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Showing posts with label 2017 at 01:05AM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017 at 01:05AM. Show all posts
Saturday, 11 March 2017
Wednesday, 15 February 2017
India puts record 104 satellites into orbit
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C37) is seen after launch at Sriharikota on Febuary 15, 2017. India successfully put a record 104 satellites from a single rocket into orbit on February 15 in the latest triumph for its famously frugal space agency. Scientists who were at the launch in the southern spaceport of Sriharikota burst into applause as the head of India's Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced all the satellites had been ejected. / AFP PHOTO / ARUN SANKAR
India successfully put a record 104 satellites from a single rocket into orbit on Wednesday in the latest triumph for its famously frugal space programme.
Celebrations erupted among scientists at the southern spaceport of Sriharikota as the head of India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced all the satellites had been ejected as planned.
“My hearty congratulations to the ISRO team for this success,” the agency’s director Kiran Kumar told those gathered in an observatory to track the progress of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately congratulated the scientists for the successful launch which smashes a record previously held by Russia.
“This remarkable feat … is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation,” Modi wrote on Twitter.
The rocket took off at 9:28am (0358 GMT) and cruised at a speed of 27,000 kilometres (16,777 miles) per hour, ejecting all the 104 satellites into orbit in around 30 minutes, according to ISRO.
The rocket’s main cargo was a 714 kilogram (1,574 pounds) satellite for Earth observation but it was also loaded with 103 smaller “nano satellites”, weighing a combined 664 kilograms. The smallest weighed only 1.1 kilogram.
Nearly all of the nano satellites are from other countries, including Israel, Kazakhstan, Switzerland and 96 from the United States.
Around 90 of the satellites are from a San Francisco-based company, Planet Inc. each weighing around 4.5 kilograms that will send Earth images from space.
Only three satellites belonged to India.
– World record –
Scientists sat transfixed as they watched the progress of the rocket on monitors until the last payload was ejected, and then began punching the air in triumph and hugging each other.
This was PSLV’s 39th succesful mission, known as India’s space workhorse. In 2015, it carried 23 satellites to space.
The launch means India now holds the record for launching the most satellites in one go, surpassing Russia which launched 39 satellites in a single mission in June 2014.
And it is another feather in the cap for ISRO which sent an unmanned rocket to orbit Mars in 2013 at a cost of just $73 million, compared with NASA’s Maven Mars mission which had a $671 million price tag.
ISRO is also mulling the idea of missions to Jupiter and Venus.
The business of putting commercial satellites into space for a fee is growing as phone, Internet and other companies, as well as countries, seek greater and more high-tech communications.
India has carved out a reputation as a reliable low-cost option, relying in part on its famed skill of “jugaad” — creating a cheap alternative solution.
Experts say much of its credibility stems from India’s successful launch of the Mars orbiter, which gave it an edge over its rivals in the space race.
“India is proving to be a very viable option because of the cost and the reliability factor,” said Ajay Lele, a senior fellow at the Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
“India has been doing these launches successfully and has established itself as a very reliable player.”
Mathieu J Weiss, a liaison officer for France’s CNES national space agency who is currently in India, said ISRO had pulled off a major feat.
“It’s a great technical challenge to launch so many satellites at once into orbit on the right trajectory so that they don’t make contact with each other,” he told AFP.
Weiss said India had become a major player in the space race by making itself so competitive with its low costs and by working with private companies which are space specialists.
“India has become a space power in its own right in recent years,” he added.
Last June, India set a national record after it successfully launched a rocket carrying 20 satellites, including 13 from the US.
Modi has often hailed India’s budget space technology, quipping in 2014 that a rocket that launched four foreign satellites into orbit had cost less to make than Hollywood film “Gravity”.
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Monday, 13 February 2017
Peru asks Trump to consider deporting ex-president Toledo
Newspapers with the portrait of former Peruvian President (2001-2006) Alejandro Toledo on their front pages, are displayed for sale in Lima on February 10, 2017. Peruvian police launched a manhunt Friday for ex-president Alejandro Toledo, once hailed as an anti-corruption champion, after a judge ordered his arrest over accusations he took $20 million in bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. / AFP PHOTO / ERNESTO BENAVIDES
President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has urged US counterpart Donald Trump to consider extraditing fugitive former leader Alejandro Toledo, believed to be in the United States, to face graft charges.
The net appeared to be closing on the former Peruvian president as Israel said it would refuse entry to Toledo, who is accused of taking bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
Toledo’s French-born wife Eliane Karp has Israeli citizenship.
“President Kuczynski has asked Donald Trump to evaluate… with the State Department the idea of sending Toledo back to Peru,” where he is wanted on charges of taking $20 million in bribes while in office, state news agency Andina reported on Sunday.
However, the United States said it could not arrest Toledo until it received more information on the case, according to Peruvian officials, who were scrambling to send investigation documents to their US counterparts.
Peruvian authorities believe Toledo, 70, is in San Francisco. He is a visiting professor at nearby Stanford University.
Toledo issued a statement on Twitter late Sunday night, without revealing his whereabouts but denying he was on the run as he had not been facing charges when he left Peru.
“The court in Lima did not request my testimony to help with their investigation. On the contrary, it accused me of crimes that I have not committed and that the court cannot prove,” he said.
Toledo has branded the accusations against him as political persecution. But he has struggled to explain the source of the money.
A White House readout of a call between Kuczynski and Trump did not mention Toledo.
Instead, it said the pair discussed the “humanitarian situation” and other concerns in Venezuela, and “the need to promote democratic governance throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
The White House hinted at a future meeting between the two leaders.
– Israel alerted –
Toledo, once hailed as an anti-corruption champion, is accused of taking a huge payoff from Odebrecht in exchange for a massive highway contract connecting Peru and Brazil during his 2001-2006 presidency.
Peruvian police launched a manhunt for him after a judge ordered his arrest Thursday night. There is a $30,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
The Peruvian government has indicated that Toledo might try to flee to Israel.
“We heard from a solid source that he was trying to flee to Israel. So we alerted Israel,” Interior Minister Carlos Basombrio said on RPP Radio.
But Israel blocked any such effort by Toledo.
“Toledo will be allowed in Israel only when his affairs in Peru are settled,” foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said in a statement.
Peru’s authorities have a warrant for Toledo to be detained and held in preventive custody for 18 months pending a full investigation.
He is accused of influence peddling and money laundering.
At the moment, Toledo could leave the United States, since the US has not yet received the documents on which the warrant is based, according to Basombrio.
Israel’s foreign ministry later said he was not aboard a flight from San Francisco that landed at the country’s main international airport late Sunday.
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Sunday, 12 February 2017
‘Catastrophic’ fire conditions scorch Australia…Read full details
This screen-grab from video footage taken from a New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service aircraft and released by the NSW Rural Fire Service on February 12, 2017 shows a bushfire near Leadville in New South Wales. Eastern Australia was bracing for severe "off the scale" fire conditions on February 12 as it baked in a heatwave that has broken temperature records and sparked dire warnings from authorities.<br />Handout / New South Wales Rural Fire Service / AFP
Eastern Australia endured severe “off the scale” fire conditions Sunday amid a record-breaking heatwave that sparked dire warnings from authorities.
While bushfires are common in Australia’s arid summer, climate change has pushed up land and sea temperatures and led to more extremely hot days and severe fire seasons.
“The conditions for Sunday are the worst possible conditions when it comes to fire danger ratings,” New South Wales (NSW) state Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters Friday.
“They are catastrophic, they are labelled catastrophic for a reason, they are rare, they are infrequent, and to put it simply, they are off the old conventional scale.
“It’s not another summer’s day. It’s not another bad fire weather day. This is as bad as it gets in these circumstances.” Fitzsimmons said Sunday afternoon several homes may have been lost in bushfires across the state.
Some 2,500 firefighters were battling more than 80 blazes in NSW, with 32 “not contained”, the Rural Fire Service said.
The organisation added that a person from a fire at Boggabri, a small town in northwestern NSW some 470 kilometres (292 miles) from Sydney, was flown to the harbour city after suffering burns.
Further north in Queensland, the Bureau of Meteorology said Sunday numerous February temperature records were being broken across the state as the mercury soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Temperature records were also breached across NSW on Saturday, the weather bureau said. Cooler conditions were forecast to come through later Sunday.
Australia has warmed by approximately 1.0 C since 1910, according to the biannual State of the Climate report from the Bureau of Meteorology and national science body CSIRO released in October.
The number of days each year that post temperatures of more than 35C was increasing in recent decades except in northern Australia, the report said. Meanwhile, rainfall has reduced by 19 percent between May to July in southwestern Australia since 1970.
“Black Saturday”, the worst firestorm in recent years, devastated the southern state of Victoria in 2009, razing thousands of homes and killing 173 people.
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Friday, 10 February 2017
Klopp and Wenger in search of lost flow…See full details
Liverpool's German manager Jurgen Klopp / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS /
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp have their backs to the wall as their teams go in search of restorative victories in the Premier League this weekend.
Arsenal have fallen 12 points off the pace after successive losses against Watford and leaders Chelsea, while Liverpool are a point further back following a dismal sequence of five league games without victory.
Klopp’s men entertain second-place Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Saturday and Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is hopeful they will rise to the occasion.
“To be fair, in the big games it’s been the best kind of football we’ve played this season, so I think it’s easier for everyone to perform in those kind of games,” he told the Liverpool website.
“Sometimes you’re in a flow and sometimes not. We’re in a situation where we’re not in a flow, but we must have confidence and faith we can change it.
“We showed it against Chelsea (in a 1-1 draw last month), but we have to show that against other teams we’re playing against.”
Liverpool, who have dropped out of the top four, lost 2-0 at third-bottom Hull City last weekend, following previous losses against Bournemouth, Burnley and Swansea City.
But they have a strong record against other sides in the top six, having taken 13 points from a possible 21 in matches against the other teams in the Champions League mix.
Following a disappointing 0-0 draw at strugglers Sunderland, Tottenham reasserted their title credentials with a narrow 1-0 home win over Middlesbrough last weekend.
Spurs went through a slump of their own in October and November, winning just once in 10 outings in all competitions, but have won 11 of their 14 matches since.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, like Klopp, favours a high-energy, high-pressing style of football and he has backed the German to come through his team’s current slump.
“I cannot speak for another coach, but Klopp with his experience, he is clever like other managers to provide good balance,” Pochettino said.
“If you win, you are a genius; if you don’t win, you are criticised. You need to be natural, spontaneous and believe in the way you play, use your methods.
“It’s an easy answer: only work in the way you believe you can achieve big things.”
– Arsenal ‘in a fight’ –
Arsenal’s title hopes appeared to be ended for another season by last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Chelsea, which left Wenger’s side below Spurs and Manchester City in fourth place.
Amid mounting dissent within Arsenal’s fanbase, Wenger has urged everyone associated with the club to rally behind his team ahead of Saturday’s home game against Marco Silva’s revitalised Hull.
“You cannot be a fan until last Tuesday (when Arsenal lost 2-1 at home to Watford) and not be a fan any more and not be behind the team this Saturday. It doesn’t make sense,” Wenger said.
“All the other clubs, everywhere we fight with Man United, Man City, Liverpool, they have big expectations as well and big histories.
“We are in a fight there. We absolutely have to be united or we have no chance to do it.”
With Chelsea not tackling Burnley at Turf Moor until Sunday, Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs all have opportunities to eat into their advantage.
But with 16 wins from their last 18 league games, there appears to be no stopping the leaders and head coach Antonio Conte has urged his side to maintain their current momentum.
“Now we are on top of the table, but this league is very tough,” Conte told BBC Sport.
“For me now it’s important to continue to push and to exploit this momentum. If you send the right signal for us and not for the other opponents, it’s very important.”
Manchester United will be hoping for slip-ups from their rivals ahead of their home game with Watford, having closed to within two points of the top four by winning 3-0 at Leicester City last weekend.
Buoyed by a timely FA Cup win over Derby County in mid-week, ailing champions Leicester face a crunch clash at Swansea, with both teams a solitary point above the relegation zone.
Fixtures
Saturday (1500 GMT unless otherwise stated):
Arsenal v Hull (1230 GMT), Liverpool v Tottenham (1730 GMT), Middlesbrough v Everton, Manchester United v Watford, Stoke v Crystal Palace, Sunderland v Southampton, West Ham v West Brom
Sunday:
Burnley v Chelsea (1330 GMT), Swansea v Leicester (1600 GMT)
Monday (2000 GMT):
Bournemouth v Manchester City
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Saturday, 4 February 2017
Intense battle between Chelsea and Arsenal brews at Stamford Bridge today…See full details
London will be agog this weekend with different EPL clashes, but the biggest one will happen at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Arsenal. There will be two other matches in the capital and seven in different parts of the UK this weekend and I will preview each game and give you betting tips to use on www.nairabet.com for each of them.
CHELSEA vs. ARSENAL
The Blues will go into this game with the aim of maintaining or extending their lead at the top. The nine point differential between the clubs means that Chelsea can afford to be more relaxed going into the game and can afford to sit back and catch Arsenal out, because the Gunners will have to come out as they know that anything short of a win, will not do their title chances any good. Chelsea have a fully fit squad to choose from, while Arsenal will be without Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla for this game. Granit Xhaka is suspended and Elneny is still away on AFCON duty. Chelsea have been fantastic at home this season and they have a very good record against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, so I will advise a bet on a Chelsea win, both teams to score(yes) and over 2.5 goals on www.nairabet.com
CRYSTAL PALACE vs. SUNDERLAND
This is a major relegation scrap and will be very unpredictable. Sunderland have been in the relegation zone since the start of the season and are currently at the foot of the table, while Crystal Palace are just two places above the Black Cats and were on a four game losing streak before their midweek win over Bournemouth. Sam Allardyce knows how to survive in the Premiership and that is why I will advise on a bet of Crystal Palace to win and over 1.5 goals.
EVERTON vs. BOURNEMOUTH
The Toffees are unbeaten in their last six league games, winning four and drawing two, while Bournemouth’s away form is quite poor as they have lost four of their last five away games. The Cherries are not the most defensive side in the league and I don’t expect them to keep a clean sheet against this Everton side. Everton have the edge in head to head meetings between these teams, winning two and drawing one of their past four encounters. A double chance bet on Everton and over 1.5 goals are my tips for this fixture.
HULL CITY vs. LIVERPOOL
There is a huge difference between the two teams in the Premier League table. Liverpool are in the top four while Hull City are in the bottom three. The Tigers have been playing well since the arrival of Marco Silva as their coach and they have a good home record against Liverpool. The Reds are out of all cup competitions and have only the league to focus on, so i expect them to go on a nice little run soon, starting with this game. Liverpool have a very prolific attack, while Hull City have a porous defence, so my tip for this match will be over 3.5 goals and a double chance bet on Liverpool
SOUTHAMPTON vs. WEST HAM
The Saints have lost five of their last six matches in the league and Claude Puel must be wondering how to stop the rot. They face a West Ham team that has won two of their last three and brimming with confidence. Both sides are separated by one point and one position, which means that Southampton can leapfrog West Ham with a win today and that should be enough motivation for the Saints. They have kept a clean sheet in their last three home matches against West Ham in all competitions and would love to continue that trend. My betting tip will be both teams to score (yes) and over 2.5 goals.
WATFORD vs. BURNLEY
Watford host Burnley at Vicarage road this afternoon with the intention of following up their impressive win over Arsenal on Tuesday with another victory in today’s game. They are currently thirteenth on the log and would want to get as far away from the relegation battle as possible by piling up more points in the remaining games of the season. They are currently on a three match unbeaten run and against a Burnley side that has drawn once and lost nine of their ten away league games, few will bet against them continuing that run. The Clarets are the worst team away from home in the league but have one of the best home records and will be looking for a way to start getting points away from home. A Watford win at the odds of 2.15 on www.nairabet.com and under 2.5 goals will be my tip for this match
WEST BROM vs. STOKE CITY
The Baggies have won five of their last six home games in the league, while their opponents for today have lost three of their last four away matches, so this one seems like it will follow the form guide and produce a West Brom win, but we know it doesn’t always follow that way. Stoke are actually on a four game unbeaten run and have been playing well recently. Saido Berahino will hope to start against his former side, but 100 goal man, Peter Crouch might still keep him out of the starting lineup. Tony Pulis has an almost fully fit squad, while Stoke City have a lot of players injured and Ramadan Sobhi is with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. West Brom have won three of the last four meetings between these sides and I do not see them losing this tie. A double chance bet on West Brom and over 1.5 goals will be my tip for this match.
TOTTENHAM vs. MIDDLESBROUGH
Spurs will still be upset by the fact that they couldn’t get all three points in their last league match against bottom club Sunderland and would want to remedy that this evening when they welcome Middlesbrough to the Lane. They are on a six game winning run at home in the league and it will take a huge upset for them not to do make it seven. Meanwhile Middlesbrough have only won once away from home in the league and are not very good travellers. However, they have been able to give the league’s big boys tough games away from home this season and might be up for it against Spurs today. My tip for this game will be over 2.5 goals and a Spurs victory.
MANCHESTER CITY vs. SWANSEA CITY
Swansea are playing with a new found sense of belief and will travel to Manchester with no fear after winning at Liverpool recently, while Manchester City, who were the only team in the top half of the table to win during the mid-week will see this game as an opportunity to cut into the gap of Chelsea, if the leaders drop points the previous day against Arsenal. Swansea are out of the relegation zone after back to back victories in the league and if they are able to avoid a defeat in this game, it will give them a huge boost in their fight against the drop. Gabriel Jesus has adapted well to the City team and alongside Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, City might just have an emerging terrific trio upfront. The way these teams are performing it’s easy to see a few goals being scored, but Swansea are likely to fall short of re-enacting their Anfield heroics against a Manchester City side who may just be getting back to their rhythm. I will pick Manchester City to win and over 2.5 goals as my tip for this game.
LEICESTER CITY vs. MANCHESTER UNITED
The Foxes will be desperate to get their season back on track with a statement performance when they welcome Manchester United to their home ground. Having won the title last year, Leicester were expected to cement themselves as a top six side this season. However, the defending champions are flirting with relegation right now and a loss this weekend will take them closer to the drop. Manchester United are on a run of three consecutive draws after winning six on the bounce previously. The biggest problem the Red Devils have had this season has been their failure to convert the multitude of chances they have created and if they keep being profligate, they might not make the top four. Manchester United have beaten Leicester City twice already this season and I don’t think they will get a third victory over the Foxes this season. I would recommend a double chance bet on Manchester United and over 1.5 goals as my tips for this game.
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Thursday, 2 February 2017
Surge in electric cars may blindside big oil
Oil companies underestimating the global market for electric vehicles could be caught unaware by weakened demand for petrol within a decade, analysts said Wednesday.
Falling costs of electric cars and renewable technology may halt growth in oil demand from as early as 2020, they argued in a report.
The current boom in electric vehicles is on track to displace two million barrels of oil per day by 2025, they calculated.
A similar drop in demand preceded the collapse of oil prices in 2014.
By 2035, that figure could quintuple, with electric cars accounting for a third of the road transport market, said the report, jointly issued by financial think tank Carbon Tracker and the Grantham Institute, both in London.
The power and road transport sectors account for about half of fossil fuel consumption, so growth in solar energy and electric vehicles can have a major impact on demand.
“Electric vehicles and solar power are game-changers that the fossil fuel industry consistently underestimates,” said Luke Sussams, a senior analyst at Carbon Tracker.
“Very few companies or institutions in the energy industry are really considering the upside if the technology explodes and grows exponentially,” he told AFP.
Oil and gas giant BP, for example, predicted last week that oil demand from cars would continue to rise well into the mid-2030s.
In 2035, electric vehicles will only make up six percent of the global car fleet, it said in its 2017 Energy Outlook.
Other fossil fuel companies have made similarly rosy forecasts for oil demand.
Non-industry analysts are split on how quickly electric vehicles will displace those powered by internal combustion engines.
The 29-nation International Energy Agency (IEA), formed after the 1973 oil crisis, sees relatively modest growth, resulting in an eight percent market share — about 150 million vehicles — by 2040, and only 1.3 million barrels of oil displaced per day.
– Exponential growth –
Even their prescriptive “450 ppm” forecast — a blueprint for energy growth deemed consistent with capping global warming at two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) — only foresees 710 million electric vehicles by that date.
Holding warming to 2C is the core goal of the 196-nation Paris climate treaty.
But the IEA’s poor track record for forecasting solar and wind growth suggests estimates for electric cars may be too conservative as well.
“The IEA and the oil companies are still playing catch up on renewables,” said Sussams. “Every year they are upgrading their assumptions around renewable energy penetration.”
The IEA’s last revision was in October 2016.
Private forecaster Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s estimates, by contrast, are much closer to the new figures: a 22 percent market share for electric vehicles by 2035.
The disagreement on how quickly fossil fuel companies may face falling demand — and possibly stranded assets — is built into the assumptions behind the forecasts.
“We assume the electric vehicles will be cheaper than oil-burning combustion engine vehicles from 2020 onward,” explained Sussams.
The Carbon Tracker model also presumes very rapid growth, and an absence of bottlenecks, such as a shortage of charging stations.
China — the largest market in the world for electric vehicles — sold more than half-a-million in 2016.
“That is close to exponential growth,” Sussams said.
The forecasts are also in line with those of major car makers, including Tesla, GM and major European manufacturers.
The 60-page report — entitled “The disruptive power of low-carbon technology — notes that a 10 percent loss of the power market-share caused the collapse of the US coal mining industry.
Similarly, Europe’s five major utilities lost more than 100 billion euros ($105 billion) in value from 2008 to 2013 “because they were unprepared for an eight percent growth in renewable power.”
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