Saudi King appoints female deputy minister, sacks military chiefs
Riyadh: In a series of late-night royal decrees, Saudi Arabia announced political appointments, including the rare appointment of a female Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Development, Tamadar bint Yousef al-Ramah.
At the same time, the Saudi king sacked its top military commanders, including the Chief of Staff.
The sackings come as the war in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting rebels, is nearing the end of its third year.
Saudi King Salman, who is also the Defence Minister, replaced the heads of the ground forces and air defences too. The news was published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), but no reason for the sackings was given.
This is another sweeping overhaul of Saudi institutions that has become the hallmark of the reign of King Salman, although the driving force is once again his son and heir, Crown Prince.
The Saudi intervention in the Yemen conflict was his initiative - one of the first indications of just how dramatically he was going to break away from the country's traditional caution.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Woman dies after falling off crowded local train in Thane district
Thane (PTI): A 28-year-old woman died after falling off a crowded suburban local train during the morning rush hour in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday, the Government Railway Police (GRP) said.
The incident occurred around 8.10 am at the Badlapur railway station, an official from the Kalyan GRP said.
The victim, Chetana Devrukhkar, was attempting to board a moving train heading for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) when she slipped and fell on the platform, senior inspector Pandhari Kande of the Kalyan GRP said.
He said that the deceased worked with a firm in Thane and was travelling to work.
A case of accidental death has been registered in connection with the incident.
