Hundreds of Afghans bury woman beaten to death by mob

Hundreds of Afghans bury woman beaten to death by mob

Hundreds of people on Sunday attended the burial of an Afghan woman who was beaten to death and set on fire by a mob for allegedly burning a copy of the Koran.

Authorities announced the suspension of 13 police officers as well as multiple arrests over the lynching, which took place in full view of several policemen and sparked widespread condemnation at home and abroad.

The body of Farkhunda, 27, who was lynched on Thursday by an angry crowd in central Kabul, was carried to the graveyard by women amid crowds of men, an AFP reporter said, a rare act of protest in a male-dominated society.

The crowd, shouting "Allah o Akbar" (God is greatest), demanded the government bring the killers to justice.

"This is a crime against this family, a crime against a sister and a crime against humanity," said Bari Salam, a human rights activist.

"All those involved and all those who supported her killing should be brought to justice," he said.

The United Nations said Farkhunda, who was known by only one name, had "suffered mental illness for many years".

Civil society activists and relatives pray during the funeral of 27-year-old Farkhunda, an Afghan woman who was beaten to death by a mob, during her funeral, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Source: AAP

But her father told the media his daughter had a diploma in Islamic studies and could recite the Koran by heart. He insisted she was not involved in burning the Muslim holy book.

Farkhunda's brother Najeebullah Malikzada supported his father's claim.

"Farkhunda was a deeply religious girl. She used to recite the holy Koran and pray five times a day," he told the crowd.

Footage of the attack on social media shows a number of uniformed police watching the crowd as they beat her to death, burn her body and then dump it into a river.

- 'Brutal act' -

"This brutal act once again shows the incompetence of the police force," Mariam Mustafawi, one of those at the burial, told AFP.

"Today our police force is unable to enforce the rule of law. How can they protect us against the enemy?"

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the killing as "heinous" and ordered a commission to investigate the incident.

He said police, who play a crucial part in the war against Taliban insurgents, were not well-trained to contain such incidents.

"Almost 90 per cent of the duties of the police today are focused on fighting, which is not their constitutional role, it is not their legal role," Ghani told reporters on Saturday.

An Afghan civil society activist is comforted by a man as she mourns during the funeral of 27-year-old Farkhunda. Source: AAP

"Focusing on civilian capabilities, on enforcement of the rule of law, is key to us."

In a statement on Sunday, the interior ministry said 13 police officers were suspended, including the police chief responsible for the area.

Police separately said they arrested 21 people, including eight policemen.

"I will question the police... we have started our inquiry. Even If I get killed, I won't let any of her perpetrators get away with it," said General Zahir Zahir, the head of criminal investigation at the interior ministry.

Allegations of Koran burnings have sparked incidents before in the deeply conservative religious nation.

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Tesla: Model S update 6.2 makes it impossible to "unintentionally run out of range

Earlier this week I made some guesses about what Elon Musk and Tesla had in store to "end range anxiety" with a software update. I thought that maybe the company would give its customers access to the battery reserves that are usually not used (to prolong battery life) when they're in a bad spot.

Turns out, my guess was not correct. Instead, Tesla announced new smart navigation features that they say "ensure you never unintentionally run out of range, giving you peace of mind at all times".

"Ending range anxiety"

The first new feature is called Range Assurance. The application "is always running quietly in the background even when navigation is not in use." It communicates with the network of Tesla Superchargers and destination chargers, discarding any that are in heavy use or inactive and warns you before you drive out of range. "The navigation system then shows a map of the most convenient charging locations and guides you to the closest one. Moreover, it factors in height changes, like having to climb over a mountain pass, and looks up weather and windspeed from the Internet to determine range with extreme accuracy." This means that to run out of electrons, you basically have to not listen to your EV.

And since Tesla has been building a lot of new Supercharger stations and giving regular wall chargers (like those that Tesla owners can put in their garages) to hotels and restaurants, which they call 'destination chargers', most of North America is covered by some type of charger and over the next 12 months, all of Europe and North America (excluding northern Alaska) will be covered, as well as China (apart from low population areas far inland), the Japan main islands and southern Australia.

The second new feature is called Trip Planner. It's basically a navigation system, like any GPS, that uses the features of range assurance (realtime contact with Superchargers, taking into account elevation, weather, etc). "The software then figures out the fastest and most convenient path to your destination, including how long to stop at each location. As soon as your car is ready to go, it will message you via the Tesla phone app."

UI Overhaul in 7.0

Musk also mentioned that version 7.0 of the Model S software will have a complete user interface overhaul. All these updates... This thing is starting to sound more like an iPhone rather than a traditional car... And it's becoming clear why, according to Morgan Stanley, 60% of Tesla employees are working on software while the average car maker only has about 2% of employees writing code.

© Tesla

New safety features

The 6.2 software update also has new safety features:

-"Automatic Emergency Braking", which will engage in the event of an unavoidable collision in order to reduce risk of impact

-"Blind Spot Warning" alerts you when drivers behind you are dangerously close

-"Side Collision Warning" (front collision warning is already enabled)

Really interesting to think that a car could get safer over time from software updates. Again, this reminds me of a smartphone more than a traditional car.

© Tesla

How much driving range is enough?

During the Q&A portion of the call about this announcement, Musk made some good points about how much range is enough for an EV. He said that in the longest range version of the Model S, which is the 85D, you can drive 280 miles. If you're going 85 MPH, which is quite fast (especially as an average), you'd be driving for over 3 hours. If you're going at typical city speeds of around 25 MPH, you'd be driving for over 10 hours. And mix of the two might result in 5-6 hours.

So adding more range wouldn't make that much of a different because very few people will drive for 5-6 hours straight without stopping. And if you're stopping, the EV can bring you to a Supercharger station and while you stretch your legs, go to the bathroom, get a bite to eat, a coffee, whatever, you can get enough charge for the next leg of the trip.

So in theory, an electric car with 1,000 miles of range might not be driven that differently from one that has 250 miles of range just because most people take breaks from driving. In fact, forcing people to take more breaks might actually improve road safety since tired drivers who have been sitting all day are probably higher risks.

Musk also said that he thinks 200 miles of real-world driving is a minimum for an EV, and that people want maybe 20-30% more than that just to be safe. He thinks the ideal is probably between 250-350 miles. This probably means that the mass-market Model 3 will probably have at least 200-250 miles of range, even with the lower price tag.

Is this truly the end of range anxiety?

I have to admit, we're getting pretty close to the end of rational range anxiety. There are now so many chargers of all kinds all around that you really have to make an effort to end up somewhere where it's impossible to get some juice.

Irrational range anxiety will probably continue a while longer, and I suspect that the real cure for those late adopters who are suspicious of all new things is simple for more EVs to be on the road for longer. Once everybody clearly sees that people don't run out of range and can take longer trips when they need to, this worry will fade away.

Tesla/Screen capture

Via Tesla

SpiceJet says in negotiatiions with aircraft lessors over rent default

Budget carrier SpiceJet said it is negotiating with its aircraft lessors, who have dragged it into litigation over default on rents, to resolve the issue amicably, a day after the Delhi High Court directed aviation regulator DGCA to deregister the airline's six Boeing 737-800s.

The airline has reached in-principle understanding with one of the two lessors already, and is in advanced discussions with the other lessor, SpiceJet said in a statement.

In a severe blow to the airline, which is still in the revival process, the Court had yesterday ordered the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to deregister six of SpiceJet's Boeing 737 planes, following the termination of lease agreements by the leasing companies, AWAS Ireland Ltd and Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher directed the DGCA to "forthwith" deregister the aircraft saying once the creditors fulfilled the conditions prescribed in Aircraft Rules, the aviation regulator was "mandatorily required to cancel registration".

An airline cannot operate an aircraft once it is deregistered by aviation regulator DGCA.

"In parallel with the court proceedings, discussions have been ongoing with the lessors for an amicable settlement. SpiceJet fully expects the matter will be resolved shortly and positively with the lessors, and there will be no grounding of aircraft or disruption of operations," the airline said.

The airline said these cases originated when it was in financial crisis in December last year, before change of ownership and infusion of fresh funding.

The airline, in the statement, also said that it was exploring all legal remedies to safeguard its interest to maintain continuity of operations.

The court had said the petitioner companies, AWAS Ireland Ltd and Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd, had fulfilled the conditions stipulated in the Rules, and therefore, the DGCA had no discretion in the matter.

The court also said it "cannot interdict the process of deregistration on the nebulous ground of equity as it would be contrary to the provisions of the Cape Town Convention and Protocol, to which, India is a party."

The Cape Town Convention provides better protection to aircraft lessors and banks. In the statement, SpiceJet said, "The change of ownershipand infusion of fresh funding has assured SpiceJet's future, and our creditors are aware and appreciative that the best outcome for all parties would be a fully revived and healthy airline."

As part of the airline's revival plan, the erstwhile promoter Maran family transferred its entire 58.46 holding to new promoter Ajay Singh, who has already pumped in Rs 500 crore in the so far of the over all Rs 1,500 crore investment commitment.

The balance Rs 1,000 crore is expected to be infused in two more tranches of Rs 500 crore each by this month and next month.

The airline also said that as part of the revival plan it was in the process of adding more aircraft to the fleet and expects to add 8-9 Boeings starting April to take the active Boeing fleet to 25-26 aircraft in the summer, in addition to the 15 Bombardier Q400 aircraft that are owned by SpiceJet.

As of now, its fleet stands at 32 aircraft with 17 of them Boeing 737-800s.

"All taxes have been paid, all salaries are current, and several lessors who supported the airline during the crisis have already been paid off in full while payment plan discussions are actively ongoing with remaining lessors," the statement added.

SpiceJet will continue to add more aircraft in the second half of the year to take the Boeing fleet up to 34-35 aircraft by the end of the year, it added.

Google adds 31 Indian heritage sites to the Google Maps

Google has started expanding the reach of its virtual tours on Google Maps. Starting from today, the Search giant will add 31 Indian heritage sites on Google Maps and Google Cultural Institute. This will allow people all over the world to virtually visit these sites and get a panoramic view of the structure and places nearby.

Google was able to pull this off with the assistance of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as well as Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation, Maharashtra Tourism and Karnataka State Archaeological Department.

The new 360-degree view will now be available at heritage sites like the Gateway of India, Sun Temple, Mysore Palace, Nalanda University, the Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, and the Thanjavur Temple amongst others. The inclusion of these 31 heritage monuments will take the total count of ASI sites to 127.

"Since last year, we've been working with the Archaeological Survey of India and other partners to bring more of India's heritage online for the world to see. We hope the latest panoramic imagery will help people learn about India's rich history through exploring some of our country's archaeological and architectural treasures on Google Maps and the Google Cultural Institute," said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Google India and South East Asia.

Recently, Taj Mahal was crowned as the third most virtually-visited site in Asia and it achieved this feat within the first year of its online presence. With new mediums like these India can boost its tourism sector which will in return provide a lot of revenue and simultaneously generate employment within the country.

Also read: Taj Mahal is one of the most searched destinations on Google Street View

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/google-31-heritage-sites-india/1/424531.html

Windows 10 Update: Build 10041 Now Available

This afternoon, Microsoft release a new build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview, which is build number 10041. Just a few days ago, they promised to ramp up the builds, which have been stagnant since the January release. I have been running that build on my main computer since it was released, and several bugs have lingered which I kept hoping would be sorted out with a new build. Unfortunately it took almost two months to get a new build, and it is too early to see if some of the bugs have been sorted out.

For those in the Insider Program, if your computer is in the “Fast” ring for Technical Preview updates, you can get this update through Windows Update. Microsoft will not be providing ISO files for fast ring builds, but will continue to provide ISO files for slow ring builds. There is no update yet on when the next slow ring build will be though.

Fast ring updates should be coming out much quicker now, so for those that want a more stable machine, the slow ring may be the safer bet. Microsoft is hoping to have at least one or two new builds per month. Due to the frequency increase, we may not give a full breakdown on changes unless a new feature emerges which needs some discussion.

The one big feature that was supposed to be in the “next” build was the new Spartan web browser, however some technical hurdles with the code have prevented this for build 10041, although we are promised it for the next round. For those that have missed it, Spartan is a new branch of Internet Explorer, which keeps some of the components but ejects a lot of the legacy code in an attempt to have a leaner, faster browser. Early results from the new ECMAScript engine were promising, with results that are comparable to Chrome. It will be the default browser in Windows 10, with Internet Explorer being moved to the background for enterprises which rely on its features only. As with previous builds, some of the new Spartan capabilities can be tested from within Internet Explorer too.

For build 10041 though, there are a few changes. The Start Menu has been tweaked, and now has a transparency effect. The login is now a new look and feel, which is actually quite nice. Virtual Desktops have gotten a big update. One of the things that I did not like about Virtual Desktops was that any apps open on a virtual desktop would be on the taskbar, which clutters the taskbar on the desktop you are on. You can now filter the taskbar so that a taskbar will only show the apps running on that desktop. Because this is just a filter, those that prefer it the old way will be able to keep it as status quo.

The much touted Cortana personal assistant is now available in many more markets. Microsoft has China, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain listed as new markets for Cortana, but I can confirm from my chair in Canada that Cortana is now in Canada as well.

One of the things that people have lamented from the days of Windows 8.1 was the ability to choose networks. The Charms settings for Wireless was very easy to use, and quite effective. Windows 10 now has a “Windows 10 style” flyout window, which is similar to the Action Center notification window in look and feel. The UX of both are still works in progress, but the initial functionality is there.

One of the more interesting additions, which is very much welcome in my household, is a big change to how Windows Update can get updates. Windows Update will now be able to pull the update files from sources other than Microsoft, including devices on your local area network. Apps will also be available, so when you have a multi-PC household, as long as one of the devices has already downloaded an app or update, your computer will no longer need to traverse the internet and be limited by your ISP or more importantly the possibility of limited data usage on mobile networks. With some apps being in the multi-gigabyte range, this is a huge change and very welcome.

blackmoney bill likely to be tabled in lok sabha on friday

The government is likely to table in theLok Sabha tomorrow a Bill to make non-disclosure of overseas income and assets a predicate offence that will attract punitive action including upto a 10-year jail term.

The Bill will provide a short window to overseas asset holders to declare their wealth, pay taxes and penalties to escape punitive action.

The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of New Tax) Bill, 2015, according to Finance Ministry sources, will be tabled on Friday-- the last day of the first leg of the Budget session of Parliament.

The first leg will end tomorrow unless extended.

After being tabled, the Bill could be referred to the Parliamentary Committee for scrutiny before being taken up for passage.

Earlier this week, the Cabinet approved the Bill which provides for a maximum of 10 years rigorous imprisonment for offenders who conceal income and assets and indulge in evasion in relation to foreign assets.

Under the provisions of the new Bill, the offence will be non-compoundable and the offenders will not be permitted to approach the Settlement Commission for resolution of disputes. There will also be a penalty at the rate of 300% of taxes on the concealed income and assets.

The Income Tax assesses, who have overseas assets, will get a one-time opportunity for declaring them. The time-frame of the short window will be notified after the passage of the Bill. According to sources, the window will be for a few months.

The proposal to come out with a new law on the black money was mooted by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech.

The Bill seeks to make non-filing of income tax returns or filing of returns with inadequate disclosure of foreign assets liable for prosecution with punishment of rigorous imprisonment of up to 7 years.

"Concealment of income and assets and tax evasion in relation to foreign assets will be prosecutable with punishment of rigorous imprisonment upto 10 years," as per provisions of the Bill.

The government has been under pressure to act on the issue of blackmoney stashed abroad as the BJP had mounted a huge campaign during the Lok Sabha polls last year with an assurance to quickly repatriate such illegal wealth.

Concealment of income or tax evasion in relation to a foreign asset will be made "predicate offence" under the (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) PMLA, enabling enforcement agencies to attach and confiscate such assets.

The proposed new legislation will provide that income in relation to any undisclosed foreign asset or undisclosed income from any foreign asset will be taxable at the maximum marginal rate. Exemptions or deductions, which may otherwise be applicable in such cases, shall not be allowed.

Beneficial owner or beneficiary of foreign assets will be mandatorily required to file returns, even if there is no taxable income, says the Bill.

Date of opening of foreign account would be mandatorily required to be specified by the assessee in the return of income.