Under fire for scrapping NET, education ministry says it took proactive action

Kozhikode, July 15: Last-minute efforts to halt the scheduled execution of an Indian nurse in Yemen on July 16 are underway, under the leadership of a Sufi scholar there, at the behest of influential Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, informed sources said here on Tuesday.

A meeting between representatives of Musliyar and Sufi leader Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, and the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi -- the Yemeni national allegedly killed by nurse Nimisha Priya in 2017 -- is expected to be held at Dhamar on Tuesday, they said.

The development follows after the 94-year-old Musliyar, who is officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad and holds the title of Grand Mufti of India, held talks with religious authorities in Yemen.

The meeting with the family will take place on Tuesday at 10 am, Yemeni local time.

Kanthapuram's office said a close relative of the deceased Talal -- who is also the Chief Justice of the Hodeidah State Court and a member of the Yemeni Shura Council --has arrived in Dhamar, Talal's hometown, to take part in today's talks, following the advice of Sheikh Habib Umar.

"The fact that he is a follower of Sheikh Habib Umar's Sufi order and the son of another prominent Sufi leader offers great hope. Along with persuading the family, he is also expected to meet the Attorney General to initiate urgent efforts to postpone the execution scheduled for tomorrow," it said.

"We see the agreement of the family to hold talks with representatives of the Sufi spiritual leader as a positive signal towards our efforts to halt the scheduled execution for the time being," a source said.

Sources said Talal's murder is not just an emotional issue for the family, but also among the tribes and the residents of the Dhamar region.

This is why no one had been able to establish contact with the family until now. "It was only through Kanthapuram's intervention that communication with the family became possible for the first time," they said.

The family agreed to the talks following the advice of Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz.

"Today's discussion is focused on reaching a final decision regarding the acceptance of blood money. As efforts continue to convince the family, Kanthapuram has also requested the Yemeni authorities to temporarily defer the execution scheduled for July 16 --a request the Yemeni administration is expected to consider today," a source said.

Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Palakkad district in Kerala, is facing execution on July 16 for the murder of Mahdi, her Yemeni business partner.

She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.

She is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.

The Centre on Monday had informed the Supreme Court that the government could do "nothing much" in the case.

Attorney General R Venkataramani had informed a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the government was doing "utmost possible".

"The Government of India is trying its best," Venkataramani said, "and has also engaged with some sheikhs who are very influential people there."

Mangaluru, July 8: In a deeply alarming incident that has once again drawn attention to the rising number of heart attacks among young people, an 18-year-old engineering diploma student collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack near Surathkal on the outskirts of the city on Monday, July 7.

The deceased, Aftab, son of Asgar Ali, was a resident of Krishnapura Hillside and a student pursuing a diploma in electrical engineering at a local institute. The incident occurred around 12 noon while Aftab was walking home to take a bath. He suddenly collapsed near his house and could not be revived. Initial reports indicate the cause as a heart attack.

Aftab was the only son in a family of four children. His mother had passed away during the Covid pandemic, and he had been living with his father since then. His three sisters are married. On the day of the incident, his father, Asgar Ali, an auto-rickshaw driver, had been home with him until 1 pm, shortly before leaving for work. The tragedy struck soon after.

The sudden death of an apparently healthy teenager has shocked the community and reignited growing concerns about the increasing incidence of heart attacks among youth in India. Once considered a condition of the middle-aged and elderly, cardiac arrest is now increasingly being reported in individuals in their teens and twenties, often without any prior symptoms.

Health experts have been raising red flags over the past few years, linking early heart complications in youth to factors such as sedentary lifestyle, dietary habits, chronic stress, undiagnosed conditions, and post-Covid aftereffects.

Aftab's untimely passing is a tragic reminder of how vital it is to monitor cardiac health regardless of age, and raises urgent questions about awareness, early screening, and preventive measures in young populations.

What began as a routine international flight turned tragic in less than a minute. The preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) offers a chilling, minute-by-minute reconstruction of events leading up to the deadly June 12 crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad.

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plunged to the ground just 32 seconds after takeoff, killing nearly everyone on board and several people on the ground. While the report confirms that fuel supply to both engines was cut off seconds into the flight, investigators continue to piece together the causes behind this catastrophic failure.

Here’s a detailed timeline based on the AAIB’s 15-page preliminary findings:

Minute-by-Minute Timeline of AI-171

11:17 AM – Aircraft VT-ANB lands in Ahmedabad from Delhi and logs a defect report related to the stabilizer position transducer (STAB POS XDCR), a sensor that helps control the horizontal stabilizer.

11:55 AM – Replacement crew arrives at the airport to operate the Gatwick-bound flight.

12:10 PM – Troubleshooting is carried out on the earlier reported fault; the aircraft is cleared for flight.

12:35 PM – Flight crew arrives at the boarding gate.

1:13 PM – Pilots request pushback and engine start; ATC grants approval.

1:18 PM – Aircraft leaves the bay.

1:19 PM – Pilots confirm they require the full length of Runway 23 for takeoff.

1:25 PM – Taxi clearance is granted.

1:32 PM – Aircraft transferred from Ground to Tower Control.

1:33 PM – Instructed to line up on Runway 23.

1:37 PM – Cleared for takeoff; wind reported at 240°/06 knots.

1:38 PM – Aircraft reaches maximum recorded speed of 180 knots during takeoff roll. Seconds later, fuel switches transition from RUN to CUTOFF, one after another. Engines lose thrust.

One pilot is heard asking, “Why did you cut off?”

The other replies, “I didn’t.”

1:39 PM – A MAYDAY distress call is transmitted. ATC asks for the call sign but receives no response. Moments later, controllers witness the aircraft crash beyond the airport boundary. Emergency response is activated.

1:44 PM – Crash fire tenders are dispatched from the airport.

Aircraft and Flight Details

•    Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
•    Year of Manufacture: 2013
•    Total Flying Hours: 41,868
•    Fuel on Board: 54,200 kg
•    Take-Off Weight: 213,401 kg (Maximum allowed: 218,183 kg)
•    Dangerous Goods: None reported

Cockpit Voice and Flight Recorders

•    Voice recording captured the final exchange between the pilots and the MAYDAY call.
•    Ram Air Turbine (RAT), which deploys during dual engine or power failure, is seen activating on CCTV just after liftoff.
•    The aircraft was airborne for only 32 seconds.
•    Black boxes were recovered on June 13 and 16 and transported to Delhi.
•    Due to damage, the units required support from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to extract data.
•    Audio covers two hours and includes the entire accident sequence.
•    One flight data recorder was badly damaged and had to be opened to access the memory card.

Maintenance and Technical Notes

•    In 2018, the FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) warning about the possibility of disengaged locking on fuel control switches.
•    Air India did not conduct the suggested checks, citing that the advisory was not mandatory.
•    Throttle modules were replaced in 2019 and 2023, though not for switch-related issues.
•    No recent faults were recorded with the fuel control switches.

Investigation Status

•    Wreckage was documented using drones and secured at a protected site.
•    Both engines retrieved and quarantined.
•    Fuel samples from bowsers tested satisfactory; only limited fuel recovered from the aircraft’s systems.
•    Analysis of medical findings and flight data is ongoing.
•    Statements from the surviving passenger and eyewitnesses have been recorded.
•    No immediate directives issued for Boeing or General Electric, pending further evidence.
•    Additional leads and data are being reviewed.

As investigators dig deeper into system design, crew actions, and maintenance history, the reconstructed timeline offers the clearest picture yet of how a modern aircraft, cleared and certified for flight, came down in under a minute.