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UAE: 22 Asian workers killed in road mishap

Dubai: In the worst accident in the history of the UAE, at least 22 people were killed on-the-spot and 24 others injured today when a bus carrying Asian labourers collided with a truck carrying construction materials during busy hours.

"Twenty-two people were dead at the scene and the bodies were taken to Al-Ain Hospital. There were 24 others injured, and their injuries ranged from minor and moderate to serious," Brig Gen Hussein Ahmed Al Harthi, Director of Abu Dhabi Traffic Police said.

Till late in the evening, Indian embassy sources could not confirm or deny whether any Indian was among those dead or injured.

The crash happened on the Old Truck Road (E30), near Al-Ain city, just before 8am when a bus carrying 46 workers thought to be from a cleaning company collided with a large truck carrying sand and concrete, local media reported.

The identity and nationalities of those killed in the accident have not yet been officially announced.

The truck overturned and landed on the bus when its brakes failed, Harthi said, adding that there wasn't a safe distance between the two vehicles.

Most workers died after suffocating in the pile of sand and construction material, witnesses said. However, this could not be independently verified.

680 football matches fixed: Europol

London: Europol has revealed that 680 football matches across the globe are under suspicion of match-fixing, following a lengthy investigation into what it considers a criminal network within the sport.

A total of 425 players, officials and other individuals are suspected of being involved in an organised crime syndicate based in Asia, which is thought to have been organising the operation to rig the results of matches.

Rob Wainwright, director of Europol, says the allegations included two Champions League fixtures, one of which was played in England in the last two or three years, though they did not name the matches in question.

He told a press conference in Netherlands: "This is the work of a suspected organised crime syndicate based in Asia and operated with criminal networks around Europe.

"It is clear to us this is the biggest-ever investigation into suspected match-fixing in Europe. It has yielded major results which we think have uncovered a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe.

Court to hear PIL against Shinde

Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court will on Tuesday hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for his controversial remarks on "Hindu terror".

The Home Minister, while addressing the Congress' Chintan Shivir in Jaipur on January 20, had blamed the main opposition BJP and its parent organization the RSS for running terror camps in the country.

During his speech, the Home Minister also cited an investigation report that proved BJP and RSS were supporting terrorism.

"Training camps of both BJP and RSS are promoting Hindu terrorism. Whether it is Samjhauta Express blast or Mecca Masjid blast or Malegaon blast, they plant bombs and blame it on the minorities," he had said.

His ‘Hindu terror’ remarks evoked sharp criticism from several quarters, including BJP and RSS, and a criminal complaint was also filed against him.

The BJP slammed Shinde and said his statement on terror reflects his anti-Hindu mindset.