An Indian hiker has been rescued after spending 48 hours trapped in a crevice on a treacherous slope on a hill in southern Kerala.
R Babu, 23, from Malampuzha, fell into the hole on Kurumbachi hill in Palakkad on Monday.
Army officers crawled for four hours to reach him. They gave him water before helping him to the hilltop.
Indian Army drone footage showed the moment Mr Babu emerged safely with the aid of a rope as rescue teams cheered him.
“In a spectacular action, highly qualified teams of the Indian Army have successfully rescued Mr Babu who slipped off a cliff and was stranded in a steep gorge for over 48 hours,” the Indian Army tweeted.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called in the army on Tuesday after other attempts to rescue Mr Babu failed. An Indian Air Force mountaineering team and the National Disaster Response Force also joined the operation.
The rescued man had been hiking with three friends when he slipped and became stuck in the cleft of the hill. His friends tried wooden sticks, logs and ropes before descending the hill to seek the help of villagers and police.
A coastguard helicopter sent to the ridge had to stop flying in bad weather. An Indian Navy helicopter tried to lower a rope but Mr Babu could not reach it.
For more than two days, he painfully squatted in a tiny space without food and water. He suffered minor leg injuries.
He sent pictures from his position trapped in the crevice to his family using WhatsApp, helping his rescuers locate him.
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Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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Directed by: Robby Grewal
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Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
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Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
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- Price: Not announced yet
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- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
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Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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The%20specs
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
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Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
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Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
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