Al Qaeda claims responsibility for attack on UK envoy in Yemen

May 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 12 (ANI): The Yemen unit of Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack attempt on Britain’s Ambassador to that country, Tim Torlot.

It identified Uthman Noman al-Salwi as the would be assassin.

Ambassador, Tim Torlot, a 52-year-old career diplomat, who has served in the Arab state since July 2007 escaped injury when al-Salwi, dressed in a schoolboy’s shirt and suicide vest threw himself at the ambassador’s armour-plated vehicle in the capital, Sanaa.

The Times quotes the terrorist monitoring organisation SITE, as saying that it was in possession of a communiqué from AQAB which identfied al-Salwi as a member of the organisation’s ‘Brigade of Sheikh Abu Omar al-Baghdadi,’.

Al-Salwi, 22, had previously been jailed for two years for suspected ties to al-Qaida.

His father said in an interview after the April 26 bombing that authorities had agreed to release his son into parental custody as long as he checked in with police daily and attended school. Instead, he said his son disappeared without notifying his family of his whereabouts.

Torlot was reportedly about 600 yards from the embassy in the new part of Sanaa, close to the heavily fortified US mission, when he was attacked.

The attack has heightened concerns about security in Yemen, where AQAB, a relatively new organization. (ANI)

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Pampling checks out Woods’ problem swing

May 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Rod Pampling was in the TPC Sawgrass locker room when another player asked him if he wanted to play nine holes in preparation for this week’s Players Championship.

The amiable Queenslander readily accepted Monday’s offer. After all, you would be a fool to turn down any chance for a practice round with a bloke who has won 14 major championships.

“I was getting some medicine from the doctor and (Tiger Woods) just walked past and we traded some comments,” Pampling said ahead of Thursday’s first round.

“Then he (Woods) said are you going to play nine holes? I said yep and he said let’s go. It was not planned.”

Pampling used to play quite often with Woods, thanks to his friendship with caddie Steve Williams, who once worked briefly for the Queenslander, before picking up the slightly higher paying gig with Woods.

Even though Woods last week played perhaps the worst round of his life, a second round 79 to miss the cut by eight strokes in Charlotte, Pampling nonetheless was delighted at the chance to pick the world number one’s brain.

“I asked what he was working on. He’s still working on stuff, although I don’t think he’s hit as many balls as he normally would lately. Obviously he’s got a lot of stuff going on in his personal life,” Pampling said.

“Besides his driver, everything else is pretty solid. He stood up on the first hole and smashed it (down the middle).

“He only hit one bad drive (at the par-four fifth). That was the only one you’d say was the way right one.

“Other than that it was pretty solid. I liked his ball flight. It was a little lower ball flight than he used to hit.”

Cracks in the armour

Pampling expects Woods to bounce back with a much better performance this week, but others are not so sure.

Woods tied for fourth at last month’s Masters in his first event back after a nearly five-month break tending to his personal problems.

But some, including Geoff Ogilvy, thought Woods got the job done with smoke-and-mirrors at Augusta, and were not surprised he struggled in Charlotte.

Frank Nobilo, a former tour pro who is now an astute analyst with The Golf Channel, is not impressed with Woods’ swing.

“I think he got through Augusta on some great memories. It was not until really Saturday that you started see the pressure,” Nobilo said.

“Pressure causes cracks, I don’t care who you are.

“His whole career he’s feared the ball that goes left, not unlike Ben Hogan.

“I know there’s a truck-load going on off the course, so it’s hard for him to focus and I think he uses a lot more emotional energy getting around than he used to, because of the way he plays these days. He can’t just play by mechanics.

“When you feel everything is going to go right but you know you might hit it left, every swing you make, you feel like you’re trying to save it. As soon as you relax a bit that hook or pull comes back.”

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Four to stand trial over Moran murder

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Four people charged over the murder of Desmond Moran last year have been committed to stand trial in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Des Moran’s sister-in-law Judy Moran, Suzanne Kane, 46, Kane’s de facto partner and the alleged gunmen Geoffrey Armour, 44, and Michael Farrugia, 45, have all contested the charges against them.

Mr Moran was shot dead at a cafe in Ascot Vale, in Melbourne’s north, in June last year.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic also ordered Armour to stand trial on a second charge of attempted murder, relating to the attempted murder of Mr Moran in March last year.

Judy Moran’s lawyer told the court his client did not have a case to answer on the murder charge.

He argued that Moran would not have benefited financially from Mr Moran’s death as she was not listed in his will.

Kane’s lawyer also submitted his client should be exonerated on both the charges of murder and accessory after the fact because there was not enough evidence.

But Prosecutor Claire Quin said there was enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

Judy Moran and Farrugia have indicated they will make fresh bail applications.

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Young Dockers in the driving seat

April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has given his unbeaten outfit the keys to the car but remains unsure whether they are good enough to pass Sunday’s test against AFL powerhouse Geelong at Subiaco Oval.

“We are either L platers or P platers now,” Harvey said on Wednesday as he added to his growing list of analogies.

“We are about to find out whether we can get our licence.

“It would be a good statement (if we win).

“It would be really enthralling for the team to know they could challenge and match it with a side like Geelong.”

Fremantle enters the match with genuine belief it can win after posting impressive victories over Adelaide and Essendon to start the season.

The Cats will be without a number of premiership stars, including the suspended Matthew Scarlett and injured pair Darren Milburn and Travis Varcoe, but Harvey said he still could not find any chinks in the armour of the defending premiers.

“They haven’t got any (weaknesses),” he said.

“They may well have four or five of their premiership players out but they’ve been very good at developing young players so I wouldn’t have thought they had too many weaknesses no matter who they put into the side.”

Harvey says his players can not afford to make any mistakes against the Cats.

“In the last couple of weeks we’ve probably still given the opposition a few too many more chances than we would like,” he said.

“If you give them too many chances these top sides then they can hurt you quite quickly on the scoreboard and you find yourself scratching to get back into the game on the back of mistakes.

“So if we can minimise those and we can put pressure on them then it’s game on.”

Tarrant a chance

Dockers defender Chris Tarrant, who rolled his ankle in the dying moments of last week’s win over Essendon, will be given until the eve of the match to prove his fitness.

Tarrant has become one of Fremantle’s most important players since making the switch to defence last season and Harvey believed the 29-year-old should also be considered as one of the competition’s elite backmen.

“If you compare it to say a side like Geelong who we are playing this week, he’s probably as important as Scarlett is to Geelong,” Harvey said.

“I think you are going to recognise him as one of the best defenders of the competition.”

Harvey said Byron Schammer, Steven Dodd and Nat Fyfe were all chances to earn a call-up to replace the injured Garrick Ibbotson.

And either Kepler Bradley or Zac Clarke are a chance to return as back-up to dominant ruckman Aaron Sandilands, who will have his hands full against Geelong’s pairing of Mark Blake and Brad Ottens.

“They’ve got two big ruckmen and it took its toll on (Hawthorn’s Brent) Renouf last week so that will be a consideration,” Harvey said.

Meanwhile, the good news kept coming for Fremantle with promising defender Nick Suban re-signing with the club for a further season, tying him to the Dockers until the end of 2012.

The number 24 pick from the 2008 national draft played every game in his debut season last year and has already established himself as a key player in Fremantle’s defence.

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Moran wanted to change his will, court told

April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A life-long friend of Des Moran has told the Melbourne Magistrates Court Moran planned to cut Judy Moran’s grandchildren out of his will.

Judy Moran was one of four people charged with murder after Des “Tuppence” Moran was shot dead in an Ascot Vale cafe last year.

In a statement tendered in court, his friend, Sandra Cummins, said weeks before his murder Moran told her he wanted to change his will.

The court was told the estate was to be split equally between Judy Moran and her dead partner Lewis Moran’s four grandchildren.

“Tuppy said he wanted to change his will as Lewis’s grandkids never visited him or saw him,” she said.

She told the court Judy Moran always suspected her brother-in-law was cheating her out of millions of dollars.

Ms Cummins told police that a short time after an earlier attempt on Mr Moran’s life, family statues bequeathed to Judy Moran were stolen during a break-in.

“Tuppy also thought that because the shooting was at night that maybe the shooter was there for the break-in rather than to kill him,” she said.

The court heard Judy Moran believed her dead partner Lewis had put aside millions that went to his brother after his murder.

Ms Cummins told the court in that in 2005, Judy Moran had visited her brother-in-law and stated, “I want what I am entitled to”.

The murder committal hearing for Judy Moran, Suzanne Kane, Geoffrey Armour and Michael Farrugia is continuing.

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Different gun used in first attempt on Moran’s life

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Melbourne Magistrates Court has been told that a gun used in the murder of Des Moran cannot be linked to a previous attempt on his life.

Three months before he was shot dead at an Ascot Vale cafe in Melbourne’s west, Mr Moran was shot at in the driveway of his home.

Leading Senior Constable Darren Watson told the court bullet casings found at the murder scene came from a semi-automatic Glock pistol.

He told the court that gun could not have been used in the previous attempt on Mr Moran’s life as it did not match cartridges found in his driveway.

In his evidence to the court, Senior Constable Watson said at least seven bullets were fired at Mr Moran in the doorway of the cafe.

He said five casings were found on the footpath outside and two more were discovered underneath Mr Moran’s body.

In a statement tendered in court, Senior Constable Watson stated another bullet was also located on shelving in the shop.

The court also heard evidence about a large amount of gun residue found on the back and palm of Mr Moran’s left hand.

Forensic expert Kylie Beeson told the court the residue could have come from being in close proximity to a firing gun.

Under questioning she said it was unusual for so many particles of residue to be found on someone who did not touch a firearm.

The murder committal for Mr Moran’s sister-in-law, Judy Moran, Suzanne Kane, Geoffrey Armour and Michael Farrugia is continuing.

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Judy Moran under surveillance before murder

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The murder committal hearing for Judy Moran has been told her home was under covert surveillance by police on the morning of her brother-in-law’s murder.

Desmond ‘Tuppence’ Moran, 60, was gunned down in a cafe in the Melbourne suburb of Ascot Vale in June last year.

Senior Constable Craig Zeeher has testified he was sent to Judy Moran’s home on the afternoon of the murder.

He told the court, en route to the house, Sergeant Sussan Thomas told him Judy Moran was a possible suspect in the shooting.

In his statement he said the pair were tasked to ‘try and keep Judy Moran at the address’.

When questioned if he was monitoring her movements, and those of her co – accused, Suzanne Kane, 46, he said he was ‘providing security’ until a homicide detective arrived.

He told the court he did not know Judy Moran’s home had been under covert surveillance since 7:00am on the day of the shooting.

Sergeant Sussan Thomas had told the court she had assumed Judy Moran was a possible suspect.

“I always thought it was possible from the onset of Judy Moran attending the scene,” she said.

The court heard the police officers informed the accused they were free to leave the house but could not be provided police protection if they did.

Both police officers told the court the women were not under investigation at the time but statements were taken from the pair.

The court has also heard that seven to 10 days before Des Moran was shot, Judy Moran bought a Land Rover and two other cars with money she got by refinancing her home.

The vehicles were registered in her name and in Kane’s name.

Judy Moran’s accountant, Peter Cook, told the court he believed Kane and her partner, Geoffrey Armour, were bankrupt at the time.

He said Judy Moran described Kane as being “like a daughter to me”.

The committal hearing for Judy Moran, Kane, Armour and Michael Farrugia is continuing.

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Judy Moran acted oddly at murder scene: witness

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Melbourne Magistrates Court has heard Judy Moran was acting unnaturally and oddly when she arrived at the scene of her brother-in-law’s murder.

Judy Moran is one of four people accused of the murder of Des Moran, who was shot dead in an Ascot Vale cafe last year.

The witness told the committal hearing that Judy Moran arrived at the murder scene within 15 minutes.

She told the court that after Judy Moran arrived, another woman commented that it was funny how quickly word spread about the murder.

The woman also told the court Judy Moran did not try to go near the cafe where her brother-in-law was shot.

“I couldn’t work out why she was walking around near the police and not going to the Ascot Vale Deli,” she said.

She thought Judy Moran was acting oddly when she ran over to police as they cordoned the area.

“She bent over, put her head down and seemed to be crying and carrying on, stamping her feet.”

Three others have been charged with the murder including Suzanne Kane, 46, Geoff Armour, 44, and Michael Farrugia, 45.

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Witnesses saw two gunmen at Moran murder scene

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A witness has placed two possible gunmen at the scene of Des Moran’s murder in Ascot Vale, in Melbourne’s west, last year.

Desmond ‘Tuppence’ Moran, 60, was gunned down in his favourite cafe last June.

A witness told the court she watched as two men backed out of the doorway of the cafe.

She said one was wearing a balaclava and both were dressed in black.

One of the men paused slightly in the doorway before yells of ‘run, run’ were heard and the men took off down the street.

The court also heard another witness describe how two gunmen walked casually away from the scene.

Rina Lauriola was on Union Road when Moran was shot.

She told the court she heard three bangs and turned to see bullet casings drop to the ground.

She then heard another three gun shots, before noticing a man walk calmly past her holding a gun.

She told the court he joined another man and they casually walked away as chaos erupted at the cafe.

Geoff Armour, 44, and 45-year-old Michael Farrugia are charged with Des Moran’s murder, along with Moran’s sister-in-law, Judy Moran, and 46-year-old Suzanne Kane.

The committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court continues.

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Afghan-Taliban using high-tech undetectable bombs to attack NATO forces

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, Sep. 16 (ANI): In order to inflict maximum casualties on NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan, The Taliban has been making high-tech and deadlier bombs, which are hard-to-detect due to their nonmetal components, according to a confidential intelligence report.

According to Pentagon’s Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organisation report, Taliban’s switch to use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) instead of larger anti-armour bombs has enabled the terrorist outfit to produce more bombs and target more US troops.

The Taliban is now using plastic instead of using metal-dominated explosives, and ground troops are finding it hard to detect the buried IEDs with portable mine-detectors, The Daily Times quoted a report in the Washington Times, as saying.

“There is an urgent need to identify new man-portable detection platforms to expand the ability of US troops to detect anti-personnel IED-mines,” the report concludes.

US soldiers in the area around Now Zad, northwest of Kandahar face a constant threat from hidden IEDs, the report reveales.

“Smaller, lighter, more quickly constructed and quite often triggered by a victim-operated switch [booby trap], these IEDs have been a significant factor in labelling Now Zad the most dangerous location with the highest US casualty rate in either the Afghan or Iraq theatres,” the paper said.

A military source said the Taliban were shifting to small IEDs for a number of reasons.

“The Taliban is also thwarting detection by using long pull-cords rather than an electronic signal to ignite IEDs. This way, the bomb cannot be defeated by electronic countermeasures on vehicles and aircraft that jam the signal,” he said. (ANI)

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Now, Scot players to test a waterproof football kit

September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Edinburgh, Sep.13 (ANI): Scotland may be out of the World Cup, but it leads the globe on one footballing frontier – testing out a new range of all-weather soccer gear.

US sportswear giant Under Armour has handpicked two players from the ranks of the Scottish junior leagues to trial shirts, shorts, socks and boots which provide “head to toe” protection against the elements.

Chris Taylor and Kevin MacDonald, from Glasgow, were chosen from thousands of players by the expanding company to try out its new kit over a six-month period.

As well as the waterproof boots, the pair has been given the company’s specially made weather-resistant tops and shorts to try out in Scotland’s harsh winter climate, the News of The World reports.

The boots are made from kangaroo leather, renowned for its water-resistant qualities.

The shirt is made with specially formulated polyester containing “perforated microfibre”.

MacDonald, 26, a betting shop manager, plays for Kirkintilloch Rob Roy. Taylor, 31, plays for Ayrshire side Darvel, and travels from his Glasgow home for training and matches.

The company’s decision to choose Scotland as a testing ground for their waterproof football kit was backed by ex-players yesterday. (ANI)

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MKU displays Instavest Body Armour and Boltfree Ballistic Helmets at DSEi

September 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

ExCeL (United Kingdom), Sep 5 (ANI/Business Wire India): With their armed forces ever more heavily engaged in operations, from the full scale asymmetric combat of Afghanistan to counter-insurgency in Africa and post-war peace support in Iraq and Eastern Europe, many governments are expressing concern about the protection of their troops on the ground.

The range of threats faced in dismounted operations, from small arms to artillery to improvised explosive devices, is growing and, to be effective against such threats, the personal ballistic protection of soldiers on the ground is developing quickly to stay ahead.

The mainstays of effective personal protection are the helmet and the overvest or body armour. Some 45 per cent of battlefield injuries are to the head, of which up to 80 per cent are caused by fragments and only 20 per cent by bullets. High performance helmets with all round protection and efficient harness systems are needed to defeat the threat. Likewise, comfortable, effective body armour, which gives all-round protection while allowing unrestricted movement, is required for the torso, neck and other areas of the body.

To provide protection whilst not limiting combat-effectiveness, such helmets and body armour must be both strong and light. The use of modern materials, such as polyethylene, polyurethane and aramide in helmets and body armour, together with highly mass-efficient ceramic composites in body armour panel inserts, has greatly increased the level of personal protection that the soldier can carry around the battlefield on his head or body. Moreover, quick release systems allow the dismounted soldier to shed his helmet and body armour fast if the tactical situation dictates.

Light weight armour manufacturers and suppliers like MKU are able to offer such personal protection solutions in large numbers and at short notice. At the DSEi exhibition (Stand 1924), MKU will be displaying a range of its light weight personal armour solutions, many already in service, including its instant release “Instavest” body armour and its “Boltfree” helmet range, and briefing military procurers and end users on its range of capabilities. (ANI)

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Giant Martian egg cups could be used to trace the Red Planet’s climate

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 14 (ANI): A new study has suggested that craters embedded on pedestals that tower above the Martian landscape like giant egg cups could be used to trace the planet’s climate.

‘Pedestal’ craters were gouged out by impacts, like other craters, but stand out because they sit atop plateaus that loom an average of 50 metres above the Martian surface.

It’s not clear exactly how the pedestals formed.

According to a report in New Scientist, a comprehensive catalogue of the objects is lending weight to the idea that the pedestals may conceal ice-rich soil from previous eras, when the planet’s spin axis tilted at a different angle than it does today.

Seth Kadish of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues identified 2696 pedestal craters in the planet’s mid- and low-latitudes from images taken primarily by the thermal imager aboard NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

The craters seem to be concentrated at the mid-latitudes, with very few found at the planet’s equator.

About 3 per cent of them have depressions around their bases that resemble areas in Antarctica where permafrost ice vaporizes, creating pits in the soil left behind.

The team said that strengthens the hypothesis that the pedestals were created from soil that was enriched in ice during a period when the Martian poles pointed more towards the sun and its mid-latitudes were colder.

Because Mars does not have a massive satellite that stabilises it, like Earth’s moon, the tilt of its axis is thought to change regularly on scales of tens of thousands of years.

When the planet is tilted most drastically on its side, the planet’s poles receive a lot of sunshine. Any water locked in ice there is thought to vaporize and move towards the equator, where it falls as snow.

Tens of metres of snow are thought to be deposited on the planet’s mid-latitudes during these episodes.

Pedestal craters may preserve regions with this ancient snow.

The researchers suspect the impact of the meteorite that created each pedestal crater could somehow ‘armour’ the ground in the area, producing a top layer that protected ice from sublimating into gas during warmer periods.

The unprotected ice surrounding the armoured area, however, would eventually disappear when the planet’s tilt changed and the area warmed.

That would leave behind the modern-day, ice-laden pedestals that can be more than 100 metres thick.

“These pedestals represent almost like a cookie-cutter section of past icy, dust-rich layers,” Kadish said. (ANI)

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Robotic grasshopper to help explore Mars’ rocky geography

July 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 6 (ANI): Scientists have come up with the first robotic grasshopper based on the spring mechanism the insect has to propel itself, which may help explore Mars’ rocky terrain.

The Jollbot was masterminded by Rhodri Armour, who spent a year building the robot with colleagues at the University of Bath.

The robot, which can jump and roll, enjoys an edge over other machines due to its ability to launch itself over obstacles.

The remote-controlled Jollbot runs on a motor connected to a battery pack and a series of springs around the circumference, which help it leap up to half a metre.

Weighing only one kilogram, it has been made from soft plastic, and borrows dynamics from insects when it bounces on landing.

Armour said: “I was inspired by the way insects like the grasshopper jump around in extremely rough environments. Even with their comparatively long legs, an insect’s small size limits the possibility of using its muscles to directly provide the contraction needed for take-off.”

The researcher added: “That means all insects and smaller jumping animals use some sort of spring mechanism to store muscle energy and release it when required. It’s a bit like a mechanical catapult – with a lengthy energy storage phase and rapid release.”

The boffin further revealed that the project was meant to be low-cost, adding: “Jollbot was always intended to be inexpensive and as such many could be sent on exploratory missions in place of a single conventional robot. This would allow for some of them to fail.”

Dr David Williams, director general of the British National Space Centre, said that the University of Bath’s research helped boost homegrown innovation in space exploration.

He added: “We wish the project all the best.” (ANI)

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Soon, bulletproof vests made of cement

June 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 30(ANI): A new type of body armour made from cement is being developed by engineers at the University of Leeds.

The boffins are combining super-strong cement with recycled carbon fibre materials to make a material tough enough to withstand most types of bullets.

Dr Philip Purnell, who is leading the team at the School of Civil Engineering in the University, said: “By using cement instead of alumina we are confident we can deliver a cost-effective level of protection for many people at risk. It should be good enough for people like security guards, reporters and aid workers who are worried about the odd pot shot being taken at them.

“The fact is many of the armoured vests sold today are over-engineered for the threats they face. Cement based body armour would not only create a whole new market but it would also take some of the pressure off the demand for hi-spec alumina models so that people like soldiers, who really need this kit, can get it.”

Till date, hi-spec body armour is constructed with alumina plates the raw material used to make aluminium – which is heated to 1600 degrees Celsius for up to two weeks in a process called ‘sintering’ making them ultra hard.

Enhanced combat body armour (ECBA) as supplied to UK troops uses sintered alumina plates.

However, in the past UK and US soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced shortages of ECBA as production has struggled to keep up with soaring global demand.

Leeds engineers call the project ‘Cementing the future’ and also suggest putting the material to use in pump-less fridges, a new type of catalytic converter, and improved bone replacements. (ANI)

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Scots fought in bright yellow war shirts, not ‘Braveheart kilts’

June 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, June 29 (ANI): A new research has suggested that medieval Scottish soldiers fought wearing bright yellow war shirts dyed in horse urine rather than the tartan plaid kilts depicted in the film ‘Braveheart’.

According to a report in the Telegraph, the research, done by historian Fergus Cannan states that the Scots armies who fought in battles like Bannockburn, and Flodden Field would have looked very different to the way they have traditionally been depicted.

“Instead of kilts, they wore saffron-coloured tunics called “leine croich” and used a range of ingredients to get the boldest possible colours,” said Cannan.

“What the Scottish soldiers wore in the country’s greatest battles is an area that, up until now, has not been properly studied,” he added.

“A lot of historians quite rightly stated that the film Braveheart was not terribly accurate, but what they didn’t admit was that they didn’t have a clue what would be accurate,” he explained.

Cannan, a military history specialist, scoured original medieval eye-witness accounts, manuscripts, and tomb effigies for his research.

Using these and other sources, he built up a picture of what members of Robert the Bruce’s forces would have worn in 1314.

Numerous accounts cited by Cannan in his new book, ‘Scottish Arms and Armour’, refer to the distinctive linen tunics, usually worn with a belt round the middle.

“Forget about the plaid and tartan,” he said. “The yellow war shirt is never shown in any film or popular image and yet it is something that all the original writers comment on,” he added.

“Highlanders wore the tunics throughout the Middle Ages and right up until the end of the 16th Century,” he said.

Because Saffron was expensive, poor clansmen dyed the linen with horse urine or bark and crushed leaves to get the rich yellow colour.

On top of the leine croich, they would wear a deerskin or cowhide jerkin, which would be waxed or dipped in pitch to make it waterproof.

According to Dr Clare Downham of Aberdeen University said that Cannan’s analysis fitted with her own knowledge of Celtic Scotland.

“The tartan kilt as we know it today is part of a romantic and more modern imagining of Scotland’s past,” she said. (ANI)

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Sexy samurai underwear all the rage in Japan

May 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Sexy samurai underwear all the rage in JapanTokyo – Sexy samurai underwear is the latest trendy present Japanese women want to buy for their partners, the news agency Kyodo reported.

The underwear is designed to look like the armour used by samurai warriors in the Middle Ages and is selling faster than companies like Rogin Inc can supply it – despite a price tag of almost 100 dollars.

The trend was triggered by samurai films on television as well as computer games with particularly cool-looking samurai heroes. (dpa)

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Birth marks, scars helped to identify Prabhakaran’s body

May 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Colombo, May 27 (ANI): Slain LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran’s body was identified by his two former aides with the help of certain scars and birth marks.

The Tiger supremo’s body was identified by federal minister Vinayagamoorthi Muralidaran, one time close confidante of Prabhakaran, and Daya Master, the former LTTE media spokesman.

“They identified and confirmed that the body recovered was that of Prabhakaran. Certain scars and birth marks had helped them in identification. Thus, the army was able to squash all rumours regarding Prabhakaran being alive,” the Bottomline newspaper said.

Commandos had killed Prabhakaran and his deputies and remnants of LTTE cadres as they tried to stage a dramatic breakout, attempting to flee in an armour-plated van and a bus. After a two-hour firefight, troops had fired a rocket at the van to end the battle. (ANI)

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Momentum in Afghanistan is with Taliban: US

May 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 26 (ANI): Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said the momentum in Afghanistan is with the Taliban, who are inflicting heavy American casualties and hold de facto control of parts of the country.

Gates further said American public support for the Afghan war would dissipate in less than a year unless the Obama Administration achieves “a perceptible shift in momentum.”

The Wall Street Journal quoted Gates as saying that the Obama Administration is rapidly running out of time to turn around the war.

“People are willing to stay in the fight, I believe, if they think we’re making headway. If they think we’re stalemated and having our young men and women get killed, then patience is going to run out pretty fast,” he added.

Gates, who was also Defenec Secretary during Bush’s Administration, waded into the debate over the Guantanamo Bay prison and Bush-era anti terror tactics.

He said critics of the Obama Administration’s plans to close Guantanamo and move some prisoners to the US were guilty of fear mongering.

Gates said government interrogators should be limited to the techniques contained in the Army Field Manual and barred from using harsher methods.

Gates also said Iran was harming US interests in Afghanistan by sending weapons to the Taliban and other armed groups.

He expressed particular concern that Tehran might step up its shipments of explosively formed penetrators, powerful roadside bombs capable of punching through even the strongest armour. (ANI)

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Sikh group stakes claim to British Raj’s Ranjit Singh collection

May 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, May 26 (ANI): A Sikh group from Slough has written to Queen Elizabeth requesting her to return property and items belonging to the family of Punjab’s last king Ranjit Singh.

The Telegraph quoted Jagdeesh Singh, from the Sikh Community Action Network, as saying: “We have written to the Queen asking for access rights and the eventual return of items such as historic copies of the Sikh national sacred writings, together with swords and weapons of the Sikh gurus.”

According to Singh, letters, diaries and writings of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the Sikh ruler exiled to Britain in the 19th century, are also part of the collection, some of which is housed at Windsor Castle.

He says: “These things were plundered by the British and are now hidden away in various Royal palaces. I am sure that the Queen does not really know what is there and we would like to do a proper inventory.”

A spokesman for the Royal Collection insisted that it did not own any swords or armour relating to Maharaja Duleep Singh, while a colleague at the Royal Archives claimed to have only a number of papers relating to Singh but not his actual writings. (ANI)

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