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.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

'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.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

21.29 | 0 komentar | Read More