Istanbul / AFP The first Russian flight carrying package tourists to Turkey since a diplomatic crisis erupted eight months ago landed on Saturday in the Turkish Mediterranean resort of Antalya. The Rossiya Airlines plane touched down at Antalya’s international airport at around 0730 GMT, after President Vladimir Putin last month officially lifted restrictions on tourism to Turkey. The Boeing …

  New Delhi / AFP India’s peaceful tourist hotspot Kerala has become the first state in the country to impose a “fat tax” on junk food in a bid to counter rising obesity. The state’s finance minister Thomas Isaac announced a 14.5 percent tax on food including burgers, pizzas and sandwiches sold at restaurants and fast-food chains, as part of …

  DUBLIN / WAM With salaries and job opportunities falling at home, dozens of Irish teachers are heading to the UAE next month to take up posts in primary and secondary schools, according to a report on Saturday in the Irish Independent newspaper. “A sense of adventure is the attraction for some, with others viewing the opportunity as a chance …