NASA chief's wife to Obama:Don't fire my husband

Late on Christmas Eve,one last wish was sent,by e-mail:Please let NASA Administrator Michael Griffin keep his job.It was from his wife.Rebecca Griffin,who works in marketing,sent her message with the subject line "Campaign for Mike" to friends and family.It asked them to sign an online petition to President-elect Barack Obama "to consider keeping Mike Griffin on as NASA Administrator."She wrote,"Yes,once again I am embarrassing my husband by reaching out to our friends and 'imposing'on them.... And if this is inappropriate,I'm sorry."The petition drive,which said the President George W. Bush appointee "has brought a sense of order and purpose to the U.S. space agency,"was organized by Scott "Doc" Horowitz of Park City,Utah,an ex-astronaut and former NASA associate administrator.A cash-strapped NASA last week also sent — by priority mail costing $6.75 a package — copies of a new NASA book called "Leadership in Space:Selected Speeches of NASA Administrator Michael Griffin,May 2005-October 2008."And just before the presidential election,Griffin sent a letter to Obama saying,"I am deeply grateful to you,personally,for your leadership" on the vote to allow NASA to use Russian spaceships

2009 will be a year of major change in Iraq

The U.S. military will take its first steps toward ending its combat role in Iraq in 2009,after a sharp drop in violence this year — and Iraqi voters will choose leaders in elections that could provide a key clue to whether the security gains will endure.Those events will make 2009 a watershed year in Iraq — perhaps the most significant since the U.S.-led invasion nearly six years ago.If things go well,Iraq could be on its way to relative stability — if not the liberal,Western-style democracy foreseen when the U.S. led the 2003 invasion to oust Saddam Hussein.But failure could lead to a new spiral of violence.The risk of failure is high.The suspicion and bitterness among Shiites,Sunnis and Kurds that fueled the conflict still run deep,even though attacks have fallen by 80 percent since last March,according to the U.S. military.Iraq remains a shattered country,where millions lack security,clean drinking water,jobs,electricity — and hope.Nevertheless,Iraq’s prospects may be better than at any time since the war began

NASA reports graphic details of Columbia deaths

A new NASA report says that the seat restraints,suits and helmets of the doomed crew of the space shuttle Columbia didn't work well,leading to "lethal trauma" as the out-of-control ship broke apart,killing all seven astronauts.In a graphic 400-page report,NASA further studied the Feb. 1,2003,shuttle tragedy to help them design their new shuttle replacement capsule more likely to survive an accident.The report said it wasn't clear if the astronauts were already dead or just unconscious from the lethal lack of cabin pressure before the blunt force of the spinning out-of-control shuttle would have killed them.The report detailed five "events" that were potentially lethal to the crew.Columbia disintegrated as it returned to Earth at the end of its space mission.The accident was caused by a hole in the shuttle's left wing that occurred at launched.Killed in the disaster were commander Rick Husband,pilot William McCool,Michael Anderson,David Brown,Kalpana Chawla,Laurel Clark,and Ilan Ramon of Israel

Spirit And Opportunity Set To Mark Five Years Exploring Mars

NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity may still have big achievements ahead as they approach the fifth anniversaries of their memorable landings on Mars.Of the hundreds of engineers and scientists who cheered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,Calif.,on Jan.3,2004,when Spirit landed safely,and 21 days later when Opportunity followed suit,none predicted the team would still be operating both rovers in 2009

Iranian students recruited to fight Israel

An Iranian student group announced on Monday that it is recruiting volunteers to fight Israel as a new demonstration was held in Tehran against its three-day-old onslaught in Gaza.The hardline students said that they had started their campaign in response to a religious decree issued by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday stating that anyone who died in the defence of Gaza would be deemed a martyr."In response to the supreme leader's orders for a jihad (holy war),students from the bassij militia are going to register to go to fight in the occupied Palestinian territories,"the Fars news agency quoted one of the students'leaders,Alireza Zahedi,as saying.Fars said that several hundred students had already signed up and that the recruits would soon hold a parade.Khamenei ruled on Sunday that "all believers in the Islamic world are required to defend in any way they can the defenceless women,children and people of Gaza."Anyone who is killed in this legitimate and sacred defence is a martyr,"he said

Moon's magic still shining bright

Forty years ago,the largest TV audience in history tuned in to watch the Apollo 8 crew reach lunar orbit.It was during this mission that the famous "Earthrise" image was captured,changing forever our perception of the planet and its place in space.And in July 1969,a small step by Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission guaranteed his place in human history as the first person to set foot on another world.These pioneering missions captivated everyone's attention and seemed to herald a brave new world.Yet after just six lunar landings,the Apollo programme was scrapped because the world had quickly lost interest.While the masses may have moved on,the adventures of the Apollo astronauts had a life-changing impact on some young lives

Five wounded,1 critically,as rocket hits Ashdod bus stop

Five Israelis were wounded on Monday night - one critically,one seriously and three lightly - when a rocket fired by Gaza terrorists hit an Ashdod bus stop.Rockets from Gaza continue to pound southern Israel.The casualties were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.The rocket was one of over 70 fired at southern Israel Monday.Also Monday night,five Israelis were wounded - one critically,one seriously and three lightly - when a Grad-type rocket hit an Ashdod bus stop.The casualties were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon

Hamas calls for new Intifada against Israel

Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has called for a new uprising against Israel after air strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 225 Palestinians."I call upon you (Palestinians) to carry out a third intifada,"Meshaal told Al-Jazeera television in an interview."Resistance will continue through suicide missions,"he added.He called for a "military intifada against the Zionist enemy",as well as "a peaceful intifada internally."

Hamas declares war after Israeli Air Force strikes its bases

The Hamas terror regime declared "open war" on Israel after more than 200 Palestinians were reported killed in some 150 IAF airstrikes on 100 targets in the Gaza Strip,including virtually all Hamas military bases and police stations.Hundreds were reported injured.Veteran Mideast analyst Ehud Yaari called it the greatest single blow by Israel against the Palestinians since the 1948 War of Independence.The strikes,which started all 11am on the Jewish Sabbath,followed weeks of incessant rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinians in Gaza on Israel,and equally incessant warnings that the war of attrition would not be allowed to continiue

Hamas:Over 140 killed as Israel strikes police compounds

Just days after the cabinet gave the military final approval to counter ongoing Palestinian rocket fire against communities in the western Negev,the IDF launched a massive operation,striking Hamas installations throughout the Gaza Strip on Saturday.A Hamas spokesperson said that at least 140 people were killed in the attacks.Gaza health official Moawiya Hassanain said earlier that over 120 people were killed,and at least 200 injured.The Jerusalem Post could not confirm either report.According to witnesses,among the killed was Hamas police chief Maj.-Gen.Tawfik Jaber

Officials:Pakistan moves troops toward India

Pakistan has begun moving thousands of troops away from the Afghan border toward India amid tensions following the Mumbai attacks,intelligence officials said Friday.An Associated Press reporter witnessed a column of about 40 trucks shifting soldiers out of South Waziristan.The intelligence officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.Earlier,Pakistan canceled leave for members of its armed forces,beefing up its military strength in case of conflict with India.In response,India said it had not canceled any time off for its military."People are taking leave,no problem," said Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar."We have an optimum number,which is always maintained."Both nuclear-armed neighbors have said they hope to avoid military conflict over last month's attacks,which killed more than 160 people.But Pakistan has promised to respond aggressively if India uses force,an option the Indian government has not ruled out as it presses its neighbor to crack down on the Pakistan-based terrorist group it blames for the attacks

Israel and Egypt discuss Hamas clashes

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni flew to Cairo Thursday for meetings with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other top officials in the midst of escalating cross-border violence with Hamas.The sessions follow the end of a tenuous six-month-long cease-fire between the Israeli military and Hamas militants in Gaza.Egypt mediated the first truce and is trying to negotiate an extension.Israeli military officials said Hamas militants fired more than 65 rockets into southern Israel on Wednesday. The Israeli Air Force,meanwhile,said it killed a Hamas militant who was part of a group launching the rockets into Israel

Tiny clues to collision in space

Evidence that a massive meteorite shower had an impact on Earth on a global scale 470 million years ago have been found on a Highlands beach.Researchers from the University of Aberdeen uncovered tiny remnants of meteorites,smaller than a grain of sand,within rocks in Sutherland.The find is linked to others made in China,the US and Australia.The scientists think the meteorites - a result of a collision in space - triggered earthquakes and tsunamis.The university said the find near Durness confirmed previous scientific speculation that the meteorite shower - which followed a "catastrophic event" in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter - was so vast in size that it affected locations across the globe

Building a better defense for America

In recent weeks,we have called for major changes in America's armed forces:more ground forces,less reliance on the Reserves,new equipment and training to replace Cold-War weapons systems and doctrines.Money will have to be found to pay for all of this,and the Pentagon can no longer be handed a blank check,as happened throughout the Bush years.Since 2001,basic defense spending has risen by 40 percent in real post-inflation dollars.That is not counting the huge supplemental budgets passed - with little serious review or debate - each year to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Such unquestioned largess has shielded the Pentagon from any real pressure to cut unneeded weapons systems and other wasteful expenses.As a result,there is plenty of fat in the defense budget.Here is what we think can be cut back or canceled in order to pay for new equipment and other reforms that are truly essential to keep this country safe:End production of the Air Force's F-22.The F-22 was designed to ensure victory in air-to-air dogfights with the kind of futuristic fighters that the Soviet Union did not last long enough to build.The Air Force should instead rely on its version of the new high-performance F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,which comes into production in 2012 and like the F-22 uses stealth technology to elude enemy radar

Obama names 4 top members of science team

President-elect Barack Obama's selection Saturday of a Harvard physicist and a marine biologist for science posts is a sign he plans a more aggressive response to global warming than did the Bush administration.John Holdren and Jane Lubchenco are leading experts on climate change who have advocated forceful government action.Holdren will become Obama's science adviser as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.Lubchenco will lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,which oversees ocean and atmospheric studies and does much of the government's research on global warming.Holdren also will direct the president's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology.Joining him as co-chairs will be Nobel Prize-winning scientist Harold Varmus,a former director of the National Institutes of Health,and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Eric Lander,a specialist in human genome research

New satellite system launch delayed by 6 years

The Air Force announced Tuesday that it will restructure the Transformational Satellite Communications System program,delaying by six years a satellite system designed to dramatically expand the military’s bandwidth.The service will release a new draft of its request for proposals later this week,according to an Air Force press release.The first TSAT satellite,which had been scheduled to launch in 2013, will now not launch until 2019,according to the press release.The Pentagon had already decided in October to delay a contract award until the new administration takes over,but Tuesday’s announcement signals the department is taking a fresh look at the whole program.Under the restructured program,the initial increment of TSAT will consist of five block 10 satellites and associated ground control systems with a first launch by 2019,according to the press release.The capabilities requested in the RFP coming out later this week include internet protocol routing for network management and new ways to communicate with deployed forces

Ariane 5 – Sixth and final launch of 2008

Yesterday evening,an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou,in French Guiana,on its mission to place two multi-role telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits.Arianespace and Europe’s Spaceport are planning as many as eight launches during 2009 – which will make it the busiest year ever for Ariane 5.The ability to sustain high launch rates has already been demonstrated – during the period 12-month period from August 2007 to August 2008,there were nine launches (V177 to V185,inclusive)

First Commercial Spaceport Gets Green Light

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has given the green light for the world's first commercial spaceport,New Mexico authorities said Thursday.The FAA granted Spaceport America a license for vertical and horizontal space launches following an environmental impact study,according to the New Mexico Space Authority (NMSA)."These two governmental approvals are the next steps along the road to a fully operational commercial spaceport," said NMSA Executive Director Steven Landeene."We are on track to begin construction in the first quarter of 2009,and have our facility completed as quickly as possible."The terminal and hangar facility for horizontal launches is planned for completion by late 2010

Don't destabilize Russia, Putin warns foes

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Russia's foes on Friday against trying to destabilize a country facing broadening economic crisis,Russian news agencies reported.Putin did not specify who might pose a threat to Russia's stability.But in the past,he has often blamed Western security services of trying to destabilize the country using opposition groups and non-governmental organizations as their instruments."Any attempts to weaken or destabilize Russia,harm the interests of the country will be toughly suppressed,"they quoted ex-KGB spy Putin as telling an annual meeting of top spies and security officers ahead of their professional holiday.Putin,who was the Russian president in 2000-08,has contributed greatly to the growth of influence of Russia's FSB federal security service,a successor of the Soviet-era KGB.Many ex-KGB officers became key government and regional officials during his presidency forming his power base,which largely remained intact after Putin handed over powers to his successor Dmitry Medvedev in May.Critics say that under Putin,security services have become excessively influential and expressed fears Russia could one day become a police state

Russian diplomat criticizes U.S. arms control

A senior Russian diplomat harshly criticized the U.S. stance in arms control talks Friday,saying it could further erode mutual trust and undermine global stability.The United States and Russia have begun talks on a successor deal to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty which expires in December 2009,but a cold spell in Russia-U.S. relations has stymied talks.Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russian and U.S. negotiators have failed to agree on the basic approach as to which weapons should be counted under the new deal.Russia wants to count missiles,bombers and submarines along with nuclear warheads fitted to them,as was done in the START I treaty,while the United States agrees only to count nuclear warheads,Ryabkov said.“The implementation of the approach proposed by the American side can strip our bilateral relations of a key element — predictability in arms control — and badly destabilize the strategic situation,” Ryabkov said in a statement.U.S. officials argued that missiles,bombers and submarines mustn’t be subject to a nuclear arms control deal because they can also carry conventional weapons

Nasa finds 'missing' Mars mineral

Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has finally spotted rocks on the Red Planet that bear carbonate minerals.The ingredients needed to make the rocks are very evident,so their absence had been a major puzzle.One theory to explain the omission is the idea that water on Mars has been too acidic to allow carbonates.The rocks' identification now shows these harsh waters have not dominated all parts of Mars - and that is good news for the search for life."You want to get an environment that is basically as clement as possible,that's not difficult to live in,"explained Bethany Ehlmann from Brown University in Providence,Rhode Island."It's difficult to live in a highly acidic environment; it's difficult to live in a very salty environment.If you have neutral waters then that presents a less difficult environment for microbial life,"she told BBC News

Discovery Indicates Mars Was Habitable

Evidence of a key mineral on Mars has been found at several locations on the planet's surface,suggesting that any microbial life that might have been there back when the planet was wetter could have lived comfortably.The findings offer up intriguing new sites for future missions to probe,researchers said.Observations NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter(MRO),which just completed its primary mission and started a second two-year shift,found evidence of carbonates,which don't survive in conditions hostile to life,indicating that not all of the planet's ancient watery environments were as harsh as previously thought

Commercial space station finds first customers

COMMERCIAL space flight is taking off.SpaceX of Hawthorne,California,which in September launched the first privately built rocket to go into orbit,has secured two customers for its DragonLab mini space station.The uncrewed capsule,built to house customers' experiments,can stay in orbit for up to two years before parachuting back to Earth.The first missions will launch in 2010 and 2011.With the space shuttle set for retirement in 2012,SpaceX says that scientists in fields as varied as materials research,biotech,radiation effects and robotic spacecraft servicing are considering DragonLab missions.In a further boost for private space flight,George T. Whitesides,a senior adviser to Virgin Galactic,has been appointed a member of President-Elect Barack Obama's transition team at NASA

Afghanistan faces 'long struggle'

George Bush,the US president,has said that restoring stability to Afghanistan will be a long-term challenge,during a farewell visit to the country.Bush,who leaves office in January,was in Kabul to meet Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president."This is going to be a long struggle,"Bush said at the Afghan presidential palace on Monday."Ideological struggles take time."He said: "Are there difficult days ahead? Absolutely.But are the conditions a lot better today in Afghanistan than they were in 2001? Unquestionably,undoubtedly they are better." The talks with Karzai came after Bush addressed US soldiers at Bagram air base,which lies just outside Kabul

Found:The Dimmest Bulbs in Space

A pair of failed stars takes the record of being the dimmest bulbs ever detected,astronomers find.Each of the substellar objects,called brown dwarfs,is one million times fainter than the sun in total light on the electromagnetic spectrum,and at least one billion times fainter in visible light alone.A brown dwarf is a compact ball of gas floating freely in space that's too cool and lightweight to generate the thermonuclear fusion that powers real stars,but too warm and massive to be considered a planet."These brown dwarfs are the lowest-power stellar light bulbs in the sky that we know of,"said lead researcher Adam Burgasser,a physicist at MIT.The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on Dec. 10.Until now,astronomers thought this dim duo was a single,faint brown dwarf.Past research has shown the object is the fifth closest known brown dwarf to us,17 light-years away toward the constellation Antlia.One light-year is the distance light will travel in a year,or about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers

Pakistan gets UK 'anti-terror' aid

Britain's prime minister has offered $9m to help Pakistan as part of a "comprehensive anti-terror programme".Gordon Brown made the pledge in Islamabad on Sunday,after visits to India and Afghanistan in the wake of last month's deadly attacks in Mumbai.While in India,Brown supported New Delhi's assertion that a Pakistan-based group was responsible for the deadly rampage through India's financial capital."We know that the group responsible is LeT [Lashkar-e-Taiba] and they have a great deal to answer for," he said.Brown met Manmohan Singh,his Indian counterpart,at his residence in New Delhi amid continued tensions between India and Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks,which claimed more than 170 lives.Those tensions were evident on Sunday as Pakistan accused the Indian air force of violating its airspace in the east of the country

Russian military retakes Georgia border village

Russian troops returned on Saturday to a disputed Georgian village they vacated a day earlier near breakaway South Ossetia,pushing back Georgian security forces.Georgian police said between 500 and 600 Russian soldiers were in the village of Perevi,close to the de facto border with South Ossetia.Russian forces pulled back in October from a buffer zone adjacent to South Ossetia after a five-day war in August, but kept soldiers in Perevi,which sits on the Georgian side of the de facto border.The troops pulled out of the village on Friday

Russia's open airspace can become priceless gift to NATO

Russia’s only Aerospace Defense Academy (named after G. Zhukov) is likely to be closed.The closing of the academy which trains air defense and space troops personnel may lead to lamentable consequences for the nation,against the background of other countries’ efforts to strengthen their aviation and missile defense.The events,which took place in Serbia in 1999,can serve a perfect example of what such actions may lead to.The academy is headquartered in the city of Tver - 150 kilometers far from Moscow.The personnel of the academy has already been introduced to the disestablishment plan from the Defense Ministry.There is no clear reason to explain the decision,aside from the statement about the optimization of the national armed forces,which stipulates the division of the minor units structure and the reduction of educational institutions in the military

Transitioning NASA:Tensions high between Griffin,transition team

Barack Obama has his scalpel poised over NASA’s Constellation program and NASA Administrator Mike Griffin is fighting back,engaged in a no-holds barred campaign to save his baby, the Orlando Sentinel reports.fd.In a heated 40-minute conversation last week with Lori Garver,a former NASA associate administrator who heads the space transition team,a red-faced Griffin demanded to speak directly to Obama, according to witnesses.In addition,Griffin is scripting NASA employees and civilian contractors on what they can tell the transition team and has warned aerospace executives not to criticize the agency’s moon program,sources said.Griffin said Garver is “not qualified” to assess the program.“There will be a change” at NASA,Garver said, hinting that “change” includes a new administrator

Year's Biggest Full Moon in Skies Friday Night

The full moon Friday night will be the biggest one of the year as Earth's natural satellite reaches its closest point to our planet.Earth,the moon and the sun are all bound together by gravity,which keeps us going around the sun and keeps the moon going around us as it goes through phases.The moon makes a trip around Earth every 29.5 days.But the orbit is not a perfect circle.The moon's average distance from us is about 238,855 miles (384,400 km).Friday night it will be just 221,560 miles (356,567 km) away.It will be 14 percent bigger in our sky and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during the year,according to NASA

US wants to sign nuclear deal with UAE soon:report

US President George W. Bush's administration plans to sign a nuclear cooperation deal with the United Arab Emirates,the first such agreement with a Middle East country,the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.The paper cited an unnamed senior US official for the report,saying the White House wanted to use the deal as a model for promoting peaceful nuclear energy as a contrast to Iran's disputed nuclear program."This is a real counterexample to what Iran is doing,"the senior US official was quoted as saying."We're seeking commitments from nations within the Middle East that they're going to rely on the markets for nuclear fuel."The Bush administration has accused Iran of pursuing a clandestine effort to build nuclear weapons and demanded Tehran suspend uranium enrichment work.The administration also was pursuing nuclear cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia,Jordan and Bahrain.The deals call for the United States to share nuclear fuel,technology and know-how in return for commitments to follow the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and UN safeguards,the Journal wrote

Two Additional Brigades May Deploy to Afghanistan,Gates Says

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he wants to send two combat brigades to Afghanistan by summer in addition to the brigade combat team already scheduled to deploy there in January.In an interview with reporters traveling with him,Gates discussed the way forward in Afghanistan before landing here with plans to visit troops and meet with senior leaders.The secretary will meet today with Army Gen.David D. McKiernan,commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan,and with commanders in the country’s southern region.Commanders on the ground have estimated they will need as many as 20,000 more troops,along with more intelligence and reconnaissance assets and more helicopters.Commanders say they need the extra troops to reach out to remote villages and rural areas.About 80 percent of the country,which is slightly smaller than Texas,is rural

India announces security revamp

India is to make changes to its security and intelligence agencies in the wake of last month's Mumbai terror attacks,which left at least 171 people dead.The government will create a national investigative agency,boost coastal security forces,improve the training regimen for local police and strengthen anti-terror laws,India's home minister said on Thursday."Given the nature of the threat,we can't go back to business as usual," P Chidambaram said in a speech to India's parliament

Shuttle Endeavour headed to Barksdale Air Force Base

For the fifth time in the history of Barksdale Air Force Base,a space shuttle will call its runway home.Space shuttle Endeavour,which late last month was forced to land at Edwards Air Force base in California due to bad weather in Florida,will arrive at Barksdale some time this afternoon en route to its home at Cape Canaveral.Base representatives could not say whether it will remain overnight or whether its ferry aircraft,a 747 jumbo jet,will just refuel here.The piggyback combination of airplanes made two stops in Texas,in El Paso and Fort Worth,prior to heading here

Report:British forces to start withdrawing from Iraq in March 2009

Britain will begin withdrawing most of its more than 4,000 soldiers from Iraq in March 2009 and intends to leave only 400 personnel by mid-2009,British newspapers reported on Wednesday.The newspapers,all quoting an unnamed senior defence source,said a force of several thousand American soldiers would replace the British troops and move into their base at the airport on the outskirts of the southern Iraqi city of Basra

US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,209 Tuesday

As of Tuesday,Dec.9,2008,at least 4,209 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003,according to an Associated Press count.The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action.At least 3,397 military personnel died as a result of hostile action,according to the military's numbers.The AP count is two fewer than the Defense Department's tally,last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EST.The British military has reported 176 deaths;Italy,33;Ukraine,18;Poland,21;Bulgaria,13;Spain,11;Denmark,seven;El Salvador,five;Slovakia,four;Latvia and Georgia,three each;Estonia,Netherlands,Thailand and Romania,two each;and Australia,Hungary,Kazakhstan and South Korea,one death each

Proof that Albert Einstein's black holes do exist,claim scientists

Astronomers believe they have come up with concrete proof for the existence of black holes.Ever since Albert Einstein came up with his general theory of relativity,black holes has been central to our knowledge of the Universe.Now experts say they have shown that the theoretical phenomenon,whose gravitational pull is thought to hold galaxies together,exist "beyond any reasonable doubt".The team of scientists spent 16 years studying the existence of a super massive black hole thought to be at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way.While the black hole itself is invisible to the eye,the team proved its existence by tracking the motions of 28 stars circling around it.Just as swirling leaves caught in a gust of wind can provide clues about air currents,so the stars' movements reveal information about forces at work at the galactic centre.The observations show that the stars orbit a central concentration of mass four million times greater than that of the Sun,claim the team from the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching,near Munich,Germany

Water found in hot planet's orbit

Scientists say they have found evidence for water vapour in the atmosphere of a planet 63 light-years from Earth.The "hot Jupiter" planet's surface temperatures exceed 900C.Writing in the journal Nature the scientists say their discovery may help find planets that can support life.In a separate study,Nasa say they have found carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the same planet

Intel official:Iraq was intel,policy failure

Gently admonishing President George W. Bush,the nation’s newly retired chief intelligence analyst on Tuesday suggested that the Iraq war was as much the failure of policymakers as it was the flawed intelligence on which they relied.Bush told ABC News last week his biggest regret was “the intelligence failure in Iraq.” “I wish the intelligence had been different,I guess,”Bush said.Thomas Fingar,until this week the deputy director of national intelligence for analysis,declined to directly address the president’s swipe.But he said:“I learned something a long time ago in this town.There are only two possibilities:policy success and intelligence failure.”

Mumbai attackers used sophisticated technology

The terrorists who struck this city in November stunned the authorities not only with their use of sophisticated weaponry but also with their comfort with modern technology.The terrorists navigated across the Arabian Sea to Mumbai from Karachi,Pakistan,with the help of a global positioning system handset.While under way,they communicated using a satellite phone with those in Pakistan believed to have coordinated the attacks.They recognized their targets and knew the most direct routes to reach them in part because they had studied satellite photos from Google Earth

Study suggests life created by asteroid collisions

Asteroid impacts,which have been fingered for killing off the dinosaurs and other mass extinctions,may have helped kick-start life in the first place,experiments by Japanese researchers suggest.Earth's oceans formed about 4.3 billion years ago,a time when lunar craters suggest Earth suffered a bombardment of comet and asteroid chunks,note the researchers led by Yoshihiro Furukawa of Japan's Tohoku University.How life's complex chemical building blocks — "organic" molecules, such as amino acids — accumulated on Earth amid extraterrestrial impacts and the vibrant volcanism of a young planet has intrigued researchers for decades

Warship Makes Historic Panama Trip

A Russian military vessel has docked at a former U.S.Navy base after making a historic passage through the Panama Canal.The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko is the first Soviet or Russian warship to traverse the canal,which was off limits to the Soviet Union during the Cold War.It arrived Saturday at the former Rodman Naval Station,which the United States turned over to Panama nearly a decade ago along with control of the canal.Vice Admiral Vladimir Korolev said the trip was aimed at showing "the Russian fleet's presence in the strategic areas of the world."The voyage reflects Russia's growing influence in the region and anger with the United States for using warships to deliver aid to Georgia after its August war with Russia

9/11 suspects ask to 'plead guilty'

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed,the alleged planner of the September 11 attacks,and four other suspects have asked to plead guilty to the charges they face at a Guantanamo Bay tribunal."We all five have reached an agreement to request from the commission an immediate hearing session in order to announce our confessions,"said a note said to be from the five read out by the judge,Army Colonel Steven Henley,at a hearing on Monday

3 officers get spots on space shuttle missions

Three Air Force officers serving as NASA astronauts received orders Friday for flights into orbit aboard the space shuttle.Col. Terry Virts Jr. will serve as the pilot for STS-130. Onboard with Virts for the December 2009 mission will be Lt. Col. Robert Behnken, flying as mission specialist.Lt. Col. James P. Dutton Jr. will fly as pilot aboard STS-131 in February 2010.Virts,who joined NASA in 2000,holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.He spent much of his Air Force career flying operational F-16 missions and graduated from Test Pilot School in 1998

Mumbai attackers probably on drugs

Islamist militants who attacked Mumbai and killed more than 160 people probably took drugs to stay alert throughout their murderous siege,a report quoting senior police officials said Saturday.Police said 10 gunmen who held hostages at two hotels and a Jewish prayer centre for 60 hours last week had likely taken amphetamines to remain alert without food or sleep for long stretches,the Hindustan Times reported."We believe that the terrorists had consumed amphetamines,"the Hindustan Times quoted deputy police commissioner Vishwas Nagre Paril of the anti-narcotics division as saying

Russian warship enters Panama Canal

A Russian warship is passing through the Panama Canal in Central America for the first time since 1944.The Admiral Chabanenko is on its way back to Russia after participating in military exercises with Venezuela's Navy in the Caribbean.The ship will stay in Panama for five days to take onboard supplies before heading to the Pacific Ocean.It marks a return to the region of Russian naval vessels.In 1944 four Soviet submarines passed through the canal

Large 'Planet X' may lurk beyond Pluto

An icy,unknown world might lurk in the distant reaches of our solar system beyond the orbit of Pluto,according to a new computer model.The hidden world — thought to be much bigger than Pluto based on the model — could explain unusual features of the Kuiper Belt,a region of space beyond Neptune littered with icy and rocky bodies.Its existence would satisfy the long-held hopes and hypotheses for a "Planet X" envisioned by scientists and sci-fi buffs alike."Although the search for a distant planet in the solar system is old,it is far from over,"said study team member Patryk Lykawka of Kobe University in Japan.The model,created by Lykawka and Kobe University colleague Tadashi Mukai,is detailed in a recent issue of Astrophysical Journal.If the new world is confirmed,it would not be technically a planet.Under a controversial new definition adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) last week,it would instead be the largest known "plutoid."

Nasa delays its next Mars mission

The US space agency (Nasa) has delayed the launch of its Mars Science Laboratory rover mission.MSL was scheduled to fly next year,but the mission has been dogged by testing and hardware problems.The rover's launch would now be postponed until late 2011, agency officials said.The mission is using innovative technologies to explore whether microbial life could ever have existed on the Red Planet.The delay could add $400m to the price tag,which is likely to top $2bn."Trying for '09 would require us to assume too much risk,more than I think is appropriate for a flagship mission,"said Nasa's administrator Michael Griffin

World 'must tackle space threat'

The international community must work together to tackle the threat of asteroids colliding with Earth, a leading UN scientist says.Professor Richard Crowther's comments come as a group of space experts called for a co-ordinated science-led response to the asteroid threat.The Association of Space Explorers (ASE) says missions to intercept asteroids will need global approval.The UN will meet in February to discuss the issue.In the ASE report,the group of scientists and former astronauts point to the historical record to highlight the dangers of asteroids;an impact 65 million years ago may have wiped out the dinosaurs,and the Tunguska impact in 1908 produced a 2,000 sq km fire in Siberia,big enough to engulf a city the size of New York.They say the next major threatening event could occur in less than 20 years.Asteroid Apophis is due to pass close to the Earth and analyses suggest a one in 45,000 chance of a collision

India warns Pakistan over attacks

India has formally accused what it called "elements" in Pakistan of being behind the group that staged a series of attacks across Mumbai which killed over 170 people."The high commissioner of Pakistan was called to the ministry of external affairs this evening.He was informed that the recent terrorist attack on Mumbai was carried out by elements from Pakistan," the statement said.India's foreign ministry has said investigations have shown that all gunmen involved in the Mumbai attacks were Pakistani nationals.New Delhi demanded that Islamabad take "strong action" against those responsible,a statement from the foreign ministry said on Monday,hours after warning that the attacks were a major setback to peace between the rivals.Pakistan's government has denied it was in any way linked to the attacks on India's financial capital

President Bush's 'biggest regret':I was unprepared for war

In a candid admission of failures on his watch,President Bush has owned up to being "unprepared" for war upon taking office and regretted believing bogus intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq."That's a do-over I can't do,"Bush said of his decision to invade Iraq based on the bad intel.In an interview to air Monday on ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson,"Bush said "I think I was unprepared for war" when 9/11 occurred."In other words, I didn't campaign and say, 'Please vote for me, I'll be able to handle an attack,'" Bush said. "In other words, I didn't anticipate war. Presidents - one of the things about the modern presidency is that the unexpected will happen."

Russia to Upgrade Missiles,Top General Says

The Russian military will upgrade its missiles in response to U.S. plans for weapons in space,a top Russian general reportedly said Monday.Interfax news agency quoted Russia's Strategic Missile Forces chief,Col.-Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov,as saying that Russia's intercontinental ballistic missiles will be modernized to protect them from space-based components of the U.S. missile defense system.The upgrade will make the missiles' warheads capable of flying "outside the range" of the space-based system, Solovtsov was quoted as saying

Mumbai attacks:India raises security footing to 'war level'

India will increase security in the country and on its borders to a "war level" in the wake of the deadly attacks in Mumbai that have been blamed on militants linked to Pakistan,a government minister said

Bad Weather Delays Shuttle Landing

The Space Shuttle Endeavour astronauts,faced with high crosswinds and low clouds,passed up two Florida landing opportunities Sunday and instead prepared the ship for a descent to California’s Edwards Air Force Base to close out a grueling 16-day space station assembly mission

Obama to roll out national security team Monday

President-elect Barack Obama will announce his national security team -- including Sen.Hillary Clinton as secretary of state -- at an event Monday morning,according to two officials.The Obama transition team announced Sunday that Obama will unveil the full team at a press conference in Chicago,Illinois,around 10:40 a.m. ET

Shuttle's astronauts await permission to land

Endeavour's seven astronauts entered their last full day in space Saturday awaiting word if mission managers had cleared the space shuttle for a return to Earth."We're all thinking about going home," said Gregory Chamitoff,returning from a six-month space station mission."It's going to be a great day,a last great day in space for everyone."

Venus,Jupiter will 'shine' on Monday night

Slendor,crescent moon will illumninate two brightest planets.Look to the southwest after sunset on Dec. 1 for a close conjunction between three bright solar system objects:the moon,Venus and Jupiter.If you have binoculars,you might even be able to fit all three of them in the field of view.Between now and then,you can see Jupiter and Venus getting closer together each evening

Space Rock That Lit Canadian Skies Found

Scientists said Friday they had found remains of a meteor that illuminated the sky before falling to earth in western Canada earlier this month.University of Calgary scientist Alan Hildebrand and graduate student Ellen Milley found several meteor fragments near the Battle River along the rural Alberta-Saskatchewan border,near the city of Lloydminster late Thursday.They said there could be thousands of meteorite pieces strewn over a 7-square-mile area of mostly flat,barren land,with few inhabitants

UNESCO is ready to support the worldwide debate on biofuels

UNESCO stands ready to facilitate dialogue among governments on biofuel technology.“The Organization can be a forum for exchange on this important issue,”stated UNESCO Deputy Director-General Marcio Barbosa.“The objective is to facilitate dialogue between the Organization’s 193 Member States,strengthening international cooperation in the field of biofuels”,he added

US power 'to decline by 2025'

US economic and political power is set to decline over the next two decades and the world will grow more dangerous as the battle for scarce resources intensifies,a report by US intelligence agencies has predicted.The current global financial crisis is the beginning of a weakening of the US dollar to the point where it becomes "first among equals",said the National Intelligence Council's (NIC) Global Trends 2025 report published on Thursday

Plumes from Saturn moon may come from liquid water

Huge plumes of water vapor and ice particles are spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus at supersonic speeds in a way that strongly suggests they come from liquid water down below the icy surface,scientists said.The research,published in the journal Nature on Wednesday,offers new evidence that the moon may harbor an underground ocean of water,meaning conditions might exist that could support life,even if only microbial organisms."We think liquid water is necessary for life," Candice Hansen of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,California,who led the study,said in a telephone interview

Europe's 10bn-euro space vision

Member states of the European space agency (Esa) have agreed a 10bn-euro budget at their meeting in The Hague.The figure,which covers the next three to five years,represents a substantial increase in funding.Ministers said the investment in space would help European industry pull through the current economic downturn.The new money will help build new Earth observation satellites,maintain Esa's participation in the space station,and fund probes to the planets

Iran 'fires second space rocket'

Iran says it has launched its second space rocket,the Kavosh 2,in a successful follow-up to the first launch in February.State media said that two more tests would be needed before an Iranian-built satellite could be launched into orbit.Iran denies that its long-range ballistic technology is linked to its atomic programme.It is already under international pressure to give up its nuclear work,which it says is purely civilian

Gates to stay on as Pentagon chief,aides say

In a show of bipartisanship and continuity,President-elect Barack Obama has decided to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his post,Democrats close to the transition said, and on Wednesday named Paul Volcker,a former chairman of the Federal Reserve under Democratic and Republican presidents,to lead a new White House economic advisory committee

Finally,Urine Recycler Passes Astronauts' Test

After several days without luck,astronauts finally ran a successful test on equipment that turns urine into drinking water — a necessity for supporting the international space station's crew,which will soon double."Not to spoil anything,but I think up here the appropriate words are 'Yippee!'" space station commander Mike Fincke told Mission Control early Tuesday morning,shortly before bedtime

Germans seized in Kosovo spy scandal

Three German citizens have been detained in Kosovo for allegedly throwing explosives at the EU office in the capital Pristina.Sources in the German media claim the men are undercover intelligence agents.The three were arrested last Wednesday on suspicion of being involved in the incident on November 14 when bombs were thrown at the International Civilian Office,the bureau of EU Special Representative Pieter Feith.The blast caused minor damage to the building,but nobody was injured

Europe meets to set space goals

How to spend at least 9bn euros is the question facing European science ministers gathering in The Hague.The 18 member states of the European Space Agency (Esa) are meeting in the Dutch city to approve policies and programmes for the next three years.They will sanction funding for ongoing activities,such as Esa's involvement in the space station;but they will also initiate a range of new projects

Last chance:Astronauts venture on final spacewalk

Three spacewalks down.One to go.Astronauts Stephen Bowen and Robert "Shane" Kimbrough venture outside the international space station Monday for the fourth and final spacewalk of space shuttle Endeavour's nearly two-week visit to the orbiting outpost.The trip just got a little longer.On Monday,mission managers added a day to Endeavour's mission to give the astronauts more time to work on the new water recycling system that was delivered by the shuttle.The urine processor,a key part of the system,is not working properly

Iraqi leader campaigns for security pact with U.S.

Pirates,foreign attacks,a plummeting economy.Iraqi government ministers are cataloguing warnings about the future if lawmakers reject the proposed security pact with the U.S.It’s all part of a campaign by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to rally support for the agreement going into parliament’s crucial vote Wednesday on the deal that would keep American troops in Iraq through 2011

Mile-thick glaciers found on Mars

Huge glaciers up to half a mile thick have been discovered close to the equator of Mars and are thought to be the remnants of an ice age on the planet.The glaciers are thought to have been formed up to 100 million years ago and are the “most dramatic” evidence yet of climate change on Mars.Hundreds of glaciers have been identified by researchers using ground-penetrating radar that allows them to see through a rocky layer of debris covering the ice

U.S. strike in Pakistan reportedly kills militant

Rashid Rauf,a British militant with al Qaeda links,was killed along with an Egyptian by a suspected U.S. missile strike in northwest Pakistan on Saturday,Pakistani television channels and intelligence officers said.Rauf,the suspected ringleader of a 2006 plot to blow up trans-atlantic airliners using liquid explosives,was among five victims of an attack believed to have been launched by a U.S. pilotless drone aircraft in the North Waziristan tribal region

Russia Sending More Ships to Fight Somali Pirates

Russia says it will send more warships to combat piracy in the waters off Somalia.The RIA Novosti news agency quotes the head of the Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky as saying the ships are needed to fight intensifying pirate activity

Syria insists site bombed was not nuclear reactor

Syria said Friday a building bombed by Israeli planes last year was not a covert nuclear reactor,as Washington stuck to its allegations which it said was borne in a findings by the UN nuclear watchdog."We are talking about military bases,we are talking about military activities,"Ibrahim Othman,the head of Syria's Atomic Energy Commission,told reporters after International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors briefed members about their first visit to the site in June

Nothing lost in space - this time

Repairs to jammed mechanical joints on the International Space Station's solar collectors have been successful,says Nasa.On Tuesday the space walkers lost an expensive tool bag while attempting similar repairs.This time they took no chances triple checking all their equipment to make sure it was all tied down

Pentagon hit by unprecedented cyber attack

The Pentagon has suffered from a cyber attack so alarming that it has taken the unprecedented step of banning the use of external hardware devices, such as flash drives and DVD’s,FOX News has learned.The attack came in the form of a global virus or worm that is spreading rapidly throughout a number of military networks.‘We have detected a global virus for which there has been alerts,and we have seen some of this on our networks,’a Pentagon official told FOX News

Iran accuses IAEA of '2-sided stance'

A leading Iranian cleric accused the UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei of delivering ambiguous remarks about Iran's nuclear program.Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said that ElBaradei "unfortunately" speaks in a "two-sided" manner about the issue

U.S. wary on chances of normal NATO-Russia ties

The United States raised doubts about the prospect of a fast return to normal ties between NATO and Russia after the Georgian war Friday,despite a European Union move to restart partnership talks with Moscow

Buried Mars Glaciers May Be Remnants of Past Ice Age

Low,wide glaciers half a mile thick adorn the middle latitudes of Mars,say scientists who used radar probes to peer into debris-covered formations.The rounded slopes of material skirting steep ridges have cropped up in numerous satellite images over the years,generating controversy over whether they are mostly made of rock or ice

Judge orders Guantanamo releases

A US judge has ruled that five Algerians held in the US prison facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for almost seven years had been illegally detained and must be freed.Richard Leon,US district judge in Washington DC,said the US government had "failed to show by burden of proof" that the five men had allegedly planned to go to Afghanistan to fight US-led forces there

Russia sending more ships in pirate crack down

Russia will send additional ships to the Horn of Africa in an effort to crack down on the recent wave of hijackings by Somalia-based pirates,its navy chief said Thursday.The Russian frigate Neustrashimy is already in the region and has helped repel pirate attacks on at least two ships.Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky told the official news agency Ria Novosti that more ships would be joining it soon

Tool Bag Is Lost During Spacewalk

Astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station to do repair work,but lost a bag of tools they had taken along.Capt.Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper of the Navy,an astronaut on a mission to the station,was on the first spacewalk of the mission,which involves cleaning and greasing a balky rotary joint,when she discovered that a grease gun had erupted inside its tote bag.While she cleaned up that mess,the bag — containing two grease guns,scrapers and other equipment — floated irretrievably into space

Carrier to be based in Mayport

A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will be based at Naval Station Mayport,Fla.,Navy officials announced Monday.“We have selected a preferred alternative,which is to homeport a CVN in Mayport,”Navy Secretary Donald Winter said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington,D.C.“The principal rationale for that has to do with the vulnerability of the concentration [of carriers] we have right now in the Tidewater [Va.] area and the desirability to be able to have an additional resource for homeport operations and support.”

Gamma-Ray Evidence Suggests Ancient Mars Had Massive Oceans

An international team of scientists who analyzed data from the Gamma Ray Spectrometer onboard NASA's Mars Odyssey reports new evidence for the controversial idea that oceans once covered about a third of ancient Mars

China denies trying to obtain US space technology

China on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that it is seeking to illegally obtain U.S. space technology after a scientist in the United States was convicted of violating the U.S. arms embargo on China.The scientist,Quan-Sheng Shu,a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Shanghai,pleaded guilty Monday in a district court in Norfolk,Virginia,to selling rocket technology to China and bribing Chinese officials to secure a lucrative contract for his high-tech company

Syria dismisses IAEA report of uranium traces

A Syrian official disputed on Tuesday that the UN nuclear agency's discovery of uranium traces at a bombed site was an indication that Syria was building a nuclear reactor.Buthaina Shaaban,an adviser to President Bashar Assad,also said in a CNN interview that Damascus had nothing to hide,and was waiting for the International Atomic Energy Agency to release a report on its investigation into Syria's purported nuclear activities

I shot down McCain

A retired Red Army Lieutenant who fought in Vietnam has confessed to shooting down the plane of defeated presidential candidate,John McCain.Colonel Yuriy Trushechkin told Russia’s Moskovsky Komsomolets he had no regrets about downing the future Senator’s aircraft back in 1967

Leonardo Attached to Station

The Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module has been attached to the space station.Inside the MPLM are systems to be installed in the U.S. Destiny lab and Harmony node,such as:two water recovery systems racks for recycling urine into potable water,a second toilet system,new galley components,two new food warmers,a food refrigerator,an experiment freezer,a combustion science experiment rack,two separate sleeping quarters and a resistance exercise device

AIAA Missile Sciences Conference 18 - 20 Nov 2008

Attendance at this conference is restricted to U.S. citizens who possess at least a DoD SECRET security clearance verified by the conference security coordinator.Each attendee (including speakers,aides,executive officers,assistants,etc.) must complete and properly submit the Security Clearance Certification Form found on page BXX

Obama vows to close Guantanamo

Barack Obama,the US president-elect,has promised to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp,as human rights lawyers warn such a move would face a number of legal difficulties.Obama told the CBS programme 60 Minutes on Sunday:"I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo,and I will follow through on that

It's unpacking day for astronauts at space station

Monday was unpacking day for the astronauts at the international space station.Among the top items to be hauled into the space station:a new toilet and a contraption that purifies urine and sweat into drinkable water at the orbiting outpost

Lunar Images From Chandrayaan-1

This is the picture of moon's surface taken from lunar orbit by Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft's Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC) on November 15, 2008.Taken over the polar region of the moon,the picture shows many large and numerous small craters.The bright terrain on the lower left is the rim of 117 km wide Moretus crater Image

Moscow aims to restore trust with the U.S

Dmitry Medvedev has said the election of Barack Obama provides an opportunity for a renewal of trust between Moscow and Washington.Relations between the two sides have soured since the U.S. announced plans to build an anti-missile defence shield in Europe.Speaking in the U.S. capital,the Russian President said “we have great hope and aspirations for the new administration."

Inspection Day Aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour

STS-126 crew members will use the shuttle's robotic arm and its extension to look at the spacecraft's thermal protection system.They also will prepare for Sunday afternoon's docking with the station by installing the Orbiter Docking System centerline camera and extending the system's docking ring

Barack Obama is warned to beware of a ‘huge threat’ from al-Qaeda

Barack Obama is being given ominous advice from leaders on both sides of the Atlantic to brace himself for an early assault from terrorists.General Michael Hayden,director of the CIA,this week acknowledged that there were dangers during a presidential transition when new officials were coming in and getting accustomed to the challenges.But he added that no “real or artificial spike” in intercepted transmissions from terror suspects had been detected

South Korean opposition delegation visits north

An opposition party delegation was taking a message from the South Korean government to the North on Saturday to try to improve relations that soured after Pyongyang threatened to halt border crossings.The Democratic Labor Party group arrived in North Korea,the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported

Space Shuttle Endeavour Launches Into Night Sky

Space shuttle Endeavour and a crew of seven blasted into the night sky Friday,bound for the international space station and the most extreme home makeover project ever attempted by astronauts.The shuttle rose off its launch pad at 7:55 p.m. EST, right on time,in a brilliant flash of light visible for miles around

NASA fuels space shuttle Endeavour for evening flight to space station

NASA fueled space shuttle Endeavour on Friday for an evening flight to the international space station and a home remodeling project by astronauts doubling as kitchen and bathroom installers

Four Exoplanets Sighted

In news that has thrown astronomers and space enthusiasts into a tizzy of excitement,two separate research teams announced today that they have taken the first pictures of exoplanets,planets orbiting stars beyond the edge of our solar system.It’s an achievement that has long been considered vital in the search for planets like our own

Indian probe touches down on Moon

India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft,Chandrayaan 1,has placed a probe on the surface of the Moon.The probe,painted with the Indian flag,touched down at 2034 (1504 GMT),the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.It will perform various experiments,including measuring the composition of the Moon's atmosphere

U.S. rejects Russian call to scrap missile defense

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rejected a Russian suggestion that both countries scrap plans to place defensive missiles in Eastern Europe.U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rejected a Russian call to stop a missile defense shield being built.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a televised interview with French journalists broadcast Thursday that Moscow was willing to reconsider deploying Iskander missiles in its westernmost region of Kaliningrad if Washington did not place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a missile-tracking radar in the Czech Republic

Kaliningrad missiles depend on Washington – Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev says Russia would have no choice but to react should the US take the unilateral step of building missile bases in Eastern Europe.The President says such a response could include deploying Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad.However,he says,Russia could shelve the plans should the US change its mind

Syria blames IAF for uranium traces

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem suggested Wednesday that Israeli bombs may be the source of uranium traces that diplomats at the UN nuclear agency said were found at a suspected nuclear site

NASA clears shuttle Endeavour for Friday launch

NASA cleared space shuttle Endeavour for a Friday night launch to the international space station,but the weather outlook was not too promising.A cold front was making its way toward Florida on Wednesday and was expected to bring rain and thick clouds by the weekend

Phoenix concludes Martian adventure

After more than five months on the Martian surface,NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander has said its farewells to the Earth as the decline in solar power forces the spacecraft to shut down.Phoenix last communicated with mission engineers on 2 November but there is still hope the lander will revive itself and phone home

Lost Bomb's Radioactive Legacy

Residents living in Greenland say the 1968 crash of a B-52 aircraft,armed with nuclear warheads,has left a lasting legacy.Many claim long-term damage to the environment and to the health of individuals.Historians say following a fire aboard the aircraft,the high explosives surrounding the nuclear weapons exploded without setting off the actual nuclear devices

NASA Watches Weather for Friday Shuttle Launch

NASA is keeping an eye on the weather as it prepares the shuttle Endeavour for a Friday night launch toward the International Space Station.Endeavour has a 60 percent chance of favorable launch weather for its planned 7:55 p.m. EST (0055 Nov. 15 GMT) liftoff to ferry a new crewmember and vital new equipment to the space station

EU to resume key talks with Russia

EU foreign ministers agreed today that frozen talks on a new strategic pact with Russia should restart,despite Lithuanian opposition,with the negotiations expected to begin within weeks."We have found a good way to proceed," said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner,after talks between European Union foreign ministers in Brussels

Bush Spy Revelations Anticipated When Obama Is Sworn In

Privacy Advocates Expect Whistleblowers to Share Warrantless Wiretap Info After Inauguration Day.When Barack Obama takes the oath of office on January 20,Americans won't just get a new president; they might finally learn the full extent of George W. Bush's warrantless domestic wiretapping

Mars Lander Succumbs to Winter

Mission managers said Monday that they had not heard from the NASA spacecraft for a week and that they thought it had probably fallen quiet for good.“At this time,we’re pretty convinced that the vehicle is no longer available for us to use,” said Barry Goldstein,the project manager.“We’re actually ceasing operations,declaring an end to mission operations at this point.”

The Sun Shows Signs of Life

After two-plus years of few sunspots,even fewer solar flares,and a generally eerie calm,the sun is finally showing signs of life."I think solar minimum is behind us,"says sunspot forecaster David Hathaway of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

EU says ‘Yes’ to dialogue with Russia

The EU is looking forward to resuming its co-operation with the Russian Federation,according to the current EU President,Bernard Kouchner."The dialogue must continue," he said at a press conference in London,although he added that the EU still actively condemns Russia's actions in the Caucasus last August

8th Fighter Wing commander relieved

The commander of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base,Korea,was relieved of command Monday because of a lack of confidence in his leadership.Col. Bryan Bearden was removed by Gen.Howie Chandler,Pacific Air Forces commander,because of “duty performance factors,” according to a press release from the base

A look at Endeavour's 7 astronauts

Space shuttle Endeavour's seven astronauts will spend Thanksgiving circling Earth,and one of them — Sandra Magnus — will stick around for Christmas and New Year's as well.Commander Christopher Ferguson said at least seven turkey dinners have been stowed aboard Endeavour for the trip to the international space station.Liftoff for the two-week mission is set for Friday night

Pool Of Distant Galaxies:Deepest Ultraviolet Image Of The Universe Yet

This uniquely beautiful patchwork image,with its myriad of brightly coloured galaxies,shows the Chandra Deep Field South (CDF-S),arguably the most observed and best studied region in the entire sky Image

NASA Hosts Mars Atmosphere Workshop in Virginia

More than 150 Mars atmosphere experts from the U.S.,Canada and Europe will be in Williamsburg,Va.,for a NASA sponsored workshop.Nov.10-13,at The Woodlands Hotel and Conference Center in Colonial Williamsburg

Senior al-Qaida leader killed in Iraq

IRAQI security forces backed by US troops killed a senior al-Qaida leader during operation in north of Baghdad on Thursday,the US military said today.Based on tips from local citizens,the troops conducted a cache-clearing operation in the Tarmiyah area,some 40 km north of Baghdad,killing Abu Ghazwan who is accused of commanding numerous terrorists' cells in the Taji and Tarmiyah areas,a military statement said

Indian satellite orbiting Moon

India is celebrating the arrival of its Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft at the Moon.An 817-second burn from the probe's engine on Saturday slowed Chandrayaan sufficiently for it to be captured by the lunar body's gravity.The craft is now in an 11-hour polar ellipse that goes out to 7,502km from the Moon and comes as close as 504km

Cyber attacks on McCain and Obama teams 'came from China'

US government cyber experts suspect that an attack on the Obama and McCain campaign computer networks this summer originated from China,according to a US official.Earlier this summer,the Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation warned Barack Obama's and John McCain's campaign teams that their computer networks had been compromised by foreign hackers

North Korea seen to slow nuclear disablement

North Korea has slowed disablement work at its key nuclear reactor to a snail's pace,complaining of a delay in delivery of energy aid it is supposed to receive,Japan's Kyodo news agency quoted diplomatic sources as saying

Russian President Sharply Criticizes U.S. on Missile Defense

Medvedev Threatens to Deploy Tactical Missiles Near Poland if U.S. Pursues Shield in Europe.Sharply criticizing the United States while offering to rebuild relations with its new leader,Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned in a nationally televised address Wednesday that he would deploy short-range missiles near Poland if the Obama administration pressed ahead with plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe

Sea change in U.S. politics after race for president

The 2008 race for the White House fundamentally upended the way presidential campaigns are fought in the United States,a legacy that has almost been lost with all the attention being paid to the battle between John McCain and Barack Obama

China must use science and technology for development

China has made great progress in basic science and technological innovation,says the country's premier Wen Jiabao,and is among the top nations for the annual number of international scientific papers published and patent applications filed

CASC:Mars probe to be launched next year

Home-made satellite will start its first trip to the Mars next September,and the soft lander and moon rover will be launched during the second phase of China's moon exploration project.The news came on Nov. 1 as Wang Li,an official with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced right before the opening of The 7th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai,south China's Guangdong province

Guantanamo jury convicts bin Laden's media man

A U.S. military tribunal found Osama bin Laden's media secretary guilty of conspiring with al Qaeda,soliciting murder and providing material support for terrorism in a verdict announced on Monday

Terrorists try to infiltrate UK's top labs

The security services have intercepted up to 100 suspects posing as postgraduate students who aim to acquire weapons material and expertise

'Ghost Of Mirach' Materializes In Space Telescope Image

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer has lifted the veil off a ghost known to haunt the local universe,providing new insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies

Iraq's Al-Maliki Stressing US Departure

Iraq's prime minister is pushing the idea that the U.S. departure is in sight in a bid to sell the security deal with Washington to Iran.To reinforce the message,the Iraqis are asking for changes to the deal that would effectively rule out extending the U.S. military presence beyond 2011

Gadafy offers Russia a naval base in Libya

The Russian navy could significantly expand its presence in the Mediterranean after it emerged yesterday that Libya's leader,Muammar Gadafy,has offered Moscow the chance to open a base on its coastline

Hubble Telescope Taking Snaps Like It Was Never In Sleep Mode

This month has not been one of the best for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope,since an electrical malfunction that made the data formatter,an instrument used to send information back to Earth,to stop working managed to put the Hubble on the bench from September 27 until recently

Iraq wants U.S. troops gone by end of 2011

Iraq wants to eliminate any chance U.S. forces will stay here after 2011 under a proposed security pact and to expand Iraqi legal jurisdiction over U.S. troops until then,a close ally of the prime minister said Thursday

More Hidden Territory On Mercury Revealed By MESSENGER Spacecraft

A NASA spacecraft gliding over the battered surface of Mercury for the second time this year has revealed more previously unseen real estate on the innermost planet.The probe also has produced several science firsts and is returning hundreds of new photos and measurements of the planet's surface,atmosphere and magnetic field

NASA Gives "Go" for Space Shuttle Launch on Nov. 14

NASA managers completed a review Thursday of space shuttle Endeavour's readiness for flight and selected the official launch date for the STS-126 mission.Commander Chris Ferguson and his six crewmates are scheduled to lift off to the International Space Station at 7:55 p.m. EST on Nov. 14

NASA is assessing how to expedite Orion craft

Faster plans to replace the shuttle mean less reliance on Russia's Soyuz.NASA is assessing how it could accelerate by a year or more the maiden launch of the new Orion moonship,officials at the space agency disclosed Wednesday

Detecting dirty bomb material with ESA gamma-ray technology

Thanks to ESA and UK technology transfer support,a British company has developed a device based on the gamma-ray detection equipment used in ESA’s Integral astronomy satellite to detect and identify the radioactive material mixed with conventional explosives in ‘dirty bombs’

Syria Demands U.S. Apology and Compensation

In response to a U.S. raid on a building in Syria last Sunday,the Syrian government demanded an apology from the United States Wednesday,and said it expected compensation for the damage caused by the attack

More than twice the buildup in Afghanistan?

Military planners now think they may need to send more than double the number of extra troops initially believed needed to help fight the war in Afghanistan.The buildup in the increasingly violent campaign could amount to more than 20,000 troops rather than the originally planned 10,000,two senior defense officials said Wednesday on condition of anonymity because no new figures have been approved

NASA'S Phoenix Mars Lander Enters Safe Mode

NASA'S Phoenix Mars Lander entered safe mode late yesterday in response to a low-power fault brought on by deteriorating weather conditions.While engineers anticipated that a fault could occur due to the diminishing power supply,the lander also unexpectedly switched to the "B" side of its redundant electronics and shut down one of its two batteries

New minerals point to wetter Mars

A Nasa space probe has discovered a new category of minerals spread across large regions of Mars.The find suggests liquid water remained on Mars' surface a billion years later than scientists had previously thought

Microsoft “hacking” computers in China?

An anti-piracy campaign by Microsoft is having a difficult time in China.The company may face an investigation from local authorities who allege Microsoft is trying to “hack” consumer computers.Microsoft started a global plan in August to upgrade one of its anti-piracy tools,to make a stand against bogus copies of Windows XP Professional

NASA Tests Rover Concepts In Arizona

NASA's newest lunar rover prototype has now gone farther than it ever has before.A collection of engineers,astronauts and geologists have spent the past week testing out the Small Pressurized Rover in the 11th annual Desert RATS – or Research and Technology Studies -- field tests

UN atomic energy chief warns of nuclear theft

Mohamed ElBaradei,chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency,asserts that the number of reports of nuclear or radioactive material stolen around the world last year was "disturbingly high." ElBaradei,in his annual report to the General Assembly,said Monday that nearly 250 thefts were reported in the year ending in June

Starwatch:Jupiter and Venus

The two brightest planets,Jupiter and Venus,draw together low down in the SW at nightfall during November.Both have set by our map times as Andromeda and her famous galaxy stand high in the SE,to the left of the Square of Pegasus,and Orion is rising in the E below Taurus

Shocking Israeli Plot To Assassinate Obama Foiled In US

FSB reports to Prime Minister Putin circulating in the Kremlin today are stating that an Israeli based plot to assassinate the United States Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Barack Obama has been foiled due to information relayed to American Intelligence Officials from Russian Military Forces who are still decrypting secret documents captured in Georgia from retreating Georgian special forces troops trained in Israel

Syria accuses U.S. of "terrorist aggression"

Syria accused the United States on Monday of "terrorist aggression" after a raid near its border with Iraq in which it said eight civilians were killed but Washington refused to say whether its troops were involved

ESA’s Lunar Robotics Challenge:A tough task for the student teams

The Teide volcanic peak on the island of Tenerife acted as a mock-up of the Moon landscape last week,with eight European student teams tuning,testing and driving their lunar rovers in preparation for a robotics competition that took place during the dark nights of last weekend

Nasrallah meets Hariri secretly on Lebanon unity

Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah chief Sayed Hassan Nasrallah has met his main political foe,Sunni majority leader Saad al-Hariri,for the first time since the war with Israel in 2006,a statement said on Monday

UK ambitions in space 'at risk'

One of Europe's flagship space projects looks as though it is going to proceed with the UK continuing to be a bit-part player,scientists and engineers fear

Hubble Has Never Ending Troubles

Hubble is the world-famous telescope,launched into orbit in the year 1990 by the Discovery Space Shuttle.The telescope is named after the famous American astronomer Edwin Hubble.The telescope is both the largest and the most versatile out there.It functions,obviously,as a research tool,but also as an advertising bonus for NASA and the European Space Agency

Air Force investigating 1-star at Pentagon

The Air Force is investigating a senior Pentagon official who was reassigned last month amid accusations of misconduct while overseeing the Guantanamo war crimes tribunals,according to a former chief prosecutor

Cameras Capture 'Fireball' In The Sky

For the second time this year,The University of Western Ontario Meteor Group has captured incredibly rare video footage of a meteor falling to Earth.The team of astronomers suspects the fireball dropped meteorites in a region north of Guelph,Ontario,Canada,that may total as much as a few hundred grams in mass

Chandrayaan-1 Spacecraft’s Orbit Raised Further

The second orbit-raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft was carried out at 05:48 hrs IST this morning (October 25, 2008) when the spacecraft’s 440 Newton Liquid Engine was fired for about 16 minutes by commanding the spacecraft from Spacecraft Control Centre (SCC) at ISRO Telemetry,Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Peenya,Bangalore

U.N.'s Ban urges disarmament steps by nuclear powers

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged the world's nuclear powers to take steps to abolish their atomic arsenals and outlined a set of proposals for eliminating all weapons of mass destruction

Mars astronauts should never return to Earth,says Buzz Aldrin

The first astronauts sent to Mars should be prepared to never return to Earth,according to moonwalker Buzz Aldrin.Like the European pioneers who set out for America they should set out knowing they will spend their lives there,the second man on the Moon said.Though presumably they would hope to survive longer than their first harsh winter

Russia lines up new anti-missile system to counter U.S. shield plans

Russia's Strategic Missile Forces are being equipped with new anti-ballistic missile systems in response to U.S. plans to deploy a missile shield in Europe,Interfax reported Wednesday

Depressed astronauts might get computerized solace

No wonder the adventure of space flight can also be stressful,isolating and depressing.So scientists are working on giving a computer the ability to offer some of the understanding guidance - if not all the warmth - of a human therapist,before psychological problems or interpersonal conflicts compromise a mission.Clinical tests on the four-year,$1.74 million project for NASA,called the Virtual Space Station,are expected to begin in the Boston area by next month

Garriott Returns From Space Adventure,ISS

NCsoft's Richard "Lord British" Garriott returned safely to Earth along with two Russian cosmonauts,landing in northern Kazakhstan 12 days after traveling to the International Space Station as a space tourist.Anatoly Perminov,the head of Russian space agency Roskosmos described the Soyuz capsule's landing as "ideal," according to a report from the Associated Press

U.S. piling up illegal sanctions against Russia - Lavrov

New sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Russia's military export monopoly Rosoboronexport are against international law,says Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.He added Russia will keep them in mind in future relations with the U.S.Washington says Russia's state military supplier Rosoboronexport has been dealing with Iran and supports the country's nuclear programme

Goce gravity flight slips to 2009

Europe's gravity mission has been bumped to next year because of ongoing technical problems with its launcher.The arrow-shaped Goce satellite will map tiny variations in the pull of gravity experienced across the world.The information will give scientists a clearer insight into how the oceans move,and provide a universal reference to measure height anywhere on Earth

New light on moon water

The Japanese spacecraft Kaguya finds no visible evidence that a lunar south pole crater holds ice.Don’t bother bringing ice skates to the moon’s Shackleton crater.The crater sits at the moon’s south pole and never receives direct sunlight.Even though it is chilly enough to contain frozen water,it has no visible patches of ice,new images from a Japanese spacecraft reveal

Israel 'open' to Arab peace plan

Israel's president has said that his country is open to an Arab peace plan aimed at bringing an end to hostilities with Arab nations,after holding talks with Hosni Mubarak,the Egyptian president

Spec ops soldiers rescue American hostage

KABUL,Afghanistan — U.S. Special Forces soldiers freed a kidnapped American working for the Army Corps of Engineers during a nighttime mission last week — a rare hostage rescue in a country where ransom abductions have become increasingly common

India Launches Its First Mission To Moon:Chandrayaan-1

Chandrayaan-1,India’s first mission to the Moon,was successfully launched the morning of October 22 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR) in Sriharikota,India

Nasa chief:Criticism hurting agency morale

Unfounded criticism of America's next-generation moon rocket is hurting NASA morale but hasn't stopped progress on the craft,the space agency's administrator Michael Griffin said Tuesday

Astrologist predicts global crisis in 2010 that will destroy EU and NATO

Pavel Globa,a well-known astrologist,predicts that Russia will successfully extricate from the current financial crisis,although it is not going to happen soon.Russia,the astrologist said,will suffer a lot less in comparison with the United States and the European Union

Atlantis completes rollback trip

The U.S. space agency Monday completed the "rollback" of space shuttle Atlantis from its Kennedy Space Center launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration spacecraft was to have been launched Oct.10 on a mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.But that mission was indefinitely postponed when a malfunction occurred in a system that transfers science data from the orbiting observatory to Earth.A new target launch date hasn't been announced

British defence ministry releases UFO files

Britain's defence ministry made public secret files on UFO sightings Monday,with the dossier including reports ranging from a woman claiming to be an alien to calm pilots giving objective accounts.The 19 different incidents were recorded between 1986 and 1992,and published by the National Archives on its website

Space tech helps to find natural resources

Using space-based technology developed during ESA’s gravity mission studies,a novel gradiometer is being developed by a UK-based company to help oil and gas companies find the most appropriate locations to drill wells and plan further exploration

NASA sends probe to study edge of solar system

The US space agency was on Sunday to launch a space probe that will go into orbit high above earth to study the distant edge of the solar system where hot solar winds crash into the cold outer space

Top China political advisor proposes more attention on grain security

China should pay more attention to its grain security in rural reform, said Jia Qinglin,the country's top political advisor,here on Saturday.It should be a top priority to maintain grain production when the country develops modern agriculture,said Jia,chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee,when the third meeting of the CPPCC National Committee's Standing Committee concluded here

Al-Qaeda Web forums abruptly taken offline

DUBAI,United Arab Emirates - Four of the five main online forums that al-Qaeda's media wing uses to distribute statements by Osama bin Laden and other extremists have been disabled since mid-September,monitors of the Web sites say

North Korea awaits 'major message'

North Korea has ordered its overseas diplomats to be prepared for an "important announcement" that may be related to the health of its leader Kim Jong-il,according to a Japanese newspaper

F.B.I. Struggles to Handle Wave of Financial Fraud Cases

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is struggling to find enough agents and resources to investigate criminal wrongdoing tied to the country’s economic crisis,according to current and former bureau officials

Sadr urges rejection of US-Iraq pact

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday called on Iraq's parliament to reject a U.S.-Iraqi security pact as tens of thousands of his followers rallied in Baghdad against the deal.The mass public show of opposition came as U.S. and Iraqi leaders face a Dec. 31 deadline to reach agreement on the deal,which would replace an expiring U.N. mandate authorizing the U.S.-led forces in Iraq

Q and A:Recycling Astronaut Urine

Ask Bob Bagdigian for a drink of water and you may get more than you bargained for.He's been working on a system that gives new life to urine and perspiration and it's ready for prime time aboard the International Space Station this fall.Bagdigian,the project manager for NASA's Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System,explains to Discovery News' Irene Klotz why he still has friends

Obama’s Nuclear Balancing Act

Senator Obama told Iowa voters he's "not a proponent" of nuclear power." Then he pledged to "safely harness nuclear power." Just where does Barack Obama stand on nuclear power? Living on Earth’s Jeff Young finds out

NASA gets Hubble going

NASA NETWORK experts have successfully powered up the backup data handling computer on the Hubble space telescope.The backup has not been used for the Hubble's 18 years of operation,but NASA officials say the telescope should be sending scientific data again later today

Star Light,Star Way Too Bright

Oct.17,1604:German astronomer Johannes Kepler notices that an exceptionally bright star has suddenly appeared in the constellation Ophiuchus.It turns out to be the last supernova seen in our galaxy,the Milky Way.In recognition of the time he spent staring into space,it becomes known as Kepler’s Supernova

New Space Telescope Has Already Found a Gamma Ray Mystery

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope only settled into its orbit a few months ago,but it’s already producing results that are delighting astronomers.Yesterday,NASA announced that Fermi had found a strange pulsar (a fast-spinning neutron star) by detecting only the gamma rays it emits.This is a first,NASA explains

ESA closes in on the origin of Mars' larger moon

European space scientists are getting closer to unravelling the origin of Mars' larger moon,Phobos.Thanks to a series of close encounters by ESA's Mars Express spacecraft,the moon looks almost certain to be a 'rubble pile',rather than a single solid object.However,mysteries remain about where the rubble came from

Volcanoes May Have Provided Sparks of First Life

New research suggests that lightening and volcanoes may have sparked early life on Earth.Researcher Jeffrey Bada at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and colleagues reanalyzed Stanley Millers classic origin of life experiment,offering a new analysis on how the essential building blocks of life may have arose from volcanic eruptions

Einstein's Relativity Survives Neutrino Test

Physicists working to disprove "Lorentz invariance" -- Einstein's prediction that matter and massless particles will behave the same no matter how they're turned or how fast they go -- won't get that satisfaction from muon neutrinos,at least for the time being,says a consortium of scientists

New space race to buy first cosmonaut’s suit

Prized relics from the Soviet era of space exploration are to be sold at Sothebey's in New York in December.Most of the items are owned by the American billionaire Ross Perot,who bought them at an earlier auction.Russian buyers now have a chance to bring them home

Europe delays its ExoMars mission

Europe is delaying its flagship space mission to Mars by more than two years.The ExoMars rover,which will search for signs of life on the Red Planet,will not now launch until 2016 because of the high cost of the project

Gamma Ray Telescope Finds First "Invisible" Pulsar

A pulsar that had previously been invisible to orbiting and ground-based observatories has been discovered thanks to one of astronomy's newest pairs of "glasses," the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

U.S. cyber warriors to protect Georgia?

A delegation of Pentagon officials is still in Georgia trying to understand why the U.S.-trained and equipped Georgian army was defeated in just two days last August.That’s according to the latest issue of U.S. Congressional Quarterly Weekly.The major goal of the delegation is to estimate Georgia’s defence requirements

Young Planets Stay Hotter Longer

Hot,young planets may be easier to spot because they stay that way longer than astronomers have thought,according to new work by MIT planetary scientist Linda Elkins-Tanton.For a few million years after their initial formation,planets like Earth may maintain a hot surface of molten rock that would glow brightly enough to make them stand out as they orbit neighboring stars

U.S.:No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq killed

American troops acting on a tip killed the No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq — a Moroccan known for his ability to recruit and motivate foreign fighters — in a raid in the northern city of Mosul,the U.S. military said Wednesday.The military statement described the man,known as Abu Qaswarah, as a charismatic leader who had trained in Afghanistan and managed to rally al-Qaida followers in Iraq despite U.S. and Iraqi security gains

Climate plan concern as EU meets

EU leaders will discuss everything from climate change to relations with Russia.Green groups are fearful that a summit opening in Brussels will see attempts to dilute the EU's climate and energy package because of the economic crisis

Lebanon,Syria sign pact to launch diplomacy

Syria and Lebanon formally launched diplomatic ties on Wednesday,the official SANA news agency said.A joint statement announcing the start of the diplomatic relations between the two countries as of Wednesday,for the first time since independence 60 years ago,was signed at the Foreign Ministry in Damascus

Vital atomic power station’s future in balance

A vote in Lithuania on whether to close Ignalina nuclear power plant in eastern Lithuania has failed to meet the 50 per cent threshold.It's the same type of plant as Chernobyl and is considered to be dangerous

Ex-Official:Palin Lied,Threw Me Under Bus

Walt Monegan has formally complained to the Alaskan state personnel board in an attempt to clear his name after being at the center of the Troopergate scandal.Monegan says Governor Sarah Palin lied about him

Faint gamma-ray bursts do actually exist

Gamma-ray bursts,powerful glares of high-energy that wash through the Universe once every day or so are,for a brief time,the brightest objects in the gamma-ray sky.ESA’s Integral gamma-ray observatory has observed several low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts,confirming the existence of an entire population of weaker bursts hardly noticed so far

UK university holds artificial intelligence test

Computers argued,cracked jokes and parried trick questions,all part of an annual test of artificial intelligence carried out at the University of Reading

Obama ignores bond with Eastern Europe

With Russia openly menacing Poland and its other former Eastern European satellites,Barack Obama appears prepared to throw them a bone.The freshman senator from Illinois,the Democratic presidential candidate,offered this ignorant,shallow remark on the Russian menace during last Tuesday’s debate

Former astronaut Alan Bean on artistic voyage

Apollo 12 moonwalker began creative career after leaving NASA in 1981.Alan Bean always had a creative streak:as a child,tinkering with his model airplanes until they became perfect little replicas of the real thing and later,proposing aircraft paint designs during his military career

DPRK to resume dismantling nuclear facilities

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will resume the disablement of nuclear facilities and permit the international inspectors to continue their works in Yongbyon,the official KCNA news quoted foreign ministry spokesman as saying on Sunday

Virgin on its way to space tourism

Virgin Galactic,airplane company-with its eyes on the future takes its space tourism very serouisly

N Korea to be taken off terror list

The US plans to remove North Korea from its terrorism blacklist - a factor in the deadlock over the North's disarmament,The Associated Press news agency has reported

NASA presses ahead for Mars rover launch in 2009

NASA said Friday it will press ahead with plans to launch a supersized rover to Mars next year despite spiraling costs and schedule pressures.The decision to maintain the status quo — at least for now — came after the space agency's top managers met to mull over the progress of the Mars Science Laboratory,a souped-up,nuclear-powered rover

Soyuz spacecraft moved to launch pad ahead of Baikonur blast-off

The Soyuz spacecraft has been positioned on its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome as it prepares for Sunday’s lift-off.The crew,who are bound for the International Space Station,includes American space tourist Richard Garriott,who's said to have paid $US 30 million for the opportunity

Google Earth's new satellite beams first image

Google Earth's new satellite,GeoEye-1,has beamed its first picture back to Earth.The high-resolution colour image from GeoEye-1,which was launched September 6 from a US air force base in California,is of a university campus in Pennsylvania,and was first posted at GeoEye.The picture of the Kutztown University campus was taken on Tuesday while the satellite was in a 423-mile-high (681 km) orbit over the East Coast of the United States

Iraqi PM discusses U.S. pact with Shiite cleric

Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric indicated Friday he would not stand in the way a long-term U.S. security deal if it's approved by the country's democratic institutions,the prime minister said

Final word:One nuclear,but no cyber command

The Air Force will align its nuclear missions under a new nuclear command,and has canceled plans to stand up Cyber Command.Air Force leaders decided during four days of meetings last week at the Air Force Academy not to follow the recommendation of a Defense Department task force to organize its nuclear missions under Air Force Space Command and rename it Air Force Strategic Command

Exclusive:Inside Account of U.S. Eavesdropping on Americans

Despite pledges by President George W. Bush and American intelligence officials to the contrary,hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they called friends and family back home,according to two former military intercept operators who worked at the giant National Security Agency (NSA) center in Fort Gordon,Georgia

Moscow calls for anti-US alliance

The President of Russia has called on Europe's leaders to create a new world order that would minimise the role of the United States.Confident that a row with Europe prompted by Russia's invasion of Georgia in August was over,Dmitry Medvedev arrived in the French spa town of Evian on Wednesday determined to woo his fellow leaders into creating an anti-US front

Tennessee man indicted for hacking Palin e-mail

A Tennessee man has been indicted for hacking into Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal e-mail account,the Justice Department said on Wednesday.David Kernell,20,of Knoxville,turned himself in and will appear before a U.S. judge on Wednesday,the Justice Department said.He faces up to 5 years in prison if convicted

Asteroid Exploded in Earth's Atmosphere

A small asteroid exploded over Africa this week following what astronomers said was the first firm prediction of an incoming space rock.It did not strike Earth.The asteroid was about the size of kitchen table, astronomers estimated,and they think the explosion (caused by the pressures of slamming into the atmosphere) left nothing but perhaps a few small bits to fall to the surface

Pakistan's spy chief addresses MPs

Ahmad Shujaa Pasha,Pakistan's new head of military intelligence,has briefed politicians on the country's internal security threat and the tribal areas seen as al-Qaeda and Taliban havens,in a rare closed-door session of parliament

Messenger extends Mercury vista

The Mercury Messenger probe has returned another batch of stunning pictures of the innermost world.The Nasa spacecraft swept over the surface of the planet on Tuesday,passing just 200km above the rocky terrain at closest approach.Some 1,200 images were obtained - many of regions never before been seen up close by a probe

US cool to Israeli strike on Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will travel to Moscow this week for talks that will focus largely on Iran's nuclear program at a time when there seem to be growing signs that the US is unenthusiastic about the idea of an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities

Report:Afghan government negotiating with Taliban

Taliban leaders are offering to sever ties with al Qaeda in the effort to make peace with the Afghan government,according to a television report.Saudia Arabia's King Abdullah hosted four days of meetings between the militia and the Afghan government,a source told CNN

U.S. to rely on Russia for manned spaceflight

STAR CITY,Russia:This place was once no place,a secret military base northeast of Moscow that did not show up on maps.The Soviet Union trained its astronauts here to fight on the highest battlefield of the Cold War:space.Yet these days,Star City is the place for America's hard-won orbital partnership with Russia,where astronauts train to fly aboard Soyuz spacecraft.And in two years,according to the Bush administration's plans,Star City will be the only place for sending astronauts from any nation to the International Space Station

Taliban Said to Be Furious Over US Missile Strike

The Taliban are furious about the latest apparent U.S. missile strike in Pakistan,indicating a senior militant may be among two dozen people killed,officials and residents said Sunday

Nuclear fusion energy project could lead to limitless clean electricity

The power of the sun is to be recreated in a new £1 billion science project which aims to provide a clean and almost limitless source of energy.British scientists will this week begin work to create a nuclear fusion reactor,which will use the same powerful reactions that take place in the Sun to provide energy and,ultimately,electricity

Oldest 'Footprints' on Earth Found

The oldest-known tracks of a creature apparently using legs have been discovered in rock dated to 570 million years ago in what was once a shallow sea in Nevada

Pirates die mysteriously on captured Iranian ship

Somali authorities say they believe an Iranian ship being held by pirates could be carrying illegal chemical weapons.Since its capture a number of pirates have apparently died due to a mysterious illness.Local authorities have been unable to inspect the vessel as it is anchored offshore and still under the control of the hijackers

Columbia Astronaut's Diary Goes on Display

Pages from an Israeli astronaut's diary that survived the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia and a 37-mile fall to earth are going on display this weekend for the first time in Jerusalem.The diary belonged to Ilan Ramon,Israel's first astronaut and one of seven crew members killed when Columbia disintegrated upon re-entering the atmosphere on Feb.1,2003

Gas From The Past Gives New Insights Into Climate And The Oceans

In recent years,public discussion of climate change has included concerns that increased levels of carbon dioxide will contribute to global warming,which in turn may change the circulation in the earth's oceans,with potentially disastrous consequences

US economic crisis signals defeat of Islam's "enemies"

An American member of al-Qaida pointed to economic troubles in the United States as proof that "the enemies of Islam" face defeat,in an English-language video released Saturday.In a half hour video message,California-native Adam Gadahn urged Pakistanis to unite against their government and U.S. forces,and taunted Americans over their economic crisis, relating it to their military interventions

N Korean leader 'appears in public'

Kim Jong-Il,the leader of North Korea,is said to have made his first public appearance since reports surfaced last month of poor health

U.S. Radar in Israel:What's it For,Really?

A few weeks back,the U.S. Army's European Command set up an early-warning radar system in Israel.It's ostensible purpose is to boost defenses against Iranian missiles.But Entropic Memes wonders whether there isn't something more to this radar than meets the eye.The AN/TPY-2 radar is one of the "key component[s]" in the "American Forward-Based Radar global missile-defense system," Entropic Memes notes.And it has a huge range -- about 2000 kilometers,by some estimates

Israel:North Korea aiding Mideast nuclear proliferation

Israel accused on Saturday North Korea of supplying at least half a dozen Mideast countries with conventional arms or nuclear technology.Israel's delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency,David Danieli,suggested on Saturday that North Korea was a black market supplier to some Middle East nations covertly trying to break out of the nonproliferation fold

US:North Korea still moving to restart reactor

The State Department says a US diplomat's trip to North Korea has not stopped the North from taking steps to restore its disabled nuclear reactor

Arctic time bomb set for 2020?

The flagship of Russia's polar fleet,"Akademik Fyodorov",is due to return to St. Petersburg at the end of a 40-day expedition to the Arctic.It's the same vessel that a year ago rekindled Russia's presence in the region with its ground-breaking survey of the North Pole seabed

Our Solar System Born in 'Little Bang'

First there was the theoretical Big Bang that got the universe going.Several billion years passed.Then a Little Bang birthed our solar system.At least scientists have long thought that's how it went,and now they have a computer model to back up the idea that our sun is the product of an explosive event.The new modeling finds that a supernova,or exploding star,could indeed have triggered birth of our sun in a dense cloud of gas and dust,the researchers say

NEW JUPITER IMAGE:Sharpest View Ever From Earth

Jupiter looks sharp in the crispest whole-planet picture of the planet ever shot from Earth.Captured using a new computer-assisted process and a 27-foot (8.2-meter) telescope in Chile,the result is sharp enough to show features as small as 180 miles (300 kilometers) across

US envoy extends stay for talks with NKorea

The chief U.S. nuclear envoy stayed on in North Korea for an unexpected second day of talks Thursday to persuade Pyongyang to resume dismantling its nuclear program in exchange for energy aid

U.S. Senate approves Indian nuclear deal

The United States opened a new chapter of cooperation with India as Congress gave final approval to an agreement that permits civilian nuclear trade between the two countries for the first time in three decades

MESSENGER Returns to Mercury

MESSENGER is the first mission sent to orbit the planet closest to the Sun.On October 6, 2008,MESSENGER will fly by Mercury for the second time this year.During the encounter,the probe will swing just 125 miles (200 kilometers) above the cratered surface of Mercury,snapping 1,278 pictures and collecting a variety of other data from the planet as it gains a critical gravity assist that keeps the probe on track to become the first spacecraft ever to orbit the innermost planet beginning in March 2011

Lunar Endurance Mission to Act as 'Boot Camp' for Mars

NASA chief Mike Griffin has outlined the punishing lunar endurance mission that would have to be completed before NASA could ever consider sending humans to Mars

Galileo satellite knocked offline

A test spacecraft for Europe's future satellite-navigation system has been rocked by a surge of space radiation.The incident forced the Giove-B satellite to adopt a "safe mode" for two weeks in which only essential power systems were kept running

IAEA lacks tools to expose secret work:ElBaradei

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday its failure to detect nuclear arms work in Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1980s showed his inspectors lacked authority to pre-empt proliferators

Mars Lander Finds Minerals,Suggests Past Water

NASA's Phoenix spacecraft has discovered evidence of past water at its Martian landing site and spotted falling snow for the first time,scientists reported Monday.Soil experiments revealed the presence of two minerals known to be formed in liquid water.Scientists identified the minerals as calcium carbonate,found in limestone and chalk,and sheet silicate

Virgin to join climate experiment

Virgin Galactic is to look at carrying scientific instruments on board one of its space tourism vehicles to gather data on climate change

Iraqi PM says pact with US essential to both sides

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said in an interview Monday that reaching a new security accord with the United States is essential to both sides,but that any deal reached must respect Iraqi interests

Freighter destroyed over Pacific

Europe's "Jules Verne" space freighter has destroyed itself in a controlled burn-up over the southern Pacific.The 13.5-tonne cargo ship had completed a six-month mission to the space station and was packed with the orbiting platform's rubbish.Two engine firings were required to slow the freighter sufficiently to pull it into the atmosphere

Russia's Lavrov slams U.S. 'unipolar' policies

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday slammed U.S. "unipolar" policies in Iraq and Afghanistan and said they contributed to the recent conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi over Georgia's breakaway republic of South Ossetia

US gives top radar system to Israel

The United States has transferred to Israel a new and advanced high-powered radar system that will improve Israel's reaction time to an Iranian missile strike,the Defense News Magazine reported over the weekend

Astronauts preparing for return to earth

Three Chinese astronauts onboard the spacecraft Shenzhou-7 are heading back to the Earth after accomplishing China's first spacewalk.The three taikonauts switched to in-cabin space suits at 11:10 a.m. on Sunday and control data for the return trip had be dictated to the spacecraft

UN Urged to Coordinate Killer Asteroid Defenses

A Threat Is Likely to Be Detected Within the Next 15 Years,Space Researchers Say.The technology to detect and deflect dangerous space rocks already exists -- all that's missing is someone to coordinate its use

NASA to Discuss Phoenix Mars Mission Science Data

NASA will hold a media briefing Monday,Sept.29,at 2 p.m. EDT,to discuss the latest developments,findings and upcoming science opportunities of the Phoenix Mars Lander.The briefing will take place in the NASA Headquarters' James E. Webb Auditorium,300 E St., S.W., Washington.It will be carried live on NASA Television and on the Web

China astronaut to walk in space

Three Chinese astronauts orbiting the Earth are about to take part in their country's first space walk

Nuclear reorganization still on the table

A proposal to reorganize the Air Force’s nuclear missions and its entire bomber force under Air Force Space Command remains a possibility,said a senior Air Force official close to nuclear matters

NASA Images Add a Billion Years to Mars's Wet Period?

Recent high-resolution images taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter suggest Mars may have stayed wet a billion years longer than most previous estimates,scientists report

State Security Without Borders

There was a great international scandal when it turned out that the CIA uses European airports for transporting to the US the persons suspected of terrorism.America got accused of infringement on human rights,while the European governments involved lost their face

Earth's Magnetic Field Reversals Illuminated By Lava Flows Study

Earth's north magnetic pole is shifting and weakening.Ancient lava flows are guiding a better understanding of what generates and controls the Earth's magnetic field – and what may drive it to occasionally reverse direction

Russia to build space defence system

Russia will upgrade its nuclear deterrence system,including building new nuclear submarines and a space defence programme,President Dmitry Medvedev said

U.S.,Russia Agree on U.N. Resolution on Iran Nuclear Program

Russia and the United States have agreed to seek a new U.N. resolution calling on Iran to comply with previous demands to suspend uranium enrichment but imposing no new sanctions,U.N. diplomats said Friday

US said no to Israel bombing Iran: report

Israel seriously considered bombing Iran's nuclear sites earlier this year but U.S. President George W. Bush refused to support such a strike,a British newspaper reported Friday

China's astronauts prepare for spacewalk

China's third manned space mission reached its final orbit early on Friday where astronauts preparing for the country's first spacewalk enjoyed spicy food and the convenience of an onboard toilet

Europe all set for lunar mission Chandrayaan-1

Europe is participating in a big way in the Indian Space Agency’s Chandrayaan-1 mission to the Moon,by contributing three instruments.All these instruments have now been delivered, tested and integrated with the spacecraft

WTO has no motivation to accept Russia,PM says

Russia's potential WTO partners have lost interest in its entry into the organization,Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told leaders of the Agrarian Party in the Samara region today.He noted that WTO member states had apparently lost motivation to accept Russia

Global Solar Wind Plasma Output At 50-Year Low,Ulysses Reveals

Data from the Ulysses spacecraft,a joint NASA-European Space Agency mission,show the sun has reduced its output of solar wind to the lowest levels since accurate readings became available.The sun's current state could reduce the natural shielding that envelops our solar system

China launches spacewalk mission

China has launched a rocket with three astronauts into space on a mission that will include the country's first ever spacewalk.The mission blasted off from a remote launch site in the Jiuquan space centre in China's northwestern Gansu province on Thursday night

8 generals disciplined in nuke mistake

Eight generals,ranging in rank from one to three stars,have been disciplined as a result of the mistaken shipment of fuses for nuclear warheads to Taiwan,The Associated Press has learned

Taikonauts aboard China's spacecraft Shenzhou-7 debut

The Shenzhou-7 spaceship will carry Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng,all aged 42,for China's third manned space mission that will include the country's first-ever space walk,an official said in Jiuquan,Gansu,on Wednesday

War of rhetoric:Rice and Lavrov to meet

It is going to be their first high-standing tête-à-tête since the war in the Caucasus region and it promises to be captivating.Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to meet his U.S. counterpart Condoleezza Rice on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly

North Korean nuclear plant seals removed

North Korea has made another move toward possibly restarting its suspended nuclear program,the U.N. nuclear agency reports.A South Korean looks at the demolition of a cooling tower at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex,June 27,2008.At the reclusive nation's request,the International Atomic Energy Agency has removed surveillance equipment and seals from the Yongbyon nuclear facility,agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said

Collider halted until next year

The Large Hadron Collider near Geneva will be shut off until spring 2009 while engineers probe a magnet failure.The incident on 19 September caused a tonne of liquid helium to leak out into the experiment's 27km-long tunnel

Saturn's Rings May Be More Massive,Older,Than Previously Thought

Saturn’s rings may be more massive than previously thought,and potentially much older,according to calculations that simulate colliding particles in Saturn’s rings and their erosion by meteorites

Zero-Gravity May Make Astronauts Dangerous Drivers

We already know that living in space is no picnic:astronauts frequently suffer sickness and disorientation.Now it seems that zero-gravity can also adversely affect their ability to judge size and distance

Bush:Russia violating UN Charter

U.S. President George Bush has accused Russia of violating the UN Charter by attacking Georgia in August.The outgoing leader was speaking at the 63rd UN General Assembly in New York. Bush vowed the U.S. will continue its support for ‘young democracies’ like Georgia and Ukraine

Bush,at U.N.,urges united stance vs. terrorism

President Bush,who once expressed disdain for the United Nations,said Tuesday multinational organizations are now "needed more than ever" to combat terrorists and extremists who are threatening world order

Russian warships set sail for manoeuvres near US waters

A fleet of Russian warships led by a massive missile cruiser set sail from their Arctic base on Monday for naval exercises off Venezuela near US waters that have not been seen since the Cold War

UN agency:Unsure if Iran hiding nuclear program

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Monday that he cannot determine whether Iran is hiding some nuclear activities,comments that appeared to reflect a high level of frustration with stonewalling of his investigators

Warrant Served on Residence of College Student in Palin E-Mail Hack

The FBI has served a search warrant against a 20-year-old college student in connection with the hacking of Sarah Palin’s personal e-mail account

Chinese astronauts for Shenzhou-7 mission arrive at launch center

A panel of six Chinese astronauts arrived at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province on Sunday,making the last-minute preparations for the country's third manned space mission

Kremlin insider gets nanotechnology job

Anatoly Chubais,the former CEO of Russian electricity holding RAO UES,has been appointed to run the Russian Nanotechnologies Corporation or Rusnanotekh.He was given the job by president Medvedev on Monday,the Kremlin said

On International Day,UN spotlights link between human rights and peace

Teaming up with a range of actors,from artists and students,to cell phone companies and chess enthusiasts,the United Nations is celebrating the International Day of Peace,which this year holds special meaning since 2008 also marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Doubts over Syria 'nuclear' claim

Partial analysis of samples from a Syrian site bombed by Israel do not back up US claims that the target was a secret nuclear facility,diplomats have said

Pakistan Marriott blast shows signs of al-Qaida

Taliban militants based near the Afghan border and their al-Qaida allies are the most likely suspects behind a massive truck bombing at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel,officials and experts said Sunday.At least 53 died in the explosion,including two U.S. Defense Department employees and the Czech ambassador

Generals face discipline over nuclear woes

Several Air Force generals and colonels will be disciplined next week for mistakes made handling nuclear weapons and nuclear-related materials over the past year,said congressional and Air Force sources

Probe Pamela the space smartypants thinks she’s found dark matter

Scientist may have detected dark matter — the mysterious substance thought to make up 85% of the universe — for the first time.They have discovered a surge of high-energy particles from the heart of the Milky Way,Earth’s home galaxy,which closely matches the radiation signature predicted for dark matter

China's manned spacecraft Shenzhou-7 in final preparation for launch

The Shenzhou-7 manned spaceship, the Long-March II-F rocket and the escape tower were vertically transferred to the launch pad at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday,marking the final stage of the preparation

Human cloning gets green light in Australia

The Australian government has issued the world’s first licence for the cloning of humans,reports the Reuters news agency.Sydney IVF has been given permission to clone human embryos in order to harvest stem cells

Al Qaeda Called for Pakistan Attack

Al Qaeda's Sept.11 anniversary propaganda tape,blocked from release until Friday,called for new attacks on Pakistan because of its role as a "puppet regime" in helping the United States

Russia against new U.N. measures on Iran

Russia is against the United Nations taking any extra measures on Iran over its nuclear program for now,and thinks efforts towards dialogue should continue,the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday

NASA's Swift Catches Farthest Ever Gamma-Ray Burst

NASA's Swift satellite has found the most distant gamma-ray burst ever detected.The blast,designated GRB 080913,arose from an exploding star 12.8 billion light-years away

'Big bang machine' halted for 2 months

The world's largest atom smasher — which was launched with great fanfare earlier this month — has been damaged worse than previously thought and will be out of commission for at least two months,its operators said Saturday

Russia no threat to NATO – U.S

The U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he does not think there will be a new Cold War with Russia.He pointed out that he sees no real military threat from Russia to NATO countries.He called for a cautious and prudent response from NATO to Russia's actions in Georgia

Hacker who broke into Sarah Palin's e-mail says it was easy

A person claiming to be the hacker who accessed Sarah Palin’s private e-mail account has posted online what appears to be first-person account of the simple steps needed to impersonate the Republican vice-presidential candidate and obtain her password online

Endeavour moved to launch pad as rescue ship for Atlantis

In an unprecedented step,a space shuttle was moved to the launch pad Friday for a trip NASA hopes it will never make — a rescue mission.The shuttle Endeavour is on standby in case the seven astronauts who go up on Atlantis next month need a safer ride home

Scientists Predict the Next President

Two mathematicians have devised what they say is a "surprisingly effective" means to predict the outcome of the U.S. presidential election using median statistics based on voter polling

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World politics

Tags:Russia,North Korea,China,Germany

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President Barack Obama:

If U.S. astronauts land on the moon again before 2020,it won't be aboard a NASA spacecraft.The space agency's 2011 budget,reveals plans to scrap the Constellation program,including the rockets and spacecraft that NASA has been developing over the past four years to replace its aging space shuttle fleet.