Manash (Subhaditya Edusoft): Subhaditya News Channel Present Latest News From Science , Sport , Politics, Environmental Disaster , World Economy (2)

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Science and Technology News:

Sunita Williams with Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency,

a) Sunita Williams all set for second space odyssey:
Washington, Jul 14: Indian-American Sunita Williams, a record-setting astronaut who lived and worked aboard the International Space Station for six months in 2006, is all set for her second space odyssey.

46-year-old Williams is scheduled to take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8.40 am tomorrow (8.10 am ISI) with Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, NASA said.

The three crew members will join the Expedition 32 crew aboard the International Space Station when their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft docks to the orbiting complex on Tuesday.

According to NASA, Williams, a flight engineer, and her colleagues will be aboard the station during an exceptionally busy period that includes two spacewalks, the arrival of Japanese, US commercial and Russian resupply vehicles, and an increasingly faster pace of scientific research.

Williams, whose father hailed from Gujarat, was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1998. She was assigned to the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14 and then joined Expedition 15.

She holds the record of the longest spaceflight (195 days) for woman space travellers. She received a master’s degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.In the space, Williams, who will become commander of Expedition 33, and her team of astronauts plan an orbital sporting event to mark the Summer Olympics in London.

“I’m just looking forward to seeing the full capability of the space station, it’s an experiment, not only the things that we’re doing inside but also all the engineering that has gone into allowing us to dock new vehicles, do space walks, Russian and US. So, it’s a pretty complicated vehicle now and I’m looking forward to being part of it,” Williams said recently.Meanwhile, in orbit high above the Earth, Expedition 32 Flight Engineer Joe Acaba focused on cleaning the exhaust and intake ducts of the Starboard Crew Quarters yesterday to prepare them for the arrival of new crewmates, NASA said. Over the weekend, the station residents, besides continuing preparations for the arrival of their crewmates and performing some regular maintenance duties, will enjoy some off-duty time and have an opportunity to speak with family members, NASA said.

Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.

b) Giving ancient life another chance to evolve
It's a project 500 million years in the making. Only this time, instead of playing on a movie screen in Jurassic Park, it's happening in a lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Using a process called paleo-experimental evolution, Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. This bacterium has now been growing for more than 1,000 generations, giving the scientists a front row seat to observe evolution in action.

Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria.

"This is as close as we can get to rewinding and replaying the molecular tape of life," said scientist Betül Kaçar, a NASA astrobiology postdoctoral fellow in Georgia Tech's NASA Center for Ribosomal Origins and Evolution. "The ability to observe an ancient gene in a modern organism as it evolves within a modern cell allows us to see whether the evolutionary trajectory once taken will repeat itself or whether a life will adapt following a different path."

Triboelectric generator produces electricity by harnessing friction between surfaces

c) Triboelectric generator produces electricity by harnessing friction between surfaces
Researchers have discovered yet another way to harvest small amounts of electricity from motion in the world around us -- this time by capturing the electrical charge produced when two different kinds of plastic materials rub against one another. Based on flexible polymer materials, this "triboelectric" generator could provide alternating current (AC) from activities such as walking. The triboelectric generator could supplement power produced by nanogenerators that use the piezoelectric effect to create current from the flexing of zinc oxide nanowires. And because these triboelectric generators can be made nearly transparent, they could offer a new way to produce active sensors that might replace technology now used for touch-sensitive device displays.

"The fact that an electric charge can be produced through this principle is well known," said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the School of Materials Science & Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "What we have introduced is a gap separation technique that produces a voltage drop, which leads to a current flow, allowing the charge to be used. This generator can convert random mechanical energy from our environment into electric energy."

Hubble discovers a fifth moon orbiting Pluto

d) Hubble discovers a fifth moon orbiting Pluto
A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is reporting the discovery of another moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto. The moon is estimated to be irregular in shape and 6 to 15 miles across. It is in a 58,000-mile-diameter circular orbit around Pluto that is assumed to be co-planar with the other satellites in the system.
"The moons form a series of neatly nested orbits, a bit like Russian dolls," said team lead Mark Showalter of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif.

The discovery increases the number of known moons orbiting Pluto to five.

This is the tooth of a hominid embedded in a rock containing significant parts of a skeleton of an early human ancestor. The skeleton is believed to be the remains of "Karabo", the type skeleton of Australopithecus sediba, discovered at the Malapa Site in the Cradle of Humankind in 2009. (Credit: University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg)

e) Early Human Ancestor, Australopithecus Sediba, Fossils Discovered in Rock
Scientists from the Wits Institute for Human Evolution based at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg have just announced the discovery of a large rock containing significant parts of a skeleton of an early human ancestor. The skeleton is believed to be the remains of 'Karabo', the type skeleton of Australopithecus sediba, discovered at the Malapa Site in the Cradle of Humankind in 2009.

Professor Lee Berger, a Reader in Palaeoanthropology and the Public Understanding of Science at the Wits Institute for Human Evolution, will make the announcement at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum in Shanghai, China on 13 July 2012.

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2) Indian At Olympics 2012:

Indian TT players look to make London a memorable event

a) Indian TT players look to make London a memorable event

New Delhi, Jul 14: With big names of Indian Table Tennis missing from London Olympics, onus will be on the teenaged duo of Soumyajit Ghosh and Ankita Das to deliver but it might be a case of asking too much, too early from them in their debut appearance at the mega-event.

Can't promise medal, but will give our best shot: Sania

b) Can't promise medal, but will give our best shot: Sania

Mumbai, Jul 13: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza today refused to make predictions on how many medals country’s tennis players will win at the upcoming London Olympic Games but promised that they will give their best shot.

Lifters aim to put behind doping past with clean Olympic show

c) Lifters aim to put behind doping past with clean Olympic show

New Delhi, Jul 13: They are returning to the Olympics after eight years and more than the medals, Indian weightlifters would feel the pressure of staying clear of the dope taint that has haunted the country in this discipline for about a decade.

Laishram Bombayla Devi, Chekrovolu Swuro indespensible for Indian archery team

d) Laishram Bombayla Devi, Chekrovolu Swuro indespensible for Indian archery team

Deepika Kumari has justifiably been anointed the new poster girl of Indian archery due to her achievements over the last two years.Her feats in the international arena, which have taken her to the No.1 ranking in the world has captured the imagination of those who follow Indian sport.

However, if India wins a medal in the women's team event at the upcoming London Olympics, the other two members of the trio - Laishram Bombayla Devi and Chekrovolu Swuro - would have had an equally important contribution.

Both of them were part of the national team long before Deepika burst on to the scene. Bombayla represented the country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, while Chekrovolu competed at the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games.Neither of them has any complaints about Deepika's rise to fame in a relatively short time. In fact, they are happy at what their teammate has achieved.

"We are very pleased at what Deepika has done. She is our junior in age as well as experience, so her feats can only inspire the other youngsters and raise the profile of the sport," Bombayla told Mail Today after training at the Sports Authority of India Eastern Centre here.

Gagan Narang aims for the sky at London

e) Gagan Narang aims for the sky at London

The Hyderabadi ace shot down four gold medals, then won two silver medals at the subsequent Asian Games and was finally honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna last year.Narang's journey to the London Olympics began on that fateful August 11 in 2008. As Abhinav Bindra stood on the top of the air rifle podium in Beijing, Narang, who missed out on the final by a point, vowed to match the exploits of his teammate and rival.

Following the Olympics, Narang shot a new final world record of 703.5 in the World Cup Finals in Bangkok, including a perfect 600 out of 600 in qualification. This was only broken by Chinese legend Zhu Qinan late last year.

Archery: Rahul Banerjee rises to challenge

f) Archery: Rahul Banerjee rises to challenge

The trio of Banerjee, Tarundeep Rai and Jayanta Talukdar were in good form going into the event, and were confident of earning a berth in the London Games.

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World Politics:

Preliminary results suggested that a party generally regarded as secular and fairly liberal won the most votes in Libya’s first post-Qaddafi general election

a)Preliminary results suggested that a party generally regarded as secular and fairly liberal won the most votes in Libya’s first post-Qaddafi general election, pushing an Islamist party close to the Muslim Brotherhood into second place. It would be a personal victory for Mahmoud Jibril, an American-educated economist who had worked for the old regime before turning against it at the start of the revolution.

Come back, Ehud Olmert?

b) Come back, Ehud Olmert? The near-total acquittal of a former prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, after a long-running trial for corruption, has prompted a furious legal debate laced with political intrigue and speculation.

Those who want to do him down stress that the three judges of the Jerusalem District Court did find him guilty on one relatively minor charge, a breach of trust. As minister of industry, he should have recused himself from dealing with projects submitted to the ministry by a close friend and former law partner. Mr Olmert is still on trial, before another court, for alleged bribery over a building project begun when he was mayor of Jerusalem. The prosecution must also decide whether to ask the Jerusalem court to charge Mr Olmert with “moral turpitude”. If found guilty, he would be barred from an early return to public life.

Flash floods swept through the southern Russian region of Krasnodar

c) Flash floods swept through the southern Russian region of Krasnodar in the early hours of July 7th. By morning much of Krymsk—a town of 57,000 people—had been levelled, thousands were homeless, and more than 170 dead. The central government accused local authorities of mishandling the catastrophe, hoping to deflect public anger over the devastation and high death toll.

Enrique Peña Nieto during his final campaign rally in Monterrey City

d) After a recount of over half the ballots, Mexico’s electoral authority declared Enrique Peña Nieto of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) the winner in the presidential election, by almost seven points. Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the leftist runner-up, refused to accept the result, and claimed to have evidence of the PRI buying up to 5m votes. International observers pronounced the elections clean. The electoral tribunal has until September to investigate any wrongdoing.

Amit Mitra’s date with American business brass

e) Amit Mitra’s date with American business brass Amit Mitra, who has been chosen by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, to hardsell Bengal as an investment destination in the US, will fly to Washington DC to address a gathering of CEOs of 450 top US firms after his participation in the North American Bengali Conference (NABC) in Las Vegas.

Sources close to the development said that US India Business Council (USIBC), an associate of the US Chamber of Commerce, one of the biggest trade bodies in the country, has organized an interaction between the Bengal finance minister and the officials of top US companies.

The meeting is likely to be organized at the historical Hall of Flags, which shows the kind of interest US has about the change in Bengal," added sources. The members of USIBC include companies like Franklyn Templeton, Citi, Cargill, Cognizant, GE, Dow, Boeing, KPMG, PepsiCo, Warburg Pincus, Ford, Adobe, IBM, Bank of America, Amex, Deloitte, KKR, Caterpillar and others.

It is learnt that Mitra will meet US government officials as well in Washington after the high profile business meeting. Before leaving for the US capital, the state finance minister will meet 150 Bengali investors, professionals at a business round-table at NABC in Las Vegas on July 7. "A recorded version of an address by Mamata Banerjee will be played at the Bengali Conference. The state is trying to encourage US-based Bengali community to engage in the building of new Bengal. This could be through investment, by rendering professional skills, technical skills, adoption of village, anything. A Bengali industrialist can invest in the state. Similarly, a top executive can help us through his professional skills," added sources.

It has also been learnt that Mitra will stop over for one day in London on July 9 and would meet members of UK India Business Council. Like USIBC, the UKIBC is the representative body of top UK companies operating in India.Mitra is meeting UK government officials as well.

General News:

Wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh has died in the Indian city of Mumbai

a) Wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh has died in the Indian city of Mumbai after a long illness, his doctors say.The 83-year-old had been admitted to hospital last week after a heart attack. He was taken home on Wednesday night after doctors said he had little chance of recovery and that there had been significant damage to his brain.Singh, who won the world wrestling championship in 1960, acted in several Bollywood films and television serials.He gained huge popularity while playing Hanuman, the monkey god, in the television adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana.He was also a member of parliament from 2003 to 2009 when he was appointed to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's parliament.

3D Picture of Subhaditya News of the Week Created by Me (Manash Kundu)

English Movie Release This week:

Poster of Ice Age: Continental Drift

a) Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) Click here to see the Trailer

While recent animated blockbusters have aimed to viewers of all ages, starting with fantastical concepts and breathtaking visuals, but tackling complex emotional issues along the way, Ice Age: Continental Drift is crafted especially for the wee ones — and it works. Venturing back to prehistoric times once again, the fourth Ice Age film paints broad strokes on the theme of familial relationships, throwing in plenty of physical comedy along the way. The movie isn't that far off from one of the many Land Before Time direct-to-video sequels: not particularly innovative or necessary, but harmless, thrilling fun for anyone with a sense of humor. Unless they have a particular distaste for wooly mammoths, the kids will love it.

Poster of Movie Red Lights

b) Red Lights (2012) Click here to see the Trailer

A psychologist (Sigourney Weaver) and a colleague (Cillian Murphy) dubiously investigate a self-proclaimed psychic (Robert De Niro) in this thriller from Buried director Rodrigo Cortés. Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic who has resurfaced years after his toughest critic mysteriously passed away.

Poster of Movie The Imposter

c) The Imposter (2012) Click here to see the Trailer

Documentary filmmaker Bart Layton uses vivid reenactments to tell the tale of a Texas family whose prayers are answered when their missing teenage son returns home after nearly four years, and the mystery that begins to emerge as the newcomer's actual identity comes into question. San Antonio, Texas: 1994. A local teen vanishes from his parents' own home. As the clues run cold over the next three years, his grieving family continues to fear the worst. Incredibly, they later receive word that their son has been found in Spain. Despite being ruthlessly tortured by his abductors, he miraculously appears to be in good health. But the more questions that inspectors ask, the less his answers seem to add up. And while his tattoos match those of the kidnapping victim, that's just about where the resemblance ends. Meanwhile, everyone but the victim's family seems to recognize that something is amiss.

3D Picture of Subhaditya News of the Week Created by Me (Manash Kundu)

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