LIVE! Indian woman with alleged ISIS link sent to judicial custody

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Sat, 12 September 2015

Indian woman with alleged ISIS link sent to judicial custody

Timeline Refresh

23:49 Two fasting FTII students admitted to hospital

One more FTII student, who was on hunger strike against Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as the Chairman of the prestigious institute, was tonight admitted to a private hospital, taking the number of protesters hospitalised to two.

"Alok Arora was hospitalised tonight after he felt unwell with a drop in sugar level," Rahat Jain, a students' representative said.

Last night, Hilal Savad, an electronic cinematography student was hospitalised on advice of the FTII doctors after his condition deteriorated. Three students had started indefinite hunger strike on Thursday, intensifying the ongoing agitation against appointment of actor and BJP member as the FTII chairman.

The FTII administration after failing to dissuade them from going on hunger strike has appointed its medical personnel to monitor condition of the fasting students who are taken to a private hospital if necessary on doctors' advice.

An Indian woman, who was arrested here for her alleged involvement in recruitment for ISIS terror outfit, was today sent to 14-day judicial custody by a court.

Afsha Jabeen, alias 'Nicky Joseph', who hails from Tolichowki area but had been portraying herself as a British national while luring youth for ISIS through social media, was deported by the UAE after which she was arrested by Cyberabad police yesterday.

She was produced before the magistrate at his residence here and was sent to judicial custody.

The 37-year-old woman was deported along with husband and children, officials had earlier said. Jabeen was tracked in Abu Dhabi and after initial questioning.

She was deported to Hyderabad where sleuths took her custody at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport and questioned her. Police then arrested her and registered a case against her.

More than 100 workers of a readymade garment factory near the Bangladeshi capital mysteriously fell ill today, sparking protests from their colleagues.

The workers of Keya Nit Composite garment factory in Gazipur's Konabari area fell ill for reasons yet unknown, the Dhaka Tribune reported. Konabari police outpost Sub-Inspector Mobarok Hossain said the workers have been admitted to area hospitals.

Konabari Sharif General Hospital's doctor Khan Sharif said more than 100 workers were taken to the hospital this morning. "We are assuming that the workers are suffering from mass hysteria," he added. Following the incident, hundreds of workers of the factory stopped their work and started demonstrations.

Later, the police brought the situation under control. The factory was ordered shut today to calm the situation. In June 2013, nearly 500 workers of a garment factory near Dhaka were admitted to hospitals after drinking contaminated water.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will next week visit forward areas along the borders with Pakistan and China.

During his three-day visit to the forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir beginning Tuesday, he will inaugurate a new officers' mess at the camp of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force in Samba. He is also likely to visit posts in the sector which has often witnessed firing from across the border. Singh will then visit border posts in Chumar in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops had eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation in sub-zero temperatures in September 2014.

It will be followed by a visit to the police memorial in Hot Spring and ITBP posts in Thakung and Chushul. The Home Minister will review the situation along the Sino-Indian border and interact with troops of ITBP, which guards the border.

He is also expected to chair a meeting with local administration and Border Roads Organisation about the development activities being carried out in the forward areas.

Mounting an offensive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi today accused him of ignoring farmers and labourers while harping on democracy.

"Modi-ji talks about democracy but does not talk about our farmers and labourers, who run this democracy. He forgets them," he said after meeting farmers, who had come to participate in a victory procession organized by Youth The Congress vice president said his fight to make them equal partners in the progress of the nation will continue.

Congress set up a high-level committee to organise 'Kisan Samman' rally on September 20 to target the Modi government as "anti-farmer" ahead of Bihar Assembly polls.

"Met delegations of farmers from various states and assured them of the Congress Party's continued support. Proud to have fought alongside farmers against the NDA Govt's anti-farmer amendments to the Land Bill. "But the fight to ensure that farmers are equal partners in the progress of the nation continues and Congress is committed to that goal," Gandhi said on Twitter.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today pushed for making Hindi one of the official languages of the United Nations as he lamented that Hindi could not get its desired place in India probably due to regional politics.

"Hindi should be made one of the official languages of the UN. When the International Yoga Day can be held on June 21 following the mandate of 177 nations, why can't Hindi language become one of the official languages of the UN? We should make efforts to achieve this goal," Singh said in his concluding address of the three-day World Hindi Conference.

The next edition of the mega event will be held in 2018 in Mauritius, which has a large population of India-origin people. The minister's assertion came in the wake of reports that India is lobbying for the support of at least 129 member-nations of the UN so that Hindi is granted the status of an official language of the world body.

An India-born representative of the British Queen Elizabeth II has resigned after his leaked personal emails showed him saying British-Pakistanis must be taught "basic common courtesy and civility".

Paul Sabapathy, Britain's first non-white Lord Lieutenant representing the Queen in the West Midlands for eight years, made the remarks in an email after attending an event at the Pakistan consulate in Birmingham on August 14 to commemorate Pakistan's Independence Day, the Guardian reported. Apparently unhappy about the lack of respect he and colleagues were shown as the Queen's representatives, he said: "Pakistanis are lovely people individually but there is a lot of work to do to teach them basic common courtesy and civility."

He went on: "They talk to themselves and do not engage with the wider community. They are living in the UK not Pakistan. Whilst being rightly proud of their Pakistani culture and heritage they need to explain better and engage more with their non-Pakistani brothers and sisters if they want their children to succeed as British Pakistani citizens."

Sabapathy, who was born in Chennai and moved to the UK in 1964, was the first non-white Lord Lieutenant.

The Gujarat government today once again denied permission to Hardik Patel's "reverse Dandi march" scheduled tomorrow, although the Patel quota agitation leader is adamant to go ahead with their protest programme "at any cost".

The government had refused to grant its nod to Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti's plan to take out the reverse Dandi march last Sunday (September 6).

Since the march from Dandi to Ahmedabad, aimed at pressing for the demand for inclusion of the Patel community in OBC category for reservation, did not work out last week, the PAAS had sought government's permission to hold it tomorrow.

Meanwhile, registering their protest against Patels' march, members of the OBC community-- Navsari's Koli community and Macchi community-- on behalf of the OBC Ekta Manch, had also sought administration's permission to take out counter rallies against the Patels.

However, Navsari District Collector today denied permission to all the groups, including the PAAS, to carry out the protest programmes.

20:10 India-China troops face-off near LAC in Ladakh

Indian and Chinese troops recently had a face-off along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the same area where People's Liberation Army had pitched camps in April, 2013 that had led to a three-week long stalemate.

According to officials in the know of developments, the Chinese troops had built a temporary hut in Burtse, North of Ladakh, which was subsequently demolished by the ITBP and Army jawans yesterday. China is said to be eyeing this area, which gives advantage to India to overlook the Karakoram highway linking the territory illegally occupied by China with Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir.

Besides, India has an Advanced Ground Landing facility in Daulat Beg Oldi which was activated in August 2013 and the Indian Air Force had managed to land a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft at the air strip located at 16614 feet above sea level.

Nashik city and Trimbakeshwar have geared up for the second 'shahi snaan' (holy bath) in river Godavari tomorrow during the ongoing Kumbh Mela.

A royal procession will be taken out early morning by thousands of Mahants, seers of all three akadhas of Vaishnav sects - Nirmohi, Nirwani and Digambar from Tapovan to 'Ramkunda' (sacred pond).

While in Trimbakeshwar, Mahants and seers belonging to the 10 Akhadas of Shaiva sect will take out similar procession and arrive for the royal bath. Later in the day, thousands of devotees will be allowed to take the holy dip till late night.

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up at both these places with deployment of Rapid Action Force, Quick Response Teams and platoons of State Reserve Police Force.

"We have called teams of Border Security Force for helping us," Nashik Police Commissioner S Jagganathan said.

Abdul Wahid Shaikh, the only accused to be acquitted in the July 11, 2006 train bombings case, was today freed here from high-security Arthur Road jail where he had been lodged for nine years since his arrest.

"Accused no. 8 (Abdul Wahid) is found not guilty of having committed any offences with which he is charged", special MCOCA court judge Yatin D Shinde had observed while acquitted him yesterday. In its verdict, the court had held 12 other accused guilty of various charges. Arguments for the quantum of sentence are likely to begin on Monday.

Shaikh came out of the jail at around 2 PM with moist eyes and was welcomed by his family members.

He had been arrested in September 2006 for allegedly harbouring some of the accused in his house. Seven RDX bombs had ripped through the first class compartments of as many local trains on western line on July 11, 2006, killing 188 people and injuring 829.

Two Naxalites were arrested and as many surrendered in adjoining Gadchiroli district, police said today. Those arrested were identified as Sanjay Shankar Mangu,23, and Rukhmi Shantabai Halami, 22.

Both were involved in nearly a dozen separate gunfights with police in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra's worst Maoist-affected district, they said. The duo was produced before a local court which remanded them in judicial custodial till September 24, the Gadchiroli police said in a release.

In another development, two Naxalies surrendered before the district authorities. They were identified as Aruna Rukhma Narote, 22, and Sainath Katia, a 'Platoon Commander', it added.

Authorities here have said that they have evidence to suggest that money transferred to Thailand from overseas was used for purchase the bomb-making materials to carry out the country's deadliest bombing and that more suspects might have played a role in the attack.

"We have convincing evidence in hand. We know where they went to spend the money," Anti-Money Laundering Office secretary-general Seehanat Prayoon-rat told reporters.

"Money came from two countries," he said, without elaborating. Investigation indicate that overseas remittances helped suspect buy bomb materials, he said. Eleven people, including Emrah Davutoglu, a Turkish man married to Thai woman Wanna Suansan, played a role in the financial transactions, Seehanat said, adding that more suspects might have played a role in the attack.

Two bomb blasts rocked Bangkok last month. One of them targeted the Erawan Brahma Shrine on August 17, killing 20 people and injuring more than 100 others.

The other blast took place near a pier the following day but did not cause any casualties. Thai authorities have arrested two suspects in connection with the bombings.

Insisting that he is "not a VIP", Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra today said he had given consent for removal of his name from the elite 'no-frisking' list at airports and wondered if it was not being done as part of a "conspiracy" to malign his image.

He maintained that he has never used this "privilege" and does not need it and that he should be treated as any other normal citizen of the country. "I am clear but wish the concerned authorities would understand that I am not a VVIP or a VIP," Vadra said in a statement against the backdrop of the government saying that it has no plans to remove him from the 'no-frisking' list.

The 'no-frisking' privilege, enjoyed by SPG protectees like Vadra's wife Priyanka Gandhi and Constitutional dignitaries, saves them from the requirement of going through security checks at airports. Vadra's name has cropped

Extreme left-wing MP Jeremy Corbyn was today elected leader of Britain's main Opposition Labour Party in a landslide victory here, a development that threatens to further divide the party.

The 66-year-old socialist, who began the contest as a rank outsider, was widely projected to win and saw off a challenge from frontbenchers Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall. He gained 2,51,417 or 59.5 per cent of first preference votes - 40 per cent more than his nearest rival Burnham, who got 19 per cent.

Cooper was third on 17 per cent and Kendall a distant fourth with 4.5 per cent of the votes. Corbyn's victory marks a sea change in British politics with the far Left gaining control of a party that had defined itself as "New Labour" for years, having moved more towards the political centre ground, marking a departure from strong links with the country's trade unions.

The result has also sparked talk of a deep split within the Labour party that was thrown into turmoil by David Cameron's shock May election win.

Separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani has lavished praised on Pakistan for taking a bold stand on the issue of Kashmir ahead of botched NSA-level talks with India. In a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he thanked Pakistan for supporting Kashmiris for their right of "self-determination".

"The stand taken by Pakistan on the eve of Pak-India NSA-level talks and the way it advocated cause of Kashmir is very encouraging. It has given new strength to the passion of people of Kashmir for independence and helped to highlight the issue at the international level," he wrote. "We are thankful to you (Sharif), the Pakistan army and the whole Pakistani nation for continuous support," he said.

The NSA-level talks last month were called off by Pakistan at last minute due to difference with India over Aziz's planned meeting with separatist leaders and his intention to discuss Kashmir with counterpart.

A top militant of the LeT was killed in the ongoing encounter at Begambagh Kakpora in the Pulwama district of south Kashmir.

" Irshad ahmad Ganai, a top militant of the LeT, who was involved in several militancy related incidents was killed in the encounter," a senior police officer said.

The encounter is still on.

A 28-year-old youth lost his leg after he was allegedly pushed off from a train on the outer area of Kosi Kalan Railway station near Mathura, with the victim's kin blaming the ticket checkers for the incident claiming they demanded money after "confiscating" his ticket.

Sanjai Rathor, a resident of Konch Distt Jalaun, boarded the general class of UP Jan Sampark Kranti Express in the wee hours from Jhansi yesterday and was going to Agra when the incident happened.

Divisional Railway Manager of NCR, Prabhat Kumar, said, "The matter would be probed and an enquiry conducted in the area where the staff at present is posted." Rameshwar Rathor, the father of the youth, alleged in his FIR that "the heinous crime has been committed by three-four Railways Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs)."

"He could not de-board the train at Agra Cantt station as ticket checking staff entered in the same coach and termed his ticket improper. They demanded money after confiscating his ticket," the father alleged in his complaint.

Mukhtar Ahmad/Rediff.com reports from Srinagar: Militants today attacked a policeparty in a village about 32 kms from here in Pulwama district, triggering a gunbattle.

An encounter broke out at village Begum Bagh in Kakapora area when militants opened fire on a police party which had gone there following specific information about presence of some militants there, a police officer said. "On noticing the police party, the hiding ultras opened fire, resulting in an exchange of fire between the two sides," the officer said. He said no casuality was reported in the shootout.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the village and a search operation was launched to nab the militants, he said adding further details are awaited.

"As the security forces were conducting searches, militants opened fire at the surrounding security forces, triggering an encounter," the officer said."More reinforcements have been rushed to the area," he added.

With inputs from PTI

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev today said he is confident that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take positive steps to bring back black money to the country.

"The issue of black money was raised by me and I am confident that PM would take a positive step for bringing the black money even though he has enough time for this," the yoga guru told PTI in Jaisalmer.

He further said that yoga will bring good days for people's health but only PM Narendra Modi or God knows when good days would come in the country.

15:43 Toy train derails in Haryana, 2 killed

Just in: Two people have been killed and eight injured after a toy train derailed in Haryana today.

Thirty seven passengers were travelling in tourist special chartered train that derailed near Taksal. The injured have been rushed to ESI Hospital in Parwanoo.

Image: Representation picture

Details awaited.

Ahead of a 'victory rally' planned by the party over its land bill agitation, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he talks about democracy but "forgets" about the farmers and labourers who make up its foundation.

"Modiji talks about democracy but does not talk about our farmers and labourers, who run this democracy. He forgets them," Gandhi told a group of farmers from northern India at 10, Janpath. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, too, was present for the interaction.

The programme was organised by Youth Congress to "celebrate the victory" of farmers after the government was "forced" to let the land ordinance lapse in the face of vociferous protests by opposition parties, including, prominently, the Congress.

"This is the victory of the Congress. But it is the victory of farmers as well," said Rahul. Youth Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Brar said around 400 farmers from states like Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh met Sonia and Rahul to express their solidarity over the issue.

The Congress is holding a Kisan Mazdoor Samman Rally at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on September 20 to greet farmers and party workers after it "forced the government" to not go for a renewal of the "draconian" land ordinance.

15:26 Asaduddin Owaisi's MIM to contest Bihar polls

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi today informed that his party would contest in the Seemanchal region in the upcoming Bihar polls.

The MIM has not yet decided on the numbers of seats it would contest. The region comprises 38 seats, reports ABP News.

Assembly elections in Bihar will be fought in five phases between October 12 and November 5. Counting will be held on November 8.

Read: The Asaduddin Owaisi interview here

"Seemanchal has been ignored by major parties in Bihar and it has remained backward. We want to develop this region," he said. Seemanchal constitutes mainly four districts -- Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj, Katihar which altogether ranks as India's one of most backward region.

14:09 In Guinness record, the world's largest feet

The Guinness World Records 2016 Edition was released this week, and this new record-breaking achievement seems the most interesting.

Jeison Orlando Rodriguez Hernandez of Venezuela has the biggest feet in the world. He has a 1-foot, 3.79-inch right foot and a 1-foot, 3.59-inch left foot. That makes the 20-year-old a size 26.

Photograph: Guinness World Records

12:50

Just in: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare has cancelled his proposed hunger strike against Land Acquisition Bill and One Rank One Pension, which was scheduled for October 2.

12:45 Ahead of Xi's visit to US, Obama talks tough with China

Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's US visit, President Barack Obama has said cyber- attacks emanating from China are "not acceptable" and will be treated as a "core national security threat".

"We've made very clear to the Chinese that there are certain practices that they're engaging in that we know are emanating from China and are not acceptable," Obama said at a town hall meeting with soldiers at Fort Meade.

Obama said President Xi will be coming for a state visit in a couple of weeks time. "We can choose to make this an area of competition -- which I guarantee you we'll win if we have to -- or, alternatively, we can come to an agreement in which we say, this isn't helping anybody; let's instead try to have some basic rules of the road in terms of how we operate," Obama said in response to a question.

"There's still going to be individual actors, there are going to be terrorist networks and others, so we're still going to have to build a strong defence. But one of our first and most important efforts has to be to get the states that may be sponsoring cyber-attacks to understand that there comes a point at which we consider this a core national security threat and we will treat it as such," he said.

Just in: In a massive boost for the BJP, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad today swept all four seats in the Delhi University Students Union elections.

All four candidates Satinder Awana, Sunny Dedha, Anjali Rana and Chhattarpal Yadav contesting for the posts of president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary, respectively, defeated their Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India and Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, students union of the Aam Aadmi Party, counterparts.

In an effort to break the deadlock over seat sharing for Bihar assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party has agreed to concede more seats for its allies like Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP, Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM and RLSP of Upendra Kushwaha, India Today reports.

According to the formula agreed upon by the NDA allies, the BJP will be contesting on 157 seats, LJP on 41, RLSP on 25 and HAM on 15. Five current MLAs, who are with Manjhi, will be contesting on BJP ticket. Sources told India Today that an official announcement about seat sharing will be made later today.

Read the full report here

11:22 FTII student on hunger strike hospitalised

One of the three Film and Television Institute of India students on an indefinite hunger strike since Thursday last has been hospitalised after his blood sugar levels dropped.

The students are protesting against appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as the FTII chairman. According to a statement issued by the FTII Students 'Association, Hilal Savad had to be rushed to a private hospital after the institute's medical officer examined him and found his blood sugar levels reduced.

After Hilal was hospitalised, another student -- Ankit Thapa -- replaced him to continue the protest, the FSA added. Meanwhile, the stalemate over the appointment of Chauhan whose credentials to head the institute, have been questioned by the agitating students, continued on the 94th day today with the information and broadcasting ministry maintaining its silence on the turn the strike took on Thursday.

FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe said the ministry officials had been informed about the students' hunger strike. He, however, added that had not been told "anything" on the issue.

Harayna is the latest to join the meat ban-wagon. The state orders slaughter houses to be closed till September 19 citing the Jain festival, Paryushan. It is the fifth BJP-ruled state to do so.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation yesterday told the Bombay high court that it has decided to withdraw its decision to ban the slaughter and sale of meat in Mumbai. The BMC informed the court of its decision during the hearing of a petition filed by meat-sellers challenging the four-day ban on meat sales, which included a two-day ban by the state government.

Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir are the other states to impose the ban. A directive to ban the sale of meat was issued in Ahmedabad earlier this week.

President Pranab Mukherjee today congratulated veteran tennis player Leander Paes on winning the US Open mixed doubles crown along with Swiss great Martina Hingis.

"Well done @Leander @mhingis, hearty congratulations on winning the U.S Open mixed doubles," President Mukherjee said in the official Twitter account of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also congratulated Paes and Hingis on their historic feat. "Many congratulations to @Leander and @mhingis.You guys are truly legendary!!," he tweeted.

Paes today created history by winning the US Open mixed doubles title with Hingis in New York as the veteran Indian now has the highest number of mixed doubles titles in open era. The fourth seeded Indo-Swiss pair edged past unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4 3-6 10-7 in the final to win their third Major title together this season.

Forty-two-year-old Paes now has won nine Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, surpassing compatriot and former partner Mahesh Bhupathi's record of eight titles. He is now behind only legendary Martina Navratilova, who has won 10 mixed doubles trophies.

A Mumbai-based Sunni Muslim group has issued a fatwa against filmmaker Majid Majidi and Oscar-winning music director AR Rahman.

According to a report in The Indian Express, the fatwa is issued against Iranian filmmaker Majidi's upcoming film titled 'Muhammad: Messenger of God'. The film will be the first of the trilogy on the life of Prophet Mohammad.

We are against the title. People may use it in a bad manner if they dont like the film, which will mean an insult to the Prophet. The actors have charged money to act in the film and they may have dubious character in real life. How can we Muslims allow such things to happen? Saeed Noorie, chief of Raza Academy, which initiated the fatwa that was issued by Muhammad Akhtar -- the chief mufti of Mumbai told The Hindu.

The toll from the crane crash at Mecca has mounted to 107. More than 200 people are injured in the mishap. Two Indians were among those killed.

Severe storm and heavy rain caused the crane to fall.

Just in: 20 feared dead and more than 80 are injured in a gas cylinder blast in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh. The cylinder blast took place in a hotel, reports ANI.

Details awaited.

Photograph: Frist visuals from the blast site tweeted by ANI.

At least two persons were killed and eight others injured when nine coaches of a Mumbai-bound train derailed near Kalburgi in Karnataka early today.

The incident took place at Martur village station, about 20 kilometres from Kalburgi. Two persons were killed and eight injured in the mishap, Amit Singh, Kalburgi superintendent of police, said.

"Two people died and eight others are injured after Mumbai-bound Lokmanya Tilak Express from Secunderabad derailed at Martur station," he said. Singh said nine coaches of the train derailed between 2.15 am to 2.20 am.

The rescue operations are on and the injured people have been rushed to Solapur Government Hospital in Maharashtra, Singh added.

Photograph: ANI/Twitter

04:25 Moderate 5.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Tokyo

A moderate earthquake hit Tokyo early today, waking residents and shaking buildings in the Japanese capital, but there was no immediate report of any damage.

The 5.4-magnitude quake, with its epicentre located in Tokyo Bay, struck at 5.49 am local time, according to the US Geological Survey.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said no tsunami warning had been issued, and that the quake was 70 kilometres deep.

Residents said the quake was not strong enough to knock things from shelves. It prompted a handful of reports of possible injuries, including a woman who complained about being hurt after falling from her bed, according to national broadcaster NHK.

It temporarily stopped Tokyo subways and trains, but service was quickly resumed.

Picture for representation only.

French jihadist David Drugeon, an alleged bombmaker for an Al-Qaeda affiliate, has been killed in a coalition strike in Syria, a US official said

today.

Drugeon has been described as a key figure in the Al-Qaeda offshoot Khorasan group, which American officials say is a dangerous militant outfit planning to attack the United States and other Western countries.

US officials previously thought Drugeon had been killed in a November 2014 drone strike, but the claim was later disproved.

"He's definitely dead," a US official told AFP on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

More than 430,000 migrants and refugees have reached Europe via the Mediterranean since the start of the year, the International Organization for Migration said today, adding that nearly 2,750 had died attempting the trip.

The IOM said it had recorded 432,761 arrivals in Europe since January 1, comprising 309,356 in Greece, 121,139 in Italy, 2,166 in Spain and 100 on the island of Malta.

Last week, IOM had recorded 364,000 arrivals, but spokesman Daniel Szabo told AFP the numbers were revised upwards because the Greek government had significantly improved its counting methods in recent days.

The rising figures were not caused a sudden surge of migrants, he said.

Authorities in Greece opened an emergency registration centre on the island of Lesbos on Monday evening to clear a huge backlog of migrants that had built up.

On Thursday, Greek officials said some 22,500 had been registered on Lesbos already this week.

A Hungarian camerawoman has apologized for kicking desperate migrants as they fled, saying her actions had nothing to do with racism.

In a video released this week, Petra Laszlo was documenting the wave of migrants, many from the Middle East, sprinting from a holding camp in Hungary when she saw a man running with a child in his arms.

She tripped him, sending them tumbling to the ground. Moments later, the same camerawoman kicked other migrants, including a young girl, as they ran.

A backlash ensued after video of her attacks surfaced, prompting her employer -- the Hungarian nationalist N1TV station -- to fire her.

Now the videographer says it was all a misunderstanding, one for which she's sorry.

The rush of migrants burst through a police cordon, which was scary, she wrote in a letter to the daily Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet.

The letter describes how the ensuing panic scared her and made her think she would be attacked.

President Pranab Mukherjee has sent forth his condolences to those who lost their lives in the crane crash at Mecca on Friday.

'Heartfelt condolences to families of deceased due to crane crash in Mecca, prayers for speedy recovery of the injured,' the president tweeted.

Vice President Hamid Ansari expressed grief over the death of 87 people in a mishap at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's Mecca city, in

which at least nine Indians were also injured.

The Vice President has called for every effort to render all possible help to the injured. He conveyed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of injured.

Eighty seven people were killed and 184 others injured when a construction crane crashed into the mosque.

"Our Consulate in Jeddah is monitoring situation in Makkah following tragic accident. We have recd reports that 9 Indian pilgrims are injured," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

He said senior Indian officers, including the Consul General, are in Mecca and Indian doctors deployed in all government hospitals are trying to get more information.

00:38 US Open semis: Vinci beats Williams

Italy's Roberta Vinci caused a huge shock as she beat Serena Williams at the US Open to end the American's hopes of a calendar Grand Slam.

Vinci, the world number 43 and playing her first Grand Slam semi-final, won 2-6 6-4 6-4 in New York.

Williams, 33, had been two wins from completing a clean sweep of all four majors in 2015.

Vinci, 32, will play Flavia Pennetta in an all-Italian final at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.

At least 87 people were killed and 184 injured when a construction crane crashed into the Grand Mosque of Saudi Arabia's holy Muslim city of Mecca today, the civil defence authority said.

Authorities had given an earlier toll of 65 killed and 154 hurt in the incident which comes as hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the world were gathering in Mecca for the annual hajj pilgrimage which begins in less than two weeks.

Principal of a school in suburban Andheri was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a six-year-old student.

The accused -- Rozario Alphonso, principal of St. Xavier's High School -- was arrested yesterday for the alleged crime and was produced in the court today, which remanded him in police custody till September 14.

The arrest was made after the parents of the victim registered a complaint with the MIDC police.

The incident had taken place on August 31.

"The principal touched the boy inappropriately in a school bathroom and sexually abused him. The boy told about the incident to his mother, following which his parents lodged a complaint," Senior Police Inspector of MIDC police station, Rajaram Mandge said.

After a preliminary inquiry, an FIR was registered in this connection and the accused was arrested under section 8 of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, he added.

The victim's parents said that when their son told them about the incident, they decided to meet the principal.

"But, when we went to the school to meet the principal, he was not there, following which we called a child help line and then reported the incident to the police station," the boy's mother said.

At least nine Indians were among 80 people injured when a construction crane crashed into the Grand Mosque of Saudi Arabia's holy Muslim city of Mecca today.

He said senior Indian officers, including the Consul General, are in Mecca and Indian doctors deployed in all government hospitals are trying to get more information.

According to an AFP report, 65 people were killed in the tragedy.

A huge construction crane buffeted by strong winds collapsed and crashed through the roof of the Grand Mosque in Mecca Friday, killing as many as 62 worshippers in the city for the annual Muslim pilgrimage, the Saudi Arabia Civil Defense reports.

The Civil Defense said on Twitter that as many as 30 people had been injured.

Photos sent by Twitter from the scene show numerous blood-covered bodies strewn on a marble floor. The arm of a huge crane appears through a large hole in the roof of the mosque.

Even before the crane accident, the Civil Defense was warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and wind in the area.

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