SpaceX postpones 'secretive' US military launch for 24 hours

Due to a sensor issue, SpaceX on Sunday has postponed the launch of a secretive US governmnent payload untill Monday.

"Out of an abundance of caution we have decided to scrub today`s launch," a SpaceX spokesman said, describing the issue as relating to the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket.

Another opportunity for launch opens Monday at 7:00 am (1100 GMT).

The payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which makes and operates spy satellites for the United States, will be the first military launch for the California-based aerospace company headed by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk.

"As a matter of policy and because of classification, NRO does not provide information about our contracts," a spokeswoman told AFP.

Until now, the US military has spent billions per year exclusively with United Launch Alliance, a joint operation of aerospace giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to launch government satellites.

SpaceX in 2014 protested the US Air Force`s practice of using only ULA, saying it unfairly awarded billions of dollars to a single company for national security launches.

SpaceX was selected to launch NROL-76 "after a competition," said the NRO spokeswoman.

She said she did not know when the contract was awarded. It was first announced last year.

China 'putting pressure' on North Korea, says Donald Trump

Donald Trump thinks Chinese President Xi Jinping is "putting pressure" on North Korea, the US president said in an interview to air on Sunday, as tensions mount over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

 Donald Trump thinks Chinese President Xi Jinping is "putting pressure" on North Korea, the US president said in an interview to air on Sunday, as tensions mount over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

If North Korea carries out a nuclear test "I would not be happy," Trump told the CBS television network's "Face the Nation" programme.

"And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said in excerpts of the interview released yesterday.

Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see."

North Korea test-fired a missile over the weekend in apparent defiance of a concerted US push for tougher international sanctions to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions.

The latest launch, which South Korea said was a failure, came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons program.

Trump assailed the failed launch as a show of disrespect toward its ally China.

"North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

North Korea is seeking to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead.

China, Pyongyang's number one trade partner, has repeatedly called for a return to talks on denuclearization but has been reluctant to use economic pressure that could destabilise North Korea. 

The Oil Rig Graveyard of Cromarty Firth

In a remote sheltered harbor guarded by two precipitous headlands, in the North of Scotland, dozens of oil rigs are sitting idle, some for more than a decade, quietly waiting for offshore oil drilling to become profitable again.

The Cromarty Firth Port Authority (CFPA) was established in 1972 as a dry dock for repair and fabrication of oil platforms operating in the North Sea. This region, which includes the shallow waters of the U.K., Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, is one of the world’s most active offshore drilling region with hundreds of actively drilling rigs, but its days of prime are long past. With oil prices steadily declining for the last couple of years, many oil companies have decided to suspend operation, but they are still hopeful that prices will bounce back again.

Instead of disassembling their oil rigs, these companies have towed them away from the deep sea and into the safe harbor of Cromarty Firth, where they could remain on stand-by and ready to go out to sea again as soon as the economy turns in their favor. Some of these rigs are “hot-stacked”, meaning they still have a skeleton crew on board, looking after the expensive machines and power is still on. Others are shutdown completely. A couple of them were already towed away to be scrapped.

According to Bloomberg, only 63 percent of oil and gas rigs in the U.K. North Sea were being used as of January 2016, with the crash in energy prices forcing drillers to abandon more costly projects. One industry analyst predicts that almost 150 more oil platforms could be taken out of UK waters within the next 10 years.

While thousands of people in the oil industry have lost their jobs, the scrapping of more oil rigs could eventually benefit Cromarty Firth. The port has recently spent £25 million on a new quay, where ageing North Sea platforms, as well as rigs, could be dismantled generating attractive employment opportunities for locals.

South Korea, US conduct military drills despite Pyongyang threats

The massive "Foal Eagle" drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky- high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response.

The massive "Foal Eagle" drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Another annual joint exercise known as "Key Resolve" ended last month.

Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang's claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile.

US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible "major conflict" while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live- fire military exercise.

The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies' capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week.

Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area.

China is "putting pressure" on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network's "Face the Nation" programme.

If North Korea carries out another nuclear test "I would not be happy," he said.

"And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said in excerpts of the interview released yesterday.

Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see."

Pyongyang's show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme.

Military options for dealing with the North were still "on the table", Tillerson said.

China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North's nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to "bigger disasters".

Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea.

"There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help," he said.

The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally's territory.

Colonies on Mars to be made out of these home-made bricks?

Remarkably, the technique requires only that the red-hued building blocks be compressed in a precise way – no additives or baking required.
Space agencies around the world are an ambitious lot and one of the primary goals for all of them is to conquer Mars with a manned mission to the planet. Space agencies like NASA and SpaceX are already preparing for their respective missions.

In early January this year, scientists at NASA revealed their plans of creating inflatable igloo-like domes covered in ice for astronauts to live and work in on the Red Planet, which will ensure them the requisite protection from extreme temperatures and high-energy radiation.

Now, however, scientists have revealed their latest creation that they say could help astronauts with their housing during their stay on Mars.

On Thursday, scientists said that they have manufactured tiny bricks out of artificial Martian soil anticipating the day when humans may construct colonies on the Red Planet.

Remarkably, the technique requires only that the red-hued building blocks be compressed in a precise way – no additives or baking required.

"The people who will go to Mars will be incredibly brave, they will be pioneers and I would be honoured to be their brick maker," said Yu Qiao, a professor at the University of California San Diego and lead author of a study in Scientific Reports.

Structural engineers used a dirt mixture concocted by NASA that mimics Martian soil to make hundreds of 3 millimetre-thick (0.1 inch), disc-shaped bric

By accident, they had discovered that high-pressure compression hardened the artificial soil into rock-solid structures stronger than steel-reinforced concrete.

Once the stuff of science fiction, human habitation of Mars has captured the collective imagination, and inspired governments and billionaires to explore the feasibility of making the Red Planet a home away from home.

In March, the US Congress passed a bill – signed by President Donald Trump – directing NASA to send a manned mission to Mars in 2033.

Qiao believes real Martian soil could be compacted layer by layer to form a wall or shaped into larger bricks.

Previous ideas for how to make construction materials on Mars involved building nuclear plants to fire bricks, or hauling large quantities of polymer – a kind of glue – from Earth.

Professor Qiao's proposed masonry, on the other hand, would be 100 percent made-in-Mars and require minimal resources.

"All the previous methods involved energy intensive heating or pretty significant space transportation from Earth for additives," the researcher told AFP.

Iron oxide – the component that gives Mars its reddish hue – is thought to be the "cementing agent" that makes the soil so malleable.

Whether real Martian soil would react in the same way is still uncertain, Qiao concedes – only on site tests would tell for sure.

But he hopes his approach will be given a hearing.

Qiao initially set out to use lunar soil to make cement. When he applied the same technique to Martian-like soil, he discovered its exceptional properties.

NASA's Curiosity rover collected samples of Martian dust and sand for the first time in 2012, analysing its composition in a laboratory inside the mobile robot.

The soil was found to contain a complex chemistry of water, sulphur, and chlorine substances but no traces of organic carbon compounds that could indicate signs of life.

Climate change and sparrows: PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat was all about the environment – Here's what he said

Merely four months into the year, the people of India are already experiencing what seems like peak summers.
The discourse on global warming and climate change has taken over a larger domain in the last few years and its rapidly growing effects have raised questions on Earth's habitability in the future.

Needless to say, the phenomenon of climate change is making its magnanimous presence felt in a bigger way, every day, every month.

Climate change and global warming are gradually wreaking havoc over the planet and the negative effects can be seen on various levels.

India, for one, can definitely feel the heat which seems to be increasing every day. Merely four months into the year, the people of India are already experiencing what seems like peak summers.

Elaborating more on this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke at length about climate change and how it seems to be affecting people, during today's Mann Ki Baat, saying that this could also be a chance to be sensitive.

He noted that the mercury levels are rising and said that it didn't come as a surprise when people wrote to him about it when he asked for Mann Ki Baat suggestions.

"Nature is changing its rules now, the summer heat we used to face in the month of May and June has shifted to March and April... many people who send their suggestions to me point out what should we do amid such heat," he said.

With such a situation at hand, he urged people to offer water to those who visit our doorstep while working in the sun, like postmen, milkmen, vegetable vendors, etc.

"Ask for a glass of water for the postman who arrives at your house in the scorching heat to deliver a letter... keep water in balcony for the birds," Modi said.

Besides climate change, PM Modi also touched upon the topic of 'Save the Sparrow'. Once found in huge numbers across the world, the small bird is slowly making its way to the endangered list.

He recalled how Mr Jagat Kinkhabwala wrote to him about his efforts regarding the same and how such efforts must be encouraged.

Encouraging people to sensitise their children through bird feeders, Modi also pointed out a community's effort in Gujarat towards sparrow conservation.

Watch Out! 5 Unhealthy Additives May Be Hiding in Your Food

The home-cooked meal is dying a rather sad death as more of us turn to processed foods to satisfy our appetites. This can spell bad news for your health. Apart from the obvious problem of consuming too many calories and too much fat, these eats can also make you crave sugar more than ever and destroy your relationships.

Sadly, avoiding high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats isn’t enough to make packaged goods any better for you. When you swap these ready-to-eat foods for whole ones, you end up consuming significantly less fiber. Time reported this can negatively change your gut bacteria, leading to obesity and other diseases. What’s more, the story went on to say the ingredients added to processed foods to boost the fiber content simply don’t have the same positive effect on your body as the kind that comes from real food.

Additionally, packaged products are brimming with food additives. While the FDA has given many of them the green light, at least in certain quantities, many of them have been linked to some less-than-desirable outcomes. The next time you see one of these five unhealthy additives on a food label, you may want to rethink your diet.

1. Monosodium glutamate 

Perhaps the most famous and hotly debated food additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the secret ingredient that makes many of our favorite takeout foods so savory and delicious. You’ll even find recipes calling for it in the ingredient list. Though the flavor might be great, MSG has been linked to a number of health problems.

For starters, MSG consumption may contribute to an expanding waistline. One study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported, after adjusting for all other lifestyle factors, ingesting MSG was associated with being overweight. And the bad news doesn’t end there. MSG has been linked to headaches, nausea, and chest pain. One rodent study even found the additive can wreak havoc on your liver and kidneys.

If you know and love the savory flavor MSG brings to the table, you’ll be happy to know certain foods can give you the same taste without the consequences. Try adding mushrooms and soy sauce to your next stir fry.

2. Sucralose 

In effort to cut back on sugar, many people turn to artificially sweetened beverages and foods. The problem with this strategy is the sugar substitutes don’t lead to the same dopamine release that the real stuff does. In simpler terms: Sugar makes you feel good and sugar substitutes don’t. Some research suggests those who regularly consume these sweeteners may be at a greater risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease.

More commonly known as Splenda, sucralose is one of the most popular sugar substitutes. Whether it’s any worse than other sweetener is a matter of debate, but you might want to know just how saccharine it is. According to CBS News, sucralose is a whopping 600 times sweeter than table sugar.

3. Allura red 

Have you ever wondered why products bearing cherry, fruit punch, and strawberry flavors are so astoundingly red? It certainly isn’t because they’re brimming with fresh fruit. The secret ingredient is food dye, allura red in these instances. Aside from giving foods a vivid red hue, this ingredient adds absolutely no nutritive value to foods. It could actually be doing more harm than good.

Many of the products that boast such bright colors, like breakfast cereals, juice drinks, and candy, are targeted toward kids, and they’re suffering for it. Research has linked the additive to increased incidence of ADHD. It sort of seems silly to risk it just so your child can enjoy a cherry ice pop.

4. Palm oil 

After the backlash food companies endured when consumers got wind of how bad trans fats are, many began a mad rush to switch partially-hydrogenated oils to something less offensive. For many, palm oil is now the fat of choice. The thing is it’s still high in saturated fat. Though some studies have suggested saturated fat isn’t as evil as we once believed, there’s still plenty of research that’s demonstrated ingesting this type of fat can lead to cardiovascular disease.

There’s also the health of our planet to consider. The sudden interest in switching to palm oil is driving an alarming rate of deforestation. According to The Guardian, this clear-cutting contributes to 12% of the greenhouse gases behind climate change.

5. Sodium phosphate 

Restaurant chefs manage to keep meat wonderfully moist by perfecting their cooking techniques. Mass production facilities do it by pumping their cold cuts with sodium phosphate. Eat This, Not That! explained phosphates are a necessary nutrient in our diets, but it’s easy to go overboard with processed foods. According to one review, consuming too much of this additive can contribute to cardiovascular disease. You can find meats without sodium phosphate, but you definitely have to do a thorough search.