US Missile Strikes Killed 17

MIR ALI News Updates: Two suspected US missile strikes, one using multiple drones, killed 17 people in a tribal region along the Afghan border Thursday, local intelligence officials said.

The officials said the second, bloodier attack involved five drones and 10 missiles an unusually intense bombardment that suggested the Americans were homing in on a major target.

The missiles rained on North Waziristan, considered a safe haven for many militants including groups determined to push the US and Nato out of Afghanistan. The strikes in North Waziristan are especially sensitive because they risk angering Afghan-focused militant groups who have agreed to be neutral as Islamabad cracks down on Taliban fighters who have threatened the Pakistani state.

Officials said in the first strike, two missiles hit a car carrying two suspected insurgents in Dosali village. Later Thursday, the 10 missiles fired by five drones killed 15 people in two compounds in the Ambarshaga area. At least seven of the dead were foreigners, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. The Pakistani intelligence officials on Thursday confirmed that the two strikes hit territory controlled by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a warlord whose fighters focus on pushing out Western troops in Afghanistan.

Missile Agni-II in India is Not Clear Night Trial

BALASORE News Update: India’s nuclear-capable intermediate range Agni-II missile, test-fired for the first time after sunset on Monday, reportedly failed to get the desired results.

The Army test-fired the surface-to-surface Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) from Wheeler’s Island, Bhadrak district, around 7.50pm.

‘‘The liftoff and the first stage separation was smooth. But it faltered just before the second stage separation and behaved erratically, deviating from its coordinated path. Further analysis is on to ascertain the cause,’’ said a source.

The entire trajectory of Monday’s trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and a naval ship.

The launch, originally scheduled in the first week of this month, was deferred due to some technical snags in its pneumatic system. Though the snags were rectified, another glitch surfaced during Monday’s test, leading to the fiasco, the source claimed.

The nuclear capable 2,000-km-plus range missile has a length of 20 meters, a diameter of one meter, weighs 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of around 1,000 kg. It was first tested on April 11, 1999.

The test launch was significant from India’s strategic point of view because for the first time since the beginning of DRDO’s missile development programme, a missile was put under trial during night. The user trial was conducted by Army officials while scientists from DRDO were present to provide necessary logistical support.

Current Affairs Questions 2009

latest news about, Current Affairs Questions 2009: current affairs questions, current affairs, make your, general knowledge 2009, fudbalski rezultati uzivo CURRENT AFFAIRS JANUARY 2009

1. The new federal agency approved by the Indian Government to combat terror in India which will be empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the state ?

National Investigation Agency.

2. Who is appointed as Director General of the newly established National Investigation Agency (NIA).?

Radha Vinod Raju, Special Director General of Police in Jammu and Kashmir

3. “Man of the series” of recently held One Day series between Australia & South Africa?

Albie Morkel

4. Who became the country’s youngest international referee, after passing the world body FIBA’s exam ?

Zanim Mohammed Hashim from Thalassery, Kerala

5. The first Indian to win the prestigious Golden Globe Award for Best Original Music Score ?

A.R.Rahman for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.
Rahman’s song ‘Jai Ho,’ penned by lyricist Gulzar, was nominated for Best Original Music Score.

6. Which Malayalam Writer won the “Odakkuzhal Award ” ?

K.G.Sankara Pillai

7. Who became the fastest bowler to take 50 wickets in one-day internationals ?

Ajantha Mendis , completed his 50-wicket haul in his 19th one-day international. He surpassed the record of India’s Ajit Agarkar who took 23 matches to reach the milestone.

8. Who has been appointed as the General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Management and Budget in the upcoming administration of U.S.President Barack Obama?

Preeta Bansal, Leading Indian-American lawyer

9. Name the Indo-Russian supersonic cruise missile with speeds of Mach 2.5 to 2.8, which is world’s fastest cruise missile and is about three and a half times faster than the U.S.A’s subsonic Harpoon cruise missile?

Brahmos, The acronym ‘BrahMos’ is perceived as the confluence of the two nations represented by two great rivers, the Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of Russia.

10. Who is the Man of the Series in the recently held Zimbabwe –Bangladesh One Day Series held in Bangladesh?

Shakib Al Hasan

11. The first Bangladesh player to top one of the International Cricket Council’s player rankings?

Shakib Al Hasan He tops the ICC ODI Rankings for all-rounders

12. Jharkhand Chief Minister who resigned from his post following his defeat in the Tamar assembly by-poll?

Shibu Soren

13. Music Sensation A.R.Rahman won how many Oscar nominations for the film “Slumdog Millionaire” ?

Three nominations (Music, Songs (Jai Ho, O Saya))

14. Indian sound engineer from Mumbai, born in Kerala, nominated for the Oscars for Best sound mixing in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’?
Source: questionforall.blogspot.com

Russia Successfully Tests Missile

Russia Sunday successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Barents Sea, Russian agencies said, citing the defence ministry.
The missile was fired from the submarine, Bryansk, and the warheads reached their target at the correct time, agencies reported without giving any further details on the type of missile or its range. Vesti television channel reported Sunday that the Bryansk is equipped with 16 Sineva-class ballistic missiles.

The success comes after Russia experienced a series of embarrassing failures in tests on its new-generation Bulava missile. A submarine failed to launch the missile in the latest test in October.

SKorea Says North Korea Missile Launches Breach of UN Resolutions

SEOUL : North Korea’s latest short-range missile tests breach United Nations resolutions, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, calling for an end to the launches.
The communist state Monday fired five KN-02 missiles from its east coast, the first such launches for three months, Yonhap news agency reported.

The projectiles fired from mobile launchers have a range of 120 kilometres (75 miles) and are a modified version of the Soviet-designed SS-21 missile, Seoul’s defence ministry says.

“North Korea’s latest missile tests are in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions 1695, 1718 and 1874 which ban every activity related to ballistic missiles,” foreign ministry spokesman Moon Tae-Young told AFP.

“The government again urges North Korea to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions.”

Defence ministry officials said separately the KN-02 missiles are ballistic missiles, not guided ones. A ballistic missile is guided in the first part of its flight but falls freely as it approaches the target.

Yonhap said there are signs the North is preparing later Tuesday to launch more short-range missiles, this time off its west coast.

The North has conducted numerous short-range missile tests in recent years, as well as the mid-range and long-range tests that were censured by the UN.

Seoul has not previously described the short-range tests as breaching UN resolutions.

India Tests Nuclear-Capable Prithvi II Missile

BHUBANESWAR : The Indian military successfully test-fired two short-range nuclear-capable missiles from a site in the east of the country on Monday, a defence source said.
The Prithvi-II ground-to-ground missiles were fired from a test range in Chandipur-on-sea in Orissa state, a source at the Defence Research and Development Organisation said.

The 8.5-metre (28-foot) Prithvi-II missile has a range of 150-350 kilometres (90-220 miles) and can carry a one-tonne conventional or nuclear payload.

The domestically developed and produced weapon was last tested on April 15 this year.

N. Waziristan Drone Attack Death Toll Rises to 12

MIRANSHAH: USA drone missile attack death roll went up to 12 in the restive North Waziristan.
Sources said that the US drone fired hellfire missiles on the militants’ hideouts at Danday Darpakhel area located in the west here, the headquarter of North Waziristan, which resulted in the death of nine militants and several wounded, while three more corpses were recovered from beneath the debris, taking the death toll in the incident to 12.

All the dead are said to be the Afghans, as the missile had targeted one Afghan citizen Ahmad’s house near Taliban Commander, Jalaluddin Haqqani’s residence.

In defense of ACORN

The right-wing crusade against ACORN is a far bigger fraud than any misdeeds a few employees might have committed

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In defense of ACORN

How will Kevin Skinner spend his $1 million?

Kevin Skinner won $1 million last night on America’s Got Talent. But the Kentucky singer was hard pressed today to come up with something he’s dying to spend the money on. In a press call, sounding as sweet and country…

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How will Kevin Skinner spend his $1 million?

NATO chief proposes linked US/Russian/NATO defense (AP)

AP – The head of NATO called Friday for the U.S., Russia and NATO to link their missile defense systems against potential new nuclear threats from Asia and the Middle East, saying that the old foes must forget their lingering Cold War animosity.

The rest is here:
NATO chief proposes linked US/Russian/NATO defense (AP)

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