W O R L D

Sunita’s marathon in space
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams will run in the Boston Marathon on April 16 from 210 miles above the earth. This will be for the first time that an astronaut in space will be an official participant in a marathon.

22 students held in B’desh
Dhaka, March 31
As many as 22 students belonging to Islamic outfit Hizbut Tahrir Bangladesh were arrested here while they were holding a “secret” meeting in violation of the country’s emergency laws, the police said today.

Pakistan test-fires Abdali missile
Islamabad, March 31
Pakistan today successfully test-fired nuclear-capable Abdali, Hatf-II, ballistic missile. “The indigenously developed short-range surface-to-surface missile can hit its target as far away as 200 km,” an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.

Australia-India uranium deal faces block
Melbourne, March 31
With Australian Prime Minister signalling a possible uranium deal with India, the anti-nuclear lobby has ratchet up pressure by vociferously opposing any such move.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (L) walks next to Major-General Claudio Graziano of Italy, commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, upon his arrival at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon, on Saturday. — Reuters

Resolution on Divali in US House
New York, March 31
A resolution recognising the significance of Divali has been moved in the US House of Representatives.

Iran may try 15 UK sailors if found guilty
Teheran, March 31
Iran's ambassador to Russia has said the 15 British sailors held by Iran could be tried for violating international law, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported today.

Iran close to getting SAARC observer status 
New Delhi, March 31
A high-level meeting of SAARC approved the application of Iran for observer status, resulting in Tehran moving a step closer to being associated with the regional body.

 

Sunita’s marathon in space
Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington

Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams will run in the Boston Marathon on April 16 from 210 miles above the earth. This will be for the first time that an astronaut in space will be an official participant in a marathon.

Williams will run the 26.2 miles on a treadmill aboard the international space station. She will be harnessed to a specially designed treadmill with bungee cords. She hopes her effort will serve as an inspiration. "I encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives," she said.

"I think a big goal like a marathon will help get this message out there." She qualified for the marathon when she completed the course in three hours 29 minutes and 57 seconds in Houston last year.

"I considered it a huge honour to qualify and I didn't want my qualification to expire without giving it a shot," Williams, who is expected to return to earth this summer, said in a statement.

Besides running, she lists swimming, biking, triathlons, windsurfing, snowboarding and bow hunting as her interests. Her parents Deepak and Bonnie Pandya reside in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Williams lives in Needham, Massachusetts.

"She thought it would be cool if she gave it a try," Williams sister Dina Pandya, who will also run the race, but in Boston, told the Associated Press. Williams told her sister that she would call her on "heartbreak hill," a stressful stretch of the course. A fellow NASA astronaut, Karen Nyberg, will also be running with Pandya.

Although the race starts at 10 am in Boston, Williams might not be able to run contemporaneously because her sleep schedule is set for the arrival of a Soyuz mission, according to NASA.

Williams took off with the Discovery shuttle team on December 9. She is serving a six-month stint as a flight engineer on the international space station.

She recently set the record for women's spacewalking with more than 29 hours in space.

While the Boston Marathon has been run in Iraq in the past, this is for the first time that it is being run in space.

"The Boston Marathon is the pinnacle achievement for most runners," BAA spokesman Jack Fleming said. "For Suni to choose to run the 26.2 miles in space on Patriots Day is really a tribute to the thousands of marathoners, who are running here on earth. She is pioneering a new frontier in running and in sports."

Williams has run a handful of marathons and she went through rigorous testing before being blasted into orbit. But three months with little gravity takes a toll on a human and NASA requires all members of a station crew to exercise on the treadmill, a stationary bike and a resistance machine to maintain bone density and muscle mass.

"In micro-gravity, both of these things start to go away because we don't use our legs to walk around and don't need the bones and muscles to hold us up under the force of gravity," Williams told the Boston Athletic Association.

While runners battle the tedious course in Boston, Williams has her own fight on the space station.

A "vibration isolation system" built by a NASA engineer will keep her from shaking the entire space station as she runs, but the machinery puts a strain on the runner's hips and shoulders. She also has to be ready to abort her mission.

But for her the biggest problem is "there's no hot bath" at the end of the race.

22 students held in B’desh

Dhaka, March 31
As many as 22 students belonging to Islamic outfit Hizbut Tahrir Bangladesh were arrested here while they were holding a “secret” meeting in violation of the country’s emergency laws, the police said today.

Students of Dhaka University and North South University were arrested from a house last night in the capital’s Mohammadpur area.

Security personnel also seized a huge amount of party leaflets, posters, compact disks and books and alike material.

Some of those arrested claimed that they were members of the group’s cultural wing and were planning for special prayers fortoday’s Id-e-Miladunnabi.

The police said they normally met at the National Mosque on 
Fridays. Meanwhile, the police has filed a case against the students for holding a “secret” meeting inviolation of emergency 
power rules enforced in the country by President Iajuddin Ahmed. — PTI 

Pakistan test-fires Abdali missile

Islamabad, March 31
Pakistan today successfully test-fired nuclear-capable Abdali, Hatf-II, ballistic missile. “The indigenously developed short-range surface-to-surface missile can hit its target as far away as 200 km,” an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement..

Pakistani scientists have carried out Abdali’s test for the second time during the current month. The same missile was earlier test-fired on March 3.

On March 22, Pakistan test-fired the nuclear capable ground launched cruise missile ‘Babur’ with an enhanced range of 700 km, almost a month after testing the long range surface-to-surface ballistic missile ‘Shaheen II’, ‘Hatf VI’, which has a range of 2,000 km.

Pakistan launched its medium-range missile programme in April 1998, with the first successful test flight of ‘Ghauri I’ missile followed by similar tests the next year involving the nuclear capable Ghauri, Shaheen, Ghaznavi and Abdali missile systems. — UNI

Australia-India uranium deal faces block

Melbourne, March 31
With Australian Prime Minister signalling a possible uranium deal with India, the anti-nuclear lobby has ratchet up pressure by vociferously opposing any such move.

Australian opposition political parties have been quick in taking a tough stand against Prime Minister for his “recklessness”.

“A decision to back India in the suppliers group would undermine the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)”. Evan’s statement has been backed by high-profile US anti-nuclear campaigner Kevin Kamps.— UNI 

Resolution on Divali in US House

New York, March 31
A resolution recognising the significance of Divali has been moved in the US House of Representatives.

“As millions of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains have migrated to the United States over the years, it is important their cultural traditions be respected by their fellow countrymen,” Congressman Addison Wilson said in a statement after introducing the resolution.

The resolution, which also requests the US President to issue a proclamation recognising Divali, “represents Congress’ commitment to Americans of South Asian heritage and recognises their contribution to the United States,” he said.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has welcomed the introduction of the resolution.

Asserting that recognising Divali will enable understanding of the religious and cultural background of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, McDermott added, “Understanding one another is essential to living in peace, here at home, and around the world.” — PTI

Iran may try 15 UK sailors if found guilty

Teheran, March 31
Iran's ambassador to Russia has said the 15 British sailors held by Iran could be tried for violating international law, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported today.

Gholam-Reza Ansari told the Russian television yesterday that Iran had launched a legal investigation of the British sailors .He added, “They will be tried if there is enough evidence of guilt,” IRNA reported — AP

Iran close to getting SAARC observer status 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31
A high-level meeting of SAARC approved the application of Iran for observer status, resulting in Tehran moving a step closer to being associated with the regional body.

Announcing this, Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said the SAARC standing committee (of foreign secretaries) had made positive recommendation and it was for the summit to decide on it.

The meeting of SAARC foreign secretaries unanimously recommended that Iran's request be accepted by the council of foreign ministers and the summit.

The meeting of council of foreign ministers will take place on Monday, a day before the summit.

Earlier, India had said that it would welcome Iran's association with SAARC.

The eight-nation regional organisation was also close to finalising an agreement to set up a South Asia university as well as a tele-medicine project, Menon said while briefing reporters on the day-long deliberations which will continue tomorrow.