|
|
Indian air
strikes part ISLAMABAD, May 27: Pakistan has alleged that the Indian air strikes against..more World War II Soviet BUDAPEST (HUNGARY), May 27: A rare World War II Soviet fighter plane..more Professional image made
Germany chose BONN, May 27: India’s PSLV-C2 was chosen for the launch of Germany’s Tubsat-DLR ...more |
 |
Man dies
after fishing KIEV, May 27: A Ukrainian man died of an electric...more Miss Botswana crowned Miss Universe 1999 PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD, May 27: Mpule Kwelagobe....more Swiss billionaire BASEL (SWITZERLAND), May 27: Swiss billionaire...more Russia develops new anti-ship missile MOSCOW, May 27: Russia has developed....more |
 |
Indian air strikes part of BJP agenda, alleges Pak ISLAMABAD, May 27: Pakistan has alleged that the Indian air strikes against the infiltrators near the Line of Control (LoC) was part of BJP agenda to launch attack on Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and an election gimmick in view of forthcoming general elections in India. Commenting on the motive behind the air strikes against the militants in the Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Brig Rashid Qureshi said it miight due to political turmoil and confusion in India and they (Government) are in a bad frame of mind and wanted to divert the attention of people. It could be an election gimmick, the ISPR Chief told Pakistani mediapersons during an exclusive briefing last evening. He also did not rule the possibility of a hot pursuit by the Indians on our side of LoC and alleged that this policy is part of the BJP agenda which included nuclear test, test firing of missiles and attack on Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Incidentally the Indian Home Minister L K Advani had warned of hot pursui against Paksitani backed militants who are entering Kashmir and indulging in militant activities. But the ISPR chief warned that if the Indian Army indulged in any such move it would be appropriately repulsed as air force and armed force are alert. If they launch an attack and try to capture any area, we are fully alert not to let that happen, Brig Qureshi said. Despite earlier stern warnings issued by Paksitani Army against air strikes by India, the Pakistani authorities are trying to keep their reaction low key after the serial strikes. Qureshi said that there was no possibility of the Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf cutting short his Chinese visit and rushing back home in view of these developments. The Indian Army Chief has returned from the foreign visit he was undertaking, but we have no such problem, Brig Qureshi said. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tariq Altaf had also stressed on de-escalating tension during a briefing on yesterday on the air strikes and repeatedly emphasised Pakistan’s commitment to the Lahore declaration and to the ongoing bilateral dialogue process between India and Pakistan. (PTI) |
|
World War II Soviet fighter plane raised from lake balaton BUDAPEST (HUNGARY), May 27: A rare World War II Soviet fighter plane has been recovered from a lake, more than half a century after it was shot down in an air battle, local news has reported. The wreckage of the Ilyushin II-2 plane was discovered only a few hundred meters off-shore on Lake Balaton, about 100 kms Southwest of Budapest, state news agency MTI said yesterday. The area was the site of a major air battle between German and Soviet Air Force in December 1944. The Ilyushin II-2 plane is a rarity in world museums. There are only four planes displayed in Russia, Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, said aviation historian Gyoergy Punka. He called the plane "a flying tank." The aircraft apparently was shot down shortly after takeoff, full of ammunition. The Hungarian military history museum will exhibit the recovered plane. (AP) |
|
Professional image made BONN, May 27: India’s PSLV-C2 was chosen for the launch of Germany’s Tubsat-DLR satellite because of the confidence in ISRO’s ability to undertake its first ever commercial launch in a professional manner, a top German space scientist has said. Prof Udo Ranner, who was in charge of the satellite project at the Technical University in Berlin, said the low cost of the launch alone did not influence the decision to utilise PSLV-C2 which successfully put into space three satellites including the German satellite yesterday. There were other reasons as well. ISRO had a professional image which we could trust. We had the confidence that the launch will work, Ranner told here. He said he was very happy with the success of India’s first commercial space launch which also put into space the Indian satellite ‘Oceansat’ and a Korean satellite. We are very happy with what happened, Ranner said a few hours after preliminary steps to monitor the health of the satellite including its solar panels and batteries from the space facility at the Technical University of Berlin. The Tubsat-DLR is fifth in the series of satellites developed by the University’s Space Department and put into orbit since July 1991. The earlier satellites were put into space by different launchers with the third and fourth being launched back to back. The first satellite was launched aboard the European space agency’s ariane rocket. (PTI) |
|
Man dies after fishing with live electric cable KIEV, May 27: A Ukrainian man died of an electric shock when he used a live electric cable to fish in the river Tereblya, according to press reports. The 43-year-old man connected the cable to the mains in his house and put it in the water to kill fish by electric shock, the Fakty newspaper reported. When the dead fish appeared on the water surface, he went to collect his take. He died of electric shock as the electric cable remained in the water. The man reportedly intended to use the fish as a mourning meal to mark the first anniversary of his mother-in-law’s death. (DPA) |
|
Miss Botswana crowned Miss Universe 1999 PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD, May 27: Mpule Kwelagobe, the 19-year-old Miss Botswana, has won the Miss Universe 1999 title - one of the few black women ever to capture the title. Kwelagobe took the title yesterday, the first time her country entered the pageant, which has been running since 1952. The first runner-up was Miss Philippines, Miriam Quiambo, while in third place was Miss Spain, Diana Nogueria. The new Miss Universe is a musician who says she enjoys sport, especially swimming and athletics. Her future plans include becoming a surgeon. She represented Botswana two years ago at the Miss world pageant in Seychelles, where she was voted one of the ten most popular girls. Kwelagobe was one of ten finalists chosen from a field of 84 contestants and was crowned by last year’s miss universe, Wendy Fitzwilliam, from Trinidad and Tobago. (AFP) |
Swiss billionaire conductor, dies at 93 BASEL (SWITZERLAND), May 27: Swiss billionaire industrialist and symphony conductor Paul Sacher has died after a long illness, the pharmaceutical giant Roche announced yesterday. He was 93. Sacher was reputedly one of the world’s richest men. He and other family members controlled Roche holding ag, and had a joint fortune estimated at 25-30 billion Swiss francs ( 17-20 billion dollars). He used his wealth to become one of the world’s most influential arts patrons and inspiration to countless contemporary composers. Benjamin Britten, Richard Strauss, Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok and Bohuslav Martinu "to name but a handful" were all proteges of Sacher. Born the son of a cargo forwarding agent in Basel on April 28, 1906, Sacher first started playing the violin aged six. He was educated at the Conservatoire of Basel, giving extra lessons to younger pupils to finance his passion. Sacher’s life changed in 1934 with his marriage to Maja Hoffmann-Stehlin, a sculptress and recent widow of one of the founders of pharmaceuticals giant Hoffman-La-Roche. While Maja channeled her fortune into sponsoring artists, Paul soon developed a reputation as a generous music patron. In 1973 he set up the Paul Sacher Foundation "housing priceless" manuscripts and letters from dozens of composers in a 16th century building in the shadow of Basel Cathedral. Sacher conducted at concerts throughout Europe, although rarely visited the United States. His long-time friend, the famed Cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, joined him as soloist for Sacher’s 106th and final Serenade in August 1996 at the music festival in Lucerne, Central Switzerland. Sacher took seriously his responsibilities in the company management. He served on the board of directors for 60 years until 1996, when he became an honorary member. His shares would be taken over by the Hoffmann and Oeri-Hoffmann families, the company said, so that the family would keep its majority stake of voting shares in Roche. Details of survivors and funeral arrangements were not immediately available. (AP) |
|
Russia develops new anti-ship missile MOSCOW, May 27: Russia has developed a powerful new anti-ship cruise missile, apparently designed for Western Navies, and hopes to market it soon, a news agency reported yesterday. The new missile "will shortly revolutionize the nature of a naval battle," boasted one of its designers, Vyacheslav Gorbarenko, according to the Itar-Tass news agency. Mr Gorbarenko, a designer with the Novator Experimental Design Bureau in the ural mountains city of Yekaterinburg, said the missile is 6.2 meters long, the length of the standard torpedo tube used by Western Navies. He said the missile, known as the ZM-54E1, could hit any target within 300 kms, and will carry a powerful 450-kg (1,000 pound) warhead, sufficient to destroy very large surface ships. "The testing of the new weapon is practically over and the missile can be delivered to a foreign client within a year after a corresponding contract is signed," Mr Gorbarenko said, according to Itar-Tass. (AP) |
|
|
|
