Saudis accused of neglect in deaths
Saudis accused of neglect in deaths
MINA, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia faced new accusations of neglect Friday in the hajj disaster that killed over 700 people, the second tragedy at this year’s pilgrimage overseen by the kingdom’s rulers who base their legitimacy in part on protecting Islam’s holiest sites.
Leading the criticism was regional Shiite powerhouse Iran, which always seeks an opportunity to undermine its Sunni adversary.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in New York that at least 140 Iranians were killed. He suggested that “ineptitude” by the Saudi authorities involved in organizing the hajj was to blame for the two accidents this month that have resulted in at least 830 deaths.
Some Mormons see ‘blood moon’ as end
SALT LAKE CITY
A rare confluence of a lunar eclipse and a supermoon set to happen this weekend has prompted such widespread fear of an impending apocalypse that the Mormon Church was compelled to issue a statement cautioning the faithful to not get caught up in speculation about a major calamity.
Sunday night’s “blood moon” and recent natural disasters and political unrest around the world have led to a rise in sales at emergency-preparedness retailers. Apocalyptic statements by a Mormon author have only heightened fears among a small number of Mormon followers about the looming end of time. The eclipse will give the moon a red tint and make it look larger than usual. It won’t happen again for 18 years.
Truce deal in Syria
BEIRUT
A U.N.-backed truce deal has been reached for two key Syrian battleground areas that will see the transfer of thousands of Shiite and Sunni civilians and fighters from one area to another, activists and a militant cleric said Friday.
The deal will end months of fighting between Sunni insurgents and pro-government forces, including fighters from Lebanon’s Shiite militia group Hezbollah, and the besieging of civilians.
Texas gives Va. drug for execution
HOUSTON
Texas prison officials are helping their counterparts in Virginia prepare for a scheduled execution next week by providing the state with pentobarbital, a lethal drug that corrections agencies nationwide have had difficulty obtaining.
The disclosure, which surfaced in a court filing in an Oklahoma death-penalty case, was confirmed Friday by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Virginia prison officials also confirmed the trade, saying they needed pentobarbital to replace a dose of another drug they intended to use, midazolam, that will soon expire.
Cop who hit man smelled of alcohol
INDIANAPOLIS
An off-duty Indianapolis police officer fatally struck a pedestrian with his cruiser, and an investigator reported smelling alcohol on the officer’s breath, police said Friday.
The crash was reported late Thursday night on a street where, just four minutes earlier, a 911 caller had reported that a man wearing dark clothing was walking in traffic.
The officer, seven-year police veteran Bernardo Zavalza, was placed on administrative leave while the crash is investigated, police officials said Friday. The department in a statement expressed “our sincere condolences to the victim’s family.” The victim’s name hasn’t been released.
The officer stopped after striking the man and got out to help him, performing chest compressions, but the victim was declared dead at the scene, police spokesman Lt. Richard Riddle said. The officer also notified authorities that he had struck a pedestrian.
Associated Press