A young Afghan woman bank clerk has disappeared from her job in Kabul along with more than a million dollars.

Shokofa Salehi, 22, worked in the money transfer division at the headquarters of Azizi Bank, a major lender in Kabul.

She disappeared around two months ago, chief executive Inayatullah Fazli said, suspected of transferring $1.1 million (€832,000) out of the bank’s coffers to accounts of relatives.

It is thought she used fake documents to reach India after transferring the money; her current whereabouts are unknown.

Azizi Bank opened in 2006, has “a 1,500-plus team of employees and with a 20 per cent female work force, is playing an effective role in women’s emancipation and empowerment”.

It also calls itself “the bank you can trust”. (AP)

Brits are standing taller!

The average British man’s height increased by more than 4.3in (10cm) in the 100 years since the middle of the 19th century, researchers have discovered.

Men who were born in the 1870s had an average height of 5ft 6in (167cm) at the age of 21, while those born in the 1970s were 5ft 10in (177cm).

Scientists studied military records and population surveys from 15 European countries between 1870 and 1980 to collate their findings, published in the journal Oxford Economic Papers.

Professor Tim Hatton, from the University of Essex, who calculated the data, wrote that he was “surprised to find that increase in height was so strong over the period”. (PA)

Hedgehog in prickly rescue

A hedgehog has had a lucky escape after getting completely entangled in a badminton court net in the UK.

The hedgehog was rescued by the RSPCA after being found in a garden in Whatley, near Chard in Somerset, by a member of the public.

The net was so tightly wound around him that it was caught in his spines and in his mouth. It is not known how long he had been entangled, but he had been unable to move or feed for a while, the charity said. (PA)

Normal absence of blackbirds

British nature lovers who are noticing a sudden absence of blackbirds from their gardens should not worry, as it is an annual phenomenon, experts have said.

There is always a “trough” in the number of blackbirds seen in gardens between September and October, according to weekly Garden Birdwatch data from the British Trust for Ornithology.

The trust said blackbirds moult into new feathers at the end of a busy breeding season and hide themselves away to avoid predators as they expend energy and are less manoeuvrable on the wing. (PA)

Sony’s waterproof smartphone

Sony has unveiled a host of “groundbreaking” products – including a waterproof smartphone that can take “world-leading” photographs.

The technology giant showcased the Android smartphone Xperia Z1 during a highly anticipated press conference at Berlin IFA yesterday.

Xperia Z1 uses Sony’s award-winning camera technology as well as applications including live social broadcasting. The new QX10 and QX100 lens-style cameras are designed to mount on all smartphones – not just Sony models. (AP)