SpaceX, NASA launch 4 astronauts from 4 nations

Cape Canaveral: Four astronauts from four countries rocketed toward the International Space Station on Saturday. They should reach the orbiting lab in their SpaceX capsule Sunday, replacing four astronauts living up there since March. A NASA astronaut was joined on the predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center by fliers from Denmark, Japan and Russia. It was the first US launch where every spacecraft seat was occupied by a different country. AP

12 dead in Madagascar capital stampede

Antananarivo: A crush at a stadium in Madagascar left at least 12 people dead and 85 injured as sports fans attended the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games on Saturday. The crush on Friday at the Mahamasina Stadium in the capital, Antananarivo, happened as people gathered at an entrance for the official opening of the regional multi-sports event. Madagascar Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said Friday that 11 people were in critical condition following the crush. AP

Shot in Israeli raid month ago, Palestinian dies

Jerusalem: The Palestinian news agency reported Saturday that a 20-year-old died of wounds a month after being shot during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank. The WAFA news agency said Ezzedin Kanan, from the town of Jaba near Jenin, was shot in the head on July 3. His death brings the total to 14 killed in the raid, which lasted two days and included airstrikes. AP

Indian-origin man jailed for drug smuggling in UK

London: An Indian-origin man and his accomplice have been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment each after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle drugs into Britain after an probe led by the UK’s National Crime Agency. Sundeep Singh Rai and accomplice Billy Hayre belonged to an organised crime group responsible for 30 kilos of cocaine and 30 kgs of amphetamine being smuggled to the UK on a cargo plane from Mexico.