Indian rocket is off to Mars

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh): An Indian rocket carrying the country's first Mars orbiter Tuesday took off from the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here in Andhra Pradesh. Exactly at 2.38 p.m., the rocket -- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C25 (PSLV-C25) --standing around 44 metres tall and weighing around 320 tonnes hurtled towards the heavens with orange flames fiercely burning at its tail. The space centre is around 80 km north of Chennai.

The total project cost is around Rs.450 crore with the rocket costing around Rs.110 crore, orbiter around Rs.150 crore and the balance spent on beefing up the ground support and tracking systems. 
Space scientists at Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) rocket mission control room were intently watching the rocket escaping the earth's gravitational pull with a one-way ticket. The heat shield had separated as scheduled and the mission was on track, an ISRO official said.

ISRO officials are hoping that the agency's crucial space mission will turn out to be a grand success. The PSLV-C25 rocket is expected to spit out its only luggage, the 1,340 kg Mars orbiter. 
The entire flight sequence -- lift-off to the satellite ejection -- will take around 44 minutes -- nearly double the time of normal PSLV rocket missions. India began its space journey in 1975 with the launch of Aryabhatta using a Russian rocket and till date, it has completed over 100 space missions.
-IANS

Indian rocket is off to Mars

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh): An Indian rocket carrying the country's first Mars orbiter Tuesday took off from the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here in Andhra Pradesh. Exactly at 2.38 p.m., the rocket -- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C25 (PSLV-C25) --standing around 44 metres tall and weighing around 320 tonnes hurtled towards the heavens with orange flames fiercely burning at its tail. The space centre is around 80 km north of Chennai.

The total project cost is around Rs.450 crore with the rocket costing around Rs.110 crore, orbiter around Rs.150 crore and the balance spent on beefing up the ground support and tracking systems. 
Space scientists at Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) rocket mission control room were intently watching the rocket escaping the earth's gravitational pull with a one-way ticket. The heat shield had separated as scheduled and the mission was on track, an ISRO official said.

ISRO officials are hoping that the agency's crucial space mission will turn out to be a grand success. The PSLV-C25 rocket is expected to spit out its only luggage, the 1,340 kg Mars orbiter. 
The entire flight sequence -- lift-off to the satellite ejection -- will take around 44 minutes -- nearly double the time of normal PSLV rocket missions. India began its space journey in 1975 with the launch of Aryabhatta using a Russian rocket and till date, it has completed over 100 space missions.
-IANS

Relief for CPM leader Vijayan in corruption case

Thiruvananthapuram: In a verdict that could have a significant impact on the Kerala political scene, a CBI Special Court here Tuesday discharged CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan from the SNC-Lavalin graft case relating to renovation of hydel projects when he was Power Minister in the LDF ministry in 1998. 

Allowing the discharge petition of Vijayan and five others, Judge R Raghu said the charges levelled against them were groundless since the prosecution had failed to establish fraudulent intention, abuse of power and element of cheating attributed against them. 

"I have no hesitation in holding that charges levelled against the accused are groundless and all accused are entitled to be discharged," the judge said.  The case, which has haunted 69-year-old Vijayan for nearly two decades, pertains to the contract given to Canadian firm SNC Lavalin for renovation of three hydel power stations. 

The case surfaced after CAG reported that the state exchequer had suffered a loss of Rs 374.50 crore and also a promised amount of Rs 92.3 crore to the Malabar Cancer Centre did not materialise.  While Vijayan and five other accused, including a former Additional Chief Secretary and the then power board chairman, sought to be discharged from the case, a top Lavalin executive who figured as an accused, has refrained from responding to summons so far. 

Reacting to the verdict, Vijayan said it showed that truth would triumph and it also marked the end of a harrowing phase in his career with political rivals haunting him. The CPM leader said he had withstood and survived unscathed mainly due to his firm conviction that he had not committed any error and also due to unstinted support extended by his party. 

Observers said the verdict would enable Vijayan become more powerful in the party and emerge as the central figure of the LDF in the next assembly elections.  Apart from rival political parties, Vijayan had often faced digs from his bete noire in his own party V S Achuthanandan, despite the central leadership's stand that this was a politically motivated case. 

Vijayan also said this should also be a lesson for those in power against 'misusing' investigating agencies for securing political gains.    While welcoming the development, Achuthanandan said since the verdict had come, other views about the case had ceased to have relevance, apparently alluding to the divergent stand taken by him earlier. 

However, he parried a question on whether he thought the court order would impact politics in Kerala.  CPM had dubbed the case as politically motivated and charged the UPA-I at the Centre with trying to settle scores with the party for withdrawing support to the government at the Centre. 

The charge sheet in the case was filed in June 2012 against the accused. Apart from Vijayan, the other accused included former Power Secretary K Mohana Chandran, Joint Secretary A Francis and Former Kerala State Electricity Board Chairman P A Siddartha Menon.  As soon as the verdict was delivered, party workers in different parts of the state took our marches in support of Vijayan.  

Relief for CPM leader Vijayan in corruption case

Thiruvananthapuram: In a verdict that could have a significant impact on the Kerala political scene, a CBI Special Court here Tuesday discharged CPM State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan from the SNC-Lavalin graft case relating to renovation of hydel projects when he was Power Minister in the LDF ministry in 1998. 

Allowing the discharge petition of Vijayan and five others, Judge R Raghu said the charges levelled against them were groundless since the prosecution had failed to establish fraudulent intention, abuse of power and element of cheating attributed against them. 

"I have no hesitation in holding that charges levelled against the accused are groundless and all accused are entitled to be discharged," the judge said.  The case, which has haunted 69-year-old Vijayan for nearly two decades, pertains to the contract given to Canadian firm SNC Lavalin for renovation of three hydel power stations. 

The case surfaced after CAG reported that the state exchequer had suffered a loss of Rs 374.50 crore and also a promised amount of Rs 92.3 crore to the Malabar Cancer Centre did not materialise.  While Vijayan and five other accused, including a former Additional Chief Secretary and the then power board chairman, sought to be discharged from the case, a top Lavalin executive who figured as an accused, has refrained from responding to summons so far. 

Reacting to the verdict, Vijayan said it showed that truth would triumph and it also marked the end of a harrowing phase in his career with political rivals haunting him. The CPM leader said he had withstood and survived unscathed mainly due to his firm conviction that he had not committed any error and also due to unstinted support extended by his party. 

Observers said the verdict would enable Vijayan become more powerful in the party and emerge as the central figure of the LDF in the next assembly elections.  Apart from rival political parties, Vijayan had often faced digs from his bete noire in his own party V S Achuthanandan, despite the central leadership's stand that this was a politically motivated case. 

Vijayan also said this should also be a lesson for those in power against 'misusing' investigating agencies for securing political gains.    While welcoming the development, Achuthanandan said since the verdict had come, other views about the case had ceased to have relevance, apparently alluding to the divergent stand taken by him earlier. 

However, he parried a question on whether he thought the court order would impact politics in Kerala.  CPM had dubbed the case as politically motivated and charged the UPA-I at the Centre with trying to settle scores with the party for withdrawing support to the government at the Centre. 

The charge sheet in the case was filed in June 2012 against the accused. Apart from Vijayan, the other accused included former Power Secretary K Mohana Chandran, Joint Secretary A Francis and Former Kerala State Electricity Board Chairman P A Siddartha Menon.  As soon as the verdict was delivered, party workers in different parts of the state took our marches in support of Vijayan.  

Lavalin: Pinarayi’s plea accepted

Thiruvananthapuram: The special CBI court hearing the SNC Lavalin corruption case has allowed a plea made by CPM leader, Pinarayi Vijayan. With the verdict, the Left leader has been removed from the list of offenders in the case. The court also found discrepancies in the chargesheet filed by the CBI against Pinarayi.
Vijayan had submitted a plea asking his name to be removed from the list of alleged offenders in the case. In his plea, Pinarayi had claimed that he was framed in the case and that his name was added to the list of offenders without evidence and supporting documents. He also claimed that all allegations against him were baseless. 

The case in question involves alleged corruption of about Rs 86.25 crores in the Panniyar, Chengulam and Pallivasal hydroelectric projects. Pinarayi was the seventh accused in the case. The CBI has not responded to the verdict

Lavalin: Pinarayi’s plea accepted

Thiruvananthapuram: The special CBI court hearing the SNC Lavalin corruption case has allowed a plea made by CPM leader, Pinarayi Vijayan. With the verdict, the Left leader has been removed from the list of offenders in the case. The court also found discrepancies in the chargesheet filed by the CBI against Pinarayi.
Vijayan had submitted a plea asking his name to be removed from the list of alleged offenders in the case. In his plea, Pinarayi had claimed that he was framed in the case and that his name was added to the list of offenders without evidence and supporting documents. He also claimed that all allegations against him were baseless. 

The case in question involves alleged corruption of about Rs 86.25 crores in the Panniyar, Chengulam and Pallivasal hydroelectric projects. Pinarayi was the seventh accused in the case. The CBI has not responded to the verdict

Nine bombs found in Ranchi student lodge

Ranchi: Nine live bombs were recovered and defused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in collaboration with state police in the Jharkhand capital late Monday, police said.

The bombs were recovered from the room of a private student lodge in the Hindpidi area of Ranchi. The student who lived in the room in which the bombs were found was missing, and no arrests have been made in this connection. Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar said investigations were on in the case, and the police had acted on a tip-off.

Nine bombs found in Ranchi student lodge

Ranchi: Nine live bombs were recovered and defused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in collaboration with state police in the Jharkhand capital late Monday, police said.

The bombs were recovered from the room of a private student lodge in the Hindpidi area of Ranchi. The student who lived in the room in which the bombs were found was missing, and no arrests have been made in this connection. Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar said investigations were on in the case, and the police had acted on a tip-off.

30 killed in Nigeria

YOLA (NIGERIA): Suspected Islamic militants attacked a wedding convoy in northeast Nigeria and killed more than 30 people including the bridegroom, a state government spokesman said on Monday. Military spokesman Lt Colonel Muhammed Dole said only five people were killed in Sunday’s attack on the highway between Gama and Gwoza towns in Borno state. That road runs alongside forests that are a known hideout of Islamic militants of the Boko Haram terrorist network. But a minibus taxi driver said he passed many bodies on the road near Firgi village, where the wedding ceremony took place on Sunday. “We saw a lot of dead bodies killed by gunshots and some by the roadside that appeared to have been slaughtered” with their throats slit, the driver, who asked to be identified only as Shaibu, told reporters Sunday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.Shaibu said his terrified passengers wanted to turn back, but “I took the risk ... and said God is in control.”Adamawa state spokesman Ahmad Sajoh said the wedding fatiha, the official Muslim ceremony, had taken place in Firgi village in neighbouring Borno state and the groom and guests were driving home to Adamawa when they were attacked. Last week, suspected extremists attacked a military checkpoint in the same area and witnesses said they killed at least four security force members and made off with army vehicles, weapons and ammunition.Attacks continue in northeast Nigeria more than five months after the government declared a state of emergency and flooded three states that cover one-sixth of the country with troops and police officers.They have driven the insurgents from major towns and attacked bush camps aerial bombardments and ground assaults. Hundreds of combatants and civilians, mainly Muslims, have died in recent weeks.

30 killed in Nigeria

YOLA (NIGERIA): Suspected Islamic militants attacked a wedding convoy in northeast Nigeria and killed more than 30 people including the bridegroom, a state government spokesman said on Monday. Military spokesman Lt Colonel Muhammed Dole said only five people were killed in Sunday’s attack on the highway between Gama and Gwoza towns in Borno state. That road runs alongside forests that are a known hideout of Islamic militants of the Boko Haram terrorist network. But a minibus taxi driver said he passed many bodies on the road near Firgi village, where the wedding ceremony took place on Sunday. “We saw a lot of dead bodies killed by gunshots and some by the roadside that appeared to have been slaughtered” with their throats slit, the driver, who asked to be identified only as Shaibu, told reporters Sunday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.Shaibu said his terrified passengers wanted to turn back, but “I took the risk ... and said God is in control.”Adamawa state spokesman Ahmad Sajoh said the wedding fatiha, the official Muslim ceremony, had taken place in Firgi village in neighbouring Borno state and the groom and guests were driving home to Adamawa when they were attacked. Last week, suspected extremists attacked a military checkpoint in the same area and witnesses said they killed at least four security force members and made off with army vehicles, weapons and ammunition.Attacks continue in northeast Nigeria more than five months after the government declared a state of emergency and flooded three states that cover one-sixth of the country with troops and police officers.They have driven the insurgents from major towns and attacked bush camps aerial bombardments and ground assaults. Hundreds of combatants and civilians, mainly Muslims, have died in recent weeks.