BBC reports British military developing thermobaric weapon

LONDON, Jan 5: Britain’s Ministry of Defence is developing a thermobaric (heat-pressure) weapon of the kind used by the Russians in destroying grozny and is intended for use in built-up, densely populated areas, according to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The thermobaric weapon, similar to the fuel-air weapon, works by emitting a wave of blast pressure. Although the technology is not new, military experts have expressed alarm at the devastating effects of the weapon, which is relatively cheap to make.

Urban warfare expert major Ian Orr told the BBC the defence researchers were developing the weapon with a view to having it ready by 2005.

The MoD said the plans were less well-advanced. "We are currently investigating the possibility of a future purchase of an anti-structure weapon," a statement said, adding that no funding had been approved.

Thermobaric weapons use a wave of heat and pressure to destroy buildings and kill people over a large area, crushing those in the target area to death. The US Army has likened them to a tactical nuclear weapon without the radiation.

US military researchers said those further away from the blast site would experience crushing injuries, concussion, multiple internal haemorrhages, collapsed lungs, rupture of the eardrums and displacement of the eyes from their sockets.

Conventional body armour, helmets and many armoured vehicles offer no protection.

Human rights activists have raised concerns over the indiscriminate effects of the weapon.

Fuel-air weapons work by spreading tiny droplets of inflammable liquid in the air over the target area and then igniting it. (DPA)

War unlikely between India, US: Think Tank

WASHINGTON, Jan 5: A Pentagon Think Tank has said that India and the United States are unlikely to engage in war at any time as the two countries have incentives for warmer relations.

"A regional war involving the United States and India would be an unlikely occurrence, as there are incentives to warmer relations," the Institute for National Strategic Studies of the National Defence University said.

In a study titled "all possible wars? towards a consensus view of the future security environment, 2001-2025", it said "India which demographically and technologically is dominant power of South Asia, has long attempted to reduce US and other Western influence in the region.

"However, with the collapse of the client relationship with the Soviet military-industrial complex, India has had to back away from its pseudo-hostility toward American power. Although conflict with Pakistan appears a constant possibility, the situation differs markedly from the cold war, when the US supported an anti-Soviet Pakistan," it said.

It, however, warned that nothing should be taken for granted. If India and China join hands they could establish an Asian condominium.

"China is able to project sustained military power throughout the Asian continent, or, at the very least, prevent projection of US military power anywhere in Asia. This would be a China capable of being a regional peer competitor rather than a global peer. However, this regional potential could be expanded by an informal Asian condominium between China and India," it said.

Stating that a Russia-China-led alliance could pose the possibility of simultaneous conflicts in multiple regions, which would severely tax the ability of American forces to respond, it said, "this would be the closest equivalent to a global peer competitor, but it would still lack the power projection capabilities of the current US defence structure."

The potential for China to become an economic power, along with the European Union, the report said, have also been cited as precursors to political-military confrontation with the United States.

On the nuclear issue, the report said that both India and Pakistan were able to translate their civilian nuclear power capability by means of secret programmes and possibly, outside assistance, into nuclear weapons. Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan and India have all effectively foiled the military technology control regime.

It expressed worry that other states may "follow the lead of India and Pakistan in demonstrating nuclear capability. This change would again make nuclear deterrence the centerpiece of defence policy."

Stating that Russia, with its economic woes, has considerable incentive to continue production of advanced systems for foreign sale, the report said that it is evident by the recent Russian sale of an aircraft carrier to India and four sovremenny-class destroyers armed with SS-N-22 anti-ship cruise missiles to China. (PTI)

2 big hawks, falcon disappear from Canada’s biggest zoos

CALGARY, Jan 5: Two big hawks and a falcon have mysteriously disappeared from one of Canada’s biggest zoos and officials at the facility and police said they believed the birds of prey fell victim to a bizarre heist.

The apparent birdnapping case at Calgary Zoo began on December 23, when a broad winged hawk disappeared overnight from the meshed outdoor aviary where it was kept.

Zookeepers assumed it would turn up before long because the bird’s wings were clipped. It has yet to be found.

On new year’s eve, an endangered ferruginous hawk, which also could not fly, and a prairie falcon went missing from the same aviary in the dead of night.

No clues into the disappearance of the creatures, such as evidence of forced entry into the enclosure, were left behind. The zoo, which is surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire, has never had any animals stolen before.

"There are two options. One is that somebody thought that they might be able to sell them somewhere, possibly into a falconry industry, maybe offshore," Greg Tarry, Calgary Zoo’s Director of Conservation Operations, told reporters gathered outside the aviary.

"The other one is that birds of prey are fascinating and somebody may have decided, on a lark, that they liked the birds and they wanted to have some."

Given the birds’ sharp talons and defensive instincts, it appears the culprits knew what they were doing, Tarry said.

There was no way to put a financial value on the birds, especially due to the hawks’ inability to fly, he added.

With a wingspan of up to 142 centimetres (56 inches), the ferruginous hawk is the largest of the hawk family. All three birds are native to North America.

Police are asking residents in the western city to be on the lookout for anyone showing off newly acquired birds or putting them up for sale.

"There’s such a narrow or almost nonexistent market for this kind of thing," Calgary Police Det. Ken Arthur said. "I’d certainly like to get the birds back intact and unharmed, but where do you start looking? it’s a very difficult crime to investigate." (REUTERS)

Hollywood stars encourage youngsters to smoke: Study

LONDON, Jan 5: Hollywood stars who smoke in films encourage young fans to do the same, according to a new US study published today.

And despite a ban on tobacco companies paying film-makers to place their products in the movies, there is no sign that the practice is becoming less common, according to the research published in the British medical journal, The Lancet.

Doctors led by James Sargent of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centre in Lebanon, New Hampshire, looked at the 25 top US box office releases for the years 1988 to 1997 — 250 movies in total.

They found that more than 85 per cent of the films featured tobacco use and specific tobacco brands appeared in 28 per cent of the movies.

Tobacco brands appeared in almost as many films suitable for adolescent audiences as for adults.

Among films suitable for youngsters that featured tobacco brands the researchers singled out Ghostbusters II, home alone 2 (lost in New York), honey I shrunk the kids, Kindergarten Cop, men in black, my best friend’s wedding, the nutty professor and volcano.

The researchers also compared films produced before the 1989 voluntary ban on paid product placement by the tobacco industry and those made afterwards.

Overall, there was no change in the prevalence of tobacco brand appearances as a result of the ban and there was a "striking increase" in endorsement of brands in films by actors.

Before the ban, these actor endorsements occurred in one per cent of films, while after the ban this rose to eleven percent.

The study suggested that despite the ban on paid product placement, "the tobacco industry might continue to pay directly or through in-kind payments for placement of its brands in films".

Four US cigarette brands accounted for 80 percent of brand appearances in the movies.

"Tobacco-brand appearances are common in films and are becoming increasingly endorsed by actors," the study said.

"The most highly advertised US cigarette brands account for most brand appearances, which suggests an advertising motive to this practice."

The article printed several pictures from films where actors could be seen endorsing marlboro cigarettes, including Julia Roberts in my best friend’s wedding.

"Tobacco-control advocates are concerned about the depiction of tobacco use on screen because of the potential effect it could have on adolescents starting and carrying on smoking," the researchers said.

They said that studies had shown "an association between on-screen smoking in an adolescent’s favourite movie actor and his or her own smoking behaviour". (REUTERS)

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