Small variations in the climate system can result in dramatic temperature changes
Bremerhaven, Germany (SPX) Aug 21, 2014 -
Over the past one hundred thousand years cold temperatures largely prevailed over the planet in what is known as the last ice age. However, the cold period was repeatedly interrupted by much warmer climate conditions. Scientists have long attempted to find out why these drastic temperature jumps of up to ten degrees took place in the far northern latitudes within just a few decades.
Now, f ...
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Flight Test Preparations Draw on Launch Services Program's Expertise
Washington DC (SPX) Aug 21, 2014 -
The upcoming flight test of NASA's Orion spacecraft will be a mission of firsts. This new crew vehicle, making its debut on Exploration Flight Test-1, will become the first of its kind in four decades to venture beyond low-Earth orbit. The mission also marks the first time a spacecraft designed to carry humans will be lofted to orbit by a modern-day expendable launch vehicle.
Orion, built ...
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AFSOUTH strengthens space ties with partner nations
Davis-Monthan AFB AZ (SPX) Aug 21, 2014 -
Three officers from the Dominican Republic, Peruvian and Brazilian militaries partnered with active-duty and guard Airmen at Davis-Monthan for a rare opportunity to work collectively on the space component of PANAMAX 2014.
For a third year, partner nation participants took part in the space element of PANAMAX, an annual U.S. Southern Command sponsored exercise, which focuses on ensuring th ...
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NMR Using Earth's Magnetic Field
Berkeley CA (SPX) Aug 21, 2014 -
Earth's magnetic field, a familiar directional indicator over long distances, is routinely probed in applications ranging from geology to archaeology. Now it has provided the basis for a technique which might, one day, be used to characterize the chemical composition of fluid mixtures in their native environments.
Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley Nat ...
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Curiosity's Brushwork on Martian 'Bonanza King' Target
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 21, 2014 -
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used the Dust Removal Tool on its robotic arm to brush aside reddish, more-oxidized dust, revealing a gray patch of less-oxidized rock material at a target called "Bonanza King," visible in this image from the rover's Mast Camera (Mastcam).
The Mastcam's right-eye camera, which has a telephoto lens, took this image on Aug. 17, 2014, during the 722nd Martian day, ...
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Humans to Mars a Principle of Space Exploration
Paris (SPX) Aug 21, 2014 -
Let's say it straight. Mars is, without any doubt our next step in space exploration, sparking our imagination for many years in spaceflight history. After sending tons of scientific rovers, it's about time to send human pioneers to start colonizing the Red Planet.
The only question is when will we reach that highly anticipated milestone? "Sending humans to Mars around 2033 should be the s ...
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Pakistan anti-government protesters blockade parliament
Islamabad (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
Protesters demanding the fall of the Pakistani government blockaded parliament and key ministries Wednesday in the latest round of a week-long political drama that has shaken the restive nuclear-armed nation.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and populist cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri had Tuesday led followers in a late-night march on the parliament building, the culmination of a week-long stan ...
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China paper denounces 'rampant rascality' of Australia tycoon
Beijing (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
A Chinese state-run newspaper on Wednesday called on Beijing to "teach Canberra a lesson" after Australian tycoon and politician Clive Palmer labelled the Communist government "mongrels" who "shoot their own people" in a televised tirade.
The flamboyant mining baron, who is locked in a long-running dispute over royalties and port operations with a state-controlled Chinese company, also calle ...
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Pakistan's envoy to India defends decision to meet Kashmiri separatists
New Delhi (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
Pakistan's top envoy to India on Wednesday defended his decision to meet Kashmiri separatists, a move that prompted an angry New Delhi to cancel high-level talks between the nuclear-armed neighbours.
High Commissioner (ambassador) Abdul Basit said he met Kashmiri separatist leaders as part of efforts to resolve tensions between the two arch-rivals, including over the disputed Himalayan regio ...
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Indonesian president says Islamic State 'embarrassing' Muslims
Sydney (AFP) Aug 21, 2014 -
The president of the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, Indonesia, on Thursday called the actions of Islamic State militants "embarrassing" to the religion and urged Islamic leaders to unite in tackling extremism.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the scale of the slaughter wrought by the extremists in overrunning large swathes of Iraq and Syria and the level of violence being used w ...
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The politics of revenge
Mexico City (UPI) Aug 20, 2014 -
James Foley's assassination at the hands of the Islamic State was barbaric, inhuman and politically motivated.
Terrorism has many pragmatic benefits as a tool in warfare, not least of which is to provoke one's enemies into a certain course of action. Putting aside the moral qualms surrounding revenge - the Bible's take on it is "Do not repay anyone evil for evil," Romans 12:17 - the r ...
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Opinion: Do not defer action against IS
Washington DC (UPI) Aug 19, 2014 -
While President Barack Obama is contemplating what to do, if anything, about the Islamic State as well as recovering from the "hug-out" in Martha's Vineyard with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after her pointed criticism about the White House's lack of a strategy in Iraq, he ought to consider the consequences, intended or otherwise, of deferring or taking strong action in Iraq.
...
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Beheading video puts spotlight on British jihadists
London (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
The distinct English accent of the militant seen beheading US journalist James Foley in a grisly online video has forced Britain once again to confront the question of how it became an exporter of jihadist fighters.
The video, published on Tuesday, has also left Britain nervously wondering how many potential jihadists are walking its streets and whether the return of fighters from Iraq and ...
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Obama warns of jihadist 'cancer' as US reveals failed rescue
Washington (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
US President Barack Obama on Wednesday demanded the world take action against the "cancer" of jihadist extremism in Iraq, after militants murdered an American reporter.
As US jets continued to strike jihadist targets despite a threat to kill a second reporter, Obama said: "When people harm Americans anywhere, we do what's necessary to see that justice is done."
Shortly after he spoke, th ...
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Exelis wins Army Corps of Engineers support services contract
Colorado Springs (UPI) Aug 20, 2014 -
Exelis reports it is to provide information management and technology support services to serve more than 3,700 U.S. Army Corps of Engineer customers.
The contract for the services, issued by the USACE Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Miss. It is a fixed-price incentive award and includes the base year of performance and four one-year options. It carries a value of $517 mil ...
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Bodies of two pilots found after fighter jets crash in Italy
Rome (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
Italian authorities said Wednesday they had found the bodies of two pilots after a pair of Tornado fighter jets crashed following a mid-air collision, while two other crew members were still missing.
The country's airforce said the death toll of Tuesday's crash in wooded countryside near Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region had "risen to two," adding that the identity of the pilots had not yet ...
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Test bed demos maritime ISR technology
San Diego (UPI) Aug 20, 2014 -
A new maritime test bed is enabling Lockheed Martin to demonstrate data fusion, predictive analytics and other technologies in naval settings.
The software test platform is designed to mimic different naval environments for validation of intelligence, communications and sensor systems before their introduction into an operational environment, the company said.
"The Navy is confro ...
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Critics want clear Obama strategy against IS
Washington (AFP) Aug 21, 2014 -
In calling for global action against the "cancer" of Islamic State militants, President Barack Obama puts the fight against them at the top of his agenda in a move that also raises questions about his military strategy in Iraq.
Obama made it clear. The beheading of American journalist James Foley at the hands of the group that has captured swaths of Iraq and Syria shocks the world's conscien ...
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Ukraine warplane shot down as clashes kill dozens
Donetsk, Ukraine (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
A Ukrainian warplane was blown out of the sky over rebel-held territory Wednesday as fierce clashes between government troops and pro-Russian insurgents left dozens of civilians dead.
Fighting intensified as Kiev appeared to ramp up a deadly offensive to crush the ailing rebellion in the east ahead of a fresh round of diplomacy that will see the presidents of Russia and Ukraine meet next wee ...
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Taiwan's ex-China affairs official accused of leaking secrets
Taipei (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
One of Taiwan's top negotiators on China policy is being investigated on suspicion of leaking secrets after resigning, his superior said Wednesday, in the latest political scandal to rock the island.
Wang Yu-chi, minister in charge of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, said his former deputy Chang Hsien-yao is being investigated following a tip-off he received in late July accusing the latte ...
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Military sensor needs focus of Swedish symposium
Stockholm, Sweden (UPI) Aug 20, 2014 -
Sensor capabilities for the Swedish military and other armed forces the next 10-15 years are to be examined next month at a symposium in Stockholm.
The event is called the Sensors Symposium 2014, and is being co-sponsored by the Swedish military and the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration, or FMV.
"The development of new sensor systems for a changed military environment, with ...
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British Falklands warship towed away for scrap
London (AFP) Aug 20, 2014 -
The British warship on which Argentina formally surrendered the island of South Georgia during the 1982 Falklands War began its final journey on Wednesday before being scrapped.
HMS Plymouth could not be saved despite years of attempts to find a permanent home for the frigate.
The ship, which entered naval service in 1961, was decommissioned in 1988.
Peel Ports, which owns the dock w ...
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Harris' tactical manpack radio gets NSA certification
Rochester, N.Y. (UPI) Aug 20, 2014 -
The U.S. National Security Agency has given its Type-1 certification for Harris Corporation's Falcon III RF-340M multi-channel manpack radio.
Receipt of the certification means the commercially-developed radio system can be fielded and used for secure voice and data communications up through the Top Secret level.
"NSA certification of the RF-340M is a significant milestone as the ...
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China likens Xi to Deng Xiaoping for anniversary
Beijing (AFP) Aug 21, 2014 -
China's state propaganda machine is seizing Friday's 110th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's birth to highlight similarities between President Xi Jinping and the paramount leader who set the country on the road to economic prosperity while crushing dissent.
A heavyweight official biography of Deng was published this week, and Chinese television viewers are being regaled with a 48-episode dramat ...
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New F-16 configuration features AESA radar
Fort Worth, Texas (UPI) Aug 20, 2014 -
The newest configuration of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon has new capabilities with integration of Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar.
AESA radar, with its numerous small solid-state transmit/receive modules, spreads signal emissions across multiple frequencies, increasing the capability of the aircraft using it to avoid detection.
Lockheed Martin said the AESA in ...
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