Fate of Uyghur Journalist 'Unknown'

2010-11-01

Gheyret Niyaz's family has heard nothing about his case since a court sentenced him in July.

HONG KONG—A court in China's troubled northwestern city of Urumqi, which was rocked by ethnic violence last year, appears to be stalling an appeal hearing in the case of an ethnic Uyghur journalist handed a 15-year jail term, supporters said.

Outspoken Uyghur economics professor Ilham Tohti said the family of journalist and webmaster Gheyret Niyaz had heard nothing about his fate since a court sentenced him on July 23 for "endangering state security."

Beijing-based Tohti also said Gheyret's family had been unable to secure the best legal representation.

"After the first hearing, three lawyers from Beijing went up to Urumqi and made contact with Harat's family," Tohti said. "But in the end they were unable to take on the case, probably because the authorities wanted to keep it secret."

"Even his family have heard nothing about it to date."

He said no details of any appeal hearing had been released, either.

"According to my information, he hasn't been transferred to prison [from police custody], and the details of the judgment haven't been released," Tohti added.

"Gheyret is still being detained in the Urumqi municipal detention center," he said.

'Wife afraid of her job'

Beijing-based rights lawyer Teng Biao said he was one of the lawyers who contacted Gheyret's family at the time of the trial.

"In the end, his wife was afraid for her job, so she didn't meet with me," Teng said.

"Gheyret is being represented by a local lawyer. We don't know whether the lawyer was appointed by the authorities on his behalf," he added.

"His relatives were frightened, and they didn't want to appoint a lawyer from Beijing."

"I have no information about any appeal. I never heard whether the appeal hearing had begun, either," Teng added.

'Too many interviews'

Niyaz, 51, was detained at his home in Tacheng city in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in early October 2009.

His family received word three days later that he had been formally detained on charges of "endangering state security."

A former deputy director of the official Xinjiang Legal Daily, Gheyret was employed at the official Xinjiang Economic Daily as a journalist at the time of his detention.

Niyaz also served as webmaster and administrator of the Uyghur Online website, run by Tohti.

In its 2009 annual report, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) noted that Uyghur Online and its staff had been uniquely targeted after the 2009 violence.

When Niyaz was detained in October, he was taken to the Heavenly Mountain District [Tianshan Qu] detention center in Urumqi, capital of the XUAR, friends said.

Police said “he did too many interviews with foreign media about the July 5 Urumqi riots,” one source said.

Three life sentences

Uyghur activists in exile expressed shock at his arrest because he was widely regarded as pro-government, even warning XUAR officials in July that ethnic riots could be imminent, although the exact content of his warning is unknown.

In August, Urumqi authorities also sentenced three ethnic minority Uyghur webmasters to life in jail for alleged separatist offenses.

Dilshat Perhat, webmaster and owner of Diyarim; Nureli, webmaster of Salkin; and Nijat Azat, webmaster of Shabnam were sentenced to five, three and 10 years in jail respectively, also for "endangering state security."

The verdicts were handed down in a series of closed trials at the Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court, sources said at the time.

All three websites publish online in the Uyghur language, spoken by the predominantly Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority.

Ethnic Uyghurs took to the streets en masse in July 2009 in an initially peaceful demonstration to protest a violent attack weeks earlier against Uyghur migrant workers in far-off Guangdong province, which officials allegedly failed to quell promptly.

The clashes in Urumqi left some 200 people dead, by official count.

Chinese authorities detained hundreds of people in the aftermath and charged an unknown number with fomenting the violence.

Reported by Hai Nan for RFA's Cantonese service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright © 1998-2010 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

Source: Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Link: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/journalist-11012010101314.html.

Ancient Mars Was Wet, Cozy And Life Friendly

by Staff Writers
Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 01, 2010

Light-colored mounds of a mineral deposited on a volcanic cone more than three billion years ago may preserve evidence of one of the most recent habitable microenvironments on Mars.

Observations by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter enabled researchers to identify the mineral as hydrated silica and to see its volcanic context. The mounds' composition and their location on the flanks of a volcanic cone provide the best evidence yet found on Mars for an intact deposit from a hydrothermal environment - a steam fumarole, or hot spring. Such environments may have provided habitats for some of Earth's earliest life forms.

"The heat and water required to create this deposit probably made this a habitable zone," said J.R. Skok of Brown University, Providence, R.I., lead author of a paper about these findings published online by Nature Geoscience.

"If life did exist there, this would be a promising type of deposit to entomb evidence of it - a microbial mortuary."

No studies have yet determined whether Mars has ever supported life. The new results add to accumulating evidence that, at some times and in some places, Mars has had favorable environments for microbial life. This specific place would have been habitable when most of Mars was already dry and cold.

Concentrations of hydrated silica have been identified on Mars previously, including a nearly pure patch found by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in 2007. However, none of those earlier findings were in such an intact setting as this one, and the setting adds evidence about the origin.

Skok said, "You have spectacular context for this deposit. It's right on the flank of a volcano. The setting remains essentially the same as it was when the silica was deposited."

The small cone rises about 100 meters (100 yards) from the floor of a shallow bowl named Nili Patera. The patera, which is the floor of a volcanic caldera, spans about 50 kilometers (30 miles) in the Syrtis Major volcanic region of equatorial Mars. Before the cone formed, free-flowing lava blanketed nearby plains.

The collapse of an underground magma chamber from which lava had emanated created the bowl. Subsequent lava flows, still with a runny texture, coated the floor of Nili Patera.

The cone grew from even later flows, apparently after evolution of the underground magma had thickened its texture so that the erupted lava would mound up.

"We can read a series of chapters in this history book and know that the cone grew from the last gasp of a giant volcanic system," said John Mustard, Skok's thesis adviser at Brown and a co-author of the paper. "The cooling and solidification of most of the magma concentrated its silica and water content."

Observations by cameras on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed patches of bright deposits near the summit of the cone, fanning down its flank, and on flatter ground in the vicinity.

The Brown researchers partnered with Scott Murchie of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., to analyze the bright exposures with the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) instrument on the orbiter.

Silica can be dissolved, transported and concentrated by hot water or steam. Hydrated silica identified by the spectrometer in uphill locations - confirmed by stereo imaging - indicates that hot springs or fumaroles fed by underground heating created these deposits. Silica deposits around hydrothermal vents in Iceland are among the best parallels on Earth.

Murchie said, "The habitable zone would have been within and alongside the conduits carrying the heated water." The volcanic activity that built the cone in Nili Patera appears to have happened more recently than the 3.7-billion-year or greater age of Mars' potentially habitable early wet environments recorded in clay minerals identified from orbit.

Source: Mars Daily.
Link: http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Ancient_Mars_Was_Wet_Cozy_And_Life_Friendly_999.html.

China Goes To Mars

by Morris Jones
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Oct 31, 2010

As China's second Moon probe continues its mission, more information is being disclosed about China's ambitions for worlds beyond. China has made no secret of its plans to explore Mars, but we are getting a firmer indication of what to expect.

Vague statements in the Chinese media have suggested that China could launch a mission to Mars in 2013. This is an interesting suggestion for a program that's still largely unknown to us. How does this add to our knowledge of China's Mars program?

China's first planned step to Mars is very well known. In 2011, the Yinghuo 1 orbiter will be launched to Mars in tandem with Russia's Phobos-Grunt mission. We know a lot about Yinghuo 1 already, thanks to some fairly open publicity about the mission. Yinghuo 1 is a small orbiter, which will enter a highly elliptical orbit around Mars.

Its main role is to study the tenuous Martian atmosphere, and help to answer one of the greatest mysteries surrounding the planet. Long ago, the atmosphere of Mars was much thicker, helping to produce almost Earthlike conditions on the surface. Why did Mars change into the barren world of today, and why did most of the atmosphere disappear?

Roughly two years after Yinghuo 1 is launched, a new "launch window" will open between Earth and Mars, as the position of the planets becomes favorable again. NASA plans to send an orbiter during this window, and it will also study the Martian atmosphere. Could China be ready to fly again so soon?

There are plenty of reasons to believe that China could do it. Consider recent events. China has successfully carried out a long mission in deep space. The Chang'e 1 mission was China's first lunar orbiter. Launched in 2007, the spacecraft performed well in mapping the entire Moon.

China has followed this with the launch of Chang'e 2 just a few weeks ago. This spacecraft is essentially a copy of Chang'e 1, with different instruments and some improvements to its sub-systems. Chang'e 2 is performing very well, and has navigated successfully into a low lunar orbit. Chinese space engineers must feel pleased. They've developed a generic spacecraft design and proven that it works well, on two flights out of two.

China has also openly discussed the possibility of sending Chang'e 2 beyond the Moon once its primary mission is complete. While the spacecraft will not be sent to Mars, it has been suggested that Chang'e 2 could be sent into heliocentric orbit, to test communications and control at vast distances from Earth. This is another hint at what China is planning.

This author suggests that the basic spacecraft bus used for the Chang'e lunar orbiters could be modified for use as a Chinese Mars probe. The Chang'e bus, or main spacecraft body, is itself derived from a geostationary communications satellite. Engineers love evolution, taking something that works and modifying it for other purposes. From Earth orbit, to the Moon, to Mars, is the steady path of this robust spacecraft design.

A dedicated Mars mission would require further modifications to the design of the spacecraft. There would need to be changes to the antennas and telemetry systems used, to compensate for the greater distance. One of the changes in Chang'e 2 over its predecessor is the use of a new, advanced radio system with different frequencies. Could this be a precursor of something designed to work at Mars?

Flying to the Moon is, technically speaking, a trip into deep space. But a flight all the way to Mars could expose a spacecraft to even more hazards. The spacecraft could probably use some additional hardening of some of its key components, even if this is just placing extra cosmic ray shielding on the computer.

Getting to Mars requires more energy than a mission to the Moon. China used the Long March 3A for the first Chang'e launch, and then switched to the more powerful Long March 3C for the second. But even this rocket would struggle to send a Chang'e-type probe to Mars.

It's entirely possible, however, that the Long March 3B could do it. Despite its lower alphabetical rank, this rocket is more powerful than the 3A or 3C, and draws much of its extra force from the use of four strap-on rocket boosters. If China really wanted a big boost, it could use the stretched variant of this rocket, the Long March 3B/E.

Right now, this is the most powerful booster in China's fleet. More powerful boosters will be available to China when the Long March 5 family of boosters makes its debut, but this is unlikely to happen before 2014. If China wants to fly to Mars in 2013, the well-tested Long March 3B will be the best choice.

So, we have a rocket that can reach Mars and a spacecraft design that can fly there. What else needs to be addressed? China has a large stable of scientific instruments at its disposal. Some have been tested on the Chang'e missions. Some are already going to Mars on board Yinghuo.

A large Mars orbiter will need a high-resolution camera (currently on Chang'e 2), spectrometers (Chang'e 1 and 2) and some particles and fields instruments (Yinghuo 1 and various Chinese scientific satellites). China just needs to pick and choose.

Then there's the tracking and support. China has already demonstrated the ability to track and communicate with spacecraft at the Moon. Through its co-operation with the European Space Agency, it has access to a global deep space network, and can also tap European experience in tracking planetary missions. Control and navigation of both Chang'e missions was impressive.

When all the recent progress in China's unmanned space program is considered, the idea of launching an advanced Mars mission within three years does not sound far-fetched. But China could elect to wait for another launch window, and refine some of its mission goals and hardware.

There are also ambitious feats in the works for China's lunar program, with a robot lunar landing expected in 2012. China is also planning its first small manned space laboratory, which should also receive its first crew in 2012. There's plenty of activity in the near future without going to Mars.

Even if China does not launch its second Mars mission in 2013, the very fact that it can be considered is instructive. It points to a growing confidence in China's spaceflight capabilities, and also gives hints to the type of hardware that would probably be used. As usual, time will reveal the answers to these questions.

Source: Space Daily.
Link: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_Goes_To_Mars_999.html.

EXTRA: Serra concedes defeat in Brazil: 'True fight' starts now'

Mon, 01 Nov 2010

Sao Paulo - Social democrat Jose Serra conceded defeat in Sunday's presidential runoff in Brazil, and he promised hard work as leader of the opposition to president-elect Dilma Rousseff and her ruling Workers' Party.

"We are only just beginning a true fight," he said.

"We will make our contribution to the country in defense of the homeland, of freedom, of democracy, of the right that all have to be heard when they talk, of social justice," he stressed.

The candidate of the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy (PSDB), who on Sunday got barely 44 per cent of the votes to Rousseff's 56 per cent, sent wishes that his victorious rival will well serve the country.

He accepted the choice of the people "with respect and humility," he said.

Serra had already lost a presidential runoff in 2002, against current Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351278,true-fight-starts-now.html.

EXTRA: 'I'll know how to honor Lula's legacy,' Rousseff says

Mon, 01 Nov 2010

Brasilia/Buenos Aires - Brazilian president-elect Dilma Rousseff, 62, was self-confident Sunday after victory as the country's first-ever female president who will succeed hugely popular outgoing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

"The task of succeeding him is difficult and challenging. But I'll know how to honor his legacy. I'll know how to consolidate his work and build upon it," an almost tearful Rousseff said of her mentor in her first address as president-elect.

"I'll knock on his door a lot, and I'm certain that I'll always find it open," she stressed.

She was speaking to an auditorium filled with Worker Party (PT) officials.

In her speech, Rousseff highlighted her historic position as Brazil's first female president, and she expressed the hope that such a feat can be replicated in other walks of life including business.

"I would really like the fathers and mothers of girls to look today into their eyes and tell them, 'Yes, women can'!" she said.

Rousseff said her most "fundamental commitment" would be the eradication of poverty and the creation of opportunities for all.

She also expressed a commitment to economic development, despite current difficulties.

"In the short term, we will not have the pull of developed economies to boost our growth. For that reason, our own policies, our own market, our own savings and our own economic decisions become even more important," she said.

Still, Rousseff underlined her intention to remain open to the world, and to continue to demand "the end of the protectionism of rich countries, which prevents poor nations from completely fulfilling their vocations."

"In the multilateral sphere, it is necessary to establish clearer and more careful rules for the recovery of financial markets, limiting leverage and excessive speculation, which increase the volatility of capital and currencies.

"We will act firmly in international forums with that goal," she said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/351274,lulas-legacy-rousseff-says.html.

Russian military leader injured in road accident: ministry

by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Oct 30, 2010

General Vladimir Shamanov, the controversial head of Russia's airborne forces, was injured in a road accident Saturday after a lorry was in a collision with his official car, officials said.

Shamanov's driver was killed in the accident, which happened near the city of Tula around 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Moscow, said a statement from the local prosecutor's office.

Shamanov, 53, suffered serious injuries, including a concussion and a broken arm and leg, it added. Two other officers were also injured, it said.

A defense ministry statement said that while his injuries were relatively serious, his life was not in danger.

General-lieutenant Shamanov was transferred to hospital in Moscow, where he was visited by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russian news agencies reported.

Shamanov commanded Russian troops in the brief Russia-Georgia war in August 2008 and has led Russia's elite airborne troops since 2009.

He received a Hero of the Russian Federation decoration for his service in Chechnya, but human rights groups there have accused him of war crimes.

Last year he was reprimanded for abusing power after sending elite troops to prevent a raid on a factory owned by his son, who was wanted for attempted murder.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russian_military_leader_injured_in_road_accident_ministry_999.html.

Saudi minister visits Spain, reportedly for major tank deal

by Staff Writers
Madrid (AFP) Oct 29, 2010

Saudi Arabia's deputy defense minister will visit Spain next week, officials said Friday, and he is reportedly considering the purchase of Leopard 2E tanks for up to three billion euros.

Prince Khaled bin Sultan, Saudi deputy minister of defense and aviation, will meet King Juan Carlos on Monday, according to the Royal Palace's diary.

He will also see Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Tuesday, said a government spokesman, without giving details of their agenda.

Spain's leading El Pais daily this week said the Saudi minister may conclude the purchase of 200 to 270 Leopard 2E tanks for up to three billion euros (4.1 billion dollars), which would be a record deal for the country's defense export industry.

Spanish officials have not confirmed the report.

"There is still no contract. There is the possibility of an acquisition of combat tanks," said Raul Alvarez, spokesman for the defense sector of the major union Comisiones Obreras.

Alvarez said the contract could involve about 200 tanks.

Spain signed a military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia in June 2008, seeking to strengthen relations particularly in training and scientific and technical cooperation.

Up to now cooperation has been focused on training Saudi pilots on the Eurofighter at southern Spanish air base of Moron.

Khaled is the de facto head of the defense ministry in the absence of his father, Saudi Crown Prince and Defense Minister Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, whose health has sparked concerns in recent years.

On Wednesday, Khaled said his father was in good health and taking his annual vacation.

Prince Sultan, minister of defense and aviation since 1962 and crown prince since 2005, left the country in November 2008 to undergo surgery in the United States and then to convalesce in Morocco, returning in December 2009.

Source: Space War.
Link: http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Saudi_minister_visits_Spain_reportedly_for_major_tank_deal_999.html.