More than 400 US military drones lost in crashes: report

WASHINGTON: The United States has lost more than 400 military drones in major crashes worldwide since 2001, The Washington Post said Friday in a report questioning the safety and reliability of the unmanned aircraft.

Citing 50,000 pages of accident investigation reports, the Post said military drones have since the 9/11 attacks "malfunctioned in myriad ways," including mechanical breakdowns, human error and foul weather.

"Military drones have slammed into homes, farms, runways, highways, waterways and, in one case, an Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane in midair," it said.

Of the 418 known crashes between September 11, 2001 and the end of 2013, the Post said it had identified 194 so-called Class A crashes that resulted in either the total loss of a drone or damages in excess of $2 million.

The total figure is almost equal to the number of major crashes involving US Air Force fighter jets and attack planes during the same period -- even though the drones flew far fewer missions and hours.

Sixty-seven drone crashes occurred in Afghanistan, and 41 in Iraq, but 47 occurred within the United States during test and training flights, the Post said on its website.

One army drone crashed near an elementary school playground in Pennsylvania in April, while a Reaper belonging to the air force disappeared into Lake Ontario in upstate New York in November.

The hefty Predator -- arguably the best-known American military drone -- was involved in 102 Class A crashes, followed by the smaller Hunter and larger Reaper models with 26 and 22 losses respectively.

The Post´s investigation comes as the Federal Aviation Administration drafts a set of regulations to govern an expected surge in the use of commercial drones in the coming years.

The United States owns about 10,000 drones, from the one-pound (0.5-kilogram) Wasp drone that combat troops can deploy in a firefight to the huge Global Hawk high-altitude reconnaissance platform.

26 people lost lives in Taftan gun and suicide attack

QUETTA: At least 26 pilgrims -- including women -- were killed in a gun and suicide attack in Taftan area near Pakistan-Iran border, officials said Monday.

The attack late Sunday night came when a bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims returning from a visit to holy Muslim sites in Iran stopped at a restaurant in the Pakistani town of Taftan in troubled Baluchistan province. At least 20 people were injured in the deadly attack.

Authorities airlifted the bodies to the northwestern city of Kohat where most of the victims were from, the officials said. The Jaishul Islam militant group has claimed the attack.

Family who lost dog during Sandy finds it at pound

EATONTOWN: A New Jersey family whose terrier-pit bull mix escaped from their backyard during Superstorm Sandy went to an animal shelter this week to adopt a new pet and came home with their old dog.

Chuck James tells The Associated Press that his family searched for the brown-and-white dog named Reckless for months after the October 2012 storm before finally giving up hope.

"We reported him missing and called the shelters periodically, just hoping they had him," James said Saturday. "We always kept our hopes up, but eventually it's time to move on."

James said the family had planned in recent weeks to get a new dog as a 10th birthday surprise for their eldest daughter, Ally.

But when the family of five went to the Monmouth County SPCA on Thursday to adopt a new animal, James and his wife approached the first cage and saw a familiar face inside.

"He was a little bigger than I remembered because they had fed him well," James joked. "But then he was laying on my wife's feet, and I knew it was him. ... I was in disbelief. I know this dog is meant to be with our family."

When SPCA officials asked if they could prove the animal was their dog, a friend sent over a picture showing the family with their dog before Sandy hit the Jersey shore.

"We're all so happy to have him back," James said. "Thank God for no-kill shelters because every time they kill an animal, it's somebody's friend who might be lost. Thank God they didn't put him down because this would have been a different story."

SPCA officials say Reckless was picked up as a stray and has now been microchipped.

The family is living in a hotel while their storm-damaged Keansburg home is repaired. This weekend, the Jameses went on a camping trip with Reckless to celebrate the dog's return.

'Nanda was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper'

Subhash K Jha

'She was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper. She loved being at home.'

'She was a delight to work with. Unlike many heroines, she never threw tantrums on the sets.'

Asha Parekh, one of Nanda's closest friends, and Sanjay Khan, her costar in three films -- Beti, Abhilasha and Woh Din Yaad Karo -- remember the yesteryear actress, who passed away on March 25.

Asha Parekh

I spoke to her over the phone on Monday night (March 24). She was gone the next day.

She sounded absolutely normal. It is frightening to know that sometimes you don't even get a chance to say goodbye. It reminds one just how fragile life is.

We (along with Helen, Waheeda Rehman and Sadhna) would meet regularly. Sadhana had lately been busy, so she couldn't join us every time. In fact, she couldn't even make it to the funeral.

All four of us had met on Saturday for lunch. That was just three days before she was suddenly snatched away from us.

Now I wonder if the rest of us will ever meet without missing her constantly.

She was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper. She loved being at home.

She had become more of a homebody in the later years. She loved her family. The death of one of her brothers a few years ago left her shattered. 

Getting Nanda out of the house was an ordeal.

She had come for my 60th birthday but didn't show up for the 70th.

But I never held that against her. I knew it was too much work for her to dress up for public appearances.

We were very close. We spoke about everything under the sun. My last conversation with her is now etched permanently on my mind.

It's hard to believe that now when I dial her number, she won't be there on the other end of the line. I have lost not just a friend but my confidante.