Russia could vacate International Space Station by 2024

The International Space Station launched in 1998 has been in operation since 2000. Scientists and astronauts from different countries have worked in this sky lab located 250 miles above Earth. In spite of difference in policies and ideologies, this space lab is a venture where the USA and Russia joined hands with a common objective to promote space research. They have carried out studies on various aspects of working in space in order to evaluate the effects of alien environments on humans. They worked on animals, plants, other living organism, and as many as nine countries worked on the ISS. Over the past more than two decades, they have conducted space walks, repaired portions of the space station from the outside and have participated in festivals like Christmas.

It seems Russia has taken a decision to dissociate itself from the International Space Station after 2024. It wants to focus on creating its own orbital outpost. This has been reported in the media. Russia to quit International Space Station ‘after 2024.’ Obviously, the cooperative program between Europe, the United States, Russia, Canada, and Japan would no longer exist. In the course of an ISS conference for NASA in Washington, an official said they did not want the US-Russia space relationship to end. Space agencies all over the world are trying to break new frontiers in space. They have the Moon and Mars on their radars. With a combination of robotics and artificial intelligence at their command, they want to explore unknown territories – they are in search of natural resources available on other planets.

Some popular stories in this and related sites –

Sri Lankan cricketers become bus drivers in Australia to earn a living

For our eyes only – blind man’s bluff

For our eyes only – the blind ones and eye donation

For our eyes only – popularity of contact lenses on the rise

For our eyes only – when kids wear glasses

For our eyes only

Street foods for breakfast in Kolkata

Street foods are popular even in Singapore

Street foods have become a common feature even in Hong Kong

Street food in Kolkata during lunch hour.

Russia grants two year extension of visa to ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden

Former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden is once again in the news - he has been granted permission to remain in Russia for another couple of years. He has been living in exile in Russia since 2013, where he ended up after spending weeks in the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
He was initially granted permission to stay in Russia for one year amid the rapid deterioration in Moscow's relations with Washington. With the extension granted now, Snowden can apply for a Russian passport next year. As indicated by his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, the resident permit of Snowden is now valid until 2020.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 18 January 2017.

It may be recalled that Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor, had released details of the extent of the US spying operation, including details of operations against friendly governments. Then, fearing reprisal, he left the US and sought asylum in Russia in 2013 which he got.
He had not applied for a pardon from President Barack Obama, who has taken a decision to commute the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning - he was jailed for 35 years for leaking classified material to Wikileaks. Manning was in prison and had expressed remorse. Hence, his pardon.
But, Snowden did not apply for clemency himself. In the opinion of his supporters, he should be treated as a whistleblower and not as a criminal. The White House, however, feels that his case was totally different as compared to Manning's because Snowden has not apologized for his crimes while Manning did.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

CISF prevents students of Manipur from entering the Taj Mahal

Kolkata to soon get rice and fish curry for Rs 21 at selected outlets

Bhilai tries to set five world records in Yoga with one lakh people participating


In the wonderland of women centric products

In the wonderland of banyans and messages

In the wonderland of toothpastes


Avatar star Zoe Saldana in Ben Affleck's Live By Night

Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone in Mumbai to promote XXX: Return of Xander Cage

Aamir Khan's Dangal expected to cross Rs 100 crore in first weekend


Migrant boat capsizes off Libya's coast - 100 feared dead

Defensive anti-aircraft missiles around Moscow in preparation for a war?

US army veteran shoots dead five persons in Fort Lauderdale airport, Florida

Russian reindeer to be culled to arrest spread of anthrax

Due to the spread of anthrax disease in Russia, a decision has been taken to cull the population of reindeer. As indicated by a governor in Russia's far north, the reindeer population will be drastically reduced by 100,000. However, in the opinion of scientists, twice as many need to be culled.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 11 October 2016.

Reindeer herding is an important industry and livelihood for indigenous peoples in the Yamal-Nenets region and its governor has revealed that there was a need to cull about 100,000 reindeer this winter because of overpopulation that was straining a limited food supply, thereby, increasing the risk of anthrax infection.
This, incidentally, is the first anthrax outbreak in Yamal-Nenets since 1941 and, in July and August this year, the disease has already claimed the lives of a 12-year-old boy and more than 2,500 reindeer.
Scientists and officials attribute this revival of the “zombie infection” to abnormally high temperatures caused by global warming and climate change. In fact, thawing of the permafrost soil can release the frozen bacteria.
Regional authorities will buy the reindeer to be culled and process the meat. If suitable steps are not taken, there will be a mass die-off in the near future because the animals will not be able to survive against lack of fodder and various diseases.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Taiwan struck by Typhoon Megi, third typhoon in two weeks

Terrorist alarm in Uran was the figment of a 12-year-old schoolgirl's imagination

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1


Moody is off mood – Na Buzz had fooled him again (satire)

Didi’s version of ABCD - cycle to work to bypass potholes (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


9300 people killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria during last year

MH17 flight shot down by rocket over Ukraine in 2014 was work of pro-Moscow rebels

Shooting in Burlington - gunman on the run after shooting dead four women in a shopping center


Mark Wahlberg talks about movie on Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

Adele creates a record - her latest album 25 has gone platinum in the US

Movie memorabilia go under the hammer - Batman's batpod fetches £312,000

Nearly 250,000 reindeer to be culled in Russia by Christmas

The current population of 730,000 reindeer in the region of Yamelo-Nenets is 'unsustainable' and throws up risks of fresh outbreak of deadly anthrax disease unless there is a rapid cull. Hence, this region has taken a decision to slaughter a quarter of a million reindeer by Christmas because of over population.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 20 September 2016.

The reindeer will first be electrocuted by a high voltage charge to the forehead. Once immobilized, their antlers will be removed and their throats slit. Blood drained out from the animals are often sold to China for use in traditional medicines, including impotence cures for men.
The region that straddles the Arctic and is larger than France has seen three separate summer outbreaks of anthrax, which led to the death of a 12-year-old boy and 2,349 reindeer. The cause attributed was a hot weather which awoke an infection buried in the permafrost more than 70 years ago.
Incidentally, the region includes the gas-rich Yamal Peninsula and is well-known for its nomadic reindeer herders. There are warnings issued that this traditional way of life, which survived the Soviet era, is now under threat. The reindeer livestock numbers in Yamal are too high and the normal slaughtering season is November and December. THe plans that have been drawn up envisage a huge increase in the number of reindeer being killed.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Disneyland bans 25 things including selfie sticks in all its locations

Hillary Clinton has pneumonia - she fell ill at September 11 memorial

Lord Ganesh's laddu weighing 21-Kg auctioned for Rs 14.65 in Hyderabad


Moody wants Gold medals from Olympics (satire)

Didi and her BMW dreams (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


Suicide bomb attack in Pakistani mosque during Friday prayers kill at least 25

Security beefed up for Munich Oktoberfest 2016

29 people injured in an explosion in New York - no evidence of any terror link


Shah Rukh's 'Fan' and Salman Khan's 'Sultan' to be screened at Busan International Film Festival

Sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy to release in US theaters on May 5, 2017

London-born singer Skepta wins the 25th Mercury prize fr his album Konnichiwa

The cheetah is not African but American

The cheetah is an iconic predator found on the plains of Africa. It streaks like lightning after its prey at speeds of up to 100km/h and is seen in countless wildlife documentaries about the continent of Africa but, it now appears that the animal is not really African at all.
Latest research has revealed that it actually migrated from North America around 100,000 years ago during the last Ice Age before becoming isolated in Africa.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 11 December 2015.

A genetic study has found the cats actually evolved from the North American puma and went for an epic journey across a landbridge into Asia. From there they traveled south to Africa and, in the course of these happenings, their populations dwindled. This led to a dramatic reduction in their gene pool as the animals were forced into incestuous mating.
In order to arrive at these findings, researchers from St Petersburg State University in Russia have sequenced the genome of seven cheetahs from Tanzania and Namibia, including a male.
Incidentally, the endangered species is currently found in the wild in eastern and southern Africa.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Moody on climate change – promote bullock carts and tonga (satire)

Moody shelves black money, goes for gold (satire)

Moody wants dhokla to be the National dish (satire)


Amy Poehler set to receive Hollywood Walk Of Fame star

Malaika Arora Khan wants to open a restaurant

Nicole Kidman all praises for Bollywood


Laldighi in Kolkata to lose its trams and make way for East-West Metro

Radiation from Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan has spread to the United States

Electric cars to combat greenhouse effect


RAF jets pound ISIS oil field in Syria

Britain bares its fangs - RAF Tornados bomb ISIS oilfields

United States sending 200 troops to help Iraqi and Kurdish forces take on ISIS

Ukraine imposes sanctions on Russia – direct flights between the two countries to stop

Ukraine imposes sanctions on Russia by banning direct flights between Ukraine and Russia when flights between the two countries would stop at midnight on Saturday. Moscow initially termed it as ‘madness’ but retaliated by banning flights from Russia to Ukraine. The ban would affect up to 70,000 passengers every month.
This has been reported in bbc.com dated 24 October 2015.

The sanctions that have been imposed are to punish Russia for annexing Crimea and also for supporting armed rebels in eastern Ukraine. However, Russia feels Ukraine is shooting itself in the foot because most passengers who fly to Russia are Ukrainian travelling to work in Russia, visiting relatives or in transit.
Russia's transport minister has estimated that the loss in ticket sales to both countries will be of the order of around $110m every year.
The net result would be suffering of passengers who will have no other alternative but to go in for longer, more expensive routes via third countries, or to brace themselves for a 13-hour trip by train.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting links -

Moody searching for a place where no leader has gone

Moody, Jet Lee and missing pulses

Durga Puja in Kolkata housing complexes


Fossils and eggshells of baby dinosaurs found in Gobi Desert

Parama Island flyover adds to traffic jams in Kolkata – made one-way

Future of street foods in Delhi bleak - Delhi bans cooking on roads


Arnold Schwarzenegger could play in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Enthiran 2'

Emma Roberts and her horror-comedy series "Scream Queens"

India is one of 81 countries vying for Best Foreign Film in the 88th Academy Awards


Despite US airstrikes, ISIS still makes £300-million a year from oil

Syrian gang caught trying to smuggle 20-tonnes of cannabis worth £150million into Europe

US airdrops 50-tons of ammunition for M-16s and AK-47 to Syrian fighters

Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower, joins Twitter

Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower had revealed plenty of secrets pertaining to the workings of the National Security Agency that led to generation of bad blood with the United States authorities. He has, at last, got a Twitter account.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 30 September 2015.

Edward Snowden has sought for and got asylum in Russia. It is a temporary asylum and he managed to get it after he admitted that he was the source of the NSA documents leaked to several media outlets, including the Washington Post.
He still faces criminal charges in the United States but has succeeded in maintaining a pretty high profile. He is serving on the board of directors for the Freedom of the Press Foundation and is also making fairly frequent livestreamed appearances.
However, he has maintained a fairly discreet online presence while in exile.
This is because all web publishing platforms have massive amounts of analytics embedded in them. Like Facebook – it keeps record of how long you are on each page, what posts you click on, what pictures you have seen. These are store permanently. Obviously, any individual in a high risk situation has got to be careful.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Worsening quality of air forces shutdown of Singapore schools

Giant laddoo weighing 11,111Kg offered to Goddess Ambaji at Ambaji temple

Israeli armed Heron drones to be inducted into the Indian arsenal


Bay City Rollers, the Scottish band, to hold a reunion gig in Glasgow

Richa Chadha opens her mind – says, she wants to do ‘candy-floss’ roles

Chris Brown, the American singer, may be denied entry into Australia


Gunmen abduct foreigners from a Philippine island resort, an American and a Japanese jump to safety

Huge rat-size spiders invade Cheshire – residents in panic

Ukraine imposes sanctions on Moscow - bans Aeroflot and Transaero flights into the country


36-days for Durga Puja and the dhakis get ready

Durga Puja is the busiest time of the year for Kumortuli

Bengalis and the hawkers’ corners in Kolkata

John Kerry in Sochi on a fence mending mission with Vladimir Putin

#JohnKerry #Russia #Crimea #VladimirPutin US Secretary of State John Kerry would be visiting Sochi on a fence mending mission with Russian President Vladimir Putin as indicated in news.sky.com dated 11 May 2015.
John Kerry would be meeting not only Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi but also President Putin with the intention of fixing relations that have been soured by the Ukraine and Syria crises.

This would also be Kerry’s first trip to Russia since the Ukraine conflict erupted in April 2014 and in which Russia has seized control of Crimea. As a result, Western nations have accused Russia of supporting separatists in Ukraine. Even now, despite a ceasefire being in place, there are sporadic clashes between government and rebel forces in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Of course, Moscow continues to deny the claims.
So far, more than 8,000 people are believed to have died in the conflict.
In the opinion of the Russia's foreign ministry, there are hopes that the visit of Kerry would help to normalize bilateral relations since global stability is largely dependent on it. As per reports, the subjects of Yemen and Iran could also feature in the discussions.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


More than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped last year by Boko Haram have vanished

Journey to freedom – 5800 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean

Indonesian smugglers stuff yellow-crested cockatoos into plastic bottles to get past customs

Engineering graduate of Hyderabad goes astray, dies because of links with ISIS

Dozens of corpses found in bamboo cages in Thai human trafficking camp

Quick tour of Delhi by ITDC bus

Defense Secretary Michael Fallon feels Russia is testing the NATO nations

#michaelfallon #russia #balticstates #ukraine #NATO #davidcameron Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has voiced fears that Russia could be nurturing plans to destabilize NATO alliance countries like Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia following its activities in Ukraine and Crimea. In the opinion of Michael Fallon, there exists "real and present danger" that Russia could go in for using irregular troops, or carry out cyber-attacks or inflame tensions with ethnic Russian minorities.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 19 February 2015.
The Defense Secretary has gone on to add that his worry was about Russian President Vladimir Putin's "pressure on the Baltics" and that NATO must be ready to face any kind of aggression from Russia, in whatever form it comes.
While on the subject, Michael Fallon pointed out that quite recently, two long-range Russian bombers had flown down the English Channel off the coast of Bournemouth. It was the first instance after the height of the Cold War that such an incident has happened and it reveals the intentions.
His comments have come against the backdrop of Prime Minister David Cameron urging Europe to tell Russia that it would faces economic and financial consequences for "years to come" if it continues to destabilize Ukraine.
As proof on the involvement of Russia in the Ukraine affairs, the Prime Minister indicated that the pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine are using Russian rocket launchers, Russian tanks, and Russian artillery, you these cannot be bought on eBay. They are sourced from Russia and that is unacceptable.