MADRID: Spain deployed 250 soldiers on Sunday to help rescue thousands of people trapped in their vehicles by heavy snow overnight on a highway near Madrid, officials said.
The army’s emergency unit UME said it sent two companies of specialist soldiers and 95 vehicles to free over 3,000 vehicles that became stranded on the AP6 highway linking Madrid and the northwestern city of Segovia.
“The vehicles were removed one by one. There were cars with babies inside that did not have water or food,” said UME spokesman Aurelio Soto.
Videos posted on Twitter by emergency services showed soldiers and police battling snow drifts as they used shovels to clear snow from around trapped cars.
About 70 kilometers (45 miles) of the highway in the center of the country were blocked by snow just as families were returning home after the end of the Christmas holidays.
Motorists took to social media to complain that they had been trapped on the road since Saturday night without anything to eat and no heating, amid freezing temperatures.
“My husband and I didn’t eat anything to give the little we had to our children,” Sara Ramos, who was trapped in her car for 15 hours with her husband and two children aged two and six, told Spanish public television.
“It was really distressing because it was many hours of waiting. It was a really difficult situation. There were people who had no heat because their car battery ran out.”
Public Works Minister Inigo de la Serna said the government had opened an inquiry to see if the toll road operator that runs the AP6 highway — Iberpistas, a subsidiary of Spain’s Abertis — “had fulfilled all protocols” for a snow storm.
The minister said many other roads were covered by snow but these were closed and cleared without drivers being trapped in their vehicles for so long. He urged people not to use their cars in areas affected by he snow storm “unless it is strictly necessary.”
Spain’s weather office issued alerts for 37 provinces on Sunday because of the risks posed by the heavy snow, strong winds and rain.
Spanish army called in as snow traps thousands on roads
Spanish army called in as snow traps thousands on roads
AlUla is top destination as Saudi tourism gains appeal in India
- India’s outbound tourism is expected to reach 45 million travelers by 2030
- Destinations in Saudi Arabia especially popular among Gen Z tourists
New Delhi: India is seeing an increase in travelers heading to Saudi Arabia, according to a top Indian tourism body, which also said there is growing interest in the Kingdom’s heritage, especially among Gen Z Indians.
Tourism is booming in Saudi Arabia under the Vision 2030 transformation plan. In the past few years there has been significant investment in the development of destinations including its eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, eco-friendly and luxury resorts on the Red Sea coastline, and entertainment and sports complexes.
The promotion for these developments has also included Bollywood stars, and more and more Indians are looking to visit Riyadh, Jeddah and AlUla, rather than Dubai — traditionally the most popular destination in the GCC for Indian travelers.
“Earlier it was only Dubai ... but now that trend is changing,” Himanshu Kesari Patil, president of the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India, an organization representing over 800 travel companies and agents, told Arab News. “There are lots of inquiries for Saudi Arabia, a lot of people are going. The top-selling destination for Saudi Arabia is AlUla,”
AlUla, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, is often described as an “open-air museum.” One of its most famous areas is Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site that features tombs and monuments from the Nabatean civilization dating back to the 1st century BCE.
Another is Elephant Rock, a natural rock formation in the AlUla desert, which has become one of the region’s most photographed natural landmarks.
Many notable Bollywood celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, and Priyanka Chopra, have visited AlUla, while others, such as up-and-comers Janhvi Kapoor and Ali Fazal, have partnered with the local authorities to promote it, increasing the site’s appeal among Gen Z travelers, which data portal Statista refers to as the “most travel-hungry” generation.
“Gen Z, they are more tech-savvy, they are always on social media and they want to explore unexplored places. (They) are not going to the routine places where everyone else is going, they want to do something different,” Patil said.
India’s outbound tourism market is growing, and the Pacific Asia Travel Association estimates that the number of Indians traveling abroad annually will reach 45 million in the next five years.
By then, the Kingdom expects to welcome 7.5 million Indian travelers a year, according to the Saudi Tourism Authority.
“Saudi Arabia is investing a lot of money in the Indian market and I’m sure, soon, Saudi Arabia will get more numbers out of India,” Patil said.
“They are friendly, have great multicultural cuisine … for the tourists it’s amazing,” he continued. “I think, soon, with the new developments and new cities they are building, the new luxury hotels they are building, there is a bright future for Saudi Arabia on the tourism side.”
ASEAN and China must start tackling thorny issues of South China Sea code, Philippines says
- The South China Sea remains a source of tension between China and its ASEAN neighbors
- ASEAN and China pledged in 2002 to create a code of conduct, but took 15 years to start discussions and progress has been slow
LANGKAWI, Malaysia: The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny “milestone issues,” including its scope and if it can be legally binding, the Philippines’ top diplomat said on Saturday.
The South China Sea remains a source of tension between China and neighbors the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, with ties between Beijing and US ally Manila at their worst in years amid frequent confrontations that have sparked concerns they could spiral into conflict.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China pledged in 2002 to create a code of conduct, but took 15 years to start discussions and progress has been slow.
In an interview ahead of Sunday’s meeting with his ASEAN counterparts on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo said discussions on a code were well underway, but it was time to start thrashing out the meatier, trickier aspects.
“It’s time that we try to look at issues which are, in our view, essential, which have not really been discussed in a thorough way or even much less negotiated. These are the so-called milestone issues,” Manalo told Reuters.
Those would include the code’s scope, whether it is legally binding and its impact on third-party countries, he said, adding the aim was to make it effective and substantive.
“We have to begin addressing these important issues,” Manalo added. “This might be the best way to at least move the negotiation forward.”
Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, which it asserts through a fleet of coast guard and fishing militia that some neighbors accuse of aggression and of disrupting fishing and energy activities in their exclusive economic zones.
China insists it operates lawfully in its territory and does not recognize a 2016 arbitration ruling that said its claim has no basis under international law.
‘US interests are still there’
Manalo also said that as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, there was no sign the United States would reassess its engagement in Southeast Asia.
“We haven’t heard any or seen any indication of scaling down or any kind of particular change,” he said.
“We have to wait until the administration actually takes over. But from what we’ve seen so far, US interests are still there.”
Manalo said the civil war in military-ruled Myanmar remains a big challenge for ASEAN, which has barred the generals from meetings for failing to implement the bloc’s peace plan.
The junta plans to hold an election this year in which its opponents either cannot run, or refuse to contest.
Manalo said it was premature to discuss if ASEAN would make preconditions for recognizing the election, which he said must involve as much of the population as possible.
“If elections are held without being seen as inclusive, not transparent, I believe it would be very difficult for those elections to create more legitimacy,” he said.
South Korea’s impeached president attends court to fight detention extension
- Yoon Suk Yeol plunged South Korea into its worst political chaos in decades with his bid to suspend civilian rule
- Embattled president’s martial law bid lasted just six hours, with lawmakers voting it down
SEOUL: Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended court for the first time on Saturday to fight a request by investigators to extend his detention as they probe his failed martial law bid.
Thousands of Yoon’s supporters rallied outside the court and scuffled with police as they chanted support for the suspended leader, who plunged South Korea into its worst political chaos in decades with his bid to suspend civilian rule.
The president’s December 3 martial law declaration lasted just six hours, with lawmakers voting it down despite him ordering soldiers to storm parliament to stop them. He was impeached soon after.
Yoon was detained in a dawn raid on Wednesday in a criminal probe on insurrection charges after he refused investigators’ summons and went to ground in his residence, using his presidential security detail to resist arrest.
South Korea’s first sitting president to be detained, Yoon also declined to cooperate during the initial 48 hours detectives were allowed to hold him.
However, the disgraced president remains in custody after investigators requested a new warrant on Friday to extend his detention.
Yoon “explained and answered faithfully regarding the facts, evidence, and legal issues,” his lawyer Yoon Kab-keun told reporters after the hearing.
His lawyer earlier said the leader had hopes of “restoring his honor” before the judges.
The court must decide whether to free Yoon, which analysts say is unlikely, or extend his detention for around another 20 days. Its ruling is expected late on Saturday or early Sunday.
Crowds of Yoon’s backers gathered outside the court, waving flags and holding “release the president” placards. Yonhap said police estimated that around 12,000 supporters had rushed to the area.
Sixteen protesters were arrested by police after attempting to force their way into the courthouse, AFP reporters at the scene saw.
The hearing concluded after about five hours at around 6:50 p.m. local time (0950 GMT), a court official said.
Yoon left the court in a blue Justice Ministry van with his guards jogging alongside, AFP reporters saw, heading back to the Seoul Detention Center where he is being held.
Thousands of supporters cheered and shouted as the vehicle left in a convoy with presidential security.
Yoon sent a letter through his lawyers on Friday thanking his supporters, who include evangelical Christians and right-wing YouTubers, for protests that he deemed “passionate patriotism.”
During the hearing some protesters outside chanted “Cha Eun-gyeong is a commie!,” referring to the judge reviewing the arrest request. Others cried “We love you, President Yoon Suk Yeol” and “Impeachment is invalid!”
They marched while waving South Korean and American flags and took over the main roads in front of the court. Yoon’s party typically favors South Korea’s US security alliance and rejects engagement with the nuclear-armed North.
“The likelihood of the court approving the arrest is very high and, aware of this, Yoon has urged maximum mobilization among his hardline supporters,” Chae Jin-won of Humanitas College at Kyung Hee University said.
“Today’s protests serve as a sort of farewell event between Yoon and his extreme support base.”
The crisis has seemingly boosted support for the conservative People Power Party (PPP), for whom Yoon won the presidential election in 2022.
A Gallup survey published on Friday showed the PPP’s approval rose to 39 percent, three points higher than the opposition Democratic Party.
A decision by the court to approve Yoon’s continued detention would give prosecutors time to formalize an indictment for insurrection, a charge for which he could be jailed for life or executed if found guilty.
Such an indictment would also mean Yoon would likely be detained for a maximum six months during the trial.
Once “the warrant is issued this time, (Yoon) will likely be unable to return home for an extended period,” political commentator Park Sang-byung said.
Yoon said on Wednesday he had agreed to leave his compound to avoid “bloodshed” but that he did not accept the legality of the investigation.
He has refused to answer investigators’ questions, his legal team saying Yoon explained his position on the day he was arrested.
Yoon has also been absent from a parallel probe at the Constitutional Court, which is considering whether to uphold his impeachment.
If that court rules against him, Yoon will formally lose the presidency and elections will be called within 60 days.
He did not attend the first two hearings this week but the trial, which could last months, will continue in his absence.
India police volunteer convicted of shocking rape, murder of junior doctor in Kolkata
KOLKATA: An Indian police volunteer was convicted on Saturday of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a hospital in the eastern city Kolkata, in the speedy trial of a crime that sparked national outrage over a lack of safety for women.
The woman’s body was found in a classroom at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on Aug. 9. Other doctors stayed off work for weeks to demand justice for her and better security at public hospitals.
Defendant Sanjay Roy said in November he was “completely innocent” and was being framed. He reiterated this in court on Saturday, saying, “I have not done this.”
Roy’s lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment on the verdict. They had argued there were glaring discrepancies in the investigation and forensic examination reports.
Judge Anirban Das said circumstantial evidence had proved the charges against Roy and that the sentence, to be announced on Monday, would range from life in prison to the death penalty.
“Your guilt is proved. You are being convicted,” the judge said.
The parents of the victim, who cannot be named under Indian law, expressed dissatisfaction with the probe, saying the crime could not have been committed by just one person.
“Our daughter could not have met such a horrific end by a single man,” her father said. “We will remain in pain and agony until all the culprits are punished.”
India’s federal police, who investigated the case, described the crime as “rarest of rare” during the trial and sought the death penalty for Roy.
Several doctors chanted slogans in solidarity with the victim outside the court. Dr. Aniket Mahato, a spokesperson for the junior doctors, said street protests would continue “until justice is done.”
More than 200 armed police personnel were deployed in anticipation of the verdict as Roy was brought to court in a police car.
The investigation cited 128 witnesses, of whom 51 were examined during the trial, which that began on Nov. 11 and was fast-tracked to conclude swiftly, according to court sources.
Police also charged the officer heading the local police station at the time of the crime and the then-head of the hospital with destruction of the crime scene and tampering with evidence.
The police officer is out on bail while the former head of the hospital remains in detention in connection with a separate case of financial irregularities at the hospital.
India police volunteer convicted of rape, murder of junior doctor in Kolkata
- Doctors stayed off work for weeks to demand justice for victim and better security at public hospitals
- Defendant Sanjay Roy said in November he was ‘completely innocent’ and was being framed
KOLKATA, India: An Indian police volunteer was convicted on Saturday of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a hospital in the eastern city Kolkata, in the speedy trial of a crime that sparked national outrage over a lack of safety for women.
The woman’s body was found in a classroom at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on Aug. 9. Other doctors stayed off work for weeks to demand justice for her and better security at public hospitals.
Defendant Sanjay Roy said in November he was “completely innocent” and was being framed.
Roy’s lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment on the verdict. They had argued there were glaring discrepancies in the investigation and forensic examination reports.
Judge Anirban Das said the sentence, to be announced on Monday, would range from life in prison to the death penalty.
The parents of the victim, who cannot be named under Indian law, expressed dissatisfaction with the probe, saying the crime could not have been committed by just one person.
“Our daughter could not have met such a horrific end by a single man,” her father said. “We will remain in pain and agony until all the culprits are punished.”
India’s federal police, who investigated the case, described the crime as “rarest of rare” during the trial and sought the death penalty for Roy.
Several doctors chanted slogans in solidarity with the victim outside the court. Dr. Aniket Mahato, a spokesperson for the junior doctors, said street protests would continue “until justice is done.”
More than 200 armed police personnel were deployed in anticipation of the verdict as Roy was brought to court in a police car.
The investigation cited 128 witnesses, of whom 51 were examined during the trial, which that began on Nov. 11 and was fast-tracked to conclude swiftly, according to court sources.
Police also charged the officer heading the local police station at the time of the crime and the then-head of the hospital with destruction of the crime scene and tampering with evidence.
The police officer is out on bail while the former head of the hospital remains in detention in connection with a separate case of financial irregularities at the hospital.
