U.S. upset at India-Russia deals

A day after Russian President Putin’s visit, the United States criticised India for the agreements signed between New Delhi and Moscow. Responding to a question on the 20 agreements signed, including one on the Rupee-Rouble trade, State department spokesperson Jen Psaki said, “Our view remains that it’s not time– for business as usual with Russia. But beyond that, we’d have to take a closer look at what these agreements entail.” The US and Ukraine have also expressed unhappiness that President Putin was accompanied by the Crimean Premier Sergey Aksyonov. Mr. Aksyonov is on the sanctions list of the U.S., Canada and European Union for his role in the accession of the former Ukrainian region to Russia in March this year. While the U.S. state department said it was “troubled” by his presence in New Delhi, Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko accused India of putting “money” ahead of “values” and “civilisation”. “The Indian position doesn't help, it doesn't save Aksyonov,” said Mr. Poroshenko, speaking at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney on Friday, “He is a criminal, it's very simple.” The Ministry of External affairs refused to comment on the attack from the U.S. and from Ukraine over the issue. Officials told The Hindu that while Mr. Aksyonov’s arrival in Delhi was “not a surprise”, he was not part of the “official delegation”, and was on a private visit. However, The Hindu has learnt his meetings in New Delhi were arranged by the Russian Consul-General in Mumbai Alexey Novikov, and he initialled a “partnership agreement” between Crimean and Indian businesses, particularly in the area of meat exports. Seafood exporter Gul Kripalani, who was present at the meeting told The Hindu, “I am really surprised that this agreement has attracted so much controversy. The meeting with the Crimean Prime Minister followed Russia’s decision to allow the import of Indian buffalo meat last week.” India has refused to join western sanctions over Russia’s actions in Crimea, and the joint statement issued by President Putin and PM Modi said “India and Russia oppose economic sanctions that do not have the approval of the United Nations Security Council.”

Swedish court rejects Assange appeal

 

On Thursday a Swedish appeals court rejected an appeal by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to revoke a detention order issued by prosecutors in 2010 over allegations of sexual assault. "In the view of the Court of Appeal there is no reason to set aside the detention solely because Julian Assange is in an Embassy and the detention order cannot be enforced at present for that reason," said the Court of Appeal. Mr. Assange has been stuck inside Ecuador's London Embassy since June 2012 to avoid a British extradition to Sweden. Sweden wants to question him on allegations of sexual assault and rape, which he denies. The Australian says  that he fears if Britain extradited him to Sweden he would then be extradited to the United States where he could be tried for one of the largest information leaks in U.S. history.

Obama authorises airstrikes in Iraq

U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Thursday night he had authorised the Pentagon to launch targeted airstrikes if needed to protect Americans from Islamic militants in northern Iraq and help Iraqi security forces protect civilians under siege, threatening to revive U.S. military involvement in the country’s long sectarian war. In a televised late-night statement from the White House, Mr. Obama also said American military forces had already carried out airdrops of humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of Iraqi religious minorities desperately in need of food and water. “Today America is coming to help,” he declared. The announcements reflected the deepest American engagement in Iraq since U.S. troops withdrew in late 2011 after nearly a decade of war.

NASA searches for ideas to bring asteroids closer to earth

 

U.S. space agency NASA has announced a formal proposal worth $6 million for projects that would help robots and astronauts grab an asteroid from deep space and bring it closer to earth for further study.

In support of NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission — a key part of the agency’s stepping stone path to send humans to Mars — agency officials are seeking proposals for studies on advanced technology development.

NASA envisages spending up to $6 million on over 25 proposals this year.

The proposal should focus on technologies that can be used to identify potential targets like sending robotic spacecraft to capture the selected asteroid and put it in a stable orbit beyond the moon.

The technology should also help astronauts get to the space rock and bring back samples in the mid-2020s, NASA said in a statement.

“We are reaching out to seek new and innovative ideas as we extend the frontier of space exploration,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations.

“To reach Mars, we would rely on new technologies and advanced capabilities proven through the Asteroid Initiative. We are looking forward to exciting ideas from outside NASA as well to help realise that vision,” he added.

The proposals have to be submitted before May 5 and the space agency would reward the winners around July 1 for projects that would wrap up in six months.

According to Greg Williams, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for plans and policy, the selection process would build on a workshop that generated hundreds of ideas for asteroid exploration last year.

NASA is already supporting projects such as the Asteroid Data Hunter contest, which is offering $35,000 in awards over the next six months to citizen scientists who come up with improved algorithms for identifying asteroids.

Next year, the space agency would review mission concepts for redirecting an asteroid up to 10 metres wide — or breaking off a piece of a bigger asteroid and bringing it back.