Top Stories
January 1, 2010
India Post
7
www.indiapost.com
Russia to commence flight tests of FGFA MOSCOW: Russia will soon flight-test the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), which is developed along with India, a senior cabinet member said here. "In the end of December-beginning of January, we are not making any New Year presents, but flight tests will start shortly," Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said. Under an agreement signed in October 2007, India has also joined Russia in the project based on Sukhoi's PAK FA project and the two nations are in negotiations to finalize the commercial contract for the deal. At least three prototypes of FGFA have been made by the KNAAPO aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and several Indian teams have visited the facility in the country's Far East near the Chinese border, sources
told PTI. The FGFA is to compete with the US F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II and the Russian Air Force plans to induct the futuris-
India, which wants a two-seater, lighter version of FGFA, would take part in the development of trainer version from the very beginning tic fighter from 2015. According to the local media the FGFA is to be equipped with the 'artificial intellect', advanced avionics and stealth capability.
With several mid-air refuellings it could cruise for hours at the supersonic speed. . India, which wants a twoseater, lighter version of FGFA, would take part in the development of trainer version from the very beginning. According to United Aircraft Corporation CEO Alexei Fyodorov, all the technological, financial and intellectual resources would be concentrated on the development of heavier version of the fighter at this juncture. He, however, said that many salient features of the fifth generation fighter aircraft, including phased-array radar capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets have already been incorporated in the lighter MiG-35 medium multirole combat aircraft offered to India. -PTI
China tries leading dissident on subversion charge BEIJING: Leading Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo went on trial on subversion charges here, in a case criticized by rights groups and the West as politically motivated. The 53-year-old Liu, a writer who was previously jailed over the 1989 Tiananmen pro-democracy protests, has been charged with "inciting subversion of state power" after co-authoring a bold call for political reform last year. Western diplomats were denied
access to the half-day trial in a Beijing court after Washington and Brussels last week called for Liu's release, and some key dissidents said they were prevented from attending. If convicted, Liu -- who has already been detained for a year -faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. "His health was good. Of course he was able to testify, the court has rules and he is allowed
to testify. I don't want to get into what he said. Let's just say that he pleaded innocent," Ding said. Dozens of police officers ringed the courthouse as a handful of diplomats and Liu supporters gathered outside, some wearing yellow ribbons of solidarity. But the defendant's wife, Liu Xia, was prevented from attending the trial by police stationed outside her home, she told AFP by telephone. -AFP
AMBASSADOR PLAYS: Lauding the role of adoptions in forging social and cultural linkages between the United States and India, U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer visited the SOS orphanage in New Delhi. Here, Ambassador Roemer plays with children at the orphanage
Russia to help India build manned spaceship MOSCOW: Russia will help India build a domestic manned spaceship by 2020 sharing the technology used in developing Souyz spacecraft, a senior official said here. "The Indian side intends to use the experience of building the manned spaceship Soyuz to advance in building their own spaceship. We will build this spaceship on a similar technical scheme, but it will not resemble Soyuz," he said. Chief of the department of piloted programs of the federal space agency (Roskosmos) Alexei Krasnov told Itar-Tass news agency that the Soyuz is heavier and cannot be launched by a light Indian booster. "These plans are outlined until 2020," he said.
President and Designer General of the Russian Aerospace Corporation Energia Vitaly Lopota said the corporation's specialists "possess all space technologies," which they can share with Indian partners. "With Roskosmos's appropriate support we will be able to reequip technically and increase the production of the spaceships Soyuz," he noted. New spaceships Soyuz can also be used for the spaceflights of first Indian astronauts. This issue has already been discussed with India, Krasnov said. "A flight of Indian astronauts aboard the Soyuz without a mission to the ISS was among the issues, which we discussed with Indian partners," he noted. -PTI
Efforts to woo back tourists to Swat in New Year PESHAWAR: To woo back former strongholds of the Taliban tourists to one time idyllic resort that were recently cleared by the called as the 'Switzerland of Paki- army. stan', Hotels in scenic Swat valAsharai contended that peace ley are offering a ten day free stay had been restored in Swat valley to visitors. and the festival will help revive Swat was a popular tourist des- tourism in the violence-hit tination till Taliban fighters led by Malakand division, which inMaulana Fazlullah took over the cludes Dir and Buner districts place two years ago launching a where the Taliban were active campaign to enforce Shariah or some months ago. Islamic law. The militants had turned Swat The militants issued diktats into a "slaughter house in the through guns, which scared away name of Islam" and tried to dethe tourists, robbing the resort of fame Pashtuns at the global level, much of its charm and attraction. Tourists stopped Tourists stopped flocking the flocking the region as region as militants militants beheaded security personnel, set up beheaded security their own courts and personnel, set up their own blasted hundreds of girls' schools, some of courts and blasted them renowned all over hundreds of girls' schools Pakistan. But with the Taliban evicted by the Army in a military Asharai said. campaign, the hotel owners hope "The people of Swat are peaceto be back on business. loving and hospitable and they At a seminar held at Madyan never supported the militants they resolved not to levy any throughout the period of unrest," charges for rooms from tourists he said. in the festivities for the new year The NWFP government is from January 1-10 to woo back pondering the issue of compenvisitors. sating hotel owners for damage Participants in the seminar also done to their properties by the decided to organize a 10-day tour- militants, he said. Syed Jaffar Shah, ism festival in Swat from January 1. a legislator from Kalam in Swat, North West Frontier Province said construction of the road linkMinister Ayub Khan Asharai said ing Kalam and Mingora, the main tourists will be provided fool- city in the valley, will begin soon. proof security during the festival Authorities will take every step to and events will be held in keep intact the glory of the scenic Madyan, Bahrain and Kalam, all valley, he said.-PTI