African migrant boat capsizes off Yemen, 70 dead

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SANAA, YEMEN: Yemeni security officials said a boat carrying African migrants has capsized off the country's western coast, killing 70.

They say most of the migrants were from Ethiopia, and the small boat sank Sunday due to high winds and waves in the Red Sea. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.

Tens of thousands of migrants make the treacherous journey between the Horn of African and Yemen every year, refugee organizations say. The United Nations has documented more than 200 deaths at sea so far in 2014 which they say exceeds the combined totals of 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Body of missing engineering student found

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NAWADA: The body of a missing engineering student, who was reportedly in love with a girl of another community, was today recovered from Datraul village in the district.

Ragib Abdullah (22), a native of Pakribarama Bazar who was studying engineering at a college in Hyderabad, was missing since October 28 after he was invited by the girl's family during Chhath festival, Pakribarama Deputy Superintendent of Police Ram Pukar Singh said.

On a complaint from Abdullah's family, four persons were arrested, police said, adding, based on their information the highly decomposed body was recovered.

Police said the girl has also been missing since the disappearance of Abdullah and a search is underway for her too.

9-year-old girl gangraped, accused arrested

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BALLARI (KTK): A 9-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by four minors at an open space in Hospet, following which the accused were arrested, a top police official said today.

"We have arrested four minors in the age group of ten to thirteen years for gangraping the nine-year-old student in an open space at NC Colony in Hospet, about 60 km from here, yesterday," Ballari Superintendent of Police Chetan Singh Rathore told reporters here.

The minors, studying in different schools, have been arrested under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. They were produced before the juvenile justice board and remanded to an observation centre, Rathore said.

The minors, also neighbours of the victim, lured her by offering chocolates, took her to an open space and gangraped her yesterday, the SP said.

Police swung into action after the mother of the victim lodged a complaint, he said.

Dilip Kumar stable, recovering in hospital

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Mumbai: Veteran actor Dilip Kumar, who was hospitalised on Saturday for treatment of pneumonia after he complained of cough and cold, is stable.

"Dilip saab is fine. He is stable and recovering. He is in a normal room and not in ICU," a family source said on Sunday.

The 91-year-old actor was admitted to Lilavati Hospital here. He has been under observation for routine check-ups, sources said.

When contacted, hospital spokesman said the veteran actor was admitted with chest infection yesterday, and is stable and recovering.

Earlier, the actor was hospitalised in September last year after he suffered a silent heart attack.

Kumar, known as the 'King of Tragedy', essayed iconic roles in classics like 'Devdas', 'Madhumati', 'Mughal-e-Azam' and 'Ganga Jamuna'.

Born Muhammad Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, in Peshawar (now in Pakistan), his acting career spanned six decades and over 60 films.

He was the first to receive Filmfare Best Actor honour when the awards were started in 1954 and, with eight wins, he shares with Shah Rukh Khan the record for the most number of Filmfare awards won in that category.

Kumar was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

He was also nominated to Rajya Sabha for a term from 2000 to 2006.

In 1998, he was awarded Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian award conferred by the Pakistan government.

Identification no more a hassle for bank account holders

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Banks made identification papers mandatory for customers to prevent money laundering and other economic offences. The Reserve Bank of India has issued fresh guidelines to ensure that ordinary customers are not put through unnecessary hassles in the name of such screening.

One-time identification

Once the bank is convinced that a customer is clean, it should not ask for more papers. Banks are required to periodically renew the identification papers. Customers can self-certify that there is no change in the information they had submitted. No more proof is required if address and other personal details are unchanged. In case of any change, customer can mail or e-mail self-attested copies of relevant records.

An existing account holder who has already given all the identification papers should not be asked for more records. Such customers don’t have to submit these papers again if they wish to open an account in another branch of the same bank.

Change in address

Banks will no longer ask for proof every time your temporary address changes, if you have given proof of your permanent address. Banks ask for address proof along with photo identity cards.

No more lockouts

The new guidelines prohibit the locking of transactions on accounts which have not yet submitted identification papers. Such account holders will be given time to submit the necessary records. They will be put on notice for the first three months. For the next three months they will not be able to withdraw money. Before that the customers should be issued a notice, giving them a chance to close the account. If the records are not submitted within six months, the accounts will be blocked from receiving and withdrawing money. Banks are authorised to cancel such accounts.

Help for migrants

These guidelines help the mobile workforce. Those who are frequently transferred across the country can also continue to access their bank accounts without interruptions. The RBI also wants the banks to circulate its simplified guidelines to all branches. This is to avoid situations when bank clerks continue to insist on unnecessary records saying they are yet to get any directions on the amended guidelines.

Nursing student commits suicide at AIIMS

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New Delhi: A 20-year-old student, who was depressed over her relations with the hostel superintendent and other staff at the AIIMS, committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan of her hostel room at the institute, hospital authorities said on Monday.

Pallavi Grover, a third year student of BSc Nursing, had returned from her home in Mayapuri in Delhi on Sunday night.

"Her dead body was found around 10 pm on Sunday by her hostel mates when the door of her room was found open. A suicide note has also been found, which is with the police for analysis," said a senior AIIMS official.

The official added that Grover had told her friends and family members about her poor relations with the hostel authorities.

The body has been taken by the police for post mortem.

Speaking on the matter, AIIMS Director M.C. Misra said that the entire incident was being analysed.

"However, it is not possible to remove the superintendent. Until the hostel warden's version is known, no action can be initiated," he told IANS.

A group of her friends staged a protest outside the director's bungalow on Monday morning.

Kohli to lead India, Clarke declared fit to captain Australia

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Adelaide: Virat Kohli will lead India for the first time in Tests after regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was ruled out due to injury even as a fit-again Michael Clarke was confirmed Australia's captain for what promises to be an emotional opening Test starting here on Tuesday.

"Yes, I will be leading tomorrow," Kohli said in the pre-match press conference.

Dhoni, who joined the squad on Saturday, has failed to recover from a thumb injury. The 33-year-old was originally ruled out of the opening Test, but came back in contention after the schedule of the series was rejigged following Phillip Hughes' tragic death.

Kohli, who recently led India to an ODI whitewash over Sri Lanka at home, will be in-charge of the team for the first time in the five-day format.

In the Australian camp, the morale of the team was lifted with the inspirational Clarke declared fit for the match after recovering from a hamstring injury.

"It's a huge boost to have him back in and playing for us and with his captaincy," pacer Mitchell Johnson said.

"And it shows how strong he has been over the last couple of weeks with the tragedy we have had. He is a strong leader and has always been an aggressive leader ... he just has something about him when he's out there as captain."

Apart from injury, Clarke had been battling the emotional stress of losing Hughes, whom he considered his little brother. Hughes lost his life after being hit by a bouncer during a domestic game earlier this month.

In a touching gesture to honour his memory, Hughes was named 13th man of the squad announced for the opening Test.

Australia XI: Chris Rogers, David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (c), Steve Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Nathan Lyon. Josh Hazlewood (12th), Phillip Hughes (13th).

Horn loudspeakers banned in Kottayam

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Kottayam: The district police have banned horn loudspeakers to comply with a Supreme Court order. Even places of worship will not be allowed to use these, superintendent of police M.P. Dinesh said.

All police officers have been instructed to take strict action against those found using these loudspeakers. Organisers of public meeting and operators of public address systems should avoid horn loudspeakers, the SP said.

The apex court had banned horn loudspeakers to curb noise pollution. The order has been implemented fully in the northern districts of Kerala.

Any noise above 80 decibel is harmful to humans. Listening to loud noises for a long time will affect hearing, said Dr Satheesh, ENT specialist at the District Hospital, Moovattupuzha.

Studies show that noise pollution can cause physical and mental problems. It can cause a loss of balance, lack of sleep and stress. Loud noises can lead to hypertension and heart diseases, Dr Satheesh said.

Numbers on lottery tickets do a vanishing act in Thrissur

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Thrissur: Fortune seekers and sellers of Vadakkancherry here are facing a strange trouble; something they have never heard of before. The very numbers that could have brought them a bounty is doing a vanishing act. Both the sellers and buyers of the state government's lotteries here are a troubled lot as the numbers printed on the tickets vanish within hours after they are purchased.

The retailers and buyers allege that the tickets are fake. Retailers are suffering monetary loss as the authorized agencies are not willing to buy back the tampered tickets.

The numbers become unclear because the printed digits break or get blurred. It has been happening at Vadakkancherry and Chelakkara regions, that share border between Thrissur and Palakkad districts, for the past week. The numbers on 'Karunya', 'Akshaya', Win-win' and 'Dhanashree' tickets are getting erased. All such tickets were purchased from the government-authorised agencies.

The sellers allege that such tickets were brought from other states, including Tamil Nadu. However, the agencies have not given any explanation. The retailers have demanded that a detailed inquiry be carried out into the issue.

India, Russia to hold talks on FGFA aircraft project

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NEW DELHI: Ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit here, Indian and Russian officials will be holding talks on the multi-billion dollar Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) joint project.

Defence sources said talks would be held before Putin's visit on December 10 as both India and Russia are keen to go ahead with the FGFA.

However, there are issues on which both sides have not arrived at a consensus.

"There are issues that exist. Talks were held earlier too but nothing concrete has emerged so far," the sources said, adding that another round of talks will be held on December 9.

The preliminary design agreement on FGFA had been signed in 2010 between HAL and Russian Sukhoi Design Bureau to build the jet for use by both countries.

But the final R&D contract, which was to be signed by 2012, is still to be finalised. The contract would pave the way for prototype development and flight testing.

Sources said that it is "unlikely" that the contract would be signed during Putin's visit.

Though India is investing 50 per cent of the cost of the multi-billion dollar programme, its work share in the research and development and other aspects of the programme has come down to only around 13 per cent, something which Indian officials are not happy about.

They say this will impact India's indigenous capabilities to develop such an advanced fighter aircraft. Sources also said that there are issues related to other aspects of the plane too.

The FGFA project is based on the Russian Air Force's Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA platform. The Indian version will be tweaked to add some more advanced features. The total programme is expected to cost India about $25-30 billion.          

Come with proof, not for fishing expedition: Swiss to India

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MUMBAI: As India continues its pursuit of black money allegedly stashed abroad, Switzerland has said it would not entertain any 'fishing expedition' and authorities cannot ask for names of all Indian account holders in Swiss banks without doing their own independent investigations.

Switzerland's Ambassador to India Linus von Castelmur also said the past cannot be undone, while promising full support of his country in cases where at least some proof is provided on tax frauds.

He, however, agreed that all the money deposited in Swiss banks might not have always been 'taxed money' in the past, as Switzerland was a major destination for several decades when money would flow in from different sources.

The Ambassador said cooperation by Swiss authorities cannot take place on the basis of stolen lists of account holders and would need independent probes by Indian agencies and at least a prima facie proof of tax frauds.

"We understand and appreciate India's concerns on the matter. We need clear understanding on the issue," Castelmur told in an interview here.

"I think one part of the issue is dealing with the past and Switzerland was destination for several decades where money flowed in from difference sources and that was no always a tax money," he said.

"When we look from present and future, we see that problem will be solved," said Castelmur, who was here for an award function where industrialist Azim Premji was given a Swiss honour for inspirational and socially responsible leadership.

The issue of black money suspected to be stashed abroad, including in Swiss banks, has been a matter of intense debate in India for years.

The matter has been in focus recently with the Opposition parties accusing the government of going back on its promise to bring back black money from overseas within 100 days of its coming to power.

A Supreme Court monitored Special Investigation Team is looking into ways to tackle the black money menace, while the government recently said it has reached a major breakthrough in the form of a new agreement with the Swiss authorities for cooperation on sharing of details about alleged black money holders in Swiss banks.

Police detain cab driver accused of raping woman passenger

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NEW DELHI: Police have detained the taxi driver who allegedly raped a woman passenger in Delhi on Friday night.

32-year-old Shiv Kumar Yadav was detained from his hometown in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. 

Yadav, allegedly raped a 27-year-old woman in the cab she had hired to return home from a dinner party in Gurgaon last night.

The incident took place at around 9:30 pm. when the woman, who works for a finance company in Gurgaon, was headed back to her home in north Delhi's Inderlok area. "The woman had gone to a restaurant for dinner with some friends after her shift ended at 7 pm. One of her friends dropped her till Vasant Vihar from where she hired a cab run by a private company to take her to Inderlok," police said citing the complaint filed by the victim.

On the way, the woman dozed off on the back seat of the car only to wake up and find that they had stopped at a secluded spot.

She found that the car doors were locked and, when she tried to raise an alarm, the driver thrashed her and then committed rape, police said.

The accused then dropped her off near her home in Inderlok after threatening to kill her if she spoke of the matter to anybody.

"The woman clicked a photograph of the car's number plate and then made a PCR call to report the incident," police said. She was sent for a medical examination, which confirmed rape but showed that she was not given any sedatives.

Typhoon Hagupit slams into eastern Philippines, thousands flee

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Typhoon Hagupit slammed into the central Philippines' east coast late Saturday, knocking out power and toppling trees in a region where 650,000 people have fled to safety, still haunted by the massive death and destruction wrought by a monster storm last year.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers (109 miles) per hour and gusts of 210 kph (130 mph), Hagupit made landfall in Dolores, a coastal town facing the Pacific in Eastern Samar province, according to the Philippines' weather agency. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Although it was unlikely to reach the unprecedented strength of Typhoon Haiyan, Hagupit's strong winds and heavy rain were enough to possibly cause major damage to an impoverished region still reeling from the devastating November 2013 storm, which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing.

'There are many trees that have toppled, some of them on the highway,' police Senior Inspector Alex Robin said by phone late Saturday from Dolores, hours before Hagupit made landfall. 'We are totally in the dark here. The only light comes from flashlights.'

From Eastern Samar, Hagupit - Filipino for 'smash' or 'lash' - was expected to hammer parts of a string of island provinces that was devastated by Haiyan's tsunami-like storm surges and ferocious winds. Hagupit weakened slightly on Saturday, but remained dangerously powerful and erratic.

Robin said about 600 families had hunkered down in Dolores' three-story municipal hall, one of many emergency shelters in the town.

'Everyone here is just looking for a place to sleep,' he said. 'All the windows are closed, but it is still cool because of the wind and the rain.'

Eastern Samar province Rep. Ben Evardone said electricity also was knocked out early Saturday in Borongan city, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Dolores, where the government has set up a command center for rescue and relief operations headed by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Evardone said the strong winds also felled trees and ripped off roofing sheets. 'You can hear the whistling of the wind,' he said.
'Everybody is in fear because of what happened during (Haiyan),' Evardone said. 'We can already feel the wrath of the typhoon. Everybody is praying.'

Big waves have pushed seawater over concrete walls along a boulevard, flooding it, Evardone said.

Army troops deployed to supermarkets and major roads in provinces in the typhoon's path to prevent looting and chaos and clear debris, all of which slowed the government's response last year, said Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, head of the Philippines' 120,000-strong military.

'We're on red alert, so the entire armed forces is being mobilized for this typhoon,' Catapang said at a news conference.

While unlikely to reach Haiyan's strength, forecasters said Hagupit's maximum sustained winds and gusts were strong enough to set off deadly storm surges and landslides and cause heavy damage to communities and agriculture.

With a whirling band of rain clouds spanning 600 kilometers (373 miles), Hagupit has gained speed and was moving westward at 16 kph (10 mph), according to forecasters.

In the central city of Tacloban, where Haiyan's storm surges killed thousands of people and leveled villages, news of the approaching typhoon rekindled painful memories. Many residents fled to storm shelters, a sports stadium and churches even before authorities urged them to evacuate.

'I'm scared,' said Haiyan survivor Jojo Moro. 'I'm praying to God not to let another disaster strike us again. We haven't recovered from the first.'

The 42-year-old businessman, who lost his wife, daughter and mother last year in Tacloban, said he stocked up on sardines, instant noodles, eggs and water.

Around 650,000 people have been moved to safety, including in Tacloban. A U.N. humanitarian agency spokesman, Denis McClean, said in Geneva that it was one of the largest peacetime evacuations in Philippine history. It also was reminiscent of the evacuation of 1 million people along India's coastline before Cyclone Phailin hit in October 2013.

Nearly 100 domestic flights have been canceled and inter-island ferry services suspended, stranding thousands of people.


'We've not heard of villagers resisting to be evacuated,' regional disaster-response director Blanche Gobenciong said. 'Their trauma is still so fresh.'
In Tacloban, residents stacked sandbags to block floodwaters. One McDonald's restaurant was closed and boarded up to prevent a repetition of Haiyan's deluge, which shattered glass panes and doors of business establishments, allowing looting to take place.

Disaster preparations widened after two agencies tracking the typhoon closely - the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii and the Philippine weather agency - predicted different directions for Hagupit.

The US agency said Hagupit (pronounced HA'-goo-pit) may veer northwest after coming inland and sweep past the southern edge of the capital, Manila, a city of more than 12 million people. The Philippine agency, known by its acronym PAGASA, projected a more southern path.

Gobenciong said the unpredictable path made it harder to ascertain which areas would be hit, but added that everybody 'should prepare for the worst.'

'We have a zero-casualty target,' she said. 'Just one loss of life will really sadden us all and make us wonder what went wrong.'
AFP

India's Communication Satellite GSAT-16 Launched Successfully

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Bengaluru: After its launch was deferred twice due to bad weather, India's latest communication satellite GSAT-16 was placed in orbit by Ariane 5 rocket in the early hours today from the space port of Kourou in French Guiana.

The European launcher blasted off at 2.10 AM (IST) and hurled the GSAT-16, designed to augment the national space capacity to boost communication services, into space in a flawless flight.

GSAT-16 was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Indian satellite's co-passenger DIRECTV-14, built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for operator DIRECTV to provide direct-to-home television broadcasts across the US, was also launched by Ariane 5 VA221, marking 63rd successful mission in a row for the rocket.

'Ariane 5 delivers DIRECTV-14 and GSAT-16 to orbit on Arianespace's latest mission success', Arianespace said on its website.

With a lift-off mass of 3,181 kg, GSAT-16 carries a total of 48 communication transponders, the largest by a communication satellite developed by the ISRO so far.

The DIRECTV-14 spacecraft was deployed first in the flight sequence, separating from Ariane 5 nearly 28 minutes after liftoff, followed four minutes later by its GSAT-16 co-passenger, Arianespace said.

Delivering a total payload lift performance of approximately 10,200 kg, the mission designated Flight VA221 in Arianespace's numbering system lofted DIRECTV-14 for operator DIRECTV, along with GSAT-16.

The capacity crunch has forced ISRO to lease 95 transponders on foreign satellites mainly for private TV broadcasters' use.
The satellite will boost public and private TV and radio services, large-scale Internet and telephone operations.

GSAT-16 will be finally positioned at 55 deg East longitude in the Geostationary orbit and co-located with GSAT-8, IRNSS-1A and IRNSS-1B satellites.

India's rockets PSLV and the present GSLV do not have the capability to launch satellites of more than two tonne class, prompting ISRO to opt for an outside launch.

ISRO is developing the next big launcher, GSLV-MkIII, which can put satellites of up to 4 tonnes in orbit.

3D-printed hearts to reduce heart surgeries in kids

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London: New 3D-printed heart technology can reduce the number of heart surgeries in children with congenital heart disease, say researchers.

Children with congenital heart disease often need up to four open heart surgeries at different times of life.

'The 3D-printed copy of the heart could reduce this to one or two because doctors can choose and practice the best interventional approach and device beforehand. This will avoid children spending months in intensive care,' explained Dr Peter Verschueren.

He showed 3D-printed models of the heart including models used to plan real cases in patients at 'EuroEcho-Imaging 2014,' the annual meeting of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) in Vienna, Austria.

3D-printing uses a machine to print objects layer by layer.

Instead of ink, the printer uses plastics, metals and other materials.

The 3D models are used to plan surgeries in children with congenital heart diseases such as double outlet right ventricle or Tetralogy of Fallot. Dr Verschueren noted:

'Until recently, doctors would look at an image and then try to visualise the heart in 3D. Now they can use a 3D copy of an individual patient's heart to plan the procedure in detail before they go into the operating theatre,' he informed.

This is still a relatively new technology but there is increasing interest in using 3D-printed models to plan heart valve interventions in adults.

According to professor Patrizio Lancellotti, president of EACVI, 3D imaging is a main theme of 'EuroEcho-Imaging' this year and 3D printing of the heart is particularly exciting.

'It allows us to make a perfect model of a patient's anatomy and decide the optimal device and procedure in advance,' he concluded.

IANS

Sexual abuse in schools; SC seeks reply

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Centre and all state governments on a plea alleging steep rise in cases of sexual abuse of children in schools across the country and seeking steps to check such incidents.

'It (PIL) is for good cause. We issue notice,' a bench of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justice A K Sikri said. It was hearing a PIL filed by Vineet Dhanda through lawyer J P Dhandaa seeking a direction to the Centre and state governments to ensure safety of children from such heinous acts in schools and other places.

The plea contended that there is neither any guideline nor any law to fix liability of educational institutions in such cases. It has also sought framing of guidelines to stop incidents of sexual abuse of students. 'It is the prime duty of schools, the government and the administration to protect the precious lives of children from being scarred as a result of such dastardly acts...,' the lawyer said.

'The more disturbing part besides the gory crime of child sexual abuse is that the educational institutions have no liabilities whatsoever fixed by law in case of such offences in their premises and even the police administration goes out of the way to protect such educational institutions for their own vested interests,' the PIL said.

'The petitioner is seeking indulgence of this court for direction to all the State authorities of the country and also to the Union of India and its authorities to awaken to the cause of small innocent school going children whose lives are endangered by the recklessness of school administration and lack of proper guidelines and fixation of liability of school authorities....,' it said. 

The PIL has referred to recent incidents of sexual abuses of children in several schools across the country.

Belgium's former queen Fabiola dies aged 86: palace

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BRUSSELS: Belgium's former queen Fabiola, the Spanish-born widow of the popular king Baudouin, who was at the centre of a recent row over her yearly allowance, died on Friday at the age of 86, the palace said.

'Their majesties the king and queen and members of the royal family announce with very great sadness the death of Her Majesty Queen Fabiola this evening at Stuyvenberg Castle in Brussels,' a statement from the royal palace of King Philippe said.

Born Dona Fabiola de Mora y Aragon on June 11, 1928 in Madrid to Spanish nobility, she married Baudouin in December 1960 -- the same year that Congo won its independence from Belgium.

The couple never had children.

The fifth queen of the Belgians, she withdrew from the public eye after the sudden death of King Baudouin in 1993 on holiday in Spain, leaving the royal spotlight to her brother-in-law Albert, who took the throne, and Queen Paola.

In July 2013, she looked on as king Albert II passed the crown to her nephew Philippe, to whom she was close until her death.
Foreign minister Didier Reynders said all Belgians would mourn her passing.

'A page in our country's history has turned,' he told Belgium's RTL television.

Fabiola sparked uproar in Belgium in 2012 with the creation of a private foundation that was widely perceived as a way to avoid paying the country's 70 percent inheritance tax.

She later dissolved the charitable vehicle, and her annual income from the state was reduced from 1.4 million euros ($1.8 million) to around 900,000 euros.

But the Spanish-born aristocrat was admired for her devout Roman Catholicism and involvement in social causes, especially those related to mental health, children's issues and the status of women.

AFP

Top Al Qaeda leader killed in Pakistan

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Islamabad: The Pakistan Army said Saturday that a top Al Qaeda leader was killed in the Shinwarsak region of South Waziristan.

Adnan el Shukrijuma

A statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Adnan el Shukrijuma had moved to this area from North Waziristan Agency to hide in a compound due to the ongoing 'Zarb-i-Azb' operation, Dawn online reported.

'His accomplice and local facilitator were also killed in the raid,' the statement said.

The statement says Adnan el Shukrijuma was a member of the core Al Qaeda leadership and was in charge of all external operations of the terror group. 

During the raid, a soldier was also killed and another injured.

The Pakistan Army had launched Operation Zarb-i-Azb in June against foreign and local terrorists who were hiding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan.

The comprehensive operation was launched a week after militants made a brazen attack on the country's busiest airport in Karachi.

IANS

US photojournalist Luke Somers killed in Yemen raid

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Sanaa: American photojournalist Luke Somers, who was held by the Al Qaeda in Yemen, died during a rescue operation in the province of Shabwa in Yemen.

Somers succumbed to the injuries sustained during the operation, Al Jazeera reported citing a senior official in the president's office.

Luke, 33, was abducted in September 2013 from the streets of Yemeni capital Sanaa. He worked as a freelance photojournalist for the Yemen Times.

Somers was shot at by his captors as a joint air raid by the US and Yemeni forces unfolded and was badly wounded. He died while being flown to a US naval base in the region.

Ten Al Qaeda fighters were also killed in the raid.

Somers pleaded for help in a video posted Thursday on the Twitter account of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

'We ask that all of Luke's family members be allowed to mourn in peace,' his sister, Lucy, was quoted as saying, having been informed by the FBI of his death.

Earlier, conflicting reports came out about Somers' fate, as both Yemeni officials and the the US State Department seemed to be unaware of the end result of the rescue operation.

IANS

Muslim League donates Rs.25 lakh to PM's relief fund -

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New Delhi: India Union Muslim League (IMUL) president E. Ahamed Wednesday donated Rs.25 lakh to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

The IMUL extended its support for the prime minister's relief activities, said an official statement.

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World's fastest camera is here

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Washington: A team of biomedical engineers has developed the world's fastest camera, a device that can capture events up to 100 billion frames per second.

The current ultrafast imaging techniques are limited by on-chip storage and electronic readout speed to operations of about 10 million frames per second.

"For the first time, humans can see light pulses on the fly," said Lihong Wang, professor of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

"Because this technique advances the imaging frame rate by orders of magnitude, we now enter a new regime to open up new visions,” said Wang.

The team used a technique called compressed ultrafast photography (CUP) to make movies of the images they took with single laser shots.

This is a series of devices customised to work with high-powered microscopes and telescopes to capture dynamic natural and physical phenomena.

Once the raw data are acquired, the actual images are formed on a personal computer.

"These ultrafast cameras have the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of very fast biological interactions and chemical processes and allow us to build better models of complex, dynamical systems," said Richard Conroy from National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, US.

The camera may have wider application in areas like biomedicine, astronomy and forensics.

"Combine CUP imaging with the Hubble Telescope, and we will have both the sharpest spatial resolution of the Hubble and the highest temporal solution with CUP," said Wang.

“Each new technique, especially one of a quantum leap forward, is always followed a number of new discoveries. It's our hope that CUP will enable new discoveries in science -- ones that we can't even anticipate yet," said Wang.

The research appeared in the journal Nature.

21-yr-old Malayali girl raped for a month by acquaintance in Delhi

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New Delhi: A 21-year-old girl from Kerala was allegedly kept captive and repeatedly raped by her male acquaintance at a residence in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj area here since the last one month.

The incident came to light Wednesday when the girl managed to contact her mother back in Kerala as the accused has gone to his native place Bhopal.

Her mother then alerted police through her Delhi-based relatives.

When a police team reached the spot Wednesday evening, they found the flat locked from outside.

The girl was then rescued after the locks were broken, police said.

The accused, who hails from Bhopal was pursuing his MBA in Delhi and had brought the girl from Kerala to Delhi after luring her of getting her a good job here.

"Once the girl reached Delhi, he allegedly raped her and captured the act on his mobile phone and blackmailed her into keeping quiet.

He also restricted the girl from going anywhere," said a police official.

Police has registered a case and a team has been sent to arrest the accused from Bhopal.

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No Bangladesh terror link to Saradha case so far: Minister

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New Delhi: The government and the BJP appeared to be speaking in different voices on the Saradha chit fund case Wednesday, as union minister Jitendra Singh informed parliament that the probe so far has not revealed any transaction where money was routed to Bangladesh to fund terrorist activities.

"The investigation has so far not revealed any such transaction where money was routed to Bangladesh to fund terrorist activities. The matter is under investigation," Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha in a written response.

He was replying to a question whether the government sought details of the probe after reports said a part of the money was routed to Bangladesh.

Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah claimed during a party rally in Kolkata that money from the Saradha chit fund was used to fund the Burdwan blast and the Trinamool Congress government was trying to save the accused.

He alleged involvement of Trinamool leaders in the blast, and accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of compromising national security by hindering the NIA probe into the blast in which Bangladeshi militants were involved.

"The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the blast is being hampered. The agency is not being allowed to work. Many Trinamool leaders are involved in the blast and Mamata didi will have to give all these answers during the polls," Shah said.

Trinamool leaders Wednesday lashed out at Shah following Jitendra Singh's remarks and demanded an apology.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury said there was "match-fixing" between the BJP and Trinamool.

Union Minister Babul Supriyo, who hails from West Bengal, did not comment on Jitendra Singh's remarks but accused the Trinamool government of tampering with evidence that could prove links with the terror plot.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh denied there was any contradiction between the government and the party regarding the Saradha scam.

He said Shah's comments were based on reports that were in the public domain and Jitendra Singh said the matter was being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Jitendra Singh also sought to clarify matters to the media and said the last part of his reply clearly stated that the matter was under investigation.

RBI doubles pre-paid card limit to Rs 1 lakh

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MUMBAI: Relaxing norms for Pre-paid Payment Instruments (PPI), the Reserve Bank today doubled the card limit to Rs 1 lakh.

 

"The limit of PPI... has now been enhanced from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The balance in the PPI should not exceed Rs 1 lakh at any point of time," RBI said in a statement.
 

The move would help in achieving the objective of limiting cash transactions in the system.

 

Besides, the maximum validity of gift cards has been enhanced from one year to three years, it said, adding that other provisions of PPI guidelines with respect to gift cards will continue to be applicable.

 

RBI also allowed issue of multiple PPIs by banks from fully-KYC compliant bank accounts for dependent or family members, it said.

Only one card can be issued to one beneficiary, it said.

 

"The bank may put in place mechanisms to monitor and report suspicious transactions on these PPIs to Financial Intelligence Unit India (FIU IND)," it added.

 

Based on a comprehensive internal review and feedback received from entities currently authorised to issue PPIs, it has been considered necessary to amend certain provisions of existing guidelines for ensuring growth of prepaid payment industry, it said.

 

The central bank also permitted banks to issue rupee denominated PPIs for visiting foreign nationals and NRIs.

 

"Banks are permitted to issue open system rupee denominated non-reloadable PPIs to NRIs and foreign nationals visiting India and PPIs co-branded with exchange houses/money transmitters (approved by RBI) to NRIs and foreign nationals visiting India," it said.

 

However, this would be subject to certain conditions like the cards can be issued by overseas branches of banks in India directly or by co-branding with the exchange houses/money transmitters up to a maximum amount of Rs 2 lakh by loading from a KYC compliant bank account.

 

Such PPIs should be activated by the bank only after the traveller arrives in India and cash withdrawal will be restricted to Rs 50,000 per month.

 

The cards should be issued strictly for use in India and transactions settled in Indian rupee, it added.

Red wine can prevent head, neck cancer

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New York: Researchers have found that a compound known as resveratrol in red wine and grape skin may prevent head and neck cancer.

Alcohol bombards our genes. The body has ways to repair this cell damage but with enough alcohol, some cells become dangerous.

'Resveratrol challenges these cells - the ones with unrepaired DNA damage are killed so they cannot go on to cause cancer. Alcohol damages cells and resveratrol kills damaged cells,' said Robert Sclafani, investigator at University of Colorado's cancer centre.

The body metabolises alcohol by converting it first to acetyl aldehyde and then the body uses aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) to further convert it to acetic acid which is excreted.

The partially processed state of alcohol, acetyl aldehyde, is a carcinogen and produces 'cross links' in DNA.

With enough alcohol, the body can get behind and end up with a backlog of acetyl aldehyde.

'Increased exposure to alcohol, loss of the ALDH gene that helps the body process alcohol, and loss of the ability to repair DNA cross links all result in increased cancer risk,' Sclafani said.

In red wine, resveratrol blocks the cancer-causing effect of alcohol.

'Resveratrol takes out the cells with the most damage - the cells that have the highest probability of being able to cause cancer,' he said.

Resveratrol, however, is not a magic bullet that can completely undo the cancer-causing effects of alcohol.

'But by killing the most dangerous cells, it may decrease the probability that alcohol use will cause cancer,' Sclafani added.