India hangs Mumbai blasts convict 22 years after attack

India has executed convicted bomb plotter Yakub Memon for his role in a series of co-ordinated attacks that killed hundreds of people in Mumbai in 1993. Photograph: Money Sharma/AFP/Getty Images

India hanged Yakub Abdul Razzak Memon on Thursday for his role in the country’s deadliest bombings, which killed 257 people in Mumbai in 1993, after the Supreme Court rejected his final plea for a stay of execution.

Memon was convicted as the “driving spirit” behind the serial blasts in India’s financial capital Mumbai, then known as Bombay. He spent two decades in jail before going to the gallows on his 53rd birthday in a jail in the western city of Nagpur.

The execution drew wide public support but has stirred controversy about whether the punishment adequately reflected the help Memon gave authorities in solving the crime.

Critics question whether Memon’s death serves India’s larger interests, saying it sends the wrong message to potential collaborators with justice agencies.

In the days before his execution, it emerged that Memon had helped Indian intelligence crack the case and establish a link to neighbour and arch-rival Pakistan over the bombings.

“It’s extremely sad that India has gone ahead, we had been hoping India will now call for a moratorium,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

“But it’s very welcome that now there seems to be a growing debate around this in India.”

In a dramatic sequence of events, a Supreme Court panel held an unprecedented hearing in the early hours of Thursday, before rejecting Memon’s last-ditch plea for a 14-day delay in execution. Several previous pleas had also been rejected.

Police consider Memon’s brother, “Tiger” Memon, and mafia don Dawood Ibrahim to be the masterminds behind the attacks, intended to avenge the destruction of an ancient mosque by Hindu zealots in 1992. Both men remain in hiding.

Memon’s body was released for burial in Mumbai, with police deployed in riot gear to guard against possible street protests and security tightened at the family home.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader and Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi said the government should ensure death sentence in all similar cases.

"Death sentence should also be given to Babu Bajrangi, Maya Kodnani, Col. Purohit and Swami Aseemanand," he said.

Wider debate

For decades India had been reluctant to carry out death sentences, until it voted in 2012 against a UN draft resolution for a global moratorium on executions.

Memon’s execution was the third in less than three years, following an eight-year gap, said the Indian arm of rights group Amnesty International, which opposes the death penalty.

“The Indian government essentially killed a man in cold blood to show that killing is wrong,” its executive director, Aakar Patel, said.

Attack survivors welcomed the news, however. “The government has given us a ray of hope,” one man told news channel India Today, without giving his name. “We have to feel that full justice has been received.” - Reuters

China: No plan to build military bases in Maldives

India, which traditionally has strong ties with the Maldives and Sri Lanka, has been concerned about China's growing involvement in the Indian Ocean as it opens its purse strings and builds a network of ports dubbed the String of Pearls.

The Maldives allowed foreigners to own land despite opposition concern the reform could be used for military expansion by China

BEIJING (Reuters):  China is not planning to build military bases on the Maldives, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after the Maldives allowed foreigners to own land despite opposition concern the reform could be used for military expansion by China. 

The Indian Ocean island nation passed legislation last week to allow foreigners to own land within a project site on condition at least 70 percent of the area is reclaimed from the sea. 

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party said the bill could give "unprecedented access to foreign parties to operate in the Maldives". One party member said the government was facilitating a more robust Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. 

China's foreign ministry, in a statement sent to Reuters, said the vote was an internal matter for the Maldives, but that China wanted good relations with the country, best known for its luxury diving resorts. China "has always respected and supported the Maldives' efforts to maintain its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity", the ministry said. 

"What the relevant people said about China building bases in the Maldives is totally baseless," it added. 

India, which traditionally has strong ties with the Maldives and Sri Lanka, has been concerned about China's growing involvement in the Indian Ocean as it opens its purse strings and builds a network of ports dubbed the String of Pearls. 

In September last year, during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Maldives signed a deal with a Chinese company to upgrade its international airport after cancelling a $511 million deal with India's GMR Infrastructure in 2012. 

In an effort to damp fears about Chinese plans connected to its increasingly modern and confident military, Beijing has repeatedly said it does not want military bases abroad. But experts have said China is likely one day to have to overcome its discomfort about overseas military bases, as its forces are drawn into protecting the growing interests of the world's second-largest economy. 

What does the future of flight look like?

                                                            PERSONAL TRAVEL

Flying had revolutionized our mobility a long time ago. You are able to overcome high distances in, compared to cars or ships, a short time period. Anyway, there are a few things we need to optimize on planes, because they are very loud and polluting due to fuel burning and vapor trails. The following examples show what the futures of flight could look like.

AROUND THE WORLD IN A SOLAR AIRPLANE

"Solar airplane: Able to fly day and night, 72 meter wingspan, 17,000 solar cells and advanced batteries"

In March 2015, a solar plane built to fly day and night in order to circumnavigate the world, took off for its first leg from Abu Dhabi to Muscat. The whole flight is Bertrand Piccard’s (known for his circumnavigation of the globe in a balloon) new project, which he organized together with André Borschberg.

The main item of this project is the solar aircraft which is developed especially for this event. It has a 72 meter wingspan (a Boeing 747-8l has 68.5 meter) and 17,000 solar cells. Its body is made out of carbon fiber therefore it is just as light as a middle-class car. The energy collected in the solar cells is stored in lithium polymer batteries, whose energy density is optimized. Because of that, this is the only airplane of perpetual endurance, able to fly day and night on solar power.

FLIGHT IN 2030

"Concept aircraft: Six hydrogen engines, solar panels on the wings, wind turbine to gain on-board electricity and new materials

An even more futuristic vision is the concept aircraft from Oscar Vinal. The plane is his proposal for a quiet and environmentally responsible aircraft which could be built in 2030. The plane would be powered by six hydrogen engines and would feature solar panels on the wings and a wind turbine on board that would generate energy in-flight. The body is made of new materials like ultra-light graphene, titanium or aluminum alloys.

Also, on the inside it differs significant from today’s planes with panoramic cinema and 3D screen features. The windows could be replaced by screens, thus the drag can be highly reduced. The capacity is 800 passengers but its comfort is very high with wider seats and a cockpit with special crew member’s room containing beds and a work area.

THE RETURN OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHTS

"Supersonic flight: Speed of 1900 km/h (Mach 1.6), without windows and certification in 2021"

In 2003, one of the well-known supersonic jet airliners stopped it flights, but soon there could be another airplane flying commercial routes in supersonic speed. Two big aircraft companies announced their partnership in 2014, which is a big step forward as they combine global dimension with knowledge in supersonic flight technologies.

The business jet they are looking to manufacture will be tested in 2019 with the objective of certifying the world’s first supersonic business jet in 2021. Just like the concept plane from Oscar Vinal, it could come without windows, but screens will be projecting a live stream of the outside surroundings.

To sum things up, the future of flights will be faster, greener, and quieter. And this would be important for the mobility of the future, because the need of planes is undeniable. - move forward magazine

Obama arrives in Ethiopia to talk security on Africa tour

Opponents accuse nation’s regime of improving economy at cost of political freedom

US President Barack Obama inspects the Ethiopian Honor Guard ahead of a bilateral meeting with prime minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn in Addis Ababa on July 27th, 2015. Photograph: Getty Images

Barack Obama met the Ethiopian prime minister on Monday on the first visit by a serving US president to a nation with one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa but which has often been criticised for its rights record.

Talks with prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn are expected focus on security and the threat of the Islamist militant group al Shabaab in Somalia. Mr Obama, who arrived from Kenya on Sunday, also wants to boost business ties with Africa.

Ethiopia’s ruling party, in power for quarter of a century, has turned the once famine-stricken economy around, but opponents say it has been at the expense of political freedoms. The opposition failed to secure a single seat in a May parliamentary election.

On Mr Obama’s first stop in Kenya, his father’s homeland, he urged Kenyans to deepen democracy, tackle corruption and end politics of exclusion based on gender or ethnicity. He also promised Kenya more security assistance.

“We are strongly committed to partnering with African countries to increase their capacity to address the immediate threats posed by terrorist organisations,” the White House said in a statement on Monday.

Ethiopia contributes troops to an African Union peace keeping force battling al Shabaab in Somalia. The group has often launched attacks in Kenya, but diplomats say Ethiopia’s state security apparatus has spared it similar assaults.

Mr Obama holds talks with regional leaders about the conflict in South Sudan late on Monday. Warring factions have ignored pressure to end fighting, and talks may consider possible sanctions if an mid-August deadline is not met.

Mr Obama, who many Africans claim as their son, is seeking to expand business links with the continent, where China overtook the United States as the biggest trade partner in 2009.

“Africa is on the move. Africa is one of the fastest growing regions in the world,” Mr Obama told a conference in Nairobi on Saturday that sought to encourage African entrepreneurs and match them with investors.

Ethiopia, brought to its knees by communist purges in the 1970s and famine in the 1980s, has won praise for pushing growth into double digits and spreading development with a range of rural health programmes and other initiatives across the nation.

But it has relied largely on state-led investment to drive growth, which economists say is squeezing out private business. It remains one of the world’s biggest recipients of aid and is still among Africa’s poorest nations per capita.

The government has often turned to China to help build new roads, railways and dams in its bid to expand the industrial base in the largely agrarian economy. The new metro line that snakes through Addis Ababa was built by a Chinese firm. - Reuters

Scientists find closest thing yet to Earth-sun twin system

This NASA artist's concept obtained July 23, 2015 compares Earth (left) to the new planet, called Kepler-452b, which is about 60 percent larger in diameter. (AFP)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. (AP) -- Scientists have identified the best bet yet for an Earth-like planet that might harbor life.

“It is the closest thing that we have to another place that somebody else might call home,” said Jon Jenkins from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California.

The researchers announced their discovery Thursday based on observations from NASA's Kepler space telescope.

This older, bigger cousin to Earth is called Kepler-452b. What makes this planet remarkable is that it orbits its star at about the same distance that Earth orbits the sun. What's more, its home star looks to be similar to our sun.

Scientists say it's the closest thing we have to another Earth-sun twin system. One unanswered question is whether the planet is rocky. Scientists say there's a better than even chance it is.

The planet is in a solar system that is 1,400 light years from our own, located in the Constellation Cygnus, or swan.

"So pack your bags, it’s a long trip,” joked Jenkins.

Planet 452b is among more than 500 new entries listed in the Kepler team’s latest catalog of exoplanet candidates released Thursday. Kepler identifies potential planets by looking for periodic blips against the brightness of stars — some 150,000 stars to be exact.

Of those 500-plus new potential planets, 12 are less than twice Earth’s diameter and also orbiting in the so-called habitable zone of their star, also known as the just-right Goldilocks zone.

Kepler 452b is the first of those 12 to be confirmed as a true planet, thanks to ground observations.

Altogether, the catalog now includes 4,696 exoplanet candidates. Slightly more than 1,000 of them — 1,030 — are confirmed to be planets. - AP

Planet 'can unlock Earth's secrets'

The discovery of a planet described as a "close cousin" of Earth will help mankind to learn more about the genesis of our world and the creation of life on it, a Chinese astronomer said.

Zheng Yongchun, an expert at the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said scientists have only a limited knowledge of Earth's past and are unable to forecast what will happen to it in the future.

Comparative research into Earthlike planets will enable them to develop a better understanding of these matters, Zheng said.

On Thursday, experts at the US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced that they have identified an Earthlike planet orbiting a sunlike star and said it might harbor life.

"It is the closest thing that we have to another place that somebody else might call home," Jon Jenkins of NASA's Ames Research Center in California was quoted by The Associated Press as saying.

This older, bigger planet, called Kepler-452b, is remarkable in that it orbits its star at about the same distance that Earth orbits the sun. Additionally, the star it orbits appears to be similar to Earth's sun.

Jenkins, who led the team that discovered Kepler-452b, said it is the nearest thing to another Earth-sun twin system, according to AP.

"Today the Earth is a little less lonely because there's a new kid on the block," he said.

However, Zheng said it is impossible for mankind to reach planets outside the solar system using current space technology.

"Even at the speed of the fastest existing spacecraft, the United States' New Horizons interplanetary probe, which flies at about 59,000 kilometers per hour, it would take more than 27 million years to get to Kepler-452b," he added.

"Even if we reach an Earthlike planet someday in the future, we must make sure there is an atmosphere like Earth's, liquid water and suitable temperatures before landing. In addition, the surface should be rocky, and the release of energy by the planet's home star must be stable."

Kepler-452b, about 1,400 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus and about 6 billion years old, is approximately 60 percent larger in diameter than Earth, It is classified as a super-Earth-size planet and is the smallest planet to date discovered orbiting in the habitable zone-the area around a star where liquid water can pool on the surface of a planet - of a G2-type star, like our sun.

Launched in 2009, the Kepler mission identifies potential planets by looking for periodic blips against the brightness of stars.

John Grunsfeld, NASA's science mission chief, said the project will continue to make new discoveries.

Millions of Chinese Internet users have been following NASA's latest breakthrough on social media. More than 59 million had read posts with the hashtag "another Earth" on Sina Weibo by late Friday, and nearly 120,000 had taken part in discussions about the issue. - AP

Smartphones may be inspiring millennials to cook at home l

The smartphone is becoming the ultimate sous-chef for millennials who are turning to their devices at every phase of the cooking journey - deciding what to make and learning how to prepare it, a new study has found.

Fifty-nine per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds (defined as millennials) cook with either their smartphones or tablets handy, according to data from Google Consumer Survey, January 2015, which included 550 online adults in the US.

In contrast, 33 per cent of those over 35 are more likely to print a recipe, according to results from Google Consumer Survey, May 2015, based on 502 US online adults.

The research by Google, mcgarrybowen and Kraft Foods found that millennials prefer the culinary process as much as the finished dish: They want to dive into everything, experiment with new recipes, and learn new skills. 

"We see through secondary research that millennials are cooking more. It isn't a chore as much as an ability to create an experience," said Anna Conroy, planning director for mcgarrybowen. In the research, 31 per cent of millennials said that choosing what to cook was the least enjoyable part of the cooking process. 

They turn to their smartphones for help and the top 100 food search terms tend to be broad in nature ("dinner ideas," "healthy recipes," and "slow cooker recipes," for example).

While nearly one-third of millennials said they don't enjoy choosing what to cook, it certainly does not deter them from being creative. The research found that, for a quarter of online millennials, the most important part of cooking is adding a personal touch to make a recipe unique.

The study data suggests that the so-called "digital kitchen," might be reviving millennials' interest in cooking at home, 'huffingtonpost.com' reported. After millennials have decided what to cook they turn for help to Google Search or YouTube.

Millennials have subscribed en masse to food channels on YouTube, and 75 per cent of the growth in viewership is coming from mobile devices. While cooking, questions like "What temperature to bake chicken?" are increasingly asked from mobile devices, and 68 per cent of millennial moms said that they also watch videos while cooking. 

If hands are occupied, voice search becomes indispensable: Twenty-three per cent of adults use it while cooking. Also, 39 per cent of consumers report having made a purchase of some kind from their kitchens. 

Twenty-seven per cent millennials said they don't cook alone and are likely to be sharing the experience with a spouse, friend, or child. This is helping millennials see cooking as an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends, not as a chore. Ninety-two per cent said they were satisfied with the finished product even if there were mistakes.  - PTI

Stunning NASA image reveals Pluto’s icy plains

The stunning images are "not easy to explain," leading scientists have admitted - but more data is coming through

In the center left of Pluto’s vast heart-shaped feature lies a vast, craterless plain that appears to be no more than 100 million years old. (NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI)

NASA has released more stunning images from the New Horizons spacecraft’s historic Pluto Flyby, providing a spectacular view of the dwarf planet’s icy terrain.

Scientists unveiled the first image of a wide plain dubbed “Sputnik Planum” (Sputnik Plain) Friday. Sputnik Planum is located in Pluto’s vast heart-shaped region, which scientists have named “Tombaugh Regio” after the scientist that discovered the dwarf planet.

But American space agency scientists working on the project are waiting on the probe to send back more data before jumping to conclusions.

Jeff Moore, who leads the New Horizons geology, geophysics and imaging team, said: "When I first saw the image of Sputnik plain I decided I was going to call it 'not easy to explain terrain."

                        Discovery: New Horizons probe obtains more detail of Pluto's surface

Nasa has also showcased new images from one of Pluto's smaller moons called Nix, which is just 40km across.

Alan Stern, lead scientist, said: "Let's set out expectations properly.

"As little as three months ago, we didn't have pictures of Pluto this good."

From the data sent back by the probe, it is believed that the planet is losing 500 tonnes of atmosphere each hour.

Its small size results in it not having the gravity to retain the atmosphere like bigger planets such as Mars and Earth can.

Incredible: Leading scientists have said that the new pictures will revolutionise their understanding of the dwarf planet

Fran Beganal, from the University of Colorado, said: "What is the consequence of that?

"If you add that loss up over the age of the Solar System, this is going to be equivalent to something on the order of 1,000-9,000ft - so that's a substantial mountain - of nitrogen ice that's been removed."

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has also shown that Pluto has a diameter of 2,370km - fractionally larger than previously believed.

The data confirms Pluto to be the largest object discovered so far in the Kuiper Belt - the outer zone of the Solar System.

The spacecraft's flyby took it within 7,750 miles of Pluto's surface, roughly the distance between New York and Mumbai. 

Confirmation of the successful flyby came late Tuesday, when New Horizons contacted scientists back on Earth, 3 billion miles from Pluto.

Pluto has fascinated astronomers since 1930, when it was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh using the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz. Some of Tombaugh's ashes are aboard New Horizons.

New Horizons is the first-ever space mission to explore a world so far away from Earth, according to NASA. - AP

Nasa's New Horizons set for breathtaking Pluto flyby

                        Pluto pictured from a million miles away on July 11. (Reuters Photo)

Miami (AFP) - NASA's unmanned spacecraft New Horizons will make a close shave past Pluto Tuesday, allowing scientists a close glimpse of the dwarf planet's surface for the first time.

But there were some jitters today as the USD 700 million spacecraft, called New Horizons, sped toward Pluto, the last undiscovered frontier in the solar system.

According to principal investigator Alan Stern, there is a one in 10,000 chance that the spacecraft could be lost in a collision with debris around Pluto, long considered the farthest planet from the sun until it was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.

The closest approach is set for Tuesday 1149 GMT, when the piano-sized spacecraft shaves by Pluto's surface at a speed of 30,800 miles (49,570 kilometers) per hour.

The first spacecraft to visit an unexplored planet since the NASA Voyager missions of the 1970s will be busy snapping pictures and collecting data, and will phone home later.

New Horizons will send a signal to Earth at 2020 GMT. It will take nearly five hours to reach scientists.

That means NASA won't announce until about 13 hours after the flyby, at 0102 GMT Wednesday, whether or not the spacecraft survived the high-speed encounter.

"While I don't lose sleep over this, the fact is, tomorrow evening is going to be a little bit of drama," said Stern.

"Until we pass that point tomorrow evening we won't really know with certainty that we cleared the system and that there were no debris strikes."

Stern said experts have searched for potential debris and haven't found any of concern.

But spaceflight is a risky business, and Stern described the Kuiper Belt, where Pluto resides on the edge of the solar system, as "more or less a shooting gallery, with lots of small primordial comets and other things much smaller than Pluto."

Never before has a spacecraft ventured into the Kuiper Belt, and New Horizons has been on its way there for more than nine years -- a journey of some three billion miles.

"We are flying into the unknown," Stern told reporters.

Pluto bigger than estimated

The mission has answered one of the most basic questions about Pluto -- its size.

From images acquired by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), mission scientists have found Pluto to be 1,473 miles (2,370 kilometers) in diameter, somewhat larger than many prior estimates.

Which means Pluto is larger than all other known solar system objects beyond the orbit of Neptune.

“The size of Pluto has been debated since its discovery in 1930. We are excited to finally lay this question to rest,” said mission scientist Bill McKinnon, Washington University, St. Louis.

UK woman changes name officially to log in to FB after suspension

           A woman in the UK changed her official name to log into her Facebook profile. (AFP Photo)

London (PTI): A 30-year-old woman in the UK has officially changed her name to her Facebook pseudonym Jemmaroid Von Laalaa in a desperate bid to log into her profile which was suspended by the social networking site.

Jemma Rogers, a holistic therapist from south-east London, set up a profile on Facebook in 2008.

She used the pseudonym Jemmaroid Von Laalaa on her Facebook profile in order to avoid annoying friend requests from old friends and strangers.

However, last month she got a message from Facebook asking her to send identification to prove it was a genuine name and account.

She doctored an image of her bank card, hoping to trick Facebook into thinking her family name was in fact Von Laalaa, Metro.co.uk reported.

One day later, Jemma's account was suspended and she could not get in. In a desperate bid to get the profile back, she changed her name by deed poll and is now officially Jemmaroid Von Laalaa.

However, despite her extreme efforts, she's still locked out of her account even after sending over her new ID to Facebook.

"I know I've been a complete moron, but Facebook are being ridiculous. I've been locked out of my account for five weeks now and have lost all of my photos, messages and precious memories," said Jemma.

Jemma has even had to order bank cards and a driving license with her new name on them.

After sending the documents to Facebook, she has received automated responses saying they will 'look into' her problem.

One million flee as Typhoon Chan-hom hits Chinese coast

Waves hit the sea shore in Wenling in east China’s Zhejiang province as Typhoon Chan-Hom makes landfall. Photograph: EPA

BEIJING -- A strong typhoon pounded the Chinese coast south of Shanghai on Saturday with strong winds and heavy rainfall, submerging roads, felling trees and forcing the evacuation of 1.1 million people.

Typhoon Chan-hom slammed ashore with winds of up to 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hours in Zhoushan, a city east of the port of Ningbo in Zhejiang province. It has dumped more than 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain since late Friday -- about a month's average in less than 24 hours, China Central Television and the Xinhua News Agency reported. No deaths or injuries have been reported by Saturday evening.

Some 1.1 million people were evacuated from coastal areas of Zhejiang and more than 46,000 in neighbouring Jiangsu province ahead of the storm, Xinhua said. The provincial flood control bureau said 28,764 ships had been ordered back to port.

                          

Rescuers use inflatable boats to evacuate residents from a neighborhood flooded by heavy rains from Typhoon Chan-Hom in Shaoxing in eastern China's Zhejiang province Saturday, July 11, 2015. Some 1.1 million people were evacuated from coastal areas of Zhejiang and more than 46,000 in neighboring Jiangsu province ahead of the storm, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. (Chinatopix via AP)

Hundreds of flights were also cancelled, state television reported. The storm made landfall in Zhoushan, a city just east of the port of Ningbo in Zhejiang province. There was no word of injuries, but the broadcaster showed its reporter standing in knee-deep water in a flooded street.

The national weather service said earlier the typhoon might be the strongest to strike China since the communist government took power in 1949. It initially was deemed a super-typhoon but was downgraded at midday Saturday to a strong typhoon and was forecast to weaken further.

Heavy downpour was reported in some areas, including the village of Lai'ao, which recorded more than 400 millimeters (16 inches) of rain, according to Xinhua.

More than 100 trains and 600 flights were cancelled in the cities of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou and Taizhou, according to Xinhua. Buses and passenger ferries also suspended service. Earlier, Chan-hom caused 20 injuries as it moved over islands in southern Japan, Kyodo news agency reported.

The storm dumped rain on the northern Philippines and Taiwan, where several flights were suspended. The stock market and public offices were closed Friday in Taipei, Taiwan's capital.

Typhoons are common at this time of year in the South China Sea, picking up strength from the warm waters before dissipating over land.

Chan-hom is the second major storm to hit China this week, after Typhoon Linfa forced 56,000 people from their homes in the southern province of Guangdong. - AP

China builds multiple unit train for Europe

The first advanced multiple unit train to be exported to Europe is completed by the Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co Ltd in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province, on July 7, 2015. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

CHANGSHA - The first advanced multiple unit train to be exported to Europe rolled off the assembly line of China's Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co Ltd on Tuesday.

The company, located in Central China's Hunan province, is a subsidiary of China's high-speed rail maker CRRC Corp Ltd.

The motor coach train, colored red and yellow after the national flag of Macedonia, is the first of six such trains purchased by the country, said Chen Xihong, deputy chief engineer of Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive. The first one will be delivered soon.

Vlado Misajlovski, minister of transport and communications of Macedonia, witnessed the finished train rolling off the assembly line in a ceremony held at Zhuzhou Electric.

The train is of great significance to the cooperation of the two countries and for China-European rail transport, said the minister.

Macedonia requires the trains have a speed of 140 km per hour. When designing the train, the Chinese company has adopted technology for speed at 160 km per hour to ensure its operational safety and leave room for future speed hikes, said Chen.

The train has three cars which can carry 280 passengers in total. Its design is in line with the most strict safety standards in Europe.

The train will run on the 215-km-long railway between Tabanovce in northern Macedonia and Gevgelija at its southern border with Greece. The track passes the Macedonian capital Skopje. - Xinhua

FDA Strengthens Heart Safety Warnings on Painkillers

"TAKE THE LOWEST EFFECTIVE DOSE FOR THE SHORTEST AMOUNT OF TIME POSSIBLE."

The Food and Drug Administration is strengthening its warnings about painkillers like ibuprofen, saying they do raise the risk of heart attack or stroke.

People should think carefully about taking these drugs, both over-the-counter versions and prescription pills, the FDA says. It's asking manufacturers to change the labels.

"They used to say they might cause risk of heart attack or stroke. Now we are saying they do cause increased risk of heart attack and stroke," FDA spokesman Eric Pahon told NBC News.

The warning covers drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS for short. They include ibuprofen, sold under brand names like Advil or Motrin; naproxen (Aleve), as well as prescription arthritis drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors, such as Celebrex. Tylenol, known generically as acetaminophen, is not an NSAID.

Cough and cold remedies can also contain NSAIDs as an ingredient.

"Because many prescription and OTC medicines contain NSAIDs, consumers should avoid taking multiple remedies with the same active ingredient," the FDA said.

"FDA is strengthening an existing warning in prescription drug labels and over-the-counter (OTC) Drug Facts labels to indicate that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase the chance of a heart attack or stroke, either of which can lead to death," the agency said in a statement.

"Those serious side effects can occur as early as the first few weeks of using an NSAID, and the risk might rise the longer people take NSAIDs. (Although aspirin is also an NSAID, this revised warning doesn't apply to aspirin.)"

Last year, FDA said it was reviewing the safety of these drugs.

Some of the studies they looked at showed a clear pattern: people who took NSAIDS were more likely to have heart attacks or strokes.

"There is no period of use shown to be without risk," said Dr. Judy Racoosin, deputy director of FDA's Division of Anesthesia, Analgesia and Addiction Products.

"In the coming months, the FDA will request that manufacturers update the existing cardiovascular risk information in Drug Facts labels for over-the-counter (OTC) non-aspirin NSAIDs. Consumers and health care professionals should remain alert for the development of heart- and stroke-related symptoms throughout the time a consumer takes any NSAID," FDA said.

This doesn't mean people should just stop taking NSAIDS, FDA said.

"Take the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time possible," said FDA's Dr. Karen Mahoney.

The American Heart Association advises people to try acetaminophen (Tylenol) first.

"If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, consult a health care provider before using an NSAID," FDA added.

"Balance the benefits of NSAIDs with the possible risks and weigh your options. If you take low-dose aspirin for protection against heart attack and stroke, you should know that some NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and naproxen, can interfere with that protective effect."

And the agency gives advice on what symptoms to look for.

"Stop taking NSAIDs and seek medical help if you experience symptoms that might signal heart problems or stroke, such as chest pain, trouble breathing, sudden weakness in one part or side of the body, or sudden slurred speech."

In 2013 Americans bought more than 275 million boxes of over-the-counter NSAIDs, racking up $1.7 billion in sales, according to retail tracker IRI. - nbcnews

United Airlines Flights Temporarily Grounded Nationwide Over 'Automation Issues,' FAA Says

United Airlines Flights Temporarily Grounded Nationwide Over 'Automation Issues,' FAA Says

NEW YORK (AP) — United Airlines flights were temporarily halted nationwide this morning after the FAA said a computer glitch -- something it called "automation issues” -- that forced planes to be grounded.

A White House spokesman said President Barack Obama was briefed on the glitch and that it appeared unrelated to an outage hours later at the New York Stock Exchange.

"There is no indication at this point either that there is malicious activity involved," said the spokesman, Josh Earnest.

A United spokeswoman confirmed that the glitch was caused by an internal technology issue and not an outside threat.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Dohm said that a router problem reduced "network connectivity" for several software applications. "We fixed the router issue, which is enabling us to restore normal functions," she said around midday.

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a ground-stop order after nearly two hours, allowing United planes to fly again.

United said more than 800 flights were delayed and about 60 were canceled because of the technology problem. It said that delays could linger throughout the day.

United, the nation's second-biggest airline, has suffered similar technology problems before, also leading to mass delays and cancellations.

The airline briefly halted all takeoffs in the U.S. on June 2 because of a problem in its flight-dispatching system. United said then that about 150 flights were affected.

The FAA’s Air traffic Control System Command Center reported that planes were grounded at all airports, but according to United Airlines, the issue did not "directly affect" any flights already in the air.

“We experienced a network connectivity issue this morning. We are working to resolve this and apologize to our customers for any inconvenience,” United said in a statement.

United is one of the world's largest airlines with nine hubs in the United States. The company says it is providing a waiver for customers who were unable to change their flight plans.

PHOTO: Travelers check-in at a United Airlines counter at Hartsfield ?Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta.

After Wednesday's problems, United apologized to customers and said they could change travel plans without being charged the usual $200 reservation-change fee. In some cases, the airline said it would also waive any difference in fare for the rescheduled trip.

"How could a router bring down one of the world's largest airlines?" asked Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, who said it appeared that United lacked enough redundancy in its technology systems.

Still, Harteveldt said he doubted that United would lose many business-travel customers because technology hiccups could happen to any carrier.

Shares of Chicago-based United Continental Holdings Inc. fell $1.43, or 2.6 percent, to $52.88 in afternoon trading.

The airline and law enforcement official both confirmed that the network connectivity issue was not due to hacking or a cyber-attack.

United officials say an issue with a router degraded network connectivity, impacting the company's ability to communicate data to aircraft on the ground.

EPFL's CleanSpace One satellite will "eat" space junk

                              CleanSpace One uses its net to envelope the SwissCube satellite

Three years ago, Swiss research institute EPFL announced its plans to build a spacecraft that could grab orbital debris and then carry it back towards Earth, burning up in the atmosphere with it on its way down. Called CleanSpace One, the satellite was depicted at the time as using a claw-like grasping tool. 

Now, however, EPFL has announced that it will utilize a folding conical net to essentially gobble up bits of space garbage.

When it's launched – possibly as early as 2018 – CleanSpace One's first target will be the now-defunct SwissCube satellite. Because the 10 x 10-cm (3.9 x 3.9-in) object will likely be spinning, swallowing it in a net should be easier than trying to grab it with a claw.

Additionally, however, SwissCube's spinning action will make it more difficult to image, as its surfaces will alternately be brilliantly sunlit or hidden in shadow. 

That's why CleanSpace One's computer vision system will be running algorithms that account for variables such as the angle of the sun, the dimensions of the target, the speed at which that target is moving, and the rate at which CleanSpace One itself is spinning. High dynamic range cameras will also allow it to simultaneously expose for both bright and dark surfaces.

Once SwissCube is within range, CleanSpace One will then extend its net around the satellite, subsequently closing that net back down with the target inside.

The net was designed by students at the Western Switzerland University of Applied Sciences. -  EPFL via Engadge

Honda sets Guinness World Record for fuel efficiency in Euro road-trip

The Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC was driven by two members of Honda’s European research and development team, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren

Honda has claimed a new Guinness World Record, for the "Lowest fuel consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries (all cars)." Although that's a bit of a mouthful, it simply means that the carmaker achieved the highest fuel efficiency ever recorded while traversing all 24 adjoining EU countries.

A Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC driven by two members of Honda’s European research and development team, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, recorded an average 100.31 mpg (2.82 l/100 km) over the 8,387-mi (13,498-km) journey. The journey began on June 1 and lasted for 25 days, taking a clockwise route through the continent before bringing the drivers back to their starting point.

McGrath and Warren's feat is reminiscent of Audi and the RAC's recent record-breaking journey through 14 countries in Europe on a single tank of fuel. Unlike that achievement, however, the drivers refueled nine times, averaging 932 mi (1,500 km) between each fresh tank.

Honda explains that the challenge was aimed at demonstrating the real-world fuel economy of the Tourer. Under the rules of the record attempt, the car had to be a standard model in every respect and fueling was carried out at regular filling stations.

The car's tire pressures and wheel alignment were optimized, however, and McGrath and Warren took steps to ensure their driving was efficient, including accelerating and braking smoothly, anticipating road conditions ahead, carrying no unnecessary weight and ensuring the vehicle was well maintained.

Migrant dies in Channel Tunnel trying to reach Britain, say French authorities

                      A migrant has died on a freight shuttle trying to reach Britain Photo: AFP

PARIS:  A migrant died on Tuesday seeking to board a UK-bound moving train inside the Channel Tunnel as French border police struggle to contain a rising tide of intrusions into the restricted Calais site.

The reported death Tuesday came shortly after Eurotunnel reported a group of migrants was found on a truck in the tunnel leading from Calais in northern France. Thousands of migrants are camped in Calais, living in dire conditions as they hope to reach a better life in Britain by stowing away on trucks as they wait to be loaded onto freight trains for the trip.

The encampments have heightened tensions between France and Britain, with each accusing the other of failing to deal with the situation.

The local prefecture confirmed the death but offered no details. Eurotunnel said border police responding to the report of stowaways found the dead migrant. Train service was delayed for thousands of passengers as well as on the freight trains that carry trucks between France and England.

It was the first death inside the tunnel in six years, though three other migrants have died near its entrance in the past month as part of increasingly desperate attempts to illegally enter trains or lorries bound for Britain.

The incident led to delays on Eurostar and Le Shuttle trains, leaving passengers waiting up to three hours extra for trains leaving Folkestone and 45 minutes for the St Pancras service. Daytrippers were at one stage advised to rearrange their journeys.

Gilles Debove, of the police union Unité SGP-Police FO, said "Around 400 migrants arrived and stormed the tunnel, as they do almost every night. One managed to board a freight shuttle and unfortunately fell off, losing his life."

Patricio Martin, local head of the border police, said: "For the moment we assume that he wanted to jump onto the shuttle and missed and that he was struck by the train itself.”

The victim, still unidentified last night, had not acted alone.

According to AFP, police evacuated around 40 African migrants from the tunnel during the incident.

Pilots’ brains can shut down during crisis

Researchers found that pilots' brains can become "overloaded" during highly stressful situations and as a result they fail to hear loud cockpit alarms that warn of an impending crash.

                                          Pilots sitting at the cockpit. File Photo: Reuters.

LONDON (Jul 5, 2015): Modern cockpits in aircraft bombard    pilots with so much information that their brains can shut down during a crisis, new research has warned.

Researchers found that pilots' brains can become "overloaded" during highly stressful situations and as a result they fail to hear loud cockpit alarms that warn of an impending crash.

Modern cockpits bombard pilots with so much information that the prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain where rational decision making takes place - can all but shut down during a crisis, they said.

In some extreme situations, visual information being processed by a pilot's eyes can "totally inhibit" their ability to process sounds, resulting in "inattentional deafness," The Sunday Times reported.

The study also found that displaying an image showing what the pilot should do - such as pulling back the control stick - can "warm up the brain" and reduce reaction time.

Researchers at the French aerospace engineering school in Toulouse asked 14 pilots in a flight simulator to perform an easy landing.

One minute before landing they were forced to respond to a sudden cross wind at exactly the same time as an alarm went off warning that the undercarriage was not down. Eight of the pilots failed to pay any attention to the alarm.

"Visual processes may totally inhibit auditory processing. There is competition," said Professor Frederic Dehais, who is leading the research.

The research team is going to test whether an alarm that calls the pilot's first name would prove to be more effective. - PTI

'Scores' killed by Nigeria female suicide bombers

The latest attack followed various attacks across restive Borno state since Wednesday [Reuters]

KANO: Several female suicide bombers in northeast Nigeria blew themselves up amid panicked villagers fleeing a Boko Haram attack, killing scores, the army and witnesses said on Saturday (Jul 4).

The latest carnage in series of attacks that have claimed more than 200 lives in just three days happened on Friday night in Zabarmari village, 10 kilometres (six miles) from the city of Maiduguri, the birthplace of the militant group.

Local resident Haladu Musa, who fled the attack, told AFP that "large numbers" of fighters poured into the village, overpowering government forces deployed to prevent the insurgents reaching Maiduguri.

"The soldiers were forced to retreat," he said. Then, as people began to flee, female suicide bombers started blowing themselves up in their midst, killing large numbers of people.

"Most of the casualties came from the suicide bombings," he said, without being able to give a precise figure for the dead and injured.

"A total of six suicide bombers detonated themselves ... killing scores of people while some people were also wounded. A soldier also died," the Nigerian army said in a statement without specifying the sex of the bombers.

The army said a jeep full of improvised explosive devices was recovered by troops, adding there was an ongoing search "for any bombs that might have been hidden or left unexploded in the area."

Musa said the militants looted shops and torched "almost half the village" before eventually being repelled after the military sent in reinforcements.

Danlami Ajaokuta, a civilian vigilante helping the military battle Boko Haram, who also witnessed the attack, spoke of heavy casualties.

"The main concern now is to evacuate and attend to the injured and later recover the dead bodies now lying in the village," he said, adding that more than 100 injured had been taken to hospital.

Boko Haram, which is fighting to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria and has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State group, has intensified its campaign of violence since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on May 29. According to an AFP tally, more than 650 people have lost their lives since then.

The Zabarmari attack followed a string of attacks across restive Borno state since Wednesday that have been blamed on the militants.

This week, Boko Haram fighters gunned down worshippers at evening Ramadan prayers, shot women in their homes and dragged men and boys from their beds to kill them in the dead of night.

A young female suicide bomber also killed 12 worshippers when she blew herself up in a mosque.