India to soon have its own space shuttle!

 

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation is developing its maiden reusable space shuttle which will be test-launched towards the second half of July.

 

“It is going to be an important engineering experiment for the Indian space agency. A small aeroplane-shaped vehicle would be launched from here sometime during the second half of July,” M Y S Prasad, director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) told IANS over phone from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The 1.5 tonne space vehicle/ space shuttle, officially known as the reusable launch vehicle (RLV-TD) is developed to reduce the cost of access to space. As currently, the cost of placing 1kg of object in space is about $5,000 (Rs. 3 lakhs approx.), which scientists are hoping can be brought down to about $500 (Rs. 30,000).

Initially used for an unmanned shuttle, the spacecraft will be carried by a single solid rocket booster with nine tonnes of propellants programmed to fly to a height of 70 kms after which it will descend back to earth and land safely in the Bay of Bengal.

“The descent speed would be controlled through the fins on the machine. In order to protect the equipment from friction heat when it comes back, necessary protective tiles are fixed,” an ISRO official told IANS.

Though there are no plans of recovering it yet. But ISRO ultimately plans to develop a technology to land the shuttle on a runway.

J&K govt cracks down on separatists, places Geelani, Masarat Alam under house arrest

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday placed separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Masarat Alam under house arrest ahead of their rally in South Kashmir’s Tral town on Friday.

“Geelani has been placed under house arrest. A posse of policemen has been deployed outside the Hurriyat chairman’s house at Hyderpora as a preventive measure to maintain law and order,” a police officer said, adding that similar restriction has been slapped on Alam.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of the moderate Hurriyat Conference will also be not allowed to proceed towards Tral, police sources said. It was not clear whether he has also been placed under house arrest.

The government of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has already denied permission to separatists for Friday’s rally in Tral town of Pulwama district.

Sayeed had earlier in the day said that waving of Pakistani flags and raising pro-Pak slogans were “not acceptable” and “will not be tolerated”. The remarks came after the CM came under attack from all quarters including ally BJP for allowing hardline Hurriyat leader Geelani to hold a rally in Srinagar on Wednesday where pro-Pakistan slogans were shouted and Pakistani flags waved.

In view of the development, Sayeed had asked police to deny permission for Friday’s rally which was scheduled to be taken from Srinagar to Tral where a youth was killed allegedly by the Army while in their custody.

Hubby Shoaib Malik calls India`s Sania Mirza pride of Pakistan too

 

Pakistan`s ex-cricket captain Shoaib Malik said on Tuesday he was proud his Indian wife Sania Mirza had become the world`s top-ranked doubles tennis player, adding it was an honour for both countries

Mirza, 28, became the first Indian woman to achieve the feat after winning the Charleston title on Sunday while partnering with Swiss star Martina Hingis.

“I am extremely proud and overwhelmed with joy,” Malik told AFP. “It`s a matter of pride for Pakistan as she is my wife and, of course, she is from India and she represents her nation with 100 percent determination to be the best.”

The celebrity couple, who wed in a series of lavish ceremonies across both countries in 2010, have been called South Asia`s answer to “Posh and Becks” — former English footballer David Beckham and his popstar wife Victoria.

Malik, who has been out of the Pakistan team for a year despite success at the domestic level, said Mirza`s victory would prove an inspiration for young fans.

“It`s also a victory for all tennis players and tennis fans in India and Pakistan on what is possible with hard work at a global level,” he said.

Malik said he had celebrated with his family after watching the match from his hometown of Sialkot in Pakistan before calling his in-laws in India to congratulate them.

“I loved tennis before I married Sania, but now my heart is really in it. I watch her matches, and also those of her rivals to keep up to date. Also since most of the time she is playing I`m not with her, I watch also because I miss her a lot.”

The 33-year-old all-rounder, who has played 216 one-day internationals, 59 Twenty20s and 32 Tests, added he was working hard to make a comeback to the Pakistan national team.

 

Violent clashes at Rampal’s ashram leave over 200 injured

Barwala: A much delayed move by the Haryana government to use force to arrest controversial sect leader Rampal from his Satlok Ashram near Barwala Tuesday turned violent with his followers fighting pitched battles with security forces to prevent them from entering the ashram premises.

PM Modi congratulates TV channels for showing dirt on streets left by Diwali celebrations

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated TV channels for showing dirty streets after Diwali celebrations, saying telecasting such visuals would create awareness among people about the importance of cleanliness.

The Prime Minister, who launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, also congratulated the people who particpated in cleanliness drive after bursting fire crackers during Diwali.

“I saw several TV channels showing dirt left behind after crackers. I congratulate them for spreading awareness on importance of cleanliness,” Modi wrote on micro-blogging website after news channels aired visuals of filthy condition on streets after Diwali celebreations.

“Several friends told me that a lot of people cleaned the areas where they burst crackers during Diwali. I congratulate them for the efforts,” the Prime Minister tweeted.

Sai Baba should not be worshipped as deity, says Dharma Sansad

 

Raipur: A two-day-long ‘Dharma Sansad’ convened by the Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati of Dwarka Peeth Monday passed a resolution that Sai Baba, the 19th century saint from Shirdi, should not be worshipped as a deity by the followers of ‘Sanatan Dharma’. ‘Kashi Vidvat Parishad’ has taken a decision that Sai Baba was neither a god nor a guru, therefore he cannot be worshipped, Rajesh Joshi, the media in-charge for the Dharma Sansad (religious conclave), which was held in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district said.

After Shankaracharya Swaroopanand raked up a controversy by opposing the worship of Sai Baba, Divya Chaturmas Mahotsav Samiti organised the conclave at Kawardha, 150km from here, to debate the issue.

Representatives of 13 Akharas and other religious leaders discussed the issue.

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Resolutions on other issues, including introduction of Hindu scriptures in school curriculum, making the country free of addiction, safety of women, construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, protection of cows, etc. Were also passed, Joshi said.

Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust,?which runs the Shirdi Sai temple, did not respond to the invitation by the Shankaracharya to attend the Dharma Sansad.

However, devotees of Sai Baba from Delhi and Ahmedabad participated in the conclave.

A minor row erupted when a sadhu on the dais interrupted Manushya Mitra, a Sai Baba follower, while speaking, said Superintendent of Police, RS Nayak. Both were pacified by others present on the dais.

Mahela Jayawardene, the elegant run-machine, bids adieu

 

Colombo: Test cricket will bid farewell to one of its most elegant strokemakers when Sri Lanka`s Mahela Jayawardene quits the longer format after the second Test against Pakistan, starting in Colombo Thursday.

Few cricketers have exemplified the spirit of the game better than the gentlemanly 37-year-old, even though his pleasant demeanour hides nerves of steel, a calculating street-smart mind and an obsessive drive for perfection.

The elegant right-hander retired from Twenty20 internationals after Sri Lanka`s title-winning campaign in the World T20 in April, but still hopes to compete in next year`s one-day World Cup Down Under.

Jayawardene is one of only five batsmen to score more than 11,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket — the others being Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and team-mate Kumar Sangakkara.

An average of 50.02 over 148 Tests with 34 centuries illustrates his hunger for runs through a 17-year-career. Although his form outside Asia has been inconsistent, he has set a deluge of records at home.

He scored a monumental 374 during a world record partnership of 624 with Sangakkara (287) against a South African attack that included Dale Steyn and Makhya Ntini on his home ground at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo in 2006.

Jayawardene looked set to surpass Brian Lara`s record of 400 when he was bowled against the run of play. Ever the team-mate, he preferred to rejoice in his team`s huge win by an innings and 153 runs.

He got a taste of big scores on his Test debut itself as a 20-year-old in 1997, when Sri Lanka piled up a world record total of 952-6 declared against India at the Premadasa stadium in Colombo.

Ukraine blocks Russian aid convoy as Red Cross unaware of content

 

Kiev: As scepticism grew over the 280 Russian trucks containing “humanitarian supplies”, Ukraine on Tuesday said that it won’t allow the convoys from Moscow to enter its territory unless it went through a border check and escorted by the Red Cross officials, reports said.

A convoy of 280 Russian trucks has come under the scanner of West and Ukraine after the International Committee of the Red Cross denied being in the know of the content and details of the so-called humanitarian aid.

Important details still need to be clarified, like content & volume of aid. We’re in touch with #Ukraine and Russian authorities about this.

— ICRC (@ICRC) August 12, 2014

Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council spokesperson Andriy Lysenko said as the convoy was not “certified by the International Committee of the Red Cross”, it won’t be allowed to enter Ukraine.

Earlier, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also expressed suspicion over the Russian convoy saying it might be a covert operation by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, suggesting that it was a ploy in the direction of invasion of east Ukraine.

PM Narendra Modi hits out at Pakistan for proxy war against India

Leh/Kargil: In his first direct attack on Pakistan after coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused it of indulging in a proxy war killing innocent people in India as it has lost the power to fight a conventional war.

He said the number of army casualties is bigger in the proxy war than in a conventional battle.

“It is unfortunate that our neighbour’s attitude…They have lost the power to fight a war but they use proxy war. There has been a process of killing innocent people through this proxy war.

“How many innocents are being killed? The number of people getting killed through the bullets of cowards is more than those killed in conventional wars,” he said addressing Army and Air Force troops on his maiden trip to Leh.

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Gaza fighting abates as Israel declares seven-hour ceasefire

 

 

 

 

• Violence abated slightly on Monday after Israel declared a seven-hour humanitarian ceasefire and withdrew troops from parts of Hamas-ruled Gaza but tensions continued to simmer in the 28-day conflict that has killed nearly 1,900 people.Israeli strikes on Gaza early today killed 11 people, including an Islamic Jihad commander, raising the Palestinian death toll to over 1,820, according to Gaza health officials. In Jerusalem, an Israeli was killed and five injured when a Palestinian rammed an earthmover into a bus, turning it over before the driver was shot dead by police. Later, an Israeli soldier was shot and seriously wounded near a bus stop not far from the site of the earlier attack, with police combing the area for his attacker who fled.
• France has called on the international community to impose a solution on Israel and Hamas, saying the warring sides have shown themselves unable to negotiate.French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Israel’s right to security “does not justify the killing of children and the massacre of civilians.”
• The number of those dead in four-weeks of violence has crossed 1800, the Health Ministry in Gaza said.
• According to Palestinian medics, an eight-year old girl was killed and thirty others injured when a missile from an F16 warplane struck a refugee camp in Gaza City on Monday just after six minutes into an Israeli-declared truce, the AFP reported.The strike on Shati refugee camp came killed an eight-year-old girl, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra told AFP.
• France and Israel share an old bond of friendship and Israel’s right to security is total, but this right does not justify the killing of children and the slaughter of civilians, said French FM Laurent Fabius.
• French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said that a political solution must be imposed on Israel and Palestinians.