13 killed in copter crash in ColombiaOfficials in Colombia say a Colombian air force helicopter has crashed near the Caribbean coast and all 13 people aboard have been killed.Atlantico state civil defence director Jorge Fernandez says the aircraft crashed in a field in a rural area of the town of Sabanagrande.Two officials who spoke on condition they not be further identified put the death toll at 13. Both say they were not authorised to disclose the number.They say that the aircraft caught fire as it fell to the ground and that police and air force personnel were aboard.Colombia’s air force says on its website that the Bell 212 helicopter crashed at 4:30 pm and that the incident is under investigation.

13 killed in copter crash in ColombiaOfficials in Colombia say a Colombian air force helicopter has crashed near the Caribbean coast and all 13 people aboard have been killed.Atlantico state civil defence director Jorge Fernandez says the aircraft crashed in a field in a rural area of the town of Sabanagrande.Two officials who spoke on condition they not be further identified put the death toll at 13. Both say they were not authorised to disclose the number.They say that the aircraft caught fire as it fell to the ground and that police and air force personnel were aboard.Colombia’s air force says on its website that the Bell 212 helicopter crashed at 4:30 pm and that the incident is under investigation.

'Telecom towers kill 7mn birds in America every year'
Washington:Telecom towers are killing nearly seven million birds every year as they migrate from the US and Canada to Central and South America, says a new study.
According to the study, around 84,000 telecom towers, some of which can rise nearly 2,000 feet into the sky, much higher than the Empire State Building at 1,250 feet, dot the two countries. 
However, the birds are killed not by running into the tower itself but the dozens of cables, known as guy wires, that prop up the thin, freestanding structures, said study co-author Travis Longcore, associate professor at the University of Southern California Spatial Sciences Institute, US. 'This is a tragedy that does not have to be,' added Longcore. 
The taller the tower the greater the threat, the study found. The 1,000 or so towers above 900 feet accounted for only 1.6 percent of the total number of towers. Yet these skyscraper towers killed 70 percent of the birds, about 4.5 million a year, Longcore said, the journal the Public Library of Science ONE reports.During bad weather, the birds were pushed down by cloud cover and flew at lower altitudes. The clouds also removed navigation cues, such as stars, leaving only the blinking or static red lights of towers. The blinking did not fool the birds, but towers with a static red light resulted in more dead birds, according to a Southern California statement.
'In the presence of the solid red lights, the birds are unable to get out of their spell,' Longcore said. 'They circle the tower and run into the big cables holding it up.'Longcore estimated that changing the steady-burning lights on the 4,500 towers greater than 490 feet tall (about six percent of the total) could reduce mortality about 45 percent, or around 2.5 million birds. The study also recommended that businesses should share towers to reduce their number and build more freestanding towers to reduce the need for guy wires.
The study did not include shorter towers that typically are used for transmission. 

'Telecom towers kill 7mn birds in America every year'
Washington:Telecom towers are killing nearly seven million birds every year as they migrate from the US and Canada to Central and South America, says a new study.
According to the study, around 84,000 telecom towers, some of which can rise nearly 2,000 feet into the sky, much higher than the Empire State Building at 1,250 feet, dot the two countries. 
However, the birds are killed not by running into the tower itself but the dozens of cables, known as guy wires, that prop up the thin, freestanding structures, said study co-author Travis Longcore, associate professor at the University of Southern California Spatial Sciences Institute, US. 'This is a tragedy that does not have to be,' added Longcore. 
The taller the tower the greater the threat, the study found. The 1,000 or so towers above 900 feet accounted for only 1.6 percent of the total number of towers. Yet these skyscraper towers killed 70 percent of the birds, about 4.5 million a year, Longcore said, the journal the Public Library of Science ONE reports.During bad weather, the birds were pushed down by cloud cover and flew at lower altitudes. The clouds also removed navigation cues, such as stars, leaving only the blinking or static red lights of towers. The blinking did not fool the birds, but towers with a static red light resulted in more dead birds, according to a Southern California statement.
'In the presence of the solid red lights, the birds are unable to get out of their spell,' Longcore said. 'They circle the tower and run into the big cables holding it up.'Longcore estimated that changing the steady-burning lights on the 4,500 towers greater than 490 feet tall (about six percent of the total) could reduce mortality about 45 percent, or around 2.5 million birds. The study also recommended that businesses should share towers to reduce their number and build more freestanding towers to reduce the need for guy wires.
The study did not include shorter towers that typically are used for transmission. 

Bars to work till 12 midnight

Thiruvananthapuram: As per the new excise policy, the government has issued a circular to change the bar timings. The total working hours was brought down by three hours. In panchayats and municipalities, bars can function till 11 pm and in cities till 12. In panchayats, bars should be opened at 8 am and in cities at 9 am.
The other directions include allotting bars only for four-star hotels and change in working hours. As per the 1953 rules, bars were allowed to function from 6 am to 11 pm and that has been changed now. 

Bars to work till 12 midnight

Thiruvananthapuram: As per the new excise policy, the government has issued a circular to change the bar timings. The total working hours was brought down by three hours. In panchayats and municipalities, bars can function till 11 pm and in cities till 12. In panchayats, bars should be opened at 8 am and in cities at 9 am.
The other directions include allotting bars only for four-star hotels and change in working hours. As per the 1953 rules, bars were allowed to function from 6 am to 11 pm and that has been changed now. 

CBI also probing financial sources of Abdul Rasheed
Kollam : CBI will also probe the financial sources of crime branch DySP Abdul Rasheed who was held in connection with attacking Mathrubhumi reporter VB Unnithan.
CBI also gained some information on his assets inappropriate to his income. CBI also collected information on his business dealings he had made under benami names and his land dealings etc.

CBI also probing financial sources of Abdul Rasheed
Kollam : CBI will also probe the financial sources of crime branch DySP Abdul Rasheed who was held in connection with attacking Mathrubhumi reporter VB Unnithan.
CBI also gained some information on his assets inappropriate to his income. CBI also collected information on his business dealings he had made under benami names and his land dealings etc.

Three students killed in separate accidents

Kochi: Three students died in separate accidents in Ernakulam district on Sunday. Two engineering students died when their bike hit a lorry parked on the Vallarpadom container terminal road and another student died at MC road after his bike hit a mini lorry.
Jain Joseph, 22, son of Joseph from Chengamanad, Shobin Nath, 22, son of Sethumadhavan from Kuttippuram died after their bike hit a continer lorry parked on the roadside. Jain and Shobin Nath were fourth year computer engineering students at Mala Mets School of Engineering. They were on their way to their college in Mala from Ernakulam. 
Basil K Paul, 24, son of Paulose from Vatakkattupadi died in another accident at Perumbavoor. His friend Eldose Varghese was admitted to the Ernakulam medical center. They were returning after meeting a friend in Pulluvazhi. Their bike was hit by a mini lorry coming from Muvattupuzha. Basil was a diploma student at Erode PGP College.

Three students killed in separate accidents

Kochi: Three students died in separate accidents in Ernakulam district on Sunday. Two engineering students died when their bike hit a lorry parked on the Vallarpadom container terminal road and another student died at MC road after his bike hit a mini lorry.
Jain Joseph, 22, son of Joseph from Chengamanad, Shobin Nath, 22, son of Sethumadhavan from Kuttippuram died after their bike hit a continer lorry parked on the roadside. Jain and Shobin Nath were fourth year computer engineering students at Mala Mets School of Engineering. They were on their way to their college in Mala from Ernakulam. 
Basil K Paul, 24, son of Paulose from Vatakkattupadi died in another accident at Perumbavoor. His friend Eldose Varghese was admitted to the Ernakulam medical center. They were returning after meeting a friend in Pulluvazhi. Their bike was hit by a mini lorry coming from Muvattupuzha. Basil was a diploma student at Erode PGP College.