 |
|
|
26 killed in Pak terror attacks US Cong imposes tougher aid restrictions Most distant galaxy cluster identified |
|
|
Pak to tighten security ahead of Sikh pilgrims visit Kerry is Obama’s global adviser Nozette indicted
|
|
26 killed in Pak terror attacks
Islamabad, October 23 As clashes intensified in the lawless tribal belt of South Waziristan, militants brought the fight to military's front door again when a cycle-borne suicide bomber blew himself up at a security check point of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra in Punjab province, 50 kms from here, killing eight persons, including two air force guards, and injuring 15 others in an early morning raid. The attack on the strategic Kamra base came nearly two weeks after the Taliban stormed army's General Headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, leaving 22 persons dead. Kamra is Pakistan Air Force's largest maintenance and research base and this was the second assault on the facility reportedly linked to the country's nuclear weapons programme. The first attack had occurred in December 2007.The base also houses combat jets equipped to carry nuclear warheads, reports said. According to US intelligence think-tank Stratfor, the strike against the Kamra complex is likely to raise renewed concerns about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons.
— PTI
|
|
US Cong imposes tougher aid restrictions
Washington, October 23 The Defence Authorisation Bill for 2010 includes the amendments by Senators Bob Menendez and Bob Corker, according to which the Secretary of Defence and the Secretary of State are required to give a determination that the payment is both in the national interest of the US and it will not affect the balance of power in the region. The determination has to be given before Pakistan is reimbursed with the Coalition Support Fund. The new limits also include efforts to track where US military hardware sent to Pakistan ends up. The US Senate voted 68-29 in favour of $680-billion defence spending bill, which was earlier adopted by the House of Representatives by a vote of 281-146 on October 8. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his approval. The move came as the Pakistani military fought through the sixth day of a major offensive against militants in the restive South Waziristan, a Taliban stronghold. — PTI
|
|
Most distant galaxy cluster identified
Washington, October 23 The galaxy cluster known as JKCS041 is located about 10.2 billion light years away and beats the previous record holder by about a billion light years, according to NASA. "This object is close to the distance limit expected for a galaxy cluster. We don't think gravity can work fast enough to make galaxy clusters much earlier," said Stefano Andreon of National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) in Milan, Italy. Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound objects in the Universe. "This discovery is exciting because it is like finding a Tyrannosaurus Rex (dinosaur) fossil that is much older than any other known," said co-author Ben Maughan from University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. "One fossil might just fit in with our understanding of dinosaurs, but if you found many more, you would have to start rethinking how dinosaurs evolved. The same is true for galaxy clusters and our understanding of cosmology," Maughan added. Finding such a large structure at this time can reveal important information about how the universe evolved at this crucial stage. Therefore, a study of the characteristics -- such as composition, mass, and temperature -- of the galaxy could reveal more about how the universe took shape. "What's exciting about this discovery is the astrophysics that can be done with detailed follow-up studies," said Andreon. JKCS041 was originally detected in 2006 in a survey from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT). The distance to the cluster was then determined from optical and infrared observations from UKIRT, the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope in Hawaii and NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
— PTI
|
|
Pak to tighten security ahead of Sikh pilgrims visit
Lahore, October 23 The authorities plan to deploy paramilitary Pakistan Rangers for the security of the pilgrims expected to arrive from around the world next week but fear that the terror attacks, including three near-simultaneous strikes on security facilities in Lahore, could lead to many people cancelling their plans to visit the country. “We received a list of 4,000 Sikhs (from the Indian government) prior to the Lahore attacks, but after that the Indian side has not confirmed how many Sikhs are coming here via the Wagah border to observe Guru Nanak's birth anniversary,” Fraz Abbas, Deputy Director (shrines) of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, said. “To ensure foolproof security for the visiting Sikhs, we have engaged the Pakistan Rangers and the police,” he said. Abbas acknowledged that it “would not be easy” for foreigners to make plans to visit Pakistan after the spate of terror attacks. The ETPB is responsible for maintaining shrines of minority communities and organising visits by foreign pilgrims. The main celebrations marking Guru Nanak's birth anniversary will be held at Nankana Sahib, his birthplace located 80 km from Lahore. In April, only 375 Indian Sikhs travelled to Pakistan to participate in the Baisakhi festival. This was in marked contrast to the 4,000 Sikhs who made the trip last year. Similarly, about 300 Sikhs came to Pakistan this month to attend the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Ramdas.
— PTI
|
|
Kerry is Obama’s global adviser
Washington, October 23 Mediating Afghanistan's presidential election vaulted Kerry from the already prominent chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee into the most exclusive circle around a new president who is juggling but has not resolved a variety of domestic and foreign policy matters. Beyond policy, Kerry knows how Washington works. Kerry and Obama, both were mentored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who died in August. “Obviously, Sen. Kerry is somebody who has a broad range of experience and an in-depth knowledge of issues, ranging from energy and climate change to health care to foreign policy,” said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
— AP
|
|
Nozette indicted
Washington, October 23 FBI agents arrested 52-year-old Stewart David Nozette on Monday on allegations that he tried to pass national secrets to the Israeli government in exchange for money. The information Nozette allegedly tried to provide Israel in an FBI sting operation dealt with "satellites, early warning systems, means of defence or retaliation against large-scale attack, communications intelligence information and major elements of defence strategy," says the indictment. Nozette is accused of passing secrets to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer. The agent called Nozette in early September, and the scientist said he would be willing to work as a spy, authorities claimed.
— PTI
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
