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India

School Food Poisoning Kills 22 Children In India

BBC, TIMES OF INDIA, INDIAN EXPRESS

Worldcrunch

DHARMASATI GANDAMAND - At least 22 children have died from food poisoning after eating a school lunch in this village in eastern India.

The meal was served at a government primary school on Tuesday in Dharmasati Gandamand in the state of of Bihar. The Times of India reports an additional 23 students were taken to hospitals in the nearby towns of Chhapra and Patna in Bihar state, including 10 who were still battling for their lives Wednesday morning.

The children fell ill soon after eating a meal which consisted of rice, pulse legumes and soya bean, police said. The state education minister, PK Shahi, ordered a preliminary investigation, noting that the food was contaminated with traces of phosphorous, reports the BBC.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people began protesting in the Saran district late Tuesday night. Villagers are demanding harsh action against government officials responsible for the tragedy, reports The Indian Express. The Bihar government will offer 200,000 rupees ($3,370) in compensation to the families of each of the dead children.

India's Mid-Day Meal program provides free food to try to boost attendance, but often suffers from poor hygiene. As the food is not checked before being served, dead lizards, frogs, insects and rats were found in the past in the food cooked at schools. Last year, 130 children went to the hospital after being poisoned in Pune in western India.

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Economy

Soft Power Or Sportwashing? What's Driving The Mega Saudi Image Makeover Play

Saudi Arabia suddenly now leads the world in golf, continues to attract top European soccer stars, and invests in culture and entertainment... Its "soft power" strategy is changing the kingdom's image through what critics bash as blatant "sportwashing."

Footballer Karim Benzema, in his Real Madrid kit

Karim Benzema during a football match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on June 04, 2023, in Madrid, Spain.

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — A major announcement this week caused quite a stir in the world of professional golf. It wouldn't belong in the politics section were it not for the role played by Saudi Arabia. The three competing world circuits have announced their merger, putting an end to the "civil war" in the world of pro golf.

The Chairman of the new entity is Yassir Al-Rumayan, head of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Add to this the fact that one of the major players in the world of golf is Donald Trump – three of the biggest tournaments are held on golf courses he owns – and it's easy to see what's at stake.

In the same week, we learned that two leading French footballers, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, were to join Saudi club Al-Ittihad, also owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. The amount of the transfer is not known, but it is sure to be substantial. There, they will join other soccer stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

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