Goa cheapest
The recently released study—Thomas Cook Cost of Holiday Living Index 2004—proclaimed Goa to be the cheapest holiday destination for the year. Goa, the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria and Tunisia are considered to be the four best long-haul destinations for budget tourists looking for a cheap holiday.

Goan victims of Al-Qaeda attack
Joe Fernandes from Cuncolim and Charles Clethens Carlos are the two Goans who figure in the list of victims in the Al-Qaeda attack episode on a luxury housing complex in the Saudi Arabian city of Al Khobar. Joe underwent a by-pass operation when he was on leave in Goa some months ago. It was only a few months ago that he left to resume work in the Gulf.

Compensation for NRIS
	Compensation for the kin of Goans working abroad who die due to accidents while on duty? Following instructions from the government, the NRI Facilitation Centre is presently engaged in working out the modalities of such a scheme. “The Chief Minister has given the Centre a directive to work out a plan to compensate the next of kin of those who have had fatal accidents while on duty,” says Chandrakant Keni of the NRI Facilitation Centre.
The kin of the two Goan victims killed in the recent terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia will become the first recipients of ex-gratia under the scheme. Convenor of the Centre, Chandrakant Keni, said the family of any non-resident Goan working abroad and killed in an accident or due to a terrorists attack would be given ex-gratia of Rs.2 lakh.

‘PRINCE JACOB’ bold step
	“Rupnnem”, the latest tiatr from Prince Jacob was released on 4 July at the Kala Academy. “Rupnnem” is the Konkani adaptation of the Marathi natak ‘Sahi re Sahi’ written by playwright Kedar Shinde. “The purpose of this exercise is to expose tiatr audience to scripts from other languages and will also help to enrich our tiatr stage,” playwright-director Jacob says.
“Rupnnem” is the 36th production of Prince Jacob. “Rupnnem” (The Mask), the 36th production in the sequence of his acclaimed plays, has the unique privilege in the over century-old tiatr tradition to adapt a commercial Marathi play to Konkani stage. The play should prove a runaway success, because though it detours from the regular tiatr format, it is a superb farce. The story content is not cluttered with sub-plots. Moreover, comedian Prince Jacob takes on a quadruple-role brilliantly.

Ribandarites oppose govt move to rehab baina sex workers
The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, told a delegation of Ribandar residents accompanied by St Cruz MLA, Ms Victoria Fernandes, and CCP councilor, Mr Doningos Pinto, on June 10 that the government would shift sex workers from Baina to old Bal Niketan building at Kadamba Plateau for a few months as a part of rehabilitation package. The delegation called on Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and submitted a memorandum registering their strong protest against the Goa government’s decision to rehabilitate 357 commercial sex workers from Baina at Ribandar. Social activist Aires Rodrigues has wondered as to how the inmates of the red light area who were a taboo in Baina and bad for the residents of that locality, would be any good for Ribandar and warned that the government would not be allowed to create another Baina at Ribandar. The decision to rehabilitate the commercial sex workers at Ribandar has drawn strong reactions from women’s organisations and other citizens.