United Arab Emirates spacecraft blasts off from Japan
Tokyo: A United Arab Emirates spacecraft began its journey to Mars with a blast off in Japan on Monday in what is the Arab world's first interplanetary mission.
The launch of the spacecraft named Amal, or Hope, marks the start of the seven-month journey to the red planet.
The launch, initially planned for July 15, had been delayed for five days due to bad weather.
The probe will study the upper atmosphere and monitor climate change while circling Mars for at least two years.
The craft is expected to reach Mars in February 2021, the year the UAE celebrates 50 years since its formation.
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Four of family killed as car jumps divider on highway in Gujarat's Panchmahal
Godhra (Gujarat) (PTI): Four members of a family were killed, and one sustained grievous injuries after their speeding car jumped a divider on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway corridor in Gujarat's Panchmahal district on Monday, police said.
The car driver lost control of the wheels near Kalol. As a result, the four-wheeler jumped the divider and veered off to the other side of the highway, an official from Kalol police station said.
Soon after the accident, some locals rushed to the scene and also alerted the police. Efforts were made to pull out the people trapped in the car.
Four persons died on the spot, while one suffered injuries, the official said.
The deceased were members of a family from Vadodara and were returning from Rajasthan when the tragedy struck, the official said.
They have been identified as Sajid Iqbal Khinji (55), Ilyas Iqbal Khinji (50), Ishaq Iqbal Khinji (48) and Rehan Azgar Khinji (35).
