India inks agreement with EAG to counter terrorist financing

India signed an agreement with the Eurasian Group (EAG) to inter-alia enhance cooperation in the areas of money laundering and terrorist financing. The Cabinet had approved the agreement earlier this month. A six-member Indian delegation led by Dr Mathew attended the 15th Plenary Meeting of the Eurasian Group (EAG) on Combating Money Laundering and Financing ..

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2012

Topics: Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering • Business law • Corporate crime • Crime • EAG • Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering • Financial regulation • Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa • Money Laundering • OECD • Tax Evasion • Terrorism financing

Russia launches last Glonass-M satellite

Russia launched Soyuz carrier rocket with a Glonass-M navigation satellite on board from the Plesetsk Space Center. The launch of the Glonass, which will augment a group of 27 similar satellites already in orbit. This was the 5th and the last launch of a Glonass satellite this year. On November 4, 2011, three reserve Glonass-M ..

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2012

Topics: Global Positioning System • GLONASS • GLONASS satellites • GLONASS-K • In Russia • Kosmos • Navigation • Satellite navigation • Satellite navigation systems • Space program of Russia • Spacecraft

Mars500

An isolation experiment in Russia simulated a 520-day human mission to Mars. Six volunteers were locked away in windowless cells in June 2010. The $15-million Mars500 experiment, which ended on Nov. 4, was the first full-duration simulation of a human expedition to Mars. During the mission, the crew was hermetically isolated. After 250 days the ..

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2012

Topics: Colonization of Mars • Exploration of Mars • Human mission to Mars • Human missions to Mars • International Space Station • Mars • Mars analog habitat • Mars Society • MARS-500 • Outer space • Space medicine • Spaceflight

MSL Mission and Curiosity Rover

Recently NASA has launched the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) with the aim to land and operate a rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars. Curiosity rover is scheduled to land on Mars at Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. Curiosity will attempt a more precise landing than attempted previously and then help assess Mars’s ..

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2012

Topics: Aeolis quadrangle • Astrobiology • Astronomy • Curiosity • Exploration of Mars • Gale • Life on Mars • Mars • Mars rover • Outer space • Phobos • Rover

World’s lightest material: Metallic microlattice

Metallic microlattice is a metal developed by a team of researchers from University of California at Irvine, HRL Laboratories and the California Institute of Technology. As shown in the picture, the Metallic microlattice is resting on a dandelion fluff without damaging it. With a density of 0.9 mg/cc, the metal, this Metallic microlattice is the ..

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2012

Topics: Fiber • Foams • HRL Laboratories • In science • Matter • Metallic microlattice • Nature • Physical sciences • Polymer • Polymer chemistry • Solid • Ultraviolet