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NASA’s new space telescope to explore origins of universe
US says ex-intel official defected to Iran, revealed secrets
Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy protest against Governor gets DMK support
India vs Australia 2019: Virat Kohli, Bumrah to return; Unadkat, Khaleel possible choices for ODIs
Mid-life chronic inflammation linked to cognitive decline: Study
Every section of society suffered under the Modi government, says Rahul Gandhi
Sheriff: Dog named Donald Trump wasn’t killed over politics
Apple adds two-factor authentication requirement for developer accounts
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Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy, ministers#39; dharna outside Raj Nivas enters 2nd day
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NASA’s new space telescope to explore origins of universe

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

Washington: US space agency NASA has unveiled a new space telescope that would begin a two-year mission in 2023 to look for life's ingredients and probe how the universe evolved. The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionisation and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission is a planned two-year mission, funded at $242 million, and will survey the sky in optical as well as near-infrared light.

"I'm really excited about this new mission," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement on Wednesday. "Not only does it expand the US' powerful fleet of space-based missions dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of the universe, it is a critical part of a balanced science programme that includes missions of various sizes," he added.

Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way. "This amazing mission will be a treasure trove of unique data for astronomers," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

"It will deliver an unprecedented galactic map containing 'fingerprints' from the first moments in the universe's history. And we'll have new clues to one of the greatest mysteries in science: What made the universe expand so quickly less than a nanosecond after the big bang?"

SPHEREx will survey hundreds of millions of galaxies near and far, some so distant their light has taken 10 billion years to reach Earth. In the Milky Way, the mission will search for water and organic molecules — essentials for life — in stellar nurseries, regions where stars are born from gas and dust, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming.

Every six months, SPHEREx will survey the entire sky using technologies adapted from Earth satellites and Mars spacecraft. The mission will create a map of the entire sky in 96 different colour bands, far exceeding the colour resolution of previous all-sky maps. It will also identify targets for more detailed study by future missions, such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, NASA said.

Source: FPJ

US says ex-intel official defected to Iran, revealed secrets

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

Washington: A former US Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran despite warnings from the FBI has been charged with revealing classified information to the Tehran government, including the code name and secret mission of a Pentagon program, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The Justice Department also accused Monica Elfriede Witt, 39, of betraying former colleagues in the U.S. intelligence community by feeding details about their personal and professional lives to Iran. Four hackers linked to the Iranian government, charged in the same indictment, used that information to target the intelligence workers online, prosecutors said.

Witt had been on the FBI's radar at least a year before she defected after she attended an Iranian conference and appeared in anti-American videos. She was warned about her activities, but told agents that she would not provide sensitive information about her work if she returned to Iran, prosecutors say. She was not arrested at the time.

"Once a holder of a top secret security clearance, Monica Witt actively sought opportunities to undermine the United States and support the government of Iran – a country which poses a serious threat to our national security," said FBI executive assistant director Jay Tabb, the bureau's top national security official.

Tabb said "she provided information that could cause serious damage to national security," though he did not provide specifics.Witt remains at large in Iran, as do the four hackers, who prosecutors say were acting on behalf of the powerful, government-linked Revolutionary Guard. That group, a branch of Iran's armed forces, has previously been designated by the U.S. government as terrorism supporter.

The indictment was unsealed the same week as Iran celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution and as the country denounced a Middle East security conference in Warsaw co-hosted by the U.S. and Poland. Officials said the indictment's timing was unconnected to the meeting. Witt served in the Air Force between 1997 and 2008, where she was trained in the Farsi language and was deployed overseas on classified counterintelligence missions, including to the Middle East. She later found work as a Defense Department contractor.

The Texas native defected to Iran in 2013 after being invited to two all-expense-paid conferences in the country that the Justice Department says promoted anti-Western propaganda and condemned American moral standards.The Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned the New Horizon Organization, which organized the conferences Witt attended and hosts events that American officials say promote Holocaust denial, conspiracy theories and serve as a platform to recruit and collect intelligence from attendees.

Witt first traveled to a "Hollywoodism" conference in 2012, when she appeared in Iranian television videos in which she was identified as a former U.S. service member with critical views of America. She was then warned by FBI agents that she was a potential recruitment target for Iranian intelligence.

"She chose not to heed our warning that travel to Iran could potentially make her susceptible to recruitment," Tabb said. "She continued to travel." Later that year, she was hired by an individual who is not named in the indictment but who professed to have ties to high-level officials to help in the filming of an anti-American propaganda commercial.

She returned to another "Hollywoodism" conference in 2013. This time, with free housing and computer equipment, she went to work for the Iranians, supplying information about a classified Defense Department program and assembling into "target packages" research she conducted into the lives, locations and missions of former colleagues, the indictment said.

The accused hackers exploited that research, contacting Witt's former colleagues through imposter Facebook and email accounts. Their goal was to induce the targets to click on links and attachments containing malicious software that could the compromise their computer and networks.

The case was unsealed soon after the Justice Department freed from custody an American-born Iranian television anchorwoman who'd been detained for days by the FBI as a material witness in an unspecified criminal investigation in Washington, where the Witt indictment was filed. Marzieh Hashemi works for the Press TV network's English-language service. She has not been charged with any crimes. Justice Department officials wouldn't say if the investigations were connected.

Source: FPJ

Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy protest against Governor gets DMK support

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

Puducherry: DMK on Thursday extended its support to Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy for his ongoing agitation against the state Governor Kiran Bedi. DMK Chief MK Stalin spoke to Narayanasamy to discuss the issue and expressed his concern over the matter.

The Puducherry Chief Minister is sitting on protest in front of Raj Nivas against Governor Kiran Bedi and is demanding the central government to recall the Governor. Talking to ANI, chief minister Narayanasamy thanked Stalin for his support and asserted that there is a conflict between the state government and the Governor on as many as 39 issues.

Narayanasamy said, I thank MK Stalin who extended his support. We are getting support not only from Tamil Nadu but all over the country. We have 39 issues out of which helmet issue is one of them, all these issues have been created by Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi. Meanwhile, as the Chief Minister protest continues, Congress MLA along with a large number of protesters gathered outside Raj Nivas and shouted slogans against the Governor.

Earlier in the day, he has said that Bedi is being encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create problems for his government. Bedi has been at loggerheads with the Puducherry government on various issues with Narayanasamy accusing her of delaying clearance to welfare schemes and bypassing the elected government.

On Wednesday, the chief minister had begun a protest outside the Raj Bhawan, the official residence of Governor Kiran Bedi alleging that she was misusing her powers and also interfering in the day-to-day activities of the government. Protesting outside theRaj Bhawan wearing black clothes, Narayanasamy alleged that Bedi was forcing upon the law-abiding citizen's rules such as the compulsory wearing of helmets among others.

Source: FPJ

India vs Australia 2019: Virat Kohli, Bumrah to return; Unadkat, Khaleel possible choices for ODIs

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

Mumbai: Zeroing in on players for a couple of available World Cup spots, including a toss-up between left-arm pacers Jaydev Unadkat and Khaleel Ahmed, will be the selection committee's primary focus on Friday when it picks the India squad for the limited-overs series against Australia. India will play two T20 Internationals and five ODIs, starting February 24, in what will be their last international assignment before the World Cup, which begins in England on May 30.

The series against Australia will also be an indicator as to who among Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik will board the Heathrow-bound flight as a specialist-batsman-cum-second-wicketkeeper. KL Rahul is back in the mix as the third opener after a couple of good innings for India A against England Lions in the two unofficial Tests. While the two T20 matches will be a precursor to the ODI series, vice-captain Rohit Sharma is likely to be given a short break to rejuvenate and come back fresh for the ODIs.

The selectors have already identified 13 certainties for the World Cup and they are Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Vijay Shankar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

Skipper Kohli and pace spearhead Bumrah will be back in action for the final dress rehearsal and the selectors are unlikely looks beyond 16 to 17 players, who are now in the scheme of things for the World Cup. There are at least four contenders for the last two slots depending on the combination the team management would want.

While Bumrah, Shami and Bhuvneshwar are certainties in the pace department, the bone of contention is a left-arm seamer who will add variation to the line-up. Khaleel, the young Rajasthan speedster, played in Australia and New Zealand but he looked like a work in progress who could be all at sea in a mega-event like the World Cup.

Unadkat, who has only sporadically played for India since his debut in 2010, is suddenly back in contention after a good Ranji Trophy season where he led Saurashtra to the final. Unadkat is a matured bowler now with more variations and an increase in pace. He is also more experienced courtesy of his IPL stints.

A shoot-out is expected between Pant and Karthik, who are both finishers in their own right. Pant could also double up as the third opener although Rahul is also in contention as he has the team management's backing.

Source: FPJ

Mid-life chronic inflammation linked to cognitive decline: Study

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

New York: People who have chronic inflammation in middle-age may develop cognitive problems in the decades leading up to old age, researchers say. Chronic inflammation is a low-grade inflammation that lingers for months or even years throughout the body. It can be caused by autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis, physical stress or other causes.

Symptoms of the disorder include joint pain or stiffness, digestive problems and fatigue. "Chronic inflammation is tough on the body, and can damage joints, internal organs, tissue and cells. It can also lead to heart disease, stroke and cancer," said study author Keenan A. Walker from the Johns Hopkins University in the US.

"While other studies have looked at chronic inflammation and its effects on the brain in older people, our large study investigated chronic inflammation beginning in middle age and showed that it may contribute to cognitive decline in the decades leading up to old age," said Walker.

For the study, researchers followed 12,336 people with an average age of 57 for approximately 20 years. They took blood samples from participants in the beginning of the study, measuring four biomarkers of inflammation: fibrinogen, white blood cell count, von Willebrand factor, and factor VIII.

Three years later, the team measured C-reactive protein, another blood biomarker of inflammation. Participants' thinking and memory skills were tested at the beginning of the study, six to nine years later, and at the end of the study. The findings, published in the journal Neurology, showed that the group with the highest levels of inflammation biomarkers had an eight per cent steeper decline in thinking and memory skills than the group with the lowest levels of inflammation biomarkers.

In addition, the group with the highest C-reactive protein levels had a 12 per cent steeper decline in thinking and memory skills than the group with the lowest levels. Getting regular exercise, following an anti-inflammatory heart healthy diet, and getting enough sleep are some of the ways to reduce chronic inflammation, the study suggested.

Source: FPJ

Every section of society suffered under the Modi government, says Rahul Gandhi

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

Ajmer: In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged on Thursday that he made an empty promise of loan waiver to farmers, but wrote off bank dues of his industrialist-friends. Addressing a two-day meet of the All India Congress Seva Dal, Gandhi said every section of society, be it farmers, youths or small-scale traders, suffered under the Modi government and they should get justice.

When the Congress returned to power in Rajasthan, the state government waived farm loans, Gandhi said. The prime minister made an empty promise of loan waiver to farmers, but wrote off bank dues of his industrialist-friends, he charged. Gandhi said while the prime minister "insults" him, his family and the Congress party, he had hugged Modi in Parliament. "Hatred can be defeated only by love. He has hatred and the love in me countered that hatred," the Congress president said.

Source: FPJ

Sheriff: Dog named Donald Trump wasn’t killed over politics

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

Saint Paul (US): Minnesota sheriff says a dog named Donald Trump wasn't shot and killed over a political rivalry, despite false claims circulating on social media that have spurred "violent threats" against some county residents. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office concluded the person who shot Donald Trump the dog Sunday was "legally protecting their livestock" on private property. The shooter has not been identified.

"Facts have been misrepresented on social media sites," Sheriff Shawn Haken's office said in a statement about the dog's death. "Unfortunately, people are now posting multiple threats of violence towards citizens in the area and justifying the threats based on these inaccurate posts on social media." The dog's owner, Randal Thom, is an avid supporter of the president and has been featured in dozens of news stories for frequenting his rallies.

Some social media users claimed a neighbor, who they believed to be a Democrat, intentionally killed Thom's dog. Neighbors have lodged 14 complaints about Thom's dogs running loose, killing animals and attacking a person, according to the sheriff. Thom was convicted on a petty misdemeanor of "dogs and cats at large" in 2015, according to Minnesota court records. He could not immediately be reached for comment.Jackson County is about 160 miles (257 kilometers) south of Minneapolis.

Source: FPJ

Apple adds two-factor authentication requirement for developer accounts

Posted: 14 Feb 2019 12:05 AM PST

San Francisco: In a bid to secure developer accounts from hackers, Apple has added the requirement of a two-factor authentication (2FA) protocol for all app makers that would protect their Apple IDs."2FA will be required to sign in to your Apple Developer account and certificates, identifiers and profiles starting February 27.

This extra layer of security for your Apple ID helps ensure that you're the only person who can access your account," Apple Insider quoted the iPhone-maker as saying in a letter to developers on Wednesday. Apple claims that 2FA dramatically improves the security of Apple IDs and all the personal information users store with Apple.

The feature would save trusted devices including iPhones, iPads, or iPod touch or a Mac with iOS 9 and later along with trusted phone numbers which are entitled to receive temporary verification codes to allow users to sign into a new device or browser with their Apple IDs.

"Once signed in, you won't be asked for a verification code on that device again unless you sign out completely, erase the device, or need to change your password for security reasons. When you sign in on the web, you can choose to trust your browser, so you won't be asked for a verification code the next time you sign in from that computer," the company informed via a blog-post. 2FA is available to iCloud and iTunes users with at least one device that is using the latest versions of iOS or macOS.

Source: FPJ

Mahindra#39;s XUV300 debuts at Rs 7.9 lakh, priced at a premium to Maruti Brezza