Mission | SilverScorpio.Com

Findings from India’s Chandrayaan to provide new understanding of lunar surface

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, September 18 (ANI): India’s Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS) has gathered data for a total of 30 solar flares, giving the most accurate measurements to date of magnesium, aluminum, silicon, calcium, and iron in the lunar surface.

Although contact was lost with Chandrayaan-1 last month, the enhanced performance of the C1XS instrument, which exceeded its design specification, means that the science team will be able to determine the geochemistry of new areas of the lunar surface, adding some vital pieces to the jigsaw of the mineralogy of the lunar surface.

The miniature C1XS instrument investigated the lunar surface using an effect whereby X-ray illumination from the Sun causes rocks to fluoresce, emitting light at a different wavelength.

This re-emitted light contains spectral peaks that are characteristic of elements contained in the rock, revealing its composition.

Solar flares act like a flash bulb, giving added illumination and allowing C1XS to ‘see’ more elements.

During normal conditions, C1XS could detect magnesium, aluminum, and silicon and collected data on the levels of these elements, enabling detailed mapping of areas of the lunar surface during its operational period.

During the 30 solar flares, C1XS detected calcium and iron (and sometimes titanium, sodium, and potassium) in key areas in the southern hemisphere and on the far side of the Moon.

The spectral resolution of 50 km was much better than previous missions.

According to Professor Grande, “The C1XS team will be analyzing the data collected during the Chandrayaan-1 mission over the next few months, and the results will help us further our knowledge of the Moon and planetary formation.”

In addition, the design of the instrument has been proved very successful in that it withstood passage through the Earth’s radiation belts and went on to produce these wonderful high-resolution spectra. We were able to separate clear peaks for each of the target elements, allowing us not only to identify where they are present but give an accurate estimate for how much is there,” he said.

“The technology developed for C1XS opens up some exciting opportunities for future missions,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: accurate measurements, addition, aluminum, ANI, bulb, calcium., Chandrayaan, characteristic, composition, contact, date, design, Earth, effect, estimate, Far Side Of The Moon, findings, flash, Flash Bulb, fluoresce, formation, geochemistry, hemisphere, illumination, India, instrument, iron, jigsaw, key areas, knowledge, London, lunar, lunar surface, magnesium, mapping, mineralogy, mission, month, moon, Operational Period, passage, performance, period, planetary formation, potassium, Professor Grande, radiation, radiation belts, ray, Ray Spectrometer, resolution, Resolution Spectra, rock, Science, science team, September, side, silicon, sodium, solar, solar flares, southern hemisphere, specification, spectra, spectral, Spectral Peaks, spectral resolution, spectrometer, Sun, surface, target, team, Technology, titanium, total, understanding, Vital Pieces, wavelength, x-ray

EU supported urban agricultural market popular in Kerala

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Maradu (Kerala), Sept 18 (ANI): Agricultural Urban Wholesale Market at Maradu in Kerala has become popular among residents and farmers alike.

Fresh and cheap agricultural products are available here and the farmers have the storing, testing and other facilities.

The market is run by the Kerala Government and is financially aided by the European Union (EU). Fresh fruits, vegetables, spice and other agriculture produces are sold in the market.

The place is attracting hordes of customers, as the prices of products are cheaper compared to other shops.

“Most of the products sold in this market are fresh and of a good quality. Earlier, I used to go to main market. But this place is cheap, easy and products come directly from the farms as compared to other shops,” said Sebastian, a customer.

The setting up of warehousing, packaging and marine testing units for frozen or dried fish, vegetables and fruits at the Urban Market are some of the facilities available to farmers.

Prices are low since the farmers directly supply their produce in this market and own shops.

“Compared to other markets here, the prices are low as we have no labour cost involved During festival and other occasions, sellers used to charge high but here prices always remain low because we ourselves produce and later sell and for customers,” said Saji Kumar, a farmer and a shop owner.

Recently, various programmes and exhibitions have been introduced with the help of the State Government and horticulture mission to make the market more farmer-friendly.

The market was set up to improve the marketing infrastructure and enabling farmers to get a better price for their produce.

The market is developed at an area of 46 acres that can handle more than 2,500 tons of produce.

Facilities such as internet access enable the farmers keep track of the daily prices, Agmark certification for the produce is also available at the Agmark Testing Laboratory functioning at the market. By Juhan Samuel (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: access, Agmark, agricultural, Agricultural Market, agricultural products, Agriculture, ANI, area, Certification, cost, customer, European, European Union, exhibitions, farmer, farmers, festival, fish, fresh, Fresh Fruits Vegetables, Fresh Vegetables, Government, help, Hordes, horticulture, Infrastructure, internet, Internet Access, Juhan, kerala, Kerala Government, kumar, Laboratory, labour, Labour Cost, Maradu, market, marketing, mission, occasions, owner, packaging, place, price, produce, quality, Saji, samuel, sebastian, Sept, shop, spice, state, state government, testing, testing laboratory, track, union, urban market, Urban Wholesale, vegetables and fruits, warehousing, wholesale market

NASA’s Swift satellite makes best-ever ultraviolet portrait of Andromeda galaxy

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 17 (ANI): NASA’s Swift satellite has acquired the highest-resolution view of a neighboring spiral galaxy ever attained in the ultraviolet.

The galaxy, known as M31 in the constellation Andromeda, is the largest and closest spiral galaxy to our own.

“Swift reveals about 20,000 ultraviolet sources in M31, especially hot, young stars and dense star clusters,” said Stefan Immler, a research scientist on the Swift team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

“Of particular importance is that we have covered the galaxy in three ultraviolet filters. That will let us study M31′s star-formation processes in much greater detail than previously possible,” he added.

M31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy, is more than 220,000 light-years across and lies 2.5 million light-years away.

On a clear, dark night, the galaxy is faintly visible as a misty patch to the naked eye.

Between May 25 and July 26, 2008, Swift’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) acquired 330 images of M31 at wavelengths of 192.8, 224.6, and 260 nanometers.

The images represent a total exposure time of 24 hours.

The task of assembling the resulting 85 gigabytes of images fell to Erin Grand, an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland at College Park who worked with Immler as an intern this summer.

“After ten weeks of processing that immense amount of data, I’m extremely proud of this new view of M31,” she said.

Several features are immediately apparent in the new mosaic.

The first is the striking difference between the galaxy’s central bulge and its spiral arms.

“The bulge is smoother and redder because it’s full of older and cooler stars,” Immler explained. “Very few new stars form here because most of the materials needed to make them have been depleted,” he added.

Dense clusters of hot, young, blue stars sparkle beyond the central bulge.

M31′s disk and spiral arms contain most of the gas and dust needed to produce new generations of stars.

Star clusters are especially plentiful in an enormous ring about 150,000 light-years across.

“Swift is surveying nearby galaxies like M31 so astronomers can better understand star- formation conditions and relate them to conditions in the distant galaxies where we see gamma-ray bursts occurring,” said Neil Gehrels, the mission’s principal investigator at NASA Goddard. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: amount, andromeda, Andromeda Galaxy, ANI, bulge, center, Central Bulge, college, constellation, Constellation Andromeda, dense, Dense Clusters, dense star, detail, difference, disk, dust, Erin Grand, exposure, eye, flight, formation, galaxy, Galaxy Washington, Gas, goddard, goddard space flight, goddard space flight center, greenbelt, greenbelt maryland, importance, intern, investigator, July, maryland, May, million light years, mission, misty, NASA, nasa goddard, Neil Gehrels, night, optical, optical telescope, park, patch, Portrait, processing, Research, ring, satellite, scientist, September, space, space flight center, sparkle, spiral, spiral arms, spiral galaxy, star, star clusters, Star Formation Processes, Stefan Immler, student, summer, swift, swift satellite, task, team, Telescope, time, ultraviolet, Ultraviolet Sources, undergraduate, University, university of maryland at college park, UVOT, view, Washington

NASA concludes tests for prototype Moon rovers

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 16 (ANI): NASA has concluded two weeks of technology development tests on two of the agency’s prototype lunar rovers.

“These tests provide us with crucial information about how our cutting edge vehicles perform in field situations approximating the moon,” said Rob Ambrose, Human Robotic Systems project lead at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

“We learn from them, then go back home to refine the technology and plan the next focus of our research,” he added.

The annual studies featured an intensive, simulated 14-day mission.

Two crew members, an astronaut and a geologist, lived for more than 300 hours inside NASA’s prototype Lunar Electric Rover.

The explorers scouted the area for features of geological interest, then donned spacesuits and conducted simulated moonwalks to collect samples.

The crew also docked to a simulated habitat, drove the rover across difficult terrain, performed a rescue mission and made a four-day traverse across the lava.

Throughout the test, the crew provided updates via Twitter and posted pictures and video online.

Prior to the test, NASA’s K10 scout robot identified areas of interest for the crew to explore.

NASA’s heavy-lift rover Tri-ATHLETE – or All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer – carried a habitat mockup to which the rover docked. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: agency, all, ambrose, ANI, area, astronaut, center, crew, crew members, day, Development, Development Tests, edge, electric, explorer, extra, field, Field Situations, focus, Geological Interest, geologist, habitat, heavy lift, hex, home, houston, human, information, interest, johnson, johnson space center, K10, lava, lead, Legged, lunar, mission, mockup, moon, Moon Rovers, NASA, NASA moon, nasa space, Online, project, prototype, rescue, Rescue Mission, Research, Rob Ambrose, robot, robotic, Robotic Systems, rover, scout, September, space, spacesuits, Technology, Technology Development, terrain, terrestrial, test, Test Nasa, traverse, Tri, Tri-ATHLETE, twitter, video, Washington

Jolie takes adopted daughter Zahara on first visit to native Ethiopia

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 16 (ANI): Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie’s eldest daughter Zahara returned to her native Ethiopia for the first time since her adoption four years ago.

The four-year-old flew back home with her mother at the weekend.

It all happened when Jolie, currently in Kenya on a United Nations mission with partner Brad Pitt and their six children, broke away from the trip to cross the border into Ethiopia.

Zahara’s little sister Shiloh, 3, also accompanied them.

However, Pitt and the couple’s other four children stayed behind.

“On a trip to Kenya with their children, Angelina stopped in Dabaab Refugee Camp, and also flew to Ethiopia with Zahara and Shiloh for two days,” Contactmusic quoted a source as having told People.com.

“(It was) the first time Zahara had been back home since her adoption. The trip was about keeping up that culture for her,” the source added.

If reports are to be believed, Jolie is looking for a property to build a tuberculosis and AIDS clinic in Zahara’s name.

The Hollywood couple jointly founded a similar organisation to aid impoverished children-known as the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Project-after adopting their eight-year-old son Maddox from Cambodia in 2002. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: Actress, actress angelina jolie, adoption, AIDS, Aids Clinic, angelina, Angelina Jolie, ANI, border, Brad Pitt, Cambodia, camp, clinic, com, contactmusic, couple, culture, Dabaab, daughter, eldest daughter, ethiopia, Hollywood, Hollywood actress, hollywood couple, home, jolie, kenya, little sister, maddox, Maddox Jolie Pitt, Maddox Jolie Pitt Project, mission, mother, name, organisation, partner, Project-after, property, refugee, refugee camp, September, september 16, shiloh, sister, son, source, time, trip, tuberculosis, united, United Nations, visit, Washington, weekend, zahara

Scientists unravel chemistry of Titan’s hazy atmosphere

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 16 (ANI): In a new research, a team of scientists has unraveled the chemical evolution of the orange-brownish colored atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan, the only solar system body besides Venus and Earth with a solid surface and thick atmosphere.

Scientists at University of Hawai’i at Manoa carried out the research.

The UH Manoa team, including Xibin Gu and Seol Kim, conducted simulation experiments mimicking the chemical reactions in Titan’s atmosphere utilizing crossed molecular beams in which the consequence of a single collision between molecules can be followed.

The team’s experiments indicate that triacetylene can be formed by a single collision of a “radical” ethynyl molecule and a diacetylene molecule.

An ethynyl radical is produced in Titan’s atmosphere by the photodissociation of acetylene by ultraviolet light.

Photodissociation is a process in which a chemical compound is broken down by photons.

“Surprisingly, the photochemical models show inconsistent mechanisms for the production of polyynes,” said Kaiser, who is the principal investigator of this study.

The mechanism involved in the formation of triacetylene, was also confirmed by accompanying theoretical calculations by Alexander Mebel, a theoretical chemist at Florida International University.

These theoretical computations also provide the 3D distribution of electrons in atoms and thus the overall energy level of a molecule.

To apply these findings to the real atmosphere of Titan, Danie Liang and Yuk Yung, planetary scientists at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), respectively, performed photochemical modeling studies of Titan’s atmosphere.

All data together suggest that triacetylene may serve as a building block to form more complex and longer polyynes and produce potential precursors for the aerosol-based layers of haze surrounding Titan.

The study demonstrated for the first time that a sensible combination of laboratory simulation experiments with theory and modeling studies can shed light on decade old unsolved problems crucial to understand the origin and chemical evolution of the solar system.

The researchers hope to unravel next the mystery of the missing ethane lakes on Titan – postulated to exist for half a century, but not detected conclusively within the framework of the Cassini-Huygens mission.

In the future, the UH Manoa team will combine the research results with terrestrial-based observations of Titan’s atmosphere. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: academia, Academia Sinica, acetylene, Alexander Mebel, ANI, atmosphere, block, body, building, California, california institute of technology, Caltech, Cassini, century, chemical, Chemical Compound, Chemical Evolution, chemist, chemistry, collision, combination, compound, consequence, Danie, decade, diacetylene, distribution, Distribution Of Electrons, Earth, Electrons In Atoms, energy, ethane, ethynyl, evolution, Florida, formation, framework, future, Hawai, haze, hazy, hazy atmosphere, huygens, institute, international, investigator, kaiser, kim, Laboratory, level, Liang, Manoa, Mebel, mechanism, mission, modeling, Molecular Beams, molecule, moon, mystery, origin, Photochemical Models, photodissociation, planetary scientists, process, production, Research, saturn, Saturn S Moon Titan, Seol, September, simulation, Simulation Experiments, Sinica, Solar System Body, study, surface, system, taiwan, team, Technology, Theoretical Calculations, Theoretical Chemist, Theoretical Computations, theory, Thick Atmosphere, time, Titan, triacetylene, ultraviolet, University, venus, Washington, Xibin, Yuk, Yung

Adopt new, transparent selection process for police forces: Chidambaram

September 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 14 (ANI): Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday asked the State Governments to adopt new, time bound and transparent selection process for the state police forces on the lines of the Central Police Force selection procedure.

Addressing the three-day long conference of the Directors Generals and Inspectors Generals of state police forces organized by Intelligence Bureau, Chidambaram said: “Revamp the recruitment procedures and make them quick, time bound and transparent. We have introduced a new recruitment procedure in the CPMFs that is based on technology, objective assessment and transparency. I would take this opportunity to urge State Governments to immediately adopt the new procedure.”

Chidambaram expressed concern over the way police officers are treated and asked states to constitute the police establishment boards as the earliest.

“Constitute a Police Establishment Board that would decide on transfers and postings. It is a matter of deep regret that many police officers have been reduced to a football, to be kicked here and there, from one post to another, without regard to the damage done to the job as well as the officer,” he said.

Expressing concern over the non providing of funds to the police forces by some of the states, Chidambaram said: “I am also concerned about the attitude of some State Governments to providing funds for the police. Let me remind you that Police and Public Order are State subjects. States are right in zealously guarding their turf. The Central Government has no desire to encroach upon the jurisdiction of the State Governments. Given the Constitutional responsibility, State Governments must provide adequate funds for the State Police. “

The Home Minister appealed to the state governments to change the practice of allotting the residue – after providing funds for other Plan and Non-Plan Schemes to the head of Police.

The Central Government increased over Rs.13, 000 crore in the budget of the current fiscal to strengthening the CPFs, and for Modernization of Police Force, CCTNS, Strengthening of Fire and Emergency Services, Scheme of ICP, etc.

Chidambaram called on the conference to mark the beginning of a process of reinventing the security system in the country.

“We must learn from our past mistakes. We must also learn from the experience of other countries. It is the neglect of tried and tested methods that has led us to a situation where we seemed unequal to the challenges that face the internal security of the country,” he said.It is not enough to walk with firm steps on the path that is known. We must also lay out a path forward that will draw heavily upon technology and innovation,” Chidambaram added.

He said once the ambitious projects of CCTN and NATGRID are fully rolled out and implemented, it would mark a quantum jump in our ability to counter the challenges that we face.

Chidambaram also stressed on the creation of a first rate National Counter Terrorism Centre.

“It is also my desire that once the Police Mission submits its report, we should implement the recommendations in a time-bound manner. There is the need to enact a “Model Police Act”. Mega-city policing is a new requirement, and there is much to learn from the experiences of other mega-cities,” Chidambaram said.

Chidambaram also asked the state police chiefs to sharply upgrade our Forensic Science Laboratories and make them among the best in the world. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: ability, act, adequate funds, adopt, ANI, assessment, attitude, beginning, board, budget, bureau, CCTN, CCTNS, Central Police, Central Government, centre, concern, conference, constitute, constitutional, Constitutional Responsibility, counter, country, CPFs, CPMFs, creation, crore, damage, desire, emergency, encroach, establishment, experience, expressing, face, fire, firm, fiscal, football, force, Forensic, generals, head, home, ICP, innovation, Inspectors, intelligence, intelligence bureau, job, jump, jurisdiction, manner, matter, mega city, Minister P. Chidambaram, mission, model, modernization, Monday, NATGRID, national, need, neglect, New Delhi, new time, non, objective, Objective Assessment, officer, opportunity, order, P. Chidambaram, path, plan, police, police force, police forces, police officers, post, practice, procedure, process, Public, quantum, quick time, rate, recruitment, recruitment procedure, recruitment procedures, regard, regret, report, requirement, residue, responsibility, Revamp, scheme, schemes, Science, security, selection, selection procedure, selection process, Sep, situation, state, state governments, state police, strengthening, system, Technology, terrorism, time, transparency, Transparent Selection, turf, union, Union Home Minister, way, world

Declining CO2 levels helped in Antarctic formation 34 million years ago

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 14 (ANI): In a major research study, the link between declining carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the earth’s atmosphere and the formation of the Antarctic ice caps some 34 million years ago has been confirmed for the first time.

The research was carried out by a team of scientists from Cardiff, Bristol and Texas A and M universities, in a small East African village, where they extracted microfossils in samples of rocks which show the level of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere at the time of the formation of the ice-cap.

Geologists have long speculated that the formation of the Antarctic ice-cap was caused by a gradually diminishing natural greenhouse effect.

The study’s findings confirm that atmospheric CO2 declined during the Eocene – Oligocene climate transition and that the Antarctic ice sheet began to form when CO2 in the atmosphere reached a tipping point of around 760 parts per million (by volume).

According to Professor Paul Pearson from Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, who led the mission to the remote East Africa village of Stakishari, “About 34 million years ago, the Earth experienced a mysterious cooling trend. Glaciers and small ice sheets developed in Antarctica, sea levels fell and temperate forests began to displace tropical-type vegetation in many areas.”

“The period, known to geologists as the Eocene – Oligocene transition, culminated in the rapid development of a continental-scale ice sheet on Antarctica, which has been there ever since,” he said.

“We therefore set out to establish whether there was a substantial decline in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels as the Antarctic ice sheet began to grow,” he added.

The team mapped large expanses of bush and wilderness and pieced together the underlying local rock formations using occasional outcrops of rocks and stream beds.

Eventually, they discovered sediments of the right age near a traditional African village called Stakishari.

By assembling a drilling rig and extracting hundreds of meters of samples from under the ground, they were able to obtain exactly the piece of Earth’s history they had been searching for.

According to co-author Dr Gavin Foster from the University of Bristol Earth Sciences Department, “By using the rather unique set of samples from Tanzania and a new analytical technique that I developed, we have, for the first time, been able to reconstruct the concentration of CO2 across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary – the time period about 34 million years ago when ice sheets first started to grow on Eastern Antarctica.” (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: age, ANI, antarctic, antarctic ice cap, antarctic ice sheet, antarctica, atmosphere, atmospheric carbon dioxide, Atmospheric Co2, boundary, bristol, bush, carbon, carbon dioxide levels, Cardiff, cardiff university, climate, co-author, co2 levels, concentration, continental scale, cooling, decline, department, Development, dioxide, Dr Gavin Foster, drilling, Earth, Earth And Ocean, East Africa, East African, Eastern Antarctica, effect, eocene, formation, geologists, glaciers, greenhouse, ground, history, ice, level, link, Local Rock, Microfossils, mission, Natural Greenhouse Effect, ocean, ocean sciences, Oligocene, Paul Pearson, period, piece, point, professor paul, Professor Paul Pearson, Research, rig, rock, school, sea, sea levels, September, set, sheet, Stakishari, stream, stream beds, study, substantial decline, tanzania, team, technique, temperate, Temperate Forests, Texas, time, transition, trend, University, vegetation, village, volume, Washington, wilderness

DGPS/IGPs conference to deliberate on major internal security issues

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 14 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram will inaugurate the DGPs/IGPs Confernce-2009 here today.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will address the conference on the second day and also present police medals for meritorious services.

The conference is expected to deliberate on major internal security threats, including left wing extremism, terrorism, coastal security, insurgency in the north-east and circulation of fake currency notes in the country.

The agenda also includes presentations on important policing issues such as the National Police Mission, corporate fraud and security arrangements being planned for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010.

The conference provides an interactive platform for senior police professionals and security administrators to freely discuss and debate diverse national security related issues, as also the various operational, infrastructural and welfare related problems faced by them.

Its deliberations would also include formulation and sharing of professional practices and processes in tackling challenges relating to crime control and law and order management.

The conference offers opportunities for generation and exchange of new ideas on capacity building for the police in respect of manpower, training, logistics and advanced technology.

The intelligence Bureau organised the first ever conference of IGPs in India in 1920 and since then, these conferences have been held regularly at New Delhi in the post-independence period. The first conference was organised in 1950.

To begin with, it was a biennial event, but after 1973, it became an annual meeting for the Heads of Police Organisations in the States/Union Territories and of the Central Police Organisations. Director, Intelligence Bureau, is the ex-officio Chairman of the conference. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: agenda, ANI, Biennial Event, building, bureau, capacity, Central Police, chairman, circulation, commonwealth, commonwealth games, conference, Confernce, control, corporate fraud, country, Crime, currency, day, DGPs, director, Dr. Manmohan Singh, event, exchange, extremism, fake currency notes, formulation, fraud, generation, heads, home, IGPs, inaugurate, Independence Period, India, insurgency., intelligence, intelligence bureau, interactive platform, law, management, Manmohan Singh, manpower, Manpower Training, meeting, meritorious services, Minister P. Chidambaram, mission, national, New Delhi, Officio Chairman, order, organisations, P. Chidambaram, period, platform, police, Police Mission, Police Professionals, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan, Professional Practices, respect, security, Security Administrators, security arrangements, Sep, sharing, Singh, Technology, terrorism, today, training, union, Union Home Minister, welfare, wing, wing extremism

US Fritzl told wife “to take the cute blond girl” during “child shopping” trip

September 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Sept 13 (ANI): Phillip Garrido, the “American Fritzl”, selected Jaycee Lee Dugard as his prey during a “child shopping” trip because she looked cute, his wife has told police in California.

Describing the precision that went into the abduction of the then 11-year-old Jaycee, Nancy told cops that they decided not to snatch the pretty blond girl with the gap-toothed grin that day in June 1991 because she was walking through South Lake Tahoe along with few school friends.

Instead, they apparently trailed her to her home before returning the next morning to complete their mission.

Garrido allegedly jumped out of their car and grabbed her as she walked to nearby a bus-stop, while her husband remained behind the wheel.

“That’s the one I want,” Garrido told her when he saw Jaycee in the resort town.

“She’s cute, but she’s with the other kids. Let’s come back later and get her,” she added.

After being briefed on Mrs Garrido’s testimony by law enforcement contacts, Michael Cardoza, a Californian attorney and former prosecutor, relayed his coldly calculating words to the Telegraph.

“This was nothing less than a child shopping trip. It just makes their actions all the more horrendous and reprehensible,” he said. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: abduction, American, ANI, attorney, Blond Girl, bus stop, California, Californian, car, child, cops, day, enforcement, Fritzl, gap, Garrido, Girl, grin, home, husband, Jaycee, Jaycee Lee Dugard, June, lake tahoe, law, law-enforcement, Lee Dugard, London, Michael Cardoza, mission, morning, Mrs Garrido, nancy, next morning, nothing, Phillip Garrido, precision, prey, prosecutor, resort, school, school friends, Sept, shopping, Shopping London, South Lake, south lake tahoe, Tahoe, Telegraph, testimony, town, trip, US, wheel, wife

DGPS/IGPs conference to deliberate on major internal security issues

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 11 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram will inaugurate the DGPs/IGPs Confernce-2009 on September 14.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will address the conference on the second day and also present police medals for meritorious services.

The conference is expected to deliberate on major internal security threats, including left wing extremism , terrorism, coastal security, insurgency in the north-east and circulation of fake currency notes in the country.

Its deliberations would also include formulation and sharing of professional practices and processes in tackling challenges relating to crime control and law and order management.

The conference offers opportunities for generation and exchange of new ideas on capacity building for the police in respect of manpower, training, logistics and advanced technology.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: agenda, ANI, Biennial Event, building, bureau, capacity, Central Police, chairman, circulation, commonwealth, commonwealth games, conference, Confernce, control, corporate fraud, country, Crime, currency, day, DGPs, director, Dr. Manmohan Singh, event, exchange, extremism, fake currency notes, formulation, fraud, generation, heads, home, IGPs, inaugurate, Independence Period, India, insurgency., intelligence, intelligence bureau, interactive platform, law, management, Manmohan Singh, manpower, Manpower Training, meeting, meritorious services, Minister P. Chidambaram, mission, national, New Delhi, Officio Chairman, order, organisations, P. Chidambaram, period, platform, police, Police Mission, Police Professionals, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan, Professional Practices, respect, security, Security Administrators, security arrangements, Sep, September, sharing, Singh, Technology, terrorism, training, union, Union Home Minister, welfare, wing, wing extremism

Geri Halliwell on women-welfare mission in Nepal

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): Former Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell showed her humanistic side by launching a campaign to help women suffering from gender based violence in Nepal.

As goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund, the singer is currently on a visit to the country to promote maternal health care and women’s rights.

“When we empower women and take care of them, everyone benefits,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling reporters in the region.

The beauty met the country’s Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal for support to raise awareness of violence against women in the south-west of the country.

Halliwell also spoke about the dangers of domestic abuse and a lack of medical care for pregnant women. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: abuse, ambassador, ANI, awareness, beauty, campaign, care, contactmusic, country, domestic abuse, everyone, former, fund, gender, geri halliwell, girls, girls member, goodwill, goodwill ambassador, Health, Health Women, Humanistic Side, Kumar Nepal, lack, Madhav, maternal, Maternal Health Care, medical care, member, mission, Nations Population Fund, Nepal., population, Pregnant women, Prime Minister, Prime Minister Madhav, region, September, september 11, side, singer, spice, Spice Girls, support, united, United Nations, United Nations Population Fund, Violence, violence against women, visit, Washington, Welfare Mission, Women S Rights

US Navy ship sunk in World War II battle located

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): A research mission has located and identified the final resting place of the YP-389, a US Navy patrol boat sunk approximately 20 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, by a German submarine during World War II.

Six sailors died in the attack on June 19, 1942. There were 18 survivors.

The wreck is located in about 300 feet of water in a region off North Carolina known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” home to US and British naval vessels, merchant ships, and German U-boats sunk during the Battle of the Atlantic.

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and its expedition partners mapped and shot video of the wreck using high-resolution camera equipment, multibeam sonar and an advanced remotely operated vehicle deployed from the NOAA ship Nancy Foster.

Researchers were able to locate and positively identify the YP-389 by reexamining data from the Duke Marine Laboratory expedition that discovered the USS Monitor in 1973.

Today, the relatively intact remains of the YP-389 rest upright on the ship’s keel.

The wreck site is home to a variety of marine life. Much of the outer-hull plating has fallen away, leaving only the intact frames exposed.

“She rests now like a literal skeleton, a reminder of a time long ago when the nation was at war,” said Joseph Hoyt, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary archaeologist and principal investigator for the project.

Built originally as a fishing trawler, the YP-389 was converted into a coastal patrol craft and pressed into service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The ship was equipped with one 3-inch deck gun to protect the ship from enemy aircraft and surfaced submarines and two .30-caliber machine guns.

However, on the day of the attack by the German submarine U-701, the ship’s deck gun was inoperative, and the YP-389 could return fire only with its machine guns.

Weeks after the attack on the YP-389, the U-701 was sunk by Army aircraft in the same vicinity as the YP-389.

According to Rear Admiral Jay A. DeLoach, USN (Ret), director, Naval History and Heritage Command, “The US Navy considers the YP-389 discovery a grave site and, by law, it is to be left undisturbed.” (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: administration., aircraft, ANI, archaeologist, army, atlantic, Atmospheric, attack, Attack On Pearl Harbor, battle, boat, caliber, Caliber Machine Guns, camera, Cape Hatteras, Cape Hatteras North Carolina, coast, command, craft, day, deck, Deck Gun, DeLoach, director, discovery, duke, Duke Marine Laboratory, enemy, equipment, expedition, final resting place, fire, fishing, fishing trawler, foster, German, german submarine, German U Boats, graveyard, Graveyard Of The Atlantic, gun, Hatteras North Carolina, Heritage, High Resolution Camera, history, home, inch, investigator, Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor, Joseph Hoyt, June, keel, Laboratory, law, life, machine, marine, merchant, mission, monitor, Monitor National Marine, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Multibeam, nancy, nation, national, National Marine Sanctuary, national oceanic and atmospheric administration, naval, navy, navy ship, NOAA, Noaa Ship, North Carolina, Oceanic, Patrol, Pearl Harbor, place, project, Rear Admiral Jay A, region, reminder, Research, rest, Ret, Sanctuary, September, service, ship, shot, site, skeleton, sonar, submarine, time, today, trawler, upright, US, USN, USS, variety, vehicle, vicinity, video, war, Washington, water, weeks, world, world war ii, wreck, YP

US Army Nurse reveals ‘humane’ side of Saddam Hussein

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep. 11 (ANI): Saddam Hussein might be remembered as a brutal international criminal by the rest of the world; but to retired U.S. Army Nurse Robert Ellis, who spent more time with the dictator than any other American, he was a patient with a humane side.

Ellis worked as the senior American medical advisor at Baghdad’s Camp Cropper, where Hussein was held for eight months until his execution in December 2006, Fox News reports.

During this period, Hussein who went by the code name “Victor” grew close to his caregiver, who was known to him by the code name “Alice.”

The report quoted Ellis as saying that when he told Hussein that he had to return to St. Louis to see his dying brother, Hussein hugged him and said: “I will be your brother.”

Ellis’ new book, “Caring for Victor,” is a record of his time with the ruthless tyrant.

For Ellis, the mission caused serious internal conflict.

“I was always conflicted throughout the whole mission. My job was to keep these people alive and healthy so they could be interrogated,” he said.

Ellis says that by remaining “non-judgmental,” he was able to see another side of a human who was considered to be a brutal killer.

“By me spending time with him, I got to see his other side, a side that you don’t hear about. They play by a different set of rules over there,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: advisor, alice, American, ANI, army, Army Nurse, Baghdad, book, brother, Brother Ellis, Camp Cropper, Caregiver, Caring, code, conflict, criminal, December, dictator, eight months, ellis, execution, fox, Fox News, humane, internal conflict, job, killer, medical advisor, mission, name, NEWS, news reports, Nurse Robert Ellis, patient, period, record, report, rest, rest of the world, Robert Ellis, Saddam Hussein, Sep, Sep 11, set, side, spending, spending time, St. Louis, time, tyrant, u s army, US, victor, Washington, world

Cabinet approves signing, ratification of BIMST Convention

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Sep 10(ANI): A Union Cabinet meeting on Thursday discussed topics, including the revamping of the National Rural Health Mission and approval for the signing and ratification of the BIMST (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand) Convention.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said: “This convention will provide strong legal basis for cooperation among the law enforcement agencies of the BIMST member states. It will give a much needed thrust to the enforcement agencies of the BIMST member states which are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.”

The proposal will be signed during the forthcoming BIMST Ministerial Conference.

On the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Soni said: “The mission (National Rural Health Mission) now seeks to provide universal access to affordable and quality healthcare which is accountable and at the same time responsive to the needs of the people.”

She said the Government would launch an annual health survey in some states to provide feedback on the impact of schemes underthe NRHM on health indicators like Maternal Mortality Rates and Total Fertility Rates.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the Registrar General of India, Ministry of Home Affairs will be conducting the survey and would compute the statistics, she added. (ANI)

Filed Under: Business News Tagged With: access, affairs, Ambika Soni, ANI, annual health, approval, Bangladesh, basis, BIMST, broadcasting, cabinet, Cabinet meeting, collaboration, conference, convention, cooperation, enforcement, family, feedback, fertility, Fertility Rates, general, Government, Health, Health Indicators, health survey, Healthcare, home, impact, India, India Ministry, information, law, law enforcement agencies, legal basis, maternal, Maternal Mortality Rates, meeting, member, Minister Ambika Soni, ministerial, ministerial conference, ministry, ministry of health, ministry of health and family welfare, ministry of home affairs, mission, mortality, Myanmar, national, national rural health, national rural health mission, New Delhi, nrhm, proposal, quality, quality healthcare, ratification, registrar, Registrar General Of India, revamping, rural, Sep, Sri Lanka, survey, Thailand, thrust, Thursday, time, total, underthe, union, union cabinet, welfare

Absence of teachers keeps literacy rate low in Bihar

September 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Patna, Sep 8 (ANI): Even as the world’s observing ‘International Literacy Day’ on Tuesday, Bihar continues to suffer from rampant illiteracy.

Despite the government’s repeated efforts to improve standards of teaching, schools are grappling with a lack of teaching staff and creaking infrastructure.

“We want to increase the number of students in our school, but this is only possible if there are more teachers. We want accommodate 2000 students in the school but we are not able to give admission to the students who come here as there are no teachers and no place to sit,” said Kamlesh Kumar, a teacher.

He added that their school has appealed to the authorities to take a notice of their condition.

The parents prefer keeping their kids at home. They feel that their kids are better at home playing.

“We don’t send our kids to the school because there are no teachers and if there are no teachers what will our kids study in school. That is why the children go to school, play for sometime and come back as there is no one to look after them in the school. Hence, my kids don’t go to the school and play on the streets,” said Mohammad Sarfuddin, a slum dweller.

The eradication of illiteracy has been one of the major programmes of successive Indian governments since independence.

The National Literacy Mission, launched in 1988 by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s government, has greatly helped in increasing the rate of literacy in the country. Besides the universalisation of primary education, steps were taken to promote adult literacy. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: absence, admission, adult, Adult Literacy, ANI, authorities, Bihar, condition, country, day, dweller, Education, eradication, Eradication Of Illiteracy, former prime minister, Government, home, illiteracy, independence, indian governments, Infrastructure, international, international literacy day, kamlesh, kumar, lack, literacy, literacy rate, mission, mohammad, Mohammad Sarfuddin, national, National Literacy, notice, number, parents, Patna, place, playing, primary education, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, rate, school, Sep, slum, staff, teacher, teaching, Teaching Schools, teaching staff, Tuesday, Universalisation, world

510-year-old church in Newfoundland may be New World’s oldest Christian site

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ottawa, September 7 (ANI): In a new project, a team of archeologists is planning to search for the remains of a 510-year-old church on the western shore of Conception Bay, Newfoundland, which may be the oldest Christian site in the New World.

According to a report in the National Post, the project is aimed at adding to a string of recent discoveries about explorer John Cabot’s history-making voyages to Canada in the late 15th century.

The recent emergence of new evidence about Cabot’s voyages, including potentially “revolutionary” findings by the late British historian Alwyn Ruddock, has renewed interest in England’s earliest New World ventures during the reign of King Henry VII.

Canwest News Service recently revealed a researcher’s discovery of a 1499 letter in which Henry VII himself describes a previously unknown expedition to Canada headed by William Weston, a Bristol merchant who is finally emerging – five centuries after his death – as a key backer of Cabot’s quest to establish an English foothold in North America.

The king’s letter also contained the earliest known use of the phrase “new founde land” to describe Canada’s easternmost province, which Cabot is believed to have reached in June 1497 – the first European landfall in North America since the age of the Vikings.

Bizarrely, the recent spate of revelations from the dawning days of Canadian history follows Prof. Ruddock’s order – carried out by the executors of her will after she died in 2005 — that her unpublished research be destroyed.

But, through a project headed by University of Bristol historian Evan Jones, Prof. Pope and other scholars are combing through a small collection of Prof. Ruddock documents that survived destruction and may point the way to fresh discoveries – including the suspected Catholic mission at Carbonear.

In the outline for a book she never completed, Prof. Ruddock claimed to have found documents detailing the establishment of a church at Carbonear.

Historians generally believe Cabot perished during the voyage, and little was accomplished by any of the ships involved in the expedition.

But Prof. Ruddock’s sketchy references to a New World church built as early as 1498 has electrified Prof. Jones and other researchers.

“If she were correct, this would be the first European Christian settlement in North America, with the church Prof. Ruddock mentions being the first built on the continent,” said Jones. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: age, Alwyn Ruddock, ANI, backer, Bizarrely, book, bristol, british historian, Canada, Canadian History, Canwest, Canwest News Service, Carbonear, catholic, Catholic Mission, century, christian, church, collection, Conception Bay, Conception Bay Newfoundland, continent, death, destruction, discovery, easternmost, Easternmost Province, emergence, England, english, establishment, European, evan jones, evidence, executors, expedition, explorer, Explorer John Cabot, foothold, founde, Founde Land, henry vii, historian, historians, history, interest, john cabot, jones, June, king, King Henry Vii, land, landfall, letter, merchant, mission, national, New, New World Ventures, Newfoundland, NEWS, North America, order, Ottawa, outline, phrase, post, prof jones, Prof. Pope, Prof. Ruddock, project, province, quest, recent discoveries, reign, report, Research, researcher, Revolutionary Findings, Ruddock, September, service, settlement, shore, site, spate, string, team, University, university of bristol, Unpublished Research, use, voyage, way, william weston, world

China to assist Pak launch its first satellite

September 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep.5 (ANI): Taking their bilateral relations to a next level, China has said that it would provide financial assistance to Pakistan for launching its first satellite.

Addressing a press conference here, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Lou Zhaohui said China is ready to extend all help to Pakistan regarding its space mission, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard would be signed next week.

Zhaohui also informed that Chinese President Hu Jintao would meet his Pakistani counterpart in New York later this month on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.

He said the meeting will focus on strengthening bilateral ties of the two nations.

“The focus would be on a wide range of regional and international issues, but of course the emphasis would be on bilateral relations. The interaction will further deepen friendship with China,” The Dawn quoted Zhaohui, as saying.

“It is important for the leaderships to establish personal friendship,” he added. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: ambassador, ANI, assistance, bilateral relations, bilateral ties, China, Chinese, chinese ambassador, Chinese president hu, chinese president hu jintao, conference, counterpart, course, dawn, deepen, emphasis, financial assistance, focus, friendship, General Assembly, Hu Jintao, interaction, Islamabad, Jintao, leaderships, level, lou, margins, meeting, memorandum, memorandum of understanding, mission, month, mou, New York, next level, Pak, Pakistan, Personal Friendship, president, President Hu Jintao, press, range, regard, satellite, Sep, space, Space Mission, understanding, united, United Nations General Assembly, week, Zhaohui

Hilary Swank supports pet re-homing drive

September 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 4 (ANI): Actress Hilary Swank has urged people to support a new scheme to rehouse unwanted pets.

The ‘Million Dollar Baby’ star became an ambassador for the Home 4 the IAMS Holidays Pet Adoption Campaign, which helps animals in shelters find new owners.

“I’m so proud to be working to help raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“Last year, the program’s adoption goal was to get one million pets adopted in just three months, but this year the goal is even bigger.

“We’re on a mission to find loving homes for 1.5 million orphaned pets between October 1st and January 4th,” she added.

The animal loving Oscar-winner has previously adopted many pets, most recent being her two dogs, Karoo and Rumi. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: 5 million, Actress, adoption, ambassador, ANI, animal, animals, awareness, baby, baby star, being, campaign, contactmusic, dollar, drive, Goal, Hilary Swank, holidays, home, Iams, importance, January, Karoo, million, Million Dollar Baby, mission, October, one million, oscar, oscar-winner, people, pet, pet adoption, program, rehouse, Rumi, scheme, September, star, the, three months, Two Dogs, Unwanted Pets, Washington, year

Western envoys expect run-off in Afghanistan election

September 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Paris, Sep. 3 (ANI): Western envoys to Afghanistan have said that their respective governments should “be prepared for a run-off” in the Afghanistan presidential election if too many votes are ruled “irregular.”

If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off between the top two vote getters will be held. The latest results show that incumbent president Hamid Karzai has 47.3 percent of the vote with more than 60 percent of the ballots counted.

The meeting of German, French, British, UN, and US envoys to Afghanistan here was regarded as a show of unity and support in the midst of an Afghan mission seen as unpopular in Europe and dubbed by some US media as “Mr. Obama’s war.”

In European circles, the meeting was also seen as an effort to pressure Afghan President Karzai in the wake of some 1,000 complaints of ballot stuffing and fraud now under review, and to garner support for US efforts to target of irregular election behavior and corruption, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

Hosted by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, the gathering also included British envoy Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, Germany’s Bernd Mutzelburg, US envoy Richard Holbrooke, Karl Eide of the UN, and 22 other representatives.

The Afghanistan Election Commission is now going through nearly 1,000 complaints, of which 600 have been addressed, the envoys said – predicting they would finish the process by September 17. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: afghan, Afghanistan, ANI, ballot, ballots, behavior, Bernd Mutzelburg, british envoy, candidate, Christian Science, Christian Science Monitor, coles, commission, corruption, Cowper, effort, Eide, Election, election commission, envoy, Europe, foreign, fraud, French, French Foreign Minister, gathering, Germany, hamid karzai, hosted, Incumbent President, Karl Eide, meeting, midst, Minister Bernard Kouchner, mission, monitor, Mr. Obama, Obama, Paris, percent, president, President Hamid Karzai, President Karzai, presidential election, process, review, Richard Holbrooke, Sep, September, September 17, Sherard, show, sir, support, target, unity, US, vote, Vote Getters, wake, war, Western Envoys

Findings from India’s Chandrayaan to provide new understanding of lunar surface

EU supported urban agricultural market popular in Kerala

NASA’s Swift satellite makes best-ever ultraviolet portrait of Andromeda galaxy

NASA concludes tests for prototype Moon rovers

Jolie takes adopted daughter Zahara on first visit to native Ethiopia

Scientists unravel chemistry of Titan’s hazy atmosphere

Adopt new, transparent selection process for police forces: Chidambaram

Declining CO2 levels helped in Antarctic formation 34 million years ago

US Fritzl told wife “to take the cute blond girl” during “child shopping” trip

Geri Halliwell on women-welfare mission in Nepal

US Navy ship sunk in World War II battle located

US Army Nurse reveals ‘humane’ side of Saddam Hussein

Cabinet approves signing, ratification of BIMST Convention

Absence of teachers keeps literacy rate low in Bihar

510-year-old church in Newfoundland may be New World’s oldest Christian site

China to assist Pak launch its first satellite

Hilary Swank supports pet re-homing drive

Western envoys expect run-off in Afghanistan election

Search More News

Technology News

Ads