy... he turned an invisible Mafia visible, with hundreds, thousands of murders, carried out first with Kalashnikovs, then bombs". Riina also famously ordered the brutal murder of a 13-year old boy who was kidnapped in a bid to stop his father from spilling Mafia secrets. The boy was strangled and his body dissolved in acid. "God have mercy on him, as we won`t," an association for victims said of Riina in comments to the Fatto Quotidiano daily. Riina`s family had been given permission by Italy`s health ministry Thursday for a rare visit to say goodbye. "You`re not Toto Riina to me, you`re just my dad. And I wish you happy birthday dad on this sad but important day, I love you," one of his sons Salvatore wrote on Facebook. The ageing gangster had asked in July to be released from prison on the grounds of serious illness -- a request that was denied after a court ruled the care he received behind bars was as good as he would get on the outside.Doctors said at the time that the former boss was "lucid". He was caught on a wiretap earlier this year saying he "regrets nothing... They`ll never break me, even if they give me 3,000 years" in jail. The son of a poor farmer, he was born on November 16, 1930, in Corleone, a village near Palermo that would become synonymous with the Mafia through Francis Ford Coppola`s popular Godfather film trilogy. He lost his father and a brother young when they were blown up trying to extract gunpowder from an unexploded American bomb in 1943. By the time he was 19, he had killed his first victim. He started off as a foot soldier to boss Luciano Leggio before moving up through the ranks, going on the run in 1969 but continuing to lead first the Corleone clan then the entire Sicilian mob from hiding. He would elude police efforts to snare him for almost a quarter of a century, without ever leaving Sicily. Riina was slapped with multiple life sentences in absentia after a fellow mobster turned state witness. The "Beast" retaliated by ordering the deaths of 11 of the turncoat`s relatives. He was eventually captured in 1993 after a tip-off from a rival.

Sicilian Mafia 'Beast' Toto Riina dies

The death toll from the deadliest earthquake in Iran and Iraq has risen to more than 450, leaving more than 7000 people injured, according to media reports.&nbsp;

Several homeless victims of the powerful earthquake were gathered on a cold night on Monday, state TV said.&nbsp;

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Search operations are being carried out for dozens of people still trapped under rubbles of collapsed houses in towns and villages in the mountainous area of the western province of Kermanshah that borders Iraq.

The earthquake which happened on Sunday was felt as far&nbsp;away as Turkey and Pakistan, according to reports.&nbsp;

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The epicenter was near Ezgeleh, Iran, about 135 miles northeast of Baghdad, and had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Seismologists in the country said it was the biggest quake to hit the western part of Iran, reports said.&nbsp;

At least eight people were killed on the Iraqi side of the border, according to Dr. Saif al-Badir, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, and at least 535 were hurt.

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Relief workers informed that proper aid was provided timely, however, there was a major shortage of blankets, children&#39;s clothes, medicine and large cans to store drinking water.&nbsp;

A local official said aftershocks hindered the process of setting up camps and tents for the homeless victims, but electricity had been restored in most of the quake-stricken areas.

&quot;The main problem is sheltering people in this cold weather. We need more tents,&quot; Qasr-e Shririn governor Faramarz Akbari told TV.

The epicenter was near Ezgeleh, Iran, about 135 miles northeast of Baghdad, and had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Seismologists in the country said it was the biggest quake to hit the western part of Iran

The death toll from the deadliest earthquake in Iran and Iraq has risen to more than 450, leaving more than 7000 people injured, according to media reports. Several homeless victims of the powerful earthquake were gathered on a cold night on Monday, state TV said. Representative Photo (Reuters) × Search operations are being carried out for dozens of people still trapped under rubbles of collapsed houses in towns and villages in the mountainous area of the western province of Kermanshah that borders Iraq. The earthquake which happened on Sunday was felt as far away as Turkey and Pakistan, according to reports. Representative Photo (Reuters) × The epicenter was near Ezgeleh, Iran, about 135 miles northeast of Baghdad, and had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Seismologists in the country said it was the biggest quake to hit the western part of Iran, reports said. At least eight people were killed on the Iraqi side of the border, according to Dr. Saif al-Badir, a spokesman for the Health Ministry, and at least 535 were hurt. Representative Photo (Reuters) × Relief workers informed that proper aid was provided timely, however, there was a major shortage of blankets, children's clothes, medicine and large cans to store drinking water. A local official said aftershocks hindered the process of setting up camps and tents for the homeless victims, but electricity had been restored in most of the quake-stricken areas. "The main problem is sheltering people in this cold weather. We need more tents," Qasr-e Shririn governor Faramarz Akbari told TV.

Iran-Iraq earthquake: Death toll crosses 450, search operation on

In a horrific incident, a male nurse in Germany allegedly used lethal drugs on patients out of &quot;boredom&quot;&nbsp;which may have taken lives of around 100 patients.&nbsp;

Niel Hoegel, 41, is serving life imprisonment for two murders and four counts of attempted murder for using lethal drugs on intensive-care patients at the Delmenhorst hospital in 2015.&nbsp;

In late August, police had confirmed that Hoegel may have killed at least another 84 patients other than the ones he was serving time for, when Niels Hoegel&#39;s worked as the nurse in two hospitals in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst.

Police further said that they have finished running toxicology tests on other reported 41 fatalities.

According to Independent UK, toxicological examinations uncovered further 16 cases in which he is suspected to have killed patients.&nbsp;

&quot;The insights we were able to gain are terrifying, they surpass what we could have imagined,&quot; said Johann Kuehme, police chief in the city of Oldenburg, where the other hospital is located, reported&nbsp;AFP.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He cannot remember every case, but in more than 30 he concretely remembered the patients and their&nbsp;behaviour,&quot; said prosecutor Daniela Schiereck-Bohlemann.

Reports have confirmed that Hoegel has admitted to injecting patients with lethal drugs, due to &quot;boredom&quot;, which could potentially lead to heart failure or circulatory collapse and in the process tried to make them come back to life, and if successful, make a &quot;breakthrough revelation&quot;.

Hoegel worked at the Oldenburg hospital from 1999 to 2002 and in Delmenhorst from 2003 to 2005.

Niels Hoegel was convicted of two murders in 2015 but investigators believe he killed at least 90 patients with overdoses of heart medication

In a horrific incident, a male nurse in Germany allegedly used lethal drugs on patients out of "boredom" which may have taken lives of around 100 patients. Niel Hoegel, 41, is serving life imprisonment for two murders and four counts of attempted murder for using lethal drugs on intensive-care patients at the Delmenhorst hospital in 2015. In late August, police had confirmed that Hoegel may have killed at least another 84 patients other than the ones he was serving time for, when Niels Hoegel's worked as the nurse in two hospitals in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. Police further said that they have finished running toxicology tests on other reported 41 fatalities. According to Independent UK, toxicological examinations uncovered further 16 cases in which he is suspected to have killed patients. "The insights we were able to gain are terrifying, they surpass what we could have imagined," said Johann Kuehme, police chief in the city of Oldenburg, where the other hospital is located, reported AFP. "He cannot remember every case, but in more than 30 he concretely remembered the patients and their behaviour," said prosecutor Daniela Schiereck-Bohlemann. Reports have confirmed that Hoegel has admitted to injecting patients with lethal drugs, due to "boredom", which could potentially lead to heart failure or circulatory collapse and in the process tried to make them come back to life, and if successful, make a "breakthrough revelation". Hoegel worked at the Oldenburg hospital from 1999 to 2002 and in Delmenhorst from 2003 to 2005.

German nurse allegedly killed 100 patients due to 'boredom'

Around 130 dead seals have washed up on the shores of Russia&#39;s Lake Baikal, authorities said Tuesday, as they launched a probe into the latest problem to hit the world&#39;s deepest lake.

The Baikal seal is the smallest in the world, and exactly how and when the species colonised the ancient Siberian lake is still a mystery.

&quot;There were about 130 animals found dead&nbsp;over the past few days&quot;&nbsp;said environmental ministry spokesman Nikolai Gudkov.

&quot;We took water samples to understand whether we can talk of water pollution as the reason,&quot; he told AFP, though results have not yet been processed.

Scientists have also taken biopsies of the animals, he said.

The animal is not endangered and Gudkov said the species&#39; population has actually increased in recent years, growing to around 130,000.

Preliminary theories about the die-off did not suggest pollution is the reason, he added.

Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which has thousands of endemic species, has been suffering from a string of detrimental phenomena over recent years.

These include depletion of fish stocks, death of endemic sponges and explosion of growth of Spirogyra algae unnatural to the lake which scientists say is caused by pollution.

The Baikal seal is the smallest in the world, and exactly how and when the species colonised the ancient Siberian lake is still a mystery.

Around 130 dead seals have washed up on the shores of Russia's Lake Baikal, authorities said Tuesday, as they launched a probe into the latest problem to hit the world's deepest lake. The Baikal seal is the smallest in the world, and exactly how and when the species colonised the ancient Siberian lake is still a mystery. "There were about 130 animals found dead over the past few days" said environmental ministry spokesman Nikolai Gudkov. "We took water samples to understand whether we can talk of water pollution as the reason," he told AFP, though results have not yet been processed. Scientists have also taken biopsies of the animals, he said. The animal is not endangered and Gudkov said the species' population has actually increased in recent years, growing to around 130,000. Preliminary theories about the die-off did not suggest pollution is the reason, he added. Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which has thousands of endemic species, has been suffering from a string of detrimental phenomena over recent years. These include depletion of fish stocks, death of endemic sponges and explosion of growth of Spirogyra algae unnatural to the lake which scientists say is caused by pollution.

Mass seal deaths in Russia's Lake Baikal

&#39;CI&#39;D&nbsp;producer BP Singh&#39;s elder son, Salil Singh, passed away on Wednesday.

According to reports, Salil Singh was shooting with his wife in Mira Road, Mumbai for an episode of &#39;Savdhaan India&#39; when he got a heart attack.

Singh, in his late 30s,&nbsp;was announced dead when taken to the hospital.

&ldquo;Salil Singh was shooting for Savdhan India and during the break he excused himself to use the washroom. When he did not return, people went to check and found him lying down on the ground. When he was rushed to the hospital, it was found he suffered a massive heart attack,&rdquo; a source reported.

Salil Singh along with producer father BP Singh were famously known for being an integral part of&nbsp; TV shows like &#39;CID&#39;, &#39;Savdhaan India&#39; and &#39;Shapath&#39;.&nbsp;

Salil Singh along with producer father BP Singh were famously known for being an integral part of? TV shows like CID, Savdhan India and Shapath.?

'CI'D producer BP Singh's elder son, Salil Singh, passed away on Wednesday. According to reports, Salil Singh was shooting with his wife in Mira Road, Mumbai for an episode of 'Savdhaan India' when he got a heart attack. Singh, in his late 30s, was announced dead when taken to the hospital. “Salil Singh was shooting for Savdhan India and during the break he excused himself to use the washroom. When he did not return, people went to check and found him lying down on the ground. When he was rushed to the hospital, it was found he suffered a massive heart attack,” a source reported. Salil Singh along with producer father BP Singh were famously known for being an integral part of TV shows like 'CID', 'Savdhaan India' and 'Shapath'.

CID producer BP Singh's elder son, Salil Singh, passes away

A<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/roadside-blast-kills-five-in-quetta-22584">&nbsp;Pakistani&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;bomber&nbsp;rammed a car into a&nbsp;police truck</a>&nbsp;in the southwestern city of Quetta on Wednesday, killing at least seven people,&nbsp;police&nbsp;said.

The attack killed five&nbsp;police&nbsp;officials and two passers-by on the outskirts of the volatile frontier city, Quetta&nbsp;police&nbsp;chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said. He said another 22 people were wounded, eight of them critically.

Sarfraz Bugti, the home minister of Baluchistan province, told Reuters: &quot;It was a&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;blast.&quot; Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province and lies about 100 km (60 miles) east of the border with Afghanistan.

Bugti said the&nbsp;truck&nbsp;carrying the&nbsp;police&nbsp;officials was on its way to the city to drop them at their posts when the&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;bomber&nbsp;rammed into the vehicle, ripping it apart. Television pictures showed the burnt wreckage of the vehicles.

The&nbsp;Pakistani&nbsp;Taliban, an umbrella of various militant groups within Pakistan and loosely allied to the Afghan&nbsp;Taliban, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.

Baluchistan province has long been the scene of an insurgency by separatists fighting against the state to demand more of a share of the gas- and mineral-rich region&#39;s resources. They also accuse the central government of discrimination.

The&nbsp;Taliban, Sunni Islam militants and sectarian groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group also operate in the strategically important region, which borders Iran as well as Afghanistan.

The violence has fuelled concern about security for projects in the $57 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan&rsquo;s southern deep-water port of Gwadar.

A&nbsp;suicide&nbsp;bombing claimed by Islamic State at a Sufi shrine earlier this month killed 22 people and wounded more than 30.

Ayub Qureshi, the provincial&nbsp;police&nbsp;chief, said a counter-terrorism&nbsp;police&nbsp;officer was also shot and killed in another part of Quetta on Wednesday at the time when authorities were dealing with the suicide&nbsp;bombing.

No one has claimed that shooting.

The attack killed five?police?officials and two passers-by on the outskirts of the volatile frontier city, Quetta?police?chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said. He said another 22 people were wounded, eight of them critically

A Pakistani Taliban suicide bomber rammed a car into a police truck in the southwestern city of Quetta on Wednesday, killing at least seven people, police said. The attack killed five police officials and two passers-by on the outskirts of the volatile frontier city, Quetta police chief Abdur Razzaq Cheema said. He said another 22 people were wounded, eight of them critically. Sarfraz Bugti, the home minister of Baluchistan province, told Reuters: "It was a suicide blast." Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province and lies about 100 km (60 miles) east of the border with Afghanistan. Bugti said the truck carrying the police officials was on its way to the city to drop them at their posts when the suicide bomber rammed into the vehicle, ripping it apart. Television pictures showed the burnt wreckage of the vehicles. The Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella of various militant groups within Pakistan and loosely allied to the Afghan Taliban, issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. Baluchistan province has long been the scene of an insurgency by separatists fighting against the state to demand more of a share of the gas- and mineral-rich region's resources. They also accuse the central government of discrimination. The Taliban, Sunni Islam militants and sectarian groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group also operate in the strategically important region, which borders Iran as well as Afghanistan. The violence has fuelled concern about security for projects in the $57 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor, a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan’s southern deep-water port of Gwadar. A suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State at a Sufi shrine earlier this month killed 22 people and wounded more than 30. Ayub Qureshi, the provincial police chief, said a counter-terrorism police officer was also shot and killed in another part of Quetta on Wednesday at the time when authorities were dealing with the suicide bombing. No one has claimed that shooting.

Pakistan: Taliban suicide bomber rams car into police truck, 7 dead

Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on &quot;living will&quot; in cases of passive euthanasia.

The government had opposed granting recognition to &quot;living will&quot; in cases of passive euthanasia.&nbsp;

A &quot;living will&quot;&nbsp;is when a patient gives consent that allows withdrawal of life support systems if the individual has no chance of survival.

The concept is followed in the US, UK, Germany and Netherlands.&nbsp;However, the Indian government said the &quot;living will&quot; could be misused and may not be viable as a public policy.

The petitioner had argued before the Supreme Court that &quot;Right to die peacefully&quot; is part of Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution

&quot;We have been following the guidelines laid down by this court in Aruna Shanbaug&#39;s case and a medical board is the final authority to decide on passive euthanasia, not the living will created by a person,&quot; Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha, appearing for the Centre, said.

He said if &quot;living will&quot; is created by a person and is recognised, then there are possibilities of it being misused and this would not be viable as public policy.

&quot;If a person is not of sound mind, then he is a not a competent person to make a living will and in that case, it is a medical board which will have to look into the affairs and not the individual. Safeguards have to be there and nothing more could be done,&quot; he asserted.

In 2014, the Supreme Court&nbsp;had referred the petition to a five-judge constitution bench which sought to recognise the execution of a &#39;living will&#39; of persons suffering from chronic terminal diseases and likely to go into a permanent vegetative state.

On January, 15, 2016, the Centre had told the court about the 241st report of the Law Commission which stated that passive euthanasia should be allowed with certain safeguards and there was also a proposed law --Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patient (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill, 2006.

The Indian government said the "living will" could be misused and may not be viable as a public policy.

Supreme Court today reserved its verdict on "living will" in cases of passive euthanasia. The government had opposed granting recognition to "living will" in cases of passive euthanasia. A "living will" is when a patient gives consent that allows withdrawal of life support systems if the individual has no chance of survival. The concept is followed in the US, UK, Germany and Netherlands. However, the Indian government said the "living will" could be misused and may not be viable as a public policy. The petitioner had argued before the Supreme Court that "Right to die peacefully" is part of Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution "We have been following the guidelines laid down by this court in Aruna Shanbaug's case and a medical board is the final authority to decide on passive euthanasia, not the living will created by a person," Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha, appearing for the Centre, said. He said if "living will" is created by a person and is recognised, then there are possibilities of it being misused and this would not be viable as public policy. "If a person is not of sound mind, then he is a not a competent person to make a living will and in that case, it is a medical board which will have to look into the affairs and not the individual. Safeguards have to be there and nothing more could be done," he asserted. In 2014, the Supreme Court had referred the petition to a five-judge constitution bench which sought to recognise the execution of a 'living will' of persons suffering from chronic terminal diseases and likely to go into a permanent vegetative state. On January, 15, 2016, the Centre had told the court about the 241st report of the Law Commission which stated that passive euthanasia should be allowed with certain safeguards and there was also a proposed law --Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patient (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill, 2006.

'Living will' can be misused: Government on passive euthanasia in Supreme Court

Hindus across India offered prayers and took holy dip in river Ganges and other sacred water bodies on Tuesday (September 19) for the well-being of their departed ancestors&#39; souls on the final day of &#39;Pitru Paksh&#39; or fortnight of ancestors.

According to the Hindu tradition, &#39;Pitru Paksha&#39; is a 15-lunar day period. It falls in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September-October), beginning with the full moon day (Purnima) that occurs immediately after the 10-day festival of &#39;Ganesh Chaturthi&#39; and ends with the new moon day.

On this day, men and women stand in waist-deep waters in rivers and seas at the break of dawn and offer food items and flowers, among other things, to their ancestors.

A local resident of northern Allahabad city, Yogendra Tiwari, said that it is believed that the offerings made during the rituals reach the ancestors in Heaven.

People offer special food items to their ancestors as part of the age-old rituals. These food items are cooked in silver or copper vessels and served on a banana leaf or utensils made of dried leaves.

The menu normally includes, &#39;kheer&#39; (a traditional sweet pudding made from milk and rice), &#39;lapsi&#39; (a sweet porridge made of wheat grains), rice, lentils, vegetables of spring beans and pumpkin.

The rituals are also a way of expressing gratitude to the previous generations and seeking their blessings.

In Hinduism, &#39;Pitru Paksha&#39; is considered an inauspicious time to start new ventures or buy anything new, given the death rites performed during the ceremony known as &#39;Sharad&#39;.

&#39;Pitra Paksha&#39; is followed by the start of &#39;Navratri&#39; or nine nights - a nine-day-long festival dedicated to the as many incarnations of Hindu goddess Durga.

According to the Hindu tradition, 'Pitru Paksha' is a 15-lunar day period. It falls in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September-October), beginning with the full moon day (Purnima) that occurs immediately after the 10-day festival of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' and ends with the new moon day.

Hindus across India offered prayers and took holy dip in river Ganges and other sacred water bodies on Tuesday (September 19) for the well-being of their departed ancestors' souls on the final day of 'Pitru Paksh' or fortnight of ancestors. According to the Hindu tradition, 'Pitru Paksha' is a 15-lunar day period. It falls in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September-October), beginning with the full moon day (Purnima) that occurs immediately after the 10-day festival of 'Ganesh Chaturthi' and ends with the new moon day. On this day, men and women stand in waist-deep waters in rivers and seas at the break of dawn and offer food items and flowers, among other things, to their ancestors. A local resident of northern Allahabad city, Yogendra Tiwari, said that it is believed that the offerings made during the rituals reach the ancestors in Heaven. People offer special food items to their ancestors as part of the age-old rituals. These food items are cooked in silver or copper vessels and served on a banana leaf or utensils made of dried leaves. The menu normally includes, 'kheer' (a traditional sweet pudding made from milk and rice), 'lapsi' (a sweet porridge made of wheat grains), rice, lentils, vegetables of spring beans and pumpkin. The rituals are also a way of expressing gratitude to the previous generations and seeking their blessings. In Hinduism, 'Pitru Paksha' is considered an inauspicious time to start new ventures or buy anything new, given the death rites performed during the ceremony known as 'Sharad'. 'Pitra Paksha' is followed by the start of 'Navratri' or nine nights - a nine-day-long festival dedicated to the as many incarnations of Hindu goddess Durga.

Hindus across India pay homage to departed as 'fortnight of ancestors' ends

More than three weeks after the demise of former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, the Madras High Court on Thursday raised questions over the death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and asked why her body can&#39;t be exhumed.

&quot;Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa&#39;s death,&quot; said Justice Vaidyanathan who was hearing a petition.

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&quot;When she was admitted in hospital, it was said that she was on&nbsp;proper diet. At least after her death now, truth should be revealed,&quot; Vaidyanathan said.

The judge also went on to say that the court could order the exhumation and post-mortem of Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s body, reported The News Minute.

A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into &ldquo;questionable incidents&rdquo;, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery, and the cardiac arrest resulting in her death, around Jayalalithaa&#39;s death.

Petitioner PA Joseph, a city resident, listed the sequence of events since Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s admission to Apollo Hospital here on September 22 and claimed that the &ldquo;secrecy&rdquo; preceding her death gave rise to &ldquo;grave doubts&rdquo; in the minds of the people.

The public interest litigation, which listed 12 respondents, including the Apollo Hospitals chairman, is likely to be taken up for hearing by the vacation bench of the court on December 29.

The petitioner pleaded that the commission must peruse all the records, reports and documents that are in possession of the government as well as the hospital and look into &ldquo;several questionable incidents&rdquo;, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery and the subsequent cardiac arrest resulting in her death on December 5.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

'Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa's death,' said Justice Vaidyanathan

More than three weeks after the demise of former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, the Madras High Court on Thursday raised questions over the death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and asked why her body can't be exhumed. "Media has raised a lot of doubts, personally I also have doubts in Jayalalithaa's death," said Justice Vaidyanathan who was hearing a petition. A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into 'questionable incidents' around Jayalalithaa's death × "When she was admitted in hospital, it was said that she was on proper diet. At least after her death now, truth should be revealed," Vaidyanathan said. The judge also went on to say that the court could order the exhumation and post-mortem of Jayalalithaa’s body, reported The News Minute. A PIL had been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a commission comprising retired Supreme Court judges to look into “questionable incidents”, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery, and the cardiac arrest resulting in her death, around Jayalalithaa's death. Petitioner PA Joseph, a city resident, listed the sequence of events since Jayalalithaa’s admission to Apollo Hospital here on September 22 and claimed that the “secrecy” preceding her death gave rise to “grave doubts” in the minds of the people. The public interest litigation, which listed 12 respondents, including the Apollo Hospitals chairman, is likely to be taken up for hearing by the vacation bench of the court on December 29. The petitioner pleaded that the commission must peruse all the records, reports and documents that are in possession of the government as well as the hospital and look into “several questionable incidents”, including her sudden hospitalisation, reported recovery and the subsequent cardiac arrest resulting in her death on December 5. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Why can't her body be exhumed? Madras HC raises questions over Jayalalithaa's death

33 people were wounded by a bombing on Thursday during an amateur boxing match in a central Philippines province, the government said.

This is the second attack in Philippines on a public place by unknown perpetrators in less than a week.

On late Wednesday, an 81-millimetre mortar round was detonated remotely by a cellphone during the amateur bout outside a shopping mall in Leyte province, reports Reuters.

It followed a Christmas Eve grenade explosion outside a Catholic church that wounded 16 people on the southern island of Mindanao.

Mindanao is a Muslim-dominated region where a long-running insurgency is being fought.

Till now no suspects have been identified and no group has claimed any responsibility, the police said.

Police said there was no indication the two attacks were linked, says a report on Reuters.

President Rodrigo Duterte has warned of the threat of a proliferation of festering Islamist militancy in the Philippines and also of an infiltration by the Islamic State militant group if offensives succeed in driving its fighters out of Iraq and Syria, reports Reuters.

Duterte has also warned of vulnerability in the southern Philippines, where some splinter groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

(WION, with inputs from Reuters)

It was the second attack on a public place by unknown perpetrators in less than a week

33 people were wounded by a bombing on Thursday during an amateur boxing match in a central Philippines province, the government said. This is the second attack in Philippines on a public place by unknown perpetrators in less than a week. On late Wednesday, an 81-millimetre mortar round was detonated remotely by a cellphone during the amateur bout outside a shopping mall in Leyte province, reports Reuters. It followed a Christmas Eve grenade explosion outside a Catholic church that wounded 16 people on the southern island of Mindanao. Mindanao is a Muslim-dominated region where a long-running insurgency is being fought. Till now no suspects have been identified and no group has claimed any responsibility, the police said. Police said there was no indication the two attacks were linked, says a report on Reuters. President Rodrigo Duterte has warned of the threat of a proliferation of festering Islamist militancy in the Philippines and also of an infiltration by the Islamic State militant group if offensives succeed in driving its fighters out of Iraq and Syria, reports Reuters. Duterte has also warned of vulnerability in the southern Philippines, where some splinter groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State. (WION, with inputs from Reuters)

Mystery bombing at boxing bout wounds 33 in Philippines

ER&nbsp;Braithwaite, a Guyanese novelist, teacher&nbsp;and diplomat, died at the age of 104 in Rockville, Maryland, on Monday.

The author of &#39;To Sir, With Love&#39; was also a pilot in Britain&rsquo;s Royal Air Force during World War II, and served in the 1960s as the newly independent Guyana&rsquo;s first representative at the United Nations.

His novel, &#39;To Sir, With Love&#39; was critically acclaimed and was so loved by the people that it was made into a 1967 British drama film of the same title, starring Sidney Poitier and Lulu.

He had many other famous books to his credit, namely &#39;Paid Servant&#39;, &#39;A Kind of Homecoming&#39;, &#39;Choice of Straws&#39;, &#39;Reluctant Neighbors&#39; and &#39;Honorary White&#39;.

Braithwaite was best known for his stories about racial discrimination against black people, especially in South Africa and the United States -- the two countries where he lived much of his life.

He studied at Queen&rsquo;s College, Guyana, and at the City College of New York, and moved to Britain after working at an oil refinery in Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela.

In 1940, he volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force.

Braithwaite received a master&rsquo;s degree in physics from Cambridge University in 1949. After leaving his teaching job, he worked with Caribbean immigrant families in London.

Along with his writing, Braithwaite had a record of public service. From 1960 to 1963, he was a human rights officer at the World Veterans Federation, based in Paris; from 1963 to 1966, he was a lecturer and education consultant at Unesco, also in Paris.

From 1967 to 1969, he served as the first permanent representative of Guyana to the United Nations. He was later the country&rsquo;s ambassador to Venezuela, according to New York Times.

He also taught at New York University, Florida State University, among other institutions.

At the age of 100, Braithwaite was conferred with a national award -- the Cacique Crown of Honour -- by then-president Donald Ramotar.

(WION)

He was best known for his stories about racial discrimination against black people

ER Braithwaite, a Guyanese novelist, teacher and diplomat, died at the age of 104 in Rockville, Maryland, on Monday. The author of 'To Sir, With Love' was also a pilot in Britain’s Royal Air Force during World War II, and served in the 1960s as the newly independent Guyana’s first representative at the United Nations. His novel, 'To Sir, With Love' was critically acclaimed and was so loved by the people that it was made into a 1967 British drama film of the same title, starring Sidney Poitier and Lulu. He had many other famous books to his credit, namely 'Paid Servant', 'A Kind of Homecoming', 'Choice of Straws', 'Reluctant Neighbors' and 'Honorary White'. Braithwaite was best known for his stories about racial discrimination against black people, especially in South Africa and the United States -- the two countries where he lived much of his life. He studied at Queen’s College, Guyana, and at the City College of New York, and moved to Britain after working at an oil refinery in Aruba, off the coast of Venezuela. In 1940, he volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force. Braithwaite received a master’s degree in physics from Cambridge University in 1949. After leaving his teaching job, he worked with Caribbean immigrant families in London. Along with his writing, Braithwaite had a record of public service. From 1960 to 1963, he was a human rights officer at the World Veterans Federation, based in Paris; from 1963 to 1966, he was a lecturer and education consultant at Unesco, also in Paris. From 1967 to 1969, he served as the first permanent representative of Guyana to the United Nations. He was later the country’s ambassador to Venezuela, according to New York Times. He also taught at New York University, Florida State University, among other institutions. At the age of 100, Braithwaite was conferred with a national award -- the Cacique Crown of Honour -- by then-president Donald Ramotar. (WION)

ER Braithwaite, author of 'To Sir, With Love', dies at 104

Rice wine sales were banned in Kompong Chhnang province, about 90 km (55 miles) from the capital, Phnom Penh, after villagers became sick from drinking methanol-tainted wine, said Sorin Tiravuthy, director of the provincial hospital.

The first death was reported on&nbsp;November 3&nbsp;but villagers continued to consume the same rice wine at a different funeral, Tiravuthy said.

Rice wine is a staple in Cambodia, where it is consumed at weddings and funerals.

Home-brewed wine has led to fatalities in the past. The drink, which is relatively inexpensive, can be lethal if not mixed properly.

Tiravuthy said he had lost count of the number of people being hospitalized after drinking bad rice wine.

&quot;At health centres, people are continuously coming in. I don&#39;t know how many now,&quot; Tiravuthy told Reuters.

Cambodia&#39;s Health Minister Mam Bunheng said&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;the tainted wine included above-normal quantities of methanol and urged people to stop consuming improperly made rice wine.

Methanol, the simplest form of alcohol, is closely related to ethanol, the type of alcohol normally found in spirits, beer and wine. Home distillation can concentrate the level of methanol, which is highly toxic.

At least 18 people died in Cambodia&#39;s northeastern Kratie province last year after drinking methanol-tainted rice wine.

(Reuters)

At least 78 hospitalized in the past five weeks

Rice wine sales were banned in Kompong Chhnang province, about 90 km (55 miles) from the capital, Phnom Penh, after villagers became sick from drinking methanol-tainted wine, said Sorin Tiravuthy, director of the provincial hospital. The first death was reported on November 3 but villagers continued to consume the same rice wine at a different funeral, Tiravuthy said. Rice wine is a staple in Cambodia, where it is consumed at weddings and funerals. Home-brewed wine has led to fatalities in the past. The drink, which is relatively inexpensive, can be lethal if not mixed properly. Tiravuthy said he had lost count of the number of people being hospitalized after drinking bad rice wine. "At health centres, people are continuously coming in. I don't know how many now," Tiravuthy told Reuters. Cambodia's Health Minister Mam Bunheng said on Friday the tainted wine included above-normal quantities of methanol and urged people to stop consuming improperly made rice wine. Methanol, the simplest form of alcohol, is closely related to ethanol, the type of alcohol normally found in spirits, beer and wine. Home distillation can concentrate the level of methanol, which is highly toxic. At least 18 people died in Cambodia's northeastern Kratie province last year after drinking methanol-tainted rice wine. (Reuters)

Cambodia: Tainted homemade rice wine kills 15 at funerals

Revelers, many of whom were exiled by Cuba?s communist regime, honked car horns, banged on pots and drums, and danced, and waved Cuban flag

To the cries of "Cuba Libre!" and "Freedom! Freedom!" Cuban-Americans poured into the streets of Miami early Saturday to celebrate the death of their nemesis Fidel Castro. Revelers, many of whom were exiled by Cuba’s communist regime, honked car horns, banged on pots and drums, and danced, cried, and waved Cuban flags in a wave of communal euphoria. Castro died late Friday in Havana, Cuban President Raul Castro announced on national television around midnight local time. While news was just getting around in Cuba, in Miami, home to the largest concentration of Cuban-Americans in the United States, the news spread like wildfire. "It’s sad that one finds joy in the death of a person,but that person should never have been born," said Pablo Arencibia, 67, a teacher who fled Cuba 20 years ago. "Satan is now the one who has to worry," because "Fidel is heading there and is going to try to get his job," joked Arecibia, who could barely be heard over the din of honking horns and banging pots. Thick crowds poured into the streets of Little Havana and Hialeah -- the Miami neighborhoods where many Cuban exiles settled -- to dance, hug, and exchange comments like "it took so long," and "now only Raul is missing." Some sang the Cuban national anthem. Others shook up bottles of champagne and sprayed the fizz onto the crowd of revelers.The late-breaking news roused some people out of bed, who joined the street party half-dressed in pajamas. "Cuba Libre" -- Free Cuba -- has been a rallying cry for the exile community ever since the Castro brothers took over Cuba in 1959. The rum and Coke drink of the same name, however predates the Castro regime. (AFP)

Cuban-Americans in Miami 'celebrate' Castro's death

At least 38 people were killed and 28 injured in Afghanistan after a fuel tanker collided with a passenger bus carrying more than 60 people on the accident-prone Kabul-Kandahar highway which connects the southern province of Kandahar with the capital city of Kabul.&nbsp; 
 
The driver of the oil tanker and a co-passenger died immediately after the tanker burst into flames during the early morning hours of Sunday. &nbsp; 
 
Several women and children were among the victims who were charred to death. 
 
The&nbsp;authorities could identify only six bodies and the rest were totally burnt, said Ghulam Jilani Farahi, deputy police chief of Zabul province. 
 
The Kabul-Kandahar highway passes through areas prone to militancy and many drivers are known to drive at top speeds in hopes of avoiding insurgent activity. 
 
Afghanistan has some of the world&#39;s most dangerous roads, often in dilapidated condition, and traffic rules are seldom enforced. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Several women and children were charred to death on the accident-prone highway linking Kabul and Kandahar

At least 38 people were killed and 28 injured in Afghanistan after a fuel tanker collided with a passenger bus carrying more than 60 people on the accident-prone Kabul-Kandahar highway which connects the southern province of Kandahar with the capital city of Kabul. The driver of the oil tanker and a co-passenger died immediately after the tanker burst into flames during the early morning hours of Sunday. Several women and children were among the victims who were charred to death. The authorities could identify only six bodies and the rest were totally burnt, said Ghulam Jilani Farahi, deputy police chief of Zabul province. The Kabul-Kandahar highway passes through areas prone to militancy and many drivers are known to drive at top speeds in hopes of avoiding insurgent activity. Afghanistan has some of the world's most dangerous roads, often in dilapidated condition, and traffic rules are seldom enforced. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

At least 38 killed in Afghanistan road accident

Israel&#39;s Supreme Court has ruled that Franz Kafka&#39;s manuscripts are the property of the National Library of Israel, ending a lengthy legal battle, judicial sources said in Monday. 
 
The nation&#39;s top court on Sunday rejected an appeal by the heirs of Max Brod, a friend of Kafka and the executor of his estate to whom he had willed his manuscripts after his death in 1924. 
 
Kafka had instructed Brod to burn the manuscripts after his death but his friend did not honour that request and took them with him when he fled the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and emigrated to Palestine. 
 
On his death in 1968, Brod bequeathed the papers to his secretary Esther Hoffe, with instructions to give them to the &quot;Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the municipal library in Tel Aviv or another organisation in Israel or abroad.&quot; 
 
But Hoffe, who died in 2007, instead kept them and shared them between her two daughters -- sparking multiple legal battles. 
 
In the trial against Hoffe&#39;s heirs, which began in 2009, the state of Israel demanded they hand over all the documents, which included unpublished writings, arguing it was Brod&#39;s last will. 
 
Hoffe&#39;s daughters refused, however, saying the papers -- estimated to be worth millions of dollars -- had been given to their mother by Brod and therefore she could dispose of them any way she wanted. 
 
 
 
Hoffe had during her lifetime sold the original manuscript of &quot;The Trial&quot; -- considered by some to be one of Kafka&#39;s best work -- for $2 million. 
 
The Hoffe family kept the bulk of the collection locked away in bank safety deposit boxes in Israel and Switzerland and over the years sold some papers to collectors. 
 
(AFP)

The top court rejected an appeal by the heirs of Max Brod, a friend of Kafka's whom he had willed his manuscripts to after his death in 1924

Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that Franz Kafka's manuscripts are the property of the National Library of Israel, ending a lengthy legal battle, judicial sources said in Monday. The nation's top court on Sunday rejected an appeal by the heirs of Max Brod, a friend of Kafka and the executor of his estate to whom he had willed his manuscripts after his death in 1924. Kafka had instructed Brod to burn the manuscripts after his death but his friend did not honour that request and took them with him when he fled the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and emigrated to Palestine. On his death in 1968, Brod bequeathed the papers to his secretary Esther Hoffe, with instructions to give them to the "Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the municipal library in Tel Aviv or another organisation in Israel or abroad." But Hoffe, who died in 2007, instead kept them and shared them between her two daughters -- sparking multiple legal battles. In the trial against Hoffe's heirs, which began in 2009, the state of Israel demanded they hand over all the documents, which included unpublished writings, arguing it was Brod's last will. Hoffe's daughters refused, however, saying the papers -- estimated to be worth millions of dollars -- had been given to their mother by Brod and therefore she could dispose of them any way she wanted. Hoffe had during her lifetime sold the original manuscript of "The Trial" -- considered by some to be one of Kafka's best work -- for $2 million. The Hoffe family kept the bulk of the collection locked away in bank safety deposit boxes in Israel and Switzerland and over the years sold some papers to collectors. (AFP)

Israeli Supreme Court says Kafka's manuscripts are property of National Library

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called &quot;honour&quot; killings. 
 
Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. 
 
Kazam has branded her death an &quot;honour killing&quot;, a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family &quot;dishonour&quot;. 
 
The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star.&nbsp; 
 
Brother confesses to murder, calls sister&#39;s behaviour &#39;intolerable&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Shahid&#39;s brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been &quot;intolerable&quot;. Kazam sought to keep international attention on &quot;honour&quot; killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. 
 
&quot;I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid&#39;s second marriage. 
? 
Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. 
 
Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents.&nbsp; 
 
In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. 
&nbsp; 
Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.&nbsp; 
 
Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar.&nbsp; 
 
Special committee formed to investigate into murder&nbsp; 
 
The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. 
 
The victims of &quot;honour&quot; killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year.&nbsp; 
 
They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting.&nbsp; 
But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action.&nbsp; 
 
Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate &quot;honour&quot; killings would soon be voted on by parliament. 
 
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Mukhtar Kazam, Samia's husband, said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck suggesting she had been strangled

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called "honour" killings. Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. Kazam has branded her death an "honour killing", a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family "dishonour". The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star. Brother confesses to murder, calls sister's behaviour 'intolerable' Shahid's brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been "intolerable". Kazam sought to keep international attention on "honour" killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. "I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial," he said. Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid's second marriage. ? Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents. In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes. Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday. Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar. Special committee formed to investigate into murder The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. The victims of "honour" killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year. They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting. But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action. Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate "honour" killings would soon be voted on by parliament. Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan. (AFP)

Husband of UK woman killed for 'honour' in Pakistan calls for justice

Baltimore&#39;s top prosecutor yesterday dropped remaining charges against police officers tied to the death of black detainee Freddie Gray, after failing four times to secure convictions in a case that inflamed the US debate on race and justice. 
 
Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby had stunned the city and became a national figure when she filed charges against six officers just days after Gray&#39;s death from a broken neck suffered in a police van sparked protests and rioting in April 2015. 
 
The death of the 25-year-old was among the high-profile deaths of black suspects at the hands of US police that have made law enforcement tactics and police officers&#39; treatment of minorities into national headlines. It also fuelled the rise of the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter. 
 
The decision to drop charges against the three remaining officers facing trial came a day before Officer Garrett Miller was due to go on trial in Baltimore City Circuit Court. 
 
At a news conference held before a mural in Gray&#39;s neighbourhood memorialising him, a combative Mosby said individual police officers had tried to thwart her investigation. 
 
The interference included officers who were witnesses investigating the case and key questions not being asked during interrogations, she said. A police counter-investigation aimed at disproving the prosecution&#39;s case also failed to execute search warrants, Mosby said. 
 
&quot;Police investigating police, whether they are friends or merely their colleagues, was problematic,&quot; she said to cries of &quot;we&#39;re with you&quot; from onlookers. 
 
Successful prosecution was impossible without an independent investigation, a say in whether the cases would be heard before a judge or jury, community oversight of police and major justice reforms, she said. 
 
Baltimore Police commissioner Kevin Davis said the decision to drop charges was wise and would help the city move forward. 
 
&quot;As the trials end and this chapter in Baltimore&#39;s history closes, it is important that we collectively resolve to direct our emotions in a constructive way to reduce violence and strengthen citizen partnerships,&quot; Davis said in a statement. 
 
Four attempts to convict 
 
Gene Ryan, the head of the Baltimore police union, also welcomed the decision but said Mosby&#39;s allegations of police interference were &quot;outrageous.&quot; 
 
&quot;The state&#39;s attorney simply could not accept the evidence that was presented,&quot; Ryan said at a news conference, flanked by the accused officers and their lawyers. 
 
Prosecutors last week failed in their fourth attempt to secure a conviction against a police officer. Judge Barry Williams acquitted three officers in bench trials, and the trial of a fourth officer ended in a deadlocked jury. The officers still face administrative reviews over Gray&#39;s death. 
 
Reacting to the decision to drop charges, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Mosby had made a bad call in prosecuting the officers. 
 
&quot;It was disgraceful what she did and the way she did it,&quot; he told reporters in Florida. 
 
Gray was arrested after he fled officers unprovoked in a high-crime area. Officers bundled him into a police wagon shackled and not secured by a seat belt. 
 
Prosecutors alleged that officers gave Gray a &quot;rough ride,&quot; and failed to secure him as outlined in department protocol or to seek medical assistance. 
 
But defence lawyers said officers had the discretion on whether to fasten detainees into seatbelts, and that it was unclear when Gray suffered his fatal neck injury. 
 
It represented one of the first high-profile cases in which a prosecutor went after officers involved in a black suspect&#39;s death. Grand juries had declined to charge officers involved in the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson, Missouri, and in the choking death of Eric Garner, 43, in New York. 
 
Federal prosecutors have launched a civil rights investigation into the shooting of a black man by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Minnesota officials began a probe into a fatal shooting of a black motorist outside St. Paul. Both killings occurred this month and triggered new protests. 
 
(Reuters)

The prosecutor said officers who were witnesses investigating the case and key questions not asked during interrogations was problematic

Baltimore's top prosecutor yesterday dropped remaining charges against police officers tied to the death of black detainee Freddie Gray, after failing four times to secure convictions in a case that inflamed the US debate on race and justice. Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby had stunned the city and became a national figure when she filed charges against six officers just days after Gray's death from a broken neck suffered in a police van sparked protests and rioting in April 2015. The death of the 25-year-old was among the high-profile deaths of black suspects at the hands of US police that have made law enforcement tactics and police officers' treatment of minorities into national headlines. It also fuelled the rise of the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter. The decision to drop charges against the three remaining officers facing trial came a day before Officer Garrett Miller was due to go on trial in Baltimore City Circuit Court. At a news conference held before a mural in Gray's neighbourhood memorialising him, a combative Mosby said individual police officers had tried to thwart her investigation. The interference included officers who were witnesses investigating the case and key questions not being asked during interrogations, she said. A police counter-investigation aimed at disproving the prosecution's case also failed to execute search warrants, Mosby said. "Police investigating police, whether they are friends or merely their colleagues, was problematic," she said to cries of "we're with you" from onlookers. Successful prosecution was impossible without an independent investigation, a say in whether the cases would be heard before a judge or jury, community oversight of police and major justice reforms, she said. Baltimore Police commissioner Kevin Davis said the decision to drop charges was wise and would help the city move forward. "As the trials end and this chapter in Baltimore's history closes, it is important that we collectively resolve to direct our emotions in a constructive way to reduce violence and strengthen citizen partnerships," Davis said in a statement. Four attempts to convict Gene Ryan, the head of the Baltimore police union, also welcomed the decision but said Mosby's allegations of police interference were "outrageous." "The state's attorney simply could not accept the evidence that was presented," Ryan said at a news conference, flanked by the accused officers and their lawyers. Prosecutors last week failed in their fourth attempt to secure a conviction against a police officer. Judge Barry Williams acquitted three officers in bench trials, and the trial of a fourth officer ended in a deadlocked jury. The officers still face administrative reviews over Gray's death. Reacting to the decision to drop charges, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Mosby had made a bad call in prosecuting the officers. "It was disgraceful what she did and the way she did it," he told reporters in Florida. Gray was arrested after he fled officers unprovoked in a high-crime area. Officers bundled him into a police wagon shackled and not secured by a seat belt. Prosecutors alleged that officers gave Gray a "rough ride," and failed to secure him as outlined in department protocol or to seek medical assistance. But defence lawyers said officers had the discretion on whether to fasten detainees into seatbelts, and that it was unclear when Gray suffered his fatal neck injury. It represented one of the first high-profile cases in which a prosecutor went after officers involved in a black suspect's death. Grand juries had declined to charge officers involved in the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson, Missouri, and in the choking death of Eric Garner, 43, in New York. Federal prosecutors have launched a civil rights investigation into the shooting of a black man by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Minnesota officials began a probe into a fatal shooting of a black motorist outside St. Paul. Both killings occurred this month and triggered new protests. (Reuters)

All charges dropped in Freddie Gray case

Famed philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who set up one of Pakistan&#39;s biggest welfare organisations and was revered as a &quot;living saint&quot; by many in the South Asian country, died in hospital late on Friday. 
 
The announcement of his death triggered a wave of accolades on TV and social media. Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid tribute to him as &quot;a great servant of humanity,&quot; and said he would receive a posthumous presidential medal and a state funeral. 
 
The 88-year-old&#39;s reputation for austerity and generosity resonated deeply in Pakistan, a country of 190 million people whose government is riddled with corruption and where public health and welfare services are weak. 
 
&quot;There are few men who have done as much good, and made as much a difference to the lives and livelihoods of the Pakistani people as Abdul Sattar Edhi,&quot; Sharif said hours before Edhi&#39;s death. 
 
Edhi, a short man with a long white beard who often wore a traditional cap, had been ill for several years after suffering kidney failure, Edhi&#39;s son Faisal told journalists in Karachi.&nbsp; 
 
Sharif&#39;s government had offered to fly Edhi abroad for treatment, but he refused, saying he wanted to be treated at a public hospital in his own country. 
 
The Edhi Foundation runs a vast fleet of ambulances, orphanages and medical clinics across the country.&nbsp; 
 
Last year when a devastating heat wave struck Karachi, a city of about 20 million people, the foundation was at the forefront of the response: its ambulances tended to the sick, the Edhi morgue was used to store the dead and many of the poor buried their family members in the Edhi cemetery for free. 
 
Edhi&#39;s funeral on Saturday is expected to be one of the biggest in Pakistan&#39;s history.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He was a noble soul who dedicated his life in service of mankind,&quot; said Sushma Swaraj, the foreign minister of India. 
 
&quot;PAKISTAN&#39;S MOTHER TERESA&quot; 
In a nation often riven by social, ethnic and religious strife, Edhi won respect from every strata of society for an ascetic lifestyle that was devoted to helping the poor regardless of their background. 
 
Edhi lived in a bare room in Karachi, alternating between his two suits of black clothes and occasionally listening to recordings of Koranic verses on a battered old tape recorder. 
 
&quot;When my ambulance takes a wounded person who is in pain to the hospital, when people reach the hospital, I find peace in knowing I helped an injured person who was in pain,&quot; Edhi told Reuters in an interview in 2013. 
 
&quot;My mission is to love human beings. Each day is the best day of my life.&quot; 
 
Edhi was well-known for berating Islamist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for their attacks on civilians, criticising the government for incompetence and corruption and denouncing the elites for dodging taxes. 
 
His wife, Bilquis, a nurse, oversees the women&#39;s shelters and the adoption of orphans. They have found homes for about 25,000 children. 
 
Edhi&#39;s foundation has provided relief in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Indonesia and in the United States after Hurricane Katrina. 
 
Pakistanis took to Twitter to mourn the death of a national hero many call a &quot;living saint&quot; and &quot;Pakistan&#39;s Mother Teresa&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;In his death he has united all of Pakistan, across all affiliations, in mourning. That in itself is a measure of his greatness,&quot; said a Twitter user named Imran Khan. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

In a country of 190 million where public health and welfare services are weak, Edhi ran a vast fleet of ambulances, orphanages and clinics

Famed philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, who set up one of Pakistan's biggest welfare organisations and was revered as a "living saint" by many in the South Asian country, died in hospital late on Friday. The announcement of his death triggered a wave of accolades on TV and social media. Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid tribute to him as "a great servant of humanity," and said he would receive a posthumous presidential medal and a state funeral. The 88-year-old's reputation for austerity and generosity resonated deeply in Pakistan, a country of 190 million people whose government is riddled with corruption and where public health and welfare services are weak. "There are few men who have done as much good, and made as much a difference to the lives and livelihoods of the Pakistani people as Abdul Sattar Edhi," Sharif said hours before Edhi's death. Edhi, a short man with a long white beard who often wore a traditional cap, had been ill for several years after suffering kidney failure, Edhi's son Faisal told journalists in Karachi. Sharif's government had offered to fly Edhi abroad for treatment, but he refused, saying he wanted to be treated at a public hospital in his own country. The Edhi Foundation runs a vast fleet of ambulances, orphanages and medical clinics across the country. Last year when a devastating heat wave struck Karachi, a city of about 20 million people, the foundation was at the forefront of the response: its ambulances tended to the sick, the Edhi morgue was used to store the dead and many of the poor buried their family members in the Edhi cemetery for free. Edhi's funeral on Saturday is expected to be one of the biggest in Pakistan's history. "He was a noble soul who dedicated his life in service of mankind," said Sushma Swaraj, the foreign minister of India. "PAKISTAN'S MOTHER TERESA" In a nation often riven by social, ethnic and religious strife, Edhi won respect from every strata of society for an ascetic lifestyle that was devoted to helping the poor regardless of their background. Edhi lived in a bare room in Karachi, alternating between his two suits of black clothes and occasionally listening to recordings of Koranic verses on a battered old tape recorder. "When my ambulance takes a wounded person who is in pain to the hospital, when people reach the hospital, I find peace in knowing I helped an injured person who was in pain," Edhi told Reuters in an interview in 2013. "My mission is to love human beings. Each day is the best day of my life." Edhi was well-known for berating Islamist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for their attacks on civilians, criticising the government for incompetence and corruption and denouncing the elites for dodging taxes. His wife, Bilquis, a nurse, oversees the women's shelters and the adoption of orphans. They have found homes for about 25,000 children. Edhi's foundation has provided relief in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Croatia, Indonesia and in the United States after Hurricane Katrina. Pakistanis took to Twitter to mourn the death of a national hero many call a "living saint" and "Pakistan's Mother Teresa". "In his death he has united all of Pakistan, across all affiliations, in mourning. That in itself is a measure of his greatness," said a Twitter user named Imran Khan. (Reuters)

Famed Pakistani philanthropist, 'national hero' Edhi dies in Karachi

Nearly 120 people were killed and 200 wounded in two bombings overnight in Baghdad, most of them in a busy shopping area as residents celebrated Ramzan, police and medical sources said on Sunday. 
 
The attack on the shopping area of Karrada is the deadliest since US-backed Iraqi forces last month scored a major victory when it dislodged Islamic State from their stronghold of Fallujah, an hour&#39;s drive West of the capital. It is also the deadliest so far this year. 
 
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had ordered the offensive after a series of deadly bombings in Baghdad, saying Fallujah served as a launchpad for such attacks on the capital. However, bombings have continued.&nbsp; 
 
A convoy carrying Abadi who had come to tour the site of the bombings was pelted with stones and bottles by residents, angry at what they felt were false promises of better security.&nbsp; 
 
A refrigerator truck packed with explosives blew up in the central district of Karrada, killing 115 people and injuring at least 200. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulated online by supporters of the ultra-hard line Sunni group. It said the blast was a suicide bombing. 
 
Karrada was busy at the time as Iraqis eat out and shop late during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends next week with the Eid al-Fitr festival.&nbsp; 
 
Videos posted on social media showed people running after the SUV convoy of Abadi as he departed Karrada after touring the scene, throwing pavement stones, bottles of water, empty buckets and slippers, venting their anger at the inability of the security forces to protect the area. 
 
Another video posted on social media showed a large blaze in the main street of Karrada, a largely Shi`ite district with a small Christian community and a few Sunni mosques. 
 
Reuters TV footage taken in the morning showed at least four buildings severely damaged or partly collapsed, including a shopping mall believed to be the target, and gutted cars scattered all around.&nbsp; 
 
The toll climbed during the day as rescuers pulled out more bodies from under the rubble and people succumbed from their injuries. 
Comments posted on social media accused security forces of continuing to use fake bomb detectors at checkpoints filtering traffic in Baghdad, five years after the scandal broke out about a device commonly known as the `magic wand`. 
 
A police officer in Baghdad confirmed these hand-held ADE 651 detectors were still in use. They were sold to Iraq and other nations by a British businessman who was jailed for 10 years in 2013 in the United Kingdom for endangering lives for profit. 
 
AL SHAAB ATTACK 
In a second attack, a roadside explosive device also blew up around midnight in a market in al-Shaab, a Shi&#39;ite district in the North of the capital, killing at least two people, police and medical sources said. 
 
Iraqi forces on June 26 declared the defeat of IS militants in Fallujah, a historic bastion of Sunni insurgency, following a month of fighting. 
 
Now the militants were &quot;trying to compensate for their humiliating defeat in Falluja,&quot; said Jasim al-Bahadli, a former army officer and security analyst in Baghdad. 
 
&quot;It was a mistake for the government to think that the source of the bombings was restricted to just one area,&quot; he said. &quot;There are sleeper cells that operate independently from each other.&quot; 
 
Fallujah was the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. Abadi said the next target of the Iraqi forces is Mosul, the de facto capital of the militants and the largest city under their control in both Iraq and Syria. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
 
&nbsp;

The suicide car bombing and roadside explosion also injured almost 200. Islamic State claimed responsibility

Nearly 120 people were killed and 200 wounded in two bombings overnight in Baghdad, most of them in a busy shopping area as residents celebrated Ramzan, police and medical sources said on Sunday. The attack on the shopping area of Karrada is the deadliest since US-backed Iraqi forces last month scored a major victory when it dislodged Islamic State from their stronghold of Fallujah, an hour's drive West of the capital. It is also the deadliest so far this year. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had ordered the offensive after a series of deadly bombings in Baghdad, saying Fallujah served as a launchpad for such attacks on the capital. However, bombings have continued. A convoy carrying Abadi who had come to tour the site of the bombings was pelted with stones and bottles by residents, angry at what they felt were false promises of better security. A refrigerator truck packed with explosives blew up in the central district of Karrada, killing 115 people and injuring at least 200. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement circulated online by supporters of the ultra-hard line Sunni group. It said the blast was a suicide bombing. Karrada was busy at the time as Iraqis eat out and shop late during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends next week with the Eid al-Fitr festival. Videos posted on social media showed people running after the SUV convoy of Abadi as he departed Karrada after touring the scene, throwing pavement stones, bottles of water, empty buckets and slippers, venting their anger at the inability of the security forces to protect the area. Another video posted on social media showed a large blaze in the main street of Karrada, a largely Shi`ite district with a small Christian community and a few Sunni mosques. Reuters TV footage taken in the morning showed at least four buildings severely damaged or partly collapsed, including a shopping mall believed to be the target, and gutted cars scattered all around. The toll climbed during the day as rescuers pulled out more bodies from under the rubble and people succumbed from their injuries. Comments posted on social media accused security forces of continuing to use fake bomb detectors at checkpoints filtering traffic in Baghdad, five years after the scandal broke out about a device commonly known as the `magic wand`. A police officer in Baghdad confirmed these hand-held ADE 651 detectors were still in use. They were sold to Iraq and other nations by a British businessman who was jailed for 10 years in 2013 in the United Kingdom for endangering lives for profit. AL SHAAB ATTACK In a second attack, a roadside explosive device also blew up around midnight in a market in al-Shaab, a Shi'ite district in the North of the capital, killing at least two people, police and medical sources said. Iraqi forces on June 26 declared the defeat of IS militants in Fallujah, a historic bastion of Sunni insurgency, following a month of fighting. Now the militants were "trying to compensate for their humiliating defeat in Falluja," said Jasim al-Bahadli, a former army officer and security analyst in Baghdad. "It was a mistake for the government to think that the source of the bombings was restricted to just one area," he said. "There are sleeper cells that operate independently from each other." Fallujah was the first Iraqi city to fall to Islamic State in January 2014. Abadi said the next target of the Iraqi forces is Mosul, the de facto capital of the militants and the largest city under their control in both Iraq and Syria. (Reuters)

Death toll in Baghdad twin bombing rises to 120

The United States on Friday lifted the lid on one of the most controversial tactics of President Barack Obama&#39;s secretive counter-terror campaign, detailing for the first time the number of those killed in air strikes in countries like Pakistan and Libya. 
 
At the same time, the White House released an executive order outlining the steps that should be taken to reduce civilian casualties in America&#39;s ongoing battle against violent extremism. 
 
In a much-anticipated report, the director of national intelligence (DNI) provided fatality estimates for the 473 strikes between 2009 and 2015 that he said were conducted outside America&#39;s principal war zones in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. 
 
The DNI said somewhere between 64 and 116 civilians were killed in the strikes, and up to 2,581 terrorists. 
 
Such attacks are typically conducted via drones, though manned warplanes and missiles have also been used. 
 
Though the US military routinely releases information on strikes targeting the Islamic State group and other organizations, mainly in Iraq and Syria, it is the first time the Obama administration has published a toll from its strikes elsewhere, in countries like Libya, Somalia and Pakistan. 
 
The release comes after rights groups and the media for years demanded better accounting of such military actions under Obama, and many questioned the legality of the strikes. 
 
Critics have long alleged that US strikes, especially by drones, kill far more civilians than the administration claims, and Friday&#39;s release did not appear to change that narrative. 
 
Observers also say that without better transparency, it is impossible to gauge the accuracy of US fatality assessments.&nbsp; 
 
The American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, welcomed the release of information but said it was too narrow in scope and left the US public unsure if the government deploys lethal force legally. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s hard to credit the government&#39;s death count, which is lower than all independent assessments,&quot; said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU&#39;s National Security Project. 
 
&quot;The government continues to conceal the identities of people it has killed, the specific definitions it uses to decide who can legitimately be targetted, and its investigations into credibly alleged wrongful killings,&quot; Hina added. 
 
Even the DNI seemed to acknowledge the possible weakness of its own numbers. 
 
&quot;Although the US government has access to a wide range of information, the figures released today should be considered in light of the inherent limitations on the ability to determine the precise number of combatant and non-combatant deaths given the non-permissive environments in which these strikes often occur,&quot; the DNI said in a statement. 
 
Often, neither the military nor US intelligence agencies are able to send an operative to the scene of a drone strike, making it all but impossible to definitively assess how many people were hit. 
 
Laura Pitter, senior US national security counsel at Human Rights Watch, said Obama had failed to explain who the campaign targets and why, so there is no way to verify the purported casualty figures. 
 
&quot;Unless details are provided on specific incidents, it&#39;s not possible to determine if individuals killed were civilians, and thus whether the US is complying with its own policy and with international law,&quot; she said.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, The White House released an executive order that sets out the best practices that can be applied to future strikes, regardless of where they are conducted. 
 
&quot;Civilian casualties are a tragic and, at times, unavoidable consequence of the use of force in situations of armed conflict,&quot; Obama&#39;s order states.&nbsp; 
 
Among its provisions are requirements for the US government to acknowledge responsibility for civilian casualties and to offer condolences and payments to injured civilians and the relatives of those killed. 
 
&quot;The US failure to even acknowledge strikes in the past, let alone compensate for harm caused, has generated an enormous backlash in many communities,&quot; Pitter noted. 
 
The order also undertakes to consider information from other sources, such as non-government organizations, in determining civilian casualties. 
 
However, a future president can easily scrap the order, and critics point to the irony of its timing - coming at the end of Obama&#39;s eight-year term, during which he kept his counter-terror strikes under close wraps. 
 
&quot;If we can press this administration to make good on the commitments that are in this executive order, it could be huge,&quot; said Naureen Shah, a program director at Amnesty International, USA. 
 
(AFP)

It's hard to credit the government's death count, which is lower than all independent assessments: American Civil Liberties Union director

The United States on Friday lifted the lid on one of the most controversial tactics of President Barack Obama's secretive counter-terror campaign, detailing for the first time the number of those killed in air strikes in countries like Pakistan and Libya. At the same time, the White House released an executive order outlining the steps that should be taken to reduce civilian casualties in America's ongoing battle against violent extremism. In a much-anticipated report, the director of national intelligence (DNI) provided fatality estimates for the 473 strikes between 2009 and 2015 that he said were conducted outside America's principal war zones in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The DNI said somewhere between 64 and 116 civilians were killed in the strikes, and up to 2,581 terrorists. Such attacks are typically conducted via drones, though manned warplanes and missiles have also been used. Though the US military routinely releases information on strikes targeting the Islamic State group and other organizations, mainly in Iraq and Syria, it is the first time the Obama administration has published a toll from its strikes elsewhere, in countries like Libya, Somalia and Pakistan. The release comes after rights groups and the media for years demanded better accounting of such military actions under Obama, and many questioned the legality of the strikes. Critics have long alleged that US strikes, especially by drones, kill far more civilians than the administration claims, and Friday's release did not appear to change that narrative. Observers also say that without better transparency, it is impossible to gauge the accuracy of US fatality assessments. The American Civil Liberties Union, for instance, welcomed the release of information but said it was too narrow in scope and left the US public unsure if the government deploys lethal force legally. "It's hard to credit the government's death count, which is lower than all independent assessments," said Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU's National Security Project. "The government continues to conceal the identities of people it has killed, the specific definitions it uses to decide who can legitimately be targetted, and its investigations into credibly alleged wrongful killings," Hina added. Even the DNI seemed to acknowledge the possible weakness of its own numbers. "Although the US government has access to a wide range of information, the figures released today should be considered in light of the inherent limitations on the ability to determine the precise number of combatant and non-combatant deaths given the non-permissive environments in which these strikes often occur," the DNI said in a statement. Often, neither the military nor US intelligence agencies are able to send an operative to the scene of a drone strike, making it all but impossible to definitively assess how many people were hit. Laura Pitter, senior US national security counsel at Human Rights Watch, said Obama had failed to explain who the campaign targets and why, so there is no way to verify the purported casualty figures. "Unless details are provided on specific incidents, it's not possible to determine if individuals killed were civilians, and thus whether the US is complying with its own policy and with international law," she said. Meanwhile, The White House released an executive order that sets out the best practices that can be applied to future strikes, regardless of where they are conducted. "Civilian casualties are a tragic and, at times, unavoidable consequence of the use of force in situations of armed conflict," Obama's order states. Among its provisions are requirements for the US government to acknowledge responsibility for civilian casualties and to offer condolences and payments to injured civilians and the relatives of those killed. "The US failure to even acknowledge strikes in the past, let alone compensate for harm caused, has generated an enormous backlash in many communities," Pitter noted. The order also undertakes to consider information from other sources, such as non-government organizations, in determining civilian casualties. However, a future president can easily scrap the order, and critics point to the irony of its timing - coming at the end of Obama's eight-year term, during which he kept his counter-terror strikes under close wraps. "If we can press this administration to make good on the commitments that are in this executive order, it could be huge," said Naureen Shah, a program director at Amnesty International, USA. (AFP)

In a first, US releases death toll from drone strikes in Libya, Somalia and Pakistan

Nearly 200 people have died in the last month at a camp for people made homeless by Boko Haram violence in northeast Nigeria, an aid agency said Wednesday, warning of a growing malnutrition crisis. 
 
A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team on Tuesday visited the camp, home to around 24,000 people including 15,000 children, and found what it called &quot;a catastrophic humanitarian emergency&quot; unfolding. 
 
One in five of over 800 children it examined had severe acute malnutrition, while 16 severely malnourished children &quot;at immediate risk of death&quot; were referred to its in-patient treatment centre. 
 
At least 188 people have died in the internally displaced people (IDP) camp in Bama, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Maiduguri, since May 23 -- about six a day -- mainly from diarrhoea and malnutrition, MSF said in a statement. 
 
A total of 1,233 graves, many of them of for children, had been dug near the camp in the past year, the agency said. 
 
&quot;This is the first time MSF has been able to access Bama, but we already know the needs of the people there are beyond critical,&quot; said MSF head of mission in Nigeria, Ghada Hatim. 
 
&quot;We are treating malnourished children in medical facilities in Maiduguri and see the trauma on the faces of our patients who have witnessed and survived many horrors.&quot; 
 
&#39;Walking corpses&#39;&nbsp; 
 
The Borno state government and international aid agencies have previously warned about acute food shortages for IDPs in northeast Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region. 
 
On June 15, the Borno state government said it had transferred nearly 700 people, most of them children, from Bama to Maiduguri for treatment for severe malnutrition. 
 
Sixty-one young children and babies were said to be &quot;critically malnourished&quot;. 
 
A civilian vigilante and a soldier based in the remote town of Banki, 60 kilometres from Bama near the Cameroon border, told AFP 
this month at least 10 people were &quot;starving to death&quot; every day. 
 
The vigilante said 376 people had been buried in the last three months and those still alive were like &quot;walking corpses&quot;. 
 
- Security issues - 
 
Boko Haram, whose seven-year Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead and displaced more than 2.6 million, controlled swathes of territory in the northeast in 2014. 
 
But the Nigerian government has said IDPs housed in camps or host communities can return after a military counter-offensive pushed the militants out of captured towns and villages. 
 
Despite assurances the northeast is largely clear of the rebels, sporadic attacks continue and security remains an issue, while houses, businesses and farms have largely been destroyed. 
 
Domestic and international aid agencies are mainly based in Maiduguri and dependent on Nigerian army assistance to access camps outside the city. 
 
The Borno state governor Kashim Shettima last week ordered police to investigate reports that relief material, including bags of rice meant for IDPs, was being stolen. 
 
The UN&#39;s children&#39;s agency, UNICEF, said it has been working with its partners in Bama since March and has provided health and nutrition support for some 19,000 people. 
 
Its primary health care centre sees on average 140 patients a day for conditions ranging from malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea, as well as malnutrition screening and treatment. 
 
(AFP)

One in five of over 800 children had severe acute malnutrition, while 16 severely malnourished children 'at immediate risk of death'

Nearly 200 people have died in the last month at a camp for people made homeless by Boko Haram violence in northeast Nigeria, an aid agency said Wednesday, warning of a growing malnutrition crisis. A Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team on Tuesday visited the camp, home to around 24,000 people including 15,000 children, and found what it called "a catastrophic humanitarian emergency" unfolding. One in five of over 800 children it examined had severe acute malnutrition, while 16 severely malnourished children "at immediate risk of death" were referred to its in-patient treatment centre. At least 188 people have died in the internally displaced people (IDP) camp in Bama, some 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Maiduguri, since May 23 -- about six a day -- mainly from diarrhoea and malnutrition, MSF said in a statement. A total of 1,233 graves, many of them of for children, had been dug near the camp in the past year, the agency said. "This is the first time MSF has been able to access Bama, but we already know the needs of the people there are beyond critical," said MSF head of mission in Nigeria, Ghada Hatim. "We are treating malnourished children in medical facilities in Maiduguri and see the trauma on the faces of our patients who have witnessed and survived many horrors." 'Walking corpses' The Borno state government and international aid agencies have previously warned about acute food shortages for IDPs in northeast Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region. On June 15, the Borno state government said it had transferred nearly 700 people, most of them children, from Bama to Maiduguri for treatment for severe malnutrition. Sixty-one young children and babies were said to be "critically malnourished". A civilian vigilante and a soldier based in the remote town of Banki, 60 kilometres from Bama near the Cameroon border, told AFP this month at least 10 people were "starving to death" every day. The vigilante said 376 people had been buried in the last three months and those still alive were like "walking corpses". - Security issues - Boko Haram, whose seven-year Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead and displaced more than 2.6 million, controlled swathes of territory in the northeast in 2014. But the Nigerian government has said IDPs housed in camps or host communities can return after a military counter-offensive pushed the militants out of captured towns and villages. Despite assurances the northeast is largely clear of the rebels, sporadic attacks continue and security remains an issue, while houses, businesses and farms have largely been destroyed. Domestic and international aid agencies are mainly based in Maiduguri and dependent on Nigerian army assistance to access camps outside the city. The Borno state governor Kashim Shettima last week ordered police to investigate reports that relief material, including bags of rice meant for IDPs, was being stolen. The UN's children's agency, UNICEF, said it has been working with its partners in Bama since March and has provided health and nutrition support for some 19,000 people. Its primary health care centre sees on average 140 patients a day for conditions ranging from malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea, as well as malnutrition screening and treatment. (AFP)

200 die in one month at camp for people made homeless by Boko Haram violence

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