Seoul,South Korea is set to launch a multipurpose satellite to carry out earth observation from a space center in Japan early Friday, the government said Thursday. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said in a statement that the Arirang-3 satellite is scheduled to take off at around 1:39 a.m. Friday from Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in western Japan. The satellite will be carried into orbit by Japan's H-IIA rocket, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), which has organized the launch, said the liftoff will go smoothly citing favorable weather conditions, according to the ministry. The satellite, equipped with a high-resolution optical camera, will operate at an altitude of 685 kilometers for the next four years to provide highly detailed images of the Earth's surface. South Korea launched its first Earth-observatory satellite Arirang-1 in 1999, and since 2004 the country has invested heavily, spending more than 286.6 billion won (245.5 million U.S. dollars) on its satellite ...
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Washington, US lawmakers of both Democratic and Republican parties have slammed the Obama administration's request for $2.4 billion for Pakistan, calling it a "black hole" where the US has "sunk" $24 billion over the last decade. "Pakistan is like a black hole for American aid," Gary Ackerman, top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs panel on the Middle East and South Asia said during a hearing Wednesday. "Our tax dollars go in, our diplomats go in - sometimes, our aid professionals go in - sometimes, our hopes go in, our prayers go in," he said. "Nothing good ever comes out." Alleging that Islamabad continues to pursue its national interest at America's expense and that of its allies, Ackerman said: "Pakistan continues to shelter, directly support and sponsor terrorists." "Officially acknowledging this indisputable fact might be grossly impolitic; but that doesn't make it less true. American standing in Pakistani public opinion is terrible and getting worse," he said. Similarly Republican Dana Rohrabacher blasted US support for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who he said was taking "marching orders" from Pakistan. "We should cut Pakistan off of every cent ...
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Seoul, North Korea has apparently completed preparations for a third nuclear test, possibly within two weeks, after firing a long-range rocket this month, a newspaper report said on Saturday. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo said the information came from a government source. It relates to preparations for a test in the northeastern town of Punggye-ri, where the North carried out two previous nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. A defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report. A South Korean government official told AFP on April 8 on condition of anonymity that satellite images showed a new underground tunnel built at the nuclear test site besides two others where the previous tests were conducted. "Heaps of earth and sand which had been piled up outside the new tunnel have disappeared," a government source was quoted as saying by Chosun. "It is highly likely that the North has installed a nuclear device inside the tunnel and sealed it (with the piles of earth and sand)," the source said. Since last year, US and South Korean intelligence authorities have been monitoring the excavation by measuring the amount of soil and rocks dumped from the tunnel, it ...
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New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left here on Saturday for the March 26-27 Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, prior to which he will be on a two-day official visit to South Korea. At the Nuclear Security Summit, Manmohan Singh will join 57 world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, to discuss the global threat posed by nuclear terrorism and the measures required to prevent terrorists from gaining access to sensitive nuclear material and technologies. During the official visit, Manmohan Singh will hold talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in restricted and delegation-level formats, while the two countries will sign an agreement on simplifying the issuance of visas. A joint statement will also be issued. An interaction with leading CEOs of South Korean corporations is scheduled for March 26 ...
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New Delhi, The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will pay a three-day visit to South Korea beginning on Saturday to strengthen strategic partnership and economic cooperation. Following the bilateral visit to South Korea, Dr. Singh will attend the second Nuclear Security Summit scheduled to take place in Seoul on March 26 and 27. Interacting with the media here today, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai pointed out that the main objective of the Nuclear Security Summit process has been high-level attention on the global threat posed by nuclear terrorism and the measures that are required to prevent terrorists and other non-state actors from gaining access to sensitive nuclear materials and technologies. "While nuclear security is a national resposibility there is scope for international cooperation. The IAEA has a central role in strengthening the international nuclear security framework," said Mathai. "The Seoul Summit is intended to take stock of progress in implementation of the Communiqué and Work Plan of the Washington Summit as well as agree on new measures that would be reflected in the Summit Communiqué. A number of countries are expected to speak on steps ...
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Washington, US special forces teams are currently stationed in five South Asian countries including India as part of the counter-terrorism cooperation with these nations, a top Pentagon commander has disclosed. These teams have been deployed by US Pacific Command as part of its effort to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities, in particular in the maritime domain, Admiral Robert Willard, the PACOM Commander said on Thursday. "We have currently special forces assist teams - Pacific assist teams is the term - laid down in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, as well as India," Willard told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing in response to a question on co-operation with India on counter-terrorism issues. "We are working very closely with India with regard to their counter-terrorism capabilities and in particular on the maritime domain but also government to government, not necessarily DOD (department of defence) but other agencies assisting them in terms of their internal counter-terror and counterinsurgency challenges," Willard said. Willard said, Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) is a very dangerous organisation. It not only has very good operational ...
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New Delhi, Calling the centenary celebrations of the African National Congress (ANC) a moving moment for all those across the world who cherish human dignity and freedom, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said that India and South Africa have coordinated their positions on many complex global issues. In a message to South African President Jacob Zuma, Dr. Singh said: "The dawn of 21st century has seen a dramatic shift in global, economic and political architecture and in the emerging paradigm, countries of the South are increasingly being called to play a much larger role. ...today we (India and South Africa) share the same table at United Nations Security Council and G-20 and we are partners in IBSA and BRICS." Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, who is heading the Indian delegation to the Centenary celebrations of the African National Congress (ANC) in the South African city of Mangaung (Bloemfontein) called on President Jacob Zuma yesterday and personally handed over the message of Dr. Singh along with the message of Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi recalled the shared past and shared national heroes by the two countries. She recalled ...
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Pretoria, The year 2011 was a challenging one for South Africa, but the government has made strides in creating and maintaining a better life for all, President Jacob Zuma has said. He said around 100,000 more jobs will be created in the next three years in the construction of electricity plants, rail and road upgrades and water management. In his end of year message, Zuma said 2011, though dubbed "The Year of Job Creation", was hit by difficult economic conditions, state-run news agency BuaNews reported. The Expanded Public Works Programme saw the provision of income for a total of 280,000 people, while more than 80,000 were provided jobs under the Community Work Programme. The president said the government has implemented a programme to monitor the experience of citizens when obtaining services from the government. The results of monitoring will be regularly presented to the cabinet, with the aim of putting in place focused improvement initiatives. The measures have been designed to improve the performance of the state. A draft National Development Plan has been finalised by the National Planning Commission and released for public comment. The plan puts emphasis on ...
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Seoul, South Korea's economic growth was expected to slow down next year due to growing uncertainties such as Europe's debt crisis, the Korean finance ministry said Monday. The country's economy was projected to grow 3.7 percent in 2012, down from 3.8 percent estimated for 2011, according to the ministry of strategy and finance. The 2012 growth outlook was revised down from 4.5 percent estimated in September, and was in line with the growth outlook made by the Bank of Korea (BOK) last week, reported Xinhua. ...
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Pyongyang, North Korea has warned South Korea that it faces “unexpected consequences” if it displays Christmas lights near their tense border. The South Korean defense ministry is reportedly considering a request by a Seoul church group to put up Christmas lights on a steel tower shaped like a tree atop a military-controlled hill near the border. The North''s official website, Uriminzokkiri, called the plan “a mean attempt for psychological warfare” against the Communist state and threatened to retaliate immediately if the lights are switched on, Fox News reports. “The enemy warmongers should be aware that they should be held responsible entirely for any unexpected consequences that may be caused by their scheme,” the Uriminzokkiri said. “This issue is not something to be ignored quietly,” it added. The North had previously accused the South of displaying Christmas lights to spread Christianity among its people and soldiers. The two nations reached a deal to halt official-level cross-border propaganda in 2004, leading to and the South stopping its annual Christmas illumination ceremony. South Korea resumed the ceremony last December amid high ...
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SANGIN DISTRICT, AFGHANISTAN : Nineteen civilians were killed on late Wednesday morning when a roadside bomb struck a passenger bus in southern Afghanistan, officials said on Thursday. Several others were injured. The explosion happened at around 11 a.m. local time in the Amanullah Kariaze area of Sangin district in Helmand province, which is frequently the scene of roadside bombings. Provincial officials confirmed nineteen people on the bus were killed, including five children. Among those killed was one American citizen, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said. "Our thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured in these callous attacks," the Embassy said in a statement. "The United States will continue to stand with our Afghan partners as they defend themselves against terrorism and build a more peaceful future." Afghan President Hamid Karzai and General John R. Allen, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), also condemned the attack. "Insurgents are resorting to cowardly attacks in an attempt to terrorize the Afghan people," Allen said. In addition to those killed, five people were transported to an ISAF base for treatment. It ...
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London, Eyes belonging to a giant 500 million-year-old marine predator that sat at the top of the earth’s first food chain have been discovered from Kangaroo Island, South Australia. Scientists at the South Australian Museum and University of Adelaide found the preserved fossil eyes of the fearsome metre-long Anomalocaris in the Cambrian ocean. They explained that the world’s first apex predator had highly acute vision, rivalling or exceeding that of most living insects and crustaceans. The international team behind this discovery includes two Adelaide researchers, Dr Michael Lee (SA Museum and University of Adelaide) and Dr Jim Jago (SA Museum and UniSA), and was led by Dr John Paterson (University of New England). Anomalocaris is the stuff of nightmares and sci-fi movies. It is considered to be at the top of the earliest food chains because of its large body size, formidable grasping claws at the front of its head and a circular mouth with razor-sharp serrations. The discovery of its stalked eyes - showing astonishing details of its optical design - from a 515 million-year-old deposit on Kangaroo Island in South Australia now confirms it had superb vision to ...
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Seoul, Imported car sales in South Korea continued to grow last month due to strong demand for German brands, a trade association said Monday. Registration of imported vehicles reached 9,230 units in November, up 11.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA). From a month before, car sales expanded 12.1 percent, reported Xinhua. For the first 11 months of this year, a total of 97,158 imported vehicles were sold in South Korea. The trade association predicted earlier that sales of imported cars would surpass 100,000 units for the first time this year. The November increase was mainly attributed to brisk sales in German brands. German automaker BMW ranked first in terms of best- selling brand by selling 1,708 units here last month. This was followed by Mercedes Benz with 1,673 units, Audi with 1,063 units, Nissan 866 units and Volkswagen with 831 units. By size, vehicles with 2-litre or less engine capacities were most popular, posting 44.7 percent of the market share last month. This was followed by cars with engine of between 2 and 3 litres that represented the market share of 30.8 percent. By ...
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Washington, A cutting edge software, developed and tested by naval scientists, can help undersea robots become smarter at surveying large swathes of the ocean. "Using the new algorithms, the vehicle has a greater ability to make its own decisions without requiring a human in the loop," said Marc Steinberg, programme officer for Office of Naval Research's (ONR) multidisciplinary programme. With plans to deploy squadrons of air, surface and undersea robotic vehicles later this decade, the US Navy is investing in basic research programmes to improve autonomous system capabilities, according to an ONR statement. "Advancing autonomy for unmanned systems allows you the ability to do things that wouldn't be practical otherwise because we don't have enough warfighters or communication today," said Steinberg, who works in ONR's Naval Air Warfare and Weapons Department. ONR funded researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of Southern California to advance the intelligence of autonomous vehicles under its programmes for surveillance. They developed a persistent surveillance theory that provides a framework for decision making software that ...
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Seoul, South Korea's business sentiment remained weak this month as local firms were still worried about economic uncertainties amid fragile domestic demand, the central bank said Monday. The monthly business survey index (BSI), which gauges local manufacturers' assessment of current business conditions, edged up one point on-month to reach 83 in November, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists. The assessment on future business conditions was enhanced slightly. The BSI for December, measuring manufacturers' outlook on business conditions for the upcoming month, came in at 83, up one point from a month earlier, reported Xinhua. Manufacturers picked fragile domestic demand, economic uncertainties and foreign exchange volatility as their difficulties in doing business, while non-manufacturers regarded weak domestic demand, fierce competition and uncertain economic conditions as their ...
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London, A prison in South Korea plans to use robots for patrolling, which would ease the burden on their human counterparts. A jail in the eastern city of Pohang plans to run a month-long trial with three automatons in March, the BBC reports. The three 5ft-high (1.5m) robots have been developed by the Asian Forum for Corrections, a South Korean group of researchers who specialise in criminality and prison policies. The robots move on four wheels and are equipped with cameras and other sensors that allow them to detect risky behaviour such as violence and suicide. According to Professor Lee Baik-Chu, of Kyonggi University, who led the design process, the robots would alert human guards if they discovered a problem. “As we''re almost done with creating its key operating system, we are now working on refining its details to make it look more friendly to inmates,” the professor said. The one-month trial will cost one billion won, and is being sponsored by the South Korean government, the report ...
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Hong Kong, A South Korea-flagged commercial ship with 21 people on board has capsized near Hong Kong, officials said. Five people have been rescued. The nearly 1,700-metre-long vessel was loaded with steel when it capsized Monday, Xinhua reported citing officials from the Hong Kong marine department. The ship named "Bright Ruby" was on its way from Malaysia to mainland China when it capsized around 625 km south of Hong Kong. The marine department received a message for help around 3.20 p.m. and notified nearby ships for rescue, the officials said. The ship had the carrying capacity of over 26,500 ...
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Bali, Japan has stressed the need of establishing a forum for maritime cooperation, which would help resolving the South China Sea disputes. "We were able to confirm the importance of international laws for the oceans, which are a public asset connecting the Asia-Pacific region," Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said at the East Asian Summit in Bali. He also said the East Asian Summit participants shared the view that "maritime issues will be handled through cooperation and dialogue." None of the leaders at the summit opposed or agreed to the Japan’s proposal, the country’s foreign ministry official said. Beijing is currently embroiled in territorial disputes with the US allies, including the Philippines and Taiwan, over island groupings in the South China Sea. Though the South China Sea dispute may not concern Japan directly, the interests at stake are linked with its own. University of Tokyo''s Graduate School of Law and Politics Professor Akio Takahara said the East China Sea issue forced Japan to intervene in the territorial claims. Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea are administered by Japan but China and Taiwan have repeatedly claimed ...
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