Space telescope repair hopes dashed

A BROKEN planet-finding telescope is to remain crippled in space after scientists gave up attempts to restore it to full working order.

The news was announced by the American space agency NASA, which is looking to see what can be salvaged from the Kepler space telescope.

Kepler, which cost STG395 million ($A680.62 million), was launched in March 2009 with the chief aim of searching for Earth-sized planets that might support life.

It has proved one of Nasa's most successful missions, delivering a mass of data on planets orbiting distant stars which is still being studied.

From the observations analysed so far scientists have confirmed the existence of 135 new exoplanets and identified more than 3500 candidates.

Several of these worlds are "super-Earths" with up to 10 times the Earth's mass situated in "habitable zone" orbits where conditions may be suitable for life.

In November last year, Kepler completed its primary mission and began a four-year extended mission.

The telescope detects planets by measuring the tiny dip in light output when an orbiting object passes in front of a star.

But now two of the four spinning gyroscope-like wheels used to position the telescope with the incredible level of precision required have failed.

Efforts to get at least one of the "reaction wheels" working again have failed. Kepler needs at least three functioning wheels to keep it completely still while it searches for small Earth-sized exoplanets.

The NASA team is now investigating whether Kepler can conduct a more limited science program using its remaining reaction wheels and thrusters.

Meanwhile scientists are continuing to sift through the wealth of information already collected, which they hope will yield hundreds or even thousands of discoveries.

"At the beginning of our mission, no-one knew if Earth-size planets were abundant in the galaxy. If they were rare, we might be alone," said Dr William Borucki.

"Now at the completion of Kepler observations, the data holds the answer to the question that inspired the mission. Are Earths in the habitable zones of stars like our Sun common or rare?"

The Kepler scientists have not yet spotted a truly Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. They hope evidence of such an Earth twin is waiting to be discovered in the huge amount of data from the space telescope.

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Pistorius to go on trial in March: lawyer

Double-amputee Olympian Oscar Pistorius will be indicted for premeditated murder next week. Source: AAP

STAR South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius will go on trial in March next year on murder charges for shooting his girlfriend, his lawyer says.

"The trial will be in March next year. It will be from the first week of March until end of March," attorney Kenny Oldwage said.

On Monday, the 26-year-old double-amputee sprinter is to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates Court, where he is expected to be served with an indictment for murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day.

He claims he shot Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door of his upscale home because he mistook her for an intruder.

The state is arguing that the murder was premeditated, a charge which carries a sentence of life imprisonment.

Oldwage refused to comment on local media reports that Pistorius may face two new charges related to firing a gun in public when he appears in court next week.

According to eNCA television news, one of the charges is linked to an event in January when Pistorius accidentally fired a gun in an upmarket Johannesburg restaurant.

In another case, Pistorius allegedly discharged his gun out of the sunroof of a friend's car on their way back from a holiday.

Paralympic champion Pistorius, who was born without calf bones and had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, runs on fibre-glass prosthetic legs.

At last year's London Olympics he was the first double-amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes.

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'Vodka pipeline' to Kyrgyzstan plugged

KYRGYZ customs officials have shut down a pipeline that had been used to apparently pump thousands of litres of vodka from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan under a river, Kyrgyz police say, according to the Akipress news agency.

The 20-centimetre-thick, half-kilometre-long pipe had been laid beneath the border river Chu, said the police official from the northern Kyrgyz city of Tokmok.

It was equipped with multiple valves and lay on a track along the river's bottom.

"We assume that thousands of litres of alcohol were smuggled with it, primarily vodka," said the police officer.

It is believed the alcohol was smuggled this way for months.

The pipe was discovered during a routine inspection.

No arrests have yet been made.

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Protesters dragged out of Egypt mosque

EGYPTIAN police have dragged supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi out of a Cairo mosque, where crowds tried to attack them.

Morsi loyalists had refused to leave the mosque, which was surrounded by security forces, including police who fired in the air to keep mobs from attacking the Islamists.

Witnesses said that Egyptian security forces stormed the al-Fateh mosque after firing tear gas at hundreds of supporters of the country's ousted president barricaded inside.

Local journalist Shaimaa Awad said on Saturday that security forces rounded up protesters inside the mosque, located in Cairo's central Ramses Square.

The sound of gunfire could be heard in the background.

Egypt's official news agency MENA reported that gunmen opened fire on security forces from the mosque's minaret.

Local television stations broadcast live footage of soldiers firing assault rifles at the minaret.

The mosque served as a field hospital and morgue following clashes on Friday in the area.

The protesters barricaded themselves inside overnight out of fears of being beaten by vigilante mobs or being arrested by authorities.

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US stocks fall again despite housing data

US stocks have fallen for a third day, opening lower despite a rise in housing starts.

Five minutes into trade on Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 33.02 (0.22 per cent) to 15,079.17.

The broad-based S&P 500 lost 5.15 (0.31 per cent) at 1,656.17, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 7.39 (0.20 per cent) to 3,598.73.

New housing starts grew to an annualised pace of 896,000 units, up from 846,000 in June. But starts remained shy of the pace of the January-March 2013 average of 957,000.

US stocks have tumbled the last three days following weak earnings outlooks from retail and other companies and rising expectations that the US Federal Reserve will begin scaling back its bond-buying program in the coming months despite mixed economic data.

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UN rights chief demands Egypt probe

UN rights chief Navi Pillay has demanded a wide-ranging probe into Egyptian security forces' bloody crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood protesters, joining an international chorus of condemnation.

"The number of people killed or injured, even according to the government's figures, point to an excessive, even extreme, use of force against demonstrators," Pillay said in a statement on Thursday.

"There must be an independent, impartial, effective and credible investigation of the conduct of the security forces. Anyone found guilty of wrongdoing should be held to account," she added.

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New govt faces tough choices on defence

THE party that wins federal government on September 7 may have to tell defence there's not enough money for their big plans.

Australian Strategic Policy institute (ASPI) executive director Peter Jennings says reconciling defence's ambitious equipment proposals with the budget reality will be a big task.

"The only way to avoid being locked into unsustainable long-term spending commitments is for the new government to make the unpalatable choice between increasing defence spending and cutting future capability plans," he says in a new study.

The plans for Australia's defence force was outlined in Labor's 2009 and 2013 Defence White Papers.

They commit to 12 new submarines, new warships and patrol boats and advanced Joint Strike Fighter and Super Hornet combat aircraft.

ASPI analysts Mark Thomson and Andrew Davies say there isn't enough money to cover that and not enough to sustain capabilities already on the books or about to be delivered.

"In fact, based on past experience, the situation is likely to get worse," they said.

"The budget is not yet in surplus, implying that a new round of fiscal tightening is likely sometime in the next three years.

"Add to this the acknowledged uncertainty over revenues and competing expenditure options, and the result is future downside risk to defence spending."

Taking into account promises on defence equipment and funding in its two white papers, a re-elected Labor government would face the choice of increasing spending or shutting future capability plans.

However, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd could distance himself from Julia Gillard's White Paper and commission his own.

The coalition has already promised to produce a new Defence White Paper within 18 months of taking office.

"Presumably this will be the vehicle for its voyage of defence policy discovery," Mr Jennings said.

The ASPI study offers some strategic guidance to the new government, suggesting there be a new Foreign Policy White Paper with a global rather than an Asia-centric focus.

As well, the Department of Foreign Affairs needs $100 million a year more funds which could come from the AusAID budget.

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Windows 8.1 set for October 18 release

A TWEAKED version of Microsoft's Windows operating system which restores the "Start" button missed by users and updates other features will be available on October 18, the company says.

Windows 8.1 will be offered as a free download to those already using Windows 8, and comes in response to a lukewarm reception to the operating system introduced last year aimed at serving both mobile devices and PCs.

A full retail version of Windows 8.1 will also be available on the same date.

"I know a lot of folks are eager to find out when they will be able to get Windows 8.1," said a blog posting from Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc.

LeBlanc said it would roll out worldwide starting in New Zealand just after midnight.

"Windows 8.1 brings many improvements in areas like personalisation, Internet Explorer 11, search which is powered by Bing, built-in apps including a few new ones, an improved Windows Store experience, and cloud connectivity with SkyDrive (and much more) that people will enjoy," LeBlack said.

A public preview of Windows 8.1 was made available June 26.

At the time, Microsoft said it had sold more than 100 million licenses for Windows 8 but that the update was planned after listening to customers.

Some analysts say Microsoft was forced to act because of slow adoption of Windows 8, which made some radical changes to the design of the desktop.

With Windows 8, Microsoft was trying to create a system that could be used on mobile touch screen devices while also serving the users of traditional PCs.

Microsoft launched Windows 8 last October, revamping its flagship system in an effort to make inroads in the fast-growing mobile segment. At the same time, it launched its Surface tablet computer.

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Ultra-fast satellite computer unveiled

ONE of the fastest and most compact satellite computers in the world has been developed by students at the University of Stuttgart in Germany and will be sent into space next year on a commercial rocket.

The computer is part of a small, 130kg satellite dubbed the "Flying Laptop," which is being developed by more than 50 students and professors at the university's Institute of Space Systems.

Beginning in the autumn of 2014, the satellite is to record shipping movements and measure vegetation with its three camera systems. It will also test new technologies under space conditions.

The university noted that the instrument's manoeuvrability would enable it to photograph vegetation from various angles, thereby allowing conclusions about the condition of plant life in the earth's regions.

While proven computers - and thus older models - are generally used in commercial aerospace projects, the Stuttgart satellite computer is state of the art, the university said.

It is suitable for small technology satellites, for example from the European Space Agency.

The project was launched in 2004 and has received more than 1 million euros in finding in that time. A government agency has granted 800,000 euros ($A1.18 million) to pay a rocket company to get the Flying Laptop into orbit.

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The Charlatans star Jon Brookes dies

THE Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes has died at the age of 44 after a battle with brain cancer.

The rocker died in hospital on Tuesday morning after undergoing three years of treatment, and several operations, in a bid to beat the disease.

The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess broke the sad news to fans in a post on his Twitter.com page, writing, "Jon Brookes, my friend, our drummer and inspiration to so many, passed away this morning. We are torn apart. Love & thoughts to Jon's family."

A statement from the band read: "Jon was a brilliant drummer, an inspiration, a founding member of The Charlatans, part of our family and a friend to everyone in and around the band. Losing someone who was always so full of life is a tragedy that will be shared by so many. Our thoughts are with ... all of Jon's family."

Brookes was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010 after suffering a seizure and collapsing on stage during a gig with the group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

He was forced to sit out a lot of work with the band to undergo treatment, and The Verve drummer Pete Salisbury stepped in to replace him for a number of live shows. Brookes underwent his third operation just last month.

The musician was one of the founding members of the band back in the 1980s and shot to fame with the group during their 1990s heyday.

The Charlatans suffered a previous tragedy when keyboard player Rob Collins was killed in a car crash during the recording of their fifth album Tellin' Stories in 1996.

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NGOs urge asylum seeker policy rethink

SIXTY-FOUR church groups, charities and refugee advocates have called for an end to the "negative and distorted" political debate on asylum seekers.

The non-government organisations (NGOs) say the federal government's deterrent policies haven't worked. They also took a swipe at the opposition's "regressive" boat policies.

"The negative, distorted and myopic political debate on refugee and asylum seeker policy has been allowed to go on for far too long," the NGOs said in a statement on Tuesday.

"It is time for a new approach which focuses on protection rather than punishment, on facts rather than fear-mongering, and on long-term solutions rather than short-term political gain."

They called for an end to offshore processing, prompt access to permanent protection and opportunities for refugees to reunite with family.

The NGOs issued their statement on the first anniversary since the Houston expert panel on asylum seekers handed down their recommendations to former prime minister Julia Gillard.

The NGOs acknowledged federal Labor had done some good work on asylum seekers, such as lifting Australia's humanitarian intake to 20,000 but criticised the government for focusing on punitive deterrence-based measures such as offshore processing.

Signatories include the NSW Teachers Federation, the Australian Council of Social Service and the St Vincent de Paul Society.

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Troubled BlackBerry eyes sale

STRUGGLING smartphone maker BlackBerry is examining "strategic alternatives", including the possibility of selling off the firm.

The Canadian firm on Monday said it had formed a committee to consider "possible joint ventures, strategic partnerships or alliances, a sale of the company or other possible transactions".

The announcement comes with BlackBerry marginalised in a smartphone market dominated by makers using the Google Android operating system and by Apple's iPhone.

A statement issued by BlackBerry said the board's committee would seek ways "to enhance value and increase scale" to help deploy its products based on the new BlackBerry 10 platform.

"We continue to see compelling long-term opportunities for BlackBerry 10, we have exceptional technology that customers are embracing, we have a strong balance sheet and we are pleased with the progress that has been made in our transition," chief executive Thorsten Heins said.

A survey by research firm IDC found BlackBerry's global market share had slipped to 3.7 per cent in the second quarter, the lowest since tracking began, while Android accounted for nearly 80 per cent.

While BlackBerry helped create a culture of mobile users who were glued to the company's smartphones, many of those customers have since moved to Apple or other smartphone makers such as Samsung, mainly using Android.

In a turnaround bid, the company unveiled its new platform on January 30, as it dropped the corporate name Research in Motion to rebrand as BlackBerry, but staggered sales launches across regions.

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Govt sitting on NBN report: Turnbull

THE government is withholding a report on the NBN so its progress can't be scrutinised by the public ahead of the election, the opposition says.

Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull made the claim during a debate on Monday night against Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the ABC's Lateline program.

"Anthony is sitting on the latest revision of the business plan and has not released it to the public," Mr Turnbull said.

"You've made them keep the draft stamp on it so you don't have to give it out before the election.

"You've got a confession from the (NBN) company that they're failing and you don't want to let the public know."

Mr Albanese said he hadn't received the document and denied the project was failing.

He stood by the government's plan to connect 8.5 million premises to fibre by 2021 at a cost of $37.4 billion.

But Mr Turnbull rubbished the figures, saying the government's plan would cost $94 billion compared to the coalition's $29.5 billion.

The coalition would use "the technology that delivers the service you need in the most timely and cost effective way," he said.

By using existing copper networks, which can provide download speeds of 100 megabits per second to homes within 400 metres of a fibre node, "three-quarters or more of the construction cost" could be saved, Mr Turnbull said.

But Mr Albanese said the coalition's figures were "plucked out of a Coco Pops packet".

"This is an absolute nonsense with no basis in fact," he said.

Labor's NBN, which would deliver download speeds of 1000 megabits per second and upload speeds of 400 megabits per second, would "transform the way that education, health and aged care services are delivered," Mr Albanese said.

And while speed was important, reliability in the network was crucial, he added.

"That's why fibre is important," he said.

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Man stabbed in chest in Sydney

A SYDNEY man has been stabbed in the chest multiple times in a fight.

Police say they were alerted around 7pm (AEST) on Sunday after the 27-year-old sought help from a pizza shop in Rosebery following an alleged fight.

The man is in a stable condition in hospital.

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Israel invites bids for 1,000 settler home

ISRAEL is inviting bids to build more than 1,000 settler homes in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, the housing ministry says, ahead of peace talks with the Palestinians.

"Tenders will be published" later in the day for 793 units in annexed east Jerusalem and 394 elsewhere in the West Bank, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday, three days before the next round of talks.

Housing Minister Uri Ariel, of the far-right Jewish Home party, dismissed international criticism of settlement building on occupied Palestinian land as illegal and an obstacle to peace.

"No country in the world accepts diktats from other countries on where it is allowed to build or not," he said in the statement.

"We shall continue to market apartments and build throughout the country."

The statement said that plots were to be offered in Har Homa and Gilo, both on east Jerusalem's southern outskirts and in Pisgat Zeev, on the city's northern edge.

Tenders would also be invited for homes in Ariel, in the northern West Bank, in Maaleh Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and in Efrata and Beitar Ilit, around Bethlehem, it said.

The US State Department said last week that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators would resume talks in Jerusalem on Wednesday on ending their long-standing conflict.

They resumed direct negotiations in Washington last month ending a three-year hiatus after painstaking US mediation.

The last talks in 2010 broke down on the issue of settlement building.

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Flash floods kill 21 near Afghan capital

FLASH floods triggered by heavy rain and hail storms have killed more than 20 people on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghan officials say, with a mosque, houses and farmland also damaged.

The flooding hit the Shakardara and Paghman districts to the north and west of Kabul after the unseasonal rains left knee-deep water across many parts of the war-battered city.

"Twenty people, including several children and a woman, were killed in Shakardara," Ghulam Farooq, an official at the National Disaster Management Authority, said on Sunday.

"One person was killed in Paghman and more than 20 houses destroyed in Kabul city."

A mosque, several houses, three schools and some crops were also damaged by the torrential downpours which struck on Saturday as Afghanistan celebrated Eid to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Harsh winters and heavy snowfalls often cause swollen rivers that lead to floods in the mountainous country in spring and summer.

But Afghanistan has had one of its hottest summers in decades, and the sudden storms quickly overwhelmed Kabul's poor drainage systems.

Last week flooding in six eastern and southeastern provinces and some districts of the capital killed more than 40 people, destroying hundreds of hectares of farmland and displacing hundreds of people.

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Harry visits Angola to see mine clearance

PRINCE Harry is visiting Angola to see mine clearance efforts there with a charity championed by his late mother, Princess Diana.

The HALO Trust charity says Harry will be touring minefields and meeting beneficiaries of the organisation's work in the southern African nation.

HALO said Harry also would visit the densely-mined town of Cuito Cuanavale, a scene of heavy fighting during Angola's 1975-2002 civil war.

Diana highlighted the trust's work on a visit to a minefield being cleared by the organisation in Angola in 1997.

Harry visited minefields with HALO in Mozambique in 2010.

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