By Richard Ingham (AFP) LONDON — The law of probabilities backs theories that we are not alone in the Universe, although an encounter with an advanced civilisation may shock our species, scientists at a conference in London said on Monday. “There is no firm evidence that life exists elsewhere, but there is a very firm probability” for it, said Baruch Blumberg, an astrobiologist at the Fox Chance Cancer Center in Philadelphia. “My clear prediction is that living generations have an excellent chance of seeing extra-terrestrial life being detected,” said Martin Dominik, an astronomer at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. … Continue reading Earths Grand Boffins see ‘probability’ of alien life

By Asoka Bandarage Given changing geopolitical alliances and the increasing importance of Sri Lanka’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean, the outcome of the presidential elections on Tuesday will be decisive domestically, regionally and internationally. Sri Lanka provided the prototype of 21st century terrorism. According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, “The LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] perfected the use of suicide bombers, invented the suicide bomb belt, pioneered the use of women in suicide attacks … assassinated two world leaders [former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa] – the only terrorist organization … Continue reading Whither Sri Lanka?

By Nick Turse One moment there was the hum of a motor in the sky above. The next, on a recent morning in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a missile blasted a home, killing 13 people. Days later, the same increasingly familiar mechanical whine preceded a two-missile salvo that slammed into a compound in Degan village in the North Waziristan tribal area of Pakistan, killing three. What were once unacknowledged, relatively infrequent targeted killings of suspected militants or terrorists in the George W Bush years have become commonplace under the Barack Obama administration. And since a devastating December 30 suicide attack by … Continue reading Drone surge: Today, tomorrow and 2047

By Eli Clifton WASHINGTON – China reacted strongly to Hillary Clinton’s speech in which the United States secretary of state called on it to investigate security breaches which preceded Google’s decision last week to end its cooperation with Chinese Internet censorship. And on Sunday, A Chinese Industry Ministry spokesman flatly rejected claims Beijing was behind the recent cyber attacks. “The accusation that the Chinese government participated in [any] cyber attack, either in an explicit or inexplicit way, is groundless,” the spokesman said. “We [are] firmly opposed to that.” The state-run China Daily said the US’s strategy was “to exploit its … Continue reading Echoes of ideologies clashing

By Jian Junbo SHANGHAI – The United States’ relations with China during President Barack Obama’s first year in office climbed and plummeted like a rollercoaster ride. Many in China will recall Obama’s kind words and friendly gestures in a state visit last November, when he told young people in a City Hall-style meeting in Shanghai that America could learn from China because of its great history and culture. While his words still echo in the ears of many, his actions since may stick in others’ throats. The Obama administration has decided to sell updated and advanced weapons to Taiwan, and … Continue reading US and China pick their fights