News
John Glenn’s voice in space 50 years after orbit
Feb 21st
Columbus, — Ohio – NASA surprised John Glenn with the kind of anniversary gift only a space agency can give, enabling him to speak live with the International Space Station on Monday as he marked 50 years since his historic spaceflight.
The former astronaut and senator from Ohio, now 90, became the first American to orbit the Earth on Feb. 20, 1962, circling it three times in five hours and helping to lead the nation into space. He celebrated the anniversary at Ohio State University by kicking off a forum about NASA’s future.
Sitting on stage with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, he chatted with three space station crew members about space research and NASA’s future. Commander Dan Burbank appeared by video link, flanked by two flight engineers floating in the zero-gravity environment, and said the crew was delighted to help commemorate Glenn’s momentous trip.
Glenn was among the top military test pilots presented in 1959 as the Mercury Seven. The only other surviving Mercury astronaut is Scott Carpenter, who called out the memorable line “Godspeed John Glenn” moments before the rocket ignited for Glenn’s spaceflight.
“Fifty years ago today, Friendship 7 was orbiting planet Earth, and that helped in a very big way, paved the way for America to become a space power, and to go to the moon, and to do the things that we’re doing right now on the International Space Station,” Burbank said. “And we hope this also can help set the stage for us down the road to do even greater things.”
Glenn had a light-hearted but educational exchange with the space station crew, asking them about the types and number of experiments on board – more than a hundred, they said – and explaining to his gravity-bound audience of more than 200 people that, for example, a candle burns differently in space than on Earth.
When Bolden asked the astronauts which experiment they’d like to hand off to Glenn if he could join them, Burbank suggested research on the “regenerative environmental control systems” on spacecraft.
“That’s a fancy word for our toilet,” flight engineer Don Pettit added. “So he wants to put Sen. Glenn busy fixing the plumbing up here.”
Glenn took the humor in stride, replying: “That’s exactly what I thought I was going to get assigned to.”
Glenn also inquired about how far the space station had traveled during the course of the roughly 15 minutes they’d been talking. They hadn’t kept an eye on the exact distance but said they guessed it was about one-fourth of the way around the Earth.
Bolden joked that Glenn sometimes bugs him about making a trip to the space station. Glenn became the oldest person to fly in space in 1998, at age 77.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, was the surprise speaker Monday evening at a gala honoring Glenn.
source : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/20/MNP51NA4A0.DTL
Congress to raise Betma issue in state assembly
Feb 21st
INDORE: The opposition Congress is all set to corner Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh and raise the Betma gang rapein which 18 people, including politicians’ kin, allegedly raped two schoolgirls and made their MMS clip.
“There is a virtual collapse of law and order in the state. Our legislators will take up the Betma gang rape and MMS scandal on the first day of the budget session”, leader of the opposition Ajay Singh told TOI.
On February 10 two schoolgirls were gang raped by 18 persons in Betma village, about 50 kilometers from here. The shocking incident had laid bare the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Local BJP corporator’s son, Vikas Bharati, and Dilip Kushwaha, grandson of a former Congress corporator were among the 18 accused.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a compensation of Rs two lakh each to the two victims.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament from Indore Sumitra Mahajan met the IG (Indore range) Anuradha Shankar and the SSP A Sai Manohar to discuss the progress in the inquiry of Betma case and demanded action against all the accused irrespective of their political clout and affiliations.” The issue is sensitive should be kept free of politics,” she said.
However, Mahajan claimed that the law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh is much better than in other states of the country. “I just returned from Pune, where the situation is worse,” she claimed and advised the leader of opposition to visit states like Maharashtra and then compare the law and order situation with MP.
Ind vs SL: Sri Lanka off to a fiery start against India at the Gabba
Feb 21st
NEW DELHI: Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene brought up the Sri Lankan fifty in the eighth over against India in the 8th ODI of the tri-series at the Gabba in Brisbane on Tuesday.
The start came after Jayawardene won the toss and chose to bat.
For India, Virender Sehwag, Parthiv Patel and R Ashwin come in place of Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni and Zaheer Khan. Sri Lanka are unchanged from the last match.
The pitch looks a good batting track but it would be difficult to chase under lights as the bowlers will get some movement under lights.
Sehwag, who sat out the last two games due to back spasms, suddenly finds himself back in the hot seat as MS Dhoni has been handed a one-match suspension.
Despite having won their first game against the Lankans and drawing level in their next match, India’s confidence would have taken a heavy beating following their 110-run defeat to Australia.
Also, the fact that Sri Lanka took the ‘tied match’ in their stride and went on to shock Australia in their next game makes them dangerous opponents. The emphatic manner of the win over Australia would not have gone unnoticed in the Indian camp.
A win for Sri Lanka on Tuesday will put them on par with India on 10 points, that too with one less game. Besides, they also boast of a much better run-rate. As of now Australia are sitting pretty with 14 points from 5 matches, India have 10 from 5 while Sri Lanka have 7 points from 4 matches.
Notwithstanding the conditions at the Gabba, India will need to be at their best to stay alive in the competition.
Sri Lanka go into the match following a three-day break, and they are fresh and raring to go. Bowlers Thisara Perera, Farvez Maharoof and Angelo Matthews, who made light work of the Australian batting, will be looking to do an encore in better bowling conditions.
To add to India’s problems, the weatherman has predicted some rain on Tuesday. How much of an effect it will have on the game remains to be seen.
Teams:
India: Virender Sehwag (Capt.), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav.
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (Capt.), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thiramanne, Angelo Matthews, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath.
Erode lawyer killed in Karnataka
Feb 20th
Erode: Lawyer Appusamy from Gobichettipalayam in Erode District was murdered in suspicious way in Karnataka. It seems he is missing from 18th of this month. Today his body was found in a well in kappan park. Following this the police has registered the case and started the investigation.
Govt seeks review of SC verdict in Vodafone case
Feb 18th
The government on Friday sought a review of the Supreme Court’s verdict that British telecom giant Vodafone was not liable to pay Rs 11,218 crore in taxes to acquire a majority in mobile phone operator Hutchison Essar in 2007. In a judgement with significant implications for foreign
investments, the Supreme Court had on January 20 held that companies could not be taxed in India for acquiring assets if the deal was concluded overseas.
However, terming it a “blatant error”, the Centre in its review petition said 15 aspects of the case placed by I-T department was not dealt by the SC.
The review petition faulted the verdict for having relied on the proposed Direct Taxes Code, saying it was totally wrong, as there was no judicial precedent of relying on pending legislation to interpret an existing one.
The Centre said the SC failed to appreciate that transfer of rights of management was a capital asset and the term capital asset included all property.
It also disputed the figure of over Rs 20,00 crore mentioned in the verdict as having been paid to the government by Vodafone as direct and indirect taxes, saying there was no basis for this figure and it was wholly irrelevant .
They court has failed to analyse the clauses of the sale-purchase agreement, which demonstrated the true nature of the transaction that involved transfer of property rights as well. Sale Purchase Agreement between the two recorded the true intention of parties, it added.
In a statement, Vodafone said the SC had clearly and unambiguously ruled that there was no tax to pay on the Vodafone-Hutchison transaction.
Italian ship brought to Kochi; cops quizzing the crew
Feb 17th
Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie, from which gunshots were fired killing two Indian fishermen off Alappuzha, has been brought to Kochi early on Friday and police and Coast Guard personnel are questioning the crew.
The ship has been berthed at Kochi oil terminal, where security has been tightened. The preliminary assessment of the marine authorities is that armed guards aboard the ship might have fired at the fishing boat on Wednesday mistaking it for a vessel of pirates.
The coastal police has registered a murder case against the crew of the vessel based on the evidence of bullet injuries found on the bodies of the dead fishermen — Valentine alias Jelestine (45) and Ajesh Binki (25)– during post-mortem.
Fellow fishermen who were in the same boat as Binki and Jalastine, said the boat had 11 fishermen. They had put out to sea from Neendakara in Kollam district.
Italian Consul General in India, GiamPaolo Cutillo, had reached here yesterday in the connection with the incident and met City Police Commissioner MR Ajay Kumar.
The burial of Jelestine would be conducted on Friday at Moorthakara Parish Church in Kollam district while Binki’s body has been taken to Poothural in Kanyakumary district in Tamil Nadu.
The Kerala government had announced a solatium of Rs five lakh each to the families of the deceased fishermen. It was also decided to bear all legal expenses for getting due compensation from the owners of the ship.
The Kollam administration also announced an emergency relief payment of Rs 10,000 each to the kin of those killed.
Meanwhile, fishermen’s organisations have threatened to lay siege the ship at Kochi harbour demanding penal action against the ship crew.
Aus vs SL: Australia in a spot of bother in Sydney
Feb 17th
NEW DELHI: Australia were struggling with three wickets down after losing Ricky Ponting and Matthew Wade in successive overs against Sri Lanka in the sixth ODI of the tri-series at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Friday.
Lasith Malinga had David Warner caught by Farveez Maharoof at mid-on off a slower delivery as Australia got off to a bad start.
Malinga choked Warner with unplayable deliveries throughout the over and then bowled a slow delivery as Warner gave the charge but spooned it to Maharoof at mid-on with the clear case of getting undone by the pace.
The breakthrough for Sri Lanka came in the fifth over after stand-in Australian captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat.
Australia have brought in Michael Hussey for Michael Clarke and replaced Ryan Harris with Brett Lee.
Sri Lanka have dropped Upul Tharanga for Lahiru Thirimanne and Farveez Maharoof replaces Sachithra Senanayake.
There is a hint of grass on the pitch so there will be good assistance for the seamers in spite of it being a wonderful batting surface. There are thunderstorm predictions in the later part of the day.
With Michael Clarke out nursing a hamstring strain and the selectors not too confident about vice-captain David Warner, Ponting has been handed the job he quit last year.
Australia go into the match on the back of a narrow four-wicket loss to India in their previous match. The biggest concern to emerge from the defeat was the top-order failure.
The flamboyant Warner’s fireworks didn’t last long enough and the gamble to push Ponting to the opener’s slot didn’t work either. With Clarke out, Ponting’s form would be all the more crucial in Friday’s match even though Michael Hussey’s return will bolster the line-up.
It was left to debutant Peter Forrest and David Hussey to rescue the innings in Adelaide but once they departed, the Aussies failed to build on the foundation they had laid.
A new batting talent in Forrest was unearthed and it would be interesting how the 26-year-old does tomorrow after striking an impressive half century on debut.
Lying at the bottom of the points table, the closest Sri Lanka got to a win in the series was the nerve-wrecking tie against India in their last match.
Sri Lanka have batting problems of their own to sort out. The aggressive Tillakaratne Dilshan’s bat has been uncharacteristically quiet and Kumar Sangakkara is also due to play an innings of substance.
Dinesh Chandimal and Mahela Jayawardene though batted well in the match against India but the lack of a concerted effort means that bowlers have been far too often left too little to play with.
The bowlers, on their part, have done a decent job. This was evident from the way they stifled a formidable Indian batting line-up in the previous match.
The likes of Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulsekara need their batsmen to put enough runs on the board to ensure that their effort gets the team the right result.
Teams:
Australia: Ricky Ponting (Capt.), David Warner, Matthew Wade, Peter Forrest, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Dan Christian, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty.
Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene (Capt.), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara, Dinesh Chandimal, Lahiru Thirumanne, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Farveez Maharoof, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath.
India protests over two fishermen shot dead by Italian ship’s guards
Feb 16th
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: India on Thursday summoned the Italian envoy to voice concern over the killing of two fishermen by security officials of an Italian cargo vessel in the waters off Kerala. It asked Italy to ensure the ship’s captain cooperates with Indian police.
Italy, however, maintained that the Italian navy personnel on board Enrica Lexie fired warning shots after they were allegedly attacked in international waters by people on an Indian fishing vessel.
The incident that killed two fishermen, one from Tamil Nadu and the other from Kerala, who were mistaken for pirates, took place Wednesday evening about 14 nautical miles off Alappuzha in Kerala.
M. Ganapathi, secretary (west) in the external affairs ministry, met Italian ambassador Giacomo Sanfelice di Montefort and asked him to ensure that the captain cooperates with Indian officials probing the incident.
The Italian envoy said the captain will cooperate with Kochi police.
Enrica Lexie is now berthed off the Kochi coast and its officials have been summoned by police for further investigations.
The Italian embassy, however, insisted that the ship was attacked and the firing was done only in self-defence.
“The Italian ship was attacked yesterday in international waters about 30 nautical miles of the south west coast of India.
“Italian navy personnel on board following international protocols after repeated warnings and after ascertaining from binoculars that the pirates were armed gradually fired some warning shots and the pirates withdrew,” it said Thursday.
“Later, the master of the Italian ship was contacted by the Indian coast guards and requested to direct towards the Kochi harbour to offer information on the pirate attack. The master agreed and the ship is now in Kochi harbour,” an embassy statement said.
“We are in touch with the Indian authorities and we shall work together to clarify all aspects of the incident,” said the embassy.
The Kerala cabinet has decided to give Rs. 500,000 as compensation each to the next of kin of the two fishermen.
Kerala Fisheries Minister K Babu told IANS that it remained to be seen how the issue is settled as an Italian ship was involved.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has asked the home department to register a case.
The boat in which the two were shot dead had left for fishing a week ago from Kollam. Freddy, its owner who was present when the incident took place around 4.30 pm on Wednesday said there were 11 people on board.
Freddy, from Tamil Nadu, told reporters: “Except the two who were shot dead, all the other nine were fast asleep. I woke up hearing sounds similar to a gunshot. When I woke up I saw the two workers in a pool of blood.
“I scramed and shouted and all others also woke up, but by then it was too late.”
The bodies of the two fishermen would be handed to relatives after an autopsy at the Medical College Hospital here.
