A US District Court on Friday asked&nbsp;the&nbsp;commercial arm of&nbsp;Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), that is,&nbsp;Antrix&nbsp;to pay $1.2 billion compensation to a Bengaluru-based start-up.

ISRO had&nbsp;cancelled a satellite deal with&nbsp;Devas Multimedia&nbsp;in January 2005.

As per the agreement, Antrix had agreed to build, launch and operate two satellites and to make available 70 MHz of S-band spectrum to Devas, which the latter planned to use to offer hybrid satellite and terrestrial communication services throughout India. 
The agreement was terminated by Antrix in February 2011. Over the next several years, Devas approached various legal avenues in India. This included the Supreme Court, which directed for a tribunal.

In his order dated October 27, Judge Thomas S Zilly, US District Judge, Western District of Washington, Seattle, ruled that Antrix Corporation pay a compensation of $562.5 million to Devas Multimedia Corporation and the related interest rate amounting to a total of $1.2 billion.

In its lawsuit filed in the US District Court, Western District of Washington in September 2018, Devas Multimedia said three separate international tribunals and nine different arbitrators have found the termination of the Devas-Antrix agreement to have been wrongful, with one of the tribunals describing it as ''conduct 'which shocks, or at least surprises, a sense of juridical propriety,'&nbsp;and another finding it to be ''a clear breach of simple good faith''&nbsp;by India.

Antrix, in November 2018, had sought the dismissal of the lawsuit citing jurisdictional issues.

The court, however, asserted that it had jurisdiction over the issue, but stayed the matter for one year and asked the two to file a joint status report by April 15, 2020.

On July 16, 2020, both Devas and Antrix filed the instant motion, a Joint Status Report in which they disputed whether the court should lift or extend the stay, and, if the latter, whether Antrix is required to post security.

Devas, according to submissions, has argued that the US court has jurisdiction over these cases, as Antrix engages in business in this district and across the United States.

Antrix and Spaceflight Industries, which is headquartered in Seattle have an agreement to provide satellite launch services using India's PSLV rocket.

Antrix and RBC Signals LLC, which is headquartered in Redmond, Washington have a worldwide agreement to provide space communications services to satellite operators.

Antrix in 2018 launched a satellite for Redmond, a Washington-based Planetary Resources.

Antrix agreed in 2015 to launch two satellites for Colorado-based PlanetiQ. Antrix is contracted with DigitalGlobe, which has headquarters in Colorado and other locations in Florida, Virginia and Washington to procure certain satellite data, which is then distributed by the Indian Space Research Organisation's National Remote Sensing Centre.

Devas said that after the initial signing of the agreement, the two companies performed in good faith for five years. Among other things, in May 2009, Dr Appanna Bhaskarnaryana, the Director of the Satellite Communications Programme Office of ISRO, spent four to five weeks in the US with Devas personnel meeting with Hughes Networks, Sirius XM SkyTerra, Qualcomm and ICO North America to understand the technologies used by, and operation of, hybrid satellite-terrestrial operators providing telecommunications services.

Devas subsequently conducted experimental trials in India (attended by Antrix officials, including the company's then-chairman), Chengdu and Beijing in China, and Stuttgart in Germany, which successfully demonstrated the hybrid satellite-terrestrial systems and end-user terminals that Devas had developed in conjunction with a global network of leading technology players such as Alcatel Lucent, it said.

On February 25, 2011, Antrix issued a termination notice to Devas, which among other things stated that the policy decision was of the central government, acting in its sovereign capacity in the event of force majeure, which was an occurrence on February 23, 2011.

''The scope and duration of the said decision cannot be anticipated. It is likely to be indefinite. It is not possible for Antrix to take any effective step to resume the obligations under the agreement,''&nbsp;Antrix said.

Devas disputed Antrix's repudiation of the agreement and sought to conduct discussions among senior management as contemplated by that agreement.

In June 2011, Devas commenced arbitration proceedings under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. 
Antrix initially refused to participate in the arbitration and obtained an injunction from the Indian Supreme Court enjoining the arbitration. After one year, the Supreme Court lifted the injunction, allowing the arbitration to proceed. Thereafter, Antrix participated fully in the arbitration.

&nbsp;

A US District Court on Friday asked the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), that is, Antrix to pay $1.2 billion compensation to a Bengaluru-based start-up.

A US District Court on Friday asked the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), that is, Antrix to pay $1.2 billion compensation to a Bengaluru-based start-up. ISRO had cancelled a satellite deal with Devas Multimedia in January 2005. As per the agreement, Antrix had agreed to build, launch and operate two satellites and to make available 70 MHz of S-band spectrum to Devas, which the latter planned to use to offer hybrid satellite and terrestrial communication services throughout India. The agreement was terminated by Antrix in February 2011. Over the next several years, Devas approached various legal avenues in India. This included the Supreme Court, which directed for a tribunal. In his order dated October 27, Judge Thomas S Zilly, US District Judge, Western District of Washington, Seattle, ruled that Antrix Corporation pay a compensation of $562.5 million to Devas Multimedia Corporation and the related interest rate amounting to a total of $1.2 billion. In its lawsuit filed in the US District Court, Western District of Washington in September 2018, Devas Multimedia said three separate international tribunals and nine different arbitrators have found the termination of the Devas-Antrix agreement to have been wrongful, with one of the tribunals describing it as ''conduct 'which shocks, or at least surprises, a sense of juridical propriety,' and another finding it to be ''a clear breach of simple good faith'' by India. Antrix, in November 2018, had sought the dismissal of the lawsuit citing jurisdictional issues. The court, however, asserted that it had jurisdiction over the issue, but stayed the matter for one year and asked the two to file a joint status report by April 15, 2020. On July 16, 2020, both Devas and Antrix filed the instant motion, a Joint Status Report in which they disputed whether the court should lift or extend the stay, and, if the latter, whether Antrix is required to post security. Devas, according to submissions, has argued that the US court has jurisdiction over these cases, as Antrix engages in business in this district and across the United States. Antrix and Spaceflight Industries, which is headquartered in Seattle have an agreement to provide satellite launch services using India's PSLV rocket. Antrix and RBC Signals LLC, which is headquartered in Redmond, Washington have a worldwide agreement to provide space communications services to satellite operators. Antrix in 2018 launched a satellite for Redmond, a Washington-based Planetary Resources. Antrix agreed in 2015 to launch two satellites for Colorado-based PlanetiQ. Antrix is contracted with DigitalGlobe, which has headquarters in Colorado and other locations in Florida, Virginia and Washington to procure certain satellite data, which is then distributed by the Indian Space Research Organisation's National Remote Sensing Centre. Devas said that after the initial signing of the agreement, the two companies performed in good faith for five years. Among other things, in May 2009, Dr Appanna Bhaskarnaryana, the Director of the Satellite Communications Programme Office of ISRO, spent four to five weeks in the US with Devas personnel meeting with Hughes Networks, Sirius XM SkyTerra, Qualcomm and ICO North America to understand the technologies used by, and operation of, hybrid satellite-terrestrial operators providing telecommunications services. Devas subsequently conducted experimental trials in India (attended by Antrix officials, including the company's then-chairman), Chengdu and Beijing in China, and Stuttgart in Germany, which successfully demonstrated the hybrid satellite-terrestrial systems and end-user terminals that Devas had developed in conjunction with a global network of leading technology players such as Alcatel Lucent, it said. On February 25, 2011, Antrix issued a termination notice to Devas, which among other things stated that the policy decision was of the central government, acting in its sovereign capacity in the event of force majeure, which was an occurrence on February 23, 2011. ''The scope and duration of the said decision cannot be anticipated. It is likely to be indefinite. It is not possible for Antrix to take any effective step to resume the obligations under the agreement,'' Antrix said. Devas disputed Antrix's repudiation of the agreement and sought to conduct discussions among senior management as contemplated by that agreement. In June 2011, Devas commenced arbitration proceedings under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce. Antrix initially refused to participate in the arbitration and obtained an injunction from the Indian Supreme Court enjoining the arbitration. After one year, the Supreme Court lifted the injunction, allowing the arbitration to proceed. Thereafter, Antrix participated fully in the arbitration.

US court asks ISRO's Astrix to $1.2 billion compensation to Bengaluru start-up

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday slammed&nbsp;tech giants for removing his posts that glorified the France terror attack.

After sparking&nbsp;outrage by his post that&nbsp;Muslims had the right "to kill millions of French people",&nbsp;Mahathir accused social networking platforms Twitter and Facebook of unfair treatment.

"Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past. But by and large the Muslims have not applied the 'eye for an eye' law. Muslims don't. The French shouldn't," Mahathir said in his posts.

Twitter removed the tweet about the right to kill saying it had violated the platform's rules on glorifying violence. The post was also deleted on Facebook.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-deletes-former-malaysian-pms-tweet-that-glorified-france-attack-338930" hreflang="en">Twitter deletes former Malaysian PM's tweet that glorified France attack</a>

The 95-year-old&nbsp;said his comments had been misrepresented and his main intention was to express that Muslims had never sought revenge for injustices.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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13. Since you have blamed all Muslims and the Muslims’ religion for what was done by one angry person, the Muslims have a right to punish the French. The boycott cannot compensate the wrongs committed by the French all these years.<a href="https://t.co/ysZeXDrQ09">https://t.co/ysZeXDrQ09</a>
— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/chedetofficial/status/1321765592433520641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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He said the posts were removed despite attempts to outline the context, adding that Facebook and Twitter "must at least allow me to explain and defend my position". &nbsp;

"But that is what freedom of speech is to them. On the one hand, they defended those who chose to display offending caricatures of Prophet Mohammed... and expect all Muslims to swallow it in the name of freedom of speech and expression.&nbsp;

"On the other, they deleted deliberately that Muslims had never sought revenge for the injustice against them in the past."

French Minister&nbsp;of State for digital and telecommunications,&nbsp;Cédric O, in a conversation with Twitter's managing director in France, had said that Mahathir's account must be immediately suspended.

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I just spoke with the MD of <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterFrance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TwitterFrance</a>. The account of <a href="https://twitter.com/chedetofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chedetofficial</a> must be immediately suspended. If not, <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@twitter</a> would be an accomplice to a formal call for murder.
— Cédric O (@cedric_o) <a href="https://twitter.com/cedric_o/status/1321814434340360194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Mahathir's justified his posts saying that ''they did not refer to the Nice attack'', which followed the beheading of a French teacher who had shown pupils cartoons of Prophet Mohammed and subsequent tensions between France and Muslim countries.

He said the French "in the course of their history has killed millions of people. Many were Muslims. Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past."

But he added that "by and large the Muslims have not applied the 'eye for an eye' law. Muslims don't. The French shouldn't."

Several Muslim-majority countries have denounced remarks by French officials, including President Emmanuel Macron, defending the use of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a French school classroom. The caricatures are seen as blasphemous by Muslims.

The dispute flared after a French teacher who showed his pupils satirical cartoons of the Prophet during a civics lesson was beheaded in the street by an attacker of Chechen origin.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday slammed tech giants for removing his posts that glorified the France terror attack. After sparking outrage by his post that Muslims had the right "to kill millions of French people", Mahathir accused social networking platforms Twitter and Facebook of unfair treatment.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday slammed tech giants for removing his posts that glorified the France terror attack. After sparking outrage by his post that Muslims had the right "to kill millions of French people", Mahathir accused social networking platforms Twitter and Facebook of unfair treatment. "Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past. But by and large the Muslims have not applied the 'eye for an eye' law. Muslims don't. The French shouldn't," Mahathir said in his posts. Twitter removed the tweet about the right to kill saying it had violated the platform's rules on glorifying violence. The post was also deleted on Facebook. Also read: Twitter deletes former Malaysian PM's tweet that glorified France attack The 95-year-old said his comments had been misrepresented and his main intention was to express that Muslims had never sought revenge for injustices. 13. Since you have blamed all Muslims and the Muslims’ religion for what was done by one angry person, the Muslims have a right to punish the French. The boycott cannot compensate the wrongs committed by the French all these years.https://t.co/ysZeXDrQ09 — Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) October 29, 2020 × He said the posts were removed despite attempts to outline the context, adding that Facebook and Twitter "must at least allow me to explain and defend my position". "But that is what freedom of speech is to them. On the one hand, they defended those who chose to display offending caricatures of Prophet Mohammed... and expect all Muslims to swallow it in the name of freedom of speech and expression. "On the other, they deleted deliberately that Muslims had never sought revenge for the injustice against them in the past." French Minister of State for digital and telecommunications, Cédric O, in a conversation with Twitter's managing director in France, had said that Mahathir's account must be immediately suspended. I just spoke with the MD of @TwitterFrance. The account of @chedetofficial must be immediately suspended. If not, @twitter would be an accomplice to a formal call for murder. — Cédric O (@cedric_o) October 29, 2020 × Mahathir's justified his posts saying that ''they did not refer to the Nice attack'', which followed the beheading of a French teacher who had shown pupils cartoons of Prophet Mohammed and subsequent tensions between France and Muslim countries. He said the French "in the course of their history has killed millions of people. Many were Muslims. Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past." But he added that "by and large the Muslims have not applied the 'eye for an eye' law. Muslims don't. The French shouldn't." Several Muslim-majority countries have denounced remarks by French officials, including President Emmanuel Macron, defending the use of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a French school classroom. The caricatures are seen as blasphemous by Muslims. The dispute flared after a French teacher who showed his pupils satirical cartoons of the Prophet during a civics lesson was beheaded in the street by an attacker of Chechen origin.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad slams tech giants for removing posts on France attack

Qatar said on Friday that those responsible for invasive gynecological searches of passengers at Doha airport had been referred for prosecution over the "violations" following widespread outrage.

Women on 10 Qatar Airways flights out of Doha were subject to the examinations as authorities searched for the mother of a newborn baby found abandoned in an airport bathroom on October 2.

The statement comes as the Australian government expressed outrage and union workers threatened not to service Qatar Airways aircraft in Sydney over the&nbsp;incident.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-women-strip-searched-by-qatar-airways-authorities-after-infant-found-dead-337845">Several women strip-searched by Qatar Airways authorities after infant found dead</a>

'Appalling'

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said 13 of its citizens had to endure the "appalling" examinations.

Earlier, Frances Adamson, head of&nbsp;Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said there was "distress, abhorrence and deep questioning of how this can have happened".

Australia also represents a crucial route for Qatar Airways, the state-owned long-haul carrier based at Hamad International Airport in Doha.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/global-aviation-industry-hammered-qatar-airways-at-risk-of-bankruptcy-290029/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In a statement, Qatar's Government Communication Office described the abandoning of the baby as the ''attempted murder''&nbsp;of the child.

''The subsequent procedures were taken by the authorities at the airport, including examining a number of female passengers, revealed that standard procedures were violated," the statement said. "Those responsible for these violations and illegal actions have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office.''

"The Prime Minister and Minister of Interior expressed the Government of the State of Qatar's sincerest apology for what some female travelers went through as a result of the measures."

The incident has caused diplomatic tensions with three friendly nations,&nbsp;Australia, Britain, and New Zealand, which intensified when authorities initially declined to apologise, leading to an online backlash against the airline, one of the wealthy Gulf nation's&nbsp;prestige projects.

New Zealand was the latest to raise concerns, saying late Thursday that one of its citizens was among the women subjected to the invasive&nbsp;examinations.

"We were extremely concerned to learn... that a New&nbsp;Zealand national was involved in the appalling incident involving female passengers on several Qatar Airways flights," its foreign ministry said in a statement.

It labelled the action "completely unacceptable".

The incident only came to light this week after affected Australian passengers spoke out.

Qatar is an ultra-conservative Muslim monarchy, where sex and childbirth outside of marriage are punishable by jail.

Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it has struggled to reassure critics that its promises on women's rights, labour relations and democracy are credible.

Facing potentially devastating commercial and reputational damage, Qatar has repeatedly vowed to guarantee the future "safety and security" of passengers.

Australia's criticism of Qatar had grown increasingly strident in the absence of an unequivocal apology from Doha in the days after the scandal emerged.

Qatar said on Friday that taskforces were looking at "potential gaps in the procedures and protocols" at the airport.

"This incident is the first of its kind at Hamad International Airport, which has served tens of millions of passengers without any issues like this before," the Qatari statement said.

"What took place is wholly inconsistent with Qatar's culture and values."

Qatar's assistant foreign minister Lolwah al-Khater, one of the few female ministers in the Gulf region, tweeted Qatar's apologies "for the disturbing experience".

Qatar said on Friday that those responsible for invasive gynecological searches of passengers at Doha airport had been referred for prosecution over the "violations" following widespread outrage.

Qatar said on Friday that those responsible for invasive gynecological searches of passengers at Doha airport had been referred for prosecution over the "violations" following widespread outrage. Women on 10 Qatar Airways flights out of Doha were subject to the examinations as authorities searched for the mother of a newborn baby found abandoned in an airport bathroom on October 2. The statement comes as the Australian government expressed outrage and union workers threatened not to service Qatar Airways aircraft in Sydney over the incident. Also read: Several women strip-searched by Qatar Airways authorities after infant found dead 'Appalling' Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said 13 of its citizens had to endure the "appalling" examinations. Earlier, Frances Adamson, head of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said there was "distress, abhorrence and deep questioning of how this can have happened". Australia also represents a crucial route for Qatar Airways, the state-owned long-haul carrier based at Hamad International Airport in Doha. In a statement, Qatar's Government Communication Office described the abandoning of the baby as the ''attempted murder'' of the child. ''The subsequent procedures were taken by the authorities at the airport, including examining a number of female passengers, revealed that standard procedures were violated," the statement said. "Those responsible for these violations and illegal actions have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office.'' "The Prime Minister and Minister of Interior expressed the Government of the State of Qatar's sincerest apology for what some female travelers went through as a result of the measures." The incident has caused diplomatic tensions with three friendly nations, Australia, Britain, and New Zealand, which intensified when authorities initially declined to apologise, leading to an online backlash against the airline, one of the wealthy Gulf nation's prestige projects. New Zealand was the latest to raise concerns, saying late Thursday that one of its citizens was among the women subjected to the invasive examinations. "We were extremely concerned to learn... that a New Zealand national was involved in the appalling incident involving female passengers on several Qatar Airways flights," its foreign ministry said in a statement. It labelled the action "completely unacceptable". The incident only came to light this week after affected Australian passengers spoke out. Qatar is an ultra-conservative Muslim monarchy, where sex and childbirth outside of marriage are punishable by jail. Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, it has struggled to reassure critics that its promises on women's rights, labour relations and democracy are credible. Facing potentially devastating commercial and reputational damage, Qatar has repeatedly vowed to guarantee the future "safety and security" of passengers. Australia's criticism of Qatar had grown increasingly strident in the absence of an unequivocal apology from Doha in the days after the scandal emerged. Qatar said on Friday that taskforces were looking at "potential gaps in the procedures and protocols" at the airport. "This incident is the first of its kind at Hamad International Airport, which has served tens of millions of passengers without any issues like this before," the Qatari statement said. "What took place is wholly inconsistent with Qatar's culture and values." Qatar's assistant foreign minister Lolwah al-Khater, one of the few female ministers in the Gulf region, tweeted Qatar's apologies "for the disturbing experience".

Qatar to charge those behind invasive airport searches of women

With only four days to go for the US election 2020,&nbsp;President Donald Trump's differences with rival presidential candidate Joe Biden extend far beyond planet Earth.

However, NASA's moonshot, aerospace company Boeing,&nbsp;Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, and&nbsp;SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk also have a&nbsp;lot riding on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US&nbsp;election</a> on November 3.

While Republican candidate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Trump</a>&nbsp;plans to win the race in space call for a 2024 moon mission and ending direct US&nbsp;financial support for the International Space Station in 2025, turning&nbsp;over control of the decades-old orbital laboratory to private space companies.

Biden, on the other hand, would likely call for a delayed&nbsp;moonshot&nbsp;and propose a funding extension for the International Space Station if he wins the White House, according to people familiar with the fledging Biden space agenda.

Earlier,&nbsp;NASA had&nbsp;selected&nbsp;Bezos's Blue Origin and Musk's SpaceX&nbsp;to develop human landers for Artemis moon missions.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bezoss-blue-origin-and-musks-spacex-to-collaborate-in-building-nasas-lunar-lander-296099">Bezos's Blue Origin and Musk's SpaceX to collaborate in building NASA's lunar lander</a>

Pushing back the moon mission could cast more doubt on the long-term fate of Boeing Co's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, just as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin scramble to bring rival rockets to market as soon as next year.

Extending support for the space station for a decade would also be a major boost for Boeing, whose $225 million annual ISS operations contract is set to expire in 2024 and is at the depths of a financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 737 MAX grounding after fatal crashes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-shepard-capsule-bezos-blue-origin-conducts-successful-test-flight-for-space-tourism-335120">New Shepard capsule: Bezos' Blue Origin conducts successful test flight for space tourism</a>

Boeing and SpaceX are already supplying spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the ISS under a program begun under the Obama administration and supported by both Trump and Biden.

Though slowing the&nbsp;moonshot&nbsp;would push back contracts for moon landers and related equipment the companies aim to win, the emerging Biden space agenda appears broadly set to promote competition between traditional defense contractors like Boeing and "new space" rivals like SpaceX who promise lower-cost and reusable rocket systems and space vehicles.

Craving consistency

For the commercial space industry, "consistency is key," said Mike French, a vice president at the Aerospace Industries Association trade group who earlier served as NASA chief of staff under Obama.

"If you shake the etch-a-sketch now, you will (be) risking a series of potentially historic accomplishments and the strong and sustained bipartisan support NASA has seen across its portfolio," French told Reuters.

Roughly 20 former senior NASA officials and scientists have assembled as a volunteer subgroup under the Biden campaign's science committee to informally help draw up ideas for a space platform.

Many held jobs in the Obama administration and are jockeying for influential roles on the transition team or in a Biden administration.

Members of the subgroup also want to boost NASA funding for Earth science and support partnerships with other nations. They stressed that Biden's space agenda, and the staff assignments to lead it, were in a formative stage as his campaign prioritizes more pressing issues, like the coronavirus pandemic and joblessness.

A Biden campaign spokesman pointed to earlier remarks from Biden. In August, after SpaceX launched and returned the first astronauts from US&nbsp;soil on a trip to the ISS in nearly a decade, Biden said he looked forward to "leading a bold space program that will continue to send astronaut heroes to expand our exploration and scientific frontiers."

Representatives for Blue Origin and Boeing declined to comment. SpaceX and the Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

Fight over Boeing rocket

But the Biden space group is divided on what to do about Boeing's SLS, several sources said.

The super heavy-lift rocket has been beset by development delays and cost overruns, but supports tens of thousands of jobs in Alabama and California and is seen by backers as central to NASA's exploration plans and the only path to Trump's 2024 timeline for the Artemis mission.

Critics say the rocket's aging technology and launch costs of $1 billion or more permission should prompt a formal White House or Congressional review of the program, particularly if SpaceX and Blue Origin are able to offer new rockets at a lower cost.

It costs as little as $90 million to fly Musk's massive but still less-powerful Falcon Heavy, and some $350 million per launch for United Launch Alliance's legacy Delta IV Heavy.

Whether a Biden space policy would be more friendly to SLS or to newer commercial alternatives from "new space" players will be heavily influenced by his choice for NASA administrator, a role the campaign wants to be filled by a woman, two people said.

NASA views SLS as its only human-rated ride to the moon in the near term, said Doug Loverro, the former NASA head of human spaceflight.

"But is that the long-term direction to continue to pursue?" Loverro asked.

With only four days to go for the US election 2020, President Donald Trump's differences with rival presidential candidate Joe Biden extend far beyond planet Earth.

With only four days to go for the US election 2020, President Donald Trump's differences with rival presidential candidate Joe Biden extend far beyond planet Earth. However, NASA's moonshot, aerospace company Boeing, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, and SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk also have a lot riding on the US election on November 3. While Republican candidate Trump plans to win the race in space call for a 2024 moon mission and ending direct US financial support for the International Space Station in 2025, turning over control of the decades-old orbital laboratory to private space companies. Biden, on the other hand, would likely call for a delayed moonshot and propose a funding extension for the International Space Station if he wins the White House, according to people familiar with the fledging Biden space agenda. Earlier, NASA had selected Bezos's Blue Origin and Musk's SpaceX to develop human landers for Artemis moon missions. Also read: Bezos's Blue Origin and Musk's SpaceX to collaborate in building NASA's lunar lander Pushing back the moon mission could cast more doubt on the long-term fate of Boeing Co's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, just as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin scramble to bring rival rockets to market as soon as next year. Extending support for the space station for a decade would also be a major boost for Boeing, whose $225 million annual ISS operations contract is set to expire in 2024 and is at the depths of a financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 737 MAX grounding after fatal crashes. Also read: New Shepard capsule: Bezos' Blue Origin conducts successful test flight for space tourism Boeing and SpaceX are already supplying spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the ISS under a program begun under the Obama administration and supported by both Trump and Biden. Though slowing the moonshot would push back contracts for moon landers and related equipment the companies aim to win, the emerging Biden space agenda appears broadly set to promote competition between traditional defense contractors like Boeing and "new space" rivals like SpaceX who promise lower-cost and reusable rocket systems and space vehicles. Craving consistency For the commercial space industry, "consistency is key," said Mike French, a vice president at the Aerospace Industries Association trade group who earlier served as NASA chief of staff under Obama. "If you shake the etch-a-sketch now, you will (be) risking a series of potentially historic accomplishments and the strong and sustained bipartisan support NASA has seen across its portfolio," French told Reuters. Roughly 20 former senior NASA officials and scientists have assembled as a volunteer subgroup under the Biden campaign's science committee to informally help draw up ideas for a space platform. Many held jobs in the Obama administration and are jockeying for influential roles on the transition team or in a Biden administration. Members of the subgroup also want to boost NASA funding for Earth science and support partnerships with other nations. They stressed that Biden's space agenda, and the staff assignments to lead it, were in a formative stage as his campaign prioritizes more pressing issues, like the coronavirus pandemic and joblessness. A Biden campaign spokesman pointed to earlier remarks from Biden. In August, after SpaceX launched and returned the first astronauts from US soil on a trip to the ISS in nearly a decade, Biden said he looked forward to "leading a bold space program that will continue to send astronaut heroes to expand our exploration and scientific frontiers." Representatives for Blue Origin and Boeing declined to comment. SpaceX and the Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Fight over Boeing rocket But the Biden space group is divided on what to do about Boeing's SLS, several sources said. The super heavy-lift rocket has been beset by development delays and cost overruns, but supports tens of thousands of jobs in Alabama and California and is seen by backers as central to NASA's exploration plans and the only path to Trump's 2024 timeline for the Artemis mission. Critics say the rocket's aging technology and launch costs of $1 billion or more permission should prompt a formal White House or Congressional review of the program, particularly if SpaceX and Blue Origin are able to offer new rockets at a lower cost. It costs as little as $90 million to fly Musk's massive but still less-powerful Falcon Heavy, and some $350 million per launch for United Launch Alliance's legacy Delta IV Heavy. Whether a Biden space policy would be more friendly to SLS or to newer commercial alternatives from "new space" players will be heavily influenced by his choice for NASA administrator, a role the campaign wants to be filled by a woman, two people said. NASA views SLS as its only human-rated ride to the moon in the near term, said Doug Loverro, the former NASA head of human spaceflight. "But is that the long-term direction to continue to pursue?" Loverro asked.

US election 2020: Why are the polls crucial for NASA's moonshot, Boeing, Bezos and Musk

&nbsp;Thai protesters criticised spending by King Maha Vajiralongkorn's palace and held a "fashion show" that parodied members of the royal family at a rally in Bangkok on Thursday that drew thousands of people.

What began as anti-government demonstrations in July have increasingly called for reforms of the monarchy, breaking a longstanding taboo and defying a law that sets a jail term of up to 15 years for criticising the king and his family.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thai-protesters-demand-pm-resignation-with-hunger-games-salute-335264">Thai protesters demand PM resignation with 'Hunger Games' salute</a>

The protesters' show, with a red carpet parade by activists lampooning royalty, took place on the same day that one of the king's daughters, a designer, was to launch a new fashion collection.

Speakers at the rally denounced what they said was wasteful spending by the royal family at a time Thailand's tourist-reliant economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus.

"It wouldn’t be a problem if this wasn’t our money," student leader Jutatip Sirikhan told the crowd.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/plaque-design-defying-thai-monarchy-turned-into-instagram-filters-merchandise-331675">Plaque design defying Thai monarchy turned into Instagram filters, merchandise</a>

Protesters have called for reforms to the monarchy to reduce the king's powers. They have also demanded the reversal of changes that gave him control of some army units and a palace fortune valued in tens of billions of dollars.

The king has spent much of his time in Germany this year and on Monday protesters marched to the German embassy to request an inquiry into his actions and lifestyle there.

Germany does not believe the king has so far breached its ban on conducting politics while staying there, a parliamentary source in Berlin said on Wednesday.

The Thai protesters also seek a new constitution and the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader who rejects their accusations he engineered last year's elections to keep power.

Thai protesters criticised spending by King Maha Vajiralongkorn's palace and held a "fashion show" that parodied members of the royal family at a rally in Bangkok on Thursday that drew thousands of people.

Thai protesters criticised spending by King Maha Vajiralongkorn's palace and held a "fashion show" that parodied members of the royal family at a rally in Bangkok on Thursday that drew thousands of people. What began as anti-government demonstrations in July have increasingly called for reforms of the monarchy, breaking a longstanding taboo and defying a law that sets a jail term of up to 15 years for criticising the king and his family. Also read: Thai protesters demand PM resignation with 'Hunger Games' salute The protesters' show, with a red carpet parade by activists lampooning royalty, took place on the same day that one of the king's daughters, a designer, was to launch a new fashion collection. Speakers at the rally denounced what they said was wasteful spending by the royal family at a time Thailand's tourist-reliant economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus. "It wouldn’t be a problem if this wasn’t our money," student leader Jutatip Sirikhan told the crowd. Also read: Plaque design defying Thai monarchy turned into Instagram filters, merchandise Protesters have called for reforms to the monarchy to reduce the king's powers. They have also demanded the reversal of changes that gave him control of some army units and a palace fortune valued in tens of billions of dollars. The king has spent much of his time in Germany this year and on Monday protesters marched to the German embassy to request an inquiry into his actions and lifestyle there. Germany does not believe the king has so far breached its ban on conducting politics while staying there, a parliamentary source in Berlin said on Wednesday. The Thai protesters also seek a new constitution and the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader who rejects their accusations he engineered last year's elections to keep power.

Thai protesters conduct 'fashion show' mocking royal spending

In Georgia, a database that verifies voter signatures was locked up by Russian hackers in a ransomware attack that also dumped voters’ registration data online.

In California and Indiana, Russia’s most formidable state hackers, a unit linked to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, bore into local networks and hit some election systems, although it is still unclear why.

In Louisiana, the National Guard was called in to stop cyberattacks aimed at small government offices that employed tools previously seen only in attacks by North Korea.

And Tuesday night, someone hacked the Trump campaign, defacing its website with a threatening message in broken English, warning that there would be more to come.

None of these attacks amounted to much. But from the sprawling war room at U.S. Cyber Command to those monitoring the election at Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft, experts are watching closely for more “perception hacks.” Those are smaller attacks that can be easily exaggerated into something bigger and potentially seized upon as evidence that the whole voting process is “rigged,” as President Donald Trump has claimed it will be.

The phrase comes up every time Christopher Krebs, the Department of Homeland Security official responsible for making sure voting systems are secure, talks about the biggest vulnerabilities in this election. His worry is not a vast attack but a series of smaller ones, perhaps concentrated in swing states, whose effect is more psychological than real.

Perception hacks are just one of a range of issues occupying election officials and cybersecurity experts in the final days of voting — and their concerns will not end on Election Day.

One theory gaining ground inside U.S. intelligence agencies is that the Russians, having made the point that they remain inside key American systems despite bolstered defenses and new offensive operations by Cyber Command, may sit out the next week — until it is clear whether the vote is close.

The Russian play, under this theory, would be to fan the flames of state-by-state election battles, generating or amplifying claims of fraud that would further undermine U.S. confidence in the integrity of the election process.

The Iranians would continue their playbook, which U.S. intelligence officials see as more akin to vandalism than serious hacking, filled with threats in mangled English.

But American experts have warned local officials that come Nov. 3, the Iranians may seek to paralyze or deface the websites of secretaries of state, affecting the reporting of results, and create the impression of being inside the voting infrastructure even if they never were and the election results have not been compromised.

Here is a look at some of the potential threats and what has been learned in a year of behind-the-scenes cyberbattles.

Protecting the Machines

Government officials are trying to assure voters that voting machines are hard to hack on a large scale: They are almost entirely offline. States and counties use their own systems, and the breadth and diversity of those systems, the argument goes, make it nearly impossible for a single attack to target all of them.

But that does not eliminate the risk. At the University of Michigan, J. Alex Halderman has turned his laboratory into an arcade of voting-machine vulnerabilities and found ways to create “attacks that can spread from machine to machine like a computer virus and silently change election outcomes.”

Others point out that no one needs to hack every state to cause havoc. In a tight election, an attacker could target Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit or Milwaukee and delay the reporting of results from an electoral battleground.

The other weak point in the diversity-as-security claim, election security experts say, is the constellation of contractors that support elections across multiple states and counties. “The claim that diversity is protecting the election is a logical fallacy,” said Harri Hursti, an election security consultant.

Hursti worries about a scenario in which ballot scanners could be reprogrammed to read a vote for Joe Biden as a vote for Trump or vice versa.

“A single point of failure could compromise election infrastructure across multiple counties and states,” Hursti warned.

His concern is strictly cautionary but not unheard-of. Not long after the 2016 election, a National Security Agency whistleblower revealed that VR Systems, a Florida company that provided check-in software to multiple states, including critical swing states like Florida and North Carolina, was compromised by Russian hackers before the vote. There is no evidence they used that access to affect the final vote.

Backups

The constant drumbeat of cyberattacks and foreign interference has forced states to put safeguards in place. States have worked to print paper backups of voter registration data, and they have phased out machines that leave no paper backup.

Krebs said that next week about 92% of all votes cast would be “associated” with some kind of paper record, up significantly from four years ago.

But with the surge in mail-in ballots this year, machine voting will also diminish as a percentage of the total vote. So the vulnerabilities that the Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is focused on are potential attacks on voter registration, verification and vote reporting systems, along with the computer networks of secretaries of state, or power outages at the polls.

Those kinds of attacks would not change the vote tallies. But, executed artfully enough, especially in battleground states or key districts within those states, they could be used to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the election.

Some officials still wonder if that was the motivation behind some of Russia’s 2016 interference, when hackers “scanned” the registration databases of all 50 states, breached systems in Arizona and Florida, and made an unusually noisy show of stealing voters’ registration data in Illinois but ultimately did nothing with it.

Many of those vulnerabilities have been patched, thanks to an aggressive campaign by the Homeland Security Department and the states. But voting is a local affair and vulnerabilities remain, as Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida discovered when he went to vote early in Tallahassee, the state capital. Someone — the police arrested a 20-year-old from Naples, Florida — had changed the governor’s address to West Palm Beach.

That is why there is so much concern about a Russian group called Energetic Bear. Over the years, the group, believed to be a unit of the FSB, has breached U.S. power grids, water treatment plants, a nuclear power plant in Kansas and, more recently, web systems at San Francisco International Airport.

And starting in September, it began going into the systems of state and local governments. Intelligence officials say they have succeeded in breaching only two servers in California and Indiana.

Ransomware

The most imminent threat, officials say, is ransomware attacks that could freeze some part of the voting system and delay results.

It is a sign of how concerned the intelligence agencies and private industry are about ransomware that over the past month both Cyber Command and a group of companies led by Microsoft have been bringing down servers around the world linked to TrickBot, a set of tools used in some of the most sophisticated ransomware operations.

“This is all about disrupting TrickBot’s operations during peak election activity,” said Tom Burt, the Microsoft executive in charge of the operation.

But there is already evidence that the hackers behind TrickBot have shifted to new tools, according to Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm. Over the past month and a half, researchers discovered that the same people have directed a spate of vicious new ransomware attacks that have taken U.S. hospitals offline, just as coronavirus cases are spiking.

“They could use these same tools against whoever they want whether it’s the election or hospitals,” said Kimberly Goody, a cybercrime analyst at Mandiant.

A ransomware attack in Gainesville, Georgia, locked up the voter signature verification systems last week, forcing poll workers to do things the old-fashioned way, pulling registration cards manually and eyeballing the signatures.

The attack, which does not appear to have been directed at the election but took election systems down as collateral damage, exposed continued weak spots in Georgia, a key battleground state.

Internal emails showed that the Georgia secretary of state’s office disabled two-factor authentication in recent weeks, after its election software was buckling under the deluge of early voters. Two-factor authentication, which keeps hackers from breaking into systems with one stolen password, has been key to the Homeland Security Department’s election security strategy, and in this case emails show that the secretary of state simply turned it off.

Preparing for the Aftermath

Trump has already promoted the idea that mail-in ballots will be riddled with fraud and has sought to use small glitches in the distribution and return of mail ballots as evidence that the system cannot be trusted if the result goes against him.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a “public service announcement” recently about taking care to verify information before believing it or reposting it. But as some government officials concede, there is no remedy for a president who repeats unproven rumors and conspiracy theories — other than directly contradicting him.

“They have walked the line carefully,” said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine. “But the real test is coming.”

In Georgia, a database that verifies voter signatures was locked up by Russian hackers in a ransomware attack that also dumped voters’ registration data online. In California and Indiana, Russia’s most formidable state hackers, a unit linked to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, bore into local networks and hit some election systems, although it is still unclear why.

In Georgia, a database that verifies voter signatures was locked up by Russian hackers in a ransomware attack that also dumped voters’ registration data online. In California and Indiana, Russia’s most formidable state hackers, a unit linked to the Federal Security Service, or FSB, bore into local networks and hit some election systems, although it is still unclear why. In Louisiana, the National Guard was called in to stop cyberattacks aimed at small government offices that employed tools previously seen only in attacks by North Korea. And Tuesday night, someone hacked the Trump campaign, defacing its website with a threatening message in broken English, warning that there would be more to come. None of these attacks amounted to much. But from the sprawling war room at U.S. Cyber Command to those monitoring the election at Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft, experts are watching closely for more “perception hacks.” Those are smaller attacks that can be easily exaggerated into something bigger and potentially seized upon as evidence that the whole voting process is “rigged,” as President Donald Trump has claimed it will be. The phrase comes up every time Christopher Krebs, the Department of Homeland Security official responsible for making sure voting systems are secure, talks about the biggest vulnerabilities in this election. His worry is not a vast attack but a series of smaller ones, perhaps concentrated in swing states, whose effect is more psychological than real. Perception hacks are just one of a range of issues occupying election officials and cybersecurity experts in the final days of voting — and their concerns will not end on Election Day. One theory gaining ground inside U.S. intelligence agencies is that the Russians, having made the point that they remain inside key American systems despite bolstered defenses and new offensive operations by Cyber Command, may sit out the next week — until it is clear whether the vote is close. The Russian play, under this theory, would be to fan the flames of state-by-state election battles, generating or amplifying claims of fraud that would further undermine U.S. confidence in the integrity of the election process. The Iranians would continue their playbook, which U.S. intelligence officials see as more akin to vandalism than serious hacking, filled with threats in mangled English. But American experts have warned local officials that come Nov. 3, the Iranians may seek to paralyze or deface the websites of secretaries of state, affecting the reporting of results, and create the impression of being inside the voting infrastructure even if they never were and the election results have not been compromised. Here is a look at some of the potential threats and what has been learned in a year of behind-the-scenes cyberbattles. Protecting the Machines Government officials are trying to assure voters that voting machines are hard to hack on a large scale: They are almost entirely offline. States and counties use their own systems, and the breadth and diversity of those systems, the argument goes, make it nearly impossible for a single attack to target all of them. But that does not eliminate the risk. At the University of Michigan, J. Alex Halderman has turned his laboratory into an arcade of voting-machine vulnerabilities and found ways to create “attacks that can spread from machine to machine like a computer virus and silently change election outcomes.” Others point out that no one needs to hack every state to cause havoc. In a tight election, an attacker could target Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit or Milwaukee and delay the reporting of results from an electoral battleground. The other weak point in the diversity-as-security claim, election security experts say, is the constellation of contractors that support elections across multiple states and counties. “The claim that diversity is protecting the election is a logical fallacy,” said Harri Hursti, an election security consultant. Hursti worries about a scenario in which ballot scanners could be reprogrammed to read a vote for Joe Biden as a vote for Trump or vice versa. “A single point of failure could compromise election infrastructure across multiple counties and states,” Hursti warned. His concern is strictly cautionary but not unheard-of. Not long after the 2016 election, a National Security Agency whistleblower revealed that VR Systems, a Florida company that provided check-in software to multiple states, including critical swing states like Florida and North Carolina, was compromised by Russian hackers before the vote. There is no evidence they used that access to affect the final vote. Backups The constant drumbeat of cyberattacks and foreign interference has forced states to put safeguards in place. States have worked to print paper backups of voter registration data, and they have phased out machines that leave no paper backup. Krebs said that next week about 92% of all votes cast would be “associated” with some kind of paper record, up significantly from four years ago. But with the surge in mail-in ballots this year, machine voting will also diminish as a percentage of the total vote. So the vulnerabilities that the Homeland Security Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is focused on are potential attacks on voter registration, verification and vote reporting systems, along with the computer networks of secretaries of state, or power outages at the polls. Those kinds of attacks would not change the vote tallies. But, executed artfully enough, especially in battleground states or key districts within those states, they could be used to sow doubt about the legitimacy of the election. Some officials still wonder if that was the motivation behind some of Russia’s 2016 interference, when hackers “scanned” the registration databases of all 50 states, breached systems in Arizona and Florida, and made an unusually noisy show of stealing voters’ registration data in Illinois but ultimately did nothing with it. Many of those vulnerabilities have been patched, thanks to an aggressive campaign by the Homeland Security Department and the states. But voting is a local affair and vulnerabilities remain, as Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida discovered when he went to vote early in Tallahassee, the state capital. Someone — the police arrested a 20-year-old from Naples, Florida — had changed the governor’s address to West Palm Beach. That is why there is so much concern about a Russian group called Energetic Bear. Over the years, the group, believed to be a unit of the FSB, has breached U.S. power grids, water treatment plants, a nuclear power plant in Kansas and, more recently, web systems at San Francisco International Airport. And starting in September, it began going into the systems of state and local governments. Intelligence officials say they have succeeded in breaching only two servers in California and Indiana. Ransomware The most imminent threat, officials say, is ransomware attacks that could freeze some part of the voting system and delay results. It is a sign of how concerned the intelligence agencies and private industry are about ransomware that over the past month both Cyber Command and a group of companies led by Microsoft have been bringing down servers around the world linked to TrickBot, a set of tools used in some of the most sophisticated ransomware operations. “This is all about disrupting TrickBot’s operations during peak election activity,” said Tom Burt, the Microsoft executive in charge of the operation. But there is already evidence that the hackers behind TrickBot have shifted to new tools, according to Mandiant, a cybersecurity firm. Over the past month and a half, researchers discovered that the same people have directed a spate of vicious new ransomware attacks that have taken U.S. hospitals offline, just as coronavirus cases are spiking. “They could use these same tools against whoever they want whether it’s the election or hospitals,” said Kimberly Goody, a cybercrime analyst at Mandiant. A ransomware attack in Gainesville, Georgia, locked up the voter signature verification systems last week, forcing poll workers to do things the old-fashioned way, pulling registration cards manually and eyeballing the signatures. The attack, which does not appear to have been directed at the election but took election systems down as collateral damage, exposed continued weak spots in Georgia, a key battleground state. Internal emails showed that the Georgia secretary of state’s office disabled two-factor authentication in recent weeks, after its election software was buckling under the deluge of early voters. Two-factor authentication, which keeps hackers from breaking into systems with one stolen password, has been key to the Homeland Security Department’s election security strategy, and in this case emails show that the secretary of state simply turned it off. Preparing for the Aftermath Trump has already promoted the idea that mail-in ballots will be riddled with fraud and has sought to use small glitches in the distribution and return of mail ballots as evidence that the system cannot be trusted if the result goes against him. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a “public service announcement” recently about taking care to verify information before believing it or reposting it. But as some government officials concede, there is no remedy for a president who repeats unproven rumors and conspiracy theories — other than directly contradicting him. “They have walked the line carefully,” said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine. “But the real test is coming.”

‘Perception hacks’ and other potential threats to the election

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) will celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, its chief Satwant Singh said on Thursday.

However, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which manages religious properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, has distanced itself from the PSGPC's initiative, saying "it has not received any instructions to celebrate the first anniversary of inauguration of the corridor so far."

The 4-km long corridor links Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur in India to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan,&nbsp;the final resting place of the Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev.

"We have decided in principle to celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor and for the purpose we will invite some two to three ministers and other government functionaries," Singh told PTI.

When asked as why the ETPB was not hosting this function along with the PSGPC, Singh said: "Since the construction of Kartarpur Corridor is a historic event, the Sikh body in Pakistan has decided in principle to celebrate its first inauguration anniversary. And so far the ETPB is concerned, we are inviting it and other government functionaries and ministers for the event."

He said that the PSGPC wanted to invite Sikhs from across the border but the Indian government had already declined the Pakistan government's offer to allow the pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib owing to COVID-19.

The corridor, which allows Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free travel to the Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara - was closed on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India has said a decision to re-open the Kartarpur corridor would be taken in accordance with the protocols relating to COVID-19 and easing of restrictions.

Singh further said that Sikhs from all parts of Pakistan would visit the corridor on November 9. "Some 500 to 1,000 locals visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib daily," he said.

Meanwhile, an official of the ETPB told PTI that no function in connection with the first anniversary of the inauguration of the corridor has been planned at the government level.

"The PSGPC is organizing a prgramme on its own," he said.

On November 9, 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan had formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at a colourful ceremony.

Earlier this month, the Foreign Office said that Pakistan will celebrate the 551th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev from November 28 to 30.

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) will celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, its chief Satwant Singh said on Thursday.

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) will celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of the historic Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, its chief Satwant Singh said on Thursday. However, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which manages religious properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, has distanced itself from the PSGPC's initiative, saying "it has not received any instructions to celebrate the first anniversary of inauguration of the corridor so far." The 4-km long corridor links Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur in India to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of the Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev. "We have decided in principle to celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor and for the purpose we will invite some two to three ministers and other government functionaries," Singh told PTI. When asked as why the ETPB was not hosting this function along with the PSGPC, Singh said: "Since the construction of Kartarpur Corridor is a historic event, the Sikh body in Pakistan has decided in principle to celebrate its first inauguration anniversary. And so far the ETPB is concerned, we are inviting it and other government functionaries and ministers for the event." He said that the PSGPC wanted to invite Sikhs from across the border but the Indian government had already declined the Pakistan government's offer to allow the pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib owing to COVID-19. The corridor, which allows Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free travel to the Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara - was closed on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India has said a decision to re-open the Kartarpur corridor would be taken in accordance with the protocols relating to COVID-19 and easing of restrictions. Singh further said that Sikhs from all parts of Pakistan would visit the corridor on November 9. "Some 500 to 1,000 locals visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib daily," he said. Meanwhile, an official of the ETPB told PTI that no function in connection with the first anniversary of the inauguration of the corridor has been planned at the government level. "The PSGPC is organizing a prgramme on its own," he said. On November 9, 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan had formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at a colourful ceremony. Earlier this month, the Foreign Office said that Pakistan will celebrate the 551th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev from November 28 to 30.

Pak's top Sikh body to celebrate first anniversary of inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor on Nov 9

The United States has agreed to sell top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates following its recognition of Israel, potentially shifting the regional power balance, a lawmaker said Thursday.

President Donald Trump's administration informally gave a required notification to&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;on the sale, which could "significantly change the military balance in the Gulf and affect Israel's military edge," said Representative Eliot Engel, a Democrat who leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The United Arab Emirates, which has been increasingly assertive in the region, including in Yemen and Libya,&nbsp;sought the advanced warplanes as it spoke to the United States ahead of its landmark recognition of Israel last month.

The normalization,&nbsp;followed by similar moves by Bahrain and Sudan, was a diplomatic coup for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the Jewish state has also long opposed US sales of top-end warplanes to any Arab states including Egypt and Jordan, which already have peace treaties with Israel.

But Netanyahu indicated last week that Israel would not object to the UAE deal after Defense Minister Benny Gantz, his uneasy coalition partner, received assurances during a trip to the Pentagon that Israel would maintain its military edge.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper was visiting Israel on Thursday for talks with Gantz about bolstering the US ally's military capacities.

A State Department official declined to confirm the UAE deal, saying that it does not comment on notifications to&nbsp;Congress.

The notification comes five days before US elections in which Trump is trailing in published polls to Democrat Joe Biden.

Congress, where the Democrats control the House of Representatives and are seen as having a chance of winning the Senate, has the power to block the UAE sale.

"The export of this aircraft requires very careful consideration and&nbsp;Congress&nbsp;must analyze all the ramifications.&nbsp;Rushing these sales is not in anyone's interest," Engel said.

The United States has agreed to sell top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates following its recognition of Israel, potentially shifting the regional power balance, a lawmaker said Thursday.

The United States has agreed to sell top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates following its recognition of Israel, potentially shifting the regional power balance, a lawmaker said Thursday. President Donald Trump's administration informally gave a required notification to Congress on the sale, which could "significantly change the military balance in the Gulf and affect Israel's military edge," said Representative Eliot Engel, a Democrat who leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The United Arab Emirates, which has been increasingly assertive in the region, including in Yemen and Libya, sought the advanced warplanes as it spoke to the United States ahead of its landmark recognition of Israel last month. The normalization, followed by similar moves by Bahrain and Sudan, was a diplomatic coup for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the Jewish state has also long opposed US sales of top-end warplanes to any Arab states including Egypt and Jordan, which already have peace treaties with Israel. But Netanyahu indicated last week that Israel would not object to the UAE deal after Defense Minister Benny Gantz, his uneasy coalition partner, received assurances during a trip to the Pentagon that Israel would maintain its military edge. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper was visiting Israel on Thursday for talks with Gantz about bolstering the US ally's military capacities. A State Department official declined to confirm the UAE deal, saying that it does not comment on notifications to Congress. The notification comes five days before US elections in which Trump is trailing in published polls to Democrat Joe Biden. Congress, where the Democrats control the House of Representatives and are seen as having a chance of winning the Senate, has the power to block the UAE sale. "The export of this aircraft requires very careful consideration and Congress must analyze all the ramifications. Rushing these sales is not in anyone's interest," Engel said.

US plans sales of top-end fighter jets to UAE: Lawmaker

Scientists have discovered a new fatal disorder in men that causes&nbsp;blood clots in veins, inflammation, recurrent fevers, pulmonary abnormalities, and vacuoles&nbsp;in myeloid cells.

The&nbsp;disorder, known as the&nbsp;called vacuoles, E1 catalyst, X-connected, autoinflammatory and physical condition (VEXAS) disorder, is brought about by transformations in the&nbsp;UBA1&nbsp;gene.&nbsp;&nbsp;It to the death in 40 percent&nbsp;of its patients.&nbsp;

The findings of the researchers were published in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2026834?query=featured_home">New England Journal of Medicine</a>.

Almost 125 million individuals in the US&nbsp;live with some type of constant provocative sickness.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/some-covid-survivors-have-antibodies-that-attack-the-body-not-the-virus-338688" hreflang="en">Some COVID survivors have antibodies that attack the body, not the virus</a>

Specialists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the NIH, and associates from other NIH Institutes&nbsp;studied the genome arrangements from in excess of 2,500 people with undiscovered provocative infections, giving specific consideration to a bunch of more than 800 qualities identified with the cycle of ubiquitylation, which manages both different protein capacities inside a cell and the invulnerable framework generally. They found a quality that is complicatedly connected to VEXAS, an infection that can be dangerous.&nbsp;

Utilising a genotype-driven methodology, they&nbsp;identified an issue that interfaces apparently inconsequential grown-up beginning incendiary disorder.&nbsp;

Dr. Dan Kastner, a senior writer of the article and logical head of the Intramural Research Program at the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute, said ''These patients are truly debilitated. They don't react to any medicines, from high portions of&nbsp;steroids&nbsp;to different chemotherapies.''&nbsp;

Out of the genome groupings of 2,560 patients with undiscovered provocative conditions, more than 1,000 patients had undiscovered intermittent fevers and body-wide aggravation.&nbsp;

"By utilizing this genome-first methodology, we have figured out how to discover a string that integrates patients conveying these apparently disconnected, unique judgments," Dr. Kastner said.&nbsp;

The scientists trust that this new genome-first methodology will help medical care experts improve sickness evaluations and give suitable therapies to a great many patients who have different irritation related conditions. The examination may likewise make ready for another and more fitting grouping of provocative sicknesses.

Scientists have discovered a new fatal disorder in men that causes blood clots in veins, inflammation, recurrent fevers, pulmonary abnormalities, and vacuoles in myeloid cells.

Scientists have discovered a new fatal disorder in men that causes blood clots in veins, inflammation, recurrent fevers, pulmonary abnormalities, and vacuoles in myeloid cells. The disorder, known as the called vacuoles, E1 catalyst, X-connected, autoinflammatory and physical condition (VEXAS) disorder, is brought about by transformations in the UBA1 gene. It to the death in 40 percent of its patients. The findings of the researchers were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Almost 125 million individuals in the US live with some type of constant provocative sickness. Also read: Some COVID survivors have antibodies that attack the body, not the virus Specialists at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the NIH, and associates from other NIH Institutes studied the genome arrangements from in excess of 2,500 people with undiscovered provocative infections, giving specific consideration to a bunch of more than 800 qualities identified with the cycle of ubiquitylation, which manages both different protein capacities inside a cell and the invulnerable framework generally. They found a quality that is complicatedly connected to VEXAS, an infection that can be dangerous. Utilising a genotype-driven methodology, they identified an issue that interfaces apparently inconsequential grown-up beginning incendiary disorder. Dr. Dan Kastner, a senior writer of the article and logical head of the Intramural Research Program at the NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute, said ''These patients are truly debilitated. They don't react to any medicines, from high portions of steroids to different chemotherapies.'' Out of the genome groupings of 2,560 patients with undiscovered provocative conditions, more than 1,000 patients had undiscovered intermittent fevers and body-wide aggravation. "By utilizing this genome-first methodology, we have figured out how to discover a string that integrates patients conveying these apparently disconnected, unique judgments," Dr. Kastner said. The scientists trust that this new genome-first methodology will help medical care experts improve sickness evaluations and give suitable therapies to a great many patients who have different irritation related conditions. The examination may likewise make ready for another and more fitting grouping of provocative sicknesses.

VEXAS syndrome: Scientists discover new fatal disorder in men

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi cast a ballot on Thursday in the capital Naypyitaw ahead of November's election after being unable to travel to her registered township near Yangon due to restrictions aimed at containing a spike in coronavirus cases.

Opposition parties had urged the government to postpone the election because of rising infections, but Suu Kyi, who is the chair of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, has said the Nov. 8 vote must go ahead.

Wearing a face mask and protective gloves, she voted at a polling station in the administrative capital, where President Win Myint also voted earlier.

The vote is set to serve as a test of Myanmar's first democratic government in half a century and the country's transition away from direct military rule as it grapples with crises on several fronts.

With nearly 50,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 1,000 deaths, Myanmar is facing one of Southeast Asia’s worst outbreaks, and a lockdown has left hundreds of thousands of people without work.

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for democracy, took the reins in 2016 after an electoral landslide, but has been forced to share power with the generals.

The NLD is expected to win again, though by a smaller margin.

Suu Kyi's international reputation has slumped over Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims, but she remains popular at home, where her image is undented by accusations of complicity in atrocities against the minority.

Polls across much of conflict-hit Rakhine have been cancelled by Myanmar’s electoral body that has cited violence for the move.

The region, where most parliamentary seats are held by Rakhine nationalist opponents of Suu Kyi, has been beset by an ethnic insurgency that has intensified this year.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi cast a ballot on Thursday in the capital Naypyitaw ahead of November's election after being unable to travel to her registered township near Yangon due to restrictions aimed at containing a spike in coronavirus cases.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi cast a ballot on Thursday in the capital Naypyitaw ahead of November's election after being unable to travel to her registered township near Yangon due to restrictions aimed at containing a spike in coronavirus cases. Opposition parties had urged the government to postpone the election because of rising infections, but Suu Kyi, who is the chair of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party, has said the Nov. 8 vote must go ahead. Wearing a face mask and protective gloves, she voted at a polling station in the administrative capital, where President Win Myint also voted earlier. The vote is set to serve as a test of Myanmar's first democratic government in half a century and the country's transition away from direct military rule as it grapples with crises on several fronts. With nearly 50,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 1,000 deaths, Myanmar is facing one of Southeast Asia’s worst outbreaks, and a lockdown has left hundreds of thousands of people without work. Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for campaigning for democracy, took the reins in 2016 after an electoral landslide, but has been forced to share power with the generals. The NLD is expected to win again, though by a smaller margin. Suu Kyi's international reputation has slumped over Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims, but she remains popular at home, where her image is undented by accusations of complicity in atrocities against the minority. Polls across much of conflict-hit Rakhine have been cancelled by Myanmar’s electoral body that has cited violence for the move. The region, where most parliamentary seats are held by Rakhine nationalist opponents of Suu Kyi, has been beset by an ethnic insurgency that has intensified this year.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi casts early vote in poll hit by COVID-19 curbs

India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will also help countries in enhancing their cold chain and storage capacities, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that as part of such efforts, India organised two training modules for its neighbouring countries in which about 90 health experts and scientists participated.

"We propose to expand these programmes to include other interested countries," he said at an online media briefing.

"As announced by Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) in his speech to the UN General Assembly last month, India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic," Srivastava said.

India will also help all countries in enhancing their cold chain and storage capacities for the delivery of vaccines, he said.

From October 17, a delegation of the concerned departments visited Bangladesh and had fruitful discussions with their Bangladeshi counterparts on the current stage of vaccine development in India and modalities of clinical trials in Bangladesh, Srivastava pointed out.

The concerned officials of the two sides have had a virtual interaction on Myanmar's interest in cooperation on COVID19 vaccines, he said.

"As the situation with respect to vaccine development evolves, the sides will discuss and decide on modalities of cooperation," he said.

"In due course, depending on the trials in India, we propose to expand our cooperation with other countries also in clinical trials and capacity building for vaccine development, production and delivery," he said.

India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will also help countries in enhancing their cold chain and storage capacities, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will also help countries in enhancing their cold chain and storage capacities, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that as part of such efforts, India organised two training modules for its neighbouring countries in which about 90 health experts and scientists participated. "We propose to expand these programmes to include other interested countries," he said at an online media briefing. "As announced by Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) in his speech to the UN General Assembly last month, India's vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all humanity in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic," Srivastava said. India will also help all countries in enhancing their cold chain and storage capacities for the delivery of vaccines, he said. From October 17, a delegation of the concerned departments visited Bangladesh and had fruitful discussions with their Bangladeshi counterparts on the current stage of vaccine development in India and modalities of clinical trials in Bangladesh, Srivastava pointed out. The concerned officials of the two sides have had a virtual interaction on Myanmar's interest in cooperation on COVID19 vaccines, he said. "As the situation with respect to vaccine development evolves, the sides will discuss and decide on modalities of cooperation," he said. "In due course, depending on the trials in India, we propose to expand our cooperation with other countries also in clinical trials and capacity building for vaccine development, production and delivery," he said.

India's vaccine production, delivery capacity to help all humanity in fighting COVID-19: MEA

The whole world knows about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism and no amount of denial can hide this truth, India said on Thursday in sharp reaction to Islamabad's objection to references to it and cross-border terrorism in the Indo-US joint statement after their 2+2 dialogue.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the country that provides shelter to "maximum number of UN-proscribed terrorists" should not even attempt to play the victim card.

"The whole world knows truth about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism," he said at a media briefing while answering questions on Islamabad's reaction to the Indo-US joint statement.

"Even their leaders have time and again spoken about their role with regard to terrorism," Srivastava said.

In the joint statement, India and the US on Tuesday strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms and asked Pakistan to take "immediate, sustained and irreversible" action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terror attacks. 
In its reaction, Pakistan on Wednesday called it "unwarranted" the reference made towards it.

"We reject the Pakistan-specific reference in the joint statement', issued by India and the US after their 2+2 ministerial dialogue," the Pakistan Foreign Office had said in its reaction.

The whole world knows about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism and no amount of denial can hide this truth, India said on Thursday in sharp reaction to Islamabad's objection to references to it and cross-border terrorism in the Indo-US joint statement after their 2+2 dialogue.

The whole world knows about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism and no amount of denial can hide this truth, India said on Thursday in sharp reaction to Islamabad's objection to references to it and cross-border terrorism in the Indo-US joint statement after their 2+2 dialogue. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the country that provides shelter to "maximum number of UN-proscribed terrorists" should not even attempt to play the victim card. "The whole world knows truth about Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism," he said at a media briefing while answering questions on Islamabad's reaction to the Indo-US joint statement. "Even their leaders have time and again spoken about their role with regard to terrorism," Srivastava said. In the joint statement, India and the US on Tuesday strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms and asked Pakistan to take "immediate, sustained and irreversible" action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terror attacks. In its reaction, Pakistan on Wednesday called it "unwarranted" the reference made towards it. "We reject the Pakistan-specific reference in the joint statement', issued by India and the US after their 2+2 ministerial dialogue," the Pakistan Foreign Office had said in its reaction.

Whole world knows Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism: India

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